Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
This is a continuation of the infamous thread New Zealander Builds Hobbit Hole originally posted on January 26, 2001 by John Farson, who at the time undoubtedly thought he had found a rather obscure article that would elicit a few replies and die out. Without knowing it, he became the founder of the Hobbit Hole. For reasons incomprehensible to some, the thread grew to over 4100 replies. It became the place for hobbits and friends of hobbits to chit chat and share LoTR news and views, hang out, and talk amongst ourselves in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
In keeping with the new posting guidelines, the thread idea is continuing here, as will the Green Dragon Inn, our more structured spin-off thread, as soon as we figure out how to move all the good discussion that has been had there. As for the Hobbit Hole, we will just start fresh, bringing only a few mathoms such as the picture above with us to make it feel like home, and perhaps a walk down memory lane:
Our discussion has been light:
It very well may be that a thread named "New Zealander builds Hobbit hole" will end up being the longest Tolkien thread of them all, with some of the best heartfelt content... Sorry John, but I would have rather it had been one with a more distinguished title!… post 252 - HairOfTheDog
However, I can still celebrate, with quiet dignity, the fact that what started as a laugh about some wacko in New Zealand has mutated and grown into a multifaceted discussion of the art, literature, and philosophy that is Tolkien. And now that I've managed to write the most pompous sentence of my entire life, I agree, Rosie… post 506 - JenB
Hah! I was number 1000!! (Elvish victory dance... wait, no; that would be too flitty) … post 1001 - BibChr
Real men don't have to be afraid of being flitty! Go for it. – post 1011 – HairOfTheDog
Seventeen years to research one mystical object seems a bit excessive… post 1007 - JenB
Okay...who's the wise guy who didn't renew Gandalf's research grant?… post 1024 – Overtaxed
To the very philosophical:
…Judas Iscariot obviously was a good man, or he wouldn't have been chosen to be one of the Apostles. He loved Jesus, like all of the Apostles, but he betrayed him. Yet without his betrayal, the Passion and Crucifixion would never have occurred, and mankind would not have been redeemed. So without his self-destruction infinite good would not have been accomplished. I certainly do not mean this to be irreverant but it seems to me that this describes the character of Gollum, in the scenes so movingly portrayed above… Lucius Cornelius Sulla
To fun but heartfelt debates about the integrity and worth of some of the characters…
…Anyone else notice how Boromir treats the hobbits? He's very fond of them but he seems to think of them as children - ruffling Frodo's hair, calls them all 'little ones'. He likes them, but I don't think he really respects them… post 1536 - JenB
Yes... Tolkien told us not to trust Boromir right off the bat when he began to laugh at Bilbo, until he realized that the Council obviously held this hobbit in high esteem. What a pompous dolt… post 1538 - HairOfTheDog
…I think almost every fault of his can be traced directly back to his blindness to anything spiritual or unseen. He considers the halflings as children, because that is what they look like. He considers the only hope of the ring to be in taking it and using it for a victory in the physical realm. He cannot see what the hobbits are truly made of, he cannot see the unseen hope of what the destruction of the ring might mean--the destruction of Sauron himself, and he cannot see the unseen danger that lies in the use of the ring itself… I just feel sorry for Boromir--he is like a blind but honorable man, trying to take the right path on the road but missing the right path entirely because he simply cannot see it… post 1548 - Penny1
Boromir isn't a jerk, he's a jock… post 2401 – Overtaxed
-----------------------------------------
Oh, I think by the time Frodo reaches the Cracks, he's not even himself anymore! I think he's not only on the brink of a dangerous place physically, he's on the brink of losing himself completely during the exchange with Gollum. But for some reason, the take-over isn't complete till he actually has to throw the Ring in. The person speaking to Gollum is not Frodo, but the "Wheel of Fire" that Sam sees. After the Ring is destroyed, Frodo not only comes back to himself, but comes back with the unbearable (to him) knowledge of what it's like to be completely without compassion. I think that's why it's so important to him to be compassionate in the Shire… post 2506 - 2Jedismom
…Regarding Frodo's compassion... it's a little too much at the end. Even Merry tells him that he's going to have to quit being so darn nice. But you're right. He's learned a lesson about evil that very few ever learn since it wasn't an external lesson but an internal one. (Those kinds of lessons have the greatest impact) Not only did he totally succumb to it, but he was rather ruthless to my little Smeagol… post 2516 - carton253
Well that Frodo was a big mean bully! (to Smeagol)… post 2519 – Overtaxed
So as you can see, everything JRR Tolkien (and Peter Jackson) is welcome here in our New Row, our soon-to-be familiar New Hobbit Hole…; philosophy, opinion, good talk and frequent silliness.
I am intrigued by the practical applications of "Sailpower: Economic, Historical, Scientific and Cultural Principles".
I'm sure there are any number of socialist advocacy groups who would love to hire them for their 'rent a mobs'
That's great! We can probabably prosecute them for violating minimum wage laws and for not paying Social Security taxes on them.
Hullo! - Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but I was out doing barn chores and feeding the ponies.
I am out the door now, going to dinner at a friend's house. I hope it goes without incident. Heh. This is my religious fanatic alcoholic friend I have been trying to stick with through trying times. As long as she doesn't revisit the theory that God tripped my horse, or she doesn't drink too much and forget that we have an agreement not to talk to me about her version of God, we should be OK... I say, 50:50 chance.
-Hair the masochist.
I'm mostly still really stressed out because I want that job up at the college! Especially since I found out today that they've restructured the department and the "manager" (not the actual boss - the person who they actually report to is a Dean in another part of the college, which is probably the BEST part of it...), anyway, the guy who basically oversees the department is a guy who I've met before (took some computer classes together) and really liked. So now I want it even more than I did! I know God has this all figured out, but trusting is awfully hard.
And regarding my story...after much bugging from my younger siblings (mostly brothers), I read part of it to them, and they were pretty brutal. You'd expect that from brothers, and I'm not supposed to be taking this story (or them!) seriously, but it still hurt. So I'm kinda down on the whole thing right now.
That's when you start throwing pens at them! :)
I'm trying to see how much crap I can write this evening.
Is THAT what I did wrong?
I'm not really mad at them, just frustrated. I KNOW I can't write believable male characters, but I hate writing women, so I ended up with mostly guys (which, as I said and as they pointed out vehemently, I can't do well). But I refuse to start over (don't have time to, anyway!), so now I'm really upset with the story right now (which I already KNEW was crappy, but maybe not HOW crappy - I knew the plot was lame, but thought one or two of my characters were OK). And I don't want false postitive criticism, which is about the only kind of positive criticism I'm likely to get!
< / GROUSING SESSION >
Yeah, I AM in a bad mood! What of it? ;-)
It sounds like they're the ones with the problem. Or is it all just a joke to them?
I'd stop worrying about other people's personal problems and wether they're impressed with me or not.
But then again, I don't have the best people skills in the world either. :)
LOL! Doesn't that little phrase come in handy?
To: 300winmag; 2Jedismom; blackbart1; carton253; Corin Stormhands; DonnerT; ecurbh; fnord; g'nad; ...
Spoiler alert!
Nice ENORMOUS high resolution shots of GOLLUM and TREEBEARD! Click the Pic....
Make sure you click his link at the very bottom of the page! Treebeard holding Merry...
437 posted on 11/10/2002 8:28 PM PST by HairOfTheDog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 436 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
