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
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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.
Hair, you seem to get into these debates where you get called a "good german" all the time! Wasn't SamAdams76 the last one who hit you with that?
I very doubt any kind of harrassment would entail from either the county sheriff's office, or even the city police. The County Sheriff is a good group (I play cards with a couple of the deputies, which, of course, yields the usual questions about whether one should bluff playing against a couple of guys who are packing...).
They're not going to hassle someone unnecessarily...though there are lots and lots of people here in this area who would like to throw the book at anyone who dares to carry, even legally. (Some of them, the same people who get their "supply" from all the meth labs which are "guarded" by less-than-savories that are packing heavy artillery).
There are a lot of rural meth labs in this area and the sheriff's office is really cautious about reported gunfire for that reason.
In general, you just can't dismiss the human factor amongst policemen, who have a certain fatalism about the dangers in their job. It's dangerous. We've had a few high profile cop killings (all with handguns) in the last year. And it's only human for the police to be very cautious (and even doubtful) when confronted with the possibility of a weapon in the hands of someone they don't know. Even though we demand extreme professionalism from them, under it all there's still just a guy who wants to live to see tomorrow.
I see the effects of the Ring are still lingering.....
Makes sense to me. My last job not only wasn't advertised, it wasn't officially an opening. A friend of mine (well, a neighbor) worked there and knew they were thinking of eventually hiring another computer tech as the job was becoming too much for the one guy who was handling it. So he encouraged me to apply even though there wasn't an opening. I got the job about two weeks later. So I know that can work - it's part of why I'm making an effort to contact places that may not currently have anything with a letter explaining what I do and what I'm good at, and my resume.
But there really aren't many places that are hiring, period - I'd say all around this town is in pretty bad shape, financially. The sister company of the company I worked for (same corporation, different companies underneath it) just laid off another 27 people yesterday. May not sound like much, but that's pretty much unheard of around here.
We now resume or normal programming...sneak
I suppose my blindness to such things is a good trait, right? ;-)
There's a precious coming up. Smeagol will not be going for it.
Just in case, somebody fetch Sam's rope...
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