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.
g'nad - Nice digs! When's the house warming party? LOL! Seriously, that place is gorgeous. There is NOTHING like that here in the Miami flatlands. :(
Rosie - Still praying for you! The right job will come along soon, I'm sure of it!
carton - Where are you? You off sneaking again?
Everybody else - breakfast in on. Lots of coffee and flapjacks, bacon and sausage. ENJOY!
We did for a while when we lived in DC. Still have lots of college friends who were/are CMA. They may know her, but I don't know anyone with CMA in Lebanon.
Here's another one back at ya...
Pacifists are among the most immoral of men. They make no distinction between agression and defense. Therefore, pacifism is one of the greatest allies an agressor can have! -- Patrick Henry
That's good to hear... Lookin' for the info...
I think Sam (if I may take a stab at this ksen), that it comes from the teachings of the "Holiness" movement, in part spurred by the teachings of John Wesley. Wesley taught that one must live an outward as well as inward life of holiness. Wesley saw that many in the church of his day would act one way on Sunday and another all through the week. He taught that the life should be consistent.
Somewhere along the line that evolved into "don't drink, don't smoke, don't dance, etc." and thus avoid any "appearance" of evil. In my background women used to wear (and some do) what we referred to as the "Wesleyan bun." They would not cut their hair, but they would pull it back tight and put it into a bun on their heads. We often thought the tightness of those buns contributed to their sour dispositions.
As I said yesterday, many have taken these things to extremes. And I think even Wesley would think that.
At the same time, the principle is sound, even if the actual practices are not.
I went to a Holiness College. Rules were very strict (see above). When I was there, girls could not wear pants to class, chapel or in the dining hall (that has since changed in a big way). Guys could not wear beards and hair had to be off your collar and off your ears (and I started there in the 70s).
The college has since relaxed many of the rules, particularly the dress code. But I went there willingly, knowing the rules and I kept them. In one sense that was a great environment because you really didn't have to be bad to be rebellious.
When I said yesterday that I thought the rule about not going to movies was silly, what I meant was I think rules like that miss the mark.
Still, I respect it. And I respect ksen for abiding by the rule since he made the commitment.
And no, I don't fault ksen for not always keeping the rule. We are human. We are all fallible.
As Christians we recognize that only Christ was perfect. And we recognize that we will indeed fail. But we believe that our failures (sins), past, present and future were nailed to the cross and we just need to ask His forgiveness.
I'll stop preaching now...
Praying for your job, Rosie.
Good on ya ksen. I respect your decision, even though I am not legalistic about such things myself....
Thanks for the kind words! be seein yuh in the funny papers...
"I didn't have to accept the nomination, but I did, so know I must abide by the requirements set forth by our congregation."
I agree, that kind of says it all. BTW, congratulations on the nomination.
Judaism has literally thousands of rules, developed over centuries, and compiled in quite a few volumes, separate from the Torah. I kind of use my own judgement on which ones(of the ones I even know about) to follow, but admit that if everyone did that, the tradition might not be very coherent. OTOH, Judaism has too many rules, if everyone tried following them all, or even tried just being aware of them all, everyone would be tied in knots, IMHO.
Thanks Hair! ;)
Good luck on your cloak. At least you have some progress! I still haven't found the perfect peasant-type blouse for my hobbit costume. I've given up on the hairy feet though. I'll be a female hobbit in sandals! *grin*
Hills? Hardwood? Snow? Winter?
Stop speaking dwarvish, I can't understand a thing you're saying!
Just kidding. I was born in Chicago and travelled there every year by car. I'm in love with Tennessee (and will happily settle for Kentucky!).
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