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.
Had to celebrate a successful crap producing day in some way...and somehow spam seemed appropriate.
Good night!
That was the one I heard on the website. If you ever get a chance, listen to anything by "Tower of Power", or George Clinton's music. You'll see what I mean by funk. Or if you can check out some old James Brown from the 60's; he got the whole funk thang going back then; remember, "I Feel Good"?
Cool! Congratlations on your new system!
First, you have to decide if you want to build a system or buy one fully assembled. If you want to build your own, I can wholeheartedly recommend buying most or all of your parts online. We did, and it's worked out wonderfully well. Just be sure to buy retail pieces, not refurb'ed --- the warranties are better. We bought our cases, case fans, motherboards, CPUs, memory, floppy drives, DVDRom drives, memory, and video cards online, from three different companies, and haven't had any problems so far.
However, keep in mind ... if you build your own, or have someone build it for you, you'll be beholden to yourself or the builder for support. Windows, in all its incarnations, holds few mysteries for me; my fuzzy Bear is a wiz at figgering out stuff (it's his engineer gene). If you don't want to keep in mind the four different ways to boot to Windows 2000 if Normal mode fails, or how to determine which of the many spinning devices in your case is making that intermittent high-pitched whine, then you want to buy your system from someone who can help you troubleshoot.
Now, I work at the Lazy E. I'll admit, straight up, that I believe that buying from Dell is the best thing you can do, short of building your own. Not so much because of the hardware; the hardware is about the same, whether you buy Dell, or HP/Compaq, or Gateway, or IBM, or any of the other big names. I believe that tech support makes all the difference, and I believe Dell's tech support is what keeps it at Number One.
Tell you what ... call all the companies' tech support numbers and ask them some presales questions. In fact, say just what you posted here. See who knows their stuff, and see if you like the way they talk to you. Remember, it'll be someone just like that who'll be on the other end of the phone when you really need their help. Call two or three times, at different times of the day. Ask them what they recommend. Use that information when you make your choice.
Oh ... and everyone is outsourcing tech support to India nowadays ... even Dell. Get used to it ... it's all about the money, and cheaper tech support prices means, in the immortal words of the Wayans Brothers, "mo' money, mo' money, mo' money!"
If you buy a machine from one of the big makers (and I do hope you choose a Dell), make sure you get a three-year on-site warranty for parts and labor. And, if you have kids, make sure you get some kind of coverage for accidental damage.
More on specific hardware later ... I have to go make potato salad for a potluck tomorrow. Why oh why do I let myself get talked into these things????
Sez your San Antonio Rose ...
It's still in the same area. In fact, a whole 10 minutes closer to my house than my current commute!
Virtually any type of headhunting...the company is small enough to remain very flexible and to keep it's resources open. Like, say Steve graduates with his Environmental Science Masters in a couple of years...would someone hire you to headhunt him?
Precisely. Company A calls me and tells me what type of person they're looking for, experience level, degree, etc...Short term contract, or permanent position. Then my company will charge that company a fee to find, recruit, and interview that person.
But, it can also work on the other end of the spectrum as well. A person can come to me with their resume, and have me help them look for work. We don't charge the person anything...just the company that they'd be going to work for.
It's a lot of phone calling, a lot of schmoozing, a lot of Chamber of Commerce-type after hours meetings, and a lot of hob-knobbing. Because, after all, when it comes to finding a job, it's most often not what you know, but who you know.
The company is relatively new to the Providence area, and the two people working out of that office right now are transplants from another state. They were looking for someone (me! lol) who knows the R.I. area, knows R.I. business trends, someone who's got their hand on the pulse of the employment market. It's going to be a huge responsibility for me, but if it helps me provide a better life for my family, I'll look forward to it!
Ok...I'm babbling...I'll stop now. lol
all right... I won't hurt yuh... as long as you don't ferget the great unwashed...
you got any branches in Missouri lookin' fer a broken down old jarhead?...
I could probably write enough to rival the trilogy in sheer volume... but half the words would be "pleasedon'tdothatpleasedon'tdothatpleasedon'tdothat..."
doh!... mornin' OT... sorry to here yer still on the crapper...
I'm gettin' out today at lunch time... low pressure system'll be movin' thru... rain mixed with snow thru the nite, clearing by noon tomorrow...I'll be out tomorrow afternoon too...
Hehehe....at least I don't have Elrond's problem.
I'll probably be there for the duration. Maybe I should just do the shopping and see if the siblings take the initiative to cook Thanksgiving dinner.
that's one of the beauties of deer huntin'... the passion of the pursuit give hunters a common bond...
as to yer comment about bein "inept", I imagine you'd put quite a few "hunters" I've met to shame...
the colonel didn't see a single deer, (doesn't mean he just didn't see 'em) which makes me feel bad, cuz I guided him to one of my honey holes, and I'd never been to the spot where I took my buck... I've learned to trust my instincts, as they've payed off... fer me anyway...
which one?.. bein' a gutless wonder or havin' a big butt?...
Maybe I should just do the shopping and see if the siblings take the initiative to cook Thanksgiving dinner.
wishful thinkin?...
The fibre problem.
wishful thinkin?...
Yep. Last year I trusted them with the pumpkin/cream cheese pie....you know, the kind that has to chill and set before you can eat it. Needless to say, it didn't have time to chill and set by Thanksgiving dinner.
How 're theboyz today? I'm really lookin' forward to the chance of doin' an Oki-Mo Moot with you guys...
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.