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.
I was watching the Lions and Patriots football game, folks, and I saw a TV trailer for TT. Forgive me, since I've not yet read the books, but it seemed to show, among other things:
If you're not watching the games, do so! It'll be back!
Overall length is about 8 feet. The white PVC pipe is 1-1/2 inch Schedule 40 PVC. The black "chamber" is 6 inch diameter ABS joint section with screw in caps..
The ABS Chamber is connected with the barrel using a regular 6" to 1-1/2" adaptor... and glued with PVC cement.
The striker is a Coleman lantern striker. Drill a hole through the ABS, that matches the dimension of the shaft of the striker, disassemble it, and mount it like shown in the pics....
The bevel on the end of the barrel is very important, Ramius says, to ensure the clean coring of the potato when you ram them in the end of the barrel. Use the little new red potatos that are slightly larger that the barrel, and just press them in... they will form fit... tamp down to just short of the chamber with a pole (marked for the length so you don't push it all the way through)
Propellant: We use Naptha (Lighter Fluid).... Other people have used other stuff, even Aqua Net hair spray, but the lighter fluid works best. The lighter fluid needs to evaporate inside to fire, but you can't really put in too much. Only the amount of vapor the air will hold will actually evaporate, and the excess will remain liquid and not hurt anything. Pour in a good squirt of it. You'll figure it out in time. On cold days, it is hard to get it to evaporate... let it warm in the sun and turn it slowly for a few moments, then point it in a safe direction and fire.
One safety mod that Ramius says he would like to do is to wrap the whole chamber in duct tape, because if the ABS were ever to blow, it shatters like glass, and the duct tape might hold down the shrapnel.
In close, Ramius and I both want to emphasize that these are dangerous weapons.... treat them like a gun. I have seen a potato shatter a cement block at close range. It would be lethal if you hit someone with it, and the potatos will go a couple hundred yards. The beach is the best place to fire them.
As I post, so mote it be ...
Well I THOUGHT we'd eat about 4, but the dang turkey isn't all the way done yet. It is still dripping pink where the leg attaches to the body! I thought I had it thawed enough this morning, but 'mebbe I din't'! Since we plunged into the Berry Pie and Apple Cake last night, I decided to make a Cranberry Crumbcake this afternoon. It will probably come out of the oven at the same time as the turkey! The dressing is well and truly cooked! It has been in the slow cooker for over 12 hours now, but it is YUMMY, at least according to Paul (our #1) and Sir SuziQ who have been 'testing' it for the last 4 hours!
We're not football fans, but I'll have to check out the games to see if I can catch the trailer. What a perfect place to show it; get some of those battle hardened fans to the theater to see even BETTER battles!
You certainly are, Bear. And you're a very smart guy to realize it! LOL! Sounds like Rose is a lady who has also been blessed!
The best I can say is that I didn't make myself sick! LOL! I'm gonna have a cup of herbal tea and a piece of that Cranberry Crumbcake in just a little while!
Hair,
Thank you so much for your words! I am touched that you thought about me. It means a lot.
I'm still not sure how I feel about today, actually. We had the whole meal and we were all there together (except for the brother in CA), but there was certainly something missing. As my littlest sister said, "This is fun...but it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, does it?" I miss her bustling around, worrying about getting everything right, even though it used to drive us crazy at times. And all of us talking, all together during the meal...when one voice is missing, the conversation is completely different.
It could have been worse. But it did feel incomplete. It will for awhile, I guess. I still have much to be thankful for, but I miss her so bad sometimes.
Yeah...that's what I'm finding. I have a lot of loose ends, especially with my story's internal logic. I meant to tie them up somewhere along the line, but I put them off until the last minute. Plus the end was something I had pretty well planned from day one...but my plot has twisted around so much that my original ending doesn't apply any more.
Still, on the whole I'm happy with it. My wording isn't what it should be, and the overall order of the chapters and such could use work, but as a whole, it isn't as crappy as I imagine it COULD be. Still crappy...but not as crappy as it seemed around the middle of the month.
When I'm finally done, I need to get back to yours! Since I've been trying to write so much a day, I've had trouble finding time for anything else. It'll be nice to finish this up!
Fat Bloated Elf
Just kidding Scott!
Hello, goodbye and good night to all! I ate TWO Thanksgiving meals today, first at my mother in law's and then at my grandmother's. Whew! I must go to bed. Baby asleep and Becky almost there. Glen is snoring. :)
Talk to you all tomorrow! Hope your Thanksgiving was as terrific as mine. No big family arguments this year. YIPPEE!! :)
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