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.
Very cool!
It's Monday. Do we have to do cheer today?
Hm...I've never heard of there BEING a Cape Breton harp tradition. There are plenty of fiddlers and piano players that play Cape Breton style, but I've not heard of harpists. So I couldn't tell ya!
The concert was good, better than I expected. I had seen the fiddler (Jerry Holland) once before, this summer, and wasn't all that entertained, but I enjoyed him last night. It helped that he and the backup pianist really meshed together well - I think that was one of my problems with the previous concert.
I still like Irish better, though. And it was a little disappointing...Johnny Cunningham (used to play with Silly Wizard) was originally on the billing for last night's concert, but they took him off a few weeks ago. Dad bought tickets without noticing that his name had been removed, and then was told the tickets weren't refundable, or we probably wouldn't have gone.
Dad got yet ANOTHER book of tunes to inflict on us. ;-) He never seems to stick with one set long enough for us to really learn them!
I miss my old gal Tequila. She was sweet as pie, but protective of the kids. It never ceased to crack me up when she would go from her typical Basset pose (flat on the floor, snoring) to a barking mad dog at the door.
You'd open the door and whoever was there would be looking over your shoulder for a Rottweiler or something equivalent, only to peer down into the soulful eyes of a short-legged, long eared funny face. :)
Oh, and did I mention, Tequila was a master at stealing food. No grocery bag was safe if left unattended for a moment. She loved Doritos and one time, she ate a whole pack of cinnamon buns, including the paper bag they were in!
I am back, sort of. Just incredibly busy with rehearsals and life in general. And now I'm some 400 posts behind. It will be crazy here through the 16th.
Our tech runs for the show are tonite and tomorrow night. We've had some problem with the lighting, so our first full run through will be our dress rehearsal on Wednesday, for which we'll have a full audience. That's our benevolence performance where we give away all 1,400 seats for the show to various ministries around town. It works well for dress rehearsal because those folks are very appreciative and also very forgiving when things go wrong.
Life in general right now: too much to do, not enough time, not enough money, not enough sleep...
But we're okay.
Mrs. is going back to Greensboro to help her mom get ready for Christmas on the 19th. So Jr. and I will plan to see The Two Towers that evening. (He has a youth group event on the 18th).
You guys must be all geared up and ready to go with the performances - how exciting!
Don't worry, I'm sure everything will work itself out and opening night will be a smash! Don't forget to post some pics if you can!
It all works out. It's a mystery!
We're anxious to run with it, that's for sure. I'll post pics if I can.
Look who's beating a dead thread...(where'd everybody go?)
Dunno. I wasn't being that crabby!
Jerks!
Anyway, I read the reviews for TTT and am giddy with excitement! I just dread that feeling of "it's over" after I've already seen it and the year's wait for RoTK. The Extended Edition will still be 10 months away so what will I do to feed my fix? LOL!
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