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.
Kewl story Hair... great memories...
Man... yuh got me reminiscin'... this mean I can post a few of my fond mem'rys?... heh heh heh...
I popped in to say hello to everyone! Looks like everybody is busy elsewhere tonight though.
My sister-in-law insisted on keeping the baby overnight tonight to give me a much deserved break (her words not mine), so it's just me and Becky tonight. Becky's painting with watercolors and I am surfing the net, watching "While You Were Out" on TLC and have LoTR Extended popped in and ready to go!
Gosh! I'm such an addict!
LMAO...my wife LOVES that show! She's either watching that or "Trading Spaces"....(or, 'Tray Spay', as she calls it...she's so hip! lol)
Did you see the one where they transformed the backyard into an LA Laker's basketball court theme? That was pretty cool.
I'm getting ready to pop it on soon though. I'd better if I plan to get to bed before 2AM. :)
I wish I had a family member as addicted as I am. Maybe I wouldn't feel like such a weirdo!
Yes, I saw that one. The guy was so freaked out when he saw all the cameras, I thought he was going to completely flip when he saw his court. It was too funny!
You are doing better than I am when it comes to Christmas decorating. For all my talk, I STILL haven't got the tree yet. HAHAHAHA!
My dad will be coming to visit from Chicago next weekend, so he asked us to wait until he gets here to buy the tree and to take the kiddies to see Santa and get their pics taken.
But I did get a lot of Christmas shopping done. Just about 10 folks left and that's it. Considering the length of my gift list, that's a real accomplishment. :)
Anyway, Fiddler on the Roof, huh? Great movie. Enjoy!
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match - find me a find, catch me a catch...
What made it bizarre? I AM Catholic, and I've been to a few bizarre ones myself. Sometimes folks just try to be unusual for the sake of being unusual, forgetting what the Mass is truly about!
We went to Mass at a Benedictine Monastery in Vermont once (Rosie may know about these guys at Weston Priory). After Holy Communion, the monks all started dancing a Whirling Dervish! Tres Wierd!
I have only three or four gifts left to purchase, one for our #1 son and a couple for Sir SuziQ I have done 95% of my shopping online; it has been great!! Now I have to clean off the craft table in the basement so everyone can do their wrapping! I am considering flying down to MS for the weekend of Dec. 21-22 to be with my family at our Christmas party. I haven't been with my family for Christmas in almost 20 years! Mainly I would like to be there in case this is Mama's last Christmas. She'll only be able to get out of the nursing home for a couple of hours, but I know she'll love it. She won't remember it when she gets back to the home, but, Bless her Heart, she'll have a good time while she's at the party! And we'll have pictures to prove to her that she was there!.
If I'm going to do that, however, I'll have to have everything ready for Christmas at MY house before I leave! I have to put my wreath on the front door, put lights on the bushes in the front, then CLEAN my house! We'll put the tree up just before the boys come home on the 18th, then decorate it on the 19th after we've seen TTT!
If I get to go, I wouldn't be back until Mon. the 23rd LATE, so the next day would be a zoo, if I didn't have things done already!
Good for you SuziQ - that you can go! If you can be away and still get everything done of course!
Hullo! - Good Morning!
Uhhhh....yeah....big time. It's still out at my house. This afternoon the power company had new transformer poles curing in cement, concrete...whatever. I'm waiting for the electrician guy to put up a new electric box thingy. Right now I'm at "The" House (power came on here at noon) getting a hot shower and doing laundry. That semi-g'nad lifestyle is getting old. :)
Hopefully there will be power at work tomorrow so I can get back to some Freeping.
Steve and I have been baking all morning. He's making a rye bread and I'm making banana nut bread. It's going to work out just great, just as mine is done, it'll be times to put his in the oven.
The boys are watching their "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" video. We put our tree up last night.
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