The New Hobbit Hole

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The New Hobbit Hole
Concerning Hobbits
The New Hobbit Chronicles

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.

[Sam Cree]

Hi Overtaxed, nice to hear from you, glad you are OK. Hope you get power very soon.

Ice storms are beautiful, but they sure wreak havoc. One deprived us of power in rural Virginia about 8 years ago for several days. We had to bring water up from the lake, down a steep hill to make the toilets work. We spent alot of time in the one room that had a fireplace.

[2Jedismom]

I had no idea! I have literally not even had the TV on since Friday except to watch "The Movie" last night!

And the mouthpiece on her Clarke is metal. Ouch! Sounds cuh-cuh-coooolllldddd!!

[Sam Cree]

Hi 2J, your kids and a Christmas tree make a cute picture.

Didn't know Steve could bake...I can cook OK, but never really tried baking.

[Overtaxed]

Snow? What snow? Well...my wooded lot came down around my ears....no phone, no lights, and almost no motor car. (If I had parked in my usual spot, my shiny new car would have been totaled. Outside of the electric box and a bunch of fallen tree matter to clean up, I've got two tree tops resting on the eaves of my house. For now, all I can tell is that the gutters are bent. There might be some damage to the eaves but at least I didn't get any water damage inside the house. Oh yeah, I have a torn shingle to replace.

Thursday and Friday you couldn't get out of the neighborhood without driving under low-hanging power lines. But now the whole subdivision has the wonderful scent of pine from all the broken pine trees.

[Sam Cree]

1,000,000 or so lost power in N.C., and we didn't hear from OT for awhile, so I kind of thought she was one of them. Keeping warm can be a problem.

Ice storms have been going on in the Middle Atlantic states for many years. I guess before we relied on electricity, they were less of a problem.

[Overtaxed]

At least I had running water the whole time. The phone came back late Friday afternoon.

I don't have a fireplace but with two comforters, a blanket, and a wool afghan, it was downright toasty....even on that 18 degree night. It was so hot under there that the cat bailed on me.

[2Jedismom]

Yep, Steve actually taught me how to cook a lot of stuff. All I could cook before we got married was nachos (now I do make a mean nacho!) and mac and cheese!

What he didn't teach me, I learned on my own, but he was always very encouraging and has never said anything bad about my cooking.

He's usually into the fancy stuff...my cooking is usually just plain fare. I make a fantastic challah, though. Really pretty braid with poppyseeds on top.

[Sam Cree]

That ice storm I was talking about from c.8 years ago, a heavy tree branch fell through the back window of my neighbors car as they were driving home. Then, when they got there, there was no electricity.

Seemed like about half the community took the opportunity to check on, and consume, the contents of their liquor lockers, maybe because everyone's usual form of entertainment, TV, didn't work for several days.

I never read a statistic, but it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of babies were conceived that week.

[2Jedismom]

My word! Did you take in photos? What an awesome description!

I just checked out Fox and found this:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,72443,00.html

Heavens!

[Overtaxed]

Was that the Blizzard of 93 that dumped snow and ice up and down the East Coast? All I got out of that storm was a cold rain and a furnace that decided to quit. :)

[Sam Cree]

Neither my wife nor me could cook when we got married, so we lost weight for a couple months after our wedding. But these days, she's good at it, and I do OK, too.

My daughter adores Challah, always has to get some when she's home. You cook hobbit stuff, sounds like.

[2Jedismom]

Steve's nap time is just about over....I gotta get off the computer.

See you all this evening, hopefully.

[Sam Cree]

I can't remember if it was the same storm...only that it was in January. Glad you had plenty of Afghans and stuff.

[Overtaxed]

Yeah I took pictures that I hope come out okay. It's an old, totally manual 35mm and I'm not sure I got the settings right (Haven't used the thing in over a year.)

[2Jedismom]

My recipe:

Challah

This bread is a Jewish tradition that assumes different shapes, depending upon the event for which it is served. On the Sabbath, it is braided; for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it is shaped into round loaves.

Preparation time: 30 minutes.
Rising time: 2 hours.
Cooking time: 30 minutes.
Makes one 14 x 18-inch loaf.

Ingredients

1/4 cup lukewarm milk (105° to 115°F),
1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast,
2 tablespoons sugar,
1/2 cup lukewarm water,
2 large eggs,
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted),
1 teaspoon salt,
3 cups all-purpose flour,
1 large egg white,
1 tablespoon cold water,
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Step 1: Into a large bowl, pour the milk, then stir in the yeast and 1
tablespoon of the sugar and let stand for 10 minutes or until foamy.
Dissolve the saffron in the lukewarm water.

Step 2: In a medium-size bowl, with an electric mixer set on High,
beat the eggs until light yellow. Add the saffron water, butter, the
remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the salt, beating 1 minute longer;
then stir into the milk mixture. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the flour,
1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.

Step 3: Knead for 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Transfer the
dough to a large buttered bowl, turning to coat with the butter. Cover
loosely and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Step 4: Butter a 15 1/2 x 14-inch baking sheet. Punch down the dough
and divide into 3 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each
piece into a 12 x 1-inch rope. Place the three ropes side-by-side on the baking sheet. Pinch the top ends together, braid, then tuck the ends
under.

Step 5: In a cup, whisk the egg white with the cold water and brush
over the braid. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Cover and let rise for 1
hour more or until doubled in size.

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 30 minutes or until
golden brown. (If the bread seems to be browning too quickly, lay a
piece of foil loosely over the top.) Transfer to a rack to cool.

[Sam Cree]

Thanks very much for the Challah recipe, it looks like lots of fun, can't wait until we try it.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Hobbit Hole Freeper Call to Action!!

or, "Insane Ignorance at the Local Cineplex"

So, I'm driving home after doing a little bit of Christmas shopping, and I happen to drive past Showcase Cinema (our local Multiplex). I see that on their marquee, in bright letters, they have all the current open movie listings, plus a little side-section for "Up and Coming" releases. Towards the bottom of this list is the following:

"Lord of the Rings 2 - Dec. 18".

Lord of the Rings 2? LORD OF THE RINGS 2!?!? Like it's some kind of f***ing sequel?? I thought to myself.

Perturbed, I called the cinema's main number and asked to speak to the manager on duty. She came on the line, and this is how our conversation went:

Her: "Hello, can I help you?"
Me: "Yes, I was just driving past your marquee, and noticed a rather glaring error."
Her: "Yeah, what's that?"
Me: "Well, instead of having 'The Two Towers', you have it listed as 'Lord of the Rings 2'...and I wanted to make you aware of your mistake."
Her: "That's not a mistake."
Me: "Sure it is. The title of the book, and the title of the movie is 'The Two Towers', not 'Lord of the Rings 2'. As a student of Tolkein's writings, I feel you should correct this error."
Her: "Well, the whole title wouldn't fit."
Me: "Huh?"
Her: "We couldn't fit 'Lord of the Rings; The Two Towers' on the marquee, so we had to put 'Lord of the Rings 2' instead."
Me: "Why not just put 'The Two Towers'?"
Her: "'Cuz then people wouldn't know what it was."
Me: "Are you serious? You think that anyone who is going to see this movie doesn't know what it's called?"
Her: "No, not really...we need to call it 'Lord of the Rings 2'."
Me: "Ok...so, instead of 'The Empire Strikes Back', should we all just start calling it 'Star Wars 2'? This is NOT like an 'All Dogs Go To Heaven' sequel."
Her: "Look, I think you're being a little dramatic..."
Me: "Dramatic?! No, I'm poiting out a mistake that showcases your ignorance."
Her: "Well, look, you can get all offended if you want, but we're not going to change it. You're the only one that...".
Me: "Oh, I'm not offended...I'm embarrassed for you. You should know that Hoyts (a local cinema competitor) has labeled the movie correctly. Apparently, they don't feel compelled to pander to the lowest common denominator, like you folks do. They don't think their patrons are morons who don't know the name of a highly-anticipated movie."
Her: "Well, like I said, there's no mistake, and we're not changing it just because one nerd calls us."
Me: "Then I guess I'll be seeing the movie at Hoyts."

*click*

Can you believe this idiocy?!

If you feel like it, I suggest you call the Showcase Cinema in Warwick, R.I. and let the manager know what kind of an error they've made. The number is:

(401)-885-1345

[Overtaxed]

Okay....back into the cold dark. Talk to everyone later (hopefully.)

[2Jedismom]

This is just dreadful. Nearly as dreadful as some everlovin' interloper taking it upon herself to redo Tolkien's maps in the front of the Ballantine paperbacks!

I'm convinced that the world is being over-run by morons. (I suspect they are genetically linked to Clinton, but I don't know how to prove it.)

[2Jedismom]

See you later, OT. Best wishes. Can you cook?