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.
-Kevin
I guess we know who wears the snowpants in your family. ;^) Duck!
I am going to the cheap theatre tomorrow, to the 12:15pm show. Maybe we can "virtually" see it together. If I managed to get a laptop into the theatre do you think they would provide me with a phone line?
-Kevin
-Kevin
You want me to post it again? :) Technical difficulties!
g'nads... I am just assuming you are a guy, because of the ummm... things you have... but as you can see, it is sometimes good to clear up the confusion early!
NO topical posts in the Dragon yet? - Can we END FoTR soon enough for you people? Jeepers. This is the one time in the story when Boromir bashing would actually be called for.... are we all too pooped out?
Hehehe....I'm planning on kicking back with a pint and popcorn and indulging in some bootleg. :)
Which are those?
Yes HOTD, I'm a guy, and yes...sometimes it is good to verify...twice in one day (ovetaxed and Corin)...am I on a roll or what?
The Precious?...beginners luck...
Right here. Check them out, she did a good job.
-Kevin
Actually Mrs. Stormhands currently works nights on the weekends. That's so we can keep the little Stormandses out of day care. She'll start teaching part time in the fall, so the youngest will be in day care part time, but not full time.
She'd "let" me go. As long as I found a sitter.
And, um, gee Kevin, thanks for asking me "out" and all, but...that's just a little weird...
Well, sure Jen, you and the rest of us guys aren't weird.
It's the wimmin.
Yeah! What he said!...
She'd "let" me go. As long as I found a sitter.
Oh,.....now I feel bad. You didn't have to go into that explanation, I was just making a little joke. I'm sorry if I may have offended you.
The sacrifice you and Mrs. Stormhands are making will pay off big time in the lives of your little dwarvelings.
I am taking two of mine, my 11 year old daughter and my 5 year old son. The 5 year old has already seen it once. He was real worried about being scared by the cave troll, after hearing his brother and sister talking about it. When the cave troll finally made his appearance Jacob got this look of relief on his face and said "he's just a toy, I saw him at Toy R Us!"
There are things I don't let him see, namely Lurtz's birthday. For anything else I put my hand in front of his face so he can peek out or hide if needs to. I almost didn't bring him that first time, but he sweet talked me and assured me that he would not have any bad dreams. A couple of days after we saw FoTR he came and crawled into my bed in the middle of the night. The next day I asked why he did that. He said "I don't want to tell you." Heh heh. He did have a bad dream about the movie, but as far as I know it was his only one because he hasn't come back in my bed since.
Well, sorry for droning on and on. Again, I am sorry if I offended you or made you feel uncomfortable with my snowpants wisecrack, I certainly didn't mean any.
And, um, gee Kevin, thanks for asking me "out" and all, but...that's just a little weird...
I love you man! Well, in a MANLY football watchin', backslappin', eatin' with no silverware, drinkin' right out of the container sort of way. *harumph*
-Kevin
No, you can't have my Bud!
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