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.
That'll teach her to stick to her needlepoint! Meow! Meow!
I did try to join, but as of this morning I had still received no notification. That's OK, I just stayed up and watched the whole thing by myself :P .
brazen match-making this morning 2JM?
I'm subtle as a steam-roller, right Jen?
Tell me, who did you guys most want to kill last night? My sisters and I decided that next time they should have Legolas and Gimli as security; any actor who goes past his time on his speech will be forced off the stage by an axe-wielding dwarf. Anyone who says "thank you" to more than fifteen people gets shot. And anyone who gives a standing ovation to Woody Allen gets eaten by Shelob.
I turned to my husband and said "This is going to be hard to get through!"
Unbelievable.
Is this bad? The acceptance speech that annoyed me the most was Halle Barry's. I know that it's a wonderful achievement to win an Oscar, and she obviously had a lot of "emotional dollars" invested in being a racial barrier-breaker. I couldn't help thinking, however, of Walter Williams or Thomas Sowell standing up there in her place, saying:
"You know, I didn't win this award because I am black, I won it because I'm that good. And if you gave it to me because I'm black, you can have it back."
And then I felt kind of bad for raining on her parade, so to speak.
What do you think?
What do you think?
I think you must a hugely better person than I am! I think she made an spectacle of herself. I took a bathroom break right then.
LOL - that's what we said! Honestly, why on earth would you want to look like that? I was relieved when she changed, although she kept changing - must have worn five different outfits last night!
Halle Berry was very very annoying. I've only seen her in a couple movies, in not-so-important roles, so I had no opinion of her until last night. Her show of hysterics gave me a very bad impression of her. And the whole "this is for the millions of black women who are oppressed out there" bit (whatever it was she said, it was late and I don't remember) was really annoying.
As soon as ABM was announced as the winner we turned it off. It was already after 12:30 and I had to be up at 6:30 this morning. Why did I watch that stupid thing? I could have been doing something productive, like organizing my sock drawer. Or alphabetizing the recipe basket.
Can't wait for Friday. I have off from Wednesday on so school won't be a problem! This will be so great!
Well, not so much. My expressions of disgust to the empty room were less decorous than my post this morning would indicate. And my measured regret at my own feelings did not follow immediately after, but are instead the result of reflection. Overall, I agree with you that Ms. Barry could have shown more self-control--but I suppose some latitude should be given for the emotional, high-pressure situation.
Sidney Portier and Denzel Washington showed a lot of character and behaved like the gentlemen, even if Sid did run a bit long.
Is it the weekend yet? And here's the agony for me--I have a church thing on Friday night, so I won't get to see it till SATURDAY! Aiiiieeeee!
The "water cooler" conversation this morning: LOTR was ROBBED last night. Nice to know most people know quality when they see it...
ABM, cast and crew, should be hit with an ICBM. Or sent to Siberia. Especially Russell Crowe.
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