The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Overtaxed]

I just went to http://www.google.com and did a search for "Old 97 lyrics".

Haven't seen Bear lately.

[HairOfTheDog]

That sortof reminds me of this song:

30,000 Pounds Of Bananas

(Harry Chapin)
From the album

It was just after dark when the truck started down the hill that leads into Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Carrying thirty thousand pounds of bananas.
Carrying thirty thousand pounds (hit it Big John) of bananas.

He was a young driver, just out on his second job
And he was carrying the next day's tasty fruits for everyone in that coal-scarred city
Where children play without despair in backyard slag-piles and folks manage to eat each day
About thirty thousand pounds of bananas.
Yes, just about thirty thousand pounds (scream it again, John) .

He passed a sign that he should have seen, saying "shift to low gear, a fifty dollar fine, my friend."
He was thinking perhaps about the warm-breathed woman who was waiting at the journey's end.
He started down the two mile drop, the curving road that wound from the top of the hill.
He was pushing on through the shortening miles that ran down to the depot.
Just a few more miles to go, then he'd go home and have her ease his long, cramped day away.
And the smell of thirty thousand pounds of bananas.
Yes the smell of thirty thousand pounds of bananas.

He was picking up speed as the city spread its twinkling lights below him.
But he paid no heed as the shivering thoughts of the nights delights went through him.
His foot nudged the brakes to slow him down, but the pedal floored easy without a sound.
He said "Christ!"
It was funny how he had named the only man who could save him now.
He was trapped inside a dead-end hellslide, riding on his fear-hunched back was every one of those yellow green.
I'm telling you thirty thousand pounds of bananas.
Yes, there were thirty thousand pounds of bananas.

He barely made the sweeping curve that led into the steepest grade.
And he missed the thankful passing bus at ninety miles an hour.
And he said "God, make it a dream!" as he rode his last ride down.
And he said "God, make it a dream!" as he rode his last ride down.
And he sideswiped nineteen neat parked cars, clipped off thirteen telephone poles, hit two houses, bruised eight trees, and Blue-Crossed seven people.
It was then he lost his head, not to mention an arm or two before he stopped.
And he slid for four hundred yards along the hill that leads into Scranton, Pennsylvania.
All those thirty thousand pounds of bananas.

You know the man who told me about it on the bus, as it went up the hill out of Scranton, Pennsylvania,
He shrugged his shoulders, he shook his head, and he said (and this is exactly what he said)
"Boy that sure must've been something.
Just imagine thirty thousand pounds of bananas.
Yes, there were thirty thousand pounds of mashed bananas.
Of bananas. Just bananas. Thirty thousand pounds.
Of Bananas. Not no driver now. Just bananas!"

[osagebowman]

Sorry for the previous double post, connections been in and out this evening, up now so posting Whoops now.

[HairOfTheDog]

Your Sunday Morning NEWS from TORN!
Lots to report!

News for Jan. 19, 2003

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Gollum Wins At Critic's Choice Awards
1/19/03, 2:02 am EST - Demosthenes

Ringer Spy Kerbear reports that the Critics Choice Awards were on tonight and that Gollum snared an award for Best Digital Acting Performance in The Two Towers. Our congratulations go out to Andy Serkis and the WETA team for their fine work. [More]

Bilbo's Partychart!
1/19/03, 1:40 am EST - Demosthenes

Ringer Fan Aura Boy was was sitting in a coffee house reading the Fellowship of the Ring and across Bilbo's famous quote; "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; And I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Wanting to clear up the confusion, threw together this fun little chart to help this famous line. (*giggles* - Dem.) [More]

The Golden Globes Are Coming
1/19/03, 1:19 am EST - Demosthenes

The Golden Globes are coming this way. At roughly this time tomorrow, Two Towers will be fighting it out for Besrt Director and Best Dramatic Film. Here's TVGuide's predictions. People in the USA can also check broadcast times in their your local area. [More]

News for Jan. 18, 2003

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RoTK Calendar Pics to Knock your Socks Off!
1/18/03, 11:42 pm EST - Demosthenes

Ringer Super Spy Lisa sent us the most amazing hi-res scans of the RoTK calendar that has been doing the rounds lately. And if you really want to check out the incredible detail in this calendar, these images are an absolute must! [More] Spoilers!!

Shore's Tower Score Remains Eligible
1/18/03, 10:48 pm EST - Demosthenes

The music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has moved to deflect a brewing controversy by postponing a ruling that would have disqualified Shore's Tower's score from nomination. Thanks to Ringer Spy Arwenelf for the link. [More]

[osagebowman]

Hair; thanks for the post, the calendar was pretty cool till I got to September, then, aghrrrr. It would have taken only a little more effort to get it right. double aghrrrrr. Does it make a diff to most? probably not. Besides, elves do things their own way, I guess.

Rant over, now for some orange juice and toast.

[Overtaxed]

Cool report! We need to get LCS back online for all the awards stuff.

[Sam Cree]

So, what did they get wrong in September?

[HairOfTheDog]

Yes that's my question! - What is wrong with September!?

Hullo! - Good morning! - I am up because the dog wanted out, but I am not committed to staying up.

[Sam Cree]

Do all your dogs sleep inside?

[HairOfTheDog]

Of course!

[HairOfTheDog]

I particularly like the little chart at the bottom of the Bilbo party chart...

[Sam Cree]

I guess the chart was made so AuraBoy could figure out what the h*ll Bilbo meant in that sentence. However, it still hurts my brain, when I am not laughing at it.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think the sentence is a riot - and the analysis is funny.


"He should like them this much" (Arbitrary point)

[Penny1]

New stuff is up! Two Towers Gallery

[HairOfTheDog]

"Adorable silly hobbit! - What exactly is your plan here? Walk up and pretend you are selling cookies?"

[SuziQ]

The "Crescent" NYC to New Orleans.

I've been on that train!! We rode it home to MS a couple of times when we lived in NJ!!

[osagebowman]

Sam & Hair. All these comments are generalities; there is always an exception to the rules, but: a right handed archer holds the bow in his left hand, pulls the string with right hand. The arrow goes on the left side of the bow, here the arrow is on the right. Left and right is from the archer's persective, not the viewer's or target's.

When you shoot "off the knuckle" like Legolas does, meaning the bow does not have a shelf or arrow rest, it is normal to cant the bow the right a bit, provides a better view of the target and helps hold the arrow against the bow, in the angle formed by the bow and the archers' left hand, here the bow is canted the wrong way, the arrow would likely fall off the hand.

Legolas appears in most photos to use a Mediterranean draw, one finger above the arrow and two below. There are numerous variations of this but none I am aware of that uses a clenched fist around the string. Most archers in England and the US use this draw.

Now if he used a thumb ring, like eastern and oriental archers do, the thumb is all that is used to pull the string, finger or two is locked around the thumb during draw, then the arrow goes on the right side of the bow even for right handed archers, but it is canted to the left a bit to provide the rest stability of the angle formed by the top of the hand and bow.

However, having said that it's still a good picture of Legolas and Gimli, just not as great as it could have been imho.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Wow! That calendar is so coool.

Eowyn looks...spectacular

[HairOfTheDog]

Actually, I think it is a painting rather than a photo, so it may not be our archer that screwed up!

[HairOfTheDog]

And having said that, I appreciate you bringing up these finer points! - Now that I look at it and remember your earlier teachings about the proper grip, I can see the goof myself. Maybe next time, I won't have to ask!