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.

[ksen]

The sushi lover (Gollum) seems a bit perturbed.

Bilbo tried his new ring on.....what's this?.....Bilbo's turned invisible! There must be more to this ring then meets the eye.

I sure hope it doens't end up being trouble in the long run....

[RosieCotton]

My Mama gave Sir SuziQ a coffee grinder for his birthday one year. Spoiled him rotten! Now we grind the beans at night and set up the pot for auto-on.

OK, THAT'S what I want for MY birthday - a coffee pot with auto-on!

You're right, though...if I did it at night and got the coffee maker all set then, I could grind my own. I should do that...

Nothing like the smell of freshly ground coffee, no?

[Overtaxed]

Except for Christmas dinner, we ignore (secular) Christmas until it goes away.

[2Jedismom]

That sounds wonderful! I love coffee...

My mom and dad got my husband a gigantic griddle for his birthday. We can fry pancakes, sausages and eggs all at the same time on it!

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

I have my own office and my window looks out on the State Capitol lawn

I knew you were a big shot... I could tell... :^)

[Corin Stormhands]

One of our traditions is to take the kids on a drive through town on Christmas night.

Richmond is so stuck in the past that all the "colonial" homes only decorate with white lights in the windows. But a few revolutionaries (and I'm building up my own display) go all out.

Now there is an official Tacky Lite Tour List. The media outlets all publicize them and tour companies rent limosines to take people around for the displays.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

For a few years we had two houses in our neighborhood who kept trying to outdo each other on their light displays (they were across the street from each other). Every few days you could drive by their houses and one or the other would have some new light display added to their yard... it was a lot of fun seeing how they would try to top each other!

There are some neighborhoods here where the only displays are plain white lights, around the edges of the houses, up and down the roofs, through the yard... I used to think plain white lights would be boring, but the sheer number of lights used makes it look fantastic, like something out of a fairy tale. In some places it's bright enough to drive up and down the streets at night with the car lights off...

[SuziQ]

Is that a reference to our sunny personalities or our endless babble? ;-)

Well, several of us have been know to 'converse' into the wee hours of the morning!

[Corin Stormhands]

The boys are watching Arther...

You are?????

[2Jedismom]

Good morning OT!

Hey, a guy in the Chiff and Fipple chat told me to make a cup of espresso (I have a maker) and then set it in the fridge to cool. Then make another cup of espresso and a set it on the counter. Take the cool cup out and skim the surface off with a spoon, stir the surface stuff into the hot cup of espresso. He says the caffiene in the cold cup rises to the surface and crystalizes on the oils that are floating there. Then, you get double caffiene whammy in the second cup!

I haven't tried it yet...but I'm gonna!

[Corin Stormhands]

I knew you were a big shot...

No, just got lucky with the office placement. ;-)

[ksen]

Whew! Bilbo made it out of the Goblin caves. He lost the ring for a minute before leaving, he was quite frantic until he found it again.

That doesn't seem to be a good sign.....

Aahh, Bilbo's met up with his friends again.

[RosieCotton]

The trend around here seems to be towards those white "icicle" lights. I don't particularly care them. I like bright colors! I like the multicolors best, I think, but I did do all bright blue one year. Growing up there was one house that always did all blue lights, and I loved the way that looked, so my first Christmas in Germany I set up a little tree all in blue. Looked really nice, actually!

I'm going to keep an eye out for multicolored icicle lights this year - they DO make 'em, they just aren't sold much. They really look neat!

(I refuse to put up lights before mid-December, though...some people seem to put them up BEFORE Thanksgiving!)

[Overtaxed]

Espresso is too bitter! I'll just stretch my caffiene out in smaller doses.

[Corin Stormhands]

I liked the white "icicle" lights until everybody got them. But I've seen the multicolored ones also.

I have some green ones for Halloween...

[ksen]

Now they've been treed by a bunch of big dogs. Everytime the group turns around they seem to step into a big pile of trouble.

More updates later, must get back to work.....

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Everytime the group turns around they seem to step into a big pile of trouble.

It strikes me that "The Hobbit" would make a good old-fashioned serial movie... seeing Bilbo get into some horrible mess at the end of each episode, only to see him miraculously escape at the start of the next one....

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I have to go to a meeting in town, but I better weigh in on some of these issues before I go!

I have an office with a window too, and a couch, a private bathroom, and a fish tank! So there! ;~P

And I love espresso... The stronger the better!

And I hope Bilbo gets home safe from his adventure!

Oh - some new visitors might come by from some of the other threads... Be on your best behavior and give them some welcome pints till I get back!

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh - and I LOVE white icicle lights! ;~D

[RosieCotton]

I'd never heard that...interesting.

I'd rather just drink both cups of espresso, though...