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
-----------------------------------------
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.
I'll check it out. With our rehearsal schedule, I'm not sure November is the time to try. But I just might...
Okay, so after I posted my message last night, I did a google search for Klez and got the Norton site. I ran their "fixklex" program. But would that not work since I have McAfee? Or does it make a difference?
The Norton program ran and said "klez was not found on your site."
I haven't read through all the posts yet, but I saw someone (I think Rosie) ask how I knew I had "klez."
I periodically have been getting back "message-not delivered" emails for emails I never sent. That's when I installed McAffee a couple of weeks ago.
A friend who is also on the pool Board has gotten some weird messages from "me." I've also received from "him" a couple of times an email that said "look at my new game" with an attachment (which I knew not to open). But he didn't send it. We're on the same cable provider (Comcast). He says Comcast has told him it's not in their system. But I heard Glenn Beck say recently that "Comcast is the Anti-Christ" and I'm inclined to agree. (It's bad enough that some days I actually miss AOL).
Last night I got an email back from the County school website. I have not emailed them, but I went to their site Tuesday night trying to find Corin Jrs' home work assignments (they used to post the math textbook online). The email says that "we did not open your email to us because we detected klez."
Right after I got that was when I posted the email to Bear.
Liberal left wing elves are the true racists...
(My guess is Gloin is second from the right, next to Gimli.)
I think in the religion wars I may have posts that are that long...
I'm gonna check it out Jen.
As g'nad noted yesterday, they travel "light."
Must I be blamed for everything? (whine, whine, whine)
Good morning. I'm sorry you had to step outside your comfort zone for the sneak Rosie...yeah, right...
I probably should have said Corin and ksen...and he's been worse than you lately when it comes to spamming, I think. ;-) (RWRF, too!)
Is there a way to stop that?
Short of not having an e-mail address? Not really. If you use your e-mail address at all, SOMEone will have it in their address book, guaranteed. And that means a virus on their system can send in your name.
In an ideal world, everyone you communicate with via e-mail would have the latest antivirus software running on their system, but that's not the case (unfortunately).
Thanks! Ain't they purty? Look how they catch the morning light.... They were worth the effort, weren't they? More treasure for the Dwarf Lords!
OT, I know you are a hobbit, but I included you on this because of your impeccable elf-bashing. You are considered a great Friend of Dwarves.... thus you too may have a share of the treasure....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.