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.

[HairOfTheDog]

I wanted to have something to say before I posted here.

Since when has that been necessary?

Welcome back to the Hobbit Hole!

[ican'tbelieveit]

I had rented the kids some movies so they wouldn't complain too much when I bought this movie. They picked out: Spiderman, Star Wars Episode 2, and Scooby Doo.

Maybe my standards have been set too high, but those movies hold no interest for me. It was torture sitting thru them.

[2Jedismom]

Good morning everyone! Welcome back JF!

Our Gimli got hurt pretty bad in Croatia, did you hear?

[HairOfTheDog]

No - What are you talking about?

Hullo! - Good Morning!

[HairOfTheDog]

Nevermind! I see it!

John Rhys Davies Injured
11/16/02, 12:50 pm EST - Tehanu

John Rhys Davies [Gimli] was badly injured by falling construction during the filming of "Musketeers" in Pazin, Croatia. He was immediately hospitalized. Doctors confirmed a large wound on his head,broken right forearm and chest injury (no sign of fracture).He was operated last night (15.11.2002) in KBC Susak and will stay in hospital for 7-8 days. Here's the link where the story was initially reported. Thanks to Azgaz for the news.

[ican'tbelieveit]

No. What happened?

[ican'tbelieveit]

Oh no. But the length of time he will be in the hospital seems to be a positive report.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah. No broken bones apparently. But he has a gash in his head. That was not in the book!

[ican'tbelieveit]

No kidding....hope it wasn't from a blade from Mordor or we will have to get him to Rivendell post haste.

[2Jedismom]

I'm staying home with Joshua, who's playing Jumpstart Preschool on the imac behind me. He has a runny nose. Not too bad, but I won't send him with a runny nose...that shouldn't be part of a Sunday School teacher's job...keeping a potentially infectious kid away from other kids and blowing their nose all the time.

I have worked as a Sunday School teacher for the little ones and you would not believe how people will bring their kids to church...I've seen them so sick that we've had to tell them to take them home. They get pretty mad, but I don't let sick kids into my class when I teach.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yes, I do hope it was not serious. No one has ever said "He needs Croatian medicine!"

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree. Although, the other kids need to catch all this stuff in their childhoods!

I am trying to remember which childhood illness my mom said she actually sent us over to a house to get... Knowing that the kid had it.

[HairOfTheDog]

By the way.... My flippant post is in no way meant to construe that Sunday school teachers, or day care providers for that matter, should have to care for sick kids!

[2Jedismom]

Yes, older kids get sick and it's a positive thing, builds up their immune system. Little babies don't need to be a round a lot of kids...they need to be a little isolated when they are young. A simple cold that Joshua can weather with very little difficulty can cause pneumonia in an infant that doesn't have an effective cough and is unable to blow their nose.

I have always thought people were crazy for putting their kids in the church nursery. I brought my boys into church with me and endured scowls from "Greatest Generation" aged women that just knew the baby would cry. (They never did, of course because Mama was a walking pacifier...hahahah!)

[2Jedismom]

I knew what you meant...it just floors me when people bring their kids sick to church, though. Once I took care of a little girl...oh, maybe 2 years old. Still in a diaper. Usually we change their diapers once during Sunday School. Well, shortly after this little girl was dropped off, she started screaming and obviously needed changing (which happens...you know). Well, her stool was really loose...she had diahrea and apparently had been, because her poor bottom was so excoriated. You know it had to have been that way, yet the parents still dropped her off. Unbelievable. I had the parents paged to come get her. Poor little one.

It's a mystery to me.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I better get going... got things to do, and I better start movin....

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Hi, Sam... sorry I took so long responding to your question! But, what the others have already said pretty much covers it, it does sound like a problem with your video card. Uninstalling and reinstalling the driver may help, or installing an updated driver. But, you may need to replace the card. I'll have Rose look up some prices on video cards for you, just in case!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Oh, look!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

At what I found...

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

A Precious!