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.

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh man! I hate it when that happens. Well, I would have been accused of the same, if I had said some of the outlandish stuff I have said here "out there".

I was wondering about you the other day... Still making trips to Seattle?

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Yes, but not as many as before. I've been mostly trying to get some work (on the job hunt thing) done at home. No successes though. I think my days as a state employee are over forever -- I applied for a perfect fit job with an agency run by a former Senator I used to work for, didn't even get an interview!!!

Alas, the long road of unemployment to some kind of get-what-you-can job awaits me, I think.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Safe journey, stay off the roads, travel only by... oh, you know the drill. ;)

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

At least you got a triple-naught Precious out of the deal.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

I almost missed that! I think that's my first triple naught.

[HairOfTheDog]

Sorry about that. Heh... When I complain to my Dad about wanting a different job, he tries to get me to apply for a state job. It is all he knows. They are *the* employer in this town. But even there, I think there are few 'real' positions being filled right now. They are in a lean-down mode. (Which is a good thing, really)

I saw the comment that got you that 'label'. It wasn't even that radical of an idea! Bush *didn't* think things would turn out this way, and all roads forward *are* full of political landmines. He gambled, and has not been given the cards he hoped for.

Did your weather just turn really crappy? - I swear five minutes ago it was sunny and warming, and now it is windier and rainier than *heck*.

[2Jedismom]

I guess he'll probably take an airplane. I haven't been on an airplane since 9/11. Actually, I don't believe I've been higher than a four floors up at the hospital where I work occasionally. Not counting the roller coaster at Silver Dollar City...which I don't think is even that high. But I don't think anyone would fly an airplane into or bomb a roller coaster.

But...

You just never know.

[HairOfTheDog]

You just never know.

You know, that phrase also works for optimists!

[2Jedismom]

I'm not a pessimist!!! I'm a "white knuckler!"

There's a difference!

;-D

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Big black cloud just going over me now. Was sunny a moment ago. Need to get some exercise.

Yeah, isn't that amazing? My whole premise was that Bush very badly wanted, and thought he'd achieve, the political cover of U.N. acquiescence, and he's delayed a great deal already in order to achieve that. And I also opined that maybe Bush felt he really needed U.N. backing for political cover. And BAM! I'm from D.U.!

Some people really take this political stuff as articles of faith. I feel like I was caught blaspheming God!

[HairOfTheDog]

Well if you are blaspheming, then so is my Dad. My dad has been expressing some grave concerns via email the last few days. (He should join here, but he hasn't - He's an old conservative, and wouldn't like being cussed at by anyone) Dad's concern is that for good or ill, Bush *did* go to the UN, and now having done that, it is political suicide to go forward without them. (And the supporters will call it weakness if he does back down) He can't win no matter what now... Or, all paths are *at least* very dangerous.

This is the latest email my Dad just sent me in our exchange, along with an attached article I haven't read yet.

Hair's Dad: This is an excerpt from a column on NRO. It's on the theme of my concerns that the end result from Iraq could easily be the long term setback to conservative politics, precisely because this will go down as W's war, which he cannot win if winning is defined as perfection and perfection is defined as no losses on either our side - or their side - and, duration is defined in terms of days or at the most, three or four weeks. With expectations like that among so many who think it didn't need to be fought in the first place, how can he come out a winner?

I want to support W, and will no matter what he does decide to do. I do still believe he is in his heart doing what he thinks is the best for the country. But he has a country that is impossible to please. Short tempers, faulty memories, unrealistic expectations.

[JenB]

Aww, but don't be too white-knuckled and pessimistic!

It's Friday, the sun is shining, and it was fairly warm. I had a really decent day at work. We're hiring someone else, so that brings the total to five guys and me. We went to Dairy Queen and I was good, I had the sugar-free fudge bar which is just barely on my diet.

Tomorrow's my "face the scales"; I stayed strict all week, so I hope for improvement!

In other news my grandparents are showing up tomorrow so my internet time may be curtailed.

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

Do good 'doctrinal' Lutherans give stuff up for Lent?

No. But they do take it seriously, and use it as a time to devote more time to prayer, Bible study, and contemplation of the true meaning and magnitude of the sacrifice our Lord made for us (and if that happens to involve giving up some unedifying habits, well,so much the better I guess). And most Lutheran churches around here have special Wednesday Lenten services with themes relating to the final days of Jesus' earthly sojourn.... We went to Ash Wednesday service and were marked with ashes by the sign of the cross on our foreheads to start the season of Lent. I have grown to have a great fondness for some of these more formal "doctrinal" or "liturgical" aspects of the Lutheran church. They provide reminders of a solid anchor in our topsy turvy world....

Haven't been checking in much lately, just don't have the time.... More on this later....

Just sick about Ruthy's niece.... praying, praying, praying....

[Overtaxed]

Republicans don't go into that kind of work, and disrespect people that do

My charities are nobody else's business...so you wouldn't hear about them anyway.

[Sam Cree]

I am not too convinced that the position of the left is better in charitable organizations, just their publicity. However, some of the wealthiest people in the world lean left, Turner, Buffet, Gates, they are certainly in a position to give lots to charity, and do. Same goes for entertainers, also leftists.

Lots of Republican business folks give to charity, they just aren't celebrities, so it's not news. And I think everyday people who are on the right tend to give and volunteer through their church, which also is more low profile.

[2Jedismom]

Aww, but don't be too white-knuckled and pessimistic!

Well, at least the kids think I'm all fun. They love the "safe room" and beg to do "Shelter in Place" drills...unlike when I was a kid and we did air raid drills or something like that where we had to crawl under our desks!! Used to terrify me...no way it was fun!

Now Matthew's biggest concern is he won't be able to find the bread if I do a drill! LOL That's his job...grab the bread and milk, so if we're in there a while, we'll be able to eat pb sandwiches!

And today, we did go to the park. We went to the park and just hung out. The boys played and played and I sat off to the side practicing my whistle. At one point a bunch of little bitty kids...maybe 4-5 years old, all sat down and listened to me! One of their mom's said "They think you sound like the ice cream truck!" That pleased me.

It really was a nice day. I still am amazed at the con-trails that the planes make...and remember the days after 9/11 when there weren't any.

[Corin Stormhands]

Hey Hair, I absolutely disagree with the above statement, Republicans have been prominent donors to charities for years, and still are, and do lots of volunteer work.

I would agree Sam. I don't have the statistics, but I would also bet that statistically Republicans/conservatives give a larger percentage to their Houses of Faith. That's not saying you have to be religious to be conservative or vice versa. But I'd be the statistics hold out.

My church sends over $1 million to foreign missions on an annual basis. That doesn't include the 400 or so people who go on short term mission trips, usually at their own expense or the 150 kids on a 10 day choir tour or 400 performers and crew who give up all of November and most of December for our Christmas production.

I think the difference is Hair, that conservatives give. We just don't necessarily expect anything back.

[JenB]

I agree; most Christians I know at least tithe, and more than that are willing to give more than just money. They're willing to "go the extra mile" for people the way we should...

[Corin Stormhands]

When I complain to my Dad about wanting a different job, he tries to get me to apply for a state job.

My Mom mentioned to me today that the Social Services agency in our home county has an opening. Starting salary? $27,000. Uh...no thanks Mom.

When I was in D.C. she kept wanting me to settle down and get a permanent job. I stayed at the same place for 8 years. That's just about unheard of in D.C.

[HairOfTheDog]

But in a lot of those areas, we are losing to PC. If we are giving to those organizations, and not impacting them positively, we are losing the PR war. I would love to be wrong, maybe I am. One of "us" stepped forward and took the kid hunting. That is good.