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]

Exactly. Hillary's position makes her a much different type of target. Attacking a young girl about her looks... Calling a young girl ugly names because she isn't perfect, but has actually grown up quite pretty, is particularly despicable.

I can appreciate beautiful people as much as anyone else, but young girls within our midst have enough on their hands without watching the ugly girls get ripped apart and mocked, and then turning and looking anxiously in the mirror.

Oooh. I like that... I may repeat it over there, if an opening presents itself.

[Sam Cree]

I personally find the Clintons weird on a family level. The marriage seems to be one of political convenience more than love (I don't see Bill as a "whole" human being, anyway) and I only wonder what kind of individual Chelsea may be, having the parents she does, along with her own international recognition.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, she has definately grown up in an impossible setting. Parents who are at the same time powerful, famous and embarrassing.

I don't know what drives the Clinton marriage. I honestly thought she would divorce him when he left office, If some ounce of protocol was keeping them together while he was president. That she didn't divorce him now, when she would probably gain political support if she did it right, makes her an enigma. They are definately a twisted pair. That Chelsea appears to be a relatively normal college kid who has a good time but so far has not been found overdoesed in a gutter is something of a miracle.

[Rocko]

I don't know what drives the Clinton marriage.

Desire for political power.

[JenB]

Hi, back from church, have to eat, hopefully I'll brb. See ya then!

[HairOfTheDog]

I'll wait right here!

[HairOfTheDog]

Don't you think she would have more power without him? - Maybe the impact would less now then the week after they left office. Maybe now it is a "who cares" story.

But if Bill would have showed up at Chappiwherever with all his stuff and found that his key didn't work!?! - Now that would have been fun! I might have liked her a bit.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Good afternoon all... raining Sunday here, perfect for staying in and watching football.

Wait, I was going to do that anyway...

Oh well, now I don't have to feel guilty about it! Have a good day all!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Get the name of the school right. It's UNC!

I'm sorry, there's no excuse for that mistake. As penance, I'll do some housecleaning today.

At halftime.

[HairOfTheDog]

From TheOneRing.net™. This looks painful to read, because it is a scan from a magazine... but it looks like a cool article (if you have a magnifying glass) The pics are thumbnails...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SFX Talks TTT Coolness
Xoanon @ 12:57 pm EST

Ringer Spy Irascian sends along the rest of the 13 page TTT coverage from SFX Magazine.

Calling their feature '101 Reasons Why You MUST See The Two Towers', it features great pics and tons of info for the Tolkien newbie, and some great insight into some of the characters and actors in the film. (Be sure to check out reason number 24...I'll never look at a BIC the same way again! -Xo). You can also see the difference from the subscriber's version of SFX and the newsstand version (Read Media Watch: SFX Magazine from September 14th)

[JenB]

Back. Had some excellent tacos. Now, what to do... freep, read my textbooks, or maybe do some writing? I have until 6:30 or thereabouts... hmm...

[HairOfTheDog]

hehehe

That article is kinda cool... Reason #24: Inventive use of razors: How do you create a character that looks as disgusting as Grima? They shaved hes eyebrows off.... "People couldn't work out why he looked so weird".

[HairOfTheDog]

Maq: see article above.... There are some pretty good spoilers in that article!

#26: Wargs: ....The wargs of Tolkien's book are evil giant wolves, but the designers have run with the idea of the dark powers of Middle earth currupting the natural order of things. They have created a wolf-mount that is equally as warped a version of a normal wolf as the Orcs are twisted elves.

[Rocko]

Don't you think she would have more power without him?

I think she'd lose support of the Bill fans, and any shift in the status quo of their marriage is risky for both of them. I suspect they've discussed this and have arrived at this conclusion.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't think Bill really has fans... After everything he put the Dems through, he is kinda the uncle that you have to invite even thought you know he will drink too much at the reception and embarrass himself. I don't think there are any Democrats that would mind if he just disappeared.

[Rocko]

I don't think that's true at all. There's plenty who still are attracted to that "lovable rogue". Just because your mind is clear doesn't mean there aren't many, many thousands, if not millions, who are still deluded, and will remain so the rest of their lives.

[Rocko]

he is kinda the uncle that you have to invite even thought you know he will drink too much at the reception and embarrass himself.

That would be Ted Kennedy.

[HairOfTheDog]

They have two uncles like that ;~D

[Sam Cree]

There's lots of "Bill" fans on the street. I keep meeting them and it keeps surprising me. 'Course I've been hanging around art people recently.

And Terry MacAuliffe continues to represent the Democrats while another Clinton man, or maybe woman (Reno) continues to strive for a governorship, with quite alot of support.

I've always thought that Hillary was the one of the couple who was the "true believer." Even though her true beliefs are personal power and totalitarianism, with her as leader, to be achieved through socialism.

[JenB]

Two? Is that all?