New Zealander builds Hobbit hole

Ananova / The Evening Post ^ | 1/26/02

[John Farson]

New Zealander builds Hobbit hole A New Zealand man has built a Hobbit house. Carl Gifford, a stonemason from Wellington, says he used a 10-tonne digger to make the hole. He's put rocks either side of the front door and plans to install a chimney and lantern on top. He told the Evening Post he was embarrassed as he was constructing the home. He said: "I must admit I was hiding as the cars were driving past. I thought, 'These people think I'm an idiot'." The house is part of a series of stonework mounds, designs and sculptures dotted around his land. "I'm just having a bit of fun. Things that were built by those ancient people like caves have always fascinated me."

[JenB]

The Dune prequels were much better than the sequels. They were good adventures, with a few moments when they would reach the heights that the original Dune did. I recommend them for anyone who was a fan of the original but maybe hated the sequels, like me.

[John Farson]

Belgariad is good, but after reading George R. R. Martin it is difficult to settle for less.

The Well Beyond the World by William Morris and Lilith by George MacDonald are great reads if you're tired of shlocky knock-offs.

[John Farson]

...or were you the one who recommended them to me? I forget these conversations sometimes... anyway, they are a nice break from current fantasy.

[HairOfTheDog]

UH OH - I am afraid the soundtrack has blown my little speakers and have had to turn it down. OK - So my LOTR shopping list now includes a VCR, DVD player AND new computer speakers. This is an expensive movie.

[Lazamataz]

JERUSALEM (Reuters): Bandaged and bloody, Mark Sokolow lay on his hospital bed, a lucky survivor of both Sunday's suicide bomb attack in Jerusalem and the September 11 hijacked plane attack on the World Trade Centre in New York.

I understand he was the last one in the lifeboats on the Titanic, jumped from the Hindenberg, served at Pearl Harbor, and was on Apollo 13 too.

[JenB]

A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin's fantasy series, is probably my favorite current fantasy series (that is, a series which is still being written.) It's brilliant - a little more sexual matter than I like but I'll overlook it for the story. The characters are just so well-drawn, and the story is fascinating; I can't wait for the next book.

[HairOfTheDog]

a little more sexual matter than I like

hhmmm. I am sitting with ears perked!

[JenB]

It has a few fairly graphic scenes, that's most of my problem. Oh, and one case of incest, but it's not portrayed as a good thing. Not the sort of novel to give to a twelve year old, but if you can handle it, it's a great story. There are so many characters, and they interact brilliantly - everything that happens is driven by the actions that individuals take, and their actions are really determined by their character. Of course, I went nuts trying to figure out the orbit of a planet that would allow for winters that run anything from three to twelve years, and equally long summers...

[HairOfTheDog]

Then I could keep all my books to myself.

Who's books? I just caught that post.... back-reading to find something. Shall I remind you that my books are still missing? What has he got in his pockets... hmmm?

[jrherreid]

My books. Mine. They were a birthday present.

[jrherreid]

I understand he was the last one in the lifeboats on the Titanic, jumped from the Hindenberg, served at Pearl Harbor, and was on Apollo 13 too.

Is this him?

[JenB]

Hmmm... I think I hear he appears in an upcoming movie version of 'The Silmarillion', aboard on of Elendil's ships fleeing Numenor.

[jrherreid]

He's also signed with Lucas to appear alongside N'Sync as one of the Jedis getting whacked. Keep your eyes peeled.

[JenB]

Nah... I'm not going to see Star Wars. I hate love stories with no redeeming values such as Orc-slaughter or mass carnage.

[jrherreid]

But... there will be clones and stuff!

Actually, I'm not terribly interested in ATOTC either. I'll probably see it, but I won't be waiting outside in a downpour for several hours in order to catch the first showing (as I did with FOTR). Lucas always was pretty shallow, and the new movies just have the shallowness of the originals, minus the charm. Most sci-fi stuff I watch now is really geeky stuff like eXistenZ or Dune.

[HairOfTheDog]

Hey everyobody and anyone else I forgot!! Look who was at the Council of Elrond! - I didn't notice him before!

[John Farson]

LOL! I was afraid Jar-Jar might make an appearance.

[JenB]

Hah - the Tenth Companion!

[HairOfTheDog]

Here is the link to the picture if Webshots shifts the URL around later, which they are known to do....

Tourist Guy at Council of Elrond

[HairOfTheDog]

Hee Hee - That was fun!

Ramius see pic above.