TBD Book Club: "The Hobbit" (Part 5)

The conversation moved to SMS on our phones. (Jeff is on the left, Dave is on the right)

And, so, what have we learned? Nothing! (Except that Jeff's fat, dwarfish fingers cannot text as well as he thinks they can.)

Yeah, this really added nothing to the conversation! Oh well, we'll return, soon, with our first mini-podcast, discussing chapter 1!

Stay tuned.

TBD Book Club: "The Hobbit" (Part 4)

Dave and Jeff continue their pre book-club-reading conversation about "The Hobbit". If you missed any of the chats, catch up by reading Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

The tale continues:

[10:47] Jeff S: So. We're ready to start reading The Hobbit, right? And we're going to read one chapter every 2 days?
... how many chapters are there?
[10:49] Dave: Hmmm...
[10:50] Jeff S: What I mean is: How long is this going to take?!
[10:50] Jeff S: How long will it take us to go there and back again?!
[10:50] Jeff S: are you ready to go back to titanic?!
[10:51] Dave: ha!
[10:51] Jeff S: Welcome... to Jurrassic Park!
[10:52] Jeff S: This. Is Sparta?
[10:54] Dave: The Squeakquel...
[10:54] Jeff S: HA!
[10:54] Jeff S: I'm not even sure what we're doing, right now...
[10:55] Dave: Me neither
[10:55] Jeff S: well, according to the eBook, there are XIX chapters...
[10:55] Dave: Whoa, X-rated?!
[10:56] Jeff S: "There and Boobs, again, a Hobbit's TAIL"
[10:56] Jeff S: These puns have probably already been sufficiently covered by now, I'm guessing?
[10:56] Jeff S: I'm... 100 years to late to make any new puns, here, aren't I?
[10:57] Dave: Probably, yeah
[10:59] Jeff S: born too late.
[10:59] Jeff S: story of my life!
[11:03] Jeff S: So, I just finished the "author's note"...
[11:04] Jeff S: did... did I ever tell you that in 3rd grade (the first and last time I read this book) ... gulp ... me and my friends learned how to write in tolkeinish runes?
[11:04] Jeff S: fluently.
[11:05] Dave: NO! How have you not told me this?
[11:06] Jeff S: shame?
[11:06] Dave: probably
[11:06] Jeff S: or... maybe this was later, in junior high (middle school)...?
[11:07] Jeff S: either way... yeah, I used to write notes in runes
[11:07] Jeff S: without having to reference a key
[11:22] Jeff S: And that concludes today's The Hobbit discussion! More tomorrow! (Tune in to find what other nerdy confessions we have!)
[11:30] Jeff S: I think this might have been our weakest IM chat about the Hobbit, yet...
[11:30] Dave: Yeah...
[11:30] Dave: :(
[11:30] Jeff S: oh well... at least I managed to embarass myself in it!
[11:30] Dave: Phew!
[11:30] Dave: I didn't pay enough attention.
[11:31] Dave: Can we have ANOTHER chat?!
[11:31] Jeff S: whaaaa?!
[11:31] Dave: YEAH!
[11:50] Jeff S: 20 minutes of silence...
[11:50] Jeff S: well... this one isn't turning out much better!
[11:50] Dave: Are you going to wear your special hobbit hat when you read?
[11:51] Dave: The floppy one...
[11:51] Jeff S: covered in hair foot-hair
[11:53] Jeff S: will you be wearing your special hobbit pants?
[11:54] Dave: Naw, no pants.
[11:54] Jeff S: AH! You're from the "Gandalf school" of book reading, I see!
[11:55] Dave: Indeed. Just WHAT is under all those billowing robes…
[11:55] Jeff S: many a fanfic has asked JUST that question, Dave...
[11:55] Dave: Though they basically showed Gandalf in his pajamas in that one scene in the Two Towers. Scandalous!
[11:56] Jeff S: which scene?
[11:56] Jeff S: the one where he was on one of the ... two towers?
[11:58] Dave: No, when they're all sleeping in Rohan when Pippin wakes up and touches the seeing stone.  Saaaaaay!
[12:00] Jeff S: hmmm.... can't say I remember that.
[12:00] Jeff S: did his pj's have a bum-flap?
[12:00] Jeff S: I could see them playing THAT up for gags!
[12:00] Dave: He liked to wear it in the front though.
[12:02] Jeff S: and hold puppet shows...
[12:02] Jeff S: featuring "Gandalf the Pink"
[12:03] Jeff S: This is getting PG-13.
[12:03] Dave: Let's see if we can push it to NC-17.
[12:03] Dave: Either that, or back to G.
[12:03] Dave: ALL OR NOTHING!
[12:04] Jeff S: Personally, I will back off from this topic ...like a hobbit does from Gandalf The Pink.
[12:05] Dave: Hobbits back up against Gandalf the Pink?!
[12:05] Dave: Smoke a bit of Old Toby?
[12:05] Jeff S: Long BOTTOM leaf?
[12:05] Dave: ha!
[12:19] Jeff S: Well, we hope you enjoyed this The Hobbit Book Club extra, "bonus" content...
[12:19] Dave: SPROING!
[12:20] Jeff S: Is that bonus content in your robes, are you just hiding a Hobbit?

Yep, it's devolving. Of note: The preamble is over! We'll actually have started reading the book by the time we have our next IM conversation! Look forward to THAT!

TBD Book Club: "The Hobbit" (Part 3)

The discussion continues:

[11:18] Jeff S: no, I've NOT started reading it, but I DID glance at the foreword / notes on this edition of The Hobbit...
So... JRR made changes to The Hobbit when it was reprinted when he was working on LOTR, so that the original story "jived" more with the new story?
[11:18] Jeff S: JRR "Lucased" The Hobbit?!
[11:18] Dave: ha!
[11:18] Dave: Yeah, he changed a few things.
[11:19] Dave: In the original version Gollum referred to himself as the "my precious."
[11:19] Jeff S: and... and you find this acceptable?!?!
[11:19] Dave: He changed it so he only referred to the ring as "my precious"
[11:19] Dave: ha!
[11:19] Dave: It was….before my time.
[11:19] Jeff S: "Gollum shot first"
[11:19] Dave: Now THAT'S a t-shirt.
[11:19] Jeff S: HA!
[11:20] Dave: So it's Bilbo Baggins birthday.
[11:20] Dave: (and Frodo!)
[11:20] Dave: (same birthday)
[11:20] Jeff S: what do you mean?
[11:21] Dave: ...
[11:21] Dave: In the story, this was their birthday.
[11:21] Dave: September 22nd.
[11:21] Jeff S: September 22?
[11:21] Dave: yeah
[11:21] Jeff S: there was a "September" in Middle Earth?
[11:22] Dave: yeah
[11:22] Jeff S: hmmm
[11:22] Dave: haha
[11:22] Jeff S: so... he created his own language... but not his own months?
[11:23] Jeff S: I KINDA respect that! "Look! not all of this is weird-o fantasy!" kind of thing.
[11:23] Dave: Well, Middle Earth is supposed to be our world.
[11:23] Dave: Like, the lost time from our world.
[11:23] Jeff S: Better to re-use "our" months than create silly ones... like "Moontober"
[11:23] Jeff S: or "Septwinterber"
[11:23] Jeff S: I guess.
[11:24] Dave: And the hobbits and men are the children of the new age that would eventually become our time.
[11:24] Dave: So elves and wizards are disappearing.
[11:24] Jeff S: whoa whoa whoa!
[11:24] Dave: Sauron was the last bit of magic leaving the world.
[11:24] Jeff S: slow down, there!
[11:24] Dave: in a way.
[11:24] Dave: AND!!!
[11:24] Dave: pant pant
[11:24] Jeff S: SPOILERS!
[11:24] Jeff S: great.
[11:24] Dave: ha!
[11:24] Dave: You knew this!
[11:24] Jeff S: Did I?!
[11:24] Dave: It's not in any of the books really
[11:24] Dave: Well, you saw the movies!
[11:25] Jeff S: sure!
[11:25] Dave: The Hobbit has nothing like that in it.
[11:25] Jeff S: ok.
[11:32] Jeff S: So, what you're saying is that TODAY would have been the perfect day to start reading The Hobbit?
[11:34] Dave: Pretty much!
[11:36] Jeff S: we missed THAT trick.
[11:40] Jeff S: Are we done talking The Hobbit, for today?
[11:41] Dave: hahaha. yeah
[11:42] Jeff S: Cool. Thanks, everyone, for joining us. Tune in tomorrow for more "The Hobbit" talk!

TBD Book Club: "The Hobbit" (Part 2)

[10:33] Dave: I'm scared...
[10:33] Dave: ...
[10:33] Dave: scared to read the Hobbit with you.
[10:33] Dave: haha
[10:33] Dave: (no really)
[10:33] Jeff S: hahaha!
[10:33] Jeff S: don't be!
[10:33] Jeff S: I am a pleasant person!
[10:33] Jeff S: fun to be around!
[10:35] Dave: hmmm
[10:36] Jeff S: wow
[10:36] Dave: HA!
[10:36] Jeff S: well, here's the problem, Dave...
[10:36] Dave: uh oh!
[10:36] Jeff S: I'll be reading it with or without you,
[10:36] Dave: Like the U2 song.
[10:36] Jeff S: so there is no avoiding my thoughts on it
[10:37] Jeff S: yes. Like Bono.
[10:37] Jeff S: except shorter... and hairier.
[10:37] Jeff S: no.
[10:37] Jeff S: wait.
[10:37] Jeff S: AS short and hairy
[10:37] Dave: oh my
[10:38] Jeff S: c'mon! what's the worst that can happen?
[10:38] Jeff S: you already know I hold the utmost disdain for these books!
[10:38] Jeff S: ha!
[10:38] Dave: A childhood memory and formative experience is forever destroyed!
[10:39] Jeff S: if MY feelings about a book can ruin YOUR favorite book ever... then maybe it wasn't really worth being so dedicated to!
[10:39] Jeff S: have you thought of it that way?
[10:39] Dave: Like Jesus
[10:39] Jeff S: aw... again, I'm sorry I ruined Jesus for you...
[10:39] Jeff S: (god, how many times do I have to apologze for destroying your faith in god?!)
[10:39] Jeff S: sheesh!
[10:39] Jeff S: but your love of LOTR is stronger than that!
[10:39] Dave: hahahaha
[10:40] Jeff S: Look.
[10:40] Jeff S: you like Speilberg, and I am indifferent...
[10:40] Jeff S: indifferent to the point of beligerance.
[10:41] Dave: Yeah
[10:41] Jeff S: and THAT hasn't made you dislike Speilberg, right?
[10:41] Jeff S: So, I think your god Tolkein can take a few hits from my brain-thoughts and not fall off his pedestal!
[10:42] Dave: Hmmm, but sometimes, when experiencing those things, I think of YOU! Your'e the ghost in the machine now.
[10:42] Dave: I might have a serious problem.
[10:43] Jeff S: yeah... I'm in your head!
[10:43] Jeff S: "WWJTOMFLT?" (What Would Jeff Think Of Me For Liking This?")
[10:44] Jeff S: well, you have to get over that!
[10:44] Jeff S: don't worry about me! love what you love!
[10:44] Jeff S: (and hate me for questioning your love of those things!)
[10:44] Jeff S: dance like no one is watching, dave!
[10:44] Jeff S: Sing like you're on X-Factor!
[10:45] Jeff S: Love like it's The Bachellor!
[10:45] Jeff S: Dance like you're on Dancing With the Stars!
[10:46] Dave: ac*
[10:46] Jeff S: well, I hope I've put your worries about The Hobbit to rest!
[10:47] Jeff S: (I'm still finishing up my current book, though, so you have another 2 days to change / rechange / unchange again your mind!)
[10:47] Dave: Yeah. I'm a basket case.
[10:47] Jeff S: aw...
[10:47] Jeff S: but in the fun, Green Day song way!
[10:47] Dave: totally!
[10:48] Jeff S: Also: you know this chat is getting posted online, right?
[10:48] Dave: yup
[10:48] Jeff S: yay!
[10:48] Jeff S: So, that ends Part II of our on-going chat series about The Hobbit! Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow!
[10:48] Dave: ac
[10:48] Dave: awesome
[10:49] Dave: ac
[10:49] Jeff S: people are now thinking, "Did he really SAY that, in chat with Dave?"

*AC stands for "Actual Chuckle" or "Audible Chuckle" and is our replacement for "lol". (Since people tend to use "lol" when NOT actually laughing out loud, Dave invented it to denote when one is really, truly, laughed in a way that could be described as "out loud".)

TBD Book Club: "The Hobbit"

From a recent IM conversation:

[17:32] Jeff S: aren't we supposed to be reading "The Hobbit"?
[17:32] Dave: wanna?
[17:33] Dave: WANNA?!
[17:33] Jeff S: MAYBE!
[17:37] Dave: *Gandalf knocks on Jeff's door*
[17:37] Dave: *scratches a mark into the wood*
[17:38] Dave: (you'll get that one soon)
[17:38] Jeff S: will I?!
[17:38] Jeff S: god... my life is about to get exponentially worse, isn't it?
[17:38] Dave: Think how I feel!
[17:38] Dave: I have to hear you bitch about it!
[17:39] Dave: Something I love.
[17:39] Dave: Maybe…maybe we shouldn't do this.
[17:39] Jeff S: look
[17:39] Jeff S: my negativity will only make you love it MORE
[17:39] Dave: hahaha
[17:39] Jeff S: also: who says I'm going to be negative about this shitty story with too many travelling songs in it?!
[17:39] Jeff S: SEE WHAT I DID THERE?!
[17:39] Dave: hehe

So... this is going to happen!