On September 02 2011 09:15 TheRealPaciFist wrote: + Show Spoiler +
I just disagree with the way they framed it, with the context and perspective given to it - something subtle indeed, but hang with me here. The key phrase that bugs me the wrong way about this is "we're sure to find them." You don't FIND skills, you go out and HUNT for them, you acquire the knowledge and discipline to do what is necessary to become good at something. Nobody is BORN with the organizational skills required to rally an entire town's resources to best expedite a large scale project; Twilight had to have sharpened that skill over the duration of her own life. If she had wanted to help Rarity, she could have. Rarity would have to take time out of her own schedule to teach Twilight, and maybe it would have been better to tell Twilight to wait until next year before nest building - but there's nothing stopping Twilight from being the best nest maker there can be. The same goes for Pinkie and skating. The same almost goes for AJ and snow shoveling, which requires a strength that would take far more than one day to develop. Which brings me to another point... Not everybody can be good at everything. We don't have equal opportunities in life: someone born deaf will not grow up to be a musician. Somebody with certain genetic problems might not get to be the next Olympic medalist, and most people won't get to be the next Olympic medalist either, because if you're thirty years old trying to train against people who have been training since they were eight years old... you've already missed your shot. But then here comes episode 12, with "A cutie mark appears on a pony's flank when he or she finds that certain something that makes them different from every other pony. Discovering what makes you unique..." Okay, there's ton of problems with this. Obviously, most people are NOT unique. The Albert Einstein's in the world are unique, but they're unique because they're also one-in-a-million. Then again, it's not the most encouraging message in the world to tell kids "Odds are, you're not special compared to most people, and you're definitely ain't one-in-a-million." However, telling kids that there is something special out there that is perfect for them will set them up for disappointment if they don't ever find it. It's kinda like college freshmen choosing majors. I was incredibly lucky to have "found" a major I love, but I know not everybody is that lucky. Eventually, though, every freshman will have to "choose" one major or another. So I would be grateful if MLP:FiM would employ this slightly different verb.
And for all I know, the rest of episode 12 might reveal this subtlety I described. I'll have to see.
Edit: hot damn. I just pressed play, and I heard the teacher say
"and no amount of hoping, wishing, or begging will make a cutie mark appear before its time"
Really? The cutie mark is about whatever one thing you most enjoy/identify with/are good at doing/whatever, and the core component behind that is how we feel about that one thing. As in, if I'm hoping, wishing, and begging to have a poker cutie mark, then poker would BE my cutie mark because otherwise I wouldn't be hoping, wishing, and begging for it.
Surprisingly, I did not think to mention that cutie marks should have the ability to CHANGE over time. Maybe the first twenty years of my life were dominated by playing poker, but then Stacraft: Broodwar was released and I changed mental gears. My cutie mark should change as well.
Okay, now I think it's you who's messed up your phrasing .
u·nique [yoo-neek] Show IPA adjective 1. existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics: a unique copy of an ancient manuscript. 2. having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable: Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint.
The second definition is accurate to what you say, but I believe Lauren meant the first. For instance, what makes up a human? Volume and arrangement of atoms? Quirks? Tendencies? Memories? What two humans share any of those components the same? And those are only part of what makes a person.
What I'm saying is, you can be unique without being outstanding/better than everyone else in a particular subject. I bet there's no one else on earth like my mother. The processes of nurture and nature really do make us all different from eachother -- I mean, that's part of the reason relationship are so hard.
That being said, you may have a particular aptitude for a task that many other's don't. Or a determination they don't have. Or a knowledge they don't have. But that stuff doesn't come to you, you have to hunt for it. And, the most important of those, is your drive. That is the one thing that most people will not have for any given task. If you have a bit of aptitude and a lot of drive, you can do what many won't just because they're not properly motivated.
I'm not sayin you can make a living doing anything you want, but you can make yourself good at something your skills apply to.
Where was I going with that? Anyway, I think everyone is unique, though that doesn't imply each one is some kind of exceptional savant, and that we can cherish the uniquness. It's pretty beautiful. And when it comes to skills, any set of skills can lend you to several tasks; find what you love and can make a living and get good at it. On purpose, determine to be excellent. Figure out the steps needed to become excellent, make a list. Even if your skills suit you to be better at something else, passion is a powerful factor that you cannot set aside because it is part of that drive that can make you excellent.
As for the Cutie mark thing, you're looking at the end result more than the talent set. Rainbow Dash's cutie mark can represent boldness, a harmony of intensity and a softness of spirit (cloud and lightening), and a desire to show off (a rainbow lightening strike? I mean, come on, duh.). These help her become fast through competition, yes, but no where on her cutie mark does it indicate "fastest pony in equestria". But that's what you're claiming when you say a "Starcraft Cutiemark" or "Poker Cutiemark". I'd probably be a cutie mark indicating strategy and competitiveness, or thoughtfulness and aggression. In that way, no matter what you do through life it still accurately represents your strengths.
Even Applejack. It doesn't say she has to take over the farm or else. It could be speaking to a natural talent with growing things, especially apples. She'll always excel at growing and caring for plants, but it doesn't mean she HAS to grow apples all the time.
Anyway, those are my thoughts ^_^ <3
EDIT: I think I got tripple ninja'ed. Ug, I need to check up more regularly. XD
Well the show is owned by Hasbro, which also owns Wizards of the Coast (Dungeons and Dragons, Magic The Gathering etc.). So... yeah, they have access to tons of mythology/fantasy stuff.
On September 02 2011 09:15 TheRealPaciFist wrote: + Show Spoiler +
I just disagree with the way they framed it, with the context and perspective given to it - something subtle indeed, but hang with me here. The key phrase that bugs me the wrong way about this is "we're sure to find them." You don't FIND skills, you go out and HUNT for them, you acquire the knowledge and discipline to do what is necessary to become good at something. Nobody is BORN with the organizational skills required to rally an entire town's resources to best expedite a large scale project; Twilight had to have sharpened that skill over the duration of her own life. If she had wanted to help Rarity, she could have. Rarity would have to take time out of her own schedule to teach Twilight, and maybe it would have been better to tell Twilight to wait until next year before nest building - but there's nothing stopping Twilight from being the best nest maker there can be. The same goes for Pinkie and skating. The same almost goes for AJ and snow shoveling, which requires a strength that would take far more than one day to develop. Which brings me to another point... Not everybody can be good at everything. We don't have equal opportunities in life: someone born deaf will not grow up to be a musician. Somebody with certain genetic problems might not get to be the next Olympic medalist, and most people won't get to be the next Olympic medalist either, because if you're thirty years old trying to train against people who have been training since they were eight years old... you've already missed your shot. But then here comes episode 12, with "A cutie mark appears on a pony's flank when he or she finds that certain something that makes them different from every other pony. Discovering what makes you unique..." Okay, there's ton of problems with this. Obviously, most people are NOT unique. The Albert Einstein's in the world are unique, but they're unique because they're also one-in-a-million. Then again, it's not the most encouraging message in the world to tell kids "Odds are, you're not special compared to most people, and you're definitely ain't one-in-a-million." However, telling kids that there is something special out there that is perfect for them will set them up for disappointment if they don't ever find it. It's kinda like college freshmen choosing majors. I was incredibly lucky to have "found" a major I love, but I know not everybody is that lucky. Eventually, though, every freshman will have to "choose" one major or another. So I would be grateful if MLP:FiM would employ this slightly different verb.
And for all I know, the rest of episode 12 might reveal this subtlety I described. I'll have to see.
Edit: hot damn. I just pressed play, and I heard the teacher say
"and no amount of hoping, wishing, or begging will make a cutie mark appear before its time"
Really? The cutie mark is about whatever one thing you most enjoy/identify with/are good at doing/whatever, and the core component behind that is how we feel about that one thing. As in, if I'm hoping, wishing, and begging to have a poker cutie mark, then poker would BE my cutie mark because otherwise I wouldn't be hoping, wishing, and begging for it.
Surprisingly, I did not think to mention that cutie marks should have the ability to CHANGE over time. Maybe the first twenty years of my life were dominated by playing poker, but then Stacraft: Broodwar was released and I changed mental gears. My cutie mark should change as well.
Okay, now I think it's you who's messed up your phrasing .
u·nique [yoo-neek] Show IPA adjective 1. existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics: a unique copy of an ancient manuscript. 2. having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable: Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint.
The second definition is accurate to what you say, but I believe Lauren meant the first. For instance, what makes up a human? Volume and arrangement of atoms? Quirks? Tendencies? Memories? What two humans share any of those components the same? And those are only part of what makes a person.
What I'm saying is, you can be unique without being outstanding/better than everyone else in a particular subject. I bet there's no one else on earth like my mother. The processes of nurture and nature really do make us all different from eachother -- I mean, that's part of the reason relationship are so hard.
That being said, you may have a particular aptitude for a task that many other's don't. Or a determination they don't have. Or a knowledge they don't have. But that stuff doesn't come to you, you have to hunt for it. And, the most important of those, is your drive. That is the one thing that most people will not have for any given task. If you have a bit of aptitude and a lot of drive, you can do what many won't just because they're not properly motivated.
I'm not sayin you can make a living doing anything you want, but you can make yourself good at something your skills apply to.
Where was I going with that? Anyway, I think everyone is unique, though that doesn't imply each one is some kind of exceptional savant, and that we can cherish the uniquness. It's pretty beautiful. And when it comes to skills, any set of skills can lend you to several tasks; find what you love and can make a living and get good at it. On purpose, determine to be excellent. Figure out the steps needed to become excellent, make a list. Even if your skills suit you to be better at something else, passion is a powerful factor that you cannot set aside because it is part of that drive that can make you excellent.
As for the Cutie mark thing, you're looking at the end result more than the talent set. Rainbow Dash's cutie mark can represent boldness, a harmony of intensity and a softness of spirit (cloud and lightening), and a desire to show off (a rainbow lightening strike? I mean, come on, duh.). These help her become fast through competition, yes, but no where on her cutie mark does it indicate "fastest pony in equestria". But that's what you're claiming when you say a "Starcraft Cutiemark" or "Poker Cutiemark". I'd probably be a cutie mark indicating strategy and competitiveness, or thoughtfulness and aggression. In that way, no matter what you do through life it still accurately represents your strengths.
Even Applejack. It doesn't say she has to take over the farm or else. It could be speaking to a natural talent with growing things, especially apples. She'll always excel at growing and caring for plants, but it doesn't mean she HAS to grow apples all the time.
Anyway, those are my thoughts ^_^ <3
EDIT: I think I got tripple ninja'ed. Ug, I need to check up more regularly. XD
@Unique: I agree with what you're saying, but I don't think it relates to what I was saying. Rainbow Dash being bold, or Fluttershy being compassionate, or what have you... these are not unique traits.
@Cutie marks: Good point, although my point still holds. Say the first twenty years of my life are defined by my boldness and my desire to show off. Then the next twenty years I lose the desire to show off, I decide that compassion is more important that audacity. Certainly less likely than the poker to Starcraft transition, though, so... thanks for the point
Only god knows why, but Rarity after she put on make-up reminded me of South Park. No, nothing specific from South Park. Just South Park in general. Like I said... god knows why.
Overall I was underwhelmed with episode. You'd think the fantasy staple "City in the sky" + the Icarus myth would make for a good episode... but it was missing something for me. For the sake of deliberate redundancy, god knows why.
Weird that they'd have Icarus fall, but then not have Daedalus show any regret.
Heh.
awww, I thought you would like 16.
It's my favorite episode, I was on the floor when Rarity did her crazy laugh when she went in front of the sun for the first time!
On September 02 2011 12:46 enjoylol wrote: same, episode 16 was my all time favorite, and really sealed 'brony status' for me
I, um... hrm.
I did enjoy Twilight's part in the episode, finding a way for everypony to go cheer Rainbow Dash on. However, the main thick of the plot didn't do much for me... maybe because of all the stage fright based stories out there? I've only personally been on stage two or three times before, and it's something I've been able to handle pretty well... OH, wait, no. The part where Rainbow was swapping out numbers to delay when she was going out.
OH. Hell's bells, I just figured out what created the negative connotation. In my Spanish class (technically "classes" plural, but I had the same teacher for three years so it all sort of melts together) we would be required to do these oral presentations that I absolutely loathed. It wasn't the "stage fright" that got me so much as the fact that I... sucked at what I was supposed to be doing, so I didn't want to do it (and academically speaking, there wasn't much I sucked at in high school). Reciting or doing spoken word in front of an audience is something I can pull off because it's something I enjoy. Sure there'll be some mistakes, but for the most part I plan out what I'm going to do and then execute it. Rainbow should have been in the same spot... but the mistakes she made seemed bigger, more grievous, and the number swapping placed it solidly in the area of my head relating it to Spanish class. (Me encanta Espanol, pero no la hablo esta lengua bien)
More obvious, and more important, was Rarity in this episode, whom I did not find amusing. I would say she was insufferable... but no, Sheldon from Big Bang Theory is insufferable. Rarity was just stuck in one place, mentally, and from the very start it was always just a matter of time before she would snap out of it.
Sometimes I can't stand Sheldon. I watch an episode and I'm annoyed to no end by his insufferability. Then in the next episode I'll enjoy watching him. It's very much on and off... the best episodes are the ones where Penny+Leonard act the parents and Sheldon the child.
Really enjoy these writeups Therealpacifist, your reaction to episode 15 was pretty much my reaction too, though lauren faust has stated somewhere that episode 15s message got delivered incorrectly.
read this, you're not the only one left scratching his head at the end of that one :s
Oh yeah and that idea about an episode where someone can change their cutie mark after hard work and effort sounds like a really good premise for an episode, I hope someone is secretly from hasbro and watching this thread :p
What the FUCK. I have a schedule task set to shut down my computer every night at 1:45 am, with a one minute warning in time. Why the hell would it shut down at 5:08 am??? I see in my list of scheduled tasks that Google Update is set for 5:09. Why would that shut anything down? Flipping Windows 7.
And there's a constant, quiet buzzing from my headphones whenever I use my laptop in my room, but nowhere else in the house, and it must be from the software trying to cancel out something and obviously failing, but I haven't found the setting to turn it off.
Very relaxing, though I was surprised not a single one of them got a cutie mark at the end, because I was expecting to be rewarded with some sort of permanent plot progression... but that's alright. The stage act was kind of "meh" because the plot required a bad singer, but the looking-around-Ponyville-for-cutie-marks was, like I said, really relaxing. Not much else to say, except...
Would I rather have magic, or wings? I think magic definitely fits me better. I would love to use telekinesis off hand while concentrating elsewhere... getting myself a drink while I'm playing Starcraft, lol. If I was incarnated into this world, I'd probably be a unicorn (holy crap, that was difficult to write... "I'd probably be a unicorn" Jeez). However... FLIGHT! I'm not an athletic person, but if I had wings, I'd be spending a ton more time outside. (Especially now that I go to school in Cali, which isn't as searingly hot or crowbeggotten muggy as Florida) I've always been mesmerized by watching others do parkour... there's a certain physical elegance to it, similar to the elegance of a horse in full gallop, or a feline in stalk mode. Now imagine the same phenomena, but with flight... and you're the one flying. There's no way I could turn that down!
//I guess I'll just review Episode 17 at a later time, same as 7
I realize now that there is this like this measure of villainy that is constantly depleting, so every few episodes they need to feature a new cartoon baddie. The diamond dogs of this episode fulfill the role well, I think.
I also realize that every pony getting pulled by a gem-drawn fish rod tail-by-tail is a TON of fun.
Back to Rarity: playing off others' insecurities with her armour of gentle ladylikeness is not something I saw ahead of time, and it's pretty cool... but the crying at getting called ugly is just plain funny. "YOu nEVAR liKEd meee!"
Also, a subtle note: Twilight's little moral wrap-up for the episode felt more natural in this episode. Kinda like Kyle's morals from South Park, in a way, it was smoothly worked in rather than forcefully added on with an image of Celestia.
On September 02 2011 11:18 Brutaxilos wrote: ive converted maybe 1 or 2 friends into the brony herd. however other people have insistently avoided anything thats "gay". how did you guys convert the more stubborn people?
General life tip: You can't.
Well, you could try hitting them with swords, or burning them at the stake. These are historically proven methods of dealing with heathens and heretics.
Right from the start of the episode, we get to see something unusual: the relationship between Fluttershy and Rarity. Them having a weekly get-together at a spa is surprisingly fitting, it's nice. Fluttershy becoming a popular model is perfect, it feels right. And of course, poor Rarity. Not one of my favorite episodes though. Not bad in any way, but it wasn't exactly as exciting as the GSTL going on right now, and oh how I wish the stream wouldn't stutter so much. And Tasteless just said Chipotle! Oh god I love Chipotle (I'd never eaten there until recently) Yeah... the episode. Back to the episode. Ummmm. Nothing coming to mind. I guess the Fashion World is sort of interesting to visit, Photo Whatsherface had the same feel as the guy from the previous episode, and lol at the atmospheric techno music present in both the fashion episodes.
From the ideas for an episode... I think that is very likely for an episode in the season 2 where: — somepony (or two) from CMC crew gets her cutie mark before others (assume Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle get cutie marks) — The two is happy and shows that, Apple Bloom is sad and depressed — maybe a little fight or just temporary separation — Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle apologize for being too puffy, Apple Bloom understands it and forgive — Possible appearance of Apple Bloom's cutie mark
I hope it won't be like that because this scenario is too obvious and cheesy. We shall see.
On September 02 2011 22:45 pepkin88 wrote: From the ideas for an episode... I think that is very likely for an episode in the season 2 where: — somepony (or two) from CMC crew gets her cutie mark before others (assume Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle get cutie marks) — The two is happy and shows that, Apple Bloom is sad and depressed — maybe a little fight or just temporary separation — Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle apologize for being too puffy, Apple Bloom understands it and forgive — Possible appearance of Apple Bloom's cutie mark
I hope it won't be like that because this scenario is too obvious and cheesy. We shall see.
There is actually a whole fanfiction about that.
And yeah, it is to be expected. Now, what would be good is if that didn't happen, and they got their cutiemarks in completely unrelated ways! :D
On September 02 2011 22:45 pepkin88 wrote: From the ideas for an episode... I think that is very likely for an episode in the season 2 where: — somepony (or two) from CMC crew gets her cutie mark before others (assume Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle get cutie marks) — The two is happy and shows that, Apple Bloom is sad and depressed — maybe a little fight or just temporary separation — Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle apologize for being too puffy, Apple Bloom understands it and forgive — Possible appearance of Apple Bloom's cutie mark
I hope it won't be like that because this scenario is too obvious and cheesy. We shall see.
There is actually a whole fanfiction about that.
And yeah, it is to be expected. Now, what would be good is if that didn't happen, and they got their cutiemarks in completely unrelated ways! :D
With the amount of fan fiction out there, it's only a matter of time before every idea the writers can come up with the show will have already been done before, haha.
If anyone want to see it with his own eyes it's gonna need this http://goggles.sneakygcr.net/ , it's and App that allow you to draw in any webpage.
So yeah, now TL it's part of the Solar Empire <3
EDIT
Well has been deleted, but hey, it worth it ^^
It might be my fault. I used those googles to see your picture (first time I'm using it) and then I made mouse gesture for new tab (with right button), and when I came back I erased everything under mouse cursor (right button had to be locked). When I realized what I did it was too late. I'm sorry Those goggles' inventor didn't expect such usage.
But on the other hand I've got an idea to make tool for uploading simple graphics on those goggles. It should be fun.
EPT
. 
![[image loading]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XFayf7aMv1M/TGR9bSLBmYI/AAAAAAAABRo/mrJ6mfDAE4Y/s1600/Cockatrice_serendipityThumb.jpg)
thanks.![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/EORJ0.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://obeygiant.com/images/2011/05/OBEYCELESTIA-500x662.png)
Those goggles' inventor didn't expect such usage.
