My Little Pony XXXIX: There is no Pegasus Mafia!

[otakuryoga]

Mayor Mare, the only candidate with a record of leadership
A proven leader in times of peace & plenty.
A proven leader in times of crisis.



Derpy has a pet too..

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[Titanium Fox]

That's a good idea, I'll do the same. Hello

(and fortunately I can save time on catching up with SiuiS' Megaquotepost)

Yay, Sweetie Welf, Hi!

Question: Is Woona a crazy fan personality or an entirely different pony at this point?

I'd honestly say both at this point.

my two cents on season two: Overall the season has been weaker than season 1. But it had very good ones, like Sweet and Elite, one of my favourites.

One thing I noted is the lack of good antagonists. Not villains, we had a good one with Disquord. I mean characters on the same level of power like the mane cast, like the Gilda, Blueblood or the notorious and famous Trixie. That neither of those, especially Trixie, showed up again so far is a big loss for the season. Neither the Flim Flam brothers or or someone else could really substitute them. Instead we have a series nice and cute side characters like Pipsqueak or the Baby Cakes.

I tend to agree. While they have ramped up the little "high" points to even more dizzying heights (Sonic Rainnuke, Rainbow Fire, Twilight losing her ****, etc, etc), the baseline of the episodes has gone to a lower point, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

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? and this is when I regret not drawing more harem Raz. Or at least of being able to find it fast enough.
EDIT: CONFOUND YOU RAZ. I'm looking through a google image search of harem pants. I can't stop. whhaaaaat have you dooooonnne?

It's Raz's special talent of course!

Silly Brony, (SNUGGLEKISSKISSKISS)

OH GOD I'M DROWNING IN LIXIE HELP

Semi-new Ep, Mostly Season 2

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So I think I found out why Season 2 is really so different.

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...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! !!!!!!!

... wait, people actually think Twilight would be a good president? Sure, she's organized, but she loses her manure for silly reasons all the time. She'd be a better cabinet member; let her be a chief adviser.

Overall she tends to be one of the more stable ponies. She's lost her mind a grand total of once, due to perceived disappointment of her mentor and essentially mother figure. She was a sheltered child obviously who never had to deal with academic failure. I know from experience that the longer you go sheltered from that, the harder it hits the first time it happens.

Personally I feel that if she became president of a country, as long as she wasn't directly under Celestia (Ergo: Celestia -> Twilight -> Cabinet of Canterlot) she would be fine, as she has no reason to percieve that she's disappointing her mentor.

Well, she has six hooves... but where's the second head?

She's Slepnir, of course!

Which is why I voted for Rainbow Dash. Because that way we can accept that catastrophe is going to happen and prepare accordingly/take bets on which one. The others may or may not cause disaster, Rainbow definitely will and, moreover, it'll definitely be awesome.

Rainbow Dash: The Most Reliable Candidate

Yeah, because due process and planning are totally things that can go by the wayside in the current political climate. Toooootally.

WOONA FOR PRESIDENT!

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... Cuteness Overload! x_x

AAAAAAAAAAFHJKSHKLJAHLKJSHKLJSHFLKAH HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGH-

Twilight is the perfect VP. Great at organising stuff, incredibly knowledgable, and offering advice when things get tough.

But I'd always pair her with another Pony as President. Preferably Applejack, who has the right kind of mix of grit, determination and down to earth genuine-ness. I figure she has the right kind of mental strength to handle the childish and frustratingly confrontational world of international politics (at least, with a good team headed by Twilight Sparkle behind her to handle the fancy mathmatics).

Rarity would make for a very different type of leader, but I think she'd be my second choice. She can be a bit easily distracted perhaps, but she's very strongly principled and should be able to handle herself quite well on the diplomacy front, both in debates and international conferences.

(Also, let's keep the Real World analogies out of it. This is about brightly coloured Ponies running to be the first President of Equestria. Nothing else. )

Question is, how and why has Equestria moved to a presidential model? The returned Luna pushing for constitutional reform perhaps?

In all honesty, I'd say this, but vice-versa. Twilight is very organized and can be charismatic and a good leader; we all saw it in Winter Wrap Up. Applejack on other hoof is one who much prefers to stay behind the scenes. She focuses on the work, not on how it gets done, and she's not one for flash speeches or entrances. I feel she'd make a better Vice President in title as she has no responsibility to be a public face, but at the same time her and Twilight sharing an equal amount of the decision making. They are also a fantastic pair of check and balance to each other.

[Kyouhen]

You know what; I wasn't even going to care, either, but then you said that and I suddely thought, what the hey!

So I'm voting for Derpy.

And she's going to win.

Well she is promising a muffin in every oven. You really can't argue with that.

I assume that characters are developing as the timeline continues on. Fluttershy becomes more assertive, Twilight becomes more extroverted, Pinkie Pie becomes more responsible, etc. I love to see characters develop and change over time, but even then we see them occasionally backpeddle a bit with their vices.
And that seems pretty "human" to me.

Actually her being louder isn't really that bad. It's mostly just her being more animated. I noticed it in Return of Harmony when she jumps in the bush to hide from the butterflies. She's just moving faster and her actions are more exaggerated. More of a complaint about the shift in animation style really, though it only applies to her. I know we can say that she's just growing as a character, but it's still a little off after seeing her act one way for a full season then completely change for the next.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Any country with a monarchy will walk over us.

Now I kinda want to see queen Liz sitting down to tea with Twilight & co.

Wait, did she actually get that asparagus for money? I was in such misery watching that scene that I looked away for part of it.

Still demonstrates a degree of moral turpitude, manipulating him like that.

I think what's bothering people is the fact that the manipulate-ee was a caricaturesquely stereotyped nerd. Which hits a little too close to home (I'm no exception). If she'd seduced a regular looking stallion it'd be less bothersome on the 'perpetuating negative stereotypes' front.

But yeah, Rarity has been known to manipulate by flattery and it is a little bit morally dubious. It's an interesting character trait, I think.

[the_druid_droid]

I agree about the manipulation. In my ramblings about the episode back on the previous page, I mentioned that that was one scene that made me cringe, and with some minor changes could have easily been improved to show Rarity as confident and charming rather than manipulative.

So much this.

However, in the end, there could only one winner.



Voting for anyone but me is naughty and you shouldn't do it.

Those eyes won her the election with a 118% of the vote.

Vote early, and vote often for Fluttershy!

But I'd always pair her with another Pony as President. Preferably Applejack, who has the right kind of mix of grit, determination and down to earth genuine-ness. I figure she has the right kind of mental strength to handle the childish and frustratingly confrontational world of international politics (at least, with a good team headed by Twilight Sparkle behind her to handle the fancy mathmatics).

Somehow, in conjunction with AJ, all I can think of reading this is "I can do nothin' for ye, son."

Well one Megapost by SiuS and 4 pages later and I've caught up. Seriously thanks SiuS. Those megaposts can be a godsend if you've fallen behind and don't want to skip everything.

Now New episode

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I liked it but thought it was weak in some places. Mainly because it was full of awkward and hurtful moments. I wish Applejack and Twilight/Rainbow Dash were there to show Fluttershy actual assertiveness rather then manipulation. Also Pinkie was laughing with you not at you, silly filly. Her whole acting normally afterwards is kinda telling in that Fluttershy really doesn't understand assertiveness still.

Fluttershy yelling at Pinkie and Rarity was actually very very sad. Though I do like how she immediately realizes she's crossed the line. Now she should have gone and apologized. Afterwards the meet up with Iron Will and Rarity and Pinkie try and manipulate him and fail as before, Fluttershy stands up to him as before with the same results. As is I like to think that if Fluttershy hadn't boarded up her house Rarity and Pinkie would have demanded an apology. As it was they saw that Fluttershy felt sorry and had jumped to another extreme. Dealing with Fluttershy's overreaction had priority over getting an apology.

Iron Will isn't really a bad guy. He is just doing his job and expects fair payment for services rendered. He isn't even tricking his customers. His advice did make Fluttershy more assertive. But then she took it too far.

As for Angel he is a prime example of a spoiled brat. My mother is an elementary teacher and I get stories of that sort of behavior all of the time. I consider Angel in this episode to be a hidden message for parents. Disipline your children, its good for them. (Unless you go overboard, but that's the same for everything. I mean only feeding your children carrots is a bad idea too but I doubt many would argue that children shouldn't eat carrots)

Overall; a weak episode. Its flawed but redeemable without really changing the story at all. Fluttershy jumping to an extreme of being a jerk doesn't seem out of character. Its more of she still didn't understand assertiveness and only overcompensating in trying to be a new pony. She tried to remake herself compleatly and coming off as compleatly different is the logical result. She was trying to not be Fluttershy basically. Still while the message was good it was kinda a hurtful episode and I can see where those who say they felt bad about the episode are coming from.

As for Pony Prime Minister I don't know who to vote for. Spoiler for length

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Applejack seems to have trouble keeping her farm afloat and makes bad deals, and then keeps them! She seems like she would destroy the country through sheer stubbornness to uphold her end of the bargain. She also doesn't value education that much from what we can see. On the other hand she would be honest and try to keep every promise she made at her own expense if necessary.

Twilight is organized enough to keep on top of the government confusion and smart enough to understand all of the issues brought up by the scientists in things like Global Warming which would be a refreshing change. She also supports education for everyone which I strongly believe in. However she would feel entirely too obligated to the crown and does poorly in the social circuit.

Pinkie Pie is a disaster. You want something that will end in glorious flames vote for her not Rainbow Dash. Might be worth it though.

Rarity will try and institute a monarchy of a sort. She would do very well manipulating people to her ends but really would be too focused on the politics to set a good policy. Basically what does Rarity want to do when in charge?

Rainbow Dash would actually do a pretty good job. Contrary to common opinion she would take the job very seriously and would do what she would think was best for the country. She would be more assertive on the world stage and wouldn't accept a lot of the bull**** for an answer. She's a radical radical with a plan to change things for the better. She will use every dirty trick to succeed and stand in her way and you will be trampled. This is both the good things and the bad things.

Fluttershy as of this episode would do a good job. She's got the ability to stand up to those who would push her around but wouldn't be confrontational about things. Ok she might do badly in control of a nation like the USA or she could do well by easing a lot of tensions around the world from a position of power. Either way she would do a great job in a nation like Canada. As long as this latest lesson stuck at least. On the other hand she favors environmentalism a little too much, (as in no new resource development at all). Has no economic background and thus policy and I get the feeling she would have trouble with the hard decisions.

Wow I'm talkative today. Must be my Birthday or something.

Happy birthday! May it be filled with ponies and delicious food!

[Mewtarthio]

In all honesty, I'd say this, but vice-versa. Twilight is very organized and can be charismatic and a good leader; we all saw it in Winter Wrap Up. Applejack on other hoof is one who much prefers to stay behind the scenes. She focuses on the work, not on how it gets done, and she's not one for flash speeches or entrances. I feel she'd make a better Vice President in title as she has no responsibility to be a public face, but at the same time her and Twilight sharing an equal amount of the decision making. They are also a fantastic pair of check and balance to each other.

Given the nature of the show, it's no suprise that a team-up works best. Okay, so if we're going with a Dream Team: I'd say go with the Rarity/AJ ticket. That gets us Rarity's diplomatic skills and AJ's dependability. I'd think Rarity would be the better public face, but you could still make it work with AJ as President.

Twilight probably shouldn't get elected at all. Instead, she should earn a permanent job as a high-ranking civil servant or government contractor. Pinkie can run the Super PAC. Fluttershy wouldn't want to get in the spotlight in the first place, and Dash needs to be kept as far away from the Big Red Button as possible.

But yeah, Rarity has been known to manipulate by flattery and it is a little bit morally dubious. It's an interesting character trait, I think.

After her treatment of Spike in S1, I'm a little surprised people still find this behavior surprising.

[Kairaven]

I was watching Rocky again due to the eye of the tiger reference and find amazing parallel between Fluttershy and Adrian, (shy pet store worker) and My mind can't help but start casting a Rocky story starring Big Mac as Rocky and Fluttershy as Adrian.

[Raz_Fox]

I approve of anything resulting in harem razpics.

Well, of course you would. You'd approve of Raz if he was bundled up for a blizzard.

EDIT: CONFOUND YOU RAZ. I'm looking through a google image search of harem pants. I can't stop. whhaaaaat have you dooooonnne?

I deny using voodoo rituals.

Also, I deny tipping Braz off about this and telling her you were going to draw pictures of sexy vixens.

That plan is, of course, spend tomorrow and the resulting times playing a new video game, occasionally checking for PA updates and pony episodes and, apparently, drawing Arabian/turkish/ottoman/"I'm too American to know the proper cultural label" fashion.

I just say Purrsian.

Which has, somehow, crippled my ability to write Persia right, first-try. I always write Pursia now.

[Kyouhen]

Given the nature of the show, it's no suprise that a team-up works best. Okay, so if we're going with a Dream Team: I'd say go with the Rarity/AJ ticket. That gets us Rarity's diplomatic skills and AJ's dependability. I'd think Rarity would be the better public face, but you could still make it work with AJ as President.

Twilight probably shouldn't get elected at all. Instead, she should earn a permanent job as a high-ranking civil servant or government contractor. Pinkie can run the Super PAC. Fluttershy wouldn't want to get in the spotlight in the first place, and Dash needs to be kept as far away from the Big Red Button as possible.

We're going dream team now? Great. I vote for all of them. Twilight could be the president, Rarity could be in charge of public/foreign relations, Applejack as minister of labour/agriculture, Fluttershy as environmental minister, Pinkie Pie can be the minister of entertainment and Rainbow Dash gets to be in charge of the military.

...Come to think of it, I'm voting for Twilight. She goes to her friends when she has a problem, and there's no doubt in my mind that she'd put the rest of the ponies in important positions as advisers to help her out. By voting for Twilight we'd be voting for everypony.

[Tiki Snakes]

...Come to think of it, I'm voting for Twilight. She goes to her friends when she has a problem, and there's no doubt in my mind that she'd put the rest of the ponies in important positions as advisers to help her out. By voting for Twilight we'd be voting for everypony.

Mad Theory of the Day

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This is exactly what Celestia planned when she sent her to ponyville. She is grooming Twilight to take over the running of Equestria.This is partly why she expanded the friendship letters to the other ponies. They are clearly Twilights closest allies, so if she's going to hand over the reins to the Kingdom, she's got to be sure of Twilights administration as well as her protoge herself.

Freed from her duty of ruling and protecting Equestria, she will take to the road as an enigmatic wanderer.

[RobD]

Um...quick technical question for anybody else who runs a pony blog/tumblr page. When answering questions, I'd like the format to look more like this http://askdiscordwhooves.tumblr.com/ and not so much like this: http://moon-fall.tumblr.com/

Is there a certain button I'm not pushing, or is this a case wher I need to grab a screen shot of the question and then paste it into the picture I'm drawing?
Sorry to be a bother, but I'd be grateful for any help.

Never mind; issue solved.

[Forum Explorer]

Mad Theory of the Day

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This is exactly what Celestia planned when she sent her to ponyville. She is grooming Twilight to take over the running of Equestria.This is partly why she expanded the friendship letters to the other ponies. They are clearly Twilights closest allies, so if she's going to hand over the reins to the Kingdom, she's got to be sure of Twilights administration as well as her protoge herself.

Freed from her duty of ruling and protecting Equestria, she will take to the road as an enigmatic wanderer.

I really like this idea but instead of enigmatic wanderer she just goes around and has a good time before taking back the reins of government when Twi and company are too old to run the government. Sort of a generation vacation.

Also I agree that the dream team for elective ruling would be all of them. They do tend to keep each other in check. More so now then ever.

[Athaniar]

Wow I'm talkative today. Must be my Birthday or something.

Happy Birthday!

Mad Theory of the Day

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This is exactly what Celestia planned when she sent her to ponyville. She is grooming Twilight to take over the running of Equestria.This is partly why she expanded the friendship letters to the other ponies. They are clearly Twilights closest allies, so if she's going to hand over the reins to the Kingdom, she's got to be sure of Twilights administration as well as her protoge herself.

Freed from her duty of ruling and protecting Equestria, she will take to the road as an enigmatic wanderer.

Interesting. I could definitely see Celestia doing something like that.

[Deadly]

I voted for Rainbow Dash! Cause who could be awesomer as president? Also, I actually think she'd do quite well if just given the chance. She's loyal and awesome and gets things done, and she CAN take things seriously when it's called for.

Also, I apparently have a way of being in the smallest minority around here, so it fits.



Anyway, Chapter 16 of Mare in the Mirror, nearing the grand conclusion at last.

[Mando Knight]

I voted for Rainbow Dash! Cause who could be awesomer as president? Also, I actually think she'd do quite well if just given the chance. She's loyal and awesome and gets things done, and she CAN take things seriously when it's called for.

She's not as "qualified" for presidency as Twilight, but no one else is as awesome as the position requires.

[Litewarior]

We're going dream team now? Great. I vote for all of them. Twilight could be the president, Rarity could be in charge of public/foreign relations, Applejack as minister of labour/agriculture, Fluttershy as environmental minister, Pinkie Pie can be the minister of entertainment and Rainbow Dash gets to be in charge of the military.

That sounds familiar, I wonder why?

[Anarion]

... wait, people actually think Twilight would be a good president? Sure, she's organized, but she loses her manure for silly reasons all the time. She'd be a better cabinet member; let her be a chief adviser.

I voted for Twilight, but this comment is probably right. The issue is that I don't think there's anyone else (no, not even Fluttershy) who would actually listen to Twilight and implement her policies adequately. Applejack would be too conservative (in it's original, non-political meaning), Rainbow would be too brash, Fluttershy would be too indecisive, Rarity too egotistical, and Pinkie Pie too random.

So, I voted Twilight, knowing there would be a slight possibility of her breaking down completely, but also noting that she's actually incredibly capable at responding to external threats, so as long as she had a good support system around her, I would expect her to perform excellently.

[Kairaven]

man, I am in a funk today....

As always when I am down, I inevitably start to contemplate the direction of humanity and fate of the universe and drawing to the conclusion of horrible and logical solution of Transhumanism and the equally horrible thought of cyclical universal existence as partially alluded to by this story.

Such heavy thoughts saps my will and happiness.

happy ponies serves as an escape. I don't ask for it much, if at all, but I think I need some more ponies and the magic of friendship in my life right now.

[erikun]

Twilight Sparkle loses votes for refusing to buy short ads in print or TV. She mails out "electionpedias," thousand page books with long, rambling arguments about why she should be president.

I wouldn't mind a comprehensive guide on recent political issues and a candidate's stance on them, for once.

Um...quick technical question for anybody else who runs a pony blog/tumblr page. When answering questions, I'd like the format to look more like this http://askdiscordwhooves.tumblr.com/ and not so much like this: http://moon-fall.tumblr.com/

Ah, so you're the one running Moonfall? It looks nice; I just gave you another question. (I hope I'm not the only one doing so, though.)

It's good to hear you have it set up as you'd like now (I think).

WOONA FOR PRESIDENT!

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... Cuteness Overload! x_x

That's it, Luna has all of my votes.

Wow I'm talkative today. Must be my Birthday or something.

Happy Birthday! I'm going to steal the idea from someone else, and get you some cake.

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Pumpkin Cake is the best Cake.

[Sadistic Seraph]

Oh god. I did it. I finally caught back up on both the thread and EQD. SO MUCH PONY. O_o


Regarding the Pondering of Potential Presidential Ponies, I'd have to go with Twilight. Intelligence is always the first thing I look for in a potential leader and she has proven herself to be an effective leader in the past. And she doesn't go crazy that often.

My second choice would be Rarity. She also seems pretty clever and she thrives in the spotlight. Her interpersonal skills would be invaluable in diplomacy and foreign relations as well as running for office.

...and drawing to the conclusion of horrible and logical solution of Transhumanism...

I'm curious. What do you find horrible about Transhumanism?

[Thanqol]

Never mind; issue solved.

Sorry, if I knew anything about Tumblr, even to the point of having an account I would have said something. I'm watching you the old fashioned way; with bookmarks and F5.

Anyway, Chapter 16 of Mare in the Mirror, nearing the grand conclusion at last.

I'll get caught up on this as when it's finished and I hopefully have more time

man, I am in a funk today....

As always when I am down, I inevitably start to contemplate the direction of humanity and fate of the universe and drawing to the conclusion of horrible and logical solution of Transhumanism and the equally horrible thought of cyclical universal existence as partially alluded to by this story.

Such heavy thoughts saps my will and happiness.

happy ponies serves as an escape. I don't ask for it much, if at all, but I think I need some more ponies and the magic of friendship in my life right now.

Kai, the world is a pretty awesome place. Ponies are a symptom of that to embrace and enjoy, not a way to escape. Speculation of the future, especially cosmological issues like transhumanism or the end of the universe, are so vague and distant that you can pick and chose what foundational assumptions go into them and produce whatever outcomes you feel like. I can assume, for instance, that a generation which has grown up on transhumanist fiction and ideas, when faced by the ultimate choices is able to make coherent ethical responses.

And if the world isn't a great place for everyone, there are folk who work to make it so.

If you need some relaxation and peace, check out the DA gallery of FiM composer Will Anderson. It's beautifully relaxing watching this guy. He's wonderfully centred.

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And for friendship, well, I'm always here.

[Beacon of Chaos]

I think I'll leave it to you to figure this one out, mate.

Iron Will has hands, therefore it's hands-free. The fact that it is also hooves-free, claws-free, and tentacles-free is irrelevant.

Semi-new Ep, Mostly Season 2

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So I think I found out why Season 2 is really so different.

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Wow I'm talkative today. Must be my Birthday or something.

~HAPPY BIRTHDAY!~

May you continue exploring forums for many years to come! Have some ponies and cake!

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Re: Presidential ponies: Rainbow Dash for me. I want to see her add rainbows to the american flag and cahnge the air force uniform to wonderbolts outfits.

[Aotrs Commander]

I'm curious. What do you find horrible about Transhumanism?

Can't see what the fuss is about, myself. Nothing special about humans. Certainly not about human biology at all, even by animal standards. Human spirit - which has really nothing to do with flesh and bone - you could maybe very dubiously and more than a bit humanocentrically make an arguement for; but still not much different to the spirit of many, many races out there. (Are humans more "special" than, say, ponies? I think not¹.)

I mean, I upgraded to Lich like a shot, and would have to a robot body with lots of lasers, given even half a chance before the Aotrs came calling...



¹Excepting that certain definition of "special" said in that particular, slightly condesending sarcastic tone which clearly indicates verbally that double quotes are being pronounced...

[Kairaven]

I'm curious. What do you find horrible about Transhumanism?

Nothing, I actually support Transhumanism whole heartedly, but from an individual standpoint it is pretty horrible, mostly in the "Trivialization of human identity" point and the possible Eugenics aspect of implementation. Also the inevitable moral and existential conflict that is likely to result from such implementation. Plus as with any end form of evolution I can't help but feel like it promotes stagnation. (Yes I subscribe to the idea that too much order is equally harmful as too much chaos.)

anyway, those thoughts are the end point of my train of thought. The usual beginning point is mostly triggered by the alien feeling of not quite belonging to a group. A feeling that I've actually felt quite strongly last time I went to Bronycon, and something I am strongly trying to fend off before the next Bronycon.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

man, I am in a funk today....

[snippety-snip]

happy ponies serves as an escape. I don't ask for it much, if at all, but I think I need some more ponies and the magic of friendship in my life right now.

Sorry to hear that. *hugs*

[OracleofWuffing]

However, in the end, there could only one winner.



Voting for anyone but me is naughty and you shouldn't do it.

Those eyes won her the election with a 118% of the vote.

Don't forget about the other eyes she has, which won her election with 322% of the vote.

So, outside of voting Fluttershy, I vote Princess Celestia, so we can colonize the moon.

[Sadistic Seraph]

I mean, I upgraded to Lich like a shot, and would have to a robot body with lots of lasers, given even half a chance before the Aotrs came calling...

Mmmm….lasers. Come to think of it; my current body has a startling lack of lasers or other integrated weapon systems. This must be rectified with all possible haste.

Nothing, I actually support Transhumanism whole heartedly…

Good to hear.

…but from an individual standpoint it is pretty horrible, mostly in the "Trivialization of human identity"

I always found this to be a fairly bizarre idea. Why would ceasing to become technically human change anything? Why would it be bad?

Like the good evil lich said: What makes humanity, specifically, something to be valued?

…and the possible Eugenics aspect of implementation.

Yeah, that has potential for abuse. But it’s all about the implementation; it could go either way. I guess we’ll see.

Plus as with any end form of evolution I can't help but feel like it promotes stagnation. (Yes I subscribe to the idea that too much order is equally harmful as too much chaos.)

End form? What do you mean? I wouldn’t think that there would be any kind of final form of humanity but rather a vast array of individually customized forms which change as style, circumstances and needs change.

I’m totally on board with stagnation being just as potentially disastrous as chaos.



I have a question (well technically several questions) for both Kairaven and the thread at large: What do you think of (potential) human enhancement/alteration? Is there anything you’d have done? Mind upload? Functional immortality? Laser cannon grafted to your chest?

[Kairaven]

I believe this nation should commit itself, to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a pony on the moon and returning her safely to Equestria. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to ponykind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.

We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy - but because they are hard! Because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone and one we intend to win!

Therefore I, as your eternal ruler, volunteers my very own sister, on a mission of historical importance. An expedition lasting 1000 years. Why? Because it is there, space is there, and we're going to reach it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.

TO THE MOOOOOOOON!

- Celestia, addressing the Equestria Parliment

[Siosilvar]

I have a question (well technically several questions) for both Kairaven and the thread at large: What do you think of (potential) human enhancement/alteration? Is there anything you’d have done? Mind upload? Functional immortality? Laser cannon grafted to your chest?

Having known quite a few humans in my time, I'd say they're too arrogant and impulsive to be trusted with the ability. *shapeshifts back into dinosaur form and escapes in time machine*

[Thanqol]

I have a question (well technically several questions) for both Kairaven and the thread at large: What do you think of (potential) human enhancement/alteration?

Embrace it wholeheartedly.

Is there anything you’d have done?

Cybernetic ears. Super hearing/ability to tune in to music without headphones/maintain passive aural scanning while listening to music at the same time. Cybernetic eyes and mental enhancers are secondary points; essentially I would like to be able to function normally while browsing the internet, drawing, and writing inside my own head.

Mind upload?

I'm dubious about this. I don't consider this a form of immortality; plus there's a bunch of ethical issues I'd rather not get into.

Functional immortality?

Definitely yes, with the caveat that I am able to choose to end my own life. If I, say, get banished to the moon by myself I don't think I'd come out of it as well adjusted as Luna.

Laser cannon grafted to your chest?

Pass. Being perpetually armed is likely to cause more problems than it solves.