My Little Pony XCVII: Cheerilee's Lonely Hearts Club

[b_jonas]

When's the next horse season by the way?

I hope it won't start very soon. Yes, I really enjoy MLP when it's on, but I need more time. During season, I like spending my Sundays on watching an episode and discussing it with you. But I can't keep that up every weekend for a very long time. I need time for enjoying other things.

Like, right now I'm reading a book about ancient world history, which is definitely a first time for me, because high school has managed to crush any possible interest in history from me so thoroughly that I never bothered to learn anything about history in the next fifteen years (and I didn't learn anything useful about it during high school either). I probably still won't learn much, but just a few books about the basics can go a long way. I'll probably have to read something about 20th century history next.

And I need some of the time during the break for pony stuff too. I still haven't digested S6 fully, and have seen most of the S7 episodes only once. There's also a movie out there which I haven't watched yet. Have they released it on home media (eg. DVD or Itunes) yet? I think the people who write fan fiction or make fan art will also appreciate a break, because the new characters introduced S7 finale give us a lot to think about, and it's good to be able to do that while we know so little about them that we can still fit them into any story.

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Also, I feel I have to come forward with an unambiguous statement about this. I've been predicting continuously since before S5 started that S7 will ruin MLP forever. That was still my prediction until almost the end of S7. I was wrong. Season 7 did not ruin MLP at all. Thank you, show creators, for being able to keep a show running and still awesome for such a long time.

[zimmerwald1915]

Like, right now I'm reading a book about ancient world history, which is definitely a first time for me, because high school has managed to crush any possible interest in history from me so thoroughly that I never bothered to learn anything about history in the next fifteen years (and I didn't learn anything useful about it during high school either).

Returning to books about ancient history a long time after being despirited away, huh?

Spoiler: Twilight Sparkle approves!

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And so do I.

[Thanqol]

Like, right now I'm reading a book about ancient world history, which is definitely a first time for me, because high school has managed to crush any possible interest in history from me so thoroughly that I never bothered to learn anything about history in the next fifteen years (and I didn't learn anything useful about it during high school either). I probably still won't learn much, but just a few books about the basics can go a long way. I'll probably have to read something about 20th century history next.

Oh my god history is amazing. It's so good. There's so much of it and it's endlessly fascinating. Look into the Thirty Years War if you get the chance, it's the most fascinating and high-stakes conflict that no one's ever heard of. The world's greatest empire, a superpower that owns three continents throws down with a plucky rag-tag collection of rebels and the stakes are religious freedom. The evil empire is lead by a terrifying sorcerer known as THE HANGING DUKE allied with the fearsome generals known as THE ARMOURED MONK and THE DESTROYER OF ARMIES, fighting against the mystical and beloved WINTER KING and the daring youthful hero THE LION OF THE NORTH.

(points for guessing which of those names are insults)

It was the era when the Caribbean was full of pirates, when plate armour could deflect bullets, and where cannons were operated by a mysterious guild of explosion wizards. I could write it straight up as a story and people would think it's pulp fantasy.


But for more modern history I recommend King Leopold's Ghost and Shattered Sword, two extremely readable and well thought through books that are roundly beloved in historical circles. For lighter online reading, WW1 day by day is a brilliant experiment with tracking what was happening each day across all of WW1's various theatres which really puts the unique scale and length of the conflict into focus in a way that has never happened for me before; previously the conflict has just been a mishmash of various photographs and fronts haphazardly thrown together.

This stuff is better than fiction a lot of the time because it's the context in which fiction can take place. It also informs so much of the world we live in today.

[Aotrs Commander]

I'm actually reading the history of China at the moment. I made it my new year's resolution, because aside from Emperor (the city builder) and EUIV and such... I know basically nothing about it. It's quite fascinating.

[Thanqol]

I'm actually reading the history of China at the moment. I made it my new year's resolution, because aside from Emperor (the city builder) and EUIV and such... I know basically nothing about it. It's quite fascinating.

A Guy on The Internet did a series of effortposts about the Taiping Rebellion and woah.

Dude wakes up one day and says that Jesus Christ is his older brother and next thing you know thirty million people are dead.

My favourite incident in that story is the moment when the rebels finally made contact with the Europeans and asked all of the Western powers for help. The various responses from the embassies on the ground run as follows:

British Ambassador: These barbarian savages have dared to imply that the Emperor of China is the equal to - or, God Forbid, the superior of - dear old Queen Victoria? They must be crushed!
French Ambassador: These people are wonderful! They are fighting for freedom and a Christianized Asia! Yes, there are some doctrinal differences but we can sort it out - I must hasten home to France and organize the nation's full and unflinching support for the rebels! This will turn the very axis of history! *dies of plague on the way back home*
American Ambassador: The Chinese are weak and distracted, I recommend piracy.

[meto30]

I'm actually reading the history of China at the moment. I made it my new year's resolution, because aside from Emperor (the city builder) and EUIV and such... I know basically nothing about it. It's quite fascinating.

When it comes to Chinese history, my favorite episode that I love to recommend as slightly serious but still light reading is that of the Jesuits in China. Hundreds of questions regarding culture, science, comensurability, relations of power, overlapping social spheres, religion, early colonialism-capitalism in early modern Europe, and the Portuguese merchant-naval empire can all be found to interact in that episode. The changing fortunes of the Jesuits throughout their first arrival, late Ming, early Qing, and after the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, along with their position in the Chinese Rites controversy and their falling out with the Holy See, the episode is full of suspense and drama. It's also a very forceful look into just how much biased modern "nationalist" narratives of late Chinese History (as popularily understood in politics and media) can be, if you ask me.

Second episode I'd recommend would be the Boxer Rebellion and the Eight Nation Alliance... but unless you reach into academic material, I guess that episode is hard to delve deeply into.



PS: Or perhaps I should recommend the Japanese Invasions of Korea in the 15h century... and the Ming expedition sent to repel them. One could say the modern "national" boundaries and "role perceptions" began in those wars. But then again, it's so tied up to modern nationalist sentiments that it's practically impossible to find a non-biased non-academic account... XD

[DigoDragon]

Like, right now I'm reading a book about ancient world history, which is definitely a first time for me, because high school has managed to crush any possible interest in history from me so thoroughly that I never bothered to learn anything about history in the next fifteen years

Yeah, I know how that goes. I think I learned more history from documentaries I find on YouTube then I ever did in school.

Spoiler: This is a thing.

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[Adderbane]

BFG was my jam. Best space game ever bar nothing.

Freespace 2

[Aotrs Commander]

Don't you just love it when you discover that your national tax institutions makes decisions with, by their own admission, absolutely no guidelines or regulations and so have, apparently, free reign to basically fiat what they like without oversight or culpability to the general public?

Me neither.

Ye gods. In the Aotrs, even SUGGESTING such a thing would get you executed on the SPOT.

[Pi Pie]

Don't you just love it when you discover that your national tax institutions makes decisions with, by their own admission, absolutely no guidelines or regulations and so have, apparently, free reign to basically fiat what they like without oversight or culpability to the general public?

Me neither.

Ye gods. In the Aotrs, even SUGGESTING such a thing would get you executed on the SPOT.

But Commander, isn't that basically your plan for Earth?

Don't you intend to to implement rules and regulations on the people without oversight and culpability of the general public?

I guess your basic rules would be to have everyone not being a**es to each other, but that is still forcing all of us to submit to your will whether we want to or not.

I'm not saying that is necessarily a bad thing. I like the idea of philosopher kings or similar governments where people lead because they are best at it and can guide the masses on the best path.

Keeping this pony related, there are good things about having thousand year old monarchs ensuring peace and prosperity. I just wish that we could see some of their competency. It would be nice seeing them head off an invasion just by reminding an adversary of the incredible forces that Equestria could bring to bear if it wanted to.

Spoiler: Thousand year old rulers

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[Aotrs Commander]

But Commander, isn't that basically your plan for Earth?

Don't you intend to to implement rules and regulations on the people without oversight and culpability of the general public?

I guess your basic rules would be to have everyone not being a**es to each other, but that is still forcing all of us to submit to your will whether we want to or not.

I'm not saying that is necessarily a bad thing. I like the idea of philosopher kings or similar governments where people lead because they are best at it and can guide the masses on the best path.

Keeping this pony related, there are good things about having thousand year old monarchs ensuring peace and prosperity. I just wish that we could see some of their competency. It would be nice seeing them head off an invasion just by reminding an adversary of the incredible forces that Equestria could bring to bear if it wanted to.

Spoiler: Thousand year old rulers

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The difference is, that current human corporations and instituions use their positions to avoid culpability to ANYONE if remotely possible. If human society worked the way humans would like it to, the general public as I phased, SHOULD BE what the instituions and corporations should be beholden to, not to "whatever makes us the most money/makes me look good for my superiors." (See: the Shardan Marauders, for example one of the two tier powers solidly in the Good camp.)

Alternatively, if they were actually competant at their jobs, culpability to the populace would not MATTER. (As is the case with the Aotrs.)

The fact that they are neither, and that human authorities simply cannot be trusted to handle the job without corruption (unlike in the Aotrs, where such ineptitude and inefficency cannot survive against centuries and millenia of experience, skill and judgement and Lord Death Despoil Does Not Hold With That Sort Of Thing) and humanity lacks a competant leader to enforce them to behave is EXACTLY WHY I will eventually have to do it myself, since humanity is clearly utterly unable to (see: previous ten thousnad years of history) and it has annoyed me far past the point I'm not going to eventually punish it into functioning properly.

Hell, that emphasis on dodging personal responsibility, "make this not be happening/make this be happening to someone else/make this not be my problem" is a very large part of the general problem of humanity. When I'm in charge, you will absolutely be held culpable and responsible for your actions.

I'll leave it at that, since I am too far gone to risk venting on what a Bleakbane-ruled world would be like (as believe me, it is something consider EVERY day, adding something else to the list of Things I Will Ensure Are Fixed, For A Suitably Permentant Level Of "Fixed").



Show canon-wise, I have yet to see any evidence that the endless fan-created councils and bodies actually exist and that Celestia and Luna are anything other than the ideal form of government, benevolent dictators.



So, yes, I have been in a foul enough mood (can you tell?) that today I have managed to accomplish very little, and only watching Funny Bits From QI for a good chunk of the evening has even slightly levened my mood.

[Forum Explorer]

Spoiler: Thousand year old rulers

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I can't help but think that Celestia's response is to then eat the cake.

[zimmerwald1915]

Show canon-wise, I have yet to see any evidence that the endless fan-created councils and bodies actually exist and that Celestia and Luna are anything other than the ideal form of government, benevolent dictators.

Say it with me: autonomous local administration. The Grand Equestria Pony Summit suggests as much, to say nothing of the existence of Ponyville's Mayor or Manhattan's PD.

Which is not to say there's anything like the permanent councils or parliaments you see in fanworks.

[Adderbane]

Show canon-wise, I have yet to see any evidence that the endless fan-created councils and bodies actually exist and that Celestia and Luna are anything other than the ideal form of government, benevolent dictators.

Benevolent, immortal (probably) dictators.

That second quality is important.

[DigoDragon]

Ye gods. In the Aotrs, even SUGGESTING such a thing would get you executed on the SPOT.

I think the phrase 'Hold my beer' has already been used.

I can't help but think that Celestia's response is to then eat the cake.

Well yeah. She's not going to let a perfectly good cake go to waste. :q

Spoiler

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[Aotrs Commander]

The latest (second) Nepotism Adventure Series is quite amusing. (And the animation is really quite respectible at this point.)

I think the phrase 'Hold my beer' has already been used.

The Aotrs takes personal responsibility (and an attempt to not have any) VERY seriously. (It kind of has to, given it is comprised of a LOT of very powerful entities - great power and all that...)

Yes, I am STILL rather cranky today.



Can now have access to Telly again for the first time in nearly three weeks. I can at least catch up with Red Dwarf now.



I was reading my X-Men comics a few days ago, the new Gen X. It's rather odd. I care virtually nothing at all about any of the student characters (except Bling! who apparently has gone a bit wierd since Battleworld and has become less likeable, and Quentin Quire, whom I loathed from the first time I saw him. That's quite an achievement, really, a group of characters so lacking that the best among them (the guys with lots of eyes) is a best a "'spose he's a bit alright-ish."

Whereas the bits with Jubilee (and Chamber and Husk) are freaking great (which is as well, really otherwise I'd have dropped this.) It's just a shame that I actually found myself starting to skim the bits they weren't in.

[Pi Pie]

I am starting to go through H. P. Lovecraft's Call of Cthulu mythos to get some ideas for a game that I am writing.

Does anyone know any fan fiction crossovers between My Little Pony and Call of Cthulu? The best that I can think of is Starlight over Detrot just for the darkness although it is not a true match.

It is both amazing and sad to think that the eldritch abominations from Call of Cthulu would have no chance in the My Little Pony universe. They would be blasted with the rainbow of friendship within 40 minutes of invading the world.

Spoiler: Cthulu Pony

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Spoiler: Gotta catch 'em all.

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[DigoDragon]

The Aotrs takes personal responsibility (and an attempt to not have any) VERY seriously. (It kind of has to, given it is comprised of a LOT of very powerful entities - great power and all that...)

I assumed AotRS would, but I was referring to... wait, isn't a large chunk of the army undead? Does alcohol do anything for you all?

I'm quite responsible when I drink. Helps that I'm poor and can't afford to often buy anything. Stars knows what I'd do to make it last.

Spoiler: Hint: Don't do this.

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Instead, I indulge in free coffee at the office.

Spoiler: Gotta catch 'em all.

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Pokemon/Pony related:

Spoiler

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[Excession]

I am starting to go through H. P. Lovecraft's Call of Cthulu mythos to get some ideas for a game that I am writing.

Does anyone know any fan fiction crossovers between My Little Pony and Call of Cthulu? The best that I can think of is Starlight over Detrot just for the darkness although it is not a true match.

Mendacity and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord Sassaflash, both by "Dromicosuchus". The second especially is Lovecraft/Cthulu stuff, while the first is casting the changelings as fey horror, but I would recommend reading them both in order. The author does a great job of showing Equestria as a thin coat of pastel paint over something much darker.

[Aotrs Commander]

Feel the dull throb of terror, for tomorrow is Recon 2017, and you know what that means.



Take the scant comfort in the fact, since they#'ve only given us one table, there will be less crap to drag out your suffering before the inevitable spectre of dread approaches the thread once more...

[Pi Pie]

Mendacity and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord Sassaflash, both by "Dromicosuchus". The second especially is Lovecraft/Cthulu stuff, while the first is casting the changelings as fey horror, but I would recommend reading them both in order. The author does a great job of showing Equestria as a thin coat of pastel paint over something much darker.

Thank you. I will be sure to check them out.

Also someone made an Arkham Horror character sheet for Twilight. I think that she starts with way too much sanity although it makes sense since casting spells costs sanity.

Spoiler: Twilght

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Feel the dull throb of terror, for tomorrow is Recon 2017, and you know what that means.



Take the scant comfort in the fact, since they#'ve only given us one table, there will be less crap to drag out your suffering before the inevitable spectre of dread approaches the thread once more...

Spoiler: A Convention, On No, The Horror

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[Forum Explorer]

I'm a parasprite

I'm sure you've all seen this deep and profound song before, but this time watch it with closed captions on. It's hilarious.

[DigoDragon]

I'm sure you've all seen this deep and profound song before, but this time watch it with closed captions on. It's hilarious.

Oh wow, that really makes it funny. XD

Spoiler: NMM

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[Rater202]

I'm a parasprite

I'm sure you've all seen this deep and profound song before, but this time watch it with closed captions on. It's hilarious.

...The hell did I just watch?

[zimmerwald1915]

...The hell did I just watch?

Something one of the services that streams FiM episodes plays before it streams episodes. Presumably to weed out the normies.

[Aotrs Commander]

Pretty quiet at Recon. As we only had the moderns table (which is Dad's preview), not much to report; they'd didn't even play particularly. We chatted, which is the point of going.

Spoiler

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Not esepcially great pictures, but we didn't have as much space as in previous years; they'd lost the use of some of the venue's back rooms (we don't know whether permenantly or just for this year), so where we'd previously displayed was the bring and buy, and we were situated in the centre of the main room instead.

So, the downside being I had enought time to think and there are no less than TWO Humorous Pictures to traumatise you!

Spoiler

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The Pokémon League was concerned about Darkspark's idea of a "held item," but no-one wanted to argue after what happened to the first judge.





Applejack was not entirely sure about Apple Bloom's new plough.

Can we spot the clever bit about the ploughed field...?

[Rater202]

Spoiler

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The Pokémon League was concerned about Darkspark's idea of a "held item," but no-one wanted to argue after what happened to the first judge.





Applejack was not entirely sure about Apple Bloom's new plough.

Can we spot the clever bit about the ploughed field...?

1: Hahahahahahahaha!
2: The judging from the size of the tank treads compared to the field and adjusting for scale, it could actually be a field plowed with a tank... though I think you'd have to double plow parts of it to get it as even as it is.

[Forum Explorer]

...The hell did I just watch?

Something very deep.

Pretty quiet at Recon. As we only had the moderns table (which is Dad's preview), not much to report; they'd didn't even play particularly. We chatted, which is the point of going.

Spoiler

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Not esepcially great pictures, but we didn't have as much space as in previous years; they'd lost the use of some of the venue's back rooms (we don't know whether permenantly or just for this year), so where we'd previously displayed was the bring and buy, and we were situated in the centre of the main room instead.

So, the downside being I had enought time to think and there are no less than TWO Humorous Pictures to traumatise you!

Spoiler

Show

The Pokémon League was concerned about Darkspark's idea of a "held item," but no-one wanted to argue after what happened to the first judge.





Applejack was not entirely sure about Apple Bloom's new plough.

Can we spot the clever bit about the ploughed field...?

Are the rows the exact measure of the tread of the tank?

[Manga Shoggoth]

Can we spot the clever bit about the ploughed field...?

Ploughed along (parallel to) the gradient to prevent runoff when it rains?

[DigoDragon]

they'd didn't even play particularly. We chatted, which is the point of going.

Sounds like my D&D session last night, which for me was disappointing. I go to slay monsters for loot.


Need to read up on my D&D 5e.

Spoiler

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A scene apparently cut out of the MLP movie. ;) ;) ;)


And a sad but amusing comic from the movie too.