Strife

Wow, what happened to have gotten me so blamed distracted ... Have you done anything with this?

As of late (within the last few months) I've found it entirely impossible to focus on anything. This has lead to me being incapable to write anything. It's really quite the frustrating predicament.

That is actually quite hilarious.

People throw the term "friend" around haphazardly. A real friend would not judge you simply by a show you watch. Personally, I say drop that extra baggage and find some real friends.

The only named mentioned that I recognize is EurobeatBrony.

Exactly how I would expect a children's animated pony to look like; colorful and exaggerated features. The previous generations had too much detail while still trying to be cartoonish ... not a very balanced design. The G4 versions fixed that, while putting a Lauren Faust influence in it (just look at her other cartoons).

I wouldn't read too much into it. There are only so many ways a pony can be drawn, the G4 style only makes sense. For example, look at any cartoon that Lauren Faust was involved in ... they had similar qualities.

I used to get a minimum speed of 25 MBps, then I moved ... http://www.speedtest.net/result/1670825459.png I've never seen anything above 150 kbps though.

There is a special kind of spirit and line of thinking that I see around the holidays, especially near Christmas. No, not the rough and tumble freaking-out people do to scatter to buy as much as they can. I'm talking about the kind and giving spirit. Sadly, it is rarely seen outside the holidays, but when I see it, it simply warms up my day. To experience that spirit, especially on the giving end, is a feeling that transcends words of any kind. Short of any phrase or word that gives it proper justice, it simply feels ... good. Oftentimes people think they are too busy or too poor to help out, but remember that it really is the thought that counts. When was the last time you looked directly into someone's eyes and gave them a genuine smile? As small a gesture as it is, even that can make someone's day much brighter. If you have been blessed with a surplus of food, it would be great to share it to someone who needs it. This holiday season, specifically the last two days, I have seen and felt such raw emotion is was simply wonderful. Yesterday I went to visit my step-grandmother for a simple visit and to wish her a merry Christmas. Because I haven't been in town for years, it has been a long time since I've seen her, but I recently moved back into town. This year is especially hard on her because it is the first year since her husband died. She related a few stories for me about them, and it just ... it touched me for how much they loved (and still do) each other other. The look in her eyes and the emotion in her words made it easy to tell how true their love is. One of the stories she told me was so awe-inspiring (yet simple) that it is the basis for one of the stories I am currently writing. Their love is so strong, even after death, that it made me happy because I could feel it. The second event was just today. We had various family members come and visit briefly today, and because of this we had a multitude of snacks and drinks. After they all left we had a bunch leftover and absolutely no idea what to do with it all. Several minutes of thought went by then we had an idea ... About two or three miles down the street is a homeless guy and his dog we always see who is always asking for work. We made up our minds! Gathering up as much leftovers as we could find (two bags worth of various food and drink then a small baggie containing dog treats and a toy), we went down the road to find this man. Just by looking at him you could tell that he has seen quite a few years of hard times. He was thrilled to see us and as much as he was thankful we brought him a large sum of edibles, he loved our company. For at least 90 minutes we stood there and talked to get to know him. Turns out his name is Paul, a man from New Mexico. He used to own a small shop, but after the majority of his stuff getting stolen one night, he lost everything and since then has been travelling with no place to call home. Funny, charming, and honest, this man was a welcome breath of fresh air. He was so happy and merry, that it was hard to tell he was down on his luck, but a person was quickly reminded by his appearance. We learned quite a lot about him, specifically that he tries to enjoy everything in life, no matter where you find yourself. He likes to see various strange hats and his favorite Christmas song is "Grandma Got Run-over by a Reindeer". Now this I found amusing, for just last week my step-father happened to be in a gift exchange. The item he got was a thick wool hunter's hat with cameo pattern, ear warmers, and reindeer antlers for decoration. Pressing a button on the hat made it light up and sing the song "Grandma Got Run-over by a Reindeer". Getting home, we immediately grabbed the hat and drove back to the man to give him the hat. He laughed with such genuine amusement as he took off worn-out cap and planted the new singing hat on his head. After about an hour more of conversation, we finally went home. I suppose my ranting is near it's end, but please keep in mind the real spirit of the holidays ... No matter how big or small it may seem, do your best to show kindness. And please, don't restrict such behavior to simply the holidays! Every day try your best to truly be thankful for what you have ... it may be a little and it may be a lot, but either way be thankful. Merry Christmas Happy New Year And may the rest of your days be filled with genuine happiness.

Thanks, I'll use it until you decide to do an edit (if you do, that is).

We know that aggression is not unheard of in Equestria, due to the previously separated pony species (Hearth's Warm Eve) and various other events (Nightmare Moon, Discord, etc). Weapons have been shown, primarily swords, most likely developed during the aggressive times. By seeing Pinkie's party cannon, it is a logical step to think they know of cannons and having someone like Zecora in the show (one who messes with plants, mixtures, etc) we know they are fully aware of chemicals and equivalent sciences. By seeing the fireworks it is very likely 'gun powder' exists as well (Although the name could be different). Remember that two thirds of the ponies do not have magic, so it only makes sense that not everything defaults to "oh, it's magic". While ponies themselves are not bipedal and do not have manipulative digits (fingers), other species do (Spike being the common example). Also, cannons are MUCH easier to load and use and in the technology tree, came significantly sooner than guns (the Chinese used gun powder as a weapon long before the invention of guns). As far as ease of use, cannons can be loaded by ponies with little effort, as it requires only the packing of power and loading of the cannon ball, which requires little dexterity. There is an overwhelming amount of points in evidence that not only does the technology exist, but it was used (even if in the past). Do they have a group now? Probably, most countries keep an army in reserve even if they have not seen war in ages, and Celestia being as wise as she is portrayed, it would only make sense to have some sort of defensive force via multiple methods. Also, guns are just as offensive as defensive (as are all weapons and shields) ... it matters how it is used.

This site has a TON of shirts to pick from, but if you want something more low-key, this is the only thing I could find ... everything else spews ponies (but they are so awesome).

Any mention of abandonment or misplaced loyalty would snap Rainbow Dash out of it fast. She is the Element of Loyalty after all. You could use this as a tool. Pinkie Pie can say something to the effect of "This place is much more fun than Ponyville, no more letters or work to do!" That would remind Rainbow Dash that she has responsibilities at Ponyville and to her other friends which she can't abandon. This would allow you to only use Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash if you wanted. Or you could even have one of the Zebras say sometime in the story "Princess, we thought you had abandoned our town, but we continued to stay loyal to your crown."

Some explanation on the weather thing has been given via canon! Hearth's Warming Eve possible spoiler! It could be said that their ability to manipulate weather has degraded over time, so it does not come easily to them anymore. With proper intense training they could gain back some of the prowess, hence the Wonderbolts forming clouds in their wake, but for mass-production of weather it requires a factory with efforts of many Pegasi.

It would really depend on how the process itself works. Sounds like he can send objects of any size, but I would assume the larger the object, the more practice and effort and it would take. Although I would draw the line at living material (plants, creatures, etc) since it having to be burned, magical fire or not, would probably not survive the trip.

No problem, totally understand! I rarely even use art made by someone else (unless I get desperate ^_^ ). Do whatever you feel comfortable with, the option that would be easiest for you is fine with me.

If it isn't too much to ask, an Avatar would be awesome please! Anything with Spitfire looking fast, deadly, and/or dangerous. I prefer her hair 'brushed' instead of wind-blown. Also prefer her without the suit. Here are my favorite three Spitfire pictures: Ultimately comes down to your discretion, use those creative juices! ^_^

Could be considered a mix between Innate and Studied, very interesting all the same.

Always glad to help, be it bouncing ideas off of, proofreading, or what-have-you.

(1) True, I believe Twilight did track gems, but that a conscious effort. Rarity first 'casted' the gem location spell without any sort of conscious effect beforehand, even being pulled to gems against her will. It is possible that most spells using a horn can be learned by any unicorn through study, while some are born with a more naturalized affinity towards certain spells (which would also explain Twilight's accidental teleportation). (2) Too many variables to make any certain conclusions, but it is safe to assume a key component is likely Spike's breath. Also, about the topic of Pegasi. Color trails can easily be attributed to the streaked light effect. For example, take a glowing toy into a dark room and shake it around ... it leaves a 'trail' the color of the glow. Simply a trick of the eye. The actual formation of clouds is harder to explain (for when the Wonderbolts do their stunts). It is possible they use residual moisture in the sky to form it, something to do with their uniforms, or pegasi really can create certain weather effects on demand (Although it is hard to come to solid conclusion due to the fact we have only seen Wonderbolts create cloud trails).

Interesting idea. Status?

Read only original post, forgive any repeated comments. It has been said that "magic is simply the physics of another world". The same can apply here. Due to the large amount of creatures/objects that show 'magical' properties, there can be multiple 'levels' of magic. Innate (Birthright) - Certain abilities gained from birth, normally from genetics. Examples: Pegasus / Griffon ability to walk on clouds Pegasus ability to manipulate clouds (although the creation of weather of open to debate. We know it is a factory in Cloudsdale, but it has yet to be seen if the process is magical, scientific, or combined). ​Unicorn telekinesis Cockatrice stonegazing Phoenix rebirth Innate (Unique) - Abilities gained from birth, but unique to the individual. Examples: Rarity's gem-finding spell Spike's transportation breath (on scrolls) Twilight's teleportation Learned - Abilities / Spells that were gained from intentional education. Examples: Twilight and Trixie's display of magic that do something other than telekinesis Only time I can recall anypony else doing something to this effect are the Princesses (although that can arguably fall under Birthright or Unique for Alicorns) Other - Anything without a specific category. Examples: Plants like Poison Joke seem to have magical properties, but this can be attributed to unique chemical reactions (or another scientific approach) Alchemy similar to that practiced by Zecora can be Scientific, Magical, or even a combination Relics like the Elements of Harmony have obvious magical properties, but it unsure of their origins (enchanted by somepony else, natural product of the world, etc)