Snowshoe

So I guess this episode confirms magitech as canon.

As for thoughts:

- The brothers are awesome in a seedy way...pretty much until the end.

- Big Mac gets /a/ new line. Oh well. Making progress in small steps I suppose.

- Speaking of Big Mac, love his steampunk goggles.

- DAT END LETTER

- Is anyone else catching a distinct change from season 1, in a good way? Like, less focused on pure friendship lessons and more telling stories?

I want to ponify my laptop subtly...enough that a brony in the know would get it but others would just glance at it in a crowded lecture hall. Haven't found a good one yet.

Ollie watched again with interest, and a bit of jealousy, at Comet's ability. He did things that were just as cool, but ponies thought him to be a nuisance, not a sight. He looked over Comet's shoulder as she read the list. "Oh, wait, hey, I do recognize that one there at the bottom, too. My Mom uses that herb for medicine. There's a shop in town that sells it, we can get after the first one 'cause it's kinda far away." he said. He stepped back and stood on his skateboard, waiting for the little group to start going.

"Hey, Miss Zecora, what are you doing with all this stuff anyways? he asked. It seemed like a strange list of stuff for her to be looking for, unless she had a specific goal in mind for all of this stuff.

[sorry school has been crazy. I'll post, and then let Sky catch up after.]

Ollie smiled as the zebra proposed that he helped out. He did know the town, but he didn't know how easily he would be able to help her find what it was she was looking for her. He wasn't into flowers and all that after all.

"Sure! The market's just up the way. It's not that far. Come on, I'll show you! And you can come with us too, if you want." he added, looking at the filly that had been talking to Zecora earlier. He smiled.

"Come on! It'll be fun."

Fluttershy: Nintendogs, full stop.

Rarity: some kind of RPG perhaps? Not sure.

Dash: Forza 3/other racing games, or Crimson Skies.

AJ: Harvest Moon

Twilight: Some kind of RPG again, or a puzzle game. Professor Layton or Phoenix Wright maybe.

Pinkie: Wario Ware, full stop.

Near the stage, Dapper Dan was able to watch the little hushed argument between the members of the band, as one of the younger colts seemed to rile up his big sister who rushed off when the first number was done. He finished off his drink and slowly set it down on the table behind him, his horn glowing a soft red ochre colour as he set the glass down. Once that was over he adjusted his hat and glasses, once again using his magic and looked around.

He felt something rush past him and looked over. The white mare was back on stage once again, this time dressed a little more traditionally like some of the other mares around the dancefloor. He smiled a little, hearing a shout from the white mare. She seemed irritated for some reason, and it was clear to him her brother was enjoying the rise he was getting out of her. A little mean now, considering they both had to pay attention to the music they were playing for the other ponies. Dapper Dan let out a soft chuckle, looking around again. The Sherrif was dancing with someone, Braeburn was talking to a pair of mares (the lucky stallion), and he saw, a little ways away, Maximillian talking to a pair of large stallions he'd never seen around town before, ever. Feeling a little awkward, he hung around near the stage and refreshment table, sitting down on a bench near a table after a moment later.

Dan's eyes were drawn to the stage, specifically to the band. He recognized the youngest filly's instrument, and the mare's, but the colt's washtub bass was something he had never seen before. He was fascinated, in a word, and watched the band as they played.

[sorry I've taken so long to say anything but I was wondering if I should wait for Sky or not.]

I agree, I want to see why Mac wanted the doll earnestly. (Though it was a great gag that this love for it DIDNT come from the 'want it need it' spell) Though I get the feeling hte comic idea isnt even remotely possible because, atleast to me, the doll looks severely home-made... I think it's more perhaps a hint that Mac likes Twilight (there seem to be hints at possible canon shippings popping up like this, now, I wonder if the writers are sick of the mare+mare ships and are trying to nudge us in a different direction...)

I know the doll was a complete reference to us (an in show way of saying "Hi Bronies, we know you're out there, thanks for watching"). Here's the comic I was talking about, if you feel like wanting an explanation as to why Big Mac would want the doll. (Edit: In addition, that is one of the few fan comics I've read that actually made me smile/feel warm inside/etc. It's very d'aw worthy.)

The arrival of the new ponies, and the start of the hoedown had everyone busy. Without much going on, Dapper Dan walked about, past Willow Wisp and Caramel Bistro, heading to the refreshment table. He would meet some new ponies in a bit...for now, he was rather thirsty. At the table, he levitated up a glass of apple juice and took a sip, looking back at the assembled ponies. He wasn't sure who to go talk to for now, so he'd stay off to the side until people started to mingle a little more. He always had a chance to meet new people, living in the town.

The music was interesting. He actually found himself liking the music of this hoedown. The dancing, however, would take getting used to...he had never danced in his entire life, to be honest. Dan smiled. Nonetheless, he was loving this town.

[Hellish writer's block, but felt I needed to drop something in.]

I've noticed that many episodes are based off of "Don't judge a book by it's cover' (Zecora, RD's pet Tank, Nightmare night, Rarity with the Diamond Dogs, etc) and, although i believe its a very broad and powerful lesson for ANYONE to learn, and a lesson that everyone should be reminded of from time to time, i feel that it might be a bit overdone at this point, so i was thinking about what other lessons they should address...

I was thinking that death might be something that they might want to address, since even kids have to handle that situation at times, and if anyone could use some help or sympathy when it comes to losing a family member, it would be children. Although i can't think of a proper way for them to do it without upsetting kids or parents... maybe they could have something where Fluttershy loses a pet and she has to cope with the loss... I dunno exactly how they would do it, but i think it's something that would need to be addressed, just so if a child DOES lose someone, it might help ease the pain...

But, thats a more grim lesson... so i dunno how i feel about that for a kid, or for the MLP universe... hm...

Grim as it is, there is a precedent to it. When I was growing up (lol90schild), there was a TV show called Arthur that dealt with grim subjects like that, such as death of a pet, cancer, disabilities, religious differences, etc. And it did it in a great way, too, being one of the best cartoons from the 90s (that I can remember). It would take some creative writing, but I can guarantee Team Faust can pull it off. Personally, I wouldn't put it as a specific pet of Fluttershy's but more maybe a bird or something. Something like A Bird In the Hoof, but instead of wacky misunderstandings, Fluttershy finds an injured bird, attempts to nurse it back to health, but finds it dead later. The episode could revolve around her friends trying to help her cope about it. It's depressing to a degree, but a valuable lesson could be taught.

Actually one of the lessons I'd like to see in the show is actually going to be in the show! The lesson being that just because you like to read doesn't mean you're a "nerd".

But I'd also like to see an episode dealing with boys who like "girly" things or girls who like "boy" things.

These two are nice ideas. The first one is being done already (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/01/season-2-episode-16-read-it-and-weep.html#more), probably, as for the second part, I'd love to see a call back to the doll Big Mac took during Lesson Zero (I recall seeing a comic once that had Twilight talking to Big Mac about the doll, and letting him keep it after she heard the story, I just can't find it), just for the hell of it. Also because he needs MOAR LINES.

Personally? I would want to see lessons on loss in general. One of the Mane Six loses an important item to them (like maybe Rarity's ruby necklace she made from the gem Spike gave her), they go on a hunt for it, and then when all seems hopeless, the item shows up again. A kind of "Don't know what you have until it's gone" kind of thing. I can't think of anything else at the moment for good lessons, though.

Let Steve Carrel answer your question for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CPwOOK4nEM

I can see Rarity doing either golf, archery, or tennis, to be honest. The more rich people sports.

By biggest problem with the map (apart from Equestria now apparently having only 3 cities), is the distances. apparently, it is the same distance between Canterlot and the everfree forest, and cloudsdale is about twice the distance! oh, well.

I don't think it's only 3 cities. Note that not every map has every city in the world on it. Not only is it an old map, it's likely an old map of Ponyville + surroundings. I like our current map because we came up with things, but you're not going to see that much in an episode based around morals, and not adventures.

Oh hey, I just noticed. When Diamond Tiara proposes that Granny Smith should come for family appreciation day, she says, and I quote, "Applebloom's granny Smith". See that? Granny actually means just that. She's Applejack's and Applebloom's grandmother.

Before I get to my thoughts, I just want to say that Granny Smith apples are a type of apple, so are Macintosh apples. It's possible that given Granny Smith's age, being part of the first founders of Ponyville, Granny Smith is just her name, and she's not literally AJ and AB's grandmother, but more likely their great-grandmother perhaps. That's what I see it as being, and the voice actress for DT just misspoke (or in character didn't know the Apple family dynamic...assuming their parents are dead, perhaps the family just doesn't talk much about the family make up to avoid bringing up the subject?).

In any case, for the episode: floor, meet jaw. Jaw, meet floor. That history lesson was /amazing/, and this rates highly as one of my favourite episodes for the entire series. I'm LOVING the trend toward world building episodes...they're not required at all, really, given the style of the show (separate, self contained episodes), and it seems these are more geared both toward having good lessons for kids (work together and don't fight [Hearth Warming's Eve], never underestimate or be ashamed of your family members [Family Appreciation Day]), and toward the fandom: why else would they put in that much detail (like a map) and bother with writing a backstory to the world? I can't wait to see if they continue the trend: I would love to see an episode about the princesses and how they got to power (and more Luna, hell yeah), and maybe where Discord came into the picture.

Your dream episode would be nice, but you're forgetting one crucial fact

This show is mainly about "marketing" for the toys, so background ponies galore wouldn't work. I VERY much like the idea, but I hate that it couldn't be made.

Ssssh. There's a reason it's the dream episode xD

Having just had my first taste of Skyrim I understand how awesome it is. But I'm just curious as to how the Skyrim logo fits into the Mane RP...it's a dragon yeah, and dragons exist in the mane RP, but how did she get it? Why did she get a dragon-like cutie mark representing what it does? There are also other symbols that represent nobility, calmness, and time, so why this symbol combining all three? And also, if she studied to be a silversmith, why the Skyrim logo instead of something involving silversmithing or jewellery making? It's not a bad choice, just one that I'm curious about ^^

[Ah, alright.]

Ollie still felt a little bad for ignoring the zebra there. He looked her over, for he now knew, from her voice, that it was a her. He smiled a little as she spoke, her words seeming to rhyme at times, or at least flow like a song. It was interesting, the way she spoke. Like some high class chump from the fancy areas of Canterlot, Ollie mused. Except she clearly wasn't from around here.

"Nice to meet you, Zecora. I'm Ollie McTwist." he introduced himself as. "Best skater in Canterlot, hooves down." he added, not very modestly. While it was likely true, he could still learn a lesson in modesty every now and again. He smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen a real Zebra before. Do all Zebras talk like you? All fancy and kinda rhyme-y?" he asked, not trying to be rude, just intensely curious.

At being shown the list, he looked it over and shook his head. "Never heard of any of it." Ollie said, shrugging. "Sorry, Zecora."

Curious as ever, Ollie McTwist decided to follow. Who knew what the Zebra was up to? He didn't mean it in a mean sense, though...he had just never seen a zebra and was curious as to what one would be doing up here in Canterlot. He set his skateboard back down and kicked off, rolling along the sidewalk at a leisurely pace. He saw the Zebra go into a flower shop, and he sighed. Well, that was boring. What could anyone want with flowers? Maybe it was for their husband...or wife. He couldn't quite tell at a distance what gender the zebra was. He skated over to a nearby cafe and sat down with his board to relax for a bit. He'd just got his drink, some water, when there was another interested gaze from the crowd, this time straight up. Ollie looked up and his eyes widened in amazement as a light blue pegasus streaked toward the ground with a fiery trail and sparks.

Ollie didn't even notice the zebra come out nor the filly talk to it. He was interested as to how a pegasus could even do that...he'd seen pegasi fly before, but never trailing fire! He quickly put a few bits for his water, downed it, and got on his skateboard, rolling over to the zebra and the filly. "That was awesome! How'd you do those spark things?" he asked excitedly, a wide smile on his face. "I wish I could have a trail of fire like that, it was rad!" he said. Shortly after he realized there was a figure next to him, the zebra. He looked up and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, hey. Sorry for interrupting." he apologized.

[Edit: Sorry, I didn't see a PM for invite thing when I first made my post. Should I delete and back out?]

I have read, individually, the three LoTR books, and the Hobbit.

Time and time again, I find myself loving the Hobbit more.

Ollie McTwist was alone for today, his two friends off doing their own things. Still, he was going to practice his boarding, he always did. He didn't want to get out of practice, after all. Today he was spending the day in Canterlot, and would spend the night at his friend's house so he could get the most out of a few days of boarding around. The red coated colt sped through down, holding expert balance on his skateboard. The rattle of the wheels occasionally were punctuated by a clop from his foot coming down to give him a push.

Ollie came up in a jump, kickflipping over a low fence-like barrier from the sidewalk to the main road where a few rickshaw-style taxis ran past. He got up behind one and caught hold of the bumper, keeping out of sight of the couple inside and the driver who trotted along the road. After gaining momentum he let go of the carriage and veered down a street, one of the bigger shopping streets in Canterlot. He rolled down the hill for a while, enjoying the breeze that whipped through his bright mane.

After a few moments of skateboarding, something caught Ollie's attention...usually all eyes were on him, some of the looks awed at his tricks, others disproving of him disrupting the peace. He didn't care...he loved skateboarding, and they could deal with it. He never hurt anyone, or caused too much mayhem after all. No, today all eyes were on something else...ponies were whispering, staring, moving out of the way. He quickly turned his skateboard sideways to stop, seeing a zebra walking down the street. That was incredible for Ollie...he'd never seen a real Zebra before! He smiled and wondered if he should go talk to her...he was curious after all, being as young as he was, especially about things he didn't know.

Muggo' Ale, brewmaster!

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Bowsprit, captain and tour guide

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Dapper Dan, barber

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Timbre Swing, musician

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Rain Maker, adventurer

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This is a very simple forum game that I've played before, and find it kinda funny. Just follow the steps, and come up with your very best CD cover!

1 – Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random”

or click http://en.wikipedia..../Special:Random

The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 – Go to “Random quotations”

or click http://www.quotation...com/random.php3

The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 – Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”

or click http://www.flickr.co...teresting/7days

Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 – Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

Here's an example of mine.

Used: Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done. - Elizabeth B. Browning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T2

http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

I'm not a good artist xD

I don't have a Rainbow Dash one, but I was wishing my current one:

Was Rainbow Dash. Nothing against Octavia, just prefer RD ^^

Thanks for the suggestions. Updated to answer some of those questions. I'm worried that I have a bit much in the character background. Comparing to other approved and in-progress applications, though, I seem to be on par. Anypony care to offer an opinion on that?

Background is subjective, IMO. I'm a fan of holding back except for the most important bits (basic information, cutie mark story, where he's from, who his parents are and if they're still alive, what he does, etc) to give my character an air of real life mystery...you don't always know everything about someone, after all. I keep it to something that would be "general knowledge", and let secrets and other little things come about as time goes on and ponies get to know my characters. Others find it best to write down everything they can think of so as to not forget anything. It's totally up to you, so long as it contains enough information to get to know the character.

That's okay, just was curious that's all. Also, what's the Latin term for lawyer, out of curiosity?