Jump to content
Guidelines

Philosophy Pony

User
 View Profile  See their content

  • Posts

    174

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Philosophy Pony

  1. Philosophy Pony
    I read a few articles online, as well as hearing from some parents, that claim that today's adolescents are descending into a void of decaying intelligence. That "Kids are lacking literacy skills and well rounded comprehension for varying fields of knowledge". But is that really the case? If so, this is something that we should all worry about, since children are the future, and blah blah blah blah.
     
    But we do put a lot of money into education. And we have also have come to some conclusions that point to flaws in these systems, regardless of how much money we put forward. But from my own perspective, I think we are looking at this all wrong.
     
    Now as ironic as it can be, I do not seem at all up to the task of discussing this, as I am slightly drunk and sad. But everything on my mind now should be typed out before it get's lost in the pit of my own memories. But either way, I will attempt to make my comments quick and hopefully give some perspective. But please please please try to argue against my points, so that clarification can be a priority.
     
    Any who, back to the topic at hand. We can all safely agree that the age we live in now is the age of information. The aforementioned claim of intellectual decay seems to stem from the "distractions" of the modern world, such as smartphones, tablets, and faster processing desktops and computers and what have you. But are they really distractions? Well it all depends on there usage.
     
    Thanks to the internet, we can access so much more knowledge about the world then ever before. But some of this knowledge is what we can call "junk info" and other knowledge "valuable info".
     
    Junk info could be something like
     
    "Justin Bieber Apologizes to Former President Bill Clinton After Cursing Him"
     
     
    And Valuable info could be something like
     
    "Inter species Transplant Works in First Step for New Diabetes Therapy"
     
     
     
    And that's just news. We can also consider social information as relatively junk information because it has little to do with the real world and only effect small numbers of individuals. Other valuable information could come in the form of studies and observations already done before hand and can provide countless amounts of people with the same objective facts.
     
    What we need to do, and I'm not talking about educators or parents/ guardians or anyone like that, what we the adolescents need to do, is orient our "distraction" tools like our phones and desktops and turn them into "Valuable information" tools. Programs like Garageband and iTunes University, educational apps and software, brain training software, puzzle games like Sudoku reading snipits of e books, and so many other things can be tried out to further understand the world and perfect mental efficiency. Being in the age of information, we can choose to be smart, successful people, or we can just forget about it and spend the rest of out lives wondering where it all went wrong.
     
    So are kids getting dumber? the answer is no. They are getting smarter, just having a little trouble accessing the proper information.
     
     
     
     
    *the title is suppose to be that way. It's my kind of stupid humor aha
  2. Philosophy Pony
    Hello there anypony who's reading this!
    The busy semester is almost done, and I have a lot of writing to post. It's all on paper now, but i'll transfer all of my stuff to my computer soon. I need to make pdf copies and post some here on the blog. So far i've covered ponyism, started equine psychology, and the actual Fluttershy philosophy article will be posted too. It's been ages since I mentioned it but I didn't come on the forums as much. I've restricted my social opportunities to Twitter and Skype. But I'm gonna attempt to use this, and pony square more then usual (I just got pony square though, so it's fairly blank).
     
    I'm still trying to find a place to put some fan fics, and my papers entitled 'Equine Physical/Social Sciences'. Basically there fan fics I write that speculate how the physical and social world of the ponies in Equestria are frame worked. Instead of being a narrative or something similar, there scientific journals documenting observations made via watching the show. I guess you can say there 'non fiction fiction' (don't sass me, I'm tired and can't type anything clever).
     
    I hope to be on the forums more often now, because as mentioned, the semesters almost over. So please come back here in the future and learn about Equine sociology, psychology, biology, physics, astronomy and metaphysics. Anypony else who wants to contribute in any fields of Equine study, please message me. This is so fun, I love doing this kinda stuff ^.^ I've also met some really smart ponies on the internet who enjoy the same kinda stuff
     
    ~Leaf
  3. Philosophy Pony
    Hey there everypony *yawn*.
     
    So I'm just gonna write about whatever popes into my head. I didn't do any writing like I wanted to because I turned off my computer and everything else today. My hippie friends came over for the night and left a little while ago. We turned off all the electronics for a few hours. I am pretty sure it's not earth day but we wanted to see how much fun we could have without electronics. That eventually led us to go outside and loiter at my old middle school.
     
    Ahh I sort of miss middle school. Would I do it again with all of the knowledge I have now? Yes, duh what kind of question is that? Aha.
     
    I guess I kinda hated myself when I was a kid. I don't hate kids in general, but I was particularly a brat. My maturity came way to early though. You wouldn't think so if you see me around my friends but I am actually a very serious pony. I like to contemplate about the universe as hard as I can, to the very essence of existence. I have since grade 8 or freshman year, I can't quite remember. But once my deep curiosity about my own existence happened, I never looked at anything the same way again.
     
    I sometimes get asked, what are some core concepts that have really shook my understanding of the world. here are a few:
     
    The brain in a vat thought experiment and the concept behind the matrix movies. That's a wicked problem, trying to prove what is real or not, when looking at it from that perspective.
     
    I never really got Plato's cave allegory, I mean I understand it but it didn't really blow my mind like some of the things discussed in his dialogues
     
    Sartre's work and the whole existence precedes essence stuff is amazing. I get slack from some of my philosophy nerd friends who say that his work was based on Heidegger who was a Nazi so I shouldn't like it all that much, but they keep forgetting about his book 'existentialism is a humanism'. It's taking his ideas in a whole new approach. Same goes for Nietzsche ,his philosophy's teach you to think for yourself, not conform and become a Nazi. That's just ridiculous.
     
    I would try to understand Kant but I need more time on my hands to do so, like a month or two. I haven't read anything from him, books, essays, zip. Something I want to fix, because one of the next articles I want to write has to do with morality and truth.
    Descartes has a lot of things to think about as well. Without him the world would be a lot different, that's for sure. But I hav't read anything including him either.
     
    A book I'm gonna start tonight or tomorrow is Henry Thoreau's 'Walden, and other writings' and that includes 'Civil disobedience'. So excited, even though it sort of counters my existentialist views.
     
    Actually no, I don't want to call my self an existentialist. Or label myself anyway. I do existentialist thinking, but I don't want to quickly attach myself to a system or put myself into a group.
     
    Well that's my random blabber since I didn't post anything. Wish I didn't have school Monday I'm loving the sleeping in opportunities .
     
    ~Leaf
  4. Philosophy Pony
    Hey pony peoples, great to be back from my short hiatus. My computer was kinda messed up for a bit there, but were back on track!
     
    So today I want to do something different and start a whole new article. It wasn't planned but whatever, Can't plan anything 100%.
     
    Now anyway, what were gonna look at today is the thinking pony. How is the thought process of ponies in the MLP universe distinct in pony nature? well there are a few key facts that we have to observe. Firstly, that ponies in the MLP universe appear to be totally conscious and can even convey speech and tone. Abstract ideas can be represented and created in the physical universe, just like humans. But they are not the only beings in the universe that can do this. Dragons, Sea Monsters, and more have shown this characteristic as well.
     
    But the way pony's take in information would be different than a Dragon. Most of the ponies in Ponyville seems to have a better moral status compared to dragons. Dragons steal eggs and threaten certain creatures with there fire and smoke. The pony's act in a more civilized manor for the most part, and convey the innocence of being ponies relative to dragons. That ones a no brainier But what specifically can we correlate to the higher morality of ponies? We can't just stay with the conclusion that "Oh well there ponies, of course they would be more moral then something like a dragon".
     
    There are environmental and nurturing factors that give us the essence of pony morality. As we have seen with Spike, he was not as abhorrent as the other dragons he met while trying to find out who he really was as a dragon. But spikes up bringing overcame nature in the nature v. nurture outlook. He was raised not to be greedy, which is why he remains a small dragon. The overwhelming greed makes dragons mature. How spike was raised countered that biological response.
     
    Kay that's all I got for today. What I plan to do is keep working on this concept more and more while I blog. So I'm not done here, thank god. That would have been a crappy ending eh? lol.
     
    I'm just rushing because I wanna talk to some pony's I miss a lot today and I wanna fit some reading in my schedule. I feel empty when I don't read enough.
     
    Want to expand on what I've already got? PM me and we will discuss it further. This is kind of a prequel to Ponyism. Have a good evening guys! I'm back online!
     
     
    ~Leaf
  5. Philosophy Pony

    A Lonely Pony

    By Philosophy Pony,

    This weekend I have witnessed something that I feel has lost it's touch. I witnessed love, rekindled relationships and devastating breakups.
    Now I'm not much for discussing relationship matters. I have only went on one real date that changed the fabric of my being. Her name was Nicole and we went out for 2 years. I thought she was great, until she cheated on me for some Football player in Santa Monica. I guess I was too sensitive.
    Since then I've had countless relationships, all without that spark that me and Nikki had. And it's just occurred to me that I don't enjoy it.
     
    Being single is fine with me, but now it's come to me just being lonely I don't like anyone either!
    I live in a small hockey community, and have never met a girl here that's right for me. It usually goes down like this.
    Girl:Hey wanna go out sometime?
    Me:Sure
     
    few months pass
     
    Girl:Were breaking up!
    Me:Oh, I understand, sounds good
    Girl: Wha?
    Other girl: Hey wanna go out sometime
    Me:Sure
     
    and it goes on and on. It's despicable!
     
    By the way, from that story, it sounds like I see women as object. I don't I just have commitment issues, I can't sit still. I've never cheated and don't plan on it. I just can't say no! Well I have a few times for superficial reasons, but I've never whole heatedly rejected someone.
    And there was one instance where this one girl who I totally despise for being a homophobe asked me out (I think). I just gave her false hope because I would NEVER date someone that hates people like that. She hates me now, and I'm fine with that, I hope she never talks to me again unless she changed her hateful ways.
     
    But i'm rambling now! To get back on topic...
     
    I'm gonna look for a special somepony soon, once I get my head out of all the clutter that is my office space. SO MUCH WORK AHH!
    I'm tired of being so lonely, I mean I can talk to anypony about anything, but that special somepony...I don't know it's just different!
     
    So before I was gonna do this quick write up article, I was asked by my friend "What would your special somepony be like" and I told her:
    -She has to exist (seems like a good start)
    -She should be sort of a geeky smart cookie
    -She could be into games, or maybe she writes music
    -If she writes at all, ESPECIALLY POETRY, then she's already near perfect
    -She might be a tad shy,like I am. I like shy people because I can relate and they don't talk so much
    -Has a passion for art or the environment.
     
    But to be realistic, if she is a good listener, then I don't care what she's like at all, I will treat her right lmao :3
     
    I'm not picky, people do have basic interests, but at the point I'm at it would be a freak'in fluke of nature, a glitch in the matrix if you will, if I rejected the first pony that has an interest in me.
     
    So on that note, I wanna share a quicky poem, Then I'm off to go watch an episode of MLP, read a little, and go to bed. Good Night Ponies! This poems from my collection.
     
     
    'So here I sit, on a rock in the middle of the river.
    I wish she would come back
    I miss her
    The red in her mane, the way she laughed
    The scent of mint everytime she walked by
    And the tiny Mint/clover cutie mark that makes her
    perfect.
     
    She flew up the river about a week ago.
    She told me she will be back when the time is right.
    Its been 3 weeks now, and I haven't moved off this rock
    I will die out here
    Die knowing that my heart will ache forever anyway.'
     
    Love Writing "Are these flowers for me?"
    The Pegasus From the North ~ "A Day for Sleeping under the Clouds: A Pegasus and her tall tails of wonder" (2012-13)
  6. Philosophy Pony
    Today was another good day for me
     
    The blogs entry's will be coming in suuuper slow on the count of a huge ton of studying that I have to implement in my daily routine. Does anyone know a lot about ancient history? Specifically the classical era of Greece ?
    Ponyism is still driving me mad. I keep adding new components too it, i'ts running me ragid! It should be a doozie when it finally comes out. It, so far, blends the ideas of Humanitarianism, Existentialism, Environmentalism (the fluttershy philosophy) and elements of psychology and a new concept called "Pony understanding". Really getting deep in thought here guys. But remember, its all just fun speculation to keep you thinking. Obviously none of what I say is true to the show and it's characters, well not the creators intentions anyway. Let your imagination come out of its shell for once!
     
    And I am really looking into going to BronyCon this year! I love meeting bronys online, but IN PERSON!?! That's just amazing! Plus all the cool merch I can buy, and the awesome music that will be there...aaahhh it's gonna be awesome!
     
    Speaking of meeting new bronys, please please please, if your a brony who wants more friends on the interwebs PM me,especially if your a philoso-pony! I love sharing ideas and creating things with other people, or just talking about whatever. I might start a new thingy, maybe a thread I guess, i don't know. But anyway, new thingy, right! (sliding off topic,as usual). I wanna start a help section where people can come to me with there problems and i'll try to help them out or see the problem in a new way. I love the joy that comes from helping someone in need, makes me a happy pony
     
    A topic will be posted tomorrow for the 'Fluttershy Nature Fan Club'. The name speaks for itself. If you love this big blue flying dot in space that we humans call earth, then you should read the thread and see what all the hub bubs about. I'ts gonna be everything nature, and everything Fluttershy! All the eco-pony's can come and join in on the fun! So far the only (founding) members are ma new brony bud Happy Plant (Hah, gave you a shout out !! ) and I. More will be looked at with this idea, so stick around internet people, cus this clubs gonna be pumpin!...whatever that means.
     
     
    A new OC was posted by me. It's a crappy MS paint pony called Cosmic Ray. Not my worst pony sketch I did on my computer, but once I get a new job (Lay offs pfft) I wanna get a tablet that's better for drawing with. Or just a better computer with better photo-editing and drawing software. I really wanna start fan fics and role playing, but I got a whole lot going on right now. Future me will worry about it.
     
    I know I already gave a quick shpeal about it but BronyCon guys! BRONYCON! I am super siked that I might go! The onlything that will suck is the 8hr drive out to Baltimare, but what the hay, it's worth it! I wanna meet tons of new brony friends from the good ol' US and even meet artists and musicians and writters...Oh My!
     
    If you'r attending bronycon this year, PM me and we can schedule a meet up for the dates of the convention. Also, not to sound like a giant loser here on the forums but...maybe i'll meet a special somepony there .That would be truly amazing! I am not an in the closet brony, but when i'm in a relationship, ponies and unicorns and such do not come to mind quickly for discussion. I let that kind of thing ease in, because girls like, well, manly men. I hit the gym and do things girls find attractive, but i'm retty freak'in feminine. I don't see why I should fall prey to gender stereotypes "Me big stong man! Look at abs pretty lady" ugh . If it's the manly man women want, then I guess I will always be single. I'm not worried, I'm only 17 after all I have a whole huge chunk of life to spend on finding the right mate. But it would still be nice..no not nice, AWESOME, if I ever meet a girl that was in to mlp...thats my age of course lmao. Dating a girl into mlp would be more then perfect, it almost seems like asking for too much.
     
    This is a long article just rambling, but ohwell! I can't sleep, for some strange reason I thought it would be wise to drink an extra large tripple tripple from tim hortons at 12:30 AM. I'm wired!
     
    But I feel a slight tiredness setting in, so i will sign off soon. I am just in a great mood, with bronycon and all. I know,I know, that's waay in august, but I don't care! I'll be siked till the day comes :3 I'm more excited for that then I am for my birthday! Like I said 100 thousand times already I love meeting new people! If you went to my school or work, you would think I'm anti-social. But in reality, I shut myself off from people that are negative and, well, essentially real life trolls. I don't respond with disgust or anger, just a nonchalant sort of content expression, to show that I really don't care.
     
    Since I've entered the brony communities I learned that everypony, and I mean everypony so far, is extremely nice! There's no one I know that's a brony who I would have issues with! Heck, I even post and tweet a lot of hard core atheist things and I'm still friends with a lot of religious bronys! Before being a brony, I WAS an in the closet atheist. Where I live, there's a lot of religious folk who don't take it kindly to question there beliefs. But the brony's are soo smart! I can have a long rational discussion on religion without anypony flipping a table! Coming from horrible past experiences with my religious journey, the brony community has welcomed me, and I love it!
     
    So I guess I'm done here. I'll see everypony tomorrow, and Happy Plant and I will get on making a topic to post for you awesome pony's.
     
    Good night!!
    ~FluttershyForPeace
     
     
    This is me in 5mins
  7. Philosophy Pony
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=221mohEolWc
     
    This music has always brought a smile to my face, and a sense of warmth in my heart. Just listen to that majestic voice! And those guitar skills, makes my guitar playing look like I'm a one armed monkey with Parkinsons.
    I would'nt even be into the kind of music I'm into if it wasn't for this talented guy. He is my sole musical inspiration,first to Chopin, Garcia, Cobain, Lennon...(long list,hehe). And his music is highly equivocal, and can suit any kind of emotion being felt. If I'm sad, I'll listen to Young. If I'm happy, i'll listen to young.
    He's such a great artist, and probably the best one to come out of Canada Bieber should be ashamed, he shouldn't even be called an artist in any respect, he doesn't even write his own crappy songs! But whatever, this isn't an attacking Bieber article, I just hate the fact that people actually think he's an artist.
    Now you want real art, that makes you cry, laugh, smile, and the list goes on, listen to the song above.
     
    This song is my second favorite too. Both songs that endlessly play on my iPod-------------------------------------------->
    Oh and this one too! hah!--->http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=Q7jeb_D08XA&NR=1
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
  8. Philosophy Pony
    You have a sense of self, right? That question sounds absurd I'm sure, but in reality, it is something that can just, come and go. We all have a personality or ego that shapes us. Our interests, opinions, and disgusts make up the base of what we would call "Each other". But what's the one thing that anchors us down to reality?
    When trying to choose which one friend to spend time with, Pinkie Pie uses a magic mirror pond to make different copies of herself. As we find out, that doesn't go so well for her, and she faces an identity crisis. So how exactly did they find the real Pinkie again?

    In the episode "Too Many Pinkie Pies", Pinkie goes into the Everfree Forest remembering the
    story her Nana Pinkie told her. She accidentally falls down a hole in what fortunately was an underground chamber housing the Mirror Pool. Pinkie walks to the pool, looks over the water at her reflection, and then recites the chant to activate it, while stepping through the pool's surface. As she comes up, it's shown to not actually be her climbing out, but her own reflection having been turned into a clone. Pinkie informs her new hyperactive clone who Applejack is and informers her about the fun that is to be had at the farm. As they leave the Everfree Forest, Pinkie tells also her clone that they should meet up latter so she can tell her all about the fun.  

    So how can we tell between the two pinkies, which one is the real Pinkie? Well, two distinct facts are brought to our attention when Pinkie first interacts with her clone. Firstly, the clone seems extremely hyper, more hyper then the usual Pinkie. And following that, Pinkie had to informed her clone about Ponyville and who her friends were. This entails that the clone has no prior memory of the events that have occurred in the real Pinkies past. Her clone could represent the philosophical definition of a "Zombie", were these pony's are solely based on one function of reality that would not be extremely apparent, hadn't there be so many pinkie pies. These Pinkie zombies only seem to respond to fun and nothing more.

    Later on in the episode,Twilight explains to a mob that she will come up with a solution, and to calm down. Twilight says to hold on while she tries to figure everything about, rushing back inside with Spike. While they search the shelves for an answer, Spike finds a horseshoe embedded into the back of a bookshelf. He presses it and the back slides upward, revealing a dusty old book. Twilight checks out the book and learns about a spell that can send all the clones back. The only risk is that if they can't identify the real Pinkie Pie, they could send her into the lake by mistake, as the spell cannot tell the difference between a cloned pony and a real one. So now the dilemma is apparent in the show, and it is extremely necessary to try and find the real Pinkie. So how do they accomplish this?

    Twilight and Spike find a depressed Pinkie outside of the cafe. Twilight postulates that she can't be the real one because Pinkie Pie "has never sat that long in one place her entire life". As they walk away, Pinkie suggests a test to find the real Pinkie by making them do something that isn't fun at all. The Pinkie that wants to stay badly enough to make it to the end of the challenge is the real Pinkie. Twilight decides that it's a good plan, and put's it into fruition. Pinkie is initially relaxed, knowing that the problem can be fixed, but soon worries that she won't pass the test and will have to leave her friends forever.  
    Pinkie suffers from an identity crisis. Identity crisis, according to the psychologist Erik Erikson, is the failure to obtain an ego identity. Although Erikson used this in the context of the adolescent psychology, Pinkie Pie does have a very agile and hyperactive awareness. Her prone hyperactivity, along with the dilemma at hand, is the most likely cause of her feeling this way. So even the real Pinkie doubts her own realness, which is a conflict that Pinkies challenge hopefully helps dictate who the real pinkie is.
     
     

    After a while, Twilight finds Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity hiding out with the woodland creatures until the "Pinkie storm" dies down.
    Twilight comes up with the idea to make the clones quiet down in rows and watch paint dry, freshly prepared by Rarity and Fluttershy on a backdrop. So the real Pinkie would be the only one with the will to sit there long enough so she can stay with her friends. This shows us that her longstanding memory of her past is the golden key, it's what motivates her to sit it out. The plethora of ponies anxiously lean forward, eyes centered on the drying paint. As time goes on, the attention span of the clones begins to breakdown. A clone in the front row looks out of a window and says, "Oh, hey, look it's a birdie!" Twilight then zaps her with a beam of magic, vanishing her back into the pool.
    Unable to withstand the test, more clones start getting distracted; Twilight zaps more and more clones that loses concentration. One of the remaining clones says, "Betcha can't make a face crazier than this!", then vigorously rubs her face and changes her appearance to that of a Gen 3 Pinkie Pie, which I think is one of the best references that is made in the show, for obvious reasons.

    Twilight continues to eliminate copies until only two ponies are left. Rainbow Dash loses her patience and distracts the final clone by suddenly saying that she can see somepony making balloon animals. The distracted Pinkie is sent back to the lake, leaving only a single, concentrated Pinkie Pie who is still staring at the backdrop. It seems that we are left with the real Pinkie. She went through a grueling time span of staring, but her will to stay made her tough it out. Pinkie then writes to Princess Celestia in her bedroom. Having learned that she sometimes has to choose which of her friends she'll spend time with and that even if she can't spend time with one friend, they'll always have more opportunities to spend time together in the future. She has to make time that is optimal for her usage, and no more.
    The response from Pinkies environment that gets used up by her sensory organs gets formulated into memories by her brain. Only events recorded by Pinkies original memory can be in the original pinkie pies memory. Things like knowledge and understanding are abstract concepts that social creatures like us can manipulate into communication. True knowledge isn't really called knowledge so to say. The word knowledge in Latin is Conscientia, or consciousnesses, and this means that without consciousness the definition of knowledge, and the word, and every associated concept cannot exist.
     

    Pinkie and her collective knowledge and understanding is distinct among other organisms. We already know that Pinkies clones do not have the same memories or feelings that the real Pinkie does. So is that to say that our memories constitute what we, ourselves really are?
    But what about Pinkies temporary identity crisis? Can we conclude from that, that Pinkies personality, and our own personalities, come from our distinct neurological wiring? This really is a valid view point, but i think that, in conclusion, our selves don't rely on one basic principle. As we learn from pinkie, what we experience from the environment constitutes what is us, and other things like birth, genetic characteristics and the influences via peers later on in life. Our interest and personalities derive from the actual existence of things. Our egos could be explained as a reflection looking upon itself.
     
    Now here is a poem from my collection that I thought would go great with this article!
     
    'The sun shines hard today
    harder then it has to.
    But why spare any filly
    who wont work out in the sun? You gotta have backbone to be out here
    Guts, integrity, and a compassion to hold on to who you are.
    I'm not talking about the filly who listens to music and reads the books
    I'm talking about the filly who listens to her heart and
    trust her instincts. There comes a point in a pony's life
    where nopony else is listening except for you.'
     
    Basic Writing "For whom do these bells ring for?"
    The Earth Pony~ "A Day for Sleeping under the Clouds: A Pegasus and her tall tails of wonder" (2012-13)
  9. Philosophy Pony
    So I was at my local chapters book store today,and something happened that surprisingly has happened to me more then once. In fact, I would say this has to be the 7th or 8th time this has happened to me.
     
    So, if you know anything about me, where will you find me in a bookstore?
    Either in the philosophy/psychology section or the science section (witch, as funny as it is, is right next to all of the pseudoscience bull-spit) of the store. Enjoying all of the wondrous literature, in my mind, a montage is happening. If you can picture this, a Kaleidoscopic of Carl Sagan, Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, Daniel H Dennett, Daniel kahneman, Richard Dawkins, Steven hawking etc... and the song 'she has funny cars' by Jefferson Airplane playing in the background. When all of a sudden, the montage stops by a record scratch....
     
    What is this metaphorical DJ doing stopping this comedic scene playing in my twisted mind? It's no other...then a fundamentalist...oh boy, here we go....
     
    Now, before I get a ton of negative comments from the pony's I love, let me give a little Forewarning. This article is targeted at pony's who literally don't know why people would be/are atheists. In no way am I attacking anypony's religion, because that's not really going to shine atheism in the light i want it in.
     
    So anyway, back to the book store. I picked up Jean-Paul Sartre's 'Being and Nothingness'(By the way, get ready for an article on this book. So far it's amazing) and flipped through the table of contents. All of a sudden, a voice broke my concentration.
    "What'cha holden there?" said a lady, I want to estimate in her early 40's. She smelt of cigarettes and over powering perfume that I detected before I turned around. The voice was in close proximity, so I gave my attention, because usually I ignore the rest of the world, but this woman was clearly talking to me.
    "Oh, its a book on existentialism" I answered "Sartre was an amazing post war era thinker, have you read anything of his?"
     
    In her defense, I should have took a different approach since my response was negate of sincerity . I mostly asked her because I knew the answer would be no, but what's done is done. She gave an honest anwser
    "Oh heavens no, I wouldn't read anything in this section of the store"
    Well why in the world are you over here then you goon! Was a real thought of mine, but my lovely frontal lobes saved me from saying anything stupid, as always. I was just having a gruelingly slow day and the traffic going to the city was nasty. But aside from my internal negativity, I just grumbled and said "oh" as too leave the context of her conversation I returned to my book, when she added that "These books are for dirty immoral atheists"
    Now that was just uncalled for! Keep in mind I really wish this wasn't verbatim but how dare I lie to my blog readers? I felt insulted, and even questioned if I should. So i retorted with
    "Ma'am, there's nothing wrong with atheists, its all different sides of the same religious coin". In retrospective, I should have said something else because it sounded like I was implying that atheism is a religion. That's a popular misconception, it's like off off was a T.V channel.
     
    But I digress, our fundie replied with "Oh you must be one of em then eh?"
     
    One of them eh? There's no better way to express discrimination is there?
     
    "Loud and proud ma'am" was the only thing I could say that didn't start a verbal fight.
    Finally, our fundie friend just pouted and walked away. I think I handled the situation fine, in a peaceful manner, but what I really wanted to say would have made atheists look no more moral than I try to make them out to be.
     
    So, with that little story in your skull, lets discus the topic subject. Why atheism?
    I've heard that people question atheism because of the apparent "lack of moral principles". In essence, if your a theist (one who believes in a deity) then your moral views come from your religion. For a religious person, another person who does not share there view of religion, or no religion at all, is void of morals. And I can vouch for that thought process, since I used to believe in god, heavily.
     
    But how true is that line of reasoning? I mean is religion the only thing that can grant morals to a person?
     
    I doubt it, and here's why.
    Religion, for comparative reasons, is like magic. In that context, for all you religious pony's out there, I'm not trying to conclude that "religion is fake", because that would be a false statement. Religions are real social entity's that exist as abstract concepts of thought, and there ideals are real, but more on that latter.
    Religion and magic have a lot in common when it comes to the people who are attracted to them. Now I assume (and hope) that most people, excluding children of course, that go to watch a magic show know that the magic isn't real magic. These are common muggles who are willing to pay $20 or whatever to view spectacular feats of illusion. But the fun part of magic is the "How'd he do that!" factor. Religion has the same factor, relating to morality and creation.
    Now the key to magic is not to reveal the secret. Religion, even though it is counter intuitive, has the same attitude towards morality and creation. The circular biblical logic sets in and your running around telling people god is real because the bible says so because god wrote it because hes real because the bible says so, ad infinitum. So to avoid that, most religious people get the same reaction for, when example, and explanation for evolution is given. Its like a "Oh! Don't tell me that! I want to be under the illusion, if you tell me how the trick is done, I will never feel the same spectacle again".
    And this reaction is key. Religious people believe that atheists, who are void of god, know how the trick is done and don't "feel the spectacle" of the illusion of morality. But the fact of the matter is, you can be moral and an atheist.
     
    Before I explain, let me raise a question. So, religion is what gives someone there morals. Okay, but people who don't follow religion automatically fall under Thomas Hobbes state of nature, where all morals are flushed down the drain? So you'r saying that, if you spontaneously lost faith for whatever reason, you would start killing, raping, and pillaging?
     
    After you have thought about that, lets see what morals are. To be morally good, in a nutshell, is not not cause harm or discomfort you yourself and others, and to promote a sense of peace and well being. Now, if your an atheist reading this, you might think that I will reason that morals are a social Darwinian tool for the process of gene propagation, but I wont. I've learned that morals consist of more then that, and science shouldn't be so lazy as to always just explain everything in human nature as "oh! Darwinism ". What a cheep shot.
     
    Morality does stem from our biological origins, but let's take a different perspective. The concept of the self and the ego, we see as separate from the external reality of our body's. Our consciousnesses you can say, is an abstract theme that exists in the midst of our world, and physical things, like rocks, exist in the world itself. Morals are exactly the same, but whats different is that the concept of morals come from the existence of consciousness. Without the internal voices of our thought processes, morality wouldn't exist, and we would be in Hobbes state of nature.
     
    So morals are pretty handy. Being altruistic and peaceful benefits everybody, to certain extents of course. If I saved you from drowning, but I have asthma, then the benefits are mostly in your favor But if i get recognition for saving a life, that's a social benefit I get (or physical, like a cash reward, etc). That's essentially what morals are, "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine".
     
    But we don't just practice morals so we can get recognition, or we shouldn't anyway. Actually holding morals, like the common ones found in the old testament, should be a no brainier. The people who murder are most likely psychologically disturbed or feel that they are in a life or death situation. But self defense only goes so far, its still immoral to kill in any instance. No matter how you slice it(pun sort of intended).
     
    The expression "treat others as you would want to be treated" is a pretty good explanation for morals too. When you break your finger, your likely reaction is "OW, FU*K THAT HURT!". So if you can mentally simulate that pain, either if you have broken a figure in the past or not, if you are moral you would not want to express that sort of pain on another person. You don't even have to put too much thought on that. But when your infuriated, you might say something like "God I just wanna break that kids figure!".
     
    So our emotions have huge impacts on morals too. But,staying on the whole "no religion=no morals" argument, is it really logical to conclude that,even though we are all mostly inclined to be moral without trying, religion is still the ultimate definition of morality?
     
    Atheists are very moral, not all, but most. Everyone is different, Hitler was in fact a Christian, And Carl Sagan was an atheist. I hear more fundies say that Carl Sagan was evil, versus Hitler (not in comparison, just in general). I would say that Carl Sagan was extremely moral compared to Hitler though, no duh! He was one sick pony!
     
    So, sorry for the scatterbrained typing here, this article wasn't planned out or anything, I just thought i'd share my experience and thoughts. If this article isn't concise, I can elaborate further. But for the most part,in conclusion, Morals exist in human culture, religion or no religion. Its a totally separate social entity from religion, even though they can be related in the subject matter of personal beliefs.
     
    And ONE MORE TIME I'm not trashing on religion, just trying to inform the curious. I have a lot of religious friends who could give less of a crap what I say about religion because there not crazy fundies, but they love Jesus so whatever. I don't care what you believe whatever floats your boat. As long as there peace involved, always and forever.
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
     
     
    Got a question that you think is too touchy a subject? Well PM me and I will give my honest opinion and analysis. Keep in mind though that anything too controversial or offensive will not be posted. Peace and love guys, peace and love!
  10. Philosophy Pony
    I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
    And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
    Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
    And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
     
    And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes
    dropping slow,
    Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
    There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
    And evening full of the linnet's wings.
     
    I will arise and go now, for always night and day
    I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
    While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey'
    I hear it in the deep heart's core.
    ~William Butler Yeats
     
    This purely calm piece by William Butler Yeats has to be my favorite poem out of his book of poems "The Rose"(1893). The flow and rhythmic hexameters are the prize here, really letting go of the hellishly tight grip of the pragmatic reality that is perceiving literature. Usually when something is written in a form like this, we can abstractly create our own meanings that are relevant to our lives, for example, the last lines, "I hear it in the deep heart's core" and "While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,". To me, the pavement and roadway are the separation between the truth of the deep heart's core, and only can be heard, but not felt, in the heart's core itself.
     
    The implication that the truth keep too the “deep heart’s core” it is essential to assert that the life is one that would be essential to Yeats career as a poet; the struggle to remain open and honest to the deep heart’s core could be thought of in introspection as Yeats’s primary objective as a poet.
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
     
    Have a piece of poetry you would like to share? Tell us here at the blog! Leave comments and I will post your poems up and give a little commentary.
  11. Philosophy Pony
    I have decided to do a fun little weekly blog post every monday,entitled 'On This Day in History'. It came to be because I have a history class at this time, and it's really not my fancy,in fact it's pretty grueling. So to have some fun in the morning, and to smite my history teacher (who actually is really nice, I'm just being over-dramatic).
    I'm going to throw up some historical events that I think seem pretty relevant to western culture,or I just find them cool. Here are some events that happened today on April 8th.
     
    -2004, Darfur conflict: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by Sudanese government and two rebel groups.
    -1832 ,Black Hawk War: Nearly 300 United States 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri to fight the Sauk Native Americans.
    -1892 :Mary Pickford was born today. (d. 1979)
    - 1908:Harvard University votes to establish the Harvard Business School.
    -1987:Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis resigns amid controversy over racially charged remarks he had made while on Nightline.
  12. Philosophy Pony
    We have some new ideas a stir at the office! The revisions on ponyism are still in motion, since it is the base tool for looking at morals through the MLP view.
    A new article on the concept of the self is now being worked on, and will be my philosophical duty to ponder for today. Other references to human (pony) consciousness and self reflection are being looked at and researched.
     
    The main revision done on Ponyism will be the result of the next article: how the elements of harmony come to play, and what we define as 'harmony'. Also, the characteristics of the mane six will be examined with further inspection, and Kohlbergs theory will be put to better use, as well as some popular Freudian theory.
     
    Speaking of Freud, another future article will be made 'on the subject of pony psychology' and we will look at correlations between popular psychological ideas and how they can be represented with (you guessed it) pony's.
     
    It's also getting pretty busy here at the office. If anypony online would like to help with articles, ideas or anything else, please contact me right away! More writers will always be needed to share this plethora of knowledge. Because right now, all of the amazing, magical knowledge that can bring us all together, is scattered around the office in a state that Rarity called creative chaos (00oo, sounds like another Idea for a philosophical write up!)
     
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
     
     
     
    For pony's who are interested in writing articles of philosophical thought for the Fluttershy Philosophy,here is my contact info:
    Twitter: @IonicAdam
    Email: Kanttouchthis420@gmail.com or Adambrown96@hotmail.ca (but this one is mostly for business)
  13. Philosophy Pony
    The Concept “Friendship is Magic”
     
    The television show is based on one singular concept that can morally divide into a whole matrix of other moral modules. That model is that “friendship is magic”.
    Now when we hear that, a few opinions come to mind. One is the positive “Well of course, friendship is important,it almost feels like magic sometimes” and if you ask me, a very beneficial concept to a franchise like my little pony. And the other, negative “There's more to life then just making friends, what a stupid idea.”
    I've seen and heard both of these opinions defended by brony's and brony haters alike. But what is the overall nature of this concept, and how could it spark something like the creation of this show and something I call Ponyism?
    The claim that friendship is magic is obviously a promotion to the central idea that making strong social connections with people is a highly pleasant activity, and can invoke a splendor to life and other things “ Like magic”
    And this is highly understandable coming from a human aspect. Human beings are specifically social animals. It is the one thing that is beneficial to us, much like the peacocks tail feathers or the butterfly's delusive patterns embedded on the wings that confuse or scare off predators.
    Our specific survival tool is our ability to communicate and articulate ideas into a social structure that effect the environment. Our lives depend on other people. Baby's are born with nearly no chance of surviving .They depend on another human's collective care to mature and develop for the world to come.
    In the Darwinian sense, our altruism, even though its not necessarily a fend for yourself sort of attitude, is still a method that benefits us and our genetic propagation. But friendships and social connections are important on moral scales just as much of course.
    Our moral activities come from our capacity to understand what is morally right (for the benefit of humankind) and what is wrong( that negates humankind). In the show my little pony, Princess Celestia is the Moral Moderator and the balance that would represent our moral rights and responsibilities. But instead of expressing humanitarian views, ethnic acts of kindness and sensibility for humans, she expresses a few that is similar (but with a few justifications) to pony's.
    This principle is something that is worth learning, because the way it lays out moral rights and wrongs and the justifications of truth and falsifiable. I call this Ponyism.
    To Practice Ponyism is something that is highly different among the pragmatic moral views of most people (In this case, secular people). Celestia is the foundational teacher of this practice, and the show expresses its importance, and fortunately appeals to both children and adults because it is a different way of looking at the moral structure of people. To practice ponyism doesn't require one to be a pony either! It is a concept that is essentially a collection of popular concepts in historical philosophy of the west and the east.
     
     
     
    How can I practice Ponyism? What does it consist of?
     
    Practicing the art of making connections with people is not what ponyism is. I have a feeling that's what some readers might get from this. But in order to practice ponyism, you must have the longstanding tolerance of other peoples to succeed. Friendship is a byproduct of tolerating and loving other people, I'm pretty sure everypony knows that. The real art of ponyism comes from the moral standards of the characters we know and love that exist in the realm of the MLP world.
     
    The art of Ponyism derives from the concept of Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development. The theory holds that our moral reasoning and the foundation for out ethical structure, has six identifiable stages. Kohlberg looked at the development of moral judgment sanctions earlier then the late Piaget,who stated that morality and logic develop through constructive stages. From then on, Kohlberg concluded that the process of moral development correlated with justice and liberty. Also he finalized that the process kept flourishing throughout ones lifetime.
     
    One who teaches the moral development would indeed be at the highest scale of morality, that's why our governance lies heavily on concepts like ones derived from the Old Testament such as “Tho shalt not kill, Tho shalt not commit peaty theft etc etc...”.
    As we have already established, Princess Celesta is the moral teacher of Ponyism, and is the highest moral authority in the land of Equestria.
    She is above the principle on the scale, represented here(Kohlberg Scale attached):
     
     
    Twilight Sparkle is at the 3rd scale, being the princesses underling. She is the shows main front for expressing ponyism in the name of science. She shares a Socratic method of judgment, and also practise's the atheistic skeptical approach that David Hume developed.
    And that is the first moral characteristic of Ponyism:
     
    1.)Before any evidence shows a truthful claim to nature or morality, speculation must be done beforehand, then implementing the scientific method to gain knowledge and to build upon the natural, moral understandings of such claims.
    Example: In “MMMystery on the Friendship Express" Twilight helps Pinkie find out who was the culprit(s) that defiled the “MMM” cake. As Twilight used her skepticism and reductionist methods, she made a conclusion that turned out not to be Pinkies initial intention of the Bakers (even though they still were not innocent).
     
    Rainbow Dash sits at the 2nd scale, at Self interst. Even though her element of harmony is loyalty, she has an aspect of herself as a hero of equestria, even though she is just like every other pegasus and controls the weather, and that's negating her ability of speed, whitch she uses as an egotistical tool to differentiate herself (although she is 20% cooler than all of the other ponys).
    This represents the second moral characteristic of ponyism:
     
    2.)
    In order to spread love and peace through the availability of truth and knowledge, one has to love them selves. If one does not love themselves, how could one love others?
     
    Fluttershy is at the bottom 1st scale, at Avoiding punishment. She is also a highly important character for ponyism, being that her personality represents what the foundational practices of ponyism rests on. She's at the first scale because although she is kind and loving, she has to deal with her extreme social anxiety's and her fears of being judged by other pony's, as Aristotle tells us is Shyness. As someone who is shy, they fear that when they do something wrong, a sort of mental punishment is at hand, and that comes in the form of judgment. Fluttershy expresses the 3rd point of ponyism, and the core concept for what I call the Flutter Shy Philosophy (But that's for another article, it's still in the conceptualizing process).
    3.)
    To love truthfully is not hedonistic, it is essential for harmony. Loving truthfully is a gift of nature, and to love because of nature, it is necessary to love nature by its own merits.
    Rarity is at the 4th scale of law and order, because she is very keen on fine detail. Being known for her generosity, you could say that she develops relationships because of her fine detail, because she can be a good judge of character and understand more( this is the rarity after she learns her lesson after she runes Twilight's first slumber party). She represents the fourth point of ponyism:
    4.)
    In judging the characteristics that define a person or situation, one must have a very persistent attachment to fine detail.
     
    Pinkie Pie is at the scale of social contract, making sure that everpony in Ponyville has a smile on there face. Her moral outlook is that of extreme optimism, and that is what drives aspect of Ponyism. The concept of optimism is usually associated with the name of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who held that we live in the best of all possible worlds, or that God created a physical universe that applies the laws of physics, which Voltaire mocked in his satirical novel Candide.
    5.)
    To uncover the sheets of knowledge, one must be optimistic that one can do so in the first place, and to deduce the possibility for the optimal action to be real.
    And finally, Apple Jack sits on the top as Principle, because since her element of harmony is honesty, that highlights a point in ponyism. The key principle of ponyism is honesty. If your scientific inquiry comes up short, be honest about your mistake, and be determined that the truth will come to light.
     
    6.)Honesty will help anypony come to realize the truth,while ignorance and lies only step on the tail of science and understanding.
     
    So what do all of these points mean? They mean that morality can come from a basic understanding and further inquiry on our understanding. Our moral reasoning can definitely come from science, and that spreading knowledge to others can initiate a spread of peace and harmony among newly forming relationships and friendships.An important moral stance that kids and bronys should share.
     
     
     
    Further Research:
    To look at ponyism and the moral aspects of My Little pony, I recommend these suggestions for study.

    (A Philosophical Look At: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic by:'Shrammer1')Why people believe weird things, a video on TED: talks
    Also on TED--->http://www.ted.com/conversations/1581/being_skeptical_as_an_overall.htm
    The book Sister Carrie (Paperback)
    by Theodore Dreiser (on goodreads.com)
    And more external places to look for morality and MLP coming soon!
     
     
    What did you think? Leave a comment and tell all your philoso-bronys to come check the blog and recomend things to post!
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
  14. Philosophy Pony
    It's my pleasure to start this simple blog. If you stumble upon this and like what you see, please feel free to get involved somehow, in anyway possible. I will be posting things that are intellectually stimulating, fun, creative, and overall items of knowledge that will make you use that squishy slab of meat between your ears .
    Since the Brony community is overall a peaceful one, I'm sure that whatever comes out of this blog will be very positive. This blog will mostly consist of my thoughts and things that other brony's are sharing and talking about. Ideas should flow here, and if something isn't concise or hard too understand, I (or anyone else posting, as I might not be the only one) will and should elaborate further. I'm super happy that this blog finally became a reality, since I have been putting off the creation of it for so long, and that includes my use of the MLP forums. So, without further a do, let the blogging begin!
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
  15. Philosophy Pony
    I open my eye's to the sight of my bedroom ceiling,
    Remaining frozen in place, getting used to the feeling of awakening.
    I feel these feelings
    The sensations of coming to life once again
    Returning from a world from within my head. So cold, yet so grand.
     
    I get on my hooves and trot to the window. It is a warm summers day in Canterlot
    The birds singing there elegant songs, the wind smoothly flowing
    The scent of the morning dew evaporating and bringing fourth the essence of the flowers and the bakeries below.
     
    Swiftly moving my hooves now, I am in the grandest of spirits. I trot to my bedroom door, moving faster down the halls.
     
    I am joyous to reach Canterlot, to embrace the day for what it is and what it could be. Everything in it's place, as the way they should be. All is well, and well is I.
     
     
    ~Sophia, pony of the north.
    "Pony songs, Tails, and Journeys beyond Equestria"
  16. Philosophy Pony
    So now that I'm officially enjoying summer vacation, I can return to these forums and continue to type my thoughts and read others in return. I'm working now though, because I need more money to back up all of my projects. Here's an update on what's going on in my life:
     
    - Starting to learn how to professionally draw and maybe paint. I am also going to pick up sculpting again, because that was really fun and I miss it. So I am working my ass off now to pay for art supplies and stuff.
     
    -My writings have taken on a whole new look. Giving myself more time to think let me trace out a path much easier to follow when trying to represent my ideas to the public. A lot of what I write is secretive, and can only bleed out into the world if I say so (which is why i haven't written anything on here in a while lmao)
     
    -It's also my final year of schooling, which means it's practically crunch time for me. Moving out, saying bye to friends and family, and meeting new people, and experiencing the world in a fresh perspective. To be honest, it kinda scares the crap out of me, but I'm still overly joyed. I can leave this hill billy hell and move on in life.
     
     
    Also, since I've promised a lot on these forums and then left, never returning with my promises, I'm hoping to jump back on the horse. Poetry will still be posted, some weekly articles I've scraped and new ones have been thought of, and will be provided. So stick around and read what I have to say, maybe we can all learn and grow together.
     
     
     
     
    OH! And if you don't follow me on twitter, then I should mention that my OC Leaf Link is going to be killed off, and I will make a new one soon. In fact my whole profile might be changed. So that's something to look forward to as well.
     
     
    Enjoy the rest of the day guys! Please message me, ask me questions, role play, or just chat if you want ^.^
     
    ~Adam .M Terra
  17. Philosophy Pony
    Soooo we got some stuff to talk aboot.
     
    I won't be on my computer as much as I want to because of the ocean of paper and ink that I am drowning in. And the future looks bleak as well Exams, Full Drivers Licence Course, Final unit tests, Job Hunting, Community service hours, College applications, Law contracts sheets, and barrels of homework, both overdue, and due. And that's just the start. I've got weddings, funerals, possible band gigs, poetry slamming, GAAAH!
     
    So my sanity is drifting away slowly, but no worries for now. I get some time to just take a break and pony out. I'll make a few quick posts, discuss life like I usually do, and talk to my awesome Brony friends. For now I'm putting my busy schedule aside and am gonna make time for fun ^.^ *Where's Pinkie with that party cannon?*
     
    So as much as I love making plans, right now, that's practically impossible. Everyday I do, but something spontaneous has to happen that directly interferes with my plans in someway or another. So when it comes to the posts I'm just gonna wing it. The thinking pony has transferred to paper, and will be transferred back into a post here on the blog. It's better this way for me because I can think longer about the concepts, and change them if
    I want instantly. Also I wan write anywhere at anytime.
     
    Ponyism is being broken down into its fundamental core concepts. Like I mentioned before, it may never be done lol. When working with speculation, there's millions of ways that you can process knowledge. So I'm trying to make it as concise and neat as possible, even though in reality is a literary monster.
     
    So anyway, I've also got good news and bad news
     
    I'll start with the bad news, I might not be able to go to bronycon It breaks my heart but I can't find a job to get the money to go out there! I have gotten rejected by 16 different employers, and 12 didn't call back. I did get job offerings though...for the summer I'll never make as much money if I start working moths from now! But alas, I need to work anyway. Being broke sucks, and I wanna buy some pony merch. I have 0, and it doesn't feel right
    But I'm not just gonna give up! Buck that noise! I am gonna plan a way to somehow make it to brony con, and if anypony has any good ideas I'd love to here them.
     
    Now for the goodnews, my lil hick town of Harrow now has 2 more brony's! WOOT!
    I introduced the brony culture at school and bam. One who got into it sort of right away, and the other who reformed from being a brony hater to a brony himself. Not sure if it just clicked in or what, but I didn't question! Now there's officially 3 bronys in this god fearing hell hole of a town! yay!
     
    Welcome to the herd boy's, rainbow dash proudly salutes you! Now I'm off to take a quick nap before I start a long weekend of studying and writing.
     
    ~Leaf
  18. Philosophy Pony
    Here's another one as promised
     
    1970~ The first Earth Day!
     
    1983 ~ The German magazine 'Der Stern' claims that the "Hitler Diaries" had been found in wreckage in East Germany; the diaries are subsequently revealed to be forgeries.
    1972 ~ Vietnam War: Increased American bombing in Vietnam prompts anti-war protests in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
    1889 ~At high noon, thousands rush to claim land in the 'Land Run of 1889'.
    1906 ~The 1906 Summer Olympics, not now recognized as part of the official Olympic Games, open in Athens
     
    Sun Rise for Today: 6:41 AM EDT
    Sun Set for Today: 8:23 PM EDT
    Total duration of light today: 13 hours 42 minuets.
     
    Alrighy that's what I've got for today. We've got 253 more days of 2013, let's make them good. And only 36 Monday's left. It's always obscene monday on twitter as well, thats @IonicAdam If your into stupid humor like that. Sorry for slow posts, lazy and busy don't mix
     
    ~Leaf
  19. Philosophy Pony
    Okay, so I have developed a system on how I will be posting these 'The Thinking Pony' articles . Since it was a more extensive project than I made it out to be in the beginning, here's the new approach. Just like how Nietzsche wrote 'Human, All Too Human' in short literary bursts while out walking, I will do the same, and post everyday.I might post only once a day, maybe 5 times a day, who knows . They wont be too long, and I will blend multiple articles together so one proceeds the other, but stays with the topic at hand. Before or after multi-series articles, I will sometimes just post a bullet article that is summed up to fit into a paragraph or two. I'n retrospective it's kinda funny that I use Nietzsche and a systematic model in unity, but all of the freedom comes from the sporadic bubbles of thought that will come and go through out the week. Who knows when we will reach the end , maybe we won't.
     
    ~Leaf
  20. Philosophy Pony
    I love a calm spring day. The sun beats down sun rays to create a subtle heat radiating from the Canadian sky. But the wind blows just gently, not to distort the placement of your hair to a large proportion, but to cool the skin and prevent overheating. And you can watch the clouds move with a constant flow, never changing
    never changing.
     
    At the Institution where I'm suppose to be getting my mind molded ready for the scary, ever changing future, I stumbled upon something. Something so incredible that I want to keep at it!
     
    In the midst of the hallway on a Monday morning, bus drop off arrives. All of the socially awkward, sexually frustrated kids loom in the front lobby. There appearances are sad. They fake the happyness on there face. Or maybe this is all the happiness there aloud to have. But whatever I move on.
    Getting up from my spot near my locker in the hallway, I pass through the stream of people getting off of the buss, and the crowd of disgusting teenagers.
     
    "Look at these kids" I think to my self. "How did they get here"
    " All just products of there parents. All of there ideals either just the agreeing or opposite point of view shared among there guardians and peers. They take on as if there lives meant something so much to them. When really they probably don't even know who they are themselves yet".
     
    I pondered long about this. Why can't I connect on the same level to these mindless zombies. All they seem to do is watch television and talk about it. Or listen to a new music artist, and then talk about it. Or they talk about the things they want or need (which in today's society is just a cheep way to way want). There's a difference between needing water and needing a sports car. Nobody talks about the things they have and love, because....
     
    Well see, that's the thing. I don't know how to finish that sentence! For f*cks sake if I could, how much pressure would lift from my fogged mind! It is my main tool for use in my decent to madness.
     
    sometimes I think I'm just out of touch. I don't know if there's something wrong with me or there's something wrong with people. All just ignorant to the world around them. Locked up in there iPod, cellphone, click click universe. It's a poison that has even affect I yes I am a hypocrite! I declaire that. For there is no excuse for me to be complaining about technological distraction while using technology to do so. But being aware of that fact is important, open up your mind, escape from your plastic box world!
     
    While I'm the halls, dodging bags of skin and organ tissue that fly in my direction, I went through the door to pass by the smokers pit, to the side of the school. The smokers pit was just a rock that sat at the side of the building parallel to the cafeteria on the interior of the building. It's usually a place I try to avoid, but when all of the smokers disperse at lunch to go get there feed, I dragged my tired feet over when there's about one or two people there. I can't handle large groups directly.
     
    I lit a cigarette and looked upon the street. The escence of suburbia. It made me giggle. I found my self singing th song that plays as the theme song for the show weeds. Little Boxes by Walk off the Earth.
    "Little boxes, on the hillside,
    Little Boxes made out of ticky tacky
    Little boxes on the hillside,
    Little boxes all the same.
    There's a pink one,
    and a green one,
    and a blue one,
    and a yellow one,
    And there all made out of tick tacky,
    And they all look just the same."
     
    Suburbia does seem like a pleasant dream. And a capitalistic one at that. But I wont complain. I know that I can just buy something to ease the pain and confusion of the real world.
    I'm not depressed. I feel fine. I just don't feel an energy off of people, it's like there missing something.
    So I disposed my cigarette when It was approaching the filter.I took my hat off and when back in the building.
    Venturing back to my locker, I kept my mind on one question. What is the general characteristic for harmony? How do I know I am experiencing harmony?
     
    Harmony has 5 common definitions
    1.) noun Compatibility in opinion and action. A balance of the abstract, and the physical.
    2.)noun the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords. When a beautiful symphony plays and goes through your ears, and into your soul, or whatever you call the bottomless pit that constitutes your being.
    3.)noun A harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colours and sounds); Congruity of parts with one another and the whole. As Ponyism would define it as "The perfect state of nature"
    4.)noun Agreement of opinions.
     
    and
    5.)noun and agreeable sound property
     
    Now it's funny to me. The word harmony seems like one of natures beautiful irony's. How Harmony can be both defined as an agreeable sound property and a congruity of parts with one another and the whole. When in reality we all claim to want harmony but all have different, unagreeable opinions that contradict each-other. Contradiction to create contradiction, a wicked problem for sure.
     
    But today, In the loamy hallways of my learning institution, It finally occurred to me. It finally freed me to its knowledge. Im free now.
     
    As I sat in my history class, reading text, writing points on Spartan Oligarchy down, and taking in all of the sensory information available in the room. As I kept writing without any distraction, I let go of my thoughts When you do that, great things happen! I assure you.
     
    I actually managed to go into a meditation like state.
     
    I payed close attention to the detail at hand, but not worrying about it in its physical presence. If I heard a voice from across the room, I studied it. I noticed tones and changes in pitch and lisps and such. Then I would switch voices. I would picture the people speaking, but not lifting my head from my paper. I haven't even noticed that I was still writing points down on the paper, without my knowledge. My hand was just moving!
     
    I slowly started focusing on smaller and smaller details about space and time. I felt how long a second was. I could feel the air moving in the room and the small pressure changes on my skin. I respiration was the last thing I focused on. Everything else was just irrelevant to me and I just drooped my acknowledgement. Once my breath came to a slow, steady, steep kind, it just stopped.
    Everything did. I closed my eyes. I was in darkness. Then I saw it. I thought "How did I get there" but instead of hearing it in my head like a thought, I was experiencing it. The essence of those words, clear as day.
     
    It's hard to say really what happened to me. Afterwords I felt really calm and content And I somehow managed to finished my notes.
     
    I have read books and literature on the acts of meditation, some pseudo scientific, and some spiritual text. But specifically the old spiritual texts were of an interest.
    Meditation was seen as something much different from what the west thinks of it. There are more then a handful of methods that can trigger a meditative state. And what I experienced today, I believe, was a meditative state.
     
    I don't feel wrong in anyway know. And i'm suppose to get a routine check up with my doctor soon. I will address what happened and maybe he can give me a biological understanding of that intense moment of concentration and euphoria I endured.
     
    And this moment let one though enter my mind that I just cant let go.
    Every thing is as it should be, and not what it shouldn't. Why should it?
    And that,now, is my own personal description of harmony. It is an ever lasting essence that can enlighten only those who wish for the very opposite.
    You have to stop searching for happiness in order to be truly happy.
     
    ~Leaf
  21. Philosophy Pony
    Hello there, glad to see your skimming across this article! Read it and gaze upon the wonders of history (Or Herstory, if your into dancing*).
     
     
    1989 ~ The Hillsborough disaster: A human crush occurs at Hillsborough Stadium during the FA Cup Semi Final Match, resulting in the deaths of 96 people.
    1923 ~ Insulin was discovered, and became available for people with diabetes.
    1865 ~ Abraham Lincoln assassination by actor John Wilkes Booth.
    1989 ~ Upon Hu Yaobang died, the Tienanmen Square protests of 1989 beginning in the People's Republic of China.
     
    Busy Bodies exercise and dance class
    April 15, 2013
    This class is is composed of low-impact and flexibility exercises for older adults
     
     
     
     
    Since 1955, for those living in the United States, Tax Day has typically fallen on April 15
     
    1452 ~ Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Renaissance polymath, Artist
     
    1707 ~ Leonhard Euler, Swiss mathematician (which you probably know already from Google's doodle).
    Sunrise for today: 6:52 AM EDT
    Sunset for today 8:15 PM EDT
    Total duration of light today: 13 hours, 23 minuets.
     
    Today is the 105th day of the year.
     
    The Boston Marathon Explosions happened Today. The news is still developing as you read this.
     
    That's all I got. Hope you guys read the next one, next monday ^.^
     
    Oh, and if you are into crude humor today is #obsceanmonday For me on twitter, so check out my tweets. It's a random holiday that I maid up in the shower. I just want an excuse to say stupid things :3
     
     
    ~Leaf
     
     
    *If you know what show I'm referencing, Then you are defiantly cool
    Cool..cool,cool,cool (put the answer in the comments if you know)
  22. Philosophy Pony
    My new OC Leaf Link (Or simply,me ) is now the head writer for the Fluttershy Philosophy. But more writers are welcome! PM me if you want to write or need a writer for anypony else's projects. I will write for anyone, that is, if you like what you see.
     
    This weeks plans are
    Monday: On this day in history
    Tuesday: *NEW* What did Craig say today?
    Wednesday: Reading Wednesday, Skype Discussion
    Thursday:Poetry Analysis
    Friday:*NEW*Pony Understanding
     
    I will also try to post the article I wanted to yesterday night before I go to bed.
    Before I end this quickly update article, I wanna propose a question onto readers. Have you ever helped somepony in need just because you wanted to? I have been trying my darnedest to help as many pony's in need as I can, all for the sake of doing good for others. But I have gotten a few confused responses. Why would I help total strangers?
    Well, here's my response to that question. Why not!
    I'm sure you can recall a time where you felt like total crap and all you wanted was somepony to help you. Well That's what I'm here for, to help those in need because I can.
     
    Thank you everypony!
     
    ~Leaf
  23. Philosophy Pony
    Good morning ponies. Either your still curled up in bed or you've managed to get off your laptop and make the big move to the desktop. Hope you all have an awesome day!
     
    A lot of the articles I wanted to post are still being worked on because I'm studying for a major test at the moment. Patience is key. But I will make posts like these ones because there just simple blabbering about my thoughts. I don't really have to work too hard.
     
    But any who, this morning, I thought I'd share some stuff and give you something to read and be entertained by.
     
    So,I think I'm missing out on something.I still like psychedelic rock?
    In my small community I always get strange reactions from people when I tell them my favorite kinds of music. They think I'm joking at first, but then think I'm stupid when they find out that I'm being serious lmfao!
    I love psychedelic rock! It's such a unique sound! And you have to admit, if we didn't have the psychedelic rockers and there predecessors , music would be different today. The music industry is very deterministic. To get music that everyone in the next decade will be listening to, it has to be different. different from the current one. So without Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles etc etc... Music wouldn't be how it is today.
    And in now way would I say that psychedelic rock is "better" then today's music, or vice versa. Music is unique in ever style of essence. But i just prefer roots rhythm over repetitive electro.
    But for some odd reason, people are quick to attack it! I'm fine with being called a hippie, but to say that the music is lame! I mean that's just discredited everything that music is founded upon.
    People also put words in my mouth, saying that " If i want to Idolize drugged out 60's musicians instead of JB or skrillex, that's fine. But people today should have there Idols as well"
    Okay, for starters, I don't Idolize these people in a moral compass sort of understanding. There musical inspirations. I thought Kurt Cobain was brilliant, but he was also an idiot. I wouldn't look up to him as my hero or any of that garbage. And I don't think he would have wanted that recognition anyway. He was an individual, who broke from the chains of culture and society and said "Hey, fuck you world, I'm going to create music" and as harsh as it is, it is also amazing. Kurt brought the idea of abstract art to the music world. He didn't write much with intrinsic meaning in his lyrics. If you look at the lyrics of "All Apologies" It really doesn't make any sense But if you think about it, your own personal message come out of it. Your brain is critically analyzing. And that's what abstract art is, to abstract a meaning from nearly nothing. It is very intellectually stimulating! Maybe not to the extent of Bach (actually no, not even close) but is still very huge for the succession of music in the 90's were rebellion went from high to dry.
     
    Does JB intellectually stimulate his fans? I have to be honest, I am laughing right now just thinking about that sentence.
    But that's just my opinion! I'm not thrashing him, and I'm not demoting his Idol status! But having an Idol in the first place is sort of counter intuitive, especially in adolescence. Nirvana, Radiohead,Bush, Soundgarden,The smashing pumpkins, they all really taught me how to be "Me" instead of "Everyone Else". And I love that. I think Justin Beibers music is very egotistical, and he seems to only care about social status, something that you lose when listening to 90's grunge (once again, my opinion, yours may differ). But if it makes you a better person, or you just like his music for what it is, then good for you! I support your love for music. But I ask one thing. Don't call Justin Beiber an artist around me. That is something that I refuse. Musician, performer, Idol, Sensation, whatever adjective and profession comes to mind. But not artist. Because he is not an artist. He doesn't write the majority of his music and he still is a big corporate sell out, Real artists don't sell out, or they stop being artists after that The point of art is to create, not profit.
    From that long blabber session, I present to you, some awesome tunes I like. If you have some neat music you think I should listen too, I'm all ears, tell me in the comments.
     
    Some of my friends trash my music taste and say that "It's underground because it sucks".
     
     


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6vQuYGExKc



     
     
     
    Im also making OC's now. I'm gonna start another one today, and it will be good. I'll spend a few days drawing, and redrawing, editing, and re editing, for some RP's. Now, I am a newbie at those of course, but I'm not totally clueless to roleplaying. I use to do it back in the day with Sonic the Hedgehog Characters. I made a character named saturn, and I had a fanfic and RP for him and everything, but it never turned out. I was also fairly young, being in grade 8 and all. I was thinking about getting into that again in my spare time, since my artistic skill and analysis has matured. I will always be a die hard Sonic fan, I never let that down. Sonic fan since like grade 5 or whatever xD. But I don't get a subscription to the comics anymore, and I sold all my games ;( oh well that's what Kijiji (or eBay) is for. I can buy better merch in the future if I wish.
     
    When I move out after high schools done, I wanna get a bunch of things started, and completely change my life from what it is now.
    So where I stand now, is that I live in my mom's basement, unemployed, and annoyed about it. Every time I get a Job, I get laid off. Only once did I get fired. I got blamed for some weed that the dishwasher had at a restaurant I was working for. I didn't get fired for the weed, I got fired for some bullspit reason of knowing that he had weed and that I didn't say anything. But oh well it's in the past now.
    My next course of action is to work at the mall. I applied to nearly every store that I usually shop at, and beyond as well. So far I only did 2 interviews and haven't heard back yet, so I'm super nervous! I need this, because I need money to push off with when I move out. It's final that after senior year is done and I have my full licence that I will be expecting to go out to Toronto I can get financial aid, but I would prefer a job or two. Employment is always my first option, I'm lazy but not a quitter aha.
     
    But once finances are settled, I plan on doing a lot differently. First off, and this if I can make money steadily, I wanna do much more art. Painting, photography, music, you name it. I don't get too do as much as I want living with my mom. There's no space for me too work in and she clouds my head anyway. My creativity is highest anywhere but home, except for writing. But I do most of my writing in the city or at school.
    I also plan on being a better activist. I know people in the city that are environmentalists who do community projects like planting trees and what not. And they go all over the province, like right now my friend Lea is doing something in Owen Sound. So i'd love to be a part of that.
     
    And mainly, If I do good with my schooling, I wanna do a road trip to B.C with my buddy's. It would be more then neat if we can somehow score a huge hippie Volkswagen van to do cross country with. Or the Mystery Machine lmfao! One modification though, Fluttershy has to be on the vinyl somewhere lol. Hippie Vans always have butterfly's and peace signs, but mine has to have Fluttershy on it to xD. Perfect van!
    Well I think I blabbered on long enough. If you stuck around this long, brohoof you awesome pony /)
     
    ~Sonic...Wait...what are you *Smashes Sonic with a chair*....
     
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
     
    Sonic :*Moaning in agony* That's not very peaceful...
    SHUT UP! RAAAH!
    Sonic: Okay, don't hurt me!
  24. Philosophy Pony
    Here...is some food for thought. *snap*
     
    The pony dimension.
    Lets imagine that our ponyverse was an existent reality. How would the pony's of My little pony exist?
     
    Human beings are very outstanding creatures. Our ability to produce algorithms and codes,calculate,infer and abstract is amazing. But what do our pony friends experience in there world? What do pony's perceive?
    Our pony friends live in a two dimensional universe relative to us. But how would a pony see? Would it be like Edwin Abbott's Flatland?
     
    Or maybe we can approach this another way. Maybe pony's who live in the realm of animation that is MLP:FiM see frame per frame like we see it. Because maybe there brains take in two dimensional images of information and create 3D simulations of perception.
     
    Heraclitus said that " You can't step in the same river twice" implying that everything is in motion,ceaseless, and constantly remembering that is hard for us humans. We can't comprehend the speed of how fast galaxy's move away from each other.
    Since matter is constructed much differently there then it is here, and the fact that there not humans but still have the human like consciousness how these pony's take in neurological information would be completely beyond what a human could experience. Think of Thomas Nagel's Essay "What Is it Like to Be a Bat?"
     
    Would the biological rules of this dimension be the same for there's? Possibly not, I mean maybe magic has a crucial affect, or some other system of chemistry not familiar to us. Maybe the cell theory doesn't apply to living organisms in there universe.
     
    All speculation that hopefully got you to play along. I hope you feel full now, that was a pretty tolerable portion of food...for thought.
  25. Philosophy Pony
    Who are you? Do you really know? What constitutes as the ghost in the machine that is our personalities?
    Julian Baggini does a great job answering these questions and more in his book The Ego Trick:What Does it Mean to be You?
    The author answers these fundamental questions by diving into the eastern history of philosophy, sociology,neurology, and psychology. He implements actual situations that were people have experienced loss of memory, personality shifting,and a point of view regarding the soul.
    It's pretty compact, I finished it in 3 extremely busy days, so I would recommend it to anyone who has a little time on there hands. It's definitely worth the read!
     
    ~FluttershyForPeace
×
×
  • Create New...