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 The /dis/cussion think tank!I've long talked about or thrown about this idea in various forms. I wanted to make a place where we could come up with topic ideas for dis and generate them at regular intervals if they seem to have high potential (however you want to define potential). We have some new structure proposed for /dis/ and its up to us to attempt the new system. This is also a way for us to work on doing threads according to that system and populating /dis/ with those threads. My brain has been coming up with some great ideas today with other things in my life, and I think I might be able to continue the same mood after I get back from a little social outing/live dubstep event. In the meantime lets hear constructive ideas for thread topics in /dis/ and lets try to decide on one or more for maybe thurs or fri by vote. Lets take until then to revise and brainstorm on some good ideas for /dis/ topics that will be entirely worthy of being saved to the archives!! |
 /dis/ Welcome and Guidelines
Greetings and Introductions! (Written and edited with community input by Strangelove!Doctory2, all credit to them!) Hello everypony and welcome to /dis/, Ponychan's discussion board. Here you'll find threads ranging from controversial topics such as politics, scientific development and religion, to more lax threads meant to share opinions without being overly formal. As you may imagine, given the freedom to discuss these topics, some ponies may inadvertently say or do things that hinder fruitful discussion and bring about unnecessary conflict. Due to this, we have created a set of guidelines that should be followed. Please make sure to read them before posting, as to avoid any misconceptions or confusion. Please keep in mind this is not /chat/. Although there's no need to write textwalls (unless you want), try to write more than a sentence or two in your posts, and keep in mind you may have to wait hours for a response. Remember all global rules apply … |
 Gay Marriage#Discussion What are your thoughts of it? |
 Usefulness of Hatred#Question Let's say you have a friend. This friend does not know how to hate. It's not that they are perfect, it's just that they don't understand how to direct hatred at another human being. They can get angry, they can get upset or distrustful, but they can't hate somebody. They can still get depressed, and they can still turn bottled-up feelings into self-loathing, but they cannot vent their spleen, even when they really want to hate certain people. Would you teach them how to hate? Is such a course of action in any way morally justifiable or inter-personally productive? |
 On sociopathy and society...The whole psychopath aspect and how it is being thought of by some is quite wrong. Like depression and ADHD a diagnosis of sociopathy is simply a description of a person with characteristics can be pathological to social interaction. Who is defining that? How is it defined? What do the different people involved in maintaining the existence of a definition each contribute to this and how much of it is bullshit?That's pretty much it since I am using the same "public level" definition here similar to how Autism gets used which I don't like but can't really do much about without ending up doing more social harm than good myself. The professionals can say what they want, when the public gets their hands on a term they make it into whatever tool they need and sociopath is just as abused as the rest. What does it mean to be pathological to social interaction? Is it pathological to disagree with the course of action of 99% of those around you? Or does it … |
 Cheap Labor?#Discussion Hey everyone....Just got awakened to a fact that I guess I knew...But never really thought about. The prison system in America is obviously over-flooded. So much so that America now has the most prisoners in the world per capita...Why is this you ask? Well for one a large percentage of the inmates are there on some account of drugs. I.E. weed. But that's not my concern with this post. You see...People in the prison system are allowed to "work" for a pittance (around 25-50 cents an hour) to do jobs. This provides a source of manual labor that is cheaper than hiring illegal immigrants. For this reason, the jail system comes up with many ways to extend sentences or push for harder ones....The more u jail, the more cheap work you can employ. And its very reliable...They cant quit...Or they get locked up in a cell....They cant be late...For obvious reasons..And they are highly influenced to not be hostile or inappropriate in the workplace...In fear of p … |
 The Good of Bronydom#Answer Yeah, there's lots of disgusting gremplork going on, and lots of melodrama, and many, many fiascos. Still, there is some serious, socially relevant good in this fandom. I attended Bronycon last year. One thing I learned from the sociologist is that one of the appeals of the show for this fandom is moral guidance. He said he hasn't seen that in any other fandom. Is it an appeal for you? Do you think that the moral element is stronger in this fandom than others? We have generated a lot of fandom-driven philanthropic movements. There's Bronies for Good, we named Tank and Owlowicious as a result of giving lots of money to the wildlife sanctuary Tara Strong promoted, and there's the Brony Thank You Fund, which has now gotten it's 501c3 charity status. (Btw, if you want to support them but don't have enough money to make tax-deductible contributions, try GoodSearching for them. You pay nothing, but a penny of ad revenue from each of your … |
 A weird feeling, like what to do now?I woke up tonight wondering why I felt a pull towards the furry fandom. Its like, when I get aroused, its furry only.So like, do I just accept it? Do I go looking for it? Do you have to be a part of some club? Am I thinking to much on this? |
 #Discussion Would it be "cruel and unusual punishment" to castrate pedophiles who have been convicted of sexually assaulting children (provided that all possible appeals of such conviction have been exhausted)? It seems that it would certainly be "unusual", but I don't it should qualify as "cruel", at least provided that existing post-release restrictions for sex-offenders and mandatory minimums for nonviolent possession of certain drugs don't qualify as "cruel". (Edit: Of course, such punishment could only be applied to persons who offend *after* an enabling law is passed, to avoid ex post facto concerns.) Last edited at Mon, Feb 25th, 2013 21:23 |
 Global Warming/Climate Change and bad science#Question "We have now been continuously exposing intact plots of a Mojave Desert ecosystem to elevated CO2 since April 1997. During the 1997-1998 hydrologic year (October to September in the Mojave Desert), the NDFF experienced a pronounced El Niño cycle during which total precipitation was more than twice as great as the long-term average. In contrast, the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 hydrologic years were significantly drier than the long-term average. This resulted in three contrasting growth cycles: a wet year in 1998, a drought year in 1999, and a moderately dry year in 2000. We found that plants responded to elevated CO2 in very different ways in those three years, particularly the first two (Smith et al. 2000). In 1998, shrub growth and production was about twice as great at elevated CO2 as it was at ambient CO2 in both the evergreen and deciduous shrubs, whereas there was little difference in shrub growth between CO2 treatments in the drought year of 1999. Similarl … |
 Circumcision#Discussion Hello Ponychan. I know this seems like a controversial subject for some, but I want to talk about this "procedure" with you. I am from the UK so I am intact. Only Jews and Muslims are circumcised here, but when I heard that this was routinely done in the US on babies for no reason, I was pretty shocked. After that I've done lots of research about the subject and it's rare in UK, New Zealand, Australia and Canada but still done in the US? why? It's genital mutilation. Picture unrelated |
 Perhaps love and acceptance?#Discussion I remember way back when all this stuff started. This isn't a retrospective about the "good old days", but I want to discuss what happened. We touted love and tolerance, and most of the people I talked to in this fandom seemed to believe that we were really doing something good. I learned a lot from the people I've talked to because of this show, and I live a much happier life. But, I don't think being a brony was ever what it was meant to be. We loved and tolerated, yeah, but acceptance was still out of reach for a lot of us. We pushed -and still do push- away people who we though were odd, or believed something different, or were being too needy, whatever. The high from the fandom was naturally going to die down, but while bronies talked a big talk, I don't think we ever were what we wanted to believe, or what we wanted others to believe. I think it's still possible. What do you think? When I am saying "we", or & … |
 Kumaré : documentary of a false prophet#Share I am curious if anyone else has seen this movie/documentary, and what your thoughts are of it? Kumaré is available on netflix, and on some various other services like itunes (haven't looked into if there is a cost to see it though) and I highly recommend it, personally. It isn't long at all, and it is quite funny, a bit satirical, and also fairly thought provoking imo. When I got to the end of the movie, I actually decided I didn't want to see the 'conclusion' part just yet, which is very odd for me because not many movies can actually evoke much of a reaction in me, much less one that makes me go 'I'm not sure that I'm ready for this, yet.' The wiki page is very brief, but here is its summary. >To record the documentary, American filmmaker Vikram Gandhi transformed himself into Sri Kumaré, an enlightened guru from a fictional village in India, by adopting a fake Indian accent and growing out his hair and beard. I … |
 Coming to peace with evil.I'd imagine we've all experienced the feeling of oppression that comes with being free. Sometimes it's seeing someone on the news who you think to yourself "that guy was framed" other times it's reading about the DHS preparing for massive Civil warfare. I sometimes lay awake at night worrying about when the feds are going to bust in my door and tell me I've been branded a domestic terrorist for no reason whatsoever. I've never done anything against the government besides criticize it, but it still worries me. There is a silent police force taking people off the streets and sending them to dark holes for their actions. Don't believe me? It's alright, we're filled with so much misinformation that it makes no difference. Sometimes, I think of myself as an overly paranoid nut job. It's as accurate a label as anything else I guess.I've come to tell you what has put me at ease with this monumental evil. It'll … |
 Neurobiology and Consciousness#Discussion OK, I'm finally going to see if I can do this. So many things on this board (and site really,) revolve around problems of basic human neurobiology where even if nothing is wrong, knowing how your meat computer works can still give you ideas about how to think about some problems in your life. I will make no claims about Total Knowledge of anything. I only know that we have lots of knowledge about how the Brain and Mind work, and what they are and that this knowledge has been very useful to me. It has also been very useful for many other people and I think that it is profoundly unfair that the information age has produced so much and yet our social structures make it so hard for everyone to get and use it. I think a ten year turnaround from discovery to popular culture is too much on these kinds of issues and I am hoping that I can shorten that for some of you. First a disclaimer. I mention this from time to time but that is only because it is one of tho … |
 My Idea for a type of Guitar Pick#Discussion So I had this Idea the other night when one of my guitar picks snapped in half while playing. I noticed on half had these hook like edges and wonder what it would sound like if I tried playing with it. The sound I got was this twangy, sitar like sound because the edge catches the strings and lifts it up slightly. I was thinking about designing a type of pick that has the same idea. What do you guys think? |
 Art Consumption, Creators, and Ethics#Question How do we deal with good art by bad people? Can a work of art be evil in itself, by virtue of the messages it conveys? How do I negotiate the problem of a favorite TV episode with some really chauvinistic humor and disturbing morals? =/ More importantly, how does one deal with supporting a creator who is morally horrible? Should I skip ads, or just skip the videos altogether, if an online reviewer I enjoy covers up a horrible crime that happened his coworker committed at a con for the sake of his enterprise's reputation? What about movies with an actor who has gotten away with loathsome things? Why does there seem to be this special moral imperative that is more present in the creative professions than say, the moral relevance of a cook's conduct to your enjoyment of the meal? |
 Kiera Wilmot#Discussion So this issue has been going on for a few days. http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2013/04/florida_teen_girl_charged_with.php http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/kiera-wilmot-arrested-science-experiment_n_3194768.html I've seen surprisingly (to me) diverse opinions on the subject. I even had an argument with a family member because she was very dismissive of it and said that the girl could have hurt someone (well, duh!) and that people need to be protected. Forgive me for being so brusque, but...are you joking? Of course she should be disciplined for being so careless, but a felony is absurd, and the charges are contrived -- "discharging a weapon"! She didn't actually do anything illegal. Discipline like a suspension or something of the like is in order, and I might even be able to see how an expulsion would be reasonable, if more than a bit harsh, but trying her as an adult with a felony is absolutely uncalled for. If you agree w … |
 Desolate Detention: Euthanasia In Incarceration#Discussion I have an... interesting subject for discussion, and I want the feedback of others for it. Warning: this is a pretty depressing subject and probably will develop into a thread that is likewise. I want to propose an idea: 'allowing' people in incarceration for sufficiently long sentences to commit suicide. Allow me to make the case for this. First off, I want to say that I do not typically advocate suicide in any circumstance : but this is one where I feel strongly that it should be allowed, advocated even. I really believe that allowing prisoners who are serving sufficiently long sentences, to 'opt out early' by killing themselves is a sensible and humane approach. Now I understand this has potential for abuse, and that is an important issue in my mind: but here is the basic reasoning for advocating suicide as an option for those in incarceration for long periods of time. I feel that certain justice/incarceration systems levy inhumane sente … |
 Transgender Bill for California#Discussion http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/california-transgender-student-rights_n_3249408.html Honestly, I'm glad that transgender people in California are getting the rights they should already have (Ammiano's last quote is just perfect). My only real concern is stupid kids that would pretend to be transgender (let's be honest... we know that there would be). The bill only deals with this in (f) and doesn't describe how the school determines whether or not someone is actually transgender. I don't know if California has measures about that. Furthermore, how do androgynous individuals fit into this bill? I definitely like the idea of this bill, but that doesn't mean that the bill will be well-executed. |
 There's no Liscence For It#Question I don't have an answer to this, and I'm not even sure I can articulate the question. The problem for me is, there's no license that can be revoked, no test you have to take, to get in certain groups. They should have some kind of minimum standard of decency, but they don't, because they can't. I understand many of the reasons why they can't really be regulated, and I understand the general "don't let a few bad example ruin it for you" idea, but it still gets to me. I'm a feminist, but that doesn't mean much. Anyone can call themselves a feminist, and I can't prove their not. Sarah Palin can brag about her feminist credentials. Anyone can call themselves a brony. You've probably seen something that makes you feel unclean, that at least makes you think "really? How can you call yourself a brony?" I'm not saying I expect us to be perfect, but there are certain things that somebody capabl … |
 Getting out of public education#Discussion I too am having employment related issues. In my case it is a matter of giving up with respect to my attempts at developing a career in public education. I can't deal with the social pressures that exist in public education anymore. It's honestly been impacting on my emotional sensitivity more and more and it is time to admit that I need to do something else. So I thought this might be a useful way to talk about switching careers, or even finding one. I know what I need to do to move on, or at least I think I do, and I see lots of people around here who don't know what to do when it comes to what degree to get, what job to pick, what career to choose. Society is really good at blasting a message about getting degrees at you, but what does that mean in terms of actually getting a job? Especially in an environment where the economy is probably hitting some human limitations, and we are going to have to make some tough decisions internationally when … |
 #Discussion Bad: Kids mess with an autistic boy who wanted to be friends with them. Worse: Then they blew his fingers off with a bomb http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/crime/michael-boggan-gets-fingers-blown-bomb-built-teens-video pic unrelated |
 HELP BRONIES!I am a 16-year-old brony and i just told my little brother about my interest in MLP. I tried to explain to him the value of the show and what it meant to me, but he wouldn't listen and he refuses to watch an episode. He now will not speak to me! I am scared not of him but of my parents. He appears to have concern for me and might tell my parents. I am scared because they, like him, might think i am a freak and take my life away! Any advice? Btw i am new here nice to meet you all. I just need some help! |
 How do you stay motivated?#Discussion Hey /dis/, I've been asked to do sprite work for a friend who is doing a 2D top-down game. Problem is, I've never really finished a project. Normally I can get a few characters proto-typed, some tile sets done, maybe an animation or two... but never have I finished a full game with someone. I was hoping to know how you all stay motivated while doing your various projects, what are some tips? I really want to finish this thing. |
 How Insurance Works#Question So I was doing some research today and every time there's any mention of Obamacare or just insurance, there's always talk about pre-existing conditions. And there's always a crapload of people that don't seem to understand how insurance works. But maybe I understand better because I used to play poker... until Obama decided that online poker was making me too much money. Oh, but he's so gracious in that he won't stop states from setting up intrastate online poker. Because that's totally something he can legally do in the first place. Sorry. That will (hopefully) be the last anti-Obama rant. So let's say I'm playing a game and at the table (in addition to others) are Jim and Frank. And let's assume that I'm playing Texas Hold 'Em (one of the reasons why online poker was preferable to me is because I actually don't play Texas Hold 'Em well... at all). So I've got two jacks and the flop co … |
 Privileges, unfairness, injustice and oppression#Discussion I would like to about privileges, unfairness, injustice and oppression. Let us begin with an example of person who is member of a group X and is living in society where a group Y is a vast majority; now our member of a group X applies for a job in company owned by member of a group Y. Also applying to the job is member of a group Y who is less qualified for that job then our member of a group X; however the company owner is man who prefers to work with members of his own group and thus after the interview hires the member of a group Y even though the member of a group X was better qualified for the job. Now clearly the member of a group Y got the job because he had the privilege of being a member of a group Y (something he did not earn, but was born with), the member of a group X was denied the job because he was born into the group X and the company owner is both enjoying the privilege of being surrounded by members of his own group and the privilege of being ab … |
 Advise on quiting a job and remain on good terms.#Question I need some advise on how to quit one of my jobs, I have two, to work full time at my other job. Some background: I've been working at this place for the last 3 years. It was my first steady job. It's at a store, with only 2 employees (me and someone else) plus the 2 owners. Until last year, it was just me and them. Over the years I became good friends with them. The job was OK at first, but lately I find myself not liking it as much. I feel like they are slowly pushing more responsibilities on me. For example, sometimes I'll be left alone to close the store so that one of them can go home early. When the reason I was hired in the first place was because they didn't want the closer to be alone at the end of the night. The store closes late, not in the safest of locations, and there's a lot of work to do before closing. So I get stuck with double the work. I'm expected to always be on call. The schedule is very inflexible, work eve … |
 Jobs#Question So, I've been graduated from college since December, but I don't have any idea what I want to do with my life or where to go from here. I got a degree in IT, but honestly, I don't feel very accomplished or skillful in the field; I just happen to be decent with computers and know how to use them. Apparently in my parents' eyes being able to build a computer and know how to navigate XP makes me some sort of weird computer paraiah. Since September I've been working a part time job at a local tech firm doing a pretty basic data entry job, but it's a job meant for students. I've since graduated, and I was told in Februrary that I likely will not have this job in April or May. Well, it's April, almost May, so that time is coming closer. My parents have been really, really pushing me since summer last year to find a job, and when I lucked out and got this job... the pushing didn't stop. It then became "a fulltime 40 hour … |
 Passive-Aggressive Prayer#Discussion "I'll pray for jesus to help you see the RIGHT path." -actual quote There are some people who use alleged piety as a platform for their jerkyness. There are angry sign-waving bigots, sinister ministers, and That Creepy Great Aunt (tm). One thing that many people will encounter in their life is somebody praying for them who isn't really acting out of better intentions. Sometimes it's a form of threat, sometimes it's just a way of trying to score points in an argument and make you seem bad when you snap back. Where does one draw the lines defining it? Sometimes I pray for the collective bronydom to help stay true to the elements of harmony, the lessons of the show, and the feminist spirit of Lauren Faust. Does that put me on similar moral footing with the sneering, self-righteous clerics who say "I pray for you to let Jesus into your art and stop defending these sinful ways!" to somebody trying to buy birth control? Any … |
 Confessions#Share Hey, Ponychan. I've come today with a heart weighed down by guilt for my recent misadventures. You may want to keep scrolling if you don't have time to read a wall of text. Incoming confessions: My life was pretty good. Well, not really; in retrospect, life could have always been better, but I was a content little lemming, following the machinations of the Universe blindly. If there was a deeper meaning behind any of my decisions or motives during that time, it was lost to me. I guess I just put my head down and chanted to myself (not out loud, of course) that 'this is as good as it gets.' Happiness was a small price to pay for the promise of stability, and I was willing to make that trade for a sense of security. Just who walked into who's life is a mystery, but things got interesting on that day, at the very end of August. That's when Andrea happened. Now, mind you, I'd been in a stable relationship spanning the course of a f … |
 #Discussion Are they any British Bronies in here? The European Union might ban seeds not registered by the EU commison! http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/pressroom/docs/proposal_aphp_en.pdf |
 Being there for a friend#Question A younger friend of mine is feeling down because he's applying for a top university - Oxford - and he's worrying about it. (It doesn't help that he still has a year and a bit of school left). He's worried he's not good enough, he feels that everyone is piling expectations on him - though no one's piled more expectations than he himself has. I think he's obsessed over Oxford too much for his whole life - you know how children and teenagers can be like that - and if he doesn't make it, it'll kill him, and he knows that, and the worrying is killing him in advance. I want to comfort and support him (I'm already at a different university), but I can't turn around and say "You've put too much importance on this university, chill out, you might fail, but so what", because that'll get him defensive and hurt. What do you think is the best way to comfort him and ease his worries? I owe him my li … |
 #Discussion Zdravstvuyte ponychan comrads! as unofficial official Oberst-Freundschaftgruppenführer of /pol/, i hereby declare this thread as open to relations for mutual cultural enrichment. ask me anything, about life, the universe, or competing international efforts to control humanities destiny. |
 Can I say IT'S HAPPENING yet?#Share http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7T7Y866kf4 >They'll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Been a while, hasn't it? |
 Illegal Downloads#Discussion Can /dis/ solve the problem of illegal downloads of media like music, movies, and games? Do you think it needs to be solved? Do you think we're currently going the right way about it? |
 Held Captive by Lawsuits#Question I want to put forth a simple question, which can be explored as discussion, and see if people tend to agree with it or not. This question is going to be put forth more or less as a statement, and it has to do with a commonly reiterated concept - freedom - as it pertains to lawsuits. The statement is this. "What people can sue for in society establishes the freedoms of everyone else. It generally doesn't even matter how the lawsuit develops, because it is the threat of being sued that people will live in fear of, and restrict their own and each other's freedom over. For instance, if an after school program goes on a nature hiking trip once every month, and then takes on a handicapped child who cannot make this trip, the threat of being sued for not having a trip that includes the handicapped child will cause all the other children and the program to eliminate the trip as a whole. If a child falls off of the monkey bars at a playground, and the par … |
 Economics: Austerity#Answer I'm not sure if you've been paying attention here recently, but austerity has recently been coming under review once again. Very negative review. Austerity: the concept that we can address poor economic situations with budget cuts in government spending - seems to have not been working out so well. The growth and prosperity it was supposed to bring, seem to have actually accelerated economic downturn. Slashing spending when economies are sputtering out seems to have not had its proclaimed effect of encouraging growth. Unemployment in many areas of the EU is now approaching - and even past in some areas - 30%, and from what I hear, the intellectual basis of austerity has been scrutinized and found to have some major errors, and some claimed unusual practices to produce the results it did (however, the publishers of that basis have defended this, but admitted to at least one major error in spreadsheets iirc). It would seem that slashing spending in times o … |
 #Question I figure this is the best place to talk about this. Someone correct me if I shouldn't be. I'm in a relationship with a very lovely person, and they mean the world to me. But, I have a selfish desire to be owned. By them, obviously, would be the best situation. I don't have a problem devoting myself entirely to them, but I'm worried to ruin a perfectly good relationship by bringing this up. They think I'm far more dominant than I actually am, or want to be. I only behave that way because it seems to be what they want. Not that it makes me unhappy to make them happy, of course. I'm also not sure if they'd be scared by this, as they seem to have very straightforward views on relationships. Any advice is appreciated. How to approach/if I should just not approach at all, whatever. Thank you. |
None#Discussion Good morning, Ponychan. It's been awhile. I'm curious about something. I came across a thread where 4chan was discussing the possibility of being the pet pony. 4chan being...4chan, it was rather crass, but I enjoyed the discussion, being a pet myself. I'm wondering how you would feel about it. About devoting yourself to a Master, serving his every whim, living only for him. I'm not talking about some weird clop fantasy; you don't get a pet for carnal satisfaction. I'm talking about living for only a single person. Your thoughts, ponies? |
 #Discussion I want to talk about something specific involving sympathy/empathy. At some point, it seems to be considered too much effort -or simply too outlandish- to have sympathy for a certain group/person. I hear/read, "we don't need any [insert here] sympathizers" a lot, as though the idea someone could sympathize with that group or person's actions is just not allowed. I think it eventually causes dehumanization in our minds, as other dismissive or negative labels we put on people do. How about you? If you feel passionately about something you have to say, please be patient and do your best to clearly convey what you mean. |
 #Discussion Alright gentlemen let's try to fix some things, we might not have talent, but we can still organize. We can create lists, events, generals, etc. like this guy which made a list of all the pony games. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G90jdHU9pPjNJAarbpeZ98jCvL_KOt88u-6e7uTznv4/edit?pli=1 Here's what needs to be done: -A categorized playlist of the pony videos on youtube, also some need to be reuploaded due to Hasbro's meddling. -The recognition of unpopular things like background ponies, decent fanfics, games, animations, Pinkity, laidback playful rebel Luna, alternate backstories and other concepts. -Getting some decent stories(scenes from fics) turned into comic format or some fanart, also a tl;dr for each chapter. -Things which aren't easy to find, like evolution of a scenes, fluttershy's gameplay video, well done critiques, negative reviews on the show, reviews about something unpopular like children of the night. -More events li … |
 Antidepressants/SSRI - long term effects?#Discussion I was listening to an online lecture of Helen Fisher, at she ended it with a very interesting note. The talk was about love and being in love, and how it changes people's perspectives, as well as generally just how the sexes are with regards to certain various general things. At the end, she gives a warning about taking long term antidepressants and what it means for changes in the brain and how relationships would be impacted. What got me was that it seems like this could possibly be accurate for me, as someone who has previously taken antidepressants in the long term. Certainly there would likely be some sort of effects. She says that it changes brain chemistry in the long term and not just in regards to the obvious serotonin - but that it also changes relationships and what we derive from sex. I thought I would open the floor for general discussion on long term effects of SSRI. Does anyone know of any research or speculation on what that might be? |
 Deism general#Discussion So I learned about this yesterday, and have instantly become very interested in the belief as a whole. According to Wikipedia, Deism 'is the belief that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of God, accompanied with the rejection of revelation and authority as a source of religious knowledge.' Personally, I sympathized almost instantly. It's basically a religion of free thinkers, without being affiliated with religion at all. I was raised a Christian, but grew away from it when I started to question for myself, and found it hard to grasp what I was essentially told to believe. I have recently found myself very akin to Deism. While I find that, personally, almost any Holy Scriptures hold merit, it's more about the beauty and culture of the text therein rather than affiliating or closely following one. I don't like being told what I am to believe. Deism states that God is the forces of nat … |
 Happiness and Contentment#Question John Stuart Mill wrote, "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied". He was saying that, even though it is easy for a fool to be satisfied, and harder for an educated person to be satisfied, the quality of happiness that the educated person can experience is greater and higher. Do you agree? Would you rather have a simple mind with simple pleasures? Western culture has, for centuries, prized simplicity and honesty. Would it be better to be a simple person with simple pleasures, or a highly educated person, capable of great understanding and the highest plains of happiness, though it is harder to reach? In other words, if ignorance is bliss, should we strive for it? |
 Minimum Qualifications for Divinity, or What Makes a God a God?#Question This is a question aimed especially at the atheists and polytheists in the audience. A lot of people ask "Is there a god?" without bothering to define their terms. If you don't believe there's any gods, then what are the minimum criteria an entity would have to satisfy to change your mind? If you are a monotheist, what do you consider the most essential traits that distinguish a real god from a false one, and under what conditions would you entertain the idea of more than one god? If you are a polytheist, what common traits do you consider a pantheon to have that make them more than just powerful mortals? The criteria for gods from religion to religion are pretty wide ranging. In animist faiths just about anything can be a "god", unless it's just a "spirit", and if that's your view then you'll have to elaborate on the difference between gods and spirits. Immortality goes out the window pretty quick as gods … |
 A chunk of the RNA World is involved in our aging...#Discussion A recent milestone occurred if you are a person who care about age and research. "Scientists Map Elusive 3-D Structure of Telomerase Enzyme, Key Actor in Cancer, Aging" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130412132430.htm I know a lot of you care about aging, and some of you also care about research into growing old. Everyone cares about Cancer. One of the little pieces of that field is connected to one of my nerdy interests, the origin of life on earth. That little piece is Telomerase. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telomerase This little word is a kind of entity, like everything else in your cells are (things composed of smaller parts). This entity is called a Ribonucleoprotein and it is responsible for making your chromosomes longer. They do this by adding TTAGGG to the ends. A Ribonucleoprotein is a structure that is composed of Protein, and RNA. These are already involved in ancient chemistry by thier nature. The Ribosome as a thing that … |
 #Discussion Are Vidya Games art? I'd say no. What about you? |
 What are you?#Discussion The thread about jobs got me interested in what things people on this board do; and since I didn't want to derail that thread I've decided to start a new one. This may or may not work; if it's a damp squib then fine, but hopefully we might get a bit of interesting conversation going on in here. What do you do, why do you do it, and what made you choose to do it in the first place? I'll start. I'm currently a university student, but I am quite set on being an English teacher. Most people, when I tell them that, ask me if I'm allergic to money. To be honest, I don't mind too much about money - as long as I'm happy in my job and happy in my family. I want to be an English teacher for a few reasons. I did an internship in a financial company - it bored me to tears. I sat, 8.45am to 5.35pm, in a grey office, wearing a grey suit, at a grey computer, typing grey things, and I hated it. I really, really hated it. I have two passi … |
 Insecurity#Question Apologies for recent lack of my contributions. We've discussed depression and a few other psychological/social problems on this board a few times before. I have something new I'd like to ask about - insecurity. I've been working through what is, in my opinion, mild bipolar depression through the last few years, and the good news is that I'm really turning my life around. I am more successful and confident, with better friends, better skills and more achievements than I had before. I hosted my first party a few days ago, and I was surprised by how many people actually came! I confronted some real demons and won, and I should be proud. That's just it, though. I am proud, but I'm not happy. Things are going (comparatively) well for me and I'm still not truly confident in myself. Insecurity is, in my opinion, like having an ugly, slimy toad sitting on my shoulder. And in everything I do, it tells me that people don't like m … |
 #Question What is your opinion of the best board on all the internet? |
 Risk Aversion#Answer Risk aversion is the phenomenon where a person prefers certainties to risky situations. When the expected value of the risk is the same, this seems reasonable enough. I think there is little argument to be made that one of the following is superior to the other, for example: (a) I give you one $1 (b) I flip a coin. If heads, I give you $2. If tails, I give you nothing But problems show up in cases of robust risk aversion, which is when you are so risk averse that you tend to avoid risks even when their expected returns are greater. Suppose 1,000 people have been infected by a rare virus, and we have to choose one of two possible medical programs to pursue: (a) 85% chance of finding a perfect treatment. If successful, all 1,000 lives will be saved. Otherwise, none will be saved (b) Use an imperfect treatment which saves 800 people for sure The expected lives saved is larger for program a than for program b (0.85 * 1000 = 850 > 800); every individual who is in … |
 God's Image and Mantis Shrimp#Answer Now, I'm not sure if this is too emotional/rhetorically loose for Dis, but I'm giving it a try. Anthrocentrism, and the precepts of Abrahamic canon, are silly, because the mantis shrimp exists. Humans have discovered the mantis shrimp and yet many of them worldwide still believe that humans are the species created by an omnipotent demiurge in its own image. |
 #Question Hi there, /dis/. So about 2 months or so ago, I decided that my religious beliefs best reflected that of atheism. Recently though, I was wondering if there might be any sort of correlation between a person's interest in MLP and their religion. So, what is everyone's religion here? Just out of curiosity. Not trying to start any kind of argument, I'd like to get a general idea of what the brony community's general beliefs are. |
 may be tin foil hat speaking#Question I'll start here instead of going straight to 4chan's sludge filled /pol/ about this: Just looking at the geography, well my thought is what happened recently in Boston may produce leads, however tangential, regarding jihadists on the other side of the Caspian sea. The next thought is, Russia's government is one of the, for lack of a better word, corrupt, among the nations possessing thermonuclear weapons. Not total depravity per the collapsed U.S.S.R. but nevertheless more Honduras than Chile in terms of integrity and internal honesty. The next thought that comes to mind is that, maybe, just maybe, one of the reasons Russia has stonewalled a purely defensive middle east directed missile defense systems just a few years back is that a vaporized weapon is far less likely to be traced back to Russia than one shot out of the sky. Not to say that Moscow would be directly culpable, or that high leadership in Russia is in some sort of covert alliance wi … |
 Positive/Negative of fandom "dark side"#Discussion (If this has been discussed before, just link me to it. I searched and didn't really find anything... so either nothing was there, or my search skills suck...) So, I'm working on a sort of a "research project", if you will, discussing the effects of MLP on the general viewer of the show as well as the impact it has on society. I'm working on covering how it has helped people, or how people relate to the show or its characters. I'm also going to cover similar shows that have had this same effect on society. I'd like to cover both the positives and the negatives. The one thing I need to gather more information on, though, is an opinion about a very touchy subject... ...the more "darker" side of the fandom, if you will: R34, Grimdark, Nightmare Fuel, etc... I have a decent amount of feedback so far, but need more. So, I ask: What effect do you feel that R34, Grimdark, etc... has on the MLP fandom? What about affect … |
 The Problem With Voluntarism or "Anarcho"-Capitalsim#Discussion The political ideology of Voluntarism, or "Anarcho"-Capitalism as many erroneously like to call it, has gained in popularity in recent years and I don't doubt that there are people who identify as Voluntarists or "Anarcho"-Captialism here on Ponychan as well. But this ideology is a frightful and dangerous one due to severe flaws in it's core concepts, flaws I'd like to discuss here in the hopes of swaying some of our resident Voluntarists away from it. The main ideological concepts that form the core of Voluntarism is the Homesteading Principle, the Non-Aggression Principle, and the Principle of Self-Ownership. The basis of the Homesteading Principle is that to appropriate a piece of land you must first mix your labour with that land. The problem with this is, what measure of labour and what kind is required before your have a legitimate claim to a piece of land as your property? Can you just take a macheté and go into an unt … |
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 Brony Dating Drama#Question Before I ramble on, let me state that regardless of the outcome, I have closure on the matter. Last week my Girlfriend of 3 months told me she wanted to "just be friends right now." She is moving out from her parent's place for the first time, has been smothered in drama from her other friends, and is handling a death in the family, she has always been extremely timid, and I was technically her first boyfriend in 20 years. though she feels the drama of a relationship is too much for her right now. Now I'm in full support of her taking time off to straighten out her life, but she's gone out of her way to silently remove evidence of our relationship, she broke off the relationship on Facebook, took down the artwork I had done for her, and she has been a little distant as of late. Now I'll be sad if this is the end of our relationship for good, but I'll move on, were still friends after all. But its the uncertainty of her words, d … |
 Philosophy: ethics edition#Discussion I was wondering if you guys felt like discussing philosophy about ethics and morals? To start off I want to bring up the concept of value creation. Pretty much ideas concerning where values come from and how they should be applied. I like the idea of existentialists or nietzche that we create our own values and assign our own meanings. I.E objective value and meaning do not exist but we are able to create it. Problems though end up with this thought leading to nihlism, where the person cannot create any values because they are not truly real and with nietzche specifically how would one come to value being a creator of ones own values or how would one justify any moral system? A bit further into ethics I was wondering what you folks thought specifically about the following quotes. They're from the Enchiridion by Epictetus, a stoic philosopher. Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, … |
 Google.#Question I want to discuss the reasons on why Google has become such a powerful company so quickly. How it has grown so fast from being a mere popular search engine to becoming a dominant force on the Internet. >What Google has done right >What this means to the average Internet user >Were Google will be in 30 years |
 Metamyth#Discussion So there is myth, folklore, legend, and tales, but then there's something else. I'm not sure if I have the right term for it, but I'm tenatively calling it "metamyth." If there is a more precise or accurate term for it, please let me know. This is about the stories we invent in the here and now to explain the mythos of previous cultures. For example, take werewolves. One theory has been put forward that werewolf and vampire legends come from people dealing with porphyria, a medical condition that causes erratic behavior, hair growth, increased exposure of teeth due to gum loss, and sensitivity to light. This is despite the location of werewolf legends at the time being far away from any recorded outbreaks of polyphyria. Likewise, the idea that werewolf and vampire legends are a residual effect in the collective psyche of humankind conciously deciding to switch from an herbivorous diet to a partially carnivorous omnivorous one is pretty u … |
 People and trust#Discussion Are people worth trusting? Are they just "worth it" in general? The other day I was basically tricked and deceived by someone i thought I could trust after venting a lot of very personal things. This has happened to me more than once, and the experience is makign my chest burn. I'm really starting to question if I should continue to trust others or not. What should I do? What are your thoughts? Pic unrelated, I'm posting from my phone. |
 #Question People like to "feel connected". I honestly have no idea what this metaphor means. What is this feeling of connectedness? Why does having something in common with another make you connected? |
 The masks we wear#Discussion Considering the ethical and psychological undercurrent that seems to be trending at the moment, I figure now would be the best time to posit a discussion about one of my favorite topics. So, who here want's to discuss/learn about sociopathy? Wait, wait, no. I don't mean the paltry view that Hollywood and the media portray it as. Put that opinion away. We're not talking Dexter here. If that's the preconceived notion you've got going into this, then not only will this thread go nowhere- you'll learn nothing in the end. No, let's have an honest discussion about it. And who better to have one with? I have not been officially diagnosed, but that's only because it would be rather stupid of me to waste money on something I already know, just so a psychologist can tell me that I am what I am. And psychologists can vary greatly between eachother; some say ASPD, some say Aspergers, others say ADHD. Granted, there are indeed more i … |
 What is a religion?#Question What defines religion? Yeah, there's a dictionary definition, but if you ask four people you will get five different answers. The sociologists have a different definition than the anthropologists. For anything practiced or claimed as a religion, you will find at least one smug, theological tract saying that it's not really a religion, it's a superstition, or it's a system of magic, or it's a form of failed science. People have claimed every one of the most prominent world religions to be "not really a religion." There are such things as non-theistic religions. There are culturally-practiced variants of religions. There are religions with no concept of an afterlife. Where do the boundaries lie? What distinguishes a religion from a superstition, a philosophy, or a culture? What makes a thing more religion than anything else? |
 The Stanford Prison Experiment #Question What can be learned from the Stanford Prison Experiment? What does it teach you? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment >The Stanford prison experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted at Stanford University from August 14 to August 20 of 1971 by a team of researchers led by psychology professor Philip Zimbardo. >The participants adapted to their roles well beyond Zimbardo's expectations, as the guards enforced authoritarian measures and ultimately subjected some of the prisoners to psychological torture. Many of the prisoners passively accepted psychological abuse and, at the request of the guards, readily harassed other prisoners who attempted to prevent it. The experiment even affected Zimbardo himself, who, in his role as the superintendent, permitted the abuse to continue. Two of the prisoners quit the experiment early and the entire experiment was abru … |
 Alcoholics Anonymous#Discussion Lets talk about AA (or NA, etc if you prefer). Have you ever been before? Have you ever been ordered to go? What was your experience: and if you have or haven't been, what do you think about AA and NA etc.? I've been to a few meetings before, one on condition of getting my driver's lic. back after getting a no accident non moving DUI (long story, but yes you can get a DUI for not driving your car just being in it and drunk and sleeping mind you, but thats another story). The more I think about it, the more it seems like a kind of cult. I really wasn't much for it. I wasn't addicted to alcohol at the time, I was just foolish and made a bad series of choices due to poor information that led to a DUI: so it struck me as oddly defeatist when I attended, to be expected (in an unspoken sense) to say "I'm Graham and I'm an alcoholic" (which I did not: I just said hi I'm Graham, now that I recall actually). To absolve … |
 IN GOD WE TRUST?#Question So I stumbled across something that was blatantly false on facebook (because, that happens y'know, in case you didn't lol) and was looking at the snopes page for it http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp , and it got me thinking... Now, being atheist or agnostic or pantheist or pagan or whatever aside, do you think 'IN GOD WE TRUST' is something worth having on currency and/or attempting to boycott it because it isn't written on there? This is kind of a big hypothetical for many of us, because we have a number of atheists in /dis/ (and non, whom are welcome to comment in fact I really would like your viewpoint) - however, if God were real, 1) do you think he likes or would like having 'IN GOD WE TRUST' put on coinage or paper money? 2) Why or why not? I'll answer with what I was thinking. For clarification, if you do not specificy otherwise we would be referring to the abrahamic God - but you can specific … |
 A Radical Foodie Presentation#Share I got an invite just the other day from a friend of mine, acquaintance mostly, and she wants me to come and give a presentation and participate in an event at her house sometime next week or the following regarding awareness and teaching about our current food paradigm and how we can individually make better choices about how we eat and what we eat, and why. I am very honored, to say the least. She is a very popular young woman, and from what I hear, all her parties she throws draw quite a crowd: so the chance to come and speak and inform at one as a guest has me very excited. It also has me a bit nervous. While I'm happy to share my knowledge and teach a little about what I know about various things, I also haven't given a presentation in a very long time. I'm also not sure that she is on the same page I am with knowledge and such - and this is why she wants me to come and share - so I'm 'foraging' into somewhat new territory here with … |
 Games by Bronies#Discussion Hi there. I'm putting together a presentation for class in which I discuss games made by bronies that are inspired by mlp. Why are these games created? Why are they such high quality? Why do people love them? No other fandom that I can think of has inspired such talented game designers to make games of a professional grade (ex, Fighting is Magic). Sure, every fandom of all time has inspired fan art, fiction, and discussion, but is mlp the first to really inspire game designers to this degree? What does this mean for the gaming industry? What do you think? Comment below. If it turns out well enough, I'll recreate my finished presentation in a video for all to enjoy. :) Thanks fellow mlp fans! |
 What does everyone think about this video?Yes it's Rachael Maddow. I consider her the Left side Limbaugh in a culturally neutral sense, she is the Rhetoric Thrower. She who mostly preaches to the crowd. But I like her when she is correct. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/#51448235 But this situation is representative of what hurt the economy and what I think about when I think of the word "Externality". That word is more than a theory in economics, it's a damn reality and I don't hear that out of anyone who seems to have a moral stake in the economy. How do we be fair with something like this? Last edited at Mon, Apr 8th, 2013 13:29 |
 #Question Hey guys, I wandered over from 4chan to ask a favor. I need to write a research paper on a subculture for my sociology class and I chose to write about bronies. I was wondering if anyone would be down to let me interview them, preferably tomorrow sometime over Skype or phone. I'm really not trolling here. I've done a bit of research already, but I feel like 2-3 interviews would really help me round out my paper. Any takers? |
 Big 5: Openness; trends, meanings, and the John Hopkins StudyI want to talk to you a bit about the personality trait of the 'big 5' called 'Openness' or Openness to experience.'.If you have ever taken a 'Big 5' or 'OCEAN' etc. acronym personality test, you've likely encountered your openeness score. But, what does that mean? What are traits of 'openness' high and low? Well, some low-scoring openness traits include a preference for prejudice, ethnocentrism, authoritarianism. Fundamentalist religious folks tend to be very low on the openness scale and have more conservative viewpoints. Alternatively those who score high, tend to have very liberal views, a term wiki uses called 'open mature religiosity', but also high openness scorers exhibit spirituality, and tend to be more 'broad minded'. >Openness involves active imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, attentiveness to inner feelings, preference for variety, and intellectual curiosity >Openness has … |
 IT'S HAPPENING!#Discussion IT'S HAPPENING! NORTH KOREA WAR!!! http://www.drudgereport.com/ >"From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly," a statement carried by the North's official KCNA news agency said. |
 Society and Feminism in a nutshell•Feminists: Hey. We'd like for women to be treated as equals. •Society: Oh sure. You want "equality" but then you expect men to open the door and pay for meals, is that it? That's not equality! That's special treatment! •Feminists: Um, no not really. You don't have to open the door and pay for our meals. We can do that ourselves. •Society: *gasp* What? You don't want men to open doors for you? Why do you hate nice people? No wonder chivalry is dead! You'd yell at a man for just being polite and opening the door for you? •Feminists: No! We're just saying you don't have to do it just because we're women! •Society: And while we're at it, how come you don't protect male victims of abuse and rape, huh? •Feminists: Actually, we think it's really terrible that men are forced to stay quiet about their abuse because they're worried about not being taken seriously. It's this Alpha Male myth … |
 American Idol#Discussion Anypony watch this show? Anypony who would like to discuss the show as it plays out? I was thinking of starting a Skype group for it, if anyone was interested in chatting with fellow lovers of the show and maybe talk about your likes/dislikes of each contestant performance/judge decision? |
 Meditation#Answer I tried meditation for a month. I noticed no change (side-note: I don't have a @#$!ing fMRI machine in my apartment, how am I supposed to 'know' whether it has had a beneficial result?). Meta-studies indicate that...it's still basically unknown whether this really does anything: "Many uncertainties surround the practice of meditation. Scientific research on meditation practices does not appear to have a common theoretical perspective and is characterized by poor methodological quality. Firm conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence. Future research on meditation practices must be more rigorous in the design and execution of studies and in the analysis and reporting of results." http://archive.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/meditation/medit.pdf There have been a number of cults that have used similar claims about the benefits of meditation, e.g.: http://www. … |
 Alcohol...#Discussion So it turns out that I have a drinking problem. It's interesting the way one can be able to look at other peoples problems and try to think of solutions, but come up empty with your own. I'm OK as a social drinker and don't have problems from what I can see. No one has complained about my behavior and I don't drink to excess. But when I am by myself I lose track and I go overboard. I start off with ideas about how I'm going to pace myself, and how I'm going to get up and walk around before I have another drink (so I don't fall asleep), but every single time my ability to keep these things in mind goes out the window, and I have way too much. That leads to me getting to a very dark place full of self-loathing when conscious. Alternatively I just fall asleep for a couple of hours and what fun I wanted to have is wasted. Also while I have never been abusive, I do get irrational and rude. This needs to stop and I don't thin … |
 4chan?#Question I was told to go here... why do they call us normal bronies "autists"? :[ |
 Internalizing information more efficientlyHi everyone! In an earlier thread,http://www.ponychan.net/chan/dis/res/70522.html#i70542 I pointed out how I was doing some crazy things with ways of internalizing information. At the time it was very scattershot and unorganized, but over time it has gotten more organized. As a result I decided to tell you about how it is going now so that you can try to adapt it to whatever you might be studying now. The picture shows a page from an anatomical work on the Cerebellum. The earlier thread was based on the Thalamus but that was an earlier effort so it was not as organized, and was actually pretty manic. Now it's more streamlined and here is how it works and I will provide my arguments for why it might help you. What you are seeing is me using color to connect concepts more efficiently. From what I read about the brain a lot of what it does involves connecting "things to things" I'm working on the specifics and rules. So I have chosen some colors to repr … |
NoneHypothetical Situation#Question >>If you're the parent of a child and he/she tells you they want to be the opposite sex to match their gender, what would you do? |
 #Discussion So I found this article on Facebook today and was wondering what people might think about the idea. http://thecurrentconscience.com/blog/2011/09/12/a-message-to-women-from-a-man-you-are-not-%E2%80%9Ccrazy%E2%80%9D/ It has to do with stuff I've seen come up on the boards a few times now regarding emotions and sensitivity. The article seems to claim that our attempts to calm someone whose emotions are running a bit wild are actually a malicious form of control rather than...trying to calm someone whose emotions are running a bit wild. I'm very skeptic of the subject, but I definitely want to hear what other people have to say on some parts of the article. >You’re so sensitive. You’re so emotional. You’re defensive. You’re overreacting. Calm down. Relax. Stop freaking out! You’re crazy! I was just joking, don’t you have a sense of humor? You’re so dramatic. Just get over it already! >When someone says these things to you, it’s … |
 What are your dreams? By Niel deGrasse Tyson#Question Did we stop dreaming, /dis/? http://youtu.be/CbIZU8cQWXc http://youtu.be/BFO2usVjfQc The 850 billion dollar bank bailout is greater than the entire 50 year running NASA budget really struck home to me. What are your dreams for tomorrow? What do you dream about? Last edited at Thu, Mar 7th, 2013 03:58 |
 Anti depressant side effects#Question I've been taking celexa and it seems to be working pretty well but I've had sexual side effects that have gotten worse recently. Now I've heard that sudafed and reduce these symptomes and since celexa is a minor antihistamin i guess that makes sense? So does anyone else heard that? |
 Fursuits#Question Hello fellow ponies, Black Bristle is here. I wanted to discuss a little bit of what is its the current appearance of more and more MLP fursuits at the conventions and looking around the streets. Have anyone noticed that? I found out a quite great artist who commissions this suits and does a great job here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/costume-maker-and-fursuit-maker/117032121712822?fref=ts But anyway, does anypony would dare to suit up the fandom? I would. |
 #Discussion Do you believe that the US is currently a Police State? I've already made up my mind for myself, so I'm not asking for proof here, but a personal opinion, without any research into the subject as a result of this thread. Right now, do you personally feel the integrity and discipline of our Police forces are adequate and that they serve the people and the constitution? |
 The Greatest of Stallions#Share This is from Transcendence by Corejo. I don't know whether it's based off of a real poem or he came up with it himself. I figured I'd share it since I find it highly inspirational. “‘The greatest of stallions is not brash and hasty, Nor is he the mighty warrior, the victor of the bloodiest of battles; He is the humble, the contemplative. Calculating in design and steadfast of mind. He follows in the hoofsteps of the greatest before him: He builds his castle upon solid ground; It does not falter to the storm. He raises his banner to the wind; It transmits his chivalry afar. He fills his walls with the strongest of stallions; His castle is impenetrable. His gate is wide and sturdy; Strong to enemies, but open to friends. He lights many torches within, So he may find his way in the dead of night. So, too, I have built my life: When my castle sank into the bog, I rebuilt another on the mountainside. When my banner was pitiful and filled with shame, … |
NoneOk....#Discussion Yeah...I understand you like ponies but...making porn of it...? Kinda freaks me out... |
 Going to BronyCon 2013#Question So I bought the ticket for BronyCon 2013, will fly all the way from San Francisco to Baltimore I hate to be offensive but can somepony tell me if there are "bad areas" in the city that I shall never go and what are the "good areas" that I shall find a hotel for the Con? |
 Disney Evil#Answer So we all know about moral ambiguity, moral relativism, and the ever popular "not black and white, but just shades of grey." Even so, isn't there some evil that's so unequivocable, so blatant, that it's almost comical? I'm talking about Rob Blagoyavich shaking down a children's hopsital for money. I'm talking about New Jersey mayor Chris Christie trying to shut down the Camden Children's Garden, a notprofit org that brings beauty and joy to little children in a greenspace in one of the most destitute and murder-ridden cities in the country, so that they can bulldoze the award-winning architecture and give the land to his for-profit buddies at the Adventure Aquarium. (Interest in this topic? There's a petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/558/352/791/save-the-camden-childrens-garden/ ) This Children's Garden is a site that they were forced to build by the state government, which still refused to sell them the … |
NonePiracy#Question I just pirated for my first time and I feel really bad. Should I? Or is this just a feeling? |
 #Discussion NOTE: Incoming wall of text with links. You have been warned. Also, the main post was deleted by accident. *Facepalm* First, for those unfamiliar with this trope: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GirlShowGhetto Now for the main discussion. We've already seen Friendship is Magic make an impact on the fact that it's okay for a guy to watch girly cartoons, but as seen from the link above, few shows (Especially cartoons) do this very well. The Powerpuff Girls was another good example of being enjoyed by all ages (And it was never intended to be girly cartoon in the first place! For crying out loud, they were going to be called the Whoopass Girls!) Heck, there have even been successful "girly" cartoons before it. That being said, we still have a long way to go here. No one expected ponies to become this big, and not every "girly" show will follow the example this show set on how to make a "girly cartoon" appropria … |
 A Peer Review Request: Ben Goldacre's TED Talk ~ Unpublished Journal/#Question So as some of you may know, I am dabbling in herbalism a bit lately as a hobby, just learning some things here and there. I get people who ask me questions about why - particularly because their perspective is that 'western medicine' (meaning in the united states et al) should be plenty effective whereas the 'field of herbalism' is dicey and spotty at best. Now, I have mixed feelings about how we view our healthcare system here in the states. I can't translate this to other areas that I haven't been to: I just don't know how things are there, but I know that here it definitely seems that pushing drugs is a big business and gets a bit more initiative than it should. Pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical companies have some fairly questionable practices I feel, and this is one of my motivators (including cost) in studying herbalism a bit. I have some other problems, personally, with medicine in the US and how it is and isn't p … |
None#Share Once again, I've been stabbed in the back by my fellow Bronies. They speak ill of me behind my back, they lie to my face, and they're just not nice (at least the ones IRL). There are times I wonder if Friendship is Bullshit! |
 #Share We sarcastic now. http://www.ponychan.net/chan/meta/res/137804.html i just know that you will all be good little ponies with this new toy won't you? The contents of this thread are not to be taken seriously. |
 #Question I don't know why I'm turning to ponychan for help. But I need it. I'm so confused, I don't know what to do. I feel broken as a man. I hate being the beta male and just "watching" something that could of been pass by to someone else. I hear so many things about what girls like and don't like that I'm not sure what to think anymore. I'm an introvert, so I hate clubs and I hate talking. On-dating is not my thing. How do I break out of my mental shell and at least get a girl to like me? |
 #Question "Never hate what you can pity." Do you agree? The phrase can mean whatever you want it to mean. I throw it up for light discussion. I think I might be inclined to agree with it - certainly it's an optimistic view of things. |
 Black history month for White People#Discussion "Black history month? What about white history month!?" This statement invariably brings two responses from people. The first is "Hell yeah!" and the second is "omfg you do not understand". I'd like you to watch this video - which falls into the second category - and respond to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e2qUzr3DYyY Do you think he has a point? Do you think he presents it well? |
 Automatisation: dey tuk or jerbs#Discussion It's a thing I've been thinking about a little. 2 years ago, someone gave a student presentation on RFids and how it has numerous applications. One sill one was that stores could be shelved easily and cash registers would become a thing of the past. I hear calls for a better education system using general online modules and tests available, making going to classes a thing that might disappear. Overall, robotics, domotica keeps improving making workload easier and easier. But that poses a certain question. What happens to the people who these days do these tasks? If we ever get to a point where going to the store can be done automatically, what about the cashiers? The people who reshelve things,.. What about the cleaning personnel or the kitchen staff? What about teachers and the likes? Increasing automatisation would make life easier, but what would happen to the job market? |
 Presence#Share So I was just thinking about the difference between an online group of friends and a physical group of friends. It seems like, here at least, it can be rather difficult to keep track of your online friends. They seem to come and go almost at random. Leaving without saying anything and then showing up again later as a happy surprise. That would never happen in real life, though, would it? People don't suddenly disappear in real life, they'll tell people if they're going somewhere, you'll receive a notification. In fact, it doesn't seem uncommon that you know your friends' schedules by heart so you know exactly when you can expect them to be available. Yet we either aren't as open with our schedules online or they don't seem like important things to share. I don't think we're less open with things, so I started wondering what the difference between real life and the online world is. I figure it's something … |
 Income Inequality, a Silenced TED Talk, & one HUGE Lawsuit from OWS#Discussion So, I realize thats quite a subject line, but rather than divide it into separate subjects I thought as they are all related, why not roll them all into one. Lets start with the easiest ones first. This is mostly to do with conditions in the United States, so apologies to those not directly impacted. The first is a simple youtube video on income inequality: it depicts firstly how we in the states tend to perceive income distribution/wealth in the states, then how most people seem to think is an ideal system for distribution of income and wealth, then shows us the reality and where we are in relation to it. Runtime: 6:24 http://youtu.be/QPKKQnijnsM Now, this next one is a TED Talk you will not find on the TED Talks website. Interesting enough. This is from one 'Nick Hanauer' who was invited to speak about inequality, and whose video was later removed for being too 'mediocre' and 'partisan' - quotes from a TED translator and presum … |
 Sequestration#Question Congress, those big guys controlling the money, are trying to cut the budget. Good on them, we could use some spending cuts, right? Well, not exactly. You see, concerning the military, about ~$46 billion needs to be cut. That doesn't sound too bad. After all, Hellfire missile are $68,000 each. Buy less missiles. F-16's and F-18's still work fine. Delay the F-22 and F-35 programs for a year or two, save a couple hundred thousand (billions, even) of dollars. Not that simple. Congress can't pick and choose what gets cut. You see, they must cut 9.4% of all funding. To everything. Every program or project has to be cut by 9.4%. No matter how big, or how small. However, active duty (not veteran) soldiers currently in the military are exempt from this cut. This means the military has to fuck with it's civilian employees. Nurses who work in hospitals, instructors who teach technical jobs to soldiers, and even workers who repair ships, will hav … |
 Do the ends justify the means?#Discussion >pic partially related So yeah, do you think that any end justify the means? Is freeing a country from an oppressive dictator but in the process you had to kill innocents and set up draconian detainment camps for people who don't follow your views? Would terrorism be justified if at the end you created a Utopian society? I'm just putting this out there. I'm not too sure myself,so yeah. |
 What do?Okay, I know I don’t post here a lot, but I figured I could take this here and have a serious discussion about it.I am considering emancipating myself before I finish high school. There are many reasons for this. (I realize some people will think I’m a teenager, and just blowing it out of proportion, but I’ve weighed my reactions and the effects of all these things.) Me and my parents do not mix anymore, and it became very severe after they found out that I wasn’t straight. They no longer show affection towards me, but instead act like I am somebody they have to work with. And my father almost rarely talks to me, except when he absolutely has to. Adding to this, when we are around relatives or friends, they start to “act” around them. It would be one thing if they were good at it, but even my friends have asked why they act so fake. If I do anything that they consider wrong, they become verbally abusive. At one point in time, I was willingly submitted to a ment … |
 Daylight Savings Time#Discussion A quick primer on some of the details of the phenomenon, if you're curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84aWtseb2-4 I bring to /dis/ the question of whether or not this system has any real benefits. The various clock changes around the world needlessly complicate what should otherwise be a very simple system of adding or subtracting a number directly based on distance. Do you feel that Daylight Savings Time brings with it enough benefit to make up for the complications in understanding what time it is? If not, how would we go about changing it? As mentioned in the video, there are already people who don't follow it, both here in America and in a very large number of foreign countries, so there must be some way to say "No, we don't want that." Bonus question: Is it still useful to have time zones? With how connected we are these days, should we just have a single global time? Does time absolutely need to line up with a night/d … |
 #Discussion So I know i haven't really been around recently, but i'd like to bring your attention to something... i-if you could, please read all of it. A few weeks ago, Hasbro sent a Cease and Desist order (C&D from here on out) to a few of the parody teams such as The Mentally Advanced Series and Friendship is Witchcraft. Most of us that knew about this kind of shrugged it off and went about our business. Recently, Hasbro has sent C&D orders to the Fighting is Magic dev team. They ended up raising money with this project to support a charity supporting breast cancer. This same C&D order is being sent to ALL GAME DEVS WORKING ON PONY RELATED CONTENT. To me this just isn't right. A few of my friends and i agreed that this isn't what we want. Hasbro can't just tell people who spent countless hours creating content, most of which is free, can they? Sadly: yes they can. Its well withing the Legal parameters. It still seems wrong tho. … |
 How to care about people?#Question There seem to be a few intelligent people here that seem to care about people and the world in general, so I figure this is as good place to ask my question as any other. I'm not a very good person, but I'd like to try to become one and I guess the first steep would be to start actually caring about people. As a rule of thumb neither human life nor suffering of others mean very much to me; the dead of Haiti's earthquake, the hungry and thirsty of Africa, the exiles of various wars, the sick children whining in media how horrible their life is and how much our help would mean to them, my neighbor dying, social issues that do not affect me directly, family member ending up in a hospital or even dying...etc., all that that stuff means less to me then finding out that I have no cereals left for breakfast. In addition to this I am also highly misanthropic and distrustful of people, which when combined with indifference toward human life and suffering does … |
 White Model as African Queen#Discussion Okay /dis/, I often see articles or threads on the subject of race where 90% of the comments are either, "oh my god that's racist" or "not its not, stop being thin skinned". I hate these post because people never take the time to explain their actual opinions on these matters, which does nothing to actually spur any kind of racial understanding and usually just leaves people more intolerant than they were before they read the comments. So I'm going to ask something very simple of /dis/. Please do not post your opinions unless you are willing to provide the reasoning behind them. Pretty easy, right? So let's get on with the topic. http://fashionbombdaily.com/2013/02/26/white-model-ondria-hardin-poses-in-numeros-african-queen-editorial-what-is-fashions-obsession-with-blackface/ Okay, so a French fashion magazine called Numero has come under heat for a recent photo shoot they did under the title 'African Queen'. The s … |
 TED: Jamie Oliver "Teach Every Child About Food"#Discussion EDIT : It has come to my attention that the resolution for the picture is really bad, which I'm not able to tell on this computer as well, so I will describe the four red values which are red because they are all diet-related causes of death. The video link below has this in better resolution and in the early opening segment so you can read the rest. In order from the top of this chart 'Causes of Death: United States' is Heart Disease, then All Cancers, then Stroke, and then two non diet related causes followed by Diabetes - see the video for more detail Lets talk about TED Talks. In this TED Talks hosted by Jamie Oliver, he addresses the issue of the american (and right behind us several other societies) diet catastrophe, why its happening, and who is in line to suffer the greatest because of it: our youngest generations. This comes on the tail of an Obesity discussion regarding how the Obesity epidemic is blown out of proportion, so let me … |
 sick of all the demonization of pedophiles (VERY SERIOUS)Note:Does this thread piss you off? Then you are probably normal. Unfortunately the consequences of that are normal too, sabotaged conversation. Like it or not this is discussion worth having and I for one am not willing to ignore it so if you want to comment in this thread take the time to actually read it. Once you have you will see how to handle it constructively and will hopefully have calmed down. Email me if you have any questions.
!!Twilight #Discussion [i post this here because this is the only mature enough forum i know that can peacefully handle this discussion] Pedophiles, in the last few centuries have been considered the worst scum and filth a human can be. they are depicted as sick, twisted and demented hobos who do nothing but attempt to rape kids. this is not true at all! how do i know all this? simple, I am a pedophile. does it mean i molest kids? no. does it mean i rape kids? no. does it mean im some twisted pshycotic creep? no. it means only o … |
 Gender: The Binary and its Heralded Downfall#Discussion Can we talk about gender? Before I start this, I want to say that I would never tell anyone that they can't identify the way they want to, and I do not intend to say anything mean or ignorant. This is not about whether or not people can or should identify the way they want to, it's about how it affects society and the people around them, and about "the binary". We've had a hundred discussions here about what gender is, and the implications of that, whether there are two or a million. And yet, I still kind of don't get it. When the distinction between sex and gender first started splaying in popular language, it was described to me as being the difference between physical sex (and there is therein a distinction between genes and genitals) and personal identification. That's easy enough to grasp. Some people are also intersex, or identify interchangeably. Alright. What I'm having trouble grasping is people who act as though g … |
 #Question >state a subjective opinion >BUT THAT'S WRONG BECAUSE <insert subjective opinion here> Why do people do this stuff, it's freaking idiotic. Being in "debate mode" all the time doesn't make you look cool, it just makes you look like some antagonistic dork. Do I really need to support my "claim" about a casual subject when it's just going to be deflected by ironic posting and logical fallacies anyway? (I'm talking about REALLY minor stuff like red vs. blue and apples vs. oranges) |
 the "friendly" /mlp/ guy#Question Hello /dis/ nor/MLP/eople here I cinsider going to ponychan So can you tell me why i should stay here? Does ponychan has epic threads from time to time? What is your favourite board and why? Tell me Notice to myself : "I tried to keep my spaghetti but failed." |
 #Question I know this post is just posted as "question", but I feel I should warn you now. 1. I am really only looking for Christians who have either been in my position or helped others out of it. 2. My question deals with the fact of God being omniscient, omnipotent, and having everything in place at the beginning of time. Please try to help me on this. I recently came to a startling revelation. Heh, Revelation actually happen to cause it. Revelation is the final book of the Bible, and details what happens at the end of days. This book though...confuses me. It's as if it is not finished. Let me try to explain. The book of Revelation details that the main "END" of this grand scheme called Life is that God eventually defeats Satan and we live forever in peace. But something doesn't add up. The fact of omniscience. God has known all since the beginning of time, correct? That's what the Bible says at least. And if this is true...then why d … |
 Battling depression-like symptoms#Question For the past several years, I've been having an incredibly difficult time motivating myself to do things that I enjoy. Generally my interests include anime and video games, but I find it incredibly difficult to start playing or watching them. Generally when I do, I tend to turn towards much older ones, usually from my childhood. During the process, my mind would try to tell itself "Don't get too engrossed in this, there's not much time left in the day to get started" even when it would be like, 6 PM or even as early as 3 or 4 PM or even earlier. These feelings of ennui come and go, and generally I've gotten better over the past few years, but right now I'm hit the ennui zone again and just need to talk about it. I don't dislike or hate these things at all. I genuinely love my hobbies because they make me who I am. But I have problems engaging in them sometimes, like I said. Ennui feelings then tend to leads towards not doin … |
 ASK THE MODS#Share Hey all! !!Trixie is doing an "Ask the Mods" thread on /chat/ and Admiral Yang Wen-li made the point that we should let others know so that they don't feel left out! I understand that this is off-topic for /dis/, but we don't want you guys to miss out just because you frequent a different part of the site. http://www.ponychan.net/chan/chat/res/40572265.html Come on in and join the fun! Careful, though. !!Trixie may ban you if he gets bored. |
 I've had something on my mind for a while and I want to get it out. This thing bugs me a little and I can't think of a better place to discuss it than here. I'm a christian but I do not believe that Hell is eternal. The reason for this is because the God of my understanding isn't so cruel. So I want some opinions on this subject. (I'm not just asking fellow Christians either. I'm asking every one this question) So give me your religion of choice (if any) and your opinion on the subject. |
 Papal resignation#Discussion So apparently, Pope Benedict decided to resign a few days ago. I didn't even know that was a thing. So to just scattershot the topic, what's everyone thoughts on this? Social, practical and religious ramifications? |
 WALMART's Retail Rollback: WM Shoppers now too poor to shop at WM?#Discussion I'll be the first to admit, I've never been hugely fond of walmart beyond the fact that its the only store of its type open during ungodly hours. If there is ever a supercorporation who should be boycott and undermined in favor of local stores and shops and vendors, WALMART is that store. So when it appears that WALMART is starting to show signs of stress and anxiety at high profile executive levels due to faltering sales, I should probably be happy. I should probably tell you to be happy. Unfortunately, however, WALMART seems to be taking on water in the retail ocean and this is probably not due to smarter economic decisions and wiser/more compassionate spending. No. It would seem that WALMART's target demographic is possibly now too poor to shop at WALMART, and that is not a good sign at all. And if WALMART, one of the ultimates in super retail like itself (if not THE ultimate, considering other companies that operate under WALMART) that is no … |
 Have you ever witnessed a suicide? #Share I've been thinking about it a lot today (not the act of committing suicide but rather what would make a person do such thing?) share your thoughts on the subject. |
 #Discussion Firearm manufacturer Olympic Arms announced that they will no longer sell to New York law enforcement in protest of the gun control laws recently passed there. Olympic Arms“Legislation recently passed in the State of New York outlaws the AR15 and many other firearms, and will make it illegal for the good and free citizens of New York to own a large selection of legal and safe firearms and magazines. We feel as though the passage of this legislation exceeds the authority granted to the government of New York by its citizens, and violates the Constitution of the United States, ignoring such SCOTUS rulings as District of Columbia v. Heller — 554, U.S. 570 of 2008, McDonald v. Chicago — 561 U.S. 3025 of 2010, and specifically the case of United States v. Miller — 307 U.S. 174 of 1939.” “Due the passing of this legislation, Olympic Arms would like to announce that the State of New York, any Law Enforcement Departments, Law Enforcement Officers, First Res … |
 Is "Guilt Tripping" A Form of Bullying?#Question Guilt Tripping... or basically making people feel emotionally responsible for what you want or like or don't like. Perhaps theres a better explanation. However... is it bullying? Why, or why not? Feel free to further define the terms 'Bullying' and 'Guilt Tripping' as both can be somewhat vague. |
 Respect and Authority#Share What does everybody think of the situation with Christopher Jordan Dorner? If you don’t know, it’s all over CNN and all the news sites. He had written an eleven page manifesto detailing his hatred towards the LAPD, saying that they have actually managed to degrade since Rampart and Rodney King. I think a lot of his feelings towards them goes along with respect of authority, and I mean anything revolving around authority and respect. How they respect people, people respect them, general mood towards authority, and when authority abuses it’s power. In my opinion, he’s doing the right thing. Protests, rants, groups, all that stuff, they just don’t change anything. It’s unfortunate that it would take murders to hit reset, but maybe that’s what it needs... Also, any stories with authority from you guys? |
 Why would we be born with our sexuality?Okay, so the saying goes that we are born with our sexuality, right? But the more I think about it, the less sense it makes for me. For the cause of the discussion, I will take homosexuality as an example: There have been studies proving that there is no thing such as "a gay gene". If there had actually been a gene that made you gay, then I would have agreed that we are born with our sexuality. But since there apparently is not, I think we must look elsewhere.I'm asexual, and I claim that this is a result from stuff happening around me. I got bullied in school when I was young, my mother had several extremely bad relationships, my father was a terrible father, all the adults and in school teachers preached to not treat girls as objects for your own pleasure, at the same time every film, tv-show and friends around me centered and talked about how great sex are and that there was a pride in having as many sexpartners as possible. So as a result of the massive c … |
 #Discussion Am I the only one who finds the whole "internet autism" thing to be pretty damn insulting? The way 4chan and the like talk about autism like it's something you get for liking a show and should kill yourself over instead of just something you gotta live with, I mean. I have Asperger's so this kind of "humor" always kinda rubbed me the wrong way. Pic may or may not be related. |
 >$24#Discussion By Celestia's tits, check out Mt. Gox right now! |
 Herbalism: Not Just For WoW Toons#Discussion Lets talk about Herbalism, /dis/ And I don't mean your lvl 80 tauren druid either. I'm talking about the often undervalued, belittled, or abandoned system of using natures plants to treat symptoms or illnesses. In the west, there is a great deal of controversy in some places regarding the differences between 'western medicine' and 'alternative medicine'. In some areas there is a common appriciation and practice of herbalism to treat symptoms or diseases, but in others it can be almost entirely unheard of. In order to make this thread usable as a reference, lets attempt to utilize scientific names for lesser known plants (in addition to more common if you prefer) that way if reserach or data is found in regards to a plant, it can be referenced with ctrl+f of that plant name to find where else it may be referenced in the thread, just in case a plant and its use are listed in a different post as supporting - or not - data in another … |
 What is the most overrated virtue?#Question I found this in a list of questions to ask your characters by Proust, and it intrigued me. What is your take? This isn't limited to the cardinal virtues, you can take up anything espoused as a positive moral quality/worthy character trait that seems to be promoted out of proportion to its actual worth. What do you think? |
 analogy comparing computers and government.#Share Unix-libertarian Windows-authoritarian Unix has a small core operating system. each piece of software essentially has its own account. A libertarian system has a small government. A lot of the services (fire, medical) are self-run. Both are efficient. If part of either is infiltrated, the problem can be contained. Windows has a large core (registry) that every piece of software interacts with. This is very taxing on performance (haha geddit?). In an authoritarian system, the government has a lot of power, and every service has to be approved by it. They are not as efficient. If either is infiltrated, it's too late. probably not the perfect analogy, but I thought I'd share. |
 The Gym#Discussion You want to look good when you defend what you care about right? Family, ideas, policies, morals, whatever. But there is a problem, you have a life and maybe family to take care of. Or you are tired being surrounded by pure emotionalism and don’t know what to do. Well I can’t say I have the answer, but I do have an answer. For now I guess the best name for it is “Defense Against the Dark Arts” in reference to the link that Royal Night Guard posted, http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Dark_arts. I was unintentionally misleading when I described it in the other thread because it is difficult to try to describe what one does when one has not tried to write down ones rhetorical strategy before. Especially since it is an evolving thing like it should be for everyone else. The following posts are my methods, axioms and ethics and I hope I can make them clearer now. They are also open to criticism and change. I welcome any techniques that others might want to share … |
 #Question Out of curiosity...what is /dis/'s reading list on economics? |
 Criticism for Flutterguy#Question I guess that I am looking for a report card in this thread, as well as wanting to ask if you are all OK with a sticky. First the report card, I am curious about how you all think I am doing as a moderator of this board. My entire life I have used boards like this one to learn things from people who care enough about issues to engage in a serious manner. Its best when the environment is like the one we try to shape with the particular rules that are here, but I also tried to learn to value a good fight too. So I guess that I am curious about what you all think of the effect I have here and what I might consider doing differently. I realize that there will be serious answers, troll answers, and everything in between but I want to try this anyway. I only request that you quote an example and explain that example if you can. If not, other than staying the rules I place no restrictions on what you put here. As for the sticky request, I wanted to ask if the /dis/ c … |
 #Discussion Diane Feinstein's office releases the proposed new AWB bill, deemed "The Newtown School Weapon Bill" (to lend emotional support). Here's some of the highlights: •Reduces, from two to one, the number of permitted external features on various firearms. The 1994 ban permitted various firearms to be manufactured only if they were assembled with no more than one feature listed in the law. Feinstein’s new bill would prohibit the manufacture of the same firearms with even one of the features. •Adopts new lists of prohibited external features. For example, whereas the 1994 ban applied to a rifle or shotgun the “pistol grip” of which “protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon,” the new bill would drastically expand the definition to include any “grip . . . or any other characteristic that can function as a grip.” Also, the new bill adds “forward grip” to the list of prohibiting features for rifles, definin … |
 No offenc but...#Discussion Is it just me or are most of these topics starting to get repetitive and a little stupid? I mean after all this time, most of everything talked about, brought to the table, enforced and criticized has been done like 5 times. |
 The last 50,000 years...#Discussion I made the mistake of hitting something on the back of my computer that was glowing red and said "Clr CMOS". I'm going to do new stuff until I get that sorted out. My drawing tablet does not work with my crappy laptop. What do you think about your fellow humans? The way they are similar to you? The way they are different? How do you see the near future in terms of how we need to organize things for maximum happiness and minimal suffering? What if I told you that over the last 50,000 years human beings have been evolving at 160 times the rate that they were between our last common ancestor with chimpanzees and 50,000 years ago? Another way of saying that is when the compare the rate at which our DNA has been changing over the last 50,000 years they see changes occurring 160 times more often than they have between us and chimps over the last 5 million years or so. It was commonly thought for a long time that we were no longer evolving. Quite the … |
 Fan works#Discussion Since Fighting is Magic has probably been canceled completely, this recently brought to my mind the fact that any and all fan-art involving trademarked characters is considered illegal by the law. In America, our government was founded on the idea of the power of the people. Would attempting to get a "fan art exception" kind of law be plausible/make sense? The government allows for petitions and suggestions. If "fan-art" was specified as something comprised of trademarked character that is completely non-profit, wouldn't that be good for the people of a country, without necessarily harming owners of a trademark? This, obviously, expands beyond ponies. |
 Kinda relating to Morals#Discussion So, I was thinking today... In my World History II class, we’ve been talking about WW2 and the Holocaust. And the more I learn, the more upsetting it seems. For as “moral” as humans are supposed to be, how could so many be corrupted by just one man? Wouldn’t they have seen how wrong all of this was? I know that there are (were) groups that rebelled, within Germany, but comparing their small amount to the size of the Nazi army is just brain shattering to me. It’s made me think of all sorts of stuff over the past few days, and now I’ve kinda been fuzzy about everything that anyone does... So what do you all think about this? (and this is all based on what I’ve absorbed about it) |
 Targeted PricingSo I've been reading a lot of stuff coming up lately regarding "Targeted Pricing": a sales practice where you changes your prices to match your individual customers. At one point this had been the norm. There were no set prices for anything, everything involved a bit of bartering. Those with more money were naturally willing to pay more than those without, and the merchants selling the items were happy to provide.In more modern times, though, everything is automated. You'll enter a store, find a shirt for $5, and anyone else who wants that shirt will automatically be charged the price of $5 as well. Some companies are experimenting with changing that, however. Altering prices based on neighborhood, for example. The most notable and commonly questioned examples involve online shopping. Supposedly they'll compare past purchases, page view history, how long your mouse hovers over certain parts of a site, how many times you'll visit a spec … |
 Pony Convention Wars#Question Hey ponychan. I'm not really sure where to post this. This seems to be the most appropriate place so I'll go here. A while ago, a friend of mine and I decided that, since we live in the northeast where no good brony conventions are anymore...we were gonna plan one. We've spent the past 2 months organizing, planning, and paying for the convention. It's going very smoothly and we hope to have it going very soon. However...our other friend (who seems a bit "slow in the head" but I'm not really sure) saw our effort in making our convention and decided that HE wants to plan his own...in a town that's just 30 minutes away from ours..in the.same state (and we're in Massachusetts...which is a small state anyway). Not only is he not thinking clearly (he's trying to book a venue for 1,500 people for a convention he expects only 300 to attend), but he won't listen every time I tell him that having two brony conventions … |
 #Answer I havent been here for a while (like a year or so) and recently I found some guys (in this board) who are into that fat acceptance movement, I dont have anything against fat people but anyway, it made me think if some of you are also into that "Cis privilege" stuff, you know, calling yourself "Xe, Zir" or whatever they call themselves, or believing that men can be lesbians, or hating white men because they have some sort of privilege, honestly I dont even know what this people is trying to achieve or what dot they want, some sort of equality or recognition. There is also that new feminism stuff, in which men can rape a woman without even touching her, and that rape culture stuff, what do you guys think about that? can a man really rape a woman without touching her? men can be lesbians? our "heteronormative society" is repressing people with more than 2 genres? is this people just iinsane? |
 Lie?#Question So I've moved to a new city (Boston) until May to establish my financial independence by getting a job. I'll be able to rely on the relative with whom I'm staying for some support until about the first of March or so, after which I'm expected to pay rent and buy all my own food. My goal was to get a job by the 11th of February, but it's looking grim. I've applied to quite a few places; I have a bit of job experience but not very much, and I'm not a student until this fall. I've had one interview, but even though the interviewer seemed impressed at first, I was turned down because the catch is that I need to return to Florida in May to get ready to leave for college in the fall, attend orientation for the University of Alabama, and see my friends and family before heading off to college. She just didn't want to train me for two months so that I could work for less than six, understandably. So do I lie? It's against w … |
 Prostitution and Institutionalized Sex#Discussion In the modern day, prostitution and institutionalized sex is quite generally looked down upon, if not even almost globally illegal. A prostitute is looked down on as one of the lowest people in societies, as dirty, drug addicted, uneducated, and many are abused. Currently it is quite a dangerous job on many fronts. However, this was not always so. In this thread, I invite us to discuss the history and current status of prostitution and institutionalized (professional, religious even) sex services. Lets try to be objective if possible, and explore the roles that professional sex services provided and provide both in historical and modern day context. Bonus points if you can bring interesting new viewpoints on prostitution/professional sex other than the one we are all probably familiar with as hinted at in the first paragraph. This is open discussion, but I'll start off with a question to get the mental gears going. You are free to answer it if you want, o … |
 Rembembering Aaron Swartz#Share Just yesterday we lost one of 'us', one of the 'internet folk'. Co-founder of reddit, founder of Demand Progress, and a huge list of other accomplishments. It is a sad thing to see him go. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/01/farewell-aaron-swartz http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/12/aaron-swartz_n_2463726.html |
 #Question Coming to you from the same anon that made this thread: >>70025 After wandering around Wikipedia, I have found another thing that peaked my interest in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debriefing In particular, the following: >Indeed, much evidence indicates that these debriefings are not only ineffective, but harmful. Following up on the citation: http://www.bmj.com/content/325/7361/426?ck=nck And doing some more Googling, it seems to be backed up a number of places. But...if debriefing is harmful...how the hell are we supposed to learn from some of our most important mistakes? |
 When Is Competition Bad?#Question A common theme in regards to innovation, economy, buisness, and services in the real world is that competition is good and ultimately competition drives improvements and better practices and products. Ultimately this means that competition drives society and progress, innovation etc. However, when is competition actually a bad thing? When does it do more harm than good, or even stunt progress, innovation, etc. ? |
 #Discussion “Collective rights without individual ones end up in tyranny. Moreover, rights inflation—the tendency to define anything desirable as a right—ends up eroding the legitimacy of a defensible core of rights . . . The right to freedom of speech is not, as the Marxist tradition maintained, a lapidary bourgeois luxury, but the precondition for having any other rights at all.” — Michael Ignatieff Thoughts, /dis/? |
 What does it mean to be a brony?As a brony I hear so many things:-Is it because you love the show? -Is it because you like collecting the toys? -Is it about rebellion against family and society? What do you think? I just want to hear your opinion on these things people say. |
NoneRough start to my new yearThis would be my first time using this site for an outreach or some divine sympathy...right words? idk really....What has been bothering me (if my not so great childhood wasnt enough) the last saturday of December 2012 is a day i will never forget.....It was roughly 7:35pm and i was on my way home, same road i take back and forth everyday....I was rounding a turn that is very sharp and there i saw 2 cars (one had just rolled to a stop) and it was a head on collision....i immediatley pull over and first call for paramedics, i run over to a small toyota compact which was hit by a huge town car and all i hear is deadening moans no words or pleas for help....inside the mangled toyota i see a male(pass) female(driver) and 4 year old girl in carseat(rear) the 2 girls were unresponsive....the male was thrown through the windsheild but came back in and (warning description graphic) the right side of his face was hanging off down to muscle and bone fragments....now by this time someon … |
 Simple FaithYeah, this is a religion thread so don't get your panties in a knot. This isn't some dogma or absolute truth it's just some ideas I've had rumbling around in my cranium for a while.The thoughts came about from me exploring the following ideas. Are beliefs necessary for a religious experience? Does one need a spiritual theory of mind or a set of practices to develop spiritually? Does a person need practices with belief investment in them to have mystical experiences? What exactly is a mystical experience and what is its relation to religion? I've always been a philosophical and spiritual person, endlessly trying to figure out what's true. I thought I needed a belief framework to really grow spiritually. I've realized that it's all bullshit. I experience emotions and experiences which are spiritual. What level of relaity they hold, what they may represent spiritually, how I should interpret it philosophically is meaningless. Only the … |
 The Mathematics of Death: a Logical Lifespan Limitation#Answer What if I told you... that nature has a formula which dictates when you and your species are done living? That this formula expands to not just animals, but to plants as well? That is exactly the case being put forth in this article I picked up through NPR. http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/01/22/169976655/nature-has-a-formula-that-tells-us-when-its-time-to-die >Of course these rules do not tell any particular bee or dog or person when they are going to die. Every individual is subject to accident, caprice, luck. No, this is a general rule. It governs species. Modern humans have managed, because of medicines and hygiene, to become an exception, but 50,000 years ago, we were probably part of the pattern. If you're interested in quarter power scaling, you can check out "Of Mice and Elephants: A Matter of Scale," by George Johnson or go back to an earlier blog post I wrote here. But to summarize, nature goes easy on larger creatures so they don … |
 welfare#Discussion So, a diverse issue welfare is; many people have completely non-aligning opinions on what to do, but I have never seen anyone who seems to know what they are talking about think it's bulletproof or even solid. But, /dis/, what would you do to fix it. I am personally doing a mini-documentary (about 20 minutes) about problems and potential solutions to the problem. Charts and number based answers would be highly appreciated. |
 #Share Made this this morning. Just a conservative brony that watched the documentary and felt obligated to point this stuff out. Loved the rest of the documentary! |
 Reading out loud#Question I'm moving from /chat/ to here, maybe I'll get some more interesting responses: http://www.ponychan.net/chan/chat/res/40471285.html I looking at the history of reading, and discovered that...it wasn't always the case that everyone read silently. I didn't know this, I kind of find it surprising. Question: Is it 'better' (will you have better comprehension/focus more/read faster/etc.) to read out loud instead of silently? In particular, given our evolutionary predispositions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrapersonal_communication#Evolved_to_avoid_silence While I'm at it, I might as well ask whether that whole speedreading thing is bogus or not. |
 A random interesting thing...#Share With all the stuff that it feels like I need to "chew on for a while" mentally , I had a random weird little neat one that I thought I would share. Purple is sort of fake, and but as real as you want it to be. We have receptors that detect ~Red, ~Green, and ~Blue (leaving out the Rods and other stuff for this one). The electromagnetic spectrum runs from Red to Blue. They are the ends. You mix Red and Blue to get Purple. The reality of the light is a spectrum, but we can mentally link the ends and conceptualize a color wheel. Purple might be maximally complex in a way that makes it attractive to us. It's associated with Royalty among other things in many cultures. I don't know if this really means anything but I think it is neat. Pic spliced from the following, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_wheel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoreceptor_cell Last edited at Thu, Jan 17th, 2013 14:13 |
 FDR#Discussion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZsHm2Z1SVI Thoughts on this guy? |
 Rent v. Buy#Discussion The age old Rent v. Buy question, seems like a nice question to discuss. I'm doing this because I got into a discussion the other night with my father. He was trying to convince me to buy a house. To simplify the scenario at the moment, say there's no mortgage. Straight up you have the cash, are you a bad enough dude to buy the house? I would want to argue...no. Yes, I "throw away money" in rent every month. Here are my counters: 1-That is the seen. The unseen involves the opportunity cost of what I would otherwise do with the equivalent amount of money buying a house. (equivalently, if you wanted to argue that it's a good investment having to even get a mortgage, then there's an opportunity cost from all the money spent paying off the mortgage) 2-I remember hearing this story of an economist who had a friend that said, "Man, I'm going to save up my money and buy a parking garage. Think about it, you just sit the … |
 Some Nostalgia:#Discussion Favorite movies from child hood? |
 Depression#Question Hardly looks like an exciting subject, does it, /dis/. How "real" is depression? What I mean is, how distinct it is? I recognise that it is a real and genuine thing, for which sufferers really and genuinely need professional help and, in some cases, medication. I don't doubt that for a moment. What I am wondering is how clear-cut depression is. Can one be slightly depressed, or is it something that either you have or you don't? Is everyone slightly depressed, but most people only to a very slight degree? Is "depression" just a simplifying term for "unhappy person"? Basically, I'm worried about the lack of happiness in my life. I'm not really really unhappy, but I spend far more of my time being just a bit blue and boring than I spend being happy. Even when I'm happy it doesn't feel very deep, just ... transient. I dunno. I don't want to be a hyperchondriac, or make light of a serious issue. B … |
 #Discussion /dis/, human beings are sensitive. What I mean by that is that when things happen it causes people to feel. Not a feeling like rough sandpaper, or cold drinks, or soft kittens. Emotional feelings. When someone consumes their favorite food they feel happy. When their favorite food is out of stock even though they rushed to get to the store in time people feel sad. When the person who bought the last piece of said favorite food starts taunting the hungry late person they'll probably feel angry. These are all pretty standard emotions to feel and most people wouldn't second guess a single one of them. But should they? Sensitivity is easy to define if you view it simply as a scale. The more sensitive you are the more emotional your reaction to any given event. There are two more terms that I've found much more difficult to accurately define. Insensitive and oversensitive. (The concept of the latter is used mainly as a verb in the form of ove … |
 Isolation#Question Can you live in isolation? Do you think anyone can and maintain a healthy lifestyle? I'm living this question right now, because I have no social life. I used to think I could go without it, that I could easily survive on my own. But now I've realized that I can't. The internet does nothing for me. The trouble is, I don't know how to meet people. I've tried online groups to meet people and always found my lack of social skills getting in the way. There's no way for me to find anyone with similar interests around where I live, not that I can tell. Every day is work and sleep and taking up the spare time with my solitary interests. Money isn't a problem for me, but I still feel like I'm going to suffocate. Hardly anyone else can understand this feeling, because most people have normal social lives and have learned basic social skills, and so they can't understand what it's like being without them. They te … |
 Reworked Piece: Give Princess Celestia a Chance!#Discussion Hello once again /dis/! I want to share with you guys a reworked version of a long article I previously posted here some time ago. Following the feedback I received, I reworked this Squidoo lens to make the second non-satirical part of it much less offensive/condescending, more informative and in a way more neutral... although if you are a Christian, you could still feel very offended by it if you don't tolerate satire: http://www.squidoo.com/give-celestia-a-chance I also wanted to answer the first question Tamar asked me the first time I shared this piece: "Why did you bother to write this if you don't believe in anything?" I wrote this, primarily, to address an "argument" some Christians use when non-Christians ask them why they think their Christian faith is true: "I know Christianity is true because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through my spirit! I feel his presence in me and he "speaks" … |
 #Discussion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTzpfXmlh3I What's happening with this Mali thing? General Mali/France discussion. |
 Why does everyone seem to hate Obama?#Question I don't care much for politics and know absolutely nothing about it. So I'm asking this for the people who do know and understand it. Why do most people seem to hate Obama? What did he do that is so bad that causes people to act like he committed genocide or something? |
 #Question A pair of unrelated questions: Do sunboxes really help people? Are standing desks a good replacement for exercise? |
 Love and Tolerate#Discussion So what you all think on L&T that idea was mated by the same ppl that Created the Brony name and Bronies who don't care about L&T If you ask me fans like this shout call them self just MLP fans nothing more |
 Guys need help bad#Share Sorry for tons of text :( Over the past few months I have been feeling more and more depressed, i feel like the world is slowly closing in and there is not much to live for. I live on a day by day basis with nothing to distinguish one day from the next. I lie in bed at night sobbing, wishing I was somewhere else, I leave watching MLP as one of those ways to escape. And the worst part? I have it good! I live with a family that has enough money and parents that love me but I just cant help but feel that my pursuit of happiness is futile, and as I said earlier, there is nothing to live for. Anyway, just today I learned that I passed my first NCEA level (Like GCSE/SAT) with excellence and i felt proud, I was going to tell my dad as soon as he got home from work. But when he did he instantly started an argument with my mum (which is unusual), I overheard some awful, awful things. My dad is a straight up good guy, who works hard and has a good job. But from listening to th … |
 What makes life ticking?#Answer Hi guys! Okay, so I guess you could say that I have a problem. Or well, not a problem, but more of a concern. Okay, so you have to know some stuff about me before we go on: First of all, I'm asexual, and completely uninterested in relalationships beyond friendship. I'm also a bit asocial, but this is not to be confused with "no friends weirdo" type. I enjoy being with friends (even if I have troubles making them at times), but it's just that I rather be alone. Or at least 66% of all my sparetime I prefer to be alone. So back to the main thing: Recently, I have found life to be... dull. I know I'm a pretty dull as a person, but I don't really enjoy having a dull life. I think I want some kind of... hobby, I suppose. I do play alot of computer games but I don't really enjoy it that much. I guess I mostly play games because it makes me forget how dull my life really is. Don't get me wrong: I'm not depressed! I think di … |
 Friends death in family, but what do I do?#Question Hello /dis/. Today was the last day of the semester at my high school. I honestly thought I shouldn't come, seeing as all we did was let others make up exams (I'm done with mine), but I had to come because if I missed any absences I would be denied credit. Today, something horrible happened. One of my close friends was at school today, but her mother (who is a teacher) was not. She was having work done on her car. This friend is very close to me, and I've always tried to help her and others in anyway I can. Today though, her father passed away, from a heart attack. It was out of nowhere, and I didn't find out until later in the day. Thankfully, I was able to get a ride with a friend and his mom (who, wouldn't you know it, is also a teacher) over to their house, and I comforted her and her older brother and their mother (who teaches drama and runs the school plays, which I'm a part of) as best as I could. But...it felt as it wasn' … |
 #Discussion It sickens me that people actually fucking take the show this seriously. IT'S A FUCKING CARTOON THERE IS NO "HEY LETS LOVE EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING BECAUSE I WATCH A FUCKING CARTOON ABOUT COLORFUL HORSES!" Jesus fucking christ, just watch the fuking show and stop being such a huge pony, who really gives a shit if a chunk of the "brony" fandom doesn't want to be a pony and go LOVE AND TOLERANCE I LOVE EVERYTHING. Fuk you. Yes I'm mad. |
 Ignorance is Bliss#Discussion ...So they say. Imagine if I develop a medicine that makes you permanently and totally stupid. You're capable of handling yourself, ie. you don't need help eating and getting dressed, but otherwise you're completely foolish and have a low IQ. Assuming you wouldn't care what other people thought of you, would you want that? One of the biggest arguments against this is the fact that in real life, you need knowledge of things in order to be able to defend against them. I need to know that if I do certain things then I'm putting myself at risk. Ignorance is dangerous. But now, what if I offered you the stupidity medicine, and put you in a safe place where you could be totally stupid without putting yourself or anyone else at risk. Now would you want it? Why? Why not? Bonus points for anyone who wants to bring Nozick's Experience Machine into the discussion. |
 Criticism of my info graphics. Brain stuff...#Question I need some professional assholes. I'm making teaching aids for the consciousness thread (and myself in the long run) and I need some nit pickers to pick all the nits they want. I'm trying to make really nice collections of the most basic facts that I will be using to represent the computational nature of brain function and these should be understandable by everyone ideally. US High School level in reality. Here is the first one which has to do with presenting the individual nerve cells as wires. I just thought of one thing I need to add, a simple statement to ignore neurotransmitters classes and structures and such for now (it's just a chemical "lock and key" situation at the moment). I have a second one started that will present the next layer as "cables" (collections of wires of a specific computational purpose) which is the simplest way to present what the information looks like computationally as it heads to the brain. T … |
 #Discussion Controversial question time, featuring your host, CaptainSteeeeeve! I come to you all today /dis/ with the question - what is better? The American or the British healthcare system? For me, being a Brit, I'd be inclined to say the British, since the American system seems highly broken. I'm curious to hear your opinions. |
 Forgiveness#Share Do you forgive? I find myself unable and unwilling to forgive any offense that wasn't a pure accident or trivial in nature, instead I remember and wait until the time is right; in the meantime I plan and learn what I need to make sure I can do what I want and get away with it. Even when it is member of my own family I will still take my revenge and to make matters worse I will even use the love they have for each other and for me to manipulate them and make sure they suffer if I think they should. Taking disproportionate revenge doesn't mean anything to me but I'm terrified of life not giving me the opportunity to get even or - heavens forbid - actually forgiving someone. How about you; do you forgive or are you more like me and how far are you willing to go to take your revenge? |
 #Share Out of curiosity, how many people _feel_ that inequality is good or bad? I'm not talking about an appeal to your personal moral or ethical theories, I mean, I'm just surveying here and trying to catalog people's gut emotional reaction. |
 Tumblr#Question I was visiting a Tumblr blog earlier, and then I remembered how I can't participate because Tumblr would rather protect themselves instead of their users. They allow blatant cyberstalking and harassment, and then refuse to do anything but the minimal amount they can. So why have a community if you refuse to moderate it? If they were taken to court it'd be pretty obvious that those truth blogs are a form of cyberharassment. This is aside from the continuing abuse Tumblr allows to be perpetuated on fat people by thin people. Apparently they believe admitting that starving yourself will kill you, is the same thing as fat people denying that overeating will kill them. Besides that is a prejudicial assumption that fat people never stop eating, Tumblr is the only online community that openly permits pro-Ana discussion. What I'm trying to figure out, is why Tumblr thinks that they're any better than 4Chan's /b/ regarding their refusal to moder … |
 Asking for help. Very important#Question Hi, Ponichan. I ask for your help. You, well, my last hope. I am writing from Russia. I will now briefly describe the situation in this country, because I do not know what you know about it. You can check it out through the news, reports, and other such things. Russia is reviving the USSR. Most people in Russia maintains a Soviet mentality, except for a small part of the intellectuals in the cities. Authority understands this, and Russia, under the leadership of a former KGB agent, is changing rapidly. The people have a prevailing critical, and even negative attitude toward liberalism, human rights and freedoms. The country has a mass of small and large nationalist, anti-NATO organizations promoting the most awful ideas that help the state. The recently introduced laws that information on Russia can be equated with treason (yes, I'm doing the crime), prohibiting the free meetings, the concept of homosexuality propaganda (which is banned, recently a rainbow on … |
 #Share Hey everybody I'm here from 4chan's /mlp/ and I went on ponychan for the first time today, (as opposed to my almost year on /mlp/. I actually enjoyed myself on here, and I don't know how to feel about that considering ponychan is synonomous with 'little kid' and ' pony' on /mlp/. I don't want to say ponychan is evil but I don't want to admin I don't hate this place... 4chan is more entertaining to me, but ponychan is more intimate discussion and not only op is pony. What do you think about this? |
 #Question So, the U.S. government has tens of trillions of dollars of debt. They also own a lot of land (see picture). Can't the U.S. government just.....sell just some of its very large amount of land holdings to the general public? |
Nonespoons#Discussion who here likes spoons? |
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