Silver Glow's Journal--after Spring Break · 12:00am May 12th, 2016
Did you know that you can make an orchestra look epic? Because you can.
That's got nothing to do with the rest of the blog post, it's just to get you in the mood.
First of all, a couple of corrections. The sharp-eyed among you might have noticed that I started off using a 2015 calender in Silver Glow's Journal. I intend to go back and fix that at some point, and I'll give y'all a heads up when I do—it's probably just going to be a missing day in the journal. So if you see that, don't panic; I didn't accidentally delete a chapter.
Second, a couple of people noticed that I managed to skip Kant. I miscounted there, too. Oops! That's why she did her final essay on him; it was the only way I could think of to work it in without either retconning in a chapter, or making some significant changes.
Anyhow, that brings us up to the present. As those who are following along well know, Silver's about to go on Spring Break. No, I don't need suggestions on where she's going; I've already got that planned. Have, in fact, been doing research as needed for the last week.
I may condense Spring Break into two journal entries, rather than a whole week's worth. That'll let me get a bit closer in story time to real life, which—trust me—is a big advantage on my part. Even when I take notes, my memory isn't always that great, and I never think to look up what I ought to, like who won the Michigan primary.
Or I might not. That's still up in the air.
But . . . here's where you get a chance to make suggestions!
First, I'm willing to entertain suggestions for what other classes Silver Glow might take this upcoming quarter. What would you like to see our little pony try and wrap her head around?
Second, is there any particular thing you'd like to see more of, or less of?
Let me know!
As a bit of a PSA, Meijer is selling GE Bright Sticks right now as buy one three-pack for 9.99 and get a second half off. Damn good deal for six LED light bulbs, and trust me, those (dark) suckers are bright. If you were thinking of converting to LEDs, this might be the deal for you. Or if you don't like the darkness.
Finally, for anyone who missed it in the comments, I found another adorable Silver Glow image.
House Liao has a Orchestra?
Wait, you didn't know that orchestras could look epic?
Have you seen Russians perform the Dies Irae?
I think Silver taking a History of Film class would be fun. She clearly has an interest in movies and it would logically make sense she'd be interested in where they come from. :o
Have orchestras ever NOT been epic? But ... Beethoven! Tchaikovsky! Holst!
Anthropology maybe?
She should drop poetry and take computer sciences; she can always hang out with the professor3938666
Tchaikovsky uses goddamn artillery. Now that's epic.
3938669
Why choose, take both!
I'd love to see more SCA action in Silver's life
3938652 have you seen Russians??
Oh man Mussorgsky tho
Anthropology might be fun. A history course might also be interesting as parallel and commentary. Computer science could be fascinating--the weirdness of her doing what is the closest we humans get to magic aside, it would be a challenge for her.
But I think science courses are probably her best bet, with her Equestrian life in view. Engineer meets ranger
3938669 I second that suggestion and I add another one: history.
She is trying to understand humanity, it might help.
Oh, that's what she looks like...
Oh wait, I was supposed to make a suggestion...
Errr, introduce her to video games? My suggestion is very bad, don't listen.
A quick Google found me a course list for Kalamazoo College. "Women, Gender and Sexuality" looks like an interesting course for Silver. Seeing feminism through the filter of someone from a female-dominant society could be quite interesting.
I'll throw my support for the history class as the most interesting for us, but I think she'd be more likely to want to take a biology class herself.
3938852 She's probably already learned a bunch of Biology with Aric.
Maybe a gardening class? I wish I could have taken one of those. I once took "History of Horticulture" as an elective and it was horrible. It wasn't anything useful about plants at all, it was about the old guys who wrote books about plants.
Maybe some sort of crafting class? Making things out of wood or metal. Silver with safety goggles would cause diabeetusss
I would recommend an accounting class, it could be useful for her. Or a cinematography class so she can see more human movies!
World history class or at the very least American history. Have her react to some of the past events that make up human history! Not just some of the negative events some of the positive too.
New image of Silver Glow! Yes!
3938877
Well actually, that'd be Anatomy, friend.
Yeah, I noticed that her quarter is a bit off compared to actual quarters. I would have liked to attempt a CS class. I think psych would be interesting for her to talk, social psych in particular.
I think she should take a theology class; an academic perspective on religion would be good for her, I think. Maybe have someone notice her studying the Bible and make a suggestion?
Also, it's 2016 by this point of the story, right? I think Silver's geek friend, Sean, has been remiss in not showing her The Expanse (or Apollo 13), something based on our current understanding of space travel.
Or something like Ghost in the shell, the movie or the show, if he's into anime. The philosophical side of that would be a complement to her philosophy class.
Programming.
If you're feeling adventurous, why not something like "Equestrian Literature: A feminist perspective"? or similar?
Also, you should add a pony love interest for her, just to make things dramatic and love squarish.
Theology. I want to see her take a general Theology class. She needs some context for Judeo Christian mythology that also involves learning that there are, in fact, tons and tons of religions in the world :P
Preferably from a Prof who remembers how to be semi-objective.
As much as I like Silver, I'm getting awfully worried about Dale and Kate.
It ain't college without a few keg parties. Also , sororities. Wouldn't they be all "we must have the pony to show how Liberal we are ' ?
If she is interested in Marx, Economics. Maybe Advanced Philosophy.
Well of course she's now only about a week away from the terrorist attack in Brussels, I don't know the level of interest that got in the US but assuming it happens in your universe that may well shake Silvers faith in humanity a little much like the local shooting but on a larger scale.
As for classes the feminism idea does sound good although might spark up some vigorous discussion in the comments. Maybe History might be an idea, anthropology was another good suggestion.
She moves on from poetry to Sophocles and Shakespeare.
I want to see Silver Glow as Lady Anne in Richard III, Act I Scene II. (Remember, Brownie Bun did Macbeth. I think we can say Ponies love Shakespeare)
Or maybe she plays Elektra.
Also, non-American poetry.
I bet she'd love the Rime of the Ancient Mariner (preferably the 1798 version) and the Divine Comedy. (NOT the bloody Longfellow translation. Hollander is way better).
Maybe take an Old English class and learn some of those beautiful poems, and have an excuse to fall in with the local Tolkien Geeks.
3939019
Ghost in the Shell is best experienced after reading God and Golem, Inc, Simulacra and Simulation and Godel, Escher, Bach.
I'd start her out with Studio Ghibli's work or The Slayers or The Rose of Versailles or Ranma 1/2 or Ah! My Goddess.
I bet ponies would love Gilbert and Sullivan. Pinkie Pie, in particular. Silver reports back about it, Pinkie falls in love with them and puts together her own Savoy troupe.
Someone should show her the Pirates of Penzance (the Kline version, of course)
The HMS Pinafore (I like the Opera Australia verison best)
The Mikado (I like the 1976 BBC version. It's a bloody crime the Eric Idle version got the Criterion treatment and it hasn't).
Ruddigore (the Vincent Price version)
Yeah, Essgee is okay in small doses, but they rely too much on slapstick antics.
Also, someone needs to show Silver Cosmos (both the original and Tyson's reboot).
But then, chances are, she already saw them when she was selected for the exchange program. There's no better introduction to Humanity, in my opinion.
http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x2nv5c_Explore2_cosmos-carl-sagan-a-personal-voyage/1
http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x4gboa_mrohe_cosmos-a-spacetime-odyssey/1#video=x3mozkp
For course suggestions: Electrochemistry!
A pegasus planning to work with weather might find some of it useful. I remember learning stuff about the shape of raindrops based on the electrical double layer, as well as the nucleation and growth of seed crystals for raindrops in clouds.
Not sure how easy it would be to write about though, and I think parts of what I learned might have relied on already having done certain bits of maths or crystallography or the physics of electricity. If Silver had some familiarity with those kinds of things though, she might be interested.
I've no idea what the criteria are for including a poem in a university level course, but Wilfred Owen's WW1 anti-war poem Dulce Et Decorum Est is the poem that's most stuck with me over the years. Might take a bit of explaining to Silver with the depiction of gas attacks, but might be interesting to see what she makes of it too.
Also, it'll give Silver a chance to complain about people even putting Latin in their English-language poetry...
3939344
T.S. Eliot filled his "English" magnum opus up with everything from German to Greek to Sanskrit passages.
Still, it and the Hollow Men are great to play recordings of while wandering in Fallout 4.
Also, it's generally considered Highschool-level poetry, but someone needs to introduce Silver to Robert Frost. He's easily the greatest American poet, narrowly surpassing Poe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHHYZupZdK8
Also, get into Donne. While most people only know that one bit of Meditation XVII, the hilarious smut of The Flea and the touching Funeral Elegy deserve more attention.
History, Anthropology, or Psychology would be interesting to hear her comment on.
On a side note, I really hope to see an OPP update soon.
Very late comment, but this is my favorite song from Two Steps from hell.