The Element of Kindness in a Nutshell

One of the major things on my mind lately is that oft-repeated Brony slogan "Love and Tolerate," especially on how to understand "love" and "toleration" so that the phrase doesn't become "disinterest in what others say or do whilst having warm and fuzzy feelings." I think the nature of love demands more than mere sentiment. If you truly are the friend of another and wish them well (love), you don't adopt a stance of “not giving a shit” about what they do. More on this in a future post...

I've also thought a little about Fluttershy and the virtue of friendliness/amiability she embodies. I've had a few posts on the subject, but I think Rainbow Dash in the first issue of the new My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic nicely summarizes my point:

"Fluttershy! When are you going to learn that you're nice until it's not time to be nice!"

A Link to the Past: Steam Punk, Anime, and Sci Fi

Just a few interesting web comics, sci fi books, and anime shows catching my attention recently...

First up, I point you to the Girl Genius web comic. Brandon's recommended this steam punk graphic novel a few times and DGD even wrote a gushing review. I've only read through the first volume, but so far I'm intrigued enough to make it through all twelve!

Next up, DGD suggested to me the show Trigun, a western-themed anime about the pacifist gunslinger Vash the Stampede, the "Human Typhoon" with a 60,000,000,000$$ (you read that right, double dollars!) bounty on his head! The first season is available here on the FuNimation Youtube page.

All I want is love and peace!

Lastly, I'm nearly finished with Walter M. Miller Jr.'s post-apocalyptic Sci Fi novel A Canticle for Leibowitz about an order of monks who preserve scientific knowledge after the "Great Deluge." Brandon praised it as "one of the most exquisitely written science fiction novels you will ever read." I'm not inclined to disagree, very highly recommended, especially for my fellow Thomist readers!