Juniper Jams Rambles: MLP:FIM What's in a name?

Well MLP:FIM has wrapped up it's fifth season with a promised sixth  on the way and a movie in the works for 2017. And now that we are fully tucked into the hiatus with our favorite fan fictions and a cup of warm apple cider I thought  I would take this time  to sit down with you children and talk about names. Yes, but for those currently unaware let me catch you up to date. The MLP:FIM community has had a long running discussion about how naming in Equestria works, referred to as the "Nature V. Naming" debate. And while it's all fine and dandy discussing if a name defines a ponies talent, I feel the season, and the 100th episode in a particular, brought up a bigger question:

Why do Ponies get special names?

And I know you're probably thinking "huh what?" But seriously look at the non-pony characters. Gilda, Cranky, Matilda, Steven. Everyone of them has a pretty normal name except for Cranky and Iron Will. I attribute Iron Will to being a stage name and Cranky is the exception to prove the rule. They all have pretty normal first names. And yet ponies get first, last, and even full names ranging from the sorta silly nickname to the absurd. Why? Well I have a theory.

(Picture property of TheRandomJoyrider
http://therandomjoyrider.deviantart.com/art/We-Will-Leave-Our-Mark-565620746)

Cutie Marks And Magic
Yup. The here to unexplained double ink every pony gets on their flanks which are unique to each pony. Now I have a head canon that cutie marks are the result of internal magics, and since ponies are the only species with magic, only they have cutie marks. And as a result the mark represents how the magic is expressed, and hereby a ponies natural talent. Or sometimes not, as with Fluttershy or Derpy where it seems to represent personality more than talent. Or when it's familial like say the Pies and Apples. Or when it represents nothing at all like say Amethyst Star or Mayor Mare. Well only because she's been written out of the show. But since ponies are the only species which have cutie marks, even excluding their genetic cousins from Saddle Arabia, it would make sense they would receive a special name. The name allows you to denote an aspect of personality or talent. And while some ponies may be born with an inert talent or character that matches their name, it is more likely ponies are named a few months or years after they are born. This would explain why they are named the way they are, but sometimes there names don't match their talents. IT could also be adult ponies can change their names, or are just refereed to by a different name by others, such as Bon Bon. Indeed a bit more extreme but I don't think it's unreasonable. After all people in our world can go by many different names and nicknames. And if you were a pony, why go by John when you could refer to yourself as something amazing like Rainbow Dash. Or something silly like Juniper Jams. Wait...

(Wallpaper by Chevistan
http://staremblem97.deviantart.com/art/My-Little-Pony-Season-5-Wallpaper-574979435)

So there you go. My opinions and why I have them. As always feel free to comment and message me. And if you have your own theories let me know. And don't forget to say beautiful my lovelies!

Fallout: New Vegas and the Lone Wanderer

So,I have been gone a long time. Now into 2016 but luckily  I have finally escaped the lair of that sea witch and retrieved my voice. Now with that out of the way lets get onto the reviews! 

To start us off: Fallout New Vegas

So during my time off I have eaten my way through Fallout: New Vegas and it's subsequent 4 DLC. For those of you who can afford to live under bigger rocks than man, you rich bastards, Fallout and Loathing in New Vegas is the fourth main Fallout game in the series and canonically occurs at the same time as Fallout 3 but before Fallout 4. Yes Bethesda apparently booked a ticket on the Weird numbering train for their games. Getting a window seat next to Bioshock. So here we are with Big Fallout in Little New Vegas, and off the bat the we break with tradition. New Vegas lets you off the into the world almost immediately, with no forced quests or establishing quest to give you a purpose. There is a main quest of hunting down the man who shot you, but really the game just expects to wander off and pick up the pieces as you go. New Vegas has a world which is gorgeous to look at and enjoyable to wander to, and most of the time I didn't fast travel because wandering was just so much fun. 

To me the world is the best part of the game, and what makes New Vegas truly shines. Because while it is not the biggest area it has some of the best character of any game, taking the appearance of a western with you as a literal lone wanderer. The game presents to you a twisting tale of revenge, hubris, betrayal, lost treasure, and wandering heroes and villains, and plays it's nature to the hilt. It doesn't usually bash you over the head with it's wild west wingdings, but instead uses real world examples to try and peak the players interest and investment. A good example of this is the town of Novac, where a giant dinosaur statue marks a community built in a motel. Even though it's not very large it's location makes it impossible to miss, and it provides a hub from which numerous fun areas are explored. And even in Novac there are interesting characters like the sniper with a dark past, the aged fly girl, and the hack doctor who lives up to her title. It's just so silly, yet also contains a lot of potential if you are willing to dig in, and is always a good place to hang your hat. 

And that's what makes New Vegas so great. It's a campfire story about you, the lone wanderer, and you are listening throughout the game of how you become a legend of this living world. It's not like Fallout 3, in which you are noted but not recognized for your actions. In New Vegas people react to you, they hear tell of your exploits and they treat you different for them. By the end you have created a legend that will endure the ever changing sands of the Mojave, and wander into the sunset like a true Lone Wanderer. I would go on but this one is somewhat winded so all I will say is play it if you haven't. And if you have tell me what was your favorite main game area? I'd ask DLC but I know the answer is Old World Blues. I'm Juniper Jams, and stay beautiful!

Kudos to Penett for the wonderful art!

http://penett.deviantart.com/