Beware...

Back in Roman times, today was the Ideas of March, the mid-month. We know of this date thanks entirely to Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar. The Ides of March reappears in Daria fanfiction as a person, thanks to the existence of Holiday Island ("Depth Takes a Holiday"). The Ides is not a "holiday" in the usual sense, and it is certainly not regarded as a nice day as a result of what happened to Caesar exactly 2,053 years ago. The physical appearance of the Holiday Island character known as the Ides of March was based upon a cross between 1950s spree killer Charles Starkweather (at left) and 1963 presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, more the former than the latter. Fanfic authors, use him as you wish.

Today is also World Contact Day in ufology circles and among those who believe in Men in Black. The date originated 57 years ago with a conspiracy theorist, and the concept eventually grew in the telling (particularly in a 1967 essay anthology) until rock groups like Klaatu and the Carpenters (!) were singing the official song of World Contact Day. If you want to know more, follow the Wikipedia link and sub-links, but be warned you are heading out on a very bizarre Internet trip.

Roentgen has once again opened a can(on) of worms in his opening post of what promises to be an interesting PPMB thread on the usefulness of canon in Daria fandom. Enjoy.

Sick, Sad World has updated again! Yay!

PPMB

• Apocalyptic Daria: Timeline, by Doggieboy (Part 1): Before I begin this timeline, let me introduce myself. I am the Chronicler, and my job is to tell you of the events that mark this particular corner of the world I watch. To hear my wife tell it, my job must actually be to sit at the pub and throw back a pint or two of stout whilst telling ribald tales and eating a plate of fish and chips. She is wrong, although I cannot deny that I do enjoy such pleasures.
• Falling into College 72: Valley of Love and Delight, by RLobinske (Part 14): "Have another drink, Daria," Jane said. Daria shook her head. "You can have a hangover in the morning, I'm going to pass. Besides, I want to have the blackmail material after tonight, not be the blackmail material." "You're no fun."
  
• Zero G, by SigDiff (Part 4): “Daria, we've apparently got a rat infestation.” ”I'm not sure I want to know how you found that out.” “Well, what are we going to do about it?” ”Nothing. But if we lose another system to a rat, I'll suit up and vent the whole damn ship.”