A Very Popular Day to Be Born!

Looking at that missing ear, Jake's just a bit too in character for the anniversary of Vincent van Gogh's birth on this day in 1853. I bet Jane can appreciate it, as well as this also being Francisco de Goya's birthday. Jake I could see being more of a Bob Ross fan.

Let's not leave Daria out of this, though. Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty, was also born on this day in 1820.

Fanfic Update!

• Are We There Yet?, by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "Zoom in on the city. Cut to the Piazza di Signora and we find Quinn, Jim, Daria, Jane, Jake, Helen, Trent, Lindy and Sandi standing in front of Palazzo Vecchio, which is Florence's city hall. They are visibly impressed by the architecture around them." (Part 18)


• Daria Ravenclaw: Highland Years, by Meester_Lee (parts 33 and 34): "Daria wondered if the powers-that-be would dare let third-graders go out on another field trip after the Petroleum Museum debacle. She was pleased to see that they hadn't." (Part 34)


• Harry Potter Morgendorffer, by Meester_Lee (part 22): "The next day was Sunday. The Goblins being Goblins, and most if not all of Gringott's human staff being pagans or non-believers, the Christian Sabbath was ignored. The conference formally ended on Sunday in mid-afternoon."

It's Gotta Be April 20th Somewhere!

Trent is obviously on board for celebrating Weed Appreciation Day, and if you don't tell him that the holiday is about garden weeds then I won't, either. Who'd have the heart to bring him down? I don't think I've ever seen him look so happy.

Fandom News!

• WellTemperedClavier wonders, are there any Scribophile members here?


• What guitar are you getting and why? Share your choices and pictures.


• Is Daria a jerk? Read the article and give your reasons why or why not.


• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior poll between Jem'hadar and Species 8472.


• Two Iron Chefs have been posted in Creative Writing: Daria as Lord Drakkon and Daria in the 1980's (Part II).

That's TYLER, not TAYLOR!

Sandi's using her big mouth to good effect as Steven Tyler, who turns 70 today. I can only imagine what the rest of the Fashion Club will say about those striped bell-bottoms, but I suspect it will end with an involuntary sabtical--sabbactical--vacation from her duties.

This is also the anniversary of the first airing of the episode "Lucky Strike" on this day in 2001. Quinn admitted Daria was her sister, Mr. DeMartino finally scored a victory over Ms. Li, and Trent discovered Mr. O'Neill's hidden musical talents. It was a groundbreaking episode all around!

Fanfic Update!

• Are We There Yet?, by WildDogJJ (part 14 - 16): "Daria, Jane, Quinn, Helen, Sandi and Lindy were engaging in small talk and laughter. Lindy: So you were stuck on a ferris wheel listening to one of Stacy's crying fits? Jane: Yep. Most annoying carnival ride ever. Daria: At least we were spared the riot in the auditorium." (Part 15) (Part 16)


• Brand New Day, by fringeperson (COMPLETE!): "Trent was surprised when, in response to Mr DeMartino asking if any of them could summarise the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, someone in the class actually raised their hand."


• Daria/Power Rangers: Watching the Watchmen, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "When Daria woke up, it was sixteen hours later and she was in a hospital guarded by a faceless grey suit with a machine gun. 'This may be a terrible time to mention I have no insurance.'" (Part 18)


• Jane Moves In (IC: Random Pairing Challenge 2018), by EntrancedCat (COMPLETE!): "'Duck!' Jane heard the command, cringed and turned an instant before the spinning red disc sliced off her left ear."

"Shazam!"

Upchuck's brushing off the old magic act for the anniversary of Harry Houdini's birth on this day in 1874. I don't think Upchuck's quite got Houdini's skills, but I expect they do have a few things in common. For example, both probably know what it's like to get punched in the stomach and both are used to having people ask them to disappear.

Today is also the anniversary of both "Cafe Disaffecto" and The Lost Girls," which aired on this day in 1997 and 1999. The former introduced us to Melody Powers and the latter gave us Val (as in Val). I know which one I prefer.

Fandom News!

• Discuss the possibilities of Daria characters being involved with Quiz Bowl.


• Tell everyone about things you've never done or crazy things you have done.


• What were Helen and Jake thinking when they settled in Highland? Share your thoughts.


• Who would win in fights between Hera Syndula and Poe Dameron, The Flintstones/Rubbles and The Simpsons, The Beyonder and Star Trek's Q, and Simon Cowell and Stock/Aikten/Waterman?


• Talk about crossovers that would be great.

This Holiday is All Wet!

That guy who doesn't get an actual name on the show but is apparently important enough to get his own alter ego is just letting everyone know that today is World Water Day! To observe the holiday, you could take a cruise on the Princess Fairy or lose weight by swimming laps while Quinn calls you a cow. If those ideas don't appeal to you, just drink a glass of water, I guess.

Fanfic Update!

• An Annoying Paradise - Daria, by Resop (part 6): "'Oh my god, Quinn, I have the same outfit that you're wearing. If you had told me, I could have worn it and we could have been twins ...' Stacy continues with mindless chatter until ..."


• Are We There Yet?, by WildDogJJ (parts 11 - 13): "Daria and Jane are standing in front of one of the palace guards. Daria: You know he's not allowed to talk or move while at his post. Jane: You mean I can make obscene gestures and verbally abuse him and he'll just have to stand there and take it?" (Part 12) (Part 13)


• Fates Entwined, by Deep Metal (part 13): "'None of you will leave this place alive,' promised Eric, now revealed to be the Persian demon Azi Dahaka. Amy took out her gun and pointed it at him."


• Harry Potter Morgendorffer, by Meester_Lee (part 21): "Helen and HJ left the conference site in a mixed company of Goblins and magical humans, along with one of the few hags that had not only discovered that being law-abiding paid better, but had somehow managed to become a successfully book keeper."


• Search Engine Obfuscation, by WellTemperedClavier (COMPLETE!): "By the time she got home, Daria realized that she needed to talk to someone. Twice, she selected Jane's name from his miniscule contacts list, her finger hovering over the talk button. Twice she changed her mind." (Part 12) (Part 13)

A Day for Alien Farmers

Daria has pulled out all the stops in honor of National Agriculture Day, but I think it would have been fine if she'd just picked some tomatoes or something. If Trent realized his dream of becoming a farmer who's paid not to grow crops, he's probably celebrating, too. And by "celebrating," I mean "sleeping."

It's also appropriate that Daria has apparently been turned into a crop circle, because today is Extraterrestrial Abductions Day. Artie had better watch out, just in case those alien love goddesses decide to come back for a return visit.

Fandom News!

• Tell everyone whether you think Jane or Daria is more attractive.


• Describe your ideal Daria video game.


• What are some unanswered question you want answered about the main characters in Daria?


• Why did the Morgendorffers stop being hippies? Share your thoughts.


• Share Daria moments and stuff on YouTube.


• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior poll between East Side Greasers and Coney Island Warriors.


• Szcz posted a new Iron Chef: Changing Style.


• BloodyWilliam started a 2018 Art thread.

Ground Control to Major Jodie

Jodie is recreating the first spacewalk from this day in 1965 for, I don't know, Spacewalk Club or something. Anything for one more activity to go on the college applications, unless she's just doing this to finally put some real distance between herself and her parents. In that case, I wish her the best of luck! By the way, if you don't tell her she's holding the wrong flag, I won't, either.

Fanfic Update!

• Are We There Yet?, by WildDogJJ (parts 1 - 3): "Quinn is seated behind her desk meeting with a client. The client is a balding but otherwise good looking middle aged man named Sullivan. His business is a travel agency. Sullivan: Miss Morgendorffer, that suggestion to move my business online was a stroke of genius. My business it up 98% since GreatEscapes.com went up." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Clash of the Families (Quinn, Season 3), by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "Jake and Helen's relaxing evening has just been interrupted by the arrival of her sister, Rita, and her mother, Emma. 'Mom, Rita this is a surprise!'" (Part 3)


• Equal Fights 2: Out-Trump-Ed, by DocForbin (COMPLETE!): "(We see something akin to the old Cartoon Network 'Cartoon Cartoons' opening sequence except instead of the Cartoon Network logo, we see the Mark Zero Fan Fiction Unlimited logo, which zooms out as we see the words "Exclusive Creations" materialize, then we see Bubbles' head pop out of the "O" in "Creations".)"


• Search Engine Obfuscation, by WellTemperedClavier (parts 7 - 10): "Daria awoke to the worst headache of her life. It was a headache that had somehow spread to her entire body. Every bone and organ groaned in protest as she cracked open her eyes, the dim light as bright as the surface of the sun." (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10)


• Unnamed story (LLH Short Entries : Thread #2), by Roentgen (part 112): "As the Legionnaires entered the Virtual Reality Training Room, Karen tugged at the collar around her neck. 'This feels like a leash,' she said. 'What are with these things?'"

That Was Waaaaaay Back Then

It's another Morgendorffer/Yeager reunion in honor of the episode "That Was Then, This is Dumb," which first aired on this day in 1998. That means the original get-together was exactly twenty years ago, and it's been about fifty years since Helen and Jake left the commune. Any thoughts on what might be going on with the Yeagers now? Have they embraced the capitalist lifestyle at last? Has Ethan finally rebelled against their philosophy? What number Leary are they on now?

Fandom News!

• Jabe Shepherd asks about the do's and don't's of a self insert fanfic.


• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior poll between Coach Buzzcut and Mr. Demartino.


• Confess your ill-conceived crossovers.


• JPAGC is looking for a beta reader.


• Two Iron Chefs have been posted in Creative Writing: JoeMerl's First Kiss and Wouter's First Kiss but not Daria's.

Amanda Lane's Favorite Holiday

Daria the not-so-social butterfly is ready to help us celebrate National Learn about Butterflies Day. The first lesson is that you can take that jar with holes punched in the lid and shove it somewhere uncomfortable.

Today is also Pi Day, for the math geeks out there. It's generally accepted that you can celebrate by eating some pie, but make sure you calculate the circumference first!

Fanfic Update!

• Camp Feel (IC: Random Pairing Challenge 2018), by JoeMerl (COMPLETE!): "Thirteen-year-old Amelia Drew walked slowly around the grounds of Camp Grizzly, head down and feeling depressed."


• Clash of the Families (Quinn, Season 3), by WildDogJJ (part 1): "Quinn and Jim are having Sunday dinner with Jake and Helen. Jake is serving up...something. Jake said 'You guys are gonna love this. I call it Linguine a la Jake!'"


• Daria of the Milieu Something Slimy, by Meester_Lee (part 3): "'Want me to walk you back to your classmates?' asked Luanne. 'Sure,' said Daria. Daria had limited experience with metapsychics; unlike their counterparts in dolphin and cetacean species, human metapsychics were few and far between."


• Daze of Thunder, by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "Quinn is having pizza with Sandi and Joey. It was supposed to be a double date but Jim had to work late. Sandi asked 'So, where's Jim? Did he actually blow you off for another girl?' Remembering what happened the previous month Quinn said 'Sandi, don't even joke about that.'" (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Harry Potter Morgendorffer, by Meester_Lee (part 20): "Helen's telephone rang a couple of minutes later. It was the receptionist from downstairs. 'Mrs. Morgendorffer,' she said, 'there is an Alban Doubledoor here to see you.'"


• Letters for Grandma (IC: Random Pairing Challenge 2018), by nightbeast37 (COMPLETE!): "Grandma Barksdale calmly relaxed on the recliner seat of the family home she had lived in for the past 40 years. She had endured a rather heated family reunion and just wanted to pretend it never happened."


• Life, family and friends, by JPAGC (part 2): "Daria arrived home from school late afternoon. It was the beginning of Autumn. The sun was setting down earlier and the air was getting cold, but there was still enough sunlight to walk home with a clear path."


• Problem solving, by Rémi (part 2): "Trent was feeling very ill at ease while Jane fixed the necktie she forced him to wear with the suit she had chosen for him. He protested weakly : - Girls, I don't like this date idea at all. Couldn't we make it... simple and quick, as it was with Daria ?"


• Reflections, by Lady Evil (part 14): "Jane stirred the soup as Vixx borrowed the phone to call Ollie. 'Yeah, honey, I'm real sorry I can't come to dinner tonight.' she was saying. 'In fact I might not be home until early tomorrow morning.'"


• Search Engine Obfuscation, by WellTemperedClavier (parts 3 - 6): "By the time she'd graduated, Daria knew how to write a literary paper without having read all the literature in question. Doing so was mostly about figuring out how to torture the text into making the point she wanted." (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)

What Brings March Flowers?

Someone took an unorthodox approach to Plant a Flower Day, and witnessed a Tommy Sherman miracle for their trouble. Although, technically it's the crutch that got planted, not the flower. Partial credit anyway!

Today is also the anniversary of the episode "Camp Fear," which aired on this day in 2001. No one planted any flowers, but I think Daria would have happily planted either Skip or Amelia in the ground at various points during the reunion.

Fandom News!

• WellTemperedClavier shares write-ups for Season One Daria episodes in a new DIY AV Club thread.


• Discuss the new canon, one year later.


• Vote in Deadliest Warrior polls between Giant Robo and Voltron and the Fashion Club and Heathers.


• Szcz posted a new Iron Chef: Janey Goes Aristocratic.


• What are your favorite fanfic moments of character insight?

Like in Brad Stoker's Book!

Jodie should watch out, because today's the anniversary of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which first started airing on this day in 1997. I don't mean Jodie should worry about actual vampire slayers; I mean she should get out of Quinn's way so she can get home and watch one of her favorite shows (per "Speedtrapped.")

Speaking of TV show anniversaries, today is a triple anniversary for Daria: "The Invitation," "Depth Takes a Holiday," and "A Tree Grows in Lawndale" all aired on this day in 1997, 1999, and 2000. Hey, the first of those aired on the same day as the Buffy premiere, and the other two (like Buffy) contain supernatural elements. Coincidence? Yes.

Fanfic Update!

• Daria of the Milieu Something Slimy, by Meester_Lee (part 2): "The doors closed, the buses started up, and the drivers began to take them to Baltimore. Despite the atmosphere of anticipation in the busses, there was undercurrent of fear."


• Daria Ravenclaw: The Highland Years, by Meester_Lee (part 32): "The Morgendorffers' prolonged stay at the Aylesford had forced both Jake and Helen to look at their housing situation in a new light. Should they stay at the house on Whirlwind Drive or should they move?"


• Edicius, by elainefr (part 6): "'How was your date?' She froze slightly at Trent's question. He had asked causally enough while strolling into the Lane kitchen and searching the cabinets for coffee."


• Fates Entwined, by Deep Metal (part 12): "After lying down on her bed for quite some time, Jane finally stirred herself back to her feet. A lot of time had passed and she wasn't even sure how long she had been idly lying there."


• Problem solving , by Rémi (part 1): "Jane parked her car and pointed to an house not unlike many others in the surrounding suburb. - That's where she live, according to your aunt Amy. - She will never agree to your idea, said Daria gloomily, so don't get your hopes up."


• Search Engine Obfuscation, by WellTemperedClavier (parts 1 and 2): "Maybe a cubicle will be better than a classroom. Daria didn't really believe it. Still, the thought offered some comfort as she took the elevator up to her interview." (Part 2)


• Star Trek: Voyager: What a Choice Leads To, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "'50 light years in a second, 1800 light years,' Tom reported. 'We should be home very soon,' Harry said. 'Don't get your hopes up, a lot can still go wrong,' Chakotay said."


• Unnamed story (LLH Short Entries : Thread #2), by Roentgen (parts 110 and 111): "By the time the Legionnaires had returned from Catoctin Mountain Park after their second day of search and rescue, Daria Morgendorffer had called a meeting immediately after arrival." (Part 111)

A Day for International Women

Helen is clearly having a great International Women's Day. Judging from her expression I suspect she's...graciously...wishing the same to Linda Griffin. Ms. Barch, meanwhile, is circulating a petition asking for the other 364 days of the year to be declared International Women's Day as well.

In other holidays, today is also Popcorn Lover's Day, so grab a handful of your favorite flavor and chow down. The Fashion Club just finished preparing a batch of no-salt, no-oil, fat-free popcorn to share if anyone's interested...which I doubt.

Fandom News!

• DocForbin has a question about bank closures in the UK vs. the US.


• Robyn posted a Character Project Poll.


• Astrocar82 posted a new Iron Chef: Absolutely not sexual.


• Rémi asks, what are your most hated version of characters in fanfiction?


• Share and discuss the bright and shiny fics/moments in Daria fanfiction.

Mmm, Concentrated Protein and Starch Nutrition Squares!

For once Helen's dinner specialty is appropriate, because today is National Frozen Food Day. I assume that it's okay to cook or at least thaw whichever frozen food you choose to eat, right? Okay, maybe not ice cream.

Fanfic Update!

• Daria of the Milieu Something Slimy, by Meester_Lee (part 1): "Daria Morgendorffer heard her bedside alarm clock go off and began rousing herself to full wakefulness. Now awake, but groggy from the lack of caffeine, she began reviewing her plans for the day and remembered that her science class had a morning excursion to the harbor front in Baltimore."


• Decisions, by elainefr (part 19): "She sat on the sofa with the television playing some soap opera that she couldn't really concentrate on at the moment. Trent was in the kitchen making lunch and being the attentive father to be- like she knew that he would be."


• Harry Potter Morgendorffer, by Meester_Lee (part 19): "Aunt Helen came out of a public fireplace shortly afterwards. She stood up, grabbed her suitcase, then took HJ by his arm and guided him to the door for departing clients wishing to take a shuttle bus to JFK airport."


• Life, family and friends, by JPAGC (part 1): "The car moved smoothly as it approached te large school building 'Now, kiddo, your mother and I know that is sometimes difficult to move to another city...'"


• Meetings, by Princess_Pasta (part 3): "Pizza King, like most else in Lawndale, hadn't changed at all. The restaurant was teeming with people, most of them teenagers. Sandi had never felt older than she did standing in line behind a group of chatty fourteen year old girls."


• Temptation (Quinn, Season 3), by WildDogJJ (parts 1 and 2): "Quinn, Stacy, Sandi and Tiffany are having a girls afternoon out. The current topic of conversation is their relationships." (Part 2)


• Thirty Seven Dollars and Forty Two Cents (IC: Random Pairing Challenge 2018), by peetz5050 (COMPLETE!): "A shot rang out and the world came to an end."


• Unnamed story (An Idea...), by Meester_Lee (part 1): "So tell me again why we're going on this stupid field trip, Daria asked herself as she put on her bathrobe, then walked to the bathroom door to shower and get ready for her day."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef - Sticky Situation), by JoeMerl (COMPLETE!): "'Honestly, the kind of thing that you see in TV isn't very accurate,' Helen said, taking a sip of her drink. 'For example, sometimes you don't even realize that you are in labor until you're a good bit through.'"

And the Award Goes To--Eep!

It's Oscar Night, and let's hope Brittany's brilliant acting talent doesn't go unnoticed by the judges. Jodie's film about the supermarket strike might have gotten a mention as well, although whether the award is for best documentary or best fight choreography is anyone's guess. While we all wait to see if the latest Weepy Mr. B sequel got an award, let's check in with the latest...

Fandom News!

• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior poll between Frederick the Great and Ulysses S. Grant.


• Ask each other why THAT movie won an Oscar.


• Who is more violent: Revi or Tank Girl.

A Good Day to Sell Stuff

Daria and Jane have plenty of supplies ready for Old Stuff Day, but it's hard to say whether they're going to be able to get rid of it. Good luck, girls!

The Fashion Club members, meanwhile, are probably buying new stuff at Cashman's today, and I hope they remember to wish Theresa a happy National Salesperson Day. Not that they're likely to treat her any better today than any other day, but it would be a nice gesture.

Finally, it was on this day twenty years ago that the episode "Quinn the Brain" first aired. This episode is the main source of evidence for those who argue that Daria is at least as physically attractive as Quinn because of the "makeover" scene, although for some reason no one ever seems to make the argument that Quinn is at least as smart as Daria because of her "essay."

Fanfic Update!

• Accept No Substitute (Quinn, Season 3), by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "The economics teacher, Mr. Keller (Ms. Bennett was fired for her role in Ms. Li's embezzlement), was lecturing the class. Mr. Keller was balding 60 year old with a beer gut." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Of Microwaves and Electric Keyboards, by Souless Familliar (part 1): "Jane never thought that a microwave could do so much damage, but here she was, moping the dark roads of Lawndale at one in the morning, all because the microwave had exploded, burning the whole of Casa Lane's downstairs."


• Sick, Sad World, by writerfromzero (part 1): "About to take the math books from his locker for his next class, Morty was less than surprised to suddenly see his grandfather standing in the school hallway, boasting his usual drunken state, ranting and raving, hardly ever coming to a halt."


• Sonoma Coma, by jtranser (COMPLETE!): "'Oh Jane. What did I tell you about watching apocalyptic movies? You know it's like crack for the gods. You start watching and before you finish the third bowl of popcorn, a long line of demented liberator wannabes show up at your house, park on your lawn and demand an audition. It's just not worth the risk.'"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef - Sticky Situation), by Szcz (COMPLETE!): "INT. Around 2013. A dark room in New York. Two men are lying on the bed. One of them is Charles Ruttheimer, wearing a smoking. Next to him is Daria, wearing a thin roll-neck sweater and black leggings. There is a notebook computer on a stool near Daria's side."


• Unnamed story (LLH Short Entries : Thread #2), by Roentgen and Brother Grimace (parts 105 - 109): "Annett Zimmer sat miserably on a bench in the lobby of Legion Tower. She was the only person in the lobby, aside from one bored security guard and the each paid the minimal amount of attention to each other." (Part 106 by Brother Grimace) (Part 107 by Roentgen) (Part 108 by Brother Grimace) (Part 109 by Brother Grimace)