Gettin' Dizzy!

On the left, Mack Mackenzie poses as bebop jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. (I thought that bent trumpet looked familiar.) Today is the 92nd anniversary of Dizzy's birthday. A sample of his greatness can be found here.

This is also the 176th birthday anniversary of Alfred Nobel, creator of both dynamite and the Nobel Prize, about which you may have lately heard a great deal.

Today is Apple Day. Nothing to do with computers, though.

The very first Daria VHS compilation came out 12 years ago today (upper right). And now everything's DVDs or digital nonexistent.

On this date 42 years ago, someone claimed to have seen and filmed Bigfoot (lower right). Only it wasn't. It was a friend dressed as Bigfoot, and pictures of the friend in Bigfoot costume surfaced later. Oh, well. Daria once went to a Bigfoot convention. Why no fanfic about this event? What if she knew Bigfoot personally? What if they "were an item"? What if... wink wink nudge nudge... they were pen pals?

What if you tried to draw people but they always came out looking like you? A cute blog post by someone you should remember and revere.

Pinkminx is working on a Jane portrait, and here is Jane's face. OMG. That's some serious mojo at work there. Stay tooned, moar 2 b adedd.

The Bonny Beast of Loch Ness

Daria, who has a well-established love of cryptozoology based on her attendance at a Bigfoot convention (per The Daria Diaries), would of course be versed in the lore of the Loch Ness Monster. As it happens, the first recorded sighting of a monster in this part of Scotland took place on this day a mere 1,444 years ago (A.D. 565). And you thought the legend was a recent one!

In a book about the life of Saint Columba, originally written in Latin, it is noted in Chapter 28 that the saint chased off a monster in the river Ness, which drains directly into the loch. (Go to this link and search for "XXVIII" to get to the English translation of the chapter.) Interesting reading.

However, do you know that not a single Daria fanfic makes use of the Loch Ness Monster except in the briefest passing, despite the fact that we once had a thread that discussed a live toad allegedly found at the bottom of Loch Ness, which created a toad-smoking meme that went on for years? What's the matter with you people? Get on the stick! Make "Monster" about the real thing!

On another important topic: what do you want to see on the Daria DVD set? This magical question is being asked on PPMB, so go to that thread and contribute.

Moar l8r. Back again!

Can you give some fanfic help for OverlordMikey? Go to this PPMB thread if so.

Speaking of OverlordMikey, he has started a new Iron Chef for PPMB: Crazy Pairing Story. Any takers?

And another Iron Chef: Unwanted alien pets! Next, on Sick Sad World!

FF.net

• Pigskin Caduceus, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “Now, class,” Mr. DeMartino said, “which of you can pull your heads out from under the rock where you’ve been living, and explain to me what the Monroe Doctrine was? How about you, Miss Griffin?” He turned to Sandi Griffin, one of Quinn’s friend. “Why should I care about what some dead people say?” she responded.

PPMB

• A Mess in Lawndale, by Aloysius (Part 2): “I’m still trying to figure out why you told me about your little secret,” Jane said to Daria as the two teens left the Morgendorffer house. “I mean, if you’re not going to telekinetically pick me up and carry me, then what’s the point?”
• Rainbow Disconnection, by Disco316 (Part 3): “So that’s why you offered to help with my facial rash,” said Daria, intently listening to her sister. “Well, that was part of it, but I meant what I said: skin-care crises transcend personality conflicts,” said Quinn.
  
• Regifted, by Ajar (Part 14): “Where are you going?” Marina asked. “Just to the bathroom," said Jodie. "I've got to get ready quickly to make it to class on time.” “I don't know if I can let you do that.” “Why not?” asked Jodie suspiciously.
• Sick, Sad World, by Ajar (COMPLETE!): "Did you look at the tape? Did you see me on Sick, Sad World?" "There was no tape." "There was no Sick, Sad World on last night?" "Not last night... Not ever."
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Daria Kills Jane, or Vice Versa), by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): Daria confronted her former friend atop the roof of Lawndale High. The night air had chilled her to the bone, but now that she stood in front of the one she had searched for it no longer mattered. "Jane." "Oh Daria, you came!"
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Daria Kills Jane, Or Vice Versa), by Paisleygal (COMPLETE!): The sound of Daria’s boots on the linoleum floor seemed to echo through the quiet hallway. The nurse looked up from her computer and smiled at the small woman. She glanced at the clock even though she didn’t need to. It was 11:00am Sunday morning, time for Daria’s weekly visit.
  

Here's Your Week!

A curious twist of fate has made the weekly planners of each of the Morgendorffers unusually accurate this year. Today is October 19th, a Sunday, and that's exactly when the planners shown in The Daria Diaries begin. Richard Lobinske has some comments on this in his chronology essay here, pointing out that the year 1997 also matched these dates. Click on the pic to get the larger (more readable) view.

Curiously, Daria talks about reserving her place at a "Bigfoot convention" on Monday, and it was today 41 years ago when a movie was allegedly taken of a Bigfoot. The film has since proven to be a hoax, but it was fun while it lasted. Say, why hasn't more been done with the Bigfoot idea here? (Nudge, nudge.)

Trey Parker, one of the creators of South Park, turns 39 today.

The list of 2008 visual fanworks has been updated. (SFMB here.) Thank you, Richard Lobinske!

Newest DariaWiki page: Wyatt.


PPMB

• Babysitting, by Legendeld (Part 3): “No!” Quinn almost laughed. “I can safely say that Sandi is not gay.”
• Daria: College Pains, by James the Lesser (Part 12): NEW ADDITION! At first Daria told herself it was just a one time thing, but she liked how she felt when high. [This saga began in November 2006 and has just been updated. Read and review!]
• Daylight: Ashes and Kisses, by legendeld (Part 5): A survivor finds his way to the colony—but can he be trusted?
  
• Daylight: When Worlds Divide, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 2): The auburn-haired girl pointed at the yellow sky. "See that? That means it's the end of the world as we know it. Our house isn't safe anymore. Whatever killed Mom and Dad is the least of our problems right now."
• Dealing with the Real World, by magnuskrauss (Intermission): This is getting very creepy (in a good way).
  
• End of the Line, by Legendeld (Parts 8 and 9): “So, how did we do?” “Great. You took out ten highly trained DELPHI SABRE troops and four metahumans in less than... six minutes.” “Do we get a cookie?”
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Let Vengeance Ring, by Richard Lobinske (Parts 10 and 11): Daria said, "You look nervous." "Gee," Jane said, "we're about to head off, just the two of us, to stop one of the biggest badasses in the Multiverse and if we succeed, I have to try to fool his evil minions while you go off and do some twisty-turny time games so that he doesn't exist. Can't imagine why I might be nervous."