How About Meditating on Being Less Shallow?

The Fashion Club is enjoying World Peace Meditation Day, but I don't think they have much chance of succeeding. They can't even achieve peace among themselves, let alone the world. Still, for once they're engaging in a hobby that doesn't involve maxing out Jake's credit card, so for that alone we should encourage them.

If they do decide to go shopping today, it will be a relief to Lawndale's most well-known goth that they will not be visiting PayDay. Perhaps we could consider it a National Andrea Day gift!

As we prepare to say goodbye (and possibly good riddance) to 2024, we should try to follow Daria's advice from MTV New Year's Eve 2002: "Well, I think everyone should resolve to be nicer to their neighbors, except for those of us who live next door to relatives. Eat less and exercise more, unless that doesn't appeal to you, in which case you should eat more and exercise less. Be kind to animals, because you never know when they're going to take over. And finally, let's try to make this the best year ever, or at least the least suckiest."

Fanfic Update!

• Back to School, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): "Kevin trudged through the parking lot toward the school the next morning, trying to keep his mind from wandering back to his football team days. It was like trying to shoo away a swarm of flies with nothing but a toothpick; every time he shoved one thought away, several more crowded in."


• Idiots in Lawndale, by JabeShepherd (COMPLETE!): "Highland High School was already teetering on the edge of collapse, a dilapidated mess of cracked walls, leaky pipes, and floors that seemed to groan under the weight of its own despair."


• Inferior Designers, by SugarfiendSweetieguts (COMPLETE!): "It was an unremarkable weekend morning in the burbs. Jane had some math homework that she could be doing, but Art had sounded its clarion call."


• Mysteries of Aurora, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 7): "Freya opened her eyes as she stepped out of the Coffee House cafeteria and looked across the Plaza at the Library."


• Spider Quinn 13 Aftermath and Investigations, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 7): "Verity had held sessions with various clients over the phone (although one had taken the trouble to drive to and from Lawndale) as she waited for Osborn to be ready for another session."

Ten! Nine! Eight! And so forth!

It doesn't look like Daria's going to make it to midnight for New Year’s Eve, but the rest of us can have the countdown to 2024 while she takes a nap. Just count quietly, okay? And have a great new year!

It was on this day in 2002 that Daria made a (very) brief appearance on MTV's annual New Year's Eve show. Given her usual preferences, though, we should count ourselves lucky she was willing to show up at all.

Finally, a special shout out to Andrea for National Andrea Day! I hope she gets to read some of her best poetry, or at least that her shift at PayDay isn't too annoying.

Fandom News!

• R.I.P., Tom Smothers.


• Dennis is seeking beta readers for his new GTS story.


• Read about and discuss what Derek calls "the Fyre Festival of the Seas" being cancelled.


• Share your thoughts on silly false alarms.

Begin the Countdown!

Something tells me that Daria isn't feeling the New Year's Eve party mood. If she stays up until midnight, it will only be to finish a book.

If you're feeling festive and/or nostalgic, check out the transcript of MTV New Year's Eve 2002, in which Daria made a cameo. Daria's wish for the coming year to be "at least the least suckiest" seems insanely optimistic in recent times, doesn't it?

Have a happy 2022, everyone!

Fanfic Update!

• Brittany - Party Time, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (COMPLETE!): "Andrea came back to where Daria and Donna were. There was a lull in their activity. 'Quinn is up to something. I’m sure of it.'"

Start the Countdown!

Jesse's getting an early and over-the-top start on New Year's Eve. Whether you're going to go out on the town, stay home and count down until midnight, or go to bed early (raises hand), I hope you all have a very happy new year!

If you want something Daria-appropriate for celebrating, here's Daria's cameo appearance on the MTV New Year's Eve 2002. Timeless advice that's still useful today!

Fanfic Update!

• Hands Down, by Princess_Pasta (part 6): "'Alright, so, one of the main themes we're supposed to focus on is the chaos of the universe'. 'The what?'"


• Sexual Miseducation (Life After Thirty), by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "Rev. Li is giving a sex ed lecture. To call it misinformation would be an understatement." (Part 3)


• Unnamed story (LLH Short Entries #2), by Roentgen (parts 158 and 159): "If there was anything that freaked Kevin out about Tiffany, it was her intensity." (Part 159)


• Well, I Never (Daria and the Gang Thread II), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Daria was watching a documentary on the History Channel about UK soccer and the history of hooliganism. Before she knew it, Quinn had plopped herself on the couch, carrying a bag of low fat popcorn. She grabbed the remote control."


• You Want It Darker, by LongSnakeMoan (part 5): "The crack in the blinds filtered the light through with the sound of angry traffic below, wrenching Jane from the depths of sleep, her rail thin coiled tightly around her comforter. Her first thought was relief, relief she'd made it through another night, in-tact and alive."

Start the Countdown!

Daria's not interested in partying for New Year's Eve, but I know there are quite a few people out there who are glad to finally see the end of 2016. Whatever the future may bring for us all, I hope 2017 is a good one for everyone!

For some extra cheer, read the transcript of Daria's cameo on MTV New Year's Eve 2002 fifteen years ago. "And finally, let's try to make this the best year ever, or at least the least suckiest." That sounds like good advice to me.

Fanfic Update!

• Cops And Robbers And Magic, by psychotol (part 6): "'Matilda, your team has been complaining about having to use these Barbie hover board drones,' said the Superintendant. 'Because no self respecting cop would use such a thing?' asked Matilda."


• Daria Takes Charge, by dmsfanman (part 9): "Once again getting off of the plane it was an advantage being in business class. Tom and Daria were allowed off first, which meant that they had a substantial head start getting to passport control."


• Daria, the Radio serial, by Roentgen (part 12): "JAKE: (singing) I've been working on the railroad... come on, everyone, we know this one. (Beat, followed by grumbling.)"


• Misery Machine, by NightGoblyn (part 18): "Jodie was one of the first back on the bus, and sat in her seat scanning the faces as people passed her by. She was hoping to catch Brittany and get the former cheer captain to sit up front with her and not go to the back of the bus where Kevin and Dawn would probably be sitting."


• Moonstruck, by NightGoblyn (parts 9 - 11): "After the self-esteem class, as the girls were leaving school, Scarlett coughed to get the others' attention and then suggested, 'Hey, why don't we head over to my place instead of Jane's? My aunt won't be home yet, we'll have the place to ourselves.'" (Part 10) (Part 11)


• On The Road, by elainefr (part 30): "'Good evening everyone,' Scott, the manager of The Zon greeted The Spiral and their dates. 'Sup Scott? How's it going?' Trent asked with an arm firmly around his petite date."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: The Daria Christmas Party), by Zetor (COMPLETE!): "Brittany was beginning to regret forgiving Kevin so quickly. As her boyfriend sloppily kissed and roughly groped at her, Brittany began to remember why she cheated on him so often. Unbidden, an image of Daria, came to mind."

As we close out 2009....

Today is Hogmanay in Scotland, and New Year's Eve everywhere else. It is also National Champagne Day for obvious reasons.

Eight years ago, Daria appeared on MTV's New Year's Eve celebration. A transcript of her resolutions is provided on Outpost Daria. Or you can hear her live.

Want to read some New Year's Eve fanfiction? Look to Outpost Daria's special fanfic page.

Remember the 2009 Daria Fanworks Award Rules (final fanfic update coming soon), and try not to get too wasted this evening!

Happy New, Yo!

Seven years ago, Daria appeared on MTV during its New Year's Eve celebration. A transcript of her resolutions is provided on Outpost Daria. Where the hell is she now?

As for me, I am on a short New Year's vacation and will be back in a day or so. Enjoy the new year!

Where, exactly, is the real world?

Among other odd pages in DariaWiki is one on "reality crossovers," fanfics in which Daria or a comrade appears in the real world that we inhabit. If you happen to remember a story like this, by all means add it to the list on that webpage.

I was also mulling over the crossover page, trying to remember other fandom media in which Daria & company appeared. There was a scene in which a cartoon character received an electric shock, causing him to briefly change appearance. A friend laughed at him and said, "You looked just like Daria!" Anyone recall what that was from?

Christ Oliver has used some tiny Daria & Jane cameos in his comics, "Luann" had a strip in which someone was shown with a Daria T-shirt, and a web cartoon about "mall rats" showed the Fashion Club walking by (actually images by the immortal Liliane Grenier, lifted from Outpost Daria). Anyone have knowledge of any other such crossovers using Daria characters?

A lot of short subjects are on my mind tonight. We'll start with these and go on from there. Any help is appreciated. Cheers.