Miami QB

Don Johnson, star of the famed 1990s TV series Miami Vice, turns 60 today. Kevin Thompson wears Johnson's suit from the series at right. It's one of the few alter egos that actually improves a Daria character's image. Not shabby at all.

Today is also the 218th birthday of the U.S. Bill of Rights. Nice work there, too. In one Daria fanfic the Bill of Rights was suspended. In another, Daria complains that schools suspend the Bill of Rights when it comes to school newspapers printing whatever they want. That issue is still being debated. (See also here.)

NEWZ: It is reported that C.L. Basso's Daria fanfics at devilkitty.org can no longer be accessed. This appears to be correct. Archive.org reports that access to the site has been blocked by the owner using "robots." It is not known if other sites contain his works.

PPMB

• Daria: Hunter—Mind over Plasma, by Jim North (continued): The bounty hunters turned in surprise at the male voice behind them. Tom stood there, looking happily rumpled in one of his cheap suits. "You scary son of a bitch!" Jane cursed. "Sneak up on us like that again and I might just shoot you on principle! How the hell-?!"
• Finn Morgendorffer 21: Jane Errs, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “Janey!” Wind smiled at his sister and kissed each of her cheeks. He then turned to regard Finn. “Oh, we have a new little brother and I never saw him?” Wind seemed perplexed.
• John Lane 44: Fizzy Logic, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): "I swear that if I have to spend the rest of the year looking at these eye-bleeding colors, I'll go postal and no machine will get out of here alive." (FF.net)
  
• Quinn: The Show, by Ajar (continued): "One hundred and twenty... three pounds. Yes, everything seems to be in order aside from that out of season nail polish, but I'm going to let that slide."
• Unnamed story (Three-peat! New Ideas Thread Wins Again!), by Ranger Thorne (COMPLETE!): In 2002, the members of the band Mystic Spiral were sent to a military prison. This was odd, since none of them had ever been in the military. (Daria/The A-Team)

The DFB2 Turns Two!

It's PARTY TIME!

The Daria Fandom Blog II is now two years old. It had 51,000 hits last year at this point, and now has over 128,000. Thanks go to CINCGREEN for inspiring me with the DFB1, thanks go to all DFB2 followers and readers for your support, and thanks especially go to Viacom-Paramount-MTV-etc., for giving us Daria on DVD next year as our long-hoped-for and long-awaited treat.

Outpost Daria has updated! Go thither and rejoice!

Other Important Historical Date-things Today

• Harpo Marx was born this day 121 years ago. Jane Lane offers a snarky comment about a lesser known Marx Brother.
• The very first episode of Doctor Who premiered 46 years ago today on the BBC. Daria fanfic crossovers with this wonderful SF show include Yui Daoren's "Doctor Who-Gives-a-Damn," Ranger Thorne's "Lane Change," and Lawndale Stalker's work-in-progress "The House on Space-Time Lane" —epic stories all!
  
• An eloquent defense of the freedom of speech and freedom of the press, the Areopagitica, was published 364 years ago by John "Paradise Lost" Milton. I hadn't heard of it either, but quotations from it are astounding and very applicable to this fandom. Some of my favorites:
  

Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye.

A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.

Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.

FF.net

• Another Pie, by Yami White Rain (COMPLETE!): "All I'm saying," Tom said, "I'm just not sure what king of self respecting dictator would take over Lawndale of all the places in the entire world." Daria paused from taking a bite from her slice of pizza. "He has a point. It's kind of insultingly easy to get them riled up."
  

PPMB

• Finn Morgendorffer 16: Ambrosia Vinaigrette, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 2): “Instead of reading a story for its moral dimensions, why don’t you write one with moral dimensions?” “Excuse me?” “Daria, you are one of this school’s most talented writers, and your writing style is, well, it’s a little unpleasant, but it’s very well written.”
  
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: Part of the Solution, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): The intercom on the desk sounded. “The representatives from the Society are here,” the voice spoke up. “Shall I take them to the conference room?” A woman’s voice responded. “Yes—and make sure that they are comfortable.”
  

Moar l8r. Stay tooned.

All the News That's Fit to Suppress

The great history of freedom of the press in North America began a mere 319 years ago today, when the first edition of the first newspaper in the New World was printed in Boston. The newspaper was shut down the next day by the government and was never printed again. I bet that taught the liberal press a thing or two.

Today is also the seventh anniversary of the Vitim Event in Siberia, whatever the heck that was. Must have been a sight when it came down. BOOM! Perhaps it was a UFO crashing, but we will never know because 62 years ago yesterday, or so it is alleged, President Harry S. Truman signed off on Majestic 12, the ultra-secret government cover-up of its contact with alien creatures from across the galaxy. If you are looking for conspiracy lore to add to your fanfic plots, this one's a goodie.

More to come. Stay tooned.