Just Can't Get Enough of Those Random Holidays!

Happy Thread the Needle Day, everyone! Jake would like to request everyone's assistance, but look out for that pissed-off camel.

I'm trying to imagine what Holiday Island's version of Thread the Needle Day would be like. Probably really, really interested in sewing.

Fandom News!

• Ranger Thorne has a request about the PPMB and social media site links.


• Couldn't make it to the Boston Daria Con? Live it vicariously through the stories, pictures, and much more!


• News and condolences are being shared about the Oslo explosion(s) and shooting.


• HolyGrail2007 muses about redemption and fanworks.


• Share your thoughts about the new movie Captain America: The First Avenger and the TV series Torchwood: Miracle Day.


• Two new Iron Chefs posted in the Creative Writing forum: Vukodlak's The Prank Proposal and Ms. Kinnikufan's Mr. O'Neil gets fired.

Bonus Points If Your Holiday Is Traditionally Celebrated with Cake!

Today is Make Your Own Holiday Day! This would be an excellent opportunity to add a new student to the ranks of Holiday Island High School, so go nuts. Please, though, no Mary Sue Appreciation Days. Let's spare Holiday Island at least one horror, okay?

I, meanwhile, will be celebrating Fanfic Update Day!

• Awakening, by Chris Tucker (part 6): "'Look, I know how you feel about your appearance. I understand why. And if I think about why for too long, I'll start crying. I would never, EVER pressure you to do something you don't want to do. But you did think about it, right? You wondered what you might look like. You thought about it, with that big old brainy brain of yours, and you didn't reject the idea out of hand.'"


• Bad Communication (Iron Chef: Helen's Trash Freakout), by Hyrin (part 2): "'No, Jane is not pregnant. Neither is Daria. And if I hear any rumors of either of them being pregnant, I'm going to burn your entire wardrobe and replace it from Goodwill!' 'That's fair, mom,' Quinn said, fighting to keep a growing panic from her face. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make a phone call.'"


• Bound to Highland, by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): "Despite planning on leaving early in the morning for Montana, Daria crawled into the covered back of her pickup and retrieved a photo album. Inside the house, she sat on the sofa and flipped through photos of her and Quinn as small children. 'Dammit.' She closed the album and lowered her head. Dammit.' So instead of spending her final night there in a bed, she spent the final night on the sofa, holding the album close to her chest."


• Daria/Dorian Ch. 14: Hair Dye On The Highway, by LadieT (part 3): "A few moments later, Jane walked into the living and Dorian's mouth went dry. Stacy had shaped Jane's bangs to fit a little more around her face and the subtle streaks of blonde through-out made Jane's hair glisten in the light. Dorian was quickly losing the battle with his hormones, he glanced down and quickly ran upstairs. Jane studied him for a moment as he dashed past her."


• Esteemster Series Teaser 2, by TheExcellentS: "O'Neill: 'Quinn off the ropes... could be an attempt at Quinnception... Daria counters!' Defoe: Daria's got her up again... I think this is it!' O'Neill: 'SPLENDORA BOMB!!! SPLENDORA BOMB!!! We could have a new champ, Claire!'"


• The Girl In Question, by Silver (part 3): "'Dear mom and dad: This field trip was the worst idea you've ever had. I mean it. The bus was totaled by an explosion, my clothes are ruined, and it's just all gone to hell. Literally. I mean it. I think I just saw one of the shadows eat a raven.'"


• Kevin and the Fair Maidens (A LoLH Mini: Kevin and the Knights), by Wassersauefer (COMPLETE!): "Grinning like a fool he stood in front of a hot babe and introduced himself. She wasn't as well endowed as Brittany and not as cute as Quinn and the tattoo on her face was kind of a turn off, but damn was her body tight and her eyes pretty. 'Hi, I'm Kevin of Quarterback. Wanna make out?' He totally missed the warning gestures his fellow knights were giving him and the shocked looks the other girls were wearing."


• Kevin and the Horse (A LoLH Mini: Kevin and the Knights), by Wassersauefer (COMPLETE!): "'Lennart my dear friend, how is it going?', he asked when he reached the fence and leaned on it, next to another knight. This one was not as lanky but much more heavily build, more like a wrestler than a runner. The asked one snorted. 'See for yourself.' 'WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! NICE HORSIE NICE HORSIE!!!'"


• Lawndale Seven Chapter Two, by Wassersauefer (part 3): "Growing up on the Mars colonies she was a fleet brat from the moment she was born, her father in the fleet, her mother in the fleet and she herself going to a school sponsored by the fleet. As soon as she had been old enough she enrolled in the academy and got accepted into the ground forces of the Alliance. Not the fleet but the next best thing and she liked it better anyway. Yes, Janet Barch had been a proud citizen of the Terran Alliance. The emphasis on had been."


• Mad Dog's Legacy Chapter 6: Model Misbehavior, by Hyrin (COMPLETE!): "Daria walked. Inside her mind, she could hear her voice of Reason, very faintly, telling her that this was a bad idea. Another voice, that of Temper, had finally managed, after many years of struggle, to drown out Reason, and was not going to give up its moment in the spotlight." (Part 6)


• The Meeting, by Erin M. (part 1): "'Who called the meeting?' 'Guess,' Daria said. 'Who's called every pointless meeting for the last year?' 'Oh bloody hell,' Nigel huffed, taking his seat at the table. 'Is he still on about that?'"


• Rude Awakening: Episode 2, by DIsaac (parts 2 - 4): "BURNOUT: Daria, if you think you're bad, then you need to listen to Stacy try to fit as much 'Hard Rock' at 6pm as humanly possible. Then, try to think of her being Boston's Sweetheart, too. JANE: As long as they don't take her to a bar in New England. Then all bets are off." (Part 3) (Part 4)


• Screams of Silence, by Jim North: "I stand back up and reach into my back jeans pocket to pull out the engraved lighter I picked up in the gym. I stare at it in surprise for a second. I had completely forgotten about it when I was switching everything out to the backpack, but now it's lit the figurative light bulb above my head. The orbs are a puzzle, and I already have the key. I flick the lighter to life and hold it under the wooden orb. It takes a few minutes, but the wood finally catches and the flames begin to lick up its polished sides. I then turn to the metal orb and- Uh-oh." (New part) (Newer part) (Newest part)


• Searching For a New Hope, by thatLONERchick: "Jane sat up straight, suddenly energized, and grabbed another slice. 'You help me come up with an idea that fits the theme, and we both get credit for it.' Daria bit her lip, head tilted in thought. "Mm, I dunno. What did you have in mind?' 'Hm.' Jane chewed slowly as she rolled a thought around in her head. 'I want to say something. Not just anything, something... relevant. I want to make a statement.'"


• Two Halves: Chapter 6, by Dark Kuno (part 5): "'MR LANE! What policy was initiated to assist nations under threat of hostile takeover by Communist governments?!' bellowed Mr. DeMartino rapidly into the sleeping man's ear. 'The Truman Doctrine!' yelled Trent instantly as he leapt to his feet and looked around confused. 'CORRECT, as always Mr. Lane,' congratulated DeMartino with an almost feral grin. 'One day, I swear, I will figure out how you AWAYS manage to give the correct answer to a question despite your EXTREME narcoleptic proclivity.'"


• We3, by Ranger Thorne (parts 5 - 10): "'Okay.' Looking at her family, Daria said, 'Uh, I'll be right back. I just want to put this away before the embarrassing familial activities begin.' 'Embarrasing what?' Jake asked Helen. 'Hugs, Jake,' she replied. 'Before we give her hugs.'" (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10)

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Today happens to be Occult Day. This, I assume, is a holiday intended to celebrate mysteries and other secrets unknown to most of the world. If you've been meaning to have your palm read or pull out the old Ouija board, today's the day to do it!

These posts about arcane holidays, which are a TAG tradition I'm trying to maintain as much as possible, make me wonder what some of the more interesting students at Holiday Island High School might be like. Would Occult Day hang out with Halloween and Devil's Night or would he/she be more of a loner, smirking at everyone because he/she knows something they don't? There have been a few fanfics about lesser-known holidays, most notably TAG's A Hard Days' Night, but what do you guys think?

Post any thoughts in the comments if you like.

Still Holden On

The Catcher in the Rye turns 59 today. Is outcast Holden Caulfield a literary ancestor of Daria Morgendorffer? If not, who would be?

A bit of quiz-work for the fans follows.

The Atomic Age turns 65 today. A student from Holiday Island High came into being that day and appears in this fanfic.

A space disaster 16 years ago led to another fanfic that changed the lives of Daria and Jane. Not for the better, though.

Quinn Morgendorffer mourns the tragic death of a certain famous individual 11 years ago today.

Two fanfiction authors, an original fanfiction character, and the fanon "real first name" of a major Daria character were all derived from this individual, who was killed 93 years ago tomorrow after the order for her execution came 93 years ago today.

Moar gnuz 2 come.

Something for the Treehuggers

Lest we forget (which I did), the last Friday of every April is Arbor Day in the U.S., which means it would be nice if you planted a tree today, or at least avoiding cutting down a nice looking one.

Here is Arbor Day (better picture than usual) from "Depth Takes a Holiday." Poor treehugger kid, picked on by everyone who doesn't love trees. Looks sad. Bummer.

The creative Ms. Kinnikufan has created another Iron Chef for the writers among us: Daria in the Supreme Court. What cases would she oversee? What would her life as a justice be like? Will Jane spill the beans about Daria's unpaid traffic tickets?

List of new fanfics coming shortly, need to take care of stuff. And speaking of trees, enjoy The Oaks!

PPMB

• Beta Testing, by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): "A precognitive computer?" Archangel asked. "Yes and no. It doesn't predict the future, it records it." "This is going to be one of those explanations that makes my head hurt, isn't it?" (FF.net)
  
• NEW! Daria: Hunter 5—Infectious, by Jim North (continued): "Nothing but blood," Burnout said as they stepped back out into the hallway. "Maybe, maybe not," said Daria. "We won't know unless we look, and it's better than wandering around aimlessly. Don't worry... tracking people down is our business. We'll find them."
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 44: My Three Young Women, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 3): “There’s a lot of things I could say about Finn,” said Jane. “It’s awkward enough,” Daria cut her friend off. “But I’m sure he’s flattered.” “I know I gotta talk to him, but... I just know I’m gonna hate it.” “Well, he’s busy anyway.” “Busy?” Jane asked. “He said he was going to lunch with Sierra, and then to some party.” “And he didn’t invite me?” Jane’s eyebrows cocked.
• Omnia Mutantur, by Yogi (COMPLETE!): “Why madam, it is truly my pleasure to welcome such a vision of loveliness to the very humble halls of Lawndale High.” It took Daria a few seconds before she realized that it had been addressed at her. Looking up, she saw a boy with orange/red hair and freckles giving her a wide smile. “Uh, thanks. My name’s Daria. Daria Morgendorffer” Daria replied, cursing her sudden lack of eloquence. She wasn’t expecting this, he had caught her off guard, everything was happening so fast. “Charles Ruttheimer the Third, at your service” the boy said, making a deep bow.
• Parents Are People, by Legendeld (Part 2): Quinn didn't need her to explain the statement, she only nodded. She was afraid the sound of her own voice agreeing would unleash tears. So this is the whole growing up thing Daria is always talking about. It sucks royally.
• NEW! Weighted Clothes, by Yogi (Part 1): Too small Pink T-shirt? Check. Fashionable Jeans? Check. Makeup? Check. Complete and utter destruction of her pride and self respect? Well, hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. “OK, “ Daria thought, going through the plan in her mind one more time. “3-Js come, dad calls out that my dates are here, though he’ll probably think they’re Quinn’s. Quinn exits room to see what is up, runs into me, mission accomplished. No one but Quinn will ever see, and my dignity will remain intact.” “Quinn! Your dates are here!”
  

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.”

Happy Holidays!

Yes, once again it is time to look under the Christmas tree and find nothing, but in the closet nearby are two guys who are into some kind of kinky bondage thing. That's the Christmas spirit!

More words of Christmas wisdom from Daria can be heard right here. Such a font of wisdom.

Remember Triste Monde Tragique, that French supersite that's not around anymore? It had a great holiday logo.

Want to read MOAR Daria Christmas fanfiction? Head to the special collection at Sh33p's Fluff. Enjoy!

NOTE: I've been searching for "Christmas Present," by Aloysius, but it has vanished. Anyone see it? It was based on "A Little Vacation," by Doggieboy. A pregnant Daria is trying to make a cake for Robert, but zombies get in the way.

Merry Christmas!

A little surprise from Daria's Sick, Sad Life Planner: Daria's Holiday Wishes

Got a Christmas fanfic you want to write? Try the all-new Iron Chef: The Christmas Episode, started by Kael Seoras. (A great Iron Chef from the past was NightGoblyn's Iron Chef: Merry Christmas!) (And remember that great memory lane thread about your favorite Christmas fanfics? Thanks, Richard!)

And here's a special message from X, who sez: "Yo, my homies, this be the X talking at ya! Time to get down with it and open presents! It's after midnight, so it's legal! Party on, and remember: be excellent to each other all year long, don't hog the nog, peace out on Earth, and Good Will Hunting!"




This has been a Very Special Message from X, the Holiday Formerly Known as Christmas, speaking from the Holiday Island High School Christmas Party at the Holiday Island High School Gym. This greeting is not void even if prohibited by law. Don't Hog the Nog is a trademark of X. All Rights Reserved. Would someone please expand the DariaWiki page on this guy?

The Ghost of Christmas Past?

Suppose there was to be a Very Special Episode of Daria, in which she was sent to the hospital on Christmas Eve (for a rash) and was visited by one or more ghosts, per the familiar tale by Dickens.

How would you write that episode? Which ghosts would appear, and what would they have to teach Daria about her way of life? Which characters in Daria's life would be involved, and which events? And would X from Holiday Island be there, too?

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

P.S. Check out Outpost Daria's December update!

That Awesome Awful Day Is Back!

It's Friday the 13th, as per a certain Holiday Island story, and this blogger has picked two pictures off the Internet to show what his conception of the ultra-dangerous Holiday Island teen known as Friday the 13th looks like (when she doesn't have her skull face on, that is). I had thought she looked like Neil Gaiman's Death, but Death smiles too much and doesn't look evil, cold, and frightening. See if these two images do it for you. (They've been slightly modified with the author's limited computer-art artistic skills.) Ignore the crosses and so forth, and instead replace them with a gold necklace with a small 13 dangling from it. These two look most like my mind's eye image of Friday the 13th. Not perfect (thicker hair with no highlights, just sheer featureless black), but close enough. Enjoy.

BTW, can you think of a song that would be Daria's theme song?

PPMB

• Anti-Trope 2, by Pinkminx (Part 2): “I don’t care if you’re trying your best; we need to start winning games.” Ms. Li's eyes narrowed on the school’s football coach, Mr. Gibson. “The P.T.A. is getting suspicious of the distribution of school funds; some are even questioning why the football team is getting new uniforms and equipment.” “Well, the uniforms from last year—” “Are you questioning my distribution of the schools monies?”
• Daria: Hunter—The Love Triangle, by Jim North (Part 1): "Yes, Daria," Quinn said into her commlink, "I swear I read it! I know you still think of me as an illiterate bubblehead, but come on. I write for a living now.... There's no need to get all snippy, Daria. I'll have you know that some of the articles I write are very long."
• The New Girl, by JPAGC (COMPLETE!): Daria walked in the corridors of Stanford University, her boots making a resonant sound down the almost empty corridor, while she enjoyed the calm of the early morning hours and thrived on the ambiance of science that seemed to emanate everywhere....
  
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part III), by jtranser (continued): Dirty grey clouds of cottony smoke erupted from the rusty grimy steam locomotive as it shuddered to an arthritic stop. Stepping out from the triple canopy forest facing the station were a number of K'eckchi and K'iche Maya who converged on the passenger car and rapidly loaded the baggage on their backs and heads. All were dressed in identical black felt jackets, embroidered with the symbolic red keys and dragon of the modern Avignon Papacy and fringed with blue and white strips of yarn....
  
• Two Halves 5: Mall Rat Blues, by Dark Kuno (continued): “So my mom was, like, ‘No more shopping until you bring your grades up young lady’,” complained Quinn as she and the other Fashion Club members strolled down the halls of Lawndale High. “That’s… sooooo unfair,” drawled Tiffany. “I know,” Quinn agreed. “It’s like she expects me to be a brain like Daria and Lex.”
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Tooth and Nail), by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): "Hey, Mack, can I carry your books?" "Hey, Mack, can I carry your... pencil?" "Hey, Mack, can I carry your, uh, um... got anything else?"

Lynn Cullen = Guy Fawkes? Bollocks!

Curiously enough, Canadibrit's Lynn Cullen, Daria's half-sister, happens to have been born on the day of Bonfire Night, better (but incorrectly) known to Daria fans as Guy Fawkes Day. We don't have Lynn's birth year, but we do have her fanfic in The Look-Alike Series (TLAS). Her birth date was announced, among other places, here. Loads of pictures of the occasionally violent Ms. Cullen can be found here. The Daria character called Guy Fawkes Day, from Holiday Island High, is a classic late-1970s or early 1980s English punk rocker, per the Sex Pistols. The original Guy Fawkes was not a punk rocker. A Daria fanfic was written making use of the Guy Fawkes meme ("Remember, Remember").

Was making Lynn Cullen's birthday on Guy Fawkes Night some kind of message? Given Ms. Cullen's behavior, possibly so.

Oh, and don't mistake the fandom's Lynn Cullen for the real-life talk-show host. They aren't the same person. Duh.


Odd. I just noticed that the Facebook Daria fan site has almost a quarter of a million members! Where the heck did they come from? Why aren't they at PPMB, for crying out loud?

NEW! The Ringbearers "Skippy" list has been revived!

What else is up... oh, right.

PPMB

• Anti-Trope, by Pinkminx (Part 5): As Dean listened to the teacher talk, his brow furrowed. The teacher wasn’t making any sense. "Realizing your actuality"—what the hell was that supposed to mean?
• Behind the Mystik, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): Narrator: "And now back to VH1's Behind the Music with Mystik Spiral."
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 12: Carnivore, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “Oh, Finn, there you are!” Jake called when he noticed the truant boy in the doorway. “Hi, Dad,” Finn smiled. “What’s on the tapes?” “Old home movies!” Jake eagerly exclaimed. “I get to relive all the wonderful memories of you kids' childhood!”
• NEW! ill, by Jim North (COMPLETE!): Knuckles knocked. Door opened. Jane stood on the other side, looking concerned and wringing her hands on a small can. "I came as soon as I heard," she said. (FF.net)
  
• In Silence Sarcastic, by Trscroggs (continued): “So both the Morgendorffer children are a little odd,” said Jane. “Did that have anything to do with you taking on the football team?”
• Unnamed songfic, by Respite (COMPLETE!): "My name is... Jane-Zula. The art-rula, The highschoolah..." [Daria/Aqua Teen Hunger Force]
  

Role Model

Today is the 37th birthday of model and actress Jenny McCarthy, rumored to have been the actual role model for Brittany Taylor. Given Ms. McCarthy's recent forays into medical science... no, I won't say it. Too easy. Sorry.

Today is also World Vegan Day, which is curious because Ms. McCarthy is a vegan. When it rains, it pours, I guess.

AND... today is Samhain, All Saints Day, the Day of the Dead, and a bunch of other things. Tiffany's alter-ego costume at left is exactly that for Mexico's Day of the Dead. Nice multicultural touch, there. Wonder what Samhain and the others are like at Holiday Island High.

Hope you remembered to set your clocks back an hour today, if you live where they do daylight savings time. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep.

PPMB

• Beasts, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): “Did you just kill Fluffy?” Sandi Griffin said oddly calm tone. Her ears were ringing from the gunshot blast that was echoing around them in the small store. Quinn Morgendorffer flipped her hair over her shoulder with a small shrug. “How am I supposed to know?” She pumped the 12-gauge shotgun. “It was the size of dog and had large teeth, now it’s in pieces.”
• Dinnertime, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): "Scarlett, dear, you have to come out of your room sometime." The voice of her mother caused the girl to open her eyes and look at the closed and locked door. "I can't do it," she said. "I won't do it." "You cannot stay in there forever."
• Finn Morgendorffer 11: Man of Honor, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “I’ll make sure my tuxedo matches the dresses.” “I’ve already contacted the bridal store, you can see them there.” Rita instructed. “Also, Daria’s going to be one of the bridesmaids.” “Really?” Finn tried to hide his disappointment. Daria was not cheerful enough to be in a wedding. She hated dresses anyway.
• Halloween Treats, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): The kids at the front door of the Morgendorffer house took a step back in unison as the door opened to show a hulking, hooded figure, holding a large bowl of candy. The voice beneath the overly large hood was distinctly feminine, although raspy; it was slightly breathless, with a throaty timbre to it. "Yes...?"
• Late Bloomer, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): Daria sat upright in her bed cover in sweat. She could feel the flames still licking at her skin. Oh my god, that was a little too realistic, she thought as her heart tried to beat its way free from her ribcage. Her arms actually ached from where they had been bound in the dream. With a sigh of relief she dropped back down to her pillow. My hands were tied to something and I was on fire. That was the worst dream I’ve had in a long time. [Begs for more!]
• Slow Night, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): “The Vampires have been forced back and the Lycans are wiped out. The Zack outbreak was pretty minor and I’ve got it cleaned up already. I’m tired and I want to go home. I’ve spent most of the night chasing crazy teenagers who like to dress up.”
• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Hump Day), by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "Destroy all that is evil," spoke the elder. "So that what is good may flourish," replied the younger.
  

Halloween Herself

The centerpiece for today is, of course, Halloween herself. She's my favorite of the Holiday Island High teens. Darn shame she appears only once in the series. (I love "Depth Takes a Holiday.") Can't say she's a good kid, smart-mouthed and prone to mischief as she is, but she's appealing anyway. Got an attitude, able to earn her own money, great drummer, cool costume: it adds up.

How to bring her back, though? I gave it a shot on PPMB with "Romin' Holiday," but it was a quickie and needed more. Halloween the teen appeared briefly in "Everybody Loves Jane" (thanks to Kristen Bealer), Angelinhel's "A Day (un)Like Any Other," a nameless tale by Cypher, and... I think that's about it. (Oh! Anonymous in the Comments just reminded me of Smileyfax's "Her Web of Sin." That was terrific! Poor Trent, though. Oh, well. Thanks, Anonymous!)
Let's here and now make a call for more Halloween fanfic. Use your imagination. She could be a great supervillainess, say if she was able to drain the power from her home plane to augment her own minor magics. She could become a real teen by accident, design, or as punishment. She could fall for someone in Lawndale (Trent's already been used for that) and divide her time between Lawndale and her home plane.

It would be excellent to define her powers without being too specific. She can make cobwebs appear, but cannot create food, blow up a house, or get anywhere without calling a friend for a car ride. (Who was she calling, anyway, in "Depth Takes a Holiday"? Does she have mortal friends who like to run around with her throwing toilet paper into trees in expensive neighborhoods?)

Just a thought. Anyone know of any other Halloween-the-teen stories around? She's too good to ignore all the rest of the year. Happy Halloween!

Shakin' Jake's Makin' Quakes! ¡Ole!

Why is Jake shaking his maracas? This is the 199th anniversary of the declaration of Mexican Independence (next year is the big 200), and we wish you a happy and peaceful Independence Day. And if anyone can tell me what sort of costume Jake is wearing, drop a note here, please. It looks like a dance band thing, but I just can't find the right name for it. Probably Spanish or Cuban or something, but it was the best I could do. A good example of real maracas music is here. Nice. Man, those are some darn tight pants Jake's wearing. ("Is that a maracas," asks Helen when he comes home, "or are you just happy to see me?" I think we all know the answer to that. Damn right.)

As if that wasn't enough, the U.N. has sent its black helicopters around to announce that today is also the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, or Ozone Day for short. I just feel sorry for this kid at Holiday Island High, don't you? What a heck of a thing to carry around with you all your life. "Hey, Ozone Warrior!" his classmates cry. "Back to reality! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Maybe he calls himself Oz for short. I sure would. THANKS A LOT FOR THE STUPID NAME, OLD MAN! ROT IN HELL! Sorry, channeling Jake there for a sec.

N0oZ: Kara Wild sez them DVD-thingers are a-comin'! YEEEEE-HAAAAW!

Richard Lobinske gives us even moar Colorized Early Concept Trent to admire.

PPMB

• Basic Training: A Daria the Green Lantern Story, by Echopapa (Part 3): “Uhh... yeah. Supergirl, is it?” Daria said, trying to think of something to say as they both hovered high in the air above Smallville. “I, uh, take it you’re from around here... Any connection to the Big Blue Guy?”
  
• Love Is a Series of Burning Sensations, by Undefinedlust (Part 12): In the kitchen sat a large Norse commercial series double refrigerator-freezer. It was easily twice the size of the old unit. That must have sat them back a pretty penny, she thought to herself as she noticed the huge packing box in the backyard. Something inside Daria stirred at the sight and she walked to the window and quietly looked at the box. Fuzzy mental pictures of her as a small child playing in a refrigerator box rose from her memory, but she couldn't seem to place them in context. She started to try to dig for the memory when she was interrupted by Quinn.
• Reaped Out 2: Sickle Sad World, by Pinkminx (Part 7): [All I can say is, if ya gotta go, go out in style!] (FF.net)
  
• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Hump Day), by Aloysius (COMPLETE!): "I'm not going to ask again!" the man yelled. "Your money—now! Empty your purses in the bag!"

Labor Day, with a hi-di-hi-di-hi, and a ho-di-ho-di-ho!

It is supposed to be a major fashion "don't" to wear white after Labor Day, the reasons being unclear. As a Fashion Club reminder to the less fashionably aware, we give you Ms. Li, the principal of Lawndale High, in a white tuxedo. She will be today's Labor Day icon. (No representative student from Holiday Island High was available.)

Notice that Ms. Li is on a stage in front of a curtain, singing into an old-time microphone. Ms. Li actually appears here as Cab Calloway, the world famous jazz singer, dancer, orchestra conductor, and guest star in the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers, where he sang one of the songs for which he is best remembered: "Minnie the Moocher." (Click the link and the white tuxedo-and-tails thing will become immediately obvious). He was also famous for "Hi Di Ho Man," which he sang with the Muppets (again in his white tux).

This is one of the older alter egos used on Daria for which no description was given, so it is up to extremely aged people like me to figure out what the secret cultural reference is. Those MTV animators were clever little devils, weren't they?

Speaking of Labor Day, Kara Wild noted in the introduction to one of her DWU fanfics that "All But Forgotten" and "Memory Road" take place during the Labor Day weekend. In another fanfic, Quinn Morgendorffer offers the following quote: "IF I were Jesus, I'd wouldn't wearing ANYTHING florescent this soon after Labor Day, that's just as blasphemous as wearing white shoes." Love that.

What would the HIH student known as Labor Day be like? Hmmm...

On another topic, while checking some of the links at left (in "The Daria Directory"), I found a few that were extinct. I've managed to recover them using the WayBack Machine and relocate them in the Blasts from the Past section. Version Daria, one of the great old supersites, has finally vanished. Few of the AOL ones that disappeared can be recovered, however. The Web is ephemeral. All things come and go. Alas! Anyway, if you notice a broken link, just let me know.

New PPMB Iron Chef: Sick, Sad Worldisms!

Another Good Reason to Go to France

Today marks a little-known holiday celebrated in the town of Palau-de-Cerdagne, France, on the border with Spain in the Pyrenees. Xicolatada (from an Aztec/Spanish word) is a festival in which the townspeople do nothing but drink hot chocolate all day, starting at 11 a.m. I know it sounds like I am lying (I'm not this time, I swear, honest!), but here is an article in French about it, and here is a picture. (I suppose if you are going to celebrate this day from now on, you should do it in style.) This kid is an exchange student worth getting to know at Holiday Island High!

Seventy-nine years ago today, the first-ever animated cartoon done with sound and shot in Technicolor was released: "Fiddlesticks." It can be seen in its entirety on YouTube. This of course led to Daria, today, and for that we honor it.

Singer/actress Madonna turns 51 today. Kemical Reaxion did a special series of Daria fan art based on Madonna's many incarnations. "The Ten Faces of Madonna" is a marvel to behold. We also have an official MTV alter ego of Brittany as Madonna, one of Helen as Madonna, one of Ms. Li as Madonna (as someone else), etc., so you see how important Madonna is to Daria fandom.

MOAR No0OZ!

• Updated versions of The Head and IIFY? Guy are ready for your inspection at Backgrounders.
  

FF.net

• The Request, by Quinnley1 (Parts 1 through 8): “Dar-ia! I hope you’re not planning on sleeping until noon every day during summer break. Time to get up and at least pretend that you are in training to be a productive member of society!”
• True Crud, by Pinkminx (Part 1): [The intriguing Daria/True Blood crossover found here on PPMB.]
  

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• Rolling the Dice, by Ajar (Part 3): “Hello again,” said Jane with false enthusiasm. “It's so nice for you to include me in all these Fashion Club meetings. But, at this point, you might want to change the name to the D20 Club.”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (COMPLETE!): According to the Maya, the tree Chacchokal has always existed and was there when the Maya first entered the forest of Chakur. In their belief system, this unique Ceiba tree connects the Heavens, Earth and the Underworld and binds them all together as the Universe of the Fifth Sun. [Now waiting for Part III!]
  
• Unnamed story (Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): "Hi! You're cool. What's your name?" "Daria. Daria Morgendorffer." "Cool name." "Will you go out with me?"
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Daria Kills Jane, or Vice Versa...), by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Jane felt the ringing in her ears clearing up, well enough for her to hear the chanting of the Lawndale residents...

Is This the Origin of Holiday Island?

Yes, I know, it's the cover of a Beavis and Butt-head comic. Part of it is serialized on a July 1997 MTV website in the B&B section. There are at least two pictures of a bland-faced Daria here. Just keep clicking and you'll read the whole Halloween section.

The entire issue is about B&B's trials and tribulations with the holidays. See the cover? Did this start the ball rolling on "Depth Takes a Holiday"?

Love seeing Daria as a sour Christmas present. Makes me smile.

Oh, and here is the link to the December 1996 B&B section of MTV Online. Some fun little things to download, if you like.

For All the Tree-huggers

Today is Arbor Day, and a sad day he is. Who could he date at Holiday Island High that would cheer him up? Probably not the pyromaniac Devil's Night.

MORE DARIA WEBSITES FACE EXTINCTION! Roentgen notes in his blog that all GeoCities sites are goin' down later this year. That includes The Green Sink. Whoa. This must be why Arbor Day looks so glum. Somebody save the site while we can! And the others!

HELP THE AUTHOR: Echopapa needs some advice on his new story. Here is how it starts: Jane, still in her usual sleepwear of t-shirt and shorts, stumbled down the hallway to the kitchen, thoughts of her morning libation filling her head. Coffee. Coffee. Jane must have coffee. Wonderful, magical nectar of the Gods. I can almost smell it - wait. I can smell it! Jane stopped, suddenly fully awake. Is Trent?- No, he never makes coffee. I wouldn’t drink any he made anyway. Then who? -

My apologies for being tardy with the new fanfic list. Things do have a way of getting in the way.

FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Parts 23 to 25): “God dammit!” Daria yelled. “Fall back into the administrative offices and put up a barricade in the ticket office. Make them fight room to room. Use shotguns and grenades. Don't hold back, we're fine on ammo!”
• Our Time Now, by Charliefox2012 (Part 2): “It's legal, and tender, but someone's getting shortchanged! Little cross-dressers and the women who love them, coming up next on Sick, Sad World,” said the announcer and the show went to commercial. If that woman were Judy Garland, this might make sense on a couple of levels, Daria thought. She smiled sadly and sighed. She and Jane would usually be watching and making fun of this show together. She missed Jane.
• Wristcutters: A Daria Story, by Charliefox2012 (Part 2): Daria finished with the pizza and placed it in a box, ready for whoever came for it. She removed her headband, depicting the Kamikaze pizzeria logo. “I’m going on my break,” she said. [I get the impression that before this story took place, something happened....]

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• Am I Being Served? by Ajar (Part 2): "I know you need some pairs of 'trousers' to finish your art project, but did we have to come here? I'll never get the smell of stuffy out of these clothes."
• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight, by NightGoblyn (continued): “I’m so not looking forward to this,” Daria said with a sigh as she came down the stairs. She walked over to where her aunt and sister were sitting and held her arms out. “Do I look like I’m ready to go to the nut house?” [FAN ART!]
• Love Is a Series of Burning Sensations, by Undefinedlust (Part 7): Jane sat up on the couch and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Had she really cried herself to sleep on the couch? Looking at the window she noticed it was dark out. "God, I wonder what time it is", she thought as she stood up and walked into the kitchen. Looking at the clock above the sink she saw it was eight o'clock. "Damn, they are already ..." She shook her head violently, trying to shake the image of the Daria and Tom together out of her mind.
• Phlegm Noir, by Scissors MacGillicutty (Part 2!): "But why must he use Laaaawndale High only for his interiors? I think the school's a fine example of public architecture! Besides, I can't have the interior security systems be compromised!" [One of my favorite stories, continued at last!]
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Lawndale, by Kristen Bealer (Part 5): That night, Daria came home angry enough to punch through walls. When she saw that Poneillius was still there and waiting to "rap" with her, she upgraded from walls to kittens. He opened his mouth, but she spoke before he could even inhale. "Say one word to me and I will throttle you until your head physically detaches from your body. Then I will kick your head through several windows and turn the rest of your body into a makeshift punching bag. After that, I will come up with something ten times more unpleasant than that to do with your remains. Understand?"
• Spirit Stick, by Brother Grimace (Parts 2 and 3): The air inside the foyer of the Pi Rho Omega sorority house was unnaturally still as the door opened, and the two Ringbearers stepped across the threshold. “Engage shields,” Archangel ordered; as he spoke, twin ovals of barely-visible blue energy appeared and surrounded the two, flickering slightly as they walked through the area. “Scan for signs of life.” “Nothing,” Valkyrie echoed. “I’m not even picking up any traces of human remains. Not good.”
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Temporary Duty, by Richard Lobinske (Part 4): Nathan paced back and forth in one of the two rooms at the Dutchman Inn that the agents had rented. "Why in the hell is that a young man is living in the same house with my granddaughter?"
• trennt and the amaizing coofie, by Dennis (COMPLETE!): I dare not spoil the majesty and wonder of this amazing tale. Click and enjoy.

Not a Good Day If Your Name Is Caesar

Today is the Ides of March, and on Holiday Island the character named for this date is still in juvenile lockup after the events in this fanfic.

More later when I figure out what I'm doing. Meanwhile, here is a picture of Jane Lane smelling her armpit.

THIS JUST IN: Daria is now leader of the Legion of Lawndale Heroes. Upchuck is deputy leader. More to come after the rioting settles down.

BREAKING NEWS: Two big website updates on the Ides of March!

Outpost Daria has added great new stuff, and Sick, Sad World is back in business, too!!!

YEEEE-HAAAAW!!!!

New Fanfiction

• FBCB, by Wraith (Part 3): The great saga continues as the Fashion Club meets its greatest challenge yet! Here's a sample: "Look, I can't give you anything until you fill out requisition form 29B/1919." "But that thing is twelve pages long!" "In triplicate too. Press hard."
• Locker Trouble, by im thinking changing myname (?) (COMPLETE!): A little slash before bedtime.
  
• Quinn Angel, by Lawndale Lurker (continued): Helen looked up as Daria reentered the kitchen. She'd been making notes on a legal pad, Daria saw, and violently scratching out some of them. The level of liquid in the Southern Comfort bottle was lower, too.
• Turnabout Confusion, Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): Andrea cracked a fishnetted knuckle. "What do you think?" Ted considered carefully for a moment. "I think that Scarlett's ideas are unsound, and I don't think I wish to be a party to them." "Unsound," Andrea chuckled. "You could say that. You could also say crazy."
  

Epiphany, Daria style

Today is Epiphany, the Twelfth Day of X (formerly known as Christmas). Epiphany is the kid at Holiday Island High who figures things out long after it would have done him any good, and knows the right retort only after everyone has left the room. (His epiphanies are a little late.)

Epiphany got its start when the Three Wise Guys (see at left) began following a brilliant star (seen at right). After twelve days of begging and pleading with her for a date, she let them take her to Chez Pierre of Lawndalehem, which cost them all the gold they had. (The restaurant would not take frankincense or myrrh as payment because those are plants.)

Epiphany (as a word, not as the holiday) is hard to explain. I looked up a bunch of definitions. They include:

• A comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.
• An usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.
• An intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking.
• An illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure.
• A revealing scene or moment.
• A sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
• A literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.

Daria is probably the only TV show ever to make a joke using the word epiphany. From "Jake of Hearts":

• Daria: I may have had a hand in her epiphany.
• Jane: I hope you washed it thoroughly.

Not just any old TV show could pull that one off. Several Daria stories have epiphany in their titles.

• "Epiphany," by Nick Gaston
• "O'Neill's Epiphany," by Bacner
• "The Iron Cynic Series #2: Late Epiphany," by DJW (no longer online except through the WayBack Machine)
  

If you celebrate Epiphany, then you should definitely read these stories today. For religious reasons, of course. And now for something completely different.

Dark Kuno added the latest entry in DariaWiki: This Used To Be My Playground. Thanks! Brother Grimace and Dr. Mike have been doing great work there lately.

The Backgrounders website is attracting attention and comment on PPMB and SFMB. Read and learn.

The great Kemical Reaxion has posted a short comic on SFMB: "Alcohol and Sarcasm." Happy New Year!

Now 1,095 fans in the Daria Fan Club. Wow, that thing has really grown in the last year. Word must have gotten around. It's got a lot of good stuff.

FF.net

• Daria One Half, by Batlurker (Part 3): Jane whistled. "Wow, that's one of the weirdest things I've ever seen."
• Janey on My Mind, by Violent Dyke (COMPLETE!): One day, Jane left. This is what happened afterward.
  

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• Bettie and Jack at Festivus, by Gene (COMPLETE!): The fandom's first-ever Festivus fanfic! The first fanfic of 2009! And it's a good one! Hooray!
• Daylight LLH: Palmed Cards, by Gouka Ryuu (COMPLETE!): What the Hell were you doing earlier, Gouka? You revealed the existence of Arcana and The Elite to Armalin in practically the same breath!
• King of the Ladies, by Disco316 (COMPLETE!): Courage, advice, time travel: the things some people need to get a date.
  
• Other Side, by Legendeld (Parts 1 and 2): A steampunk Daria tale... with a bite.

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• Cybercity Lawndale, by JJXB (Part 14): The street's dark atmosphere lent itself to a horror novel. Daria was getting creeped out, feeling as if she was being watched. “Damn paranoia,” She muttered to herself. (So far, the only cyberpunk Daria tale I know of.)

One Last Minor Topic:

One of the ways I've been using to identify certain students at Lawndale High (for Backgrounders) is by picking out physical details about them, such as (for the males) beards. Some useful charts naming different beard styles are available on the 'net, and I thought I'd pick two of the best of them for those of you with bearded characters in your fanfics. The right words are always better than sort-of-the-right words.

• Beard types 1
• Beard types 2

For whatever it's worth. Enjoy.