Nothing Like Catching Up With Your Best Frenemy!

It might look like Linda and Helen are calling to wish each other a happy National Women's Day, but we all know better, don't we? Obviously they're just using the day as an excuse to make passive-aggressive insults and try to one-up each other on who's more happy and successful. As usual.

Meanwhile, Daria will just stay out of the battle area and enjoy Book Lover’s Day by, of course, reading. Not that she needs a specific holiday to do that, but it's nice to be able to claim that she's participating in something once Helen gets off the phone.

Trent and Jesse, however, can pull out their old records and celebrate Frank Zappa Day! I hope they don't get into another argument about whether he sounds better digital versus analog. It's just going to end in a fish sticks commercial.

Fanfic Update!

• Crystal Claw, by Sheila Wisz Ellayn (part 39): "The sleepy town of Lawndale, Pennsylvania had fallen into deep mourning and shock."


• Full Green Jacket, by Kristen Bealer (part 1): "Daria trudged miserably through Jim's Paintballing Jungle, wishing with every step that she was doing something more interesting like reading a book or counting the cracks in her ceiling or even sitting through one of Mr. O'Neill's self-esteem classes. At least in class she wasn't expected to do any physical activity."


• Homecoming, by davidfalkayn (part 30): "'So, you’re a lieutenant commander, Angie?' 'Yeah.' Angie responded with a smile as she cinched her saddle tight."

It's a Competition to See Who Can Be the Nastiest!

You might think that Helen and Linda just wanted to wish each other a happy International Women’s Day, but in reality they're taking the opportunity to brag to each other about their latest accomplishments. I'm sure it will end in either an argument or a fistfight, and it will certainly be entertaining to find out which one.

Indeed, I think it's more likely that the two of them are celebrating Be Nasty Day, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Quinn and Sandi are doing exactly the same thing. The apples don't fall far from the bitchy tree, after all.

I personally would rather celebrate National Proofreading Day, because there's nothing more fun than nitpicking uther peeple's mitsakes! And here's a shout out to the unsung heroes of fanfiction, the beta readers.

Fandom News!

• The Jodie series is dead.

Not the Best Example of Female Empowerment, Are They?

Helen and Linda are wishing each other a lovely International Women's Day, or at least that's what you'd think they're doing. In reality they're engaging in a majorly passive-aggressive struggle for dominance hidden under a facade of sickly-sweet politeness. You know, the same thing they always do when they talk to each other.

As it's also National No Smoking Day, I want everyone to put out their cigarettes, refrain from taking up smoking, or stop holding seances in the girls' bathroom. Whatever you'd most prefer.

Fanfic Update!

• The Better to See You With, My Dearies, by entrancedcat (COMPLETE!): "On her fifth attempt Daria succeeded in placing the contact lenses into her eyes without screaming loudly enough for the Tri-County area to take note."


• Breaking Balmora, by welltemperedclavier (part 2): "'I love what you did with your hair!' Quinn clapped her hands together and leaned down for a better look at the lock of hair Jeval had let hang over his forehead. Jeval smiled back."


• The Crass Menagerie, by wilddogjj (COMPLETE!): "Kevin, Jamie and Chuck were relaxing on the porch drinking beer while enjoying the fact that the snow and ice have melted and green buds are starting to appear on the trees." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Her Last Words, by Sheila Wisz Ellayn (part 60): "Anna really hated oaks now, and yet she thought that hemlock trees were very beautiful indeed."


• Hiking With Wolves, by radiofox (COMPLETE!): "'Remember, don't talk to anyone.' Doug Badwolf reminded his eldest daughter. 'Got it, Dad,' Cerise grumbled."


• Purple Sweater, by Sheila Wisz Ellayn (part 3): "The first thing that Quinn noticed was that Sandi Griffin looked especially irritated that day."


• Song From An American Movie, by ladyevil (part 9): "At Pizza King, Daria was trying to get an audio interview with Tiffany Blum-Decker. 'I...used to...thiiiiiiink....' She drawled."


• Star Trek: Lower Decks: An Aquatic Second Contact, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "T’Lyn watched Mariner leave. 'She didn’t waste time.'"

"No, YOU'RE the Most International!"

Helen and Linda are wishing each other a happy International Women's Day, and I'm sure they're not being passive-aggressive or insulting at all. While they compliment each other through gritted teeth, be sure to wish any women in your life a happy day!

Fandom News!

• Vote in two Celebrity Deathmatch polls: Bianca Dupree vs. Mandy from Totally Spies and Jolly Green Giant vs. Brawny Lumberjack.


• Discuss TV commercials that really push the envelope on good taste.


• Linnofthewoods shared the Instagram drawing challenge March of the Fairies.

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.

"Today I'll be the perfect working wife and mother!"

Helen's taking time out of her busy day to celebrate International (Working) Women's Day, but I give her about thirty seconds, max, before she goes back to working her twelve-hour shift. Even less if Eric shows up or her cell phone rings. Still, it looks like a fun break while it lasts.

Fanfic Update!

• Changes, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (COMPLETE!): "As one goes through life, there are changes in the way that person lives. As the person grows, their identity grows and changes as they mature."


• Chemistry, by Captain Marbles (COMPLETE!): "Karen 'Burnout' Disher woke up feeling normal for the first time since the mosquito bite. Her brain had been on a roller coaster of highs and hallucinations interspersed with violent bouts of nausea for weeks, but that seemed to be over."


• Maternal, by Indigo (part 4): "Daria and Jane were in Daria's room when Helen decided to bring them a snack. She did not intend to eavesdrop, but as she neared the door, she could hear Jane trying to talk Daria into something."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef : MMORPG, Lawndale style), by Waylander (part 15): "It was a vicious and exhausting battle, but in the end Darlene triumphed over the combined forces of Dust, Grime, and Cobwebs."


• You'll Know When You Have Kids of Your Own, by metameric1 (part 11): "Dammit to Hell. Jake stopped the winding machine and decided to hang it up for the day."

So Much for the Lawndale Businesswoman's Alliance

Stay out of Linda Griffin's way today--she just found out she has to share International (Working) Women's Day with Helen Morgendorffer, and the fallout is not going to be pretty. Also, please don't mention the holiday to Michele Landon; she's a bit sensitive about the subject of women and careers. And about everything else, too.

Fandom News!

• Tell everyone about your experiences with road rage.


• Wish Daria a happy 18th anniversary, as of March 3rd.


• The last name of Morgendorffer may not be as rare as we assumed!


• Erin M. proposes a new shared world idea: The Spoilsport Agenda.


• Two Iron Chefs have been posted in Creative Writing: Shiva's Mr. O'Neill, Student Guidance Councilor and Kristen Bealer's Reject a Daria Character.

Hooray for Half the World's Population!

It's International Women's Day! That's...a pretty vague holiday, but I figure any excuse to celebrate is a good one. Especially if said celebration involves cake.

Seriously, though, the holiday has a pretty interesting history. Check out the Wikipedia article linked above if you're interested! (Also, please note that chocolate is a common Women's Day gift in both Russia and Albania. I am behind this tradition 100%.)

Fanfic Update!

• Bound to Highland, by RLobinske (part 7): "Daria found that she had easily slipped into the role of surrogate mother while Quinn almost as easily accepted the role in return. Their old rivalry of years before had almost vanished, dispelled over the years by divorce and death. They were survivors. They were sisters."


• Cole Barksdale, by Cap (part 3): "'That's Stefana Petriceicu,' I said taking care that my voice did not carry further than Daria's ears. 'Who...,' Daria began before stopping. Her brow puckered in thought briefly as she finished her drink. 'I know that name from somewhere.' 'Gun-for-hire,' I supplied."


• Daria/The Mask: My Big-Head Girl, by Erin M. (part 2): "LI: GOOD LORD! (Through the smoke comes Daria, be-Masked, dressed in riot gear. She holds a large pump action shotgun and fires rounds in every direction) DARIA: CODE RED! FULL ALERT! CONDITION MAUVE! COMMENCING OPERATION: HOLY SHIT WHAT DO WE DO NOW?!"


• For Better or For Worse, For Richer or For Poorer, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): "Brian drew his arms back and let them drop to his sides. 'Well, you see, I still have a few friends in Intelligence who could pull some strings and track down some leads, and I called them up and—' 'Bullshit!' Erin spat the word at him, temper flaring. 'You really think I bought that lame "I got fired" story? You've never been a secret agent and I was stupid to believe you in the first place!' Pieces began fitting together in her mind. 'Someone told you I was here! Someone—goddammit!'"


• Free Day (Iron Chef: Guilty Pleasures Redux), by Cap (COMPLETE!): "Daria did not reply. She remained, listening at her sister's footfalls as Quinn bounded down the stairs. When she heard the front door close, she tossed aside Sartre and rolled out of bed springing over to the window. Below her Quinn with large canvas bag hanging from one shoulder, hurried down the sidewalk in the direction of her friend Stacy's house. Daria frowned slightly at the bag but did not think much of it. Something else was on her mind. Despite her need, Daria forced herself to wait. Quinn might have forgotten something and return. The minutes ticked by. No sister. "


• The Future We Choose/Anticipate This, by psychotol (part 2): "'BEFORE you attempt to lie to me, you need to know that my friend here has enhanced smell, and she's smelling a number of individuals who stole a shipment of fissionable material yesterday, so by lying to us, you're aiding terrorists, and we still have lots and lots of lovely Federal prisons that you could visit on the government's dime! The food's great - and you'll love the nightlife. Now, who did this truck come from?' asked Julia."


• Here Without You, by Hyrin (COMPLETE!): "In her dorm room at Raft, Daria lay on her bed counting the cracks in the ceiling. It had been almost 3 months since she had moved to Boston, and Jane had been unable to visit during that time. She was working two jobs to save up enough money to see her through after her parents had been unable to give any assistance with her tuition at BFAC."


• The James Lane Chronicles Chapter 5, by InvisibleDan (part 5): "Somehow, with funereal atmosphere around them, he was actually beginning to feel sorry for Tommy Sherman. This was the first time since he heard Tommy was dead that James felt truly sad. But there was something else, too, a feeling he couldn't place that had to do only slightly with the events that had happened."


• Legends Of The Metal, by TheExcellentS (part 14): "Tom's words faded as the pain intensified. He curled into a ball to try and repress the pain. Suddenly, he let out a cry of terror as bony stalks broke through his skin, out his back and through his clothes. They grew until they were almost as big as his entire body, before they unfurled in a gruesome flourish. Tom was now sporting wings."


• Life After Highland (Iron Chef: Lawndale State), by LadieT (part 20): "'Daria was supposed to be taller. Damn uranium in the drinking water in the town we grew up in stunted her growth. My mom won a lawsuit against the city, but it is being appealed,' Quinn's voice dropped. 'Are you okay? Did it cause something to happen to you?' Stacy asked. Quinn bit her bottom lip and nodded her head slightly. 'I can't have children, neither of us can.' 'Damn,' Andrea sighed."


• Mad Dog's Legacy Chapter 4: angst.lawndale.com, by Hyrin (parts 2 and 3): "Jane watched this all happen from the booth, then walked over to Mack. 'Mack, what the hell was that?' 'What?' he asked, genuinely confused. 'Your girlfriend just tripped Daria, and you blamed Daria for it. Nice going, hero.' Without another word, she walked away." (Part 3)


• Meowlody Powers in Fruit of Evil (Write-off Challenge 9, Round 1), by Dennis (COMPLETE!): "The two cats, meanwhile, moved warily toward each other until they were nose to nose. 'Maiow mew,' said the white cat. Ah, Meowlody Powers. I had hoped for a fitting challenge. Don't think you can stop me, though. 'Murr thhhk,' said the black. We meet again, Agent Doom. You won't succeed this time, anymore than you have in the past."


• Mr. and Mrs. Danielson, by ticknart (COMPLETE!): "'She'll tell your mom,' he said. 'Your mother will be there waiting for us. If she's not on the plane, she'll be at the hotel, or the train platform, or something we go to see. She'll be there. And she'll bring some jackass with her. Or worse, she'll pick up some Eurotrash who's younger than you are.' Her eyes narrowed and her smirk broadened into a toothy grin. She looked downright devious. 'I have an idea,' she said, sounding devious, too."


• Promises, by LadieT (part 9): "Amy gently wrapped her arms around the five-year-old. 'I'm worried about your mommy, too. That's why I came here, so that I can stay with your mom while you, Aunt Daria, and Aunt Jane can say goodbye to your dad. Did you know I was just a couple of years older than you when my dad died?' Cleo shook her head. 'How did he die?' 'Car crash - like yours.'"


• Screams of Silence, by Jim North: "As I try to get back up, the rest of the floor suddenly joins its inexplicably exploding section as another jolt shakes everything under me. I manage to stay up on one knee and have to throw my arms up to protect my face from the flying splinters. When things seem to start calming down, I pull my arms down and gawk as I get back on my feet."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guilty Pleasures Redux), by fdacero (COMPLETE!): "Trent parked his car in front of his house. He did a little review to see if there was anything to preserve into the passanger seat. 'It's ok, there is no evidence at all' he thought before he enters in the kitchen of Casa Lane."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guilty Pleasures Redux), by Hyrin (COMPLETE!): "'Trent, I'm staying over at Daria's this weekend. I'll see you Monday, ok?' 'Ok, Janey. Have fun.' The band listened for the door to close, then Trent asked, 'What do you think, guys? Once more, from the top?'"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guilty Pleasures Redux), by Ray (COMPLETE!): "Sandi stretched up at her clothes closet, pulling the upper right shoebox out. Taking it to her bed and placing it at the foot, she quickly glanced to make sure her door remained shut and lifted off the lid. 'The Prince' sat on top, and she started taking it out before stopping herself and frowning. 'Am I becoming a geek? I'm reading now, and enjoying it.'"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guilty Pleasures Redux), by respite (COMPLETE!): "'Skinny, I swear to Christ I’ll leave your pasty ass right there!' 'Coming, Janet, darling! Just a minute – I’m not dressed yet!'" (Continued here)


• Where Do We Go From Here?, by LadieT (COMPLETE!): "Jane felt content lying there, next to the only person she felt ever understood her. Despite the other person being completely oblivious to her thoughts, Jane was comforted by Daria's arm being around her waist. She felt loved, though she doubted that Daria felt the same. Hell - Daria was sleeping way too heavily to even realize what she was doing."


• Yawning For The Past, by Operculum (COMPLETE!): "Daria returned her gaze to the Manifest Destiny text, but her thoughts were clouded. Her recollection of the Count's quote had made her uncomfortable. Historians can just as easily be myth-makers, what would the Count have thought of their words being employed in an academic debate? Is that all the analysis of the past is useful for, propping up X viewpoint of the moment? Can we ever draw solutions from the past to solve present-day problems?"

Monday Again

Again, 1st season Daria episode are now available through Amazon's video on demand system. Whoa. It finally came true!

Today is International Women's Day, which means women everywhere can take today off from work and just relax. Ha ha! Just kidding! Srsly, what better way to celebrate than get some Daria eps? Darn right.

Debate Question: Was Daria a part of third-wave feminism? Why or why not?

Womenz!!!

Today is International Women's Day, saith the United Nations, so if you are a women, or you know someone who is a women, or used to be a women, whatever, this is your day. More power to you and your women thing.

FF.net

• Daria and Jane Go to the Moon, by echopapa (Part 3): The microgravity coach turned to the intercom to tell the pilot that her students were ready. Daria checked her seat harness. She and Jane were strapped in the back of the plane, along with Charles Ruttheimer III.
• Omega Omega, by Smileyfax (Part 1): "Daria, don't be alarmed if I'm not home when you wake up. I have some errands to run that might keep me out past sunset, but if they do I'll just stow away at the high school like I used to a few months ago. I'll be back tomorrow. Hugs and kisses, Jane." ["The Omega Jane" meets "Illusions." Hang on.]
  

PPMB

• Acts of Cupidity, by Disco316 (Part 7): “No thanks. If I want a guy later on, I’m fairly certain I can get him interested the old fashioned way.” “Just make sure you’re not flashing your chest in the direction of one of Ms. Li’s cameras.”
• Complications, by Legendeld (Part 3): “You aren’t exactly small in that department, Daria. I take full credit for you and your sister’s breast size.”
• Other Side, by Legendeld (Part 9): Daria pushed against the wall of flesh that was holding her back from the front door of Daniel’s home. “Get out of my way, Daniel.”
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): "Oh, my sun-haired fantasy," Upchuck leered. "My heard breaks at your rejection. But I note the absence of our esteemed grammarian and literary guide. I thought maybe you had seen him?"

Amigas, Forever and a Day

Today is International Women's Day, and who better to celebrate it here than Our Heroine and her amiga, Daria Morgendorffer. You go, Jane!

And now for the rest of the fanfic updates, seeing as there's so much snow outside I'm not going anywhere for the rest of the day, and probably not tomorrow, either.


PPMB

• And All That We've Won, by The Sidhe (Part 3): Barksdale and Lane go on a mission of their own and meet Jeb. No, not Jeb Bush. . . .
• Daria d'Arc (from "Scenes that Should Be: Brains for Rent"), by LSauchelli: Daria gets a helpful message from a higher power.
• Falling Into College 61: Latitudes, by Richard Lobinske (Parts 18 and 19): Testosterone-induced stupidity rises to new heights, but Jake wants to bring out the big guns. Literally.
• Jane Lane: Saviour (from "Scenes that Should Be: Brains for Rent"), by LSauchelli: Wow! Nice crossover. More, please.
• John Lane 33: Tiptoe Through the Ivy, by RLobinske (Part 1): Quiet Ivy won't live up to the quiet part of its name for very long.
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes - Thread II, by Brother Grimace: Another teaser from the tease.
• A Little Vacation, by Doggieboy (Part 12): Poking around in someone else's diary has its risks.
• The Misery Chicks, by NightGoblyn (Part 12): Continues to live up to its name. [shivers] *
  
• Movies and Moonflower, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): [sighs and covers his face] I believe I know where this one is going. 8)
• My Sons, by legendeld (Part 3): Somehow this is Tom's fault, Daria thought with a sigh. [Well, duh.]
• Size Does Matter, by BlackHole (Part 13): So, was it uranium in the drinking water after all? What other mutations did they pick up?
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Alternate universes can be pretty alternate, I must say.
• Those Who Can, by Ranger Thorne (continued): Jedis Daria and Veronica meet . . . Jedi Lynn.
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): Cold and bloodthirsty treachery continues. Be right back. [makes more popcorn]

* Contains mature content. Brace yourself.

More on some other random topic later. Damn snow.