That Was Then, This Is Later

The second-season Daria episode "That Was Then, This Is Dumb" premiered 12 years ago today. Ah, those wild and crazy hippie days of yore. We learn that Jane and Jessie are NOT going to make it as a couple, that Jake and Helen haven't changed a bit since their college days, and if Jake really had managed to levitate the Pentagon, he would be that world's version of Doctor Manhattan, only not so blue and not so naked. More on this episode can be found here.

And, hey! Who is that bulldog chasing the yellow Volkswagen named JANICE? Darn right! It's the bulldog Daria almost runs over a few episodes from now, in "Through a Lens Darkly"! It's J.B. himself, or "Pugsly," his stage name. Good boy! Just seeing him almost makes me want to get a dog again. [sigh]

NEW N00Z!!!

• Medea42 shares with us her "personal rules for writing fanfic" on her blog.
• Join the discussion on The Best Of Daria Fan Fiction Community on FF.net! Is YOUR favorite story in the list?
  

PPMB

• NEW! Apocalyptic Daria: Timeline, by Doggieboy (Part 2): Hello. It’s me, again, the Chronicler. What I showed you of the events from what people now call “Twilight Friday” shows a pretty much normal Friday night for a lot of people. Such is the way of the world. Until some cataclysmic event occurs, the world goes ticking along at it’s own normal pace....
• NEW! Big Brother, by LadieT (COMPLETE!): Jane picked up the phone, tears streaming down her face. She and Jesse's discussion about wanting children had turned into a heated argument. It ended with Jesse walking out of their house, slamming the door. The last words out of his mouth chilled Jane to the bone. "Jane, I want a divorce."
• NEW! Cheery, Cheery Night, by CAP (COMPLETE!): The post-award reception was in full swing. The massive gold-colored drapes and thick crimson carpeting did absorbed but little of the loud laughter and noisy hum of hundreds of conversations. The moving mass of people made it difficult for Brittany Taylor to spot the people she was seeking. Every other person stopping her to pass on his or her congratulations for her Drama Desk win as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play slowed her even more.
  
• The Dream of the White Darkness, by jtranser (continued): "Then he will fire the admissions director and replace him with someone who has a clear understanding of what sort of person a new student should be. Such a student is usually intelligent, excited about attending such an intellectually rigorous school and will, in the final analysis, do and believe what he or she is told...."
• NEW! Finn Morgendorffer 37: Mature Relationships, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 4): “So, back to the original question. Who's the lucky lady coming as your date?” “Don’t know if I’ll choose anyone. I’d love to bring you Jane. Y’know, backup and all, but, between Mom and Daria, I just see blood being spilled. Mine.” “Oh.” Jane was pretty disappointed. To be Finn’s date was not a thought that was completely unpleasant.
  
• If Ever I Fall, by TheSharpie (COMPLETE!): As Phil drove down the old highway Quinn held his hand as the song from earlier played on the radio. “Tonight was perfect, sweetie.” “Anything for you, love,” he replied. The radio played on. As they approached an intersection they heard the screeching of brakes as an SUV ran the light....
• NEW! In the Cold Summer Sun, by Malakite (Part 1): Doctor Fisk looked up from the file he was reading with a certain amount of disbelief. The man looked nervous, almost sheepish in his blue business suit. The woman tapped her foot impatiently. It was obvious she was in a hurry, the way she kept glancing down at the cell phone in her purse. Fisk still couldn't quite believe what he was going to say to these people, but then he couldn't quite believe what that plant had done to the county's water, either. It was getting harder. This was the fifth set of parents he would have this conversation with this week.
• NEW! John Lane 45: Haunted by the Past, by RLobinske (Part 2): "I might consider the proposal," Sandi said, "if your sister had a fraction of your fashion knowledge." "She knows fashion," Quinn said. "She just doesn't use it." "I bet." Quinn opened a folder and pulled out her secret weapon. An old copy of the Highland Herald. She opened it to the fashion column and said, "Look at who wrote it." Sandi read out loud, "Daria Morgendorffer." Shocked, she sat down. "Your sister wrote a fashion column?"
  
• They, by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): The morning sun through the motel window woke the young man from his slumber. He remembered the night before, how she had insisted they meet at the Rondayview Motel off Route Six for a night he would never forget. He had not noticed that she was crying when he got there, nor had he considered why she wanted to meet him there instead of them going together. That night had indeed been the best they had ever shared he thought as he opened his eyes to greet the new day. He looked to his side and saw no one next to him. (FF.net)
  
• NEW! Zero G, by SigDiff (COMPLETE!): “They can go EVA. They pull up beside us and just drift over. We'll need to have someone in the airlock with the outer door open so they can get in. Maybe a rope tied down that we can throw over. And no worries about them breathing our atmosphere, because they've got suits.” [Ending is here!]
  

Only This, and Nothing More

A small raft of alter-ego people birthdays today. Edgar Allan Poe turns 201 today, congratulations to you. Poe is chiefly remembered today because Daria read his short story, "The Telltale Heart," while in study hall in high school ("Gifted").

Dolly Parton (played by Janet Barch at right) turns 64 today, and this is also Janis Joplin's birthday anniversary (who is played by Quinn on another blog post).

Today is also supposed to be National Popcorn Day. Huh. Always something new on the Internet. Oddly, this trivial "holiday" is more popular than you'd think. I discovered several children's museums and libraries celebrating it, because what better way to get hundreds of kids into your building than to give them free popcorn? Glad I don't have to clean up later on. Pop some and go to it.

Iron Chef: A New Word is now up on PPMB. Are you up to fudging with the language of teenagers?

Iron Chef: Lawndale Office is also up, from LSauchelli. Thank you!

Why so much hate for Mr. O'Neill? Why indeed. Check in on the argument discussion.

If you are interested in the Physics of Space Battles, there's a thread for that, too, on PPMB. If we're going to talk about space battles, then let's have more of them in fanfiction!

Minx has Quinn in black-and-white on her website, Heather Morgendorffer appears courtesy of MidnightStorm, and Pinhead has a realistic Tom to show the world. Bless this fandom's artists!

LATE ADD: Malakite has a doodle or two of Alex from Dark Kuno's Two Halves.

PPMB

• Crossing Stars, by Silver (Part 1): “As it so happens, Jane,” Daria said calmly, “I have checked the contract boards. As it turns out, there is a contract we could take. Some rich idiot wants to be ferried ten jumps to Malygos, and they want an antimatter drive, N-space pathed starship to do it. It pays thirty million ISK.” “That's good news,” Jane remarked. “And it leads right into the bad news.” Daria brought up the holotank display, showing its default display of the jumpweb.
• Daria: Agent of Cobra—Expectavi, by Ranchoth (Part 4): Daria's ears popped again. "Cobra Commander isn't paying you 17¢ a minute to gad about!" Dragonsky barked at his troops. [Spindoctor is back!]
• Daria: Hunter 5—Strictly Business, by Jim North (continued): As Helen stared the agents down, the room became deadly silent. Jane glanced at Daria, both of her eyebrows threatening to lift straight past her hairline. Tom had a hand covering his mouth, and if the subtle shakes of his body were any indication, he was doing his damnedest not to burst into hysterical laughter. The male agent's forehead creased. "Ma'am," he said, "we are the government of the United States of America. We do not 'get out of the wa—'"
• Finn Morgendorffer 27: Helen and the Boys, by HolyGrail2007 (COMPLETE!): Finn knew the problem with his mother playing poker wasn’t because she didn’t know how to play. His mother played poker a lot. But she was competitive and hated to lose. While Finn liked the idea of beating his mother at poker, he knew how she reacted when she lost, and it wasn’t pleasant. How she acted when she won was even worse.
• NEW! General Semantics, Private Angst, by Gwrtheyrn (Part 1): Daria had read about such things, in... what? She couldn't bring it to mind at the moment, but didn't care enough to chase the memory thread, which obviously led to subjects that seemed less real to her than--than hot, bubbling, store-bought lasagna, or hot penguin sex. (Daria/A.E. van Vogt's Null-A series)
  
• NEW! The Heather/Damsel Chronicles 12: Yule Be Sorry, by NightGoblyn (Part 5): “This is real chill,” Cherry said, walking up to Heather with a 'dog of her own. “I didn't even know that old video games like this still existed. They don't have goggles or anything.”
  
• Sisters, by Roentgen (Parts 1 and 2): Daria opened her eyes... and took in her surroundings. Her padded walls were missing. Somehow, she wasn't in her room. "What the... hell...?" [continued here!]
• NEW! Trapped, by Jim North (continued): "Okay, the room on the left here," Jane said, turning her head to shine her light on the door. "That one should have windows." "And it might have a giant snake with insta-kill venom in its fangs," Shaggy whimpered. "Or, like, a mummy."
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: A New Word), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): "Pal toss nadrim," Daria said as she leaned across the table and handed Jane a can of Ultra Cola.
• Unnamed story (Cheer Lord ficlet), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): "Oh, you are the cutest of the cutest!" Quinn squealed happily as she hugged the puppy and ruffled its fur. "I can't believe how unbelievably cute you are! Yes you is, yes you is!"
• NEW! Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Hump Day), by DrNoGood09 (COMPLETE!): Just then the rest of the fanfic is cut off by a voice saying: “The following Announcement has been paid for by the staff of DVDaria.”
  
• Yes, Mr. D., There Is an MLKJR Day, by ticknart (COMPLETE!): "Class," said Anthony DeMartino, turning away from the board to face the room full of mostly blank or vapid stares, "does anyone know what Monday is?"

Another Piece of Her Heart

Singer Janis Joplin, then with Big Brother & The Holding Company, performed her first live concert today 45 years ago at The Avalon in San Francisco. Quinn does her own performance in a Joplin-esque 1960s outfit at right, a bit reminiscent of Janis's appearance on the cover of her last album, Pearl. Janis was terrific.

I confess I was taken aback in recent weeks by the virtual flood of fanfiction from writers. More power to you, Daria fans!

FF.net

• Sinspiration, by Vlora (Part 18): "And at about $1,800, you should have a new wall… and windows. And support beams. Actually…" The builder ran through some more numbers till he handed Trent a slip of paper sporting more zeros than anything else. "$3,500," Trent read, looking between the builder and the paper before coughing a little. "Can we, uh, get back to you?" [The story even mentions Paul Gauguin!]
  

PPMB

• 11:30, by Disco316 (COMPLETE!): "So, you got clearance to do this at 11:30, right?" "That’s right." "So, is it 11:30 yet, Daria?" "Nope, not yet."
• FBCB, by Wraith (finally continued!): "Right. You guys get ready. I'll deal with him." Quinn stalked over to the closet door, ripped the bar out of the way, opened the door, and immediately slammed it shut again. “Ew!”
• Fundamental Daria: Numb, by Disco316 (COMPLETE!): “Just leave me alone!” I shouted, and slammed the door to my room. I had been on the edge of tears, and if getting my mother off my back had taken any longer, I might not have made it to my bed.
  
• Reaped Out (Dead Like Me crossover), by PinkMinx (Parts 11 and 12): "Jesus, Trent. Remind me why I agreed to come here with you." Jane shot a look of concern toward her brother. "'Cause I said I'd buy you lunch." Trent looked down at Jane with a lopsided grin. "Plus there’s that new art store that’s opened. I hear they have the biggest range of gouache in the state." [Oh, no! Not... HIM!] [And now, Part 12, too!]