He'd Better Avoid Ms. Barch's Class on Dissection Day

Looks like Kevin has taken American Frog Day to the extreme, perhaps as a way to improve his agility on the football field. He's going to be very disappointed with the corresponding decrease in strength, though.

It's going to take a lot more than strength to lift a government building, which was actually attempted--telepathically--on this day in 1967 during the March on the Pentagon. Helen, Jake, and their commune friends were part of the attempt, which failed miserably and led to Jake breaking his foot. Stupid five-sided building.

Finally, on this day in 1997 the first Daria VHS tape, creatively named "Daria," was released. It contained "Esteemsters," "The Invitation," "College Bored," and the "Sealed with a Kick" pilot, without which we'd never have seen Daria's super-creepy grin. So...yay?

Fandom News!

• R.I.P., Ace Freley.

Ribbit!

Either Kevin pissed off the wrong witch or he's celebrating American Frog Day in the most hardcore way possible. I have to say, a frog with a goofy grin sitting on a football is a pretty damn American frog. All it needs is some apple pie.

Today is also the anniversary of the (unsuccessful) attempt to psychically levitate the Pentagon, an attempt that Jake and his hippie friends either were present for or tried to emulate. Either way, all he got for his trouble was a broken foot. It was a good try, Jake!

Fandom News!

• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior poll between the One-Armed Man from The Fugitive and Tony Soprano.

Try Focusing Your NEGATIVE Energy This Time!

Jake, Helen, and their hippie friends are taking another shot at levitating the Pentagon in honor of the anniversary of the real life attempt to do the same on this day in 1967. I wish them every success, but advise Jake to avoid kicking any buildings this time around. I'm not sure his foot could take any more punishment.

Today is also the anniversary of the first Daria VHS tape, titled "Daria," in 1997. I know, what breaktaking creativity! The tape included the previously-unseen pilot, "Sealed With a Kick," so hooray for creepy smiles on low-quality media!

Fanfic Update!

• Brittany - Esteem of the Transfer Student, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (COMPLETE!): "Angela Li heard the knock at her office door. 'Come in,' she said. Brittany entered. 'Hi, Ms. Li.'"


• Danny Morgendorffer, by ST91 (part 53): "The following Sunday passed quietly enough. Daniel woke up later than usual and ate breakfast. Sure, his parents pummeled him with questions about what exactly he and Quinn had done the day before ..."


• Life Goes On, by WildDogJJ (part 1): "For the second time in her life Daria Morgendorffer was attending a wedding ceremony at the rose garden of Winged Tree Country Club."

Keep Those Good Vibes Flowing!

Jake, Helen, and all of their hippie friends are going to try one last time to levitate the Pentagon in honor of the real-life event that happened on this day in 1967. I doubt they'll succeed, but maybe Jake will manage not to break his foot this time. Not taking any bets on it, though.

Today is also the anniversary of the first Daria VHS tape, released on this day in 1997. Hooray for low image quality and the original music!

Fandom News!

• DocForbin suggests a possible solution to the Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day controversy.


• Talk about the things they get away with in kids' cartoons.


• What do you think about turning fanfic into original fiction?

Blow, Mack Daddy, Blow!

Mack's giving it all he's got in honor of the 100th anniversary of Dizzy Gillespie's birth. Gillespie played a vital role in jazz music, although of all the Daria characters, Nathan is probably the most likely to appreciate it. Unfortunately.

Today is also the day that, fifty years ago, Jake and his hippie friends tried to Levitate the Pentagon. It didn't go so well, particularly for Jake's toes.

Finally, it was on this day twenty years ago that the first Daria VHS tape was released. It featured not only the first three episodes of the show but also the unaired pilot, "Sealed with a Kick."

Fandom News!

• Where do you draw the line on consuming media created by someone who has done/said things that offend you?


• Share your thoughts on the thought experiment The Limp Bizkit Conundrum.


• Roentgen wonders, at what level should one teach?


• WildDogJJ offers a story idea for anyone to take and run with.

"Stupid five-sided building."

Helen, Jake, and their hippie friends are doing their best to levitate the Pentagon in what was probably a reference to the real-life attempt to do the same on this day in 1967. It seems Jake had no better luck than they did, perhaps because Jake's positive energy was somehow lacking. I can't even imagine how that might be the case, though.

Speaking of blasts from the past, better brush off your old VCR because the first Daria VHS tape was released on this day in 1997. It was oh-so-creatively titled "Daria," and featured the first three episodes of the series as well as the pilot episode, "Sealed with a Kick."

Fandom News!

• What costume have you always wanted to wear for Halloween? Tell everyone about it in the thread.


• Discuss the comic books series Über.


• Ask Dennis your questions in the new Ask the Author thread.


• Meester_Lee ponders the idea of Anthony DeMartino as a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher.

"Stupid five-sided building."

Jake had better put on some steel-toed shoes, because it was on this day in 1967 that demonstrators attempted to levitate the Pentagon, an incident that would eventually be referenced in the episode "That Was Then, This is Dumb."

Oddly, it seems that Jake's positive energy was somehow insufficient and the building never left the ground.

Fanfic Update!

• Babysitting with Stacy and Dani (Rude Awakening Quickies), by DIsaac (part 1): "SANDI: Stacy, Dani, I need your help. Is it possible that you two could babysit Ronnie Saturday? STACY: One question? SANDI: Sure? STACY: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND! We DON'T do kids."


• The Difference a Year Makes (IC: Early Meeting), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "Even though Jane knew that Brittany's party was bound to get busted by the cops, she and Tom found themselves at an utter lack of anything else better to do."


• Dylan, by J-D (part 31): "'Did you write an essay for school called "Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Video Games"?' 'Yeah', Dylan said, 'for Ms FitzPatrick.' 'Well, your teacher submitted it for consideration by the publishers who are looking for writers for a new magazine called Bro.'"


• The Great And The Good, by ognawk (part 23): "Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the unwelcome sight of a familiar red headed girl approaching her table. Elsie closed her notebook and put it away as the redhead sat down opposite her."


• In Our House and New Perspectives (LongSnakeMoan's Fluff Thread: Sugar Rush), by LongSnakeMoan (COMPLETE!): "'Honey, I'm home.' Of all the greetings in all the world this was the only one that seemed to alert Trent to the fact he has returned."


• Loss of Heart, by RLobinske (part 3): "Jane said, 'Hey, Daria,' as her friend opened the front door. 'More fun and exciting homework for you and Quinn.'"


• Misconception, by ashk09 (part 1): "With the expert motions of someone who habitually awoke before the others in the family, Daria gathered up her clothes and made her way to the bathroom; the contented snores from her parents' and sister's rooms amused her, and secretly, she felt a pang of jealousy that she couldn't stay in bed for longer herself."


• My Legendary Girlfriend and Goodbye Lawndale (LongSnakeMoan's Fluff Thread: Sugar Rush), by LongSnakeMoan (COMPLETE!): "He never actually imagined that she would agree to leave with him, the nicest thing she'd ever said to him before was 'get away from me, you howdy doody looking freak.'"


• A New Direction, by peetz5050 (part 15): "'Dad!' 'Hi Kiddo, good to see you.' Daria ran forward and grabbed her father into a hug. Jake caught her and held her tight and kissed the crown of her head."


• Night Witches, by Panzerfaust 150 (part 5): "1st Lieutenant, Jane Lane, USAF, was not having a good sleep, she'd woken up at least three times that night, of course, sleeping in their flight gear on a cot in a damp, concrete aircraft shelter, one room away from their aircraft didn't help matters."


• Northbank Diaries #1: A Tale Of Three Suburbs, by ognawk (part 2): "It was a relatively cool day in Highland, and Daria Morgendorffer had decided to take advantage of it to go for a long walk, mainly to get out of the house while her mother was glued to the phone on a work related call, as per usual."


• Silent Partnership (IC: Disabled Daria), by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "Daria walked into the self esteem class and sighed. She took a desk at the front of the class, pulled some materials and waited for the torture to begin."


• We Are One, by PrecambrianStudios (part 19): "'Wait, I think I got something!' she whispered her idea into Daria's ear. Daria looked her sister, actually impressed. 'Well,' she said. 'Eureka.'"

A Sad Anniversary

It's hard to believe that ten years have passed since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. I don't feel I'm eloquent enough to write any proper memorials for the day, but I will share a few items relevant to both 9/11 and Daria.

First, Glenn Eichler himself commented briefly on how Daria characters may have been affected by the events in an interview with Kara Wild. Also, the following fanfics either feature the attacks themselves or the aftermath:

• Across the Violet Sea by Dennis


• Darkness by The Angst Guy


• A Matter of Priorities by Richard Lobinske


• Nightmare by Erin Mills


• Nine-Eleven and Counting by The Angst Guy


• Ninety-Three by M Man


• Prepare for Bore by DW Death

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!]
  

Where the Word "Blog" Came From

Last year at this time was posted a short editorial about 9/11 and how Daria fanfic writers have dealt with it. Nothing new has occurred to me to add to that, so we will remember the moment and move on.

I was intrigued to learn, upon reading A Key to the Terminology of Science-Fiction Fandom, by Donald Franson (1962), that "blog" was originally an SF fan term for the "[m]ythical drink of fans; any potable consisting of an incredible mismatch of ingredients." That sounds about right, doesn't it? That's pretty much what this blog is. Thanks for your help, Graham.

BRKNG NUZ: Medea42 discovered a great article about designer perfumes with great relevance to our fandom. Thank you!

Ranger Thorne has new art out: Quinn the Mage Queen, on PPMB.

OverlordMikey wants to try out a fanfic idea on everyone. See what you think of it. It's got promise!

MOAR AULDE IMAGES: Using the WayBack Machine, I've uncorked another motherload of ancient images and other things. This one is for the French site CyberDaria, so there's a lot of French in it. Plus great images, like a very clear one of Daria's driver's license! Have fun with it, there's a ton of stuff here like screen captures and things taken from the old MTV sites. Cool.

PPMB

• Cheap Babysitter, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): The babysitter smiled. "The older girl likes TV. I just bring a bunch of movies and pop 'em in the VCR... girl will watch anything... yeah, her parents won't let her watch this stuff but I stick a tape in and it shuts her up... no, no problem, she just sits and watches... oh yeah, I don't care. Like I said, she'll watch anything... Violent? Maybe.... Oh, the other girl? The redhead? Lend me your purse and I'll tell you how to solve that problem.... Benadryl! She's been out like a light since 7 pm!"
  
• Phoenix, by Glittershrooms (Parts 1 and 2): As its rays crept into the bedroom of Daria Morgendorffer, the sun was pleased to announce the start of another normal day in the city of Lawndale… or as normal that was physically possibly in this town. Still, the sun was left unacknowledged as Daria peacefully slept. Without notice, Daria’s alarm started to scream the lyrics of a Beatles song. "Penny Lane is in my ears and in my ears...."
• Reaped Out 2: Sickle Sad World, by Pinkminx (Part 5): "Quinn..." Helen began cautiously. "What?" Quinn said insolently as she folded her arms protectively across her chest. “Honey I know this has been tough on you, but your father and I...” “Is there something you wanted? I’m not in the mood for any heart to hearts right at this moment.”
• Regifted, by Ajar (Chapter 16): Jodie stirred out of her slumber after just ten hours that morning. She groggily stretched and rolled over to find herself face to face with Marina. “Morning. I got tired and decided to lie down here for a second.” Jodie felt the breath of every word Marina said tickle her face. “I guess I must've fallen asleep. Hope you don't mind.”
• What Happens in Lawndale..., by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): It was going on two a.m., and he was tired. The coffee in his cup was bitter and over-brewed, and a migraine thumped away at his temples. Once again he reviewed the file, particularly the Polaroids of the murder weapons marked EVIDENCE in red sharpie.

9/11 and still counting

The infamous 9/11 attacks of seven years ago were echoed in Daria materials both official and unofficial. Daria herself comments on it in an essay online at MTV.com. Glenn Eichler responded to a question about Lawndale residents' possible reactions to 9/11 in an interview with Kara Wild, saying, "I don't think the Morgendorffers would have any specific reaction to September 11th. It's too complicated an issue."

In fanfic, much more is made of what effect the attacks had on the lives of the Morgendorffers and others. Some fanfics reference the attacks as a minor part of their backstory (e.g., jak981125's "Mystic Spiral's Lonely Lawndale Band"), but some are much more direct. A few of the stories in which the September 11, 2001 attacks figure prominently are the following.

• "Across the Violet Sea," by Dennis
• "Darkness"
  
• "Nightmare," by Erin Mills
• "A Matter of Priorities," by Richard Lobinske
• "Nine-Eleven and Counting"
• "Ninety-Three," by MMan
• "Prepare for Bore," by DW Death
  

Even more fanfics include the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and their effects on the inhabitants of Lawndale. Among these is a tale by Psychotol, "She Knows Not What She Does," that is worth reading.

More later. Peace.

Random Fanfic Idea #13

What if Jake Morgendorffer did successfully lift the Pentagon into the air, when he tried to do it in the late 1960s?

In "That Was Then, This Is Dumb," we see a flashback of Jake, Helen, Willow, Coyote, and a few other hippies standing in a circle outside the Pentagon. This would have been in the fall of 1968 or later, after Jake and Helen entered Middleton College. Their attempt was made at least a year after the more famous "Levitate the Pentagon" event from October 1967, described here, here, and here. The attempt was unsuccessful, of course, but being the nutbar Daria fans that we are, it is fun to speculate what might have happened if Jake, psychically channeling his limitless anger at his father, Buxton Ridge, and authority and the military in general, had managed to perform this astounding feat. Wouldn't that have really ticked off his father! (And gotten the attention of the U.S. government, too.) Considering that Jake was extremely left-wing at the time, reading Karl Marx and so forth, it really does make one wonder where things would have gone.

Interesting variant AU there, sort of like a superhero tale, only twisted.