Brainy Quinn's Breakthrough Day

Eleven years ago today, Kara Wild completed the first story in her grand epic, the Driven Wild Universe. That first tale was "Rose-Colored Lenses," in which Quinn Morgendorffer is forced to get corrective glasses (see "new" Quinn at right) and sets off a magnificent trope-busting saga. Congratulations to Kara, and thank you!

In a delayed April Fools prank, the BBC announced 80 years ago today in the evening that there was "no news" to report. Imagine hearing that!

Actor and poker player James Woods, said to bear an amazing resemblance to Lawndale lawyer Jim Vitale (per Scissors MacGillicutty), turns 63 today. Best not to confuse Mr. Vitale with James Woods as he appears on Family Guy, which also features a high school named for Mr. Woods.

PPMB

• Daria Race War, by Bliss Ticks (continued): The clock struck midnight, and yesterday marked the last day of exile for Jane Lane. Tomorrow morning she would meet Daria in front of her house, and together they would walk into that hellhole, Lawndale High.
  
• The Dream of the White Darkness, by jtranser (continued): "This is where something jumps out of nowhere, screams 'Booga Booga!!' and scares the shit out of me." Daria's nervous attempt at humor met with silence, then a very faint reedy voice coming from under the stairs said: "No. That comes later."
• DVDaria, by Admonisher (COMPLETE!): [Originally posted 3/31/01 on FF.net, this classic now appears only on PPMB. Enjoy!]
• Finn Morgendorffer 43: A Tale of Three Schrecters, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “Good morning, Finn,” Helen spoke warmly to him. “What a lovely day.” “I don’t plan on wasting it,” Finn returned. “I’ve already made plans.” “That’s wonderful, Finn. Have a lovely time, Finn. But, speaking of plans, have you thought of what you’re going to do with your summer?”
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Roentgen (Part 24a): "When was the last time I was in Maynard Hall?" Tom asked himself. "Yeah, I remember. Fifth grade music. I remember a song that went 'solar plexus meow meow meow'. That's the sum total of my learning." "What did you learn?" Daria asked. "That I couldn't sing," Tom said. "Oh, Thomas!" cried Elsie. "I've been telling you that for years." (NEW! Part 24b: "So, Quinn?" said Pat Seven. "Do you want to see our little wooden boat?")
  
• Library Phoenix, by SigDiff (continued): Jane stayed up halfway through the night listening to Daria talk about her plans. To her, it sounded like complete fantasy. Flying machines that could outrun their own sound, other machines that could do math by themselves. Light with no flame, powered by the wind and the sun and something called the atom, which apparently the ocean had plenty of. Devices that allowed one to talk to another miles and miles away as if they were just a few feet away. Jane didn't believe a bit of it. At least, she didn't believe it until the demonstration.
• NEW! Shining Star: Temporal Conundrum, by RLobinske (Part 6): BEGIN EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION: Central Database security has been compromised. Intruder identity is currently unknown. Extent of breach is currently unknown. Breach has been identified as the personal computer issued to former field agent Ian Llwyd. Unrecovered computers from his team are considered suspected alternate breach sites. Containment protocols have been initiated. Access of data to field units may be restricted until full security is restored. You are instructed to use your current assignment to investigate this breach and provide any assistance in identifying the perpetrator.
  
• Springtime for Self-Esteem, by Ajar (Part 1): “It's always a pleasure,” said Ms. Li as she ushered a woman out of her office. “Well, the Mental Health Society always appreciates any principal that takes initiatives to help those dealing with mental health issues. Although I really was hoping to meet some of the support group.” “I wouldn't want to take them out of class, or expose you to their reformist delusions.”

A Rosier View of Quinn

Ten years and one day ago, the very first story appeared in the longest-running Daria fanfic series ever, the Driven Wild Universe. In "Rose-Colored Lenses," Quinn Morgendorffer (against her will) gets a pair of corrective eyeglasses, and the world is never again the same. The fandom was never the same again, either. Cheers to you, Ms. Wild, and thank you.

It's raining out at the moment, more news to come as it appears.

L8R: I've developed a quirky interest in DariaWiki in the last couple days. I am a sucker for looking up fanwork conventions used by Daria fanfic writers, and after reading through some of FF.net's collection, I hope to add more fanfic examples to various DariaWiki pages. Maybe this will stimulate interest in long-ago works or whatnot. A few new conventions have made themselves known, too: for instance, "Last Line" stories, in which everything hinges on the final words in the tale; "Gender Switch" tales in which characters change sex; and the infamous "Makeover" tales, which are not all alike. Everyone probably knows of examples of these, but it is interesting just how often some of these tropes are seen. I've been poking at family-tree revisions, too, under the heading "Multiplied Morgendorffers" (a work in progress, feel free to tinker with it and everything else I've done).

Today is also Jayne Mansfield's birthday, a 1950s starlet that Quinn pretended to be in an alter ego. More later after the thunderstorms pass.