Do Butterflies Sing Opera?

Daria's got the wrong idea, because today is the anniversary of the premiere of Madama Butterfly in 1904, which doesn't feature any actual butterflies. I don't think Jane will be impressed, either, because we know how she feels about delicate winged insects after hearing about them from her mother. Still, I hope Mr. DeMartino is planning to see the opera performed in the PayDay automotive department! Refreshments in the form of free samples will be served.

Mack will be less than impressed to know that today is also Michael Jordan's 62nd birthday, but maybe this will be a good chance to change his middle name back to James. Maybe the Lane naming gazebo is available!

In Daria-specific anniversaries, the episode "Daria!" aired on this day in 1999 and the Sarcastathon 3000 aired on this day in 2001. I don't think anyone from the musical episode will be joining the opera performance at PayDay anytime soon.

Fanfic Update!

• Our Friend in City Hall (Daria and The Gang Thread), by roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Going to City Hall was always the sucky part of the week, Stacy Rowe thought."


• Spider Quinn 14 Battle and Consequence, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 4): "At Casa Lane, Jane was still thinking about what was happening with Tania when a report came on the radio."


• Unattainable Lane, by janendaria4life (COMPLETE!): "Daria sat on the couch, waiting impatiently for Jane to arrive so they could watch the upcoming 'Sick, Sad World' marathon."


• Valentine's Daze, by wilddogjj (COMPLETE!): "Stacy's brother, Adam Rowe, was quite the playboy. After work, he'd gone to the local bar. Now, he was coming home with a hot, buxom blond that he'd picked up." (Part 2) (Part 3)

Don't Forget the Dainty Garland!

Quinn is singing to bring down the house for the anniversary of the premiere of Madama Butterfly on this day in 1904. Unfortunately, she's been cast in the production currently performing in the automotive section at PayDay, so I hope she's not expecting anything particularly prestigious.

However, you can still catch Quinn's performance in the episode "Daria!," which aired on this day twenty-five years ago. Today is also the anniversary of the "Sarcastathon 3000," which was a marathon of Daria episodes with new introductions by a strangely immobile Daria and Jane.

No one tell Mack that today is Michael Jordan's birthday, though, as I expect he's probably a little sensitive about his name. Do you suppose he ever changed it back after he turned 18?

Fandom News!

• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior poll between Galactus vs. Q.


• Check out the shipper art britabird found on Reddit.


• Midnight asks, which Jane are you today?

Quinn Will Make a Dainty Viking Helmet for Her Head and Sing

On this day in 1904, Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly premiered in Milan. Almost one hundred years later, it premiered in the automotive department at Payday. Or so DeMartino claims, anyway.

Today is also the anniversary of the original airing of both the musical episode "Daria!" in 1999 and Sarcastathon 3000 in 2001. What a day for singing, huh?

Fanfic Update!

• The Big Truth (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "'You wished to see me, Miss Morgendorffer?' Li sounded like she'd rather be having root canal work done."


• Bonding Over Bad Art, by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "To get over his breakup blues, Tom Sloane decided that he needed to indulge in what he did best. Snark the hell out of something to validate his worth as a human being." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• A Cut Above the Rest (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by SinisterExaggerator (COMPLETE!): "'Tom,' Jane started, 'ten months ago, you stole my heart.'"


• The Dale of Lawn, by Wassersauefer (part 11): "Theodore, called Ted by his parents once before he had killed them, watched the scene only a few miles outside his keep with keen interest. What a jolly, amusing sight it was. He had of course known of the presence of the enemy cavalry long before they had come into visual range, his flying scouts had noticed them easily."


• Dylan, by J-D (part 18b): "'Can I spend the night at Rod's?' — 'You could spend some time with our friends. Kris is.' Dylan had seen Ellen Breger and knew what interested Kris, but he decided to leave that subject alone."


• Heroes and Villains Part Two: Queen Sandi, by Reven384 (part 2): "'Touch that guy,' Quinn said. 'But he'll die,' Stacy said. Quinn's eyes blared into hers and what she saw in them frightened her. She touched the guy's forehead."


• I'm Burning Up!, by PrecambrianStudios (part 1): "'So, when are you going to tell me where we're going?' Daria inquired to Jane, who like her bounced along with the rickety Tank 2, driven by Trent."


• Life's Little Worries (chapter 1), by oni (part 1): "With the idea of the intruder possibly caring a gun entering Angier's mind, he bent down and slightly crept towards the desk instead of announcing his presence right there and going on the attack."


• Of Hearts and Minds Book II: Present, by mac (part 1): "Daria entered the kitchen already dressed for school. Her hair was down, as usual if she wasn't practicing acrobatics or Karate, and she had upgraded her glasses to have no frame on the bottoms. Her prescription was too much for no rims at all, and Daria hated the thought of contacts. She was wearing black cargo capris, an orange t-shirt, and a green hoodie."


• Old Married Valentines, by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): "Michael chuckled and said, 'Hold on, I have a cunning plan.' Daria shook her head, but smirked. 'A cunning plan? Should I be worried?'"


• Poseurs (Iron Chef: Random Pairing Challenge!), by peetz5050 (COMPLETE!): "So Joey worked for a living. That was a new and daunting experience for him but he stuck with it. He had no qualifications, experience or skills so by day he sold nuts in a stupid hat for It's A Nutty Nutty Nutty Nutty World (SMILE) and by night he bussed tabes and swept up in bars and it STILL wasn't enough! He forensically examined the small ads in all of the local papers every night, there had to be something... wait a second..."


• Sandi's Dirty Secret (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "Once Sandi had her curtains shut, her door locked, and the latest (and most fashionable) pop music playing as white noise did she feel safe."


• Should Not Be, by peetz5050 (COMPLETE!): "A couple of hundred yards ahead of her she saw three boys come up to Quinn Morgendorffer and surround her. They seemed to be talking to her but she was too far away to hear anything. Darian had stopped nearby. She saw one of the trio, the black haired one, walk over to him and shove him back."


• The Summer Back, by Shiva (part 3): "As Jamie watched her walk to the front door, part of him wished that he had kissed her. 'It's too soon.' he reminded himself before driving away. Not realizing that Daria's train of thought was on a similar track."


• Unnamed story (IC : Daria Characters Valentines Day Card), by Gnome (COMPLETE!): "Anthony pressed down on his pen as he tried to complete the message on the thin card he had bought with his meager salary, therefore ensuring that he couldn't eat for the next three days."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Random Pairing Challenge!), by Reven384 (COMPLETE!): "Monique knew the girl was hitting on her from a distance. Even after she left her group of friends she kept walking. Her walk oozed sexiness and she couldn't help following the girl. She was entranced."


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): "The young woman with the round glasses was staring down at the items the cashier had just rung up. They sat in a plastic sack off to the side of the counter, with only a rudimentary sort of order imposed on the chaos of their jumbled positioning. A long pause followed, the sound of other checkout lanes the only backdrop."


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by Ranger Thorne (COMPLETE!): "'Here,' Jane whispered intently, 'this one should fit.' Daria gave the brown robe a sour look as she took it. 'You sure this will work?' she hissed as she slipped it on."


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "'Tom kissed me Jane.' 'What?!' 'He kissed me Jane, I'm sorry but he did and... I hated it.'"


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by Silver (COMPLETE!): "Daria stared at the computer screen, looking more than a little uncomfortable. Jane's expression was closer to horror than discomfort, and she spoke first, voice barely rising above the sobbing coming from the laptop's speakers."


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by SinisterExaggerator (COMPLETE!): "Daria opened the mailbox to find a large manila envelope. It read on the cover, in simple red lettering, 'Fandom Louse Publishing Press'."


• The Watcher (Scenes No Daria Fanfic should have: Delightful and Naughty), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "Unnoticed in the audience, a teenage boy in cheap shoes, a grey sweater, and khakis had watched with more than a hint of wistfulness as his two exes participated in their High School graduation ceremony."


• Yunny, by Brain Camper (parts 1 - 4): "so un dey drarnia wnet ta lis offooce dand dere sdas un owful sught ta buhudl" (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

Better to Hear Sarcasm Than Music

"Daria! The Musical" premiered eleven years ago today, all the singing and dancing and fourth-wall breaking you could possibly handle.

And, just before the start of the fifth season nine years ago today, MTV showed the Sarcastathon 3000. The Sarcastathon 3000 will be on the Daria DVDs, hooray! So we will be treated to marvelous shots like these. (Click each letter in order.)

It must be confessed that "Daria!" was my least favorite episode of all. "Depth Takes a Holiday" was far better and more fun. Just putting that out there.

On with the fanfics!

FF.net

• NEW! Brittany Wants Daria, by a440 (Part 2): "So your mom invited Eep Eep It's The Road Runner to spend a weekend with you and Quinn, huh?" said Jane, while she and Daria ate their fill at The Pizza King.
• NEW! Oblivious, by JohnnyStyle (COMPLETE!): “What’s your view on same-sex marriages?” Tricia Gupty asked her parents.

PPMB

• NEW! Daria: The Untold Story, by Ajar (continued): “Nocturnal Emissions” was an upcoming MTV late-night talk show that was never aired due to contractual issues with Carson Daly. The use in Daria was an early example of viral marketing.
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 33: Independence, by HolyGrail2007: Is this my relationship? Tom thought as he kept his eyes on the road. With his beat-up old car, he didn’t like to talk while driving. But now he wanted the quiet. Daria had been acting weirdly ever since the relationship started. Between their kiss in the first place, the hurt reactions of Jane and Finn, and Daria’s own awkwardness, Tom started to wonder if he had made a dreadful mistake.
• First Day of School, by Roentgen (Part 2): The professor was the very animated Mr. Anderson, a young black man with short cropped hair. He would attack the board with a fury for a few seconds and then lecture to the class for five minutes before returning to his pride and joy, to covering the board with mathematical arcana.
• It's All About the Intention, by Psychotol (continued): “Excuse me,” said Agent Fury. He made his way through the facility until he arrived in reception where an army Brigadier General Morgendorffer stood wearing Agent Pryde like a feather boa. “Are you by any chance missing one selectively intangible agent?”
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: Tokusatsu Team Up! by LSauchelli (continued): "Okay big guy, any ideas?" blurted out Daria as she tried to do her best to hold off the undead goblins with her mental powers. The tall, green-haired Japanese boy grinned in excitement at Daria’s question. "I just have one thing to say!" he explained and produced a weird green crystal ball from his pocket. Daria noticed some sort of glowing leaf inside of it. "Henshin go, go baby!"
• A Reaper in the Wind, by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): Daria reached the middle of the field and squatted down. She started to take supplies from her belt pouches. Mustard seed, a scrap of cloth, vial of aromatic sap and a small bottle of mint tea. Daria pulled the crystal around her neck out from under her shirt. "You know, I really don't know what this is going to do to me. Some magic takes a lot out of you, so..." "Don't worry," Tom said. "I'm keeping an eye on you."
• NEW! Teenage Wasteland, by Yorsh01 (Part 1): Maybe it would be a good idea to see this show, Total Drama Island 2. If the name lives to the expectations, it will be a nice train wreck to watch. Jane took her paint brushes and some acrylic paints and began attacking the blank canvas before her. (Daria/Total Drama Island) (FF.net)
  
• Upchuck's Nightmare, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): “He took part in a secret experiment to become a sex god! Now he is one, and the ladies are killing him! The Reluctant Satyr, next on Sick, Sad World Live.”
  
  

Party Till You Wake the Dead!

I guess the above would be the Fashion Club equivalent of a Halloween party, with everyone wearing hideously unfashionable clothing. Hope you party is going well. No trick-or-treaters here yet. Oh, wait, five just came by. More coming.


Brief mention of Daria in a humorous way appears in this article about upcoming events in Philadelphia. Just search for the word. I got a laugh out of it.


Also found a recording of the song "Daria," by Cake. Kind of alternative/odd, not a fast-beat song. Interesting, but I like anything by Splendora better.


About ten trick-or-treaters in all, not very many. Still got a while to go, though. More later. Sorry: moar l8r! And keep Halloween in your thoughts, like Andrea does!

Special Public Service Announcement!

Jane has a question. How best to answer it?

Click the link and party hearty! Thanks, Martin!

Happy Halloween!