Telstar Tales

A very curious and historic day this is, indeed. Just 48 years ago today, a satellite was launched into Earth orbit from Florida. Its name was Telstar. It was not only the first communications satellite to transmit live television and high-speed data (telephone calls and faxes) across the Atlantic, it also the first privately sponsored space launch.

It created a great stir, uniting in one stroke the people of North America and Europe through their TV sets. Telstar I became the forerunner of a great family of communications spacecraft still used today. (We're up to Telstar 18.)

So, up went Telstar, and then... people went a little crazy. You have to understand how amazing Telstar was to the world of 1962. It was SO amazing, a mad blizzard of completely unrelated things were all named Telstar in honor of the original one, because everyone thought it was such a cool thing. This naming trend has continued to this very day. Things are STILL being named Telstar because of that one long-ago satellite.

Did you know that Telstar revolutionized soccer? (That's football to everyone but the USA.) This happened when Adidas came out with a soccer ball painted to look like the satellite. It is now the standard soccer ball the world over. No kidding.

And there's more. Telstar also happens to be the name of...

• a very popular instrumental song that I remember from my childhood (listen to it here)
• a brand of soccer shoes
• a soccer team from the Netherlands
• a make of Ford cars
• a high school in Maine
• a family of Coleco videogame systems (one example)
• a character (a.k.a. Satellite) in the Final Fantasy VI videogame
• a 2009 movie
• a book of science-fiction stories
• a blog
• a hotel in Italy
• a brand of computer tower cases (detailed images)
• a brand of automobile tire rims in New Zealand
• a type of electronic part
• a brand of telescope
• and what looks like jewelry that lights up, I think... maybe
  

I wonder if anyone has named a child Telstar. (Oh, the horror.) The original Telstar satellite was destroyed by radiation from hydrogen bombs set off in outer space, which sounds like I am making that up, but I am not. Burned the satellite's power right out. Very sad. It's still up there, the original Telstar, still orbiting the Earth even in electronic death. Not likely it will ever be forgotten, at least not by anyone who plays soccer.

Today is also the 154th birthday anniversary of super-genius Nikola Tesla, whose name sounds like Telstar but is unrelated. Tesla is mentioned in only three Daria fanfics. A pity. Telstar has never been mentioned at all. (The above was corrected, thanks to readers more alert than I am.)

Time for something completely different. Or not.

NeuZ!

• C.E. Forman displays his most fantastic treasures: original Daria collectibles! My brain can barely process all the win!
• Fan Chris Tucker asks, "Did you ever notice...?"
• NEW! Fun reading: "Daria: A Love Letter From A Former Teen Nerd," from Jezebel.com.
  

PPMB

• Daria/Dorian, by LadieT (continued): As school ended, Jodie and Mack approached Dorian. Dorian was staring at the tiny slip of paper from Mrs. Bennett's class. Jodie shook her head as she pointed at the Dorian's hand. "Congratulations on getting the one project that none of us wanted." Jodie smirked. "Gee thanks. Good luck with your projects. Mack, twenty bucks says Kevin actually ends up buying a car." Dorian replied. "I would say you're on but we are talking about Kevin." (FF.net)
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 52: With Extra Bitters, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 5): “Look, I didn’t want to snap at you. I’m just not used to having other people criticize my writing. Or other people for that matter. Ask my first boyfriend what happened when I showed him a story I wrote. And, well...I read yours. The one you said wasn’t any good because you divided your time like you did. Well...I liked it. It was good, better than mine.” Daria admitted, and every word was painful. “So what’s the problem with that? Course mine’s gonna be better, I’d been writing these things my whole life, and I’m older than you. It’s as obvious as don’t run with scissors or don’t put your dangly bits in the mouth of an alligator.” “I wrote my whole life too!” Daria returned, ignoring his randomness. “That was me, every day I wrote. And I watched my writing get better and better, and the off-chance that I shared it with someone, they loved it. Not that my English teacher would ever say something that could damage my poor self-esteem, but it was enjoyed, and thought to be great.” “So I come along and ruin everything by, what, being good at the same thing? Jeez, ego trip much?”
  
• First Born, by RLobinske (Part 4): Seated at the dining table while Derek prepared breakfast, Karen said, "Jane Lane. What are you doing up so early?" Hair as rumpled as her t-shirt and shorts, Jane said, "Having to get to school at 7:30 has made me a morning person, dammit." "But not a very cheerful one," Karen said. "You can bet your sweet ass I'm not cheerful about it. Coffee?"
• NEW! Full Metal Pragmatist, by Dark Kuno (COMPLETE!): "OK, this might hurt a bit..." came Trent's voice as it roused her from her nostalgia. "Don't sugar coat it for the girl, boy," grumped Bernice Lane-Rockbell from her place near the girl's lower body. "OK, it will hurt a bit..." he continued. "Hell with a bit, it's going to hurt a lot," stated Trent's aunt and guardian as her nephew carefully and expertly slid the ends of the wiring into the exposed flesh around the girl's clavicle. (FF.net)
  
• The Graduation Gift, by LadieT (COMPLETE!): I glanced at the clock. It was six thirty. I showered and got dressed. I stared at myself in the mirror. My short black bangs had been replaced by longer ones that curved around the contour of my face. I covered my lips in their signature red. My face appeared drawn and tired. My last set of finals had been brutal. I looked down at my hands. My fingers were calloused from years of artistic abuse. Today though will prove it was all worth it. I left the bathroom and headed back to my room. (FF.net)
  
• Regifted, by Ajar (Part 8): Quinn took a deep sip from her diet soda like a stereotypical cop with a cup of coffee in a particularly difficult interrogation. “Okay, let's go through this again. What skirt do you want to go with your top?” “What's wrong with jeans?” Daria asked. Quinn sighed dramatically. “I told you already. My jeans don't fit you. You have an apple body-type, everyone will see your belly. A couple weeks away from Pizza King and we'll discuss that.” “Quinn, this is really just a one-time thing.” “I can help you out. But ultimately you have to figure things out for yourself. Me doing this all for you isn't going to help you in the real world.” “I don't even watch The Real World.”
• NEWER! The Theme from Mack Dynamite, by Dark Kuno (COMPLETE!): [Songfic lyrics for everyone to sing!]
  
• Three-Edged Sword, by NightGoblyn (Part 3): "Jane... I... there's something I need to tell you." Jane leaned over, poking just enough of her head around the large canvas that Tom could see her from the nose up. She gestured with her paint brush for him to speak. "It's... it's important." Tom waited a moment, and when Jane didn't respond his brow creased with irritation. "Could you come out from behind the damn painting a minute?" Jane sighed, and Tom heard the clatter of her palette on the table followed by the gentle splash of her brush being dropped into a jar of water. She walked around the side of the easel and stretched, moaning slightly as her neck and shoulders popped. Tom's eyes flicked away, trying not to notice that Jane's figure had returned to what it was before her pregnancy, only now enhanced with a gentle swell of hips and a prouder set of breasts. Doing a good job not noticing, Tommy Boy, he thought sourly. (Continues from this once-unnamed story)
  
• Unnamed ficlet (Did you ever notice...), by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!] (Daria/The Matrix)
• NEW! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by rglovejoy (COMPLETE!): The mob of peasants surged forward and threw the bespectacled girl at Bedevere's feet. "A witch, a witch! We've got a witch! Might we burn her?" "How do you KNOW she is a witch?" Bedevere demanded, his right eye periodically popping out of its socket. A particularly dim peasant, with outsized shoulders, spoke up. "She looks like one, y'know?" "I'm not a witch," the girl said flatly. "But you are DRESSED as one," Bedevere told her. "These morons dressed me up like this," the girl countered. "This isn't my nose. It's a false one." "Well, we did do the nose," the peasant conceded. (Daria/Monty Python's Flying Circus)
• NEW! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by Staticblast (COMPLETE!): "Good morning, Minister." "Gfd mfrng... Sorry, good morning. Scone's a bit dry." "Yes, well, I'd like to obtain a Government grant to help me develop my silly walk." "I see. May I see your silly walk?" (Daria/Monty Python's Flying Circus)
  
• Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Minx (COMPLETE!): Sandi stood in front of her locker discussing the new school dress code, "...And under no circumstances shall either of you wear neon. It wasn't cute last year and I'll make damned sure it won’t be this year. I don't care what Valentino says," she turned to her trench-(wo)men for confirmation but was cut off but the chirp of three message cell phone tones sounding out simultaneously. Stacy was the first to check, she flipped open her phone and looked at Sandi gravely. "What, what is it?" Sandi barked. Stacy shook her head timidly and muttered a few words that resembled, 'Nothing, don't worry,' before flipping the phone shut and shoving it into the depths of her bag. "Nothing my ass," Sandi retorted as she drew her own cell-phone from her locker and checked her messages.
• Unnamed ficlet (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by Roxanne M (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!]
• Unnamed ficlet (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by rglovejoy (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!]
• Unnamed ficlet (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by Roxanne M (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!] (Daria/Fawlty Towers)
• Unnamed ficlet (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by rglovejoy (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!]
• Unnamed ficlet (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!] (Daria/Monty Python's Flying Circus)
• Unnamed ficlet (Iron Chef: Crossover the Pond), by Wormbait (COMPLETE!): [Too short to sample!] (Daria/Monty Python's Flying Circus)
• The Vision of the Burning Cities, by jtranser (continued): "Daria, I called because I wanted to find out if you could do something to help Stacy. She's been having these horrible nightmares about high school." "Quinn, there's nothing wrong about that. Almost everyone has horrible nightmares about high school. Even you. Remember that dream you had where you were surrounded by fanboys and nerds and couldn't get away from them, as they tried to get your autograph, cut off pieces of clothing and cop feels?" "Yeah, I sure do. And who would've thought it would turn into reality after I went to work in television..."
• NEWER! The White Fox, by Lord Akiyama (prologue): The figure went over the words again to make sure what he was reading was the material he was looking for. He looked up and around to make sure the teenage girl was still asleep in her bed. Satisfied, the figure silently slipped out of the padded bedroom through the window, careful to not make a sound as he went. He quietly moved, jumping from one rooftop to the next. Much of the moon was covered by clouds on this night, offering him more darkness to cover him from unsuspecting eyes that might get lucky and catch him about. The figure did not stop until thirty minutes later when he reached his destination.
  

Whoa! Forgot to Post Last Night!

Well, better late than never.

Richard Lobinske has updated the 2010 Daria FanArt listing with many good things on which to feast your eyes.

Outpost Daria has a February update!

Eleven years ago, TV Guide had mention of a then-upcoming episode of Daria for the third season: "Daria!" the fourth-wall-breaking musical.

Richard Lobinske is building a model of a spacecraft from a Daria fanfic. Can you guess which story?

FF.net

• The Prodigal Daughter, by a440 (Part 5): "I WAS a head cheerleader once," said Brittany, "and I happen to be more than you think, Adair—and it's not just my bimboisms."

PPMB

• The Brittrix, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): The noise continued to beep. Like a minesweeper, DeMartino swept the halls, listening carefully. He finally found his target. "BRITTANY!" "Eap!" The cheerleader almost jumped out of her seat.
• collar, by Jim North (continued): The Diamond Cage, known to most of its patrons simply as the Cage, was a small downtown club that catered to the leash and leather set and had long been a favorite haunt of Sandi and Stacy's. The city didn't hold a very large population of kinks compared to others like New York or Los Angeles, but there was still a decent crowd there when the two women rolled up in Sandi's BMW. (SFMB)
• NEW! Daria: Hunter—Strictly Business, by Jim North (continued): Once they had all their gear stowed away, they activated the second stage of their disguises. The color of their coveralls shifted from a light grey to a darker blue as the logos and IDs on the chests changed to those of janitors employed by Landon Enterprises. Daria's hair changed from red to black and Jane's went from brunette to blonde as the nanobots that had been strewn throughout altered their appearance. [More added!]
  
• Daria the Reyvateil, by Trscroggs (Part 1): “Kiddo, have you seen the lighter fluid?” Jake asked.” I could have sworn I bought a great big can of it when I got the charcoal.” “I don’t think so.” Daria said while getting up. She gave the barely visible can a swift kick to knock it further under the deck. “Maybe you’re thinking about that last time you grilled in Highland, the one where the first grill melted?” (Daria/Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia)
• NEW! The Dream of the White Darkness, by jtranser (continued): "In addition to their existence as an unconscious performing art, dreams exist outside sense data and are distinct from their properties and those that dream them. A. T. Srinivasan says it is more correct to say that dreams are the medium of all change, and that a dream is the underlying unifying force of the Universe subsuming all other forces. In short, a Dreamer is necessary to bring the Universe into being."
  
• Falling into College 72: Valley of Love and Delight, by RLobinske (Part 7): Jane felt a little strange leading her friends through the front door and to the office. At the front desk, she said, "I'm Jane Lane. I have an appointment with Principal Defoe."
• Fight Like Hell, by Shull Bitter (continued): Jake Morgendorffer sat at Daria's computer, his legs kicked casually up on the desk and his blue shirt looking somehow more.. pressed and tidy than was customary for him so late in the day. His dark eyes sparkled with amusement. "Hiya, Kiddo! I was just perusing some of your violent revenge fantasies!" He gestured to the open word processor on the monitor.
• NEW! Finn Morgendorffer 32: It Happened One Summer, by HolyGrail2007 (COMPLETE!): “I’m looking forward to the art colony. Two months doing nothing but living my dream.” “Crammed into a wooden cabin with people who have poor hygiene. Aren’t these camps just, like, sex ed?” “Jealous, Finn?” Jane teased, and Finn found himself uncomfortable. This was that flirting that drove Tom to Daria. The body language, the suggestive words. All of it was there. And Finn realized he had not spoken to Jane about the breakup. But she did ask him about Tom. What did that mean?
  
• The First Law of Identity, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "So Jane, what did you do last night?" Daria asked. "Oh nothing. I just cleaned my paintbrush, if you know what I mean."
• General Semantics, Private Angst, by Gwrtheyrn (Part 11): "Of course you'll be captured," said the woman, calmly. "We have no police on Mars, and no ordinary crime, but the cases requiring detective work are always solved with great speed. You will be interested in meeting a null-A detective, but you will be shocked at how rapidly you are caught."
• NEW! It's All About the Intention, by Psychotol (continued): “It’s just a general’s mast, how bad could it be?” [New addition just added!]
  
• M4: Deodora, by Silver (COMPLETE!): "Why are we doing this again?" Sandi Griffin griped for the ninth time in as many minutes. "Because it's fun?" Stacy Rowe asked her. "I'm serious! This armor is hideous!" Sandi groused.
• Playing Taboo at the Morgendorffers, by Greystar (COMPLETE!): "Okay, this is something you do on your knees?"
• A Reaper in the Wind, by RLobinske (Part 9): Tom was the first to spot the reaper. As in the UAV camera recording, it was wearing a burkha to hide its appearance. However, the fact that it was ordering marines around dispelled any misconception that it might be anything or anyone else.
• Regifted 2: I Put Away Joyless Things, by Ajar (Part 4): “So, what do you think?” Jane asked. Here goes nothing, Ryan thought as he puzzled over the piece. It was quite different from what art of hers he'd seen before. More De Stijl and not so much de Kooning. Best to praise her for trying something. “It's great,” said Ryan. “You're not limiting yourself to one style. You can explore form and shape outside of your normal paradigm of symbolism and shock.” “If I wanted pretentious fawning praise, I would have bribed The New Yorker.”
• A Ticket to Ride, by Doggieboy (Part 5): “You are a handful, Ted.”
• Unnamed story (Scenes no Daria fanfic should have: Ouch Time), by DigiSim (COMPLETE!): One sunny afternoon Sandi Griffin strolled downstairs to watch Fashion Vision, diet soda in one hand and Waif in the other. But what she saw when she arrived in the living room stopped her in her tracks...
• Unnamed story (Scenes no Daria fanfic should have: Ouch Time), by Greystar (COMPLETE!): WTF?!
  

Billions and Billions...

Today, you can think big about space, because it's Carl Sagan Day.

Pictured at the right is a model of a Voyager probe, one of the many projects to which Dr. Sagan contributed. Voyager 1 and 2 were famous for carrying the golden record, "Murmurs of Earth" to the stars to tell others about humans and how to find us. Artie doesn't think this was a good idea.

"Cosmos" was Dr. Sagan's groundbreaking television series and something still worth watching decades later. He was a founder of The Planetary Society. Among his books was the Pulitzer-Prize winning treatise against psuedo-science, "The Demon Haunted World," where he introduced his Baloney Detection Kit. Something I think Daria would put to good use.

So, take a look at the sky tonight and try to think of what words of wisdom Daria would've wanted recorded on Voyager's record. I think it would probably be something like, "Even we can't listen to these things anymore, how does anyone expect you to listen to it?"

The Space Age: 51 Years and Counting

It didn't feel right to not have a special post just to mark the dawn of the Space Age, 51 years ago. It is amazing to me that there is no holiday or celebration to mark this day, at least not that I am aware of. Why? Well, yeah, the Russians got there first, whipped the pants off of us, but do the Russians have a holiday to mark the launch of Sputnik I? I'm not sure that they do. Weird, man.

More l8r.

A Day That Will Bring Out the Animal in You!

Yes, today is World Animal Day, and who knows what that kid looks like at Holiday Island High. Any guesses?

What else happened . . . the Space Age is officially 51 years old today, thanks to the Russians. (Is there a Holiday Island High teen called Sputnik Day?)

Alicia Silverstone was born 32 years ago today, she who helped get Braceface off the ground. (You knew there had to be an animated-show twist somewhere.) To date, no Daria/ Braceface fanfic has been written, that I know of, though there was one guy who tried.

Oh, and today is the anniversary air date of a special Beavis and Butt-head episode, but more on that later.