Boxing Brittany

Brittany is making sure everyone knows that today is National Kangaroo Awareness Day, and it's kind of hard not to be aware of a giant kangaroo with blond ponytails. Of course, if that doesn't do the trick, I'm sure Brittany's killer right hook would get anyone's attention.

I hope she'll stop and have a snack, though, because it's also Food Day and I don't want to see what her temper is like when she's hangry. I'm sure no one does, least of all Kevin. Quick! Someone go get a cheeseless bell pepper pizza!

Finally, on this day in 2000, Wraith posted an essay on the episode "See Jane Run." It's not very long, but it's a great snapshot of what fan reactions to the show were like while the show was still airing.

Bram Stoker's Gone with the Inkblot

Three famous people whose writings surface in Daria episodes were born this day in history. They are:

• Bram Stoker, horror writer, who shamelessly plagiarized Sandi Griffin's Dracula from "Aunt Nauseam";
  
• Hermann Rorschach, psychologist-superhero and inventor of the Rorschach test, which Daria flunked in two different episodes ("Esteemsters" and "Boxing Daria"); and
• Margaret Mitchell, who wrote a novel about wind that was made into a movie that Daria and Quinn watched for sisterly bonding purposes in "Aunt Nauseam."

All of the above died before they could see their works parodied on Daria. A shame, but probably for the best.

What next... I still think the inkblot above looks like a Balrog crying because he dropped his Valentines. Angst, oh the angst. And now... moar gnuz!

• New PPMB Iron Chef: Innocent Bystanders Screw It Up Again!
• And another Iron Chef: Tooth and Nail!
• A new fanfic, "Lawndale Tokyo," is coming soon from Vlademir1. Stay tooned.
• And Sick, Sad World has updated again! Hooray for Wraith! Wow, I missed a lot of updates there. Sorry!
• NEW! The Daria Fan Club is up to 1,477 members, and a lot of new content is being added. I anticipate that as we get closer to the release of the official Daria DVD set, interest in Daria will rise. Hope it stays at a sustainable level afterward.
  

PPMB

• Daria: Hunter, by Jim North (continued): Daria dove to the right and crouched behind one of these units as Jane laid down suppressing fire from her own spot of cover. After making sure Daria had made it up safely, Jane ducked down and started pointing off to her left. Daria glanced out quickly and saw Taylor, her hands glowing brightly even in the midday sun, wending her way around in an attempt to flank Jane's position.
• Falling Into College 71: Merging Goals, by Richard Lobinske (Part 2): Daria paced back and forth in her apartment and grumbled, "Why didn't I just go ahead and do it instead of having Mom to ask her to officiate at the wedding?" "Meow?" Bump said, curled on the sofa and watching her human with bemusement. "Maybe we should've gotten married in Vegas when we had the chance and avoided all of this hassle." "Meow." "After all, what could be more romantic than a ceremony performed by an Elvis impersonator?" "Meow."

Rah! Rah! Sis Boom Bah!

Cheerleading as an organized sport/activity began 111 years ago today. The first cheerleader was a guy. Wonder what Brittany thinks of that.

"Wraith's Ramblings" rambled into "Lane Miserables" territory nine years ago today. He said it was his favorite episode of the third season and remarked that perhaps Jake is not as clueless as is supposed.

Those familiar with my own ramblings know of my fondness for trying to think up a post-canon series in which certain Daria cast members (and maybe crossover folks) are hired on to fly a giant cargo aircraft around the world, sort of a poor man's Star Trek. The largest flying boat ever built, Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose," made its only flight 62 years ago today with millionaire movie director, aircraft manufacturer, and test pilot Howard Hughes himself at the controls. The mighty Goose is now housed at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.

McMinnville was the site of a famous UFO case, by the way, and now hosts an annual UFO convention to rival those in Roswell, New Mexico. Party town!

Interestingly for Daria fandom, it was 52 years ago today that the Levelland, Texas, UFO event took place. Levelland is near Lubbock, in West Texas, where Highland is thought to be. (Some of my fics place Highland near Lubbock.) You gotta wonder if the Levelland UFO had anything to do with Beavis and Butt-head. I mean, you really gotta wonder. It would explain a lot.

An off-the-cuff remark by Losdia in the PPMB thread on social class and economics has spawned a series of projections by various fans of where the Daria characters are today and how they have fared in the last decade. A lot of fun is being had.

Why isn't MTV doing more to promote the Daria DVD coming out a year from now? Your thoughts, please. I mean, this cartoon hit the big time, seriously. Why no promo?

PPMB

• Finn Morgendorffer 11: Man of Honor, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 2): “Amy? How delightful," said Rita. "I didn’t think you were going to attend.” “Well, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to watch the two of you put aside years of resentment. Or try to poison each other. Either way, more exciting then the plans I had fall through. Looks like Jake and Roger are hitting it off well.”
  
• John Lane 43: We're on a Mission, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): "You have to admit that what Ms. Ruiz did was fun." "Yeah, and now everyone wants one of her 'Get Out Of Class Free' cards."
• Reaped Out II: Sickle Sad World, by Pinkminx (Part 10): A sense of foreboding took over Daria as she approached the entrance of the mall. She had ten minutes to claim her reap, and the congregation of approximately fifty people surrounding the front doors was going to make it hard. Daria edged her way closer to the front of the crowd to get an idea of what was going on. (FF.net)
  
• The Revanche Chronicles: Touching Ground, by Silver (Part 1): Charles Ruttheimer III stared over the starboard side of the airship Revanche, occasionally calling directions out to the wheelhouse. Over the engines, Nicholas could occasionally be heard snapping about how much of a headache the Revanche was to land.
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part III), by jtranser (continued): "Yeah, that's what you get for busting Dr. Korsakov and his bioluminescent menagerie of badgers, pandas, porcupines and wildebeests." "Well, Jane, he was warned and he did have it coming. Did he really think he could get away with manufacturing glow in the dark wildlife?"
  

Awash in Snerkiness

Saw an online article that said Daria's Inferno shipped exactly nine years ago today. Also read Wraith's Ramblings for exactly the same date about "See Jane Run." Good times, good essay. More importantly, I saw a question that was asked of Yahoo! Answers, and perhaps it will be of interest to you. [snerk] Guess Daria didn't think that was funny. But I did. And now it's time for the N0oO0Z

• Sarah "Stacy Rowe" Drew is a busy busy busy bee on TV.
• Glenn Eichler has written a very graphic novel.
• Another real-life Daria on the radio? NPR, no less! (I've been a Sarah Vowell fan for years.)
• OMG! Who did the lesbian-oriented Curve Magazine hook up with Daria Morgendorffer? NOOOOOO!!!!!! (I guess Daria has lots of reasons for frowning.)
• And what is Ashley "Janet Barch/Tiffany Blum-Deckler" Albert doing these days? Rock on, mama!
• NEW! Pinhead has an impressively sad picture of Daria called "AAA" (title explained at link).
• NEWER! The Facebook Daria page is the active center of an argument over which character on Daria is their favorite. Is anyone here on Facebook who can check into the group and let them know about PPMB and Outpost Daria and all that? More fans!

PPMB

• NEW! Align Your Books Precisely on the Shelf, Go Out in the Streets, by Wraith (COMPLETE!): “My alarm didn't go off. Didn't even have time to eat." "Not a very original excuse." "But it has the virtue of being more believable than being abducted by aliens, even if that really was what happened." [a Daria/Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei crossover]
• NEW! Grandma's Memories, by GlitterShrooms (COMPLETE!): [Eye bleach warning! Brain bleach warning! Aaaaugh!!!]
• NEWEST OF ALL! The Melancholy of Daria Morgendorffer, by Wraith (Part 1): "Class, today we have a new student joining us. Why don't you introduce yourself?" "My name is Daria Morgendorffer. I'm not interested in normal humans. If you're an alien, an esper, a time traveler, or a slider, come to my side."
• NEW! Rainbow Disconnection, by Disco316 (Part 5): "I just wish guys were as easy to understand as girls.” “Jane,” said Daria, “I’m sure every guy in the world would disagree with you.” [Most Excellent SSW Spot: “These men went to Indiana University to get an education, but they spent too much time on extracurricular activities! The Hoosier daddies: next on Sick, Sad World!”]
• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Hump Day), by Disco316 (COMPLETE!): "Hey, Kevin?" "Hey, Daria. What's up? "I want to give you a hump." "Well, Daria, I mean that's cool with me, but don't you have that Tom guy for that?"
• EVEN NEWER THAN NEWEST! Unnamed story (Three-peat! New Ideas Thread Wins Again!), by Lorenzo Sauchelli (COMPLETE!): The old man raised an eyebrow. "Really? Don't remember? Hurricane obliterating your town doesn't ring a bell?"

The Mystery of the Blind Man

One of the background characters described on Wraith's Sick, Sad World website is a guy called the Blind Man. He is said to have appeared in "Esteemsters" but later reappeared fully sighted. I've watched the SSW appearance of the guy who supposedly made out with the entire British royal family, but he doesn't look like this guy at all.

Has anyone seen this person (the one at left) in a background shot anywhere? Just curious as I've never been able to place him. Thanks.