Stay Out of the Splash Zone!

Jesse is doing his best Gallagher impression and taking an unusual route to celebrating National Watermelon Day. Weird as it might be, it's still less weird than greasing it up and wrestling it out of the water. For those of you who want to celebrate this holiday, I suggest simply...eating it.

You could even gather around a fire to eat for Campfire Day, which comes with a bonus of being able to roast s'mores and tell scary stories. Maybe don't tell the kind of stories the Morgendorffers told around their campfire, though. Seductive vampires and clunky gold sequins are not especially frightening.

Still, we know Daria can tell a good story (scary or not) because she managed to write some very entertaining tales in the episode "Write Where It Hurts," which aired on this day in 1998. I will never look at card games the same way again.

Fandom News!

• Discuss disabilities in a new thread.


• Sheila Wisz Ellayn shares The Complete Guide to Blue Shirt and Checkers.


• Check out a Daria clip from WatchMOJO.


• cortez wonders if the Daria fandom is dead.

Munch a Bunch...Oh, You Know the Rest!

Jake's already gotten started on celebrating Grab Some Nuts Day, but he looks a bit troubled. Perhaps he's concerned that today isn't actually about legumes? Rest easy, Jake. Sometimes a cashew is just a cashew.

If nuts aren't your thing, you could have a cool, refreshing snack for National Watermelon Day! I'll take mine ungreased and out of the water, please.

Finally, it was on this day in 1998 that the episode "Write Where It Hurts" first aired. This one is a fan favorite, and in no small part because of the hilarious literary parodies sprinkled throughout. Special mention to Jane's declaration about making them crawl, too.

Fanfic Update!

• Daria: A different meeting, by storyteller316 (COMPLETE!): "'Well, are you girls excited for your first day at Lawndale High?' asked a woman as she sat with her family eating breakfast."


• Grant Writer's Block, by welltemperedclavier (COMPLETE!): "With the rush of the grant work behind her, the next week consisted of going through the motions. Around her, Lawndale got ready for Halloween. Really, it had started getting ready as early as August, but now came the jack-o-lanterns and Styrofoam gravestones." (Part 14)


• Pretty Red Revenge (Scenes no Daria fanfic should have), by shiva (part 1): "In her pretty pink bedroom, Charolette 'Unibrow' Ruttheimer lounged on her bed in a comfy bathrobe, her seaweed facemask all crusty and flaking off, a little cocker spaniel dog named Pucci curled up next to her, and she began writing in her diary with a pink pen with pink fluff on the bottom."


• Shadows of a Timeless Song, by Dennis (part 16): "Hermione's sudden reappearance and cryptic words occupied Daria's attention long enough for Mrs. Worthington to disappear."

Have a Fruity Day!

I don't think I've ever seen Jesse this expressive, so maybe it turns out that smashing watermelons on National Watermelon Day is his true passion in life. I mean, it's messy but it sure beats wrestling a greasy watermelon out of the water, doesn't it?

Today is also the anniversary of the episode "Write Where It Hurts," which aired on this day in 1998. I love all of the random literary and movie parodies in this one, but my favorite has to be the Jane Austen one. Even if the accents are...weird.

Fandom News!

• What do you think about robotic police dogs?


• Discuss some of the recent news in Belarus.


• Talk about the limits of friendship, or why Jane forgave Daria.

Are There Ninety-Nine Bottles Of It On the Wall?

Looks like Brittany's been named Keg Queen this time, which means she's serving the drinks on International Beer Day. Either that or she's following in Ashley-Amber's footsteps as a St. Peter Girl beer model.

If you'd like something to go with your beer, today is also Grab Some Nuts Day so you should feel free to munch the nutty, nutty. I'm assuming--hoping--that the holiday refers to stuff like almonds and pecans, anyway.

Finally, today is the tenth anniversary of the episode "Write Where It Hurts," from 1998. In that episode, Daria struggled with writer's block. A struggle that many in the Daria fan community know all too well!

Fandom News!

• Talk about Alan Alda's Parkinson's Disease diagnosis.


• Keep up with the latest developments on the Wikileaks Twitter messages.


• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior polls between Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Carl and Team Venture and Leo the MGM Lion and Rocky the Lincoln-Mercury Cougar.

The Grease is Optional

Billy, Bobby, and Benjy have the right idea for National Watermelon Day, although I'm not sure the vaseline is strictly necessary. To each his own, I guess. The rest of us can probably settle for eating ours, though.

Today is also the anniversary of the episode "Write Where It Hurts," which first aired on this day in 1998. You'd think watching a character struggle with writer's block would be boring, but all of the random fantasy sequences and funny references made that one a fan favorite.

Fandom News!

• Talk about Australia's shifting and other #21st century problems.

The Vaseline is Optional!

I'm not sure this is the traditional way to celebrate National Watermelon Day, but I guess it works. Go ahead and get yourself some watermelon today, too, but I would recommend that you just cut it open and eat it. Just my own preference, though.

Today also marks the anniversary of the episode "Write Where It Hurts," which first aired on this day in 1998. There weren't any watermelons in that one, but it did feature Jake's Kitchen Sink Stew--which might very well have watermelon in it, for all we know.

Fanfic Update!

• All's Fair ('Iron Chef' for Robyn & all comers - 'The First Ten Minutes'), by Princess_Pasta (COMPLETE!): "She spit onto the concrete, the mixture of blood and saliva standing out in sharp contrast against the cracked sidewalk. Her hands were shaking, the skin on her knuckles scraped and bloodied."


• Attack of the "Super Brain", by Captain Marbles (COMPLETE!): "Ms. Li watched in horror as her prize student wreaked havoc on the sleepy little suburb. 'There's one last hope!' she said."


• Café Talk (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: The Madness Sets In), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "At Raft University there was a small, pretentious café just off campus called the Café de Paris, and while most of the French on the menus was misspelled, for those in the know it was a place to get a cup of great coffee and really good cake."


• Consequences, by ST91 (COMPLETE!): "Helen Morgendorffer had a severe headache. It was because of what her son Clint had revealed to her. Besides that she was very angry."


• Expansion (Write-Off Challenge 1.2!), by baelparagon (COMPLETE!): "The last thing he saw was the goalpost falling, yellow metal careening for him as it had done during his career before his neck snapped. The pain in his neck was horrendous for but a moment before everything went black."


• Is it Curtain Yet?, by Zetor (part 6c): "The door opened behind her and she turned around to see Daria looking about as bad as she felt. Her sister walked over and dropped down onto one of the other couches."


• Lawndale and Sandi Griffin's Genie, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (Future Excerpt 3): "'I didn't wish for immortality!' Jasmine said. 'Then how have you lived until now?' Samara asked."


• Lawndale's Finest 3: The Brave and the Bold, by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): "Scarlett tried to hurry down the hallway without hurrying too much, she was about to be late but she didn't want to accidentally blow any doors off their hinges or anything." (Part 7) (Part 8)


• Real Friends, by 11tee (COMPLETE!): "Quinn walked through the hall toward her locker. As expected, Sandi, Stacey, and Tiffany were waiting. Sandi looked furious. 'So what's this I hear about you and Jamie going on another date, Quinn?'"


• Silence is Golden, by 11tee (COMPLETE!): "Silence. The woman sat on her bicycle looking down the trail. The ridgeline was to her right, a cliff-face to her left."


• Unnamed story ('Iron Chef' for Robyn & all comers - 'The First Ten Minutes'), by 11tee (COMPLETE!): "Bang! Nngghh? Bang! Gah, what the heck, Daria thought. Bang! Abruptly, she remembered."


• Unnamed story ('Iron Chef' for Robyn & all comers - 'The First Ten Minutes'), by EntrancedCat (COMPLETE!): "'Daria, Daria.' she heard a soft male voice quietly but insistently calling her name. Mr. O'Neill was leaning over her desk and looking down at her with concern and sympathy."


• Wheels, by 11tee (COMPLETE!): "Daria stood back with one hand under each of her sister's shoulders. Quinn tried moving her legs to help, but the atrophy pretty much hindered any real assistance."

This Time They Used Extra Vaseline!

Happy National Watermelon Day! Billy, Bobby, and Benjy are celebrating the holiday with the greased variety, but feel free to go with a more traditional route for this one.

Today is also the anniversary of the episode "Write Where It Hurts" in 1998. Daria struggles with writer's block and makes her mother cry...but not for the reasons you'd think.

Fandom News!

• Who would you choose for your shoulder angels and devils?


• What is the worst album from your favorite band? Talk about it in the thread.


• Erin M. appears in a fan appreciation video for That Guy With The Glasses.


• Talk about CE Forman's Fireworks and Crazy Nutso's fanfics in the Golden Oldies forum.

"You're telling me you want to write something, not just anything, that says something about something."

The episode Write Where It Hurts first aired on this day in 1998. We got an interesting glimpse into Daria's imagination as a writer, as well as a rare moment of connection between Helen and Daria--after a false start or two.

I think quite a few of us in fandom can also sympathize strongly with the case of writer's block Daria came down with in the episode. That image on the right pretty much sums up my feelings on some days!

Wouldn't a psychiatrist just have a field day with some of the stories she did come up with, though?

Fandom News!

• Deref has started posting about his trip to the U.S.A.


• D. T. Dey has a question about donating to thrift stores.


• CR85747 ponders the MTV problem.


• Two new Iron Chefs have been posted: DIsaac's And not a single care was given that day and midnightstorm's Chav Sloanes.

Write Where It Perverts

"Write Where It Hurts" closed out the second season of Daria 12 years ago today, with various crossovers (The Graduate, at left) and curiosities (at right) in Daria's writing. Daria got to make her mother cry (in a good way) and all was right with the world. Daria was still triumphant.

The contents of this episode have been the subject of many a fanfic. That card game played in the fictional future was in some form featured here and here and here and here and (dang, cannot find that one other story, sorry).

N000Z!

• OverlordMikey drew fan art for "The Lane That Wasn't": The Lane That Wasn't—Symbolism. Excellent.
• Not to be outdone, Minx drew strip poker fan art and entered legend.

PPMB

• NEW! 50 Minutes a Week, by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): "Daria, hello! Come in, have a seat. You're putting on some weight. Very good." "Yeah, another two pounds or so. The old metabolism is really working out on all that frozen lasagna." Her tone of voice and look of mild revulsion gave the lie to her faintly enthusiastic words. "There are times I miss my feeding tube." "Yes. Yes, I can imagine. So, given any more thought to what we talked about last week?"
• NEWER! At the Fics with Jane and Daria, by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): "Hello, and welcome to another edition of 'At The Fics with Jane and Daria'. We're your hosts, Jane Lane and Daria Morgendorffer." "Why is it always 'Jane and Daria'? It was MY show, I was the star, it was named after me!" "It's because 'Jane and Daria' just sounds better than 'Daria and Jane'. It's the whole 'a after a' thing. DariA And Jane. It doesn't flow." "Says who?" "Shhhh. Here's 10 bucks. Drop it, OK?"
  
• The Ballad of Daria and Stacy, by Charles RB et al. (continued): Stacy had a plan. It was foolproof. It would work. She was just going to not go to the self esteem class and pretend to Sandi that she no longer had to. It would work. It would work. She was going to do it RIGHT NOW.
• Helen Wheels, by Smileyfax (Part 1): "It all boils down to trust," Daria summed up. "Exactly. It all boils down to trust. Show a little trust." "Mom... Dad... you're right." One heartbeat... two heartbeats... "Can I borrow either car?" "No," Jake uttered instantly, bent over his lasagna. Helen, however, paused for a moment. "Sure, Daria," she said, reaching into her pocket. "Here you go!" She placed the keys to her SUV next to Daria's plate. "Eep!" The sound escaped from Daria's larynx unbidden. "Uh... I mean... thanks, Mom, but I meant... uh... after dinner." (FF.net)
• Jane Lane: Ace Attorney, by LSauchelli (Part 4): They watched as Daria and Gumshoe entered the school through the front door. What was the prosecutor doing there anyway? Didn’t she have the case entirely solved in the first trial? Jane didn’t want to meet her during the investigation, it felt like a very bad idea. She turned her attention back to Upchuck, who was now approaching Daria’s car with a predatory look on his face. “Hey, wait!” Jane shouted. “Don’t touch it!”
• Legacy, by Getrealordie187 (Interlude 1): While she hadn't believed in Helen and Jake's decision to send Daria to Virginia, Evelyn Barksdale would have been a fool to pass up the golden opportunity that was her granddaughter's proximity to where she lived. And while she was many things, Evelyn Barksdale was not a fool. Within a month of Daria's arrival to Buxton Ridge, she'd driven down to let her know that she was welcome in her home at anytime. The loneliness and desolation on the poor girl's face had done much to convince her she had made the right decision. That was the day she had decided that her family's wealth and the expectations that came with it would fall on Daria's shoulders.
• Pulp Fiction: Africa, by Chris Tucker (continued): She had walked for two days to get here. Two days and two nights. No water for most of today. Two days and two nights alone in semi desert. Walking towards some small chance of hope for her beloved older sister...
• Sleepwalker, by Jim North (continued): It was a trick, it had to be. Unpopular kids like that weird art chick were always trying to get attention somehow. And Stacy had probably joined her just because she was miffed about being subtly pushed out of the Fashion Club. Mr. DeMartino was a little harder to figure out, but teachers were always going on about helping people and broadening horizons and not putting others down and other such nonsense, so his involvement could have been part of some kind of outreach program for unpopular students. They just wanted to make the popular kids look like gullible idiots or something, Sandi was sure of it. Quinn and the others might have been fooled, but Sandi wasn't. She was inside her room, safe, where nothing and no one could get at her, not even her traitorous former friends.
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Daria and Military School), by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): "So this is hell," she thought to herself. Buxton Ridge Military Academy had welcomed a legacy into its incoming corps of cadets. That day had been hectic, irritating and stupid. GO here, get this, take it back and get it stamped, you stupid good for nothing PLEBE! The only good thing is that she was out of Highland. Sixteen years in that pest hole had been enough. Finally, her room assignment came through. She grabbed her things from holding and trudged across the campus to the woman's dorm. "Let me PLEASE get a decent bunk mate, someone smart, someone clever, someone with a brain! (Daria/The Phil Silvers Show)
• NEW! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Breitasparrow (Part 2): The doorbell rang three times before Trent finally stumbled to open the door. "Hey," he said. "Are you alright?" Tom asked. "You seem kinda, I dunno, drunk." "The band had another fight. We're not really getting anywhere. I think we might be on the verge of breaking up... Uh, come on in."
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by LadieT (COMPLETE!): Mack sees Jane talking to Daria in the hallway. As they are about to turn into Mr. DeMartino's class, Mack approaches them. "Hey, Jane. I have something to tell you." Jane looks at him. She could tell something was weighing heavy on his mind. "What's wrong, Mack?"
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Real Esteem), by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): Jane Lane, clad in black PVC tank top, leggings and handheld BFG appeared behind the unsuspecting Dalek. "Esteem THIS!" "Whoa!" exclaimed Kevin as the smoldering wreck of the Dalek collapsed to the floor. As he rose from his seat, he stepped on the hem of his ankle-length black trench coat and slammed headfirst into the wall, falling unconscious to the floor, in much the same manner as the late Dalek. All that Daria could do was perform the classic Picardian Facepalm maneuver.
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Real Esteem), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): "The school psychologist tells me that all of you have self-esteem problems," the man in the multi-colored coat said. "Well tish-tosh! Low self-esteem merely means you haven't yet figured out just how incredibly brilliant you are and how gobsmacking idiotic everyone else in the universe is!" "Y'know, I kinda liked the celery guy we had last week better," Jane groused.
• Unnamed story (Judith Strikes! Closing Ceremony), by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): The home, for a home it was, despite being hewn out of the living rock, was a warm and comfortable place. A cheery fire burned in the grate, giving both light and heat to the small, cluttered living room. Jack sat in his armchair with his feet propped up and his heavy iron boots resting nearby, engaged in working a Rubik's Cube. His daughter sat on on the floor nearby, singing quietly as she knitted the song into a new hat for herself. The girl's singing faltered, and her needles slowed to a stop as she glanced around apprehensively. "What... what was that, father?" The redcap grimaced and slowly rose to his feet. "Bad, that's what it is. Go get my sword." (Daria/Batman)
  
• Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): Daria stood in her stiff, pseudo-military uniform, hands clasped behind her back, and watched through the huge observation port of the Highliner as the comparatively tiny transport vessels containing everything and everyone she had ever known were carefully shepherded aboard. She frowned to herself as she contemplated the political, and possibly military, repercussions of her family's move. But, her father had his orders from the Emperor and one didn't argue with His Imperial Majesty... at least, not for long. (Daria/Dune)
  
• The Vision of the Burning Cities, by jtranser (continued): Once again, Daria found herself waiting at the unlit transit stop for the Estragon Avenue bus. A slowly spreading dark grey murk suffused the area, erasing all the details save the engine noises of passing cars with weak fog lights and frightened drivers. Otherwise, all was silent. Her fatigue induced reverie was shattered by the distant sound of a familiar arrogant voice projected from a very great distance, amplified by the peculiar acoustic properties of an intervening brick fence...
• The Worst Thing, by Yogi (COMPLETE!): “Well, I suppose things could be worse.” When Angier Sloan said those words seven long months ago, only the three pairs of female eyes glaring at him with enough force to crack cement stopped Tom from scoffing. Tautological Meaningless Dross, he had called it in his head. Technically things could always be worse, that goes without saying. We could all be infected with a flesh-eating virus that attacks the genitals first. The government didn't decide to test a new secret weapon on Lawndale so, hey, that's a plus, too. Why, we should count ourselves lucky we’re not stranded in outer space! Or smashed to pieces in an car accident!
  

Right Wear It Hertz

Eleven years ago this evening, "Write Where It Hurts" appeared on MTV for the first time. This is actually good advice for writers: write about what you know, and what everyone knows is what has hurt them. It gives the writing emotional honesty, or something like that.

Once again we have some blasts from the past, courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Not all of these webpages are complete, but there is enough there to use as "canon fodder" for future stories.

Oh, and Happy Civic Holiday to you Canadianers. Party hard!

No screensavers, sorry.

No trivia game, sorry.

No sound archive, sorry.
(Wait a minute, I got some of the WAV files! Whoa!)

No neo-natal skinhead, sorry.

No videos, sorry.

Trivia Game Rules

Trivia Questions 1

Trivia Questions 2

Trivia Questions 3

ERROR!

Once you are done... 1

Once you are done...2

More Ask Daria 1

More Ask Daria 2

More Ask Daria 3

Daria's Chain Letter Corner

Typical Chain Letter from Daria

The World According to Daria (early version)

A "lost" Daria essay! Not seen in years! (NEW!)
(Daria writes about Y2K in an essay that was not reprinted in later sites.)

Happy Birthday, Daria! (Part 3)

At left is Daria as she would likely look today, in her late twenties. (The image, of course, is from "Write Where It Hurts.")

A number of days have been cited in fanfic as Daria's birthday. Almost all of them fit within the Scorpio days on the zodiac. A few alternate birthdays are given below. Who knows? Across the many worlds of the Dariaverse, maybe all of them are right.

• 10/31 (Halloween): "The Other"
• 11/4: "Otherwise Known as Quinn the Great" (birth year 1982)
• 11/19: "Generation Gap" (birth year 1982)
• 11/20: "Who Once Was Lost"
• 11/21: "The Art of Seeing"

"Hall Point Nine" places her birthday close to Thanksgiving, about the week before that brief vacation starts for college students.

Know of any other fandom birthday dates for Daria? Make a note of it in Comments, just for fun.

Here's lookin' at you, Daria. Keep on keepin' on.

Michael's Day

It's Michaelmas, in case you were wondering, so here's a picture of Saint Mack, from "Write Where It Hurts."

It's also the 461st anniversary of the birth of the immortal author Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote. A surprising number of Daria fanfics reference this character, so Cervantes (often credited with the invention of the modern novel) is a solid part of Daria fandom's background.

Wasn't that clever how I managed to find a picture that combined the above two concepts? Am I cool or what? Man, I love being me.

Arch-Librarian Supremo Kristen Bealer is coming to your house tonight to abuse you until you return all your overdue library books. She will also remind you that this is Banned Books Week, and you had better turn in a five-page report by Friday, or else. I am not making this up, I swear.

Um, more later. Or something. But first, some updates.

The latest DariaWiki pages are Diaryfic and Sparky. Remember that.


FF.net

• Write Me In! by respitechristopher (COMPLETE!): “Buying a pretty girl a drink? Never seemed like a waste before. What’s your name, hon?” “Danica. Danica Morningtown. And thanks for the beer. What’s your name?” “You can call me Melody.” [You won't believe this one.—TAG] *
  

Fortress CINCGREEN

• Data Dump, by CINCGREEN (Part 7): Daria woke up. She had a horrible dream. She was watching a horror movie. It was as if one of her short stories had come to life. [Another shock-filled ride.—TAG] *

PPMB

• Dealing with the Real World, by magnuskrauss (continued): "Extra large root beers? Are we starting on our world domination plans today, Daria?"
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Let Vengeance Ring, by Richard Lobinske (Part 2): "Reports of the catastrophe in China's Guangdong province are still confused, but weather satellite imagery has confirmed that an area approximately six miles in diameter fell into complete darkness."
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): "Just what is it with you zombies? And that brain-eating thing! Ewwwwww!!"
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Journey's Debt, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): Archangel sat in his makeshift office inside the Dyson’s sphere going over the various reports from DELPHI and the Agency. The loss of life from this single battle was perhaps the greatest for each of the organizations in their respective histories.

* Contains adult content. Hang on.

Poppin' 'em out like a doughnut vendor at a police convention

A second shot from "Write Where It Hurts" shows Quinn White (Jamie's wife), a twenty-something with four kids. Do you think Daria got this one wrong? Not necessarily that Quinn would marry one of the Three Js, but that Quinn would turn out to be so maternal and housewifey? It doesn't appear she has a job outside the home, as raising four kids makes for a complete job (or two, or three) in itself. Can you see Quinn doing this?

An alt.lawndale.creators interview with popular long-time fanfic writer MMan has been posted to PPMB and SFMB. This makes four different interviews so far (since April) with five people involved with fanfic writing and fan art in our fandom: Kristen Bealer (PPMB and SFMB), Christ Oliver (PPMB and SFMB), and Ruthless Bunny and CINCGREEN (PPMB and SFMB). More yet to come, and Kemical Reaxion is next!

Still looking for more fanfic-worthy villains for the Irredeemable Daria Characters thread on PPMB. Just thought of one that everyone had missed.

LATE ADD: Richard Lobinske is looking for details on high-school proms. Can't possibly imagine why. Anyway, if you know of some good stuff to tell him, write it down here. Thanks!

PLUS: Looking for some short shockers with knockout punches? Head over to the Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Dawn of a New Nightmare thread, and see what TheSecretSharer and Kristen Bealer have to show. Holy cow!


PPMB

• Calling Calliope, by Dennis (Part 3): Someone's discovered Tiffany's secret rendezvous times with Ken. What will happen to Tiffany now?
  
• Lawndale's Finest "Action Stories," Issue Two: Deep Trouble, by NightGoblyn (Part 1): Scarlett and Jennifer go SCUBA-diving, and everything is going great until he (or it) appears. Who is it?
  
• On the Couch, by Durgarox (Part 1): Daria and Jane are in Boston, and Trent has come to town to help Daria move. (I guess that last part can be taken in several different shippery ways, probably all of which are correct.)

Write On!

"Write Where It Hurts" appeared on this date ten years ago, finishing off the second season of Daria. Daria does something nice and makes her mother cry with joy. That was sweet. Sort of.

This episode has an intriguing subplot, a story within a story, about Daria's family 15-20 years into the future. (From 1997, that would be 2012-2017.) Granted, this is only how Daria imagines it, but how true to life do you think her vision could be?

Me, remembering my own past, I think she's way off. You just never know what's coming. Seemingly minor things can throw you way off your imagined course. I was having a hard time with statistics in psych grad school in the early 1980s. It led me to call a gaming company and ask if they had any job openings. They did. I left grad school and became a magazine editor, having never had any courses on editing, journalism, etc. I was probably the last person on earth who got away with that. Couldn't do it now.

And my catching Daria on TV was a fluke. If I hadn't turned on MTV in 2000 and caught "Dye! Dye! My Darling," I wouldn't be typing this. No idea what my hobby would be. Probably still missiles, rockets, and (Mercury) spacecraft.

We need more fanfic about Daria's future. A lot more.

NEWS NOTE: It is one of the curiosities of the Daria show that the same voice actor who did Tiffany Blum-Deckler also did Ms. Janet Barch. Ashley Albert is famous once again, now for her songwriting talents and work as the lead singer in The Jimmies, a group doing kids' music. Keep up the good work!