Murder, She Snored Again

As fate would have it, today is also the 24th anniversary of the airing of the first TV episode of Murder, She Wrote, which was parodied in the third-season Daria episode, "Murder, She Snored." We see Daria at left doing the Angela Lansbury opening scene on the bike, etc., all part of a long dream she had.

I don't recall if anyone wrote a fanfic in which Daria had to solve a murder or other crime. Anyone remember anything like that?

Musical High Notes

• Jake: How come you don't ever play the flute anymore, Daria?
• Daria: Because you ran over it when I was in fifth grade, which was two years after I quit playing anyway.

Mozart's comic opera, The Magic Flute, opened on this day 217 years ago. Daria played the flute in third grade, as we know from "Cafe Disaffecto," and was traumatized as a consequence. ("Did anyone ever make you practice 'Pop Goes the Weasel' on the flute every day for a year?") The less said about band camp, the better. Daria's time with the flute is expanded upon in one famed fanfic, and is continued to the present day in another.

Listen to some Mozart today. Enjoy.

Happy New Year!

Rabbi Trent reminds us that Rosh Hashanah starts tonight at sundown, and as I am obligated not to play on the computer for two days I've set up automated messages for this blog beforehand to carry it through.

Happy 5769!

(That's the new year.)

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.

Would You Like to Take a Survey?

The Daria Fandom Blog II has been running for almost a year now. It started out as a lot of random ramblings and evolved over time into, um, a lot of calendar-based ramblings. It is an easy blog to maintain, as the posts are short even if the research is at times involved.

Because Daria contained so many topical and cultural references, it proved to be easy to do a full year's worth of day-by-day Daria-related notes. I have no problem with continuing this (it's fun, really), but perhaps there are other things that could be done.

What would you like to see here? What would you like to see more of? Less of? Any comments, criticism, praise, or suggestions? Let's hear 'em in "Comments" below. Remember, you're going to be reading this blog for another whole year. May as well make it fun for you, too.

The Man Who Created Sadie Hawkins

Today is the 99th anniversary of the birth of Al Capp, creator of Li'l Abner. With that strip he also created the high-school tradition of Sadie Hawkins Days (usually November 13th) and Sadie Hawkins Dances, which have been used as plot devices in at least one Daria fanfic. Mystik Spiral has been known to perform at Sadie Hawkins dances, as you clearly see at left.

SFMB is now being molested by WOWbots. How are they getting through?

Legendeld has a few more Sunday thoughts on Daria fanfic.

Party on.

Something to read in your soggy cardboard box

Google says today is its 10th birthday. Happy Birthday, and thank you for helping me find all the Daria links at left.

NEW: Interested in what the Ringbearers actually look like? Check out this PPMB thread.

Quick fanfic wrap-up:


FF.net

• Ill Will, by Medea42 (COMPLETE!): Monique sat in the coffee shop, looking ghostly. Trent realized he hadn’t seen her in full daylight since she’d moved back to Lawndale. [Nice alternate view of "Ill."--TAG]
  

PPMB

• Dealing with the Real World, by magnuskrauss (Parts 1, 2, and 3): "Have you been taking your meds?" Daria asked. Amy smiled and held up three fingers. "That's five, right?" [A potentially wicked, evil tale. Moar plz.—TAG]
• Farmyard Funnies, Part 4, by Deref (continued): This is wrong, bad wrong, in so many ways. Thank God it has nothing to do with me.
• Mobius Strip, by legendeld (Part 4): Quinn summed a door and stepped through, then tapped Jane gently on the shoulder and spoke. “It’s not a joke."
• One More Try, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): Someone finds the direct way to Quinn's heart. It's through her stomach.
  
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Michael, by Brother Grimace (Part 1): The waitress turned back, smiling as the man looked up at her with those brown eyes that she found sad and fascinating. “They call me Michael.”
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): “They just want to check me for horns or splash holy water on me.”
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Birthright, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): The memory flashed through her mind, the decayed faces and hands reaching for her. She slipped found herself falling upward.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Journey's Debt, by legendeld (Parts 8 and 9): "We don't have to beat them, we just have to keep them here," Lee said, looking at the floating armada that was growing closer and closer.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Neighborhood Improvement, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): “Mayor, with the drastic drop in crime in the Duncan neighborhood, will you press for more police layoffs in Rockport?”
  

Plus. . . .

• Iron Chef: My Secret Musical Talent, from WacoKid, has produced great ficlets from paisleygal and Disco316.
  

See the World, Meet New People, Make Fun of Them

Today is World Tourism Day, which Daria is celebrating by going to Zimbabwe, mostly just to be as far from Quinn as possible.

GEEK ALERT! Today is also the 103rd anniversary of the publication of Albert Einstein's paper that first revealed the equation,

E=mc²

which everyone has heard of even if they don't know anything about physics or math. Party on most righteously, dudes!

MoneyMoneyMoneyMoneyMUH-NAY!

As we lead into this $700 bazillion financial mega-crisis posting with the O'Jays playing in the background, we check to see what new fanfic has come along to distract us from the fact that we will all be living in cardboard boxes (soggy cardboard boxes at that) in about two weeks time.

FF.net

• Daria Wars, Episode One: The Lawndale Menace, by Ninth Doctor Fan (Part 5): Begun in March 2007, the saga continues at last.
  
• Give and Take, by slowlygoinginsane (Part 4): Daria woke in a sweat, she couldn’t remember much of her dream, all she knew was that Tony was there.

Fortress CINCGREEN

• Data Dump, by CINCGREEN (Part 6): Daria trusted her books. She ran her fingers over a copy of Imitation of Christ. “Ah, Thomas,” she said, “you never let me down.”

Lawndale Online

• John Lane 36: Promises, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): "Not just no, Hell no."

PPMB

• Lost and Found, by magnuskrauss (Part 5): "Trent had to chain him to the bathroom sink so he'd know where the bathroom was."
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Let Vengeance Ring, by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): "I am not one of you, Ringwraith, but I will take your ring from your cold, dead finger," Daria said.
  
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Journey's Debt (Part 7): “It appears to be a dimensional rift. I’m detecting multiple universes beyond it.”
• Tales of the Ringbearers: A Rookie Mistake, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): Daria smiled a crooked smile. “It… was… delicious."

Up the Bureaucracy!

This is the Discordian holiday called Bureflux, but you shouldn't ask for the day off. Instead, you must celebrate bureaucracy in special ways that mock it (Bureflux = Bureaucracy + reflux, perhaps). Click the link to see what you might possibly do, but talk with your lawyer first and arrange for bail. And another job.

At Holiday Island High School, today is also European Day of Languages, which is the Eurotrash kid who never speaks English because it is beneath him.

In fanficland, today is the eleventh anniversary of the day 12-year-old Daria Morgendorffer was found alive after she disappeared at Camp Grizzly, per "Who Once Was Lost." You can call it, Daria Is Found Day if you want, but you probably don't want.

More soon.

Kevin Appleseed, American Hero

Today is the 234th anniversary of the birth of John Chapman, a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed. He used to be just a wandering religious apple-planter, and now he's an environmentalist.

Only 141 years ago, famed cartoonist Windsor McCay was born. See if you can remember his most famous creation, part of whose name is also part of the name of a famed Daria fanfic writer.

And T. S. Eliot, whom I am overly fond of quoting in my Daria fanfics, was born 120 years ago today, too. His words appear in "After the End," "Always Beside You," "April Is the Cruelest Month," "Die! Die! You Bastard!" "Deus Jane," "Drive," and "One More River to Cross," at least.

Most importantly, today is also the 25th anniversary of the moment when a minor Soviet military officer saved the Earth. His story is worth reading, though you probably haven't heard it before. If you see him, remember to tell him, "Thank you."

Celebrate Silverstein!

Today is the 78th anniversary of the birth of comic songwriter/poet Shel Silverstein, whose works were almost certainly read by Daria as a child (and probably later in life as well). It is also mega-actor Will Smith's 40th birthday. Hooray! And here Daria's gotten her family to go out and have a celebration dinner. See how happy she is! What a nice gesture!

More soon.

Come As You Are

I'd much rather stay
home and listen to my
brother practice
the opening to
"Come as You Are."

—Jane Lane, in "The Invitation"

Nirvana's Nevermind was released this day seventeen years ago. Seems like yesterday.


FF.net

• Bait and Switch, by medea42 (COMPLETE AND REVISED!): "Since you, Kevin, are our record setting quarterback and you, Daria, are the first person to maintain a 4.0 at Lawndale High in ten years, we want you to attend this event together." (This tale is updated from its 2001 appearance.)
• Give and Take, by slowlygoinginsane (Parts 2 and 3): Sitting in his car, Anthony DeMartino fidgeted constantly. It had been a long time sense he had a woman over at his house that wasn’t related. Now Daria would be there.
• Liquid Diet, by Smileyfax (Part 2): Silent tears burned salty trails down Sandi's cheeks. What had happened last night...she had died. She had died, and nothing would ever be the same.
• Trent's Equation, by medea42 (COMPLETE!): As he belted "Ow, My Face!" Trent contemplated how all emotional satisfaction in the last three years came ultimately from Daria or Jane.

Fortress CINCGREEN

• Data Dump, by CINCGREEN (Parts 4 and 5): Daria and Sandi discover things are not getting any better. In fact....

PPMB

• Falling Into College 64: This Is Now, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): "Hey man, hybrid cars don't grow on trees." "Nor do low-volume toilets."
• Farmyard Funnies, Part 4, by Deref (Part 2 of Epilogue): [I am so going to regret reading this. I know I will.—TAG]
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes 13.3, by Brother Grimace (teaser): “You were – you sounded – I like boys - I’m not going out with Jane!”
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Alternate Future 01: Qualification, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): I don't recall the Army being like this, but Tiffany is in the Navy, so . . . *
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Alternate Future 02: Investigation, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): Tina Dandrel looked around the party venue in the Luther building, Lexcorp's corporate headquarters. Only Tina's real name is Tiffany Blum-Deckler. *
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Alternate Future 03: Crystal Clear, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): "We need you to ascertain and verify the location of the soul crystal that contains Lou Cypher.”
• Lost and Found, by magnuskrauss (parts 2, 3, and 4): "Please don't do anything....kinky."
• Mobius Strip, by legendeld (Part 3): Quinn tried to not panic but that didn’t last long. A few hours of screaming did wonders to make it worse.
• The Other Side of Time: Unfinished Business, by The Sidhe (Parts 1 and 2): Bad people just bring out the best in us, don't they?
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Decompression, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): “There they are!” a hulking, muscular Cuban Ringbearer called out, Quintessence swirling around his body as he lead the charge across the desert skies. “My God – it’s like the beginning of the Great Zack Walkabout…”
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Doorway to the Supernatural, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (COMPLETE!): "We have detected trouble in D-1967. There's a gateway to a Hell Dimension we have yet to identify."
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Null Again, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): The Null's physical nature drew life force from human bodies like leeches draining blood. Leaving the host to live on is torment until their body fell to dust.
  

Other

• Jörmungandr, by TAG (up to Part 12): This one's going kinda slow, but hope you enjoy it anyway. (PPMB) (SFMB)

* Contains mature content. Brace yourself.

A Muppet Kind of Day

Today is the 72nd anniversary of the birth of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets (like Daria at left). Wonder what character Daria is trying to portray. Grover? Cookie Monster? She's even smiling. Erin Mills wrote a wonderful Muppet Show crossover with Daria and Jane, which you have to read today.

Today is also an anniversary day in UFOlogy, that being the day 61 years ago that President Truman is alleged to have gotten the Majestic 12 thinger going. Has anyone done a fanfic on this? Why not?

The newest DariaWiki page: Legion of Lawndale Heroes, Alternate Future, a new series spun off from LLH, by psychotol.

THE PPMB Ringbearer Discussion thread continues.

For your daily dose of PPMB rudeness, go to Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have-Who's Holding Daria Now? and of course The 1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane.

Big news: Glenn Eichler's post-Daria work wins an Emmy!

Predictable news: SFMB is being assaulted by evil spambots. Again.

More soon. Stick around.

Is Your Life in Balance?

Dawn is our astrological Daria person for today, because if you are a Libra (and you should not necessarily be ashamed of that, despite what everyone else says), then this is your zodiac moment. Just remember, you too can be special, even if you are wearing nothing but a sheet. Speaking of which, how can Dawn keep her Walkman attached when she's, well, you know, under that sheet?

More later today after I get home from work.

And It's Autumn, and That Means . . . Oh, No.

Yes, it's football season once again (American non-soccer to you Europeans, who by the way lost the Ryder Cup, and I could hear people screaming from Valhalla all the way to my house). The Lawndale Lions shout their enthusiasm silently in this still from "Daria!"

Today is also the 29th anniversary of the mysterious Vela Incident, which might have been an atomic bomb. Oh, who are we kidding, of course it was. But whose? I remember reading about this years ago, and people said it was just a meteor and I thought, no, that's not possible. Then I heard there were two explosions on different days, then I heard they were Israeli/ South African nuclear tests, so I dunno, whatever. Can this be fitted into a Daria story?

One page in DariaWiki has gotten frequent updates lately. See if you can guess which one before you click here.

The SFMB commentary thread on BlackHole's "Size Does Matter" continues to grow. Feel free to join the fun.

Nothing new on Lawndale Online for a while. Hmmm.

Now 978 fans on the Daria Fan Club. Let's see just a little more action here, could we?

Lots of new fanfic, but I'll wait until tomorrow to look at that. Party on, folks.

Yo, Computer Monkeys! This Is Your Day!

Today is OneWebDay, the day when we celebrate having, um, One Web! So, like, you know, celebr8!

Today is also the birthday of Joan Jett, who is so cool she gets mentioned here even if she has nothing to do with Daria.

And, according to Wikipedia, it is the 57th anniversary of the "first live sporting event seen coast-to-coast in the United States, a college football game between Duke and the University of Pittsburgh," seen on NBC. Pigskin Channel, wahoo! Kevin would definitely celebrate that.

Car Free Day! Walk Walk Walk!

Happy Monday! Today is World Car Free Day, so that means you either get a free car from someone or else you need to walk to work. Here is Daria doing her car-free thing in Highland in ninth grade . . . oh, right, she couldn't drive then anyway. It's the thought that counts.

This, by the way, is a scene from "Babes R Us," the Beavis and Butt-head clip that's hidden on Is It College Yet?

Wear comfy shoes!

The Most Depressed Student at Holiday Island High

The upset girl at right is actually one of Daria's unnamed classmates, getting a bad psychic reading from Ms. Barch in "Fair Enough." However, she is pretty much how I imagine that the kid named International Day of Peace looks at Holiday Island High School. Happy Peace Day today, for what little it is worth.

On a happier note, today is the anniversary of the birth of many people and things of peripheral importance to Daria fandom, judging from message-board posts and fanfic contents. Here they are:

• Stephen King is 61.
• Jerry Bruckheimer is 63.
• J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is 71.
• Chuck Jones, the famed animator, was born 96 years ago.
• H. G. Wells was born 142 years ago.

We don't have and will probably never have peace, but we can toast the folks above and their creations for keeping us from thinking about that.

LATE ADD: A thread on PPMB has been devoted to discussion of the Ringbearer story mechanics (exactly what can a Defender Ring do, etc.). If you are interested, see also the DariaWiki entry for Defender Rings, which is being revised.

Legendeld has more rants to rant for the weekend.

Newest entry on DariaWiki: The Agency! Thank you, Richard Lobinske!

Moar l8t........ Okay, it's l8r now.


FF.net

• Give and Take, by slowlygoinginsane (Part 1): Daria set her bags down as she looked at her bedroom. Padding still on the walls. Just the way she left it when she headed off to Raft. Tomorrow she would be back at Lawndale High. The thought sent shivers down her spine.
• Is It Graduation Yet? by MandeeMistress (Part 8): “I’m not okay with this. I cared about him a lot. But I’m not okay with him sleeping with his ex girlfriends.”
• Liquid Diet, by Smileyfax (Part 1): "I should let you know, I'm infected."

Fortress CINCGREEN

• Data Dump, by CINCGREEN (Part 3): There must be some way out of here / Said the joker to the thief....

PPMB

• Falling Into College 64: This is Now, by Richard Lobinske (Part 4): "Your soul is so bright, but there's a darkness behind you."
  
• Farmyard Funnies, by Deref (Part 4): [I have a bad feeling about this.—TAG]
• Invading, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 2 Preview): "We don't need Avengers, we have the Super Friends!"
• A Little Sax in the Morning, by CAP (COMPLETE!): Joey smiled broadly as the door opened. Mrs. White was a tall lean blonde with a body that more then one player on the football team had admitted to having fantasies about when Jamie was out of earshot.
  
• Lost and Found, by magnuskrauss (Part 1): Jane was alarmed. "What happened to Trent?" she asked without preamble.
• Mobius Strip, by legendeld (Parts 1 and 2): “I just got a call from my parents, apparently Daria dropped out of school and disappeared.”
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Part 11): “Hey, if we drop dead, we’ll try to fall over artistically.”
• Tales of the Ringbearers: First Day on the Job, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): “Kinda wild how a plain old guy like me can score a beautiful runner up for Miss Kentucky, huh?”
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Journey's Debt, by Legendeld (Parts 4, 5, and 6): “So are you going to blast one of us or send us to separate universes?”
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Rules of Engagement, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): “You’re going to go back and tell them I need experienced Ringbearers or metahumans to help me. I don’t have time to babysit some kid.”
• Two Wrongs Make a Right, by magnuskrauss (COMPLETE!): [No comment except that the ending was perfect.—TAG]

SFMB

• King of the Swill, by Gum Wars (COMPLETE!): This story takes place 3 years before DARIA moves to Lawndale. It is a little know fact that mr. Khan from KING OF THE HILL owned a store in DARIAS hometown of highland at that time...

Golf Spelled Backwards Is Flog

Today is also another day in the 2008 Ryder Cup for golf, which is being played not far from my house at this very minute. I can see the DirecTV blimp circling from the windows where I am writing. What are they doing up there? At least it's better with just one blimp than the year Tiger Woods came down and there were three blimps, two helicopters, and a light plane flying around in this psychotic traffic pattern in the sky, trying to get more pictures or whatever they were doing. I can't believe they're watching golf from up there. Whatever. Just don't crash into my house like the Hindenburg picture in Daria's locker.

Hey, I was thinking, why doesn't someone write a story in which the Daria characters get on a blimp and cruise around the country or the world or something, or crash on this weird island like in that Jules Verne story where they get attacked by monsters and stuff? That would be cool.

A Cure for What "Ales" You

Today marks the beginning of the Oktoberfest in Germany and every German community worldwide. I went to the Oktoberfest many years ago (1980?) and got a migraine (not their fault), but otherwise had some excellent food and got a few cool steins. I don't drink alcohol, though, so I missed out on what Benjamin Franklin called the proof that God loves us (beer). Brittany will be our faux St. Pauli Girl hostess today in place of Ashley-Amber. And, yes, the waitresses at Oktoberfest really do carry up to eight beer steins at once. I have no idea how.

More soon when I figure out what to do. It's kinda early in the weekend for me.

Dammit Again! Arrrrr!!!!

Here it was, all day today being International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and I didn't know it until too late. That really sucks. I mean, Arrrrrr!

I'll tell you what else sucks. I cannot find a single alter ego or image anywhere of anyone in the Daria cast in a pirate outfit. That's just wrong. The closest I could find was Kevin dressed as Gilligan from Gilligan's Island. Oh, man!

Well, here's a Jolly Roger for you (little in-joke there). I hope your Talk Like a Pirate Day was a good one. Tomorrow . . . who knows.

Dammit!

I no sooner finished publishing the Big List o' Fanfic when two authors wrote more stuff for their stories, after I had already updated them! How am I supposed to keep up with everyone if they keep writing? Do I look like a machine?

I'll let it pass this time.

PPMB

• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Many Chicago pedestrians avoided the corner of State and Wacker, unless they absolutely had to be there. Why? Read and find out.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Journey's Debt, by legendeld (Part 3): “You cheated on my sister, you little punk!” Trent said as he started forward. Alison grabbed his shoulder and held him in place. “That Tom got eaten, remember? This Tom is the nice man who is going to give us a ride.”

Peace out, dawgs.

Halfway to Sanity

Today is the 57th anniversary of the birth of Dee Dee Ramone, one of the founders of the 1970s rock-group called the Ramones, whom the Fashion Club is imitating at right. I admit I was never a fan of theirs, but hey, someone on the Daria staff liked them, so here it is. (I think Tiffany is Dee Dee. Also, Halfway to Sanity was a Ramones album, so the title is like a pun. Whatever.)

And now for some overdue fanfic. Note: I have completely lost count of how many Tales of the Ringbearer stories there are.


FF.net

• Is It Graduation Yet? by MandeeMistress (Part 7): Daria couldn’t think of a comeback. She used her elbow instead. It spoke pretty clearly, knocking Monique right in the jaw.
• Promises, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): It's prom night, and we all know what that means!
• Schismatic, by Smileyfax (Part 4): Secrets are revealed in the darkness. The tale is almost at an end.

Fortress CINCGREEN

• Data Dump, by CINCGREEN (Part 2): "Pardon me. Are you all right?" Daria looked up from her scribbling. It was another orange machine.

PPMB
(This space for rent. No, actually, just haven't gotten around to filling it. Okay, dinner is delayed, so here goes:)

• Falling Into College 64: This is Now, by Richard Lobinske (Part 3): "So, you're the famous Sandi."
• The Heather/Damsel Chronicles: Clique, Clique, Boom, by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): “I didn’t start the fight,” Heather said. “No, but you certainly finished it," said her mother. "You sent four girls to the infirmary.”
• Invading, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 1): Captain America smirked as she found the criminal hiding under a desk. "Now, you must understand, I am in a hurry. It sounds like the world's in danger or something. I am going to miss today's SSW." She kicked the man in the ribs and took his gun away. "That infuriates me."
• Iron Chef: Glittering Lawndale, from TheSecretSharer: Brittany Taylor stood on top of a table. "Yeahhh! Lawndale Lions are going to State! Wooo!" She took off her helmet and spun it around her taped fingers. [Interesting little round robin getting started here. TAG]
• The Other Side of Time: A Father's Legacy, by The Sidhe (COMPLETE!): “It seems to be a characteristic of Rawlings men to go and fight battles while seriously wounded. Like father, like son, I suppose."
• Shell, by magnuskrauss (COMPLETE!): She tried to make the nightmares go away, but she never could.
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Part 10): “You know she isn’t really going to cut your fingers off if you touch me, right?”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): "I have taken the liberty of adjusting your cell phones to put me on speed dial," said Nyarlathotep to Daria and Jane.
• Stuck Inside of Lawndale with the Metafic Blues Again, by Gregor Samsa (Part 2): By good fortune, a subplot just happens to emerge! (*TO BE CONTINUED WHENEVER GREGOR SAMSA STOPS BEING LAZY*)
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Journey's Debt, by legendeld (Part 2): "Almost every power our Rings have seems to have been duplicated through technical means.” “So that’s bad.” "Very bad."
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Bad Apple, by Doggieboy (Part 1): The invisibility glamour he used worked like a charm, but he had to be careful not to stare at anyone. He knew that almost anyone could feel a stare.
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Redemption, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): "At this time, your request for reinstatement is denied."
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Corrupted Adaptation, by magnuskrauss (COMPLETE!): When the going gets tough, the tough get . . . Beavis. "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!"
• Tales of the Ringbearers #??: Corrupted Adaptation: Prequel, by magnuskrauss (EVEN MORE COMPLETE!): He understood why he would never see home again. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't miss it.
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): "All women are dangerous, unless you approach them the right way."
• Two Aunts, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): Jane leaned over. “Your parents are doing it,” she whispered.
• Two Wrongs Make a Right, by magnuskrauss (Parts 1 to 9): Trent knew this could only end badly. [Heh heh heh heh.... great story! TAG]

SFMB

• Size Does Matter, by BlackHole (Part 31): “...so there is nothing like the right weight. Or the right height. Only what is right for you.” (PPMB)

Moar l8r. Dinnertime. Will add PPMB afterward. All done. For now.

Amy Barksdale: Threat or Menace?

Nine years ago today, on the nose, the great and powerful Kara Wild posted the essay, "Amy: Savior or Chimera?" She makes some good points. Were all those fannish expectations about Amy a lot of hooey? Apparently so. Amy can sure hold a grudge. Is Daria like her after all, or not? (I think we argued this one out already, though. Oh, well.)

Legendeld has some more rants to rant. Read on.

I have a lot of new stories to mention, but no time to do it. More l8r.

Constitution Day—What Kind of Holiday Island Kid Is That?

Today marks the 221st anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America. It is thus known as Constitution Day. Did you ever wonder about this kid in Holiday Island High? Me, neither.

Also, Boston was founded 378 years ago today just so that Daria and Jane could go to college there.

I have more, but it will have to wait. Party on!

Um . . .

Sort of too busy to post something. Nothing Daria-ish on the calendar . . . lots of fanfiction I haven't been able to read yet, not enough time. Finished another story chapter. . . .

Oh, what the heck, here's a picture of something weird. When life gives you lemons, use them as bait. That's what I always say.

Talk amongst yourselves. Here's a topic. Nova Valdris: Threat or Menace? Post your responses in Comments. Thank you.

A Daria Online RPG?

Brother Grimace has found what appears to be an online role-playing game based on Daria's high school years. Check it out.

Lots of new fanfics in the last 24 hours. More on that later. Just got home from work, need to detox.

When Jake Met Helen

According to C.E. Forman's "Fireworks," it was 40 years ago today that Jake Morgendorffer met Helen Barksdale at Middleton College. What a wacky couple of kids they were, and look at them now. Some people never change.

As a side note, it was not-sure-how-many-years-ago today, according to the Falling Into College series by Richard Lobinske, that Amy Barksdale tied the knot in the "wedding of the year" with a little help from Brother Grimace. September's just that kind of month, I guess.

LATE ADD: Wouter has drawn Daria as Batman nemesis Harley Quinn. That's Daria, all right. What is she bitching about now? (SFMB)

Let's See What's New on the 'Net

Time for a mighty massive fanfic update in Darialand. But first....

I apologize to everyone at PPMB and elsewhere for not always leaving comments on your stories. Things are usually a little overwhelming for me at home, so I post a few notes, then realize I'll never get anything done unless I do the blog, write on my story, etc. However, I will try to do better and give more feedback, even if it's just "YAY!" Or I'll put something here while promoting your tale to the world. Whatever.

Now the update, but I did add more news-type stuff to the previous post, so be sure to read that, too. (And click on Jane to get the "big picture," too!)


FF.net

• Daria: A Dream of Good, by Project Pegasus (Part 2): "No, I’ve changed my mind; I’m no longer interested in pedophilia or incest." [Not what you think! Check it out—TAG]
• Is It Graduation Yet? by MandeeMistress (Part 6): Not even a day into my relationship, and he’s going to leave me, thought Daria.
  
• Schismatic, by Smileyfax (Part 3): "Dad, can I have a thousand dollars?" The world of a very damaged Daria. What happened? More to come.
• Two Girls, One Financial Institution, by Smileyfax (Part 1): Naughty title, but much blood and violence on the way, oh yes.
  
  

Fortress CINCGREEN

• Data Dump: The World of "Manna," by CINCGREEN (Part 1): “Daria Morgendorffer003, please step to the red line.” The robot extended a mechanical hand and pointed to the appropriate stripe. [Really good!—TAG]

PPMB

• A Death in the Family, by magnuskrauss (COMPLETE!): A funeral and a WTF???? Big fun, this one.
  
• Falling Into College 64: This is Now, by Richard Lobinske (Part 2): Realizing who else was missing, Jake said, "Hey, what happened to Leary?" "He's staying at the Wolfspirit Dog Retreat," Willow said. "Where he can get in touch with his inner nature and run with a pack. Leary really enjoys staying there when we have to go out of town." [Excellent follow-on to "That Was Then, This Is Dumb."—TAG]
  
• Heartless (Evil Jane serial), by NightGoblyn (continued): Here there be monsters, indeed. Nasty story, gotta love it.
  
• The Heather/Damsel Chronicles 1:11 - Clique, Clique Boom, by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): “I want her ****ing head on a ****ing spike decorating my ****ing lawn!” Heather snarled.
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Part 9): "Shake your butt for the boys on your own time"—Rayne runs into boy problems.
  
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): In the Special Collections Vault of Orne Library, Miskatonic University, Arkham, Massachusetts, Daria and Jane have a special audience with someone they will probably regret meeting, assuming they live beyond the next few seconds.
• Tales of the Ringbearers #10: Hungry is the Night, by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): “I think it’s a little late to save the city of Townsville,” Heather said.
• Tales of the Ringbearers #11: A New Assignment, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): “That’s her!” he said. “That’s the girl! Who is she?”
• Tales of the Ringbearers #12: Journey's Debt, by legendeld (Part 1): "...and of course one for having sex in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House.”
  
• Two Aunts, by legendeld (Part 6): My, looks like everyone is getting caught in a compromising position—except Helen and Jake! And a very naughty line or two as well.
  
• Two Wrongs Make A Right, by magnuskrauss (parts 1 to 6): She reached for the alarm clock. 6:01 AM. But the date was wrong. (Or was it?)
• Unnamed story, by JPalmer53 (COMPLETE!): An introductory tale with a 9/11 theme, from a new fan.
• Unnamed story, by magnuskrauss (may as well be COMPLETE!): A wicked little SF-crossover that is finished as is, since you clearly see where it is going. (Heh heh heh heh....)

9-14: Be Strong, Stacy: Another Stacy Holiday!

Hooray! It's 9-14, another Stacy Rowe holiday! This one is in honor of Angelinhel's great fanfic, "9-14-04," written exactly four years ago today, in which Stacy Rowe . . . well, why spoil it. Read and see for yourself why today is so special! Thanks, Angelinhel!

I've missed a lot of important Daria dates from being sick for the last few days. Friday was the thirteenth anniversary of Daria's appearance on the Beavis and Butt-head episode, "Spare Me," in which Daria proves she knew how to change a car tire in 9th grade. This episode actually had an impact on a later Daria fanfic. September 12 was also the first diary date in Bacner's fanfic, "Diary of a Lawndale Student."

Ten years ago today, Daria contributed her thoughts to a People Weekly article on the best- and worst-dressed people of 1998. See what you find of interest in that article.

It is that time of year again for reading the 2008 Daria Fanworks Awards: Written and Visual Works rules. These have kindly been provided by (insert names here later). Thank you!

Want to read some bad fanfiction? Search no more! Go to this link: Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have-Who's Holding Daria Now?

Legendeld rants some more about fanfiction at his blog.

Breitasparrow reveals where she got her idea for the Jane-licks-Tom picture: Ewww!

The latest of 1,946 pages at DariaWiki is this one. Welcome to the nuthouse!

969 fans now registered at the Daria Fan Club!

Hmmm, Wikipedia's article on Daria is apparently flawed (introduction is too short). My God, how can we let this go on? Someone fix it, quick!

The list of 2008 fanfic is in need of updating, and I will update the list of the most recent stories here later today. Still having some leftover cold effects. Ugh. Don't get this one, it sucks.

Haven't done much, sorry

A story I've been working on has consumed most of my free time lately, so I've not done much else. More to come, promise, with fanfic updates.



Still nothing to see here. Move along. Thank you.

Acidic Wit Without Parallel

Humorist H. L. Mencken, Daria's philosophical and spiritual ancestor, was born 128 years ago today. Even the briefest glance at a collection of his most famous sayings is enough to bring Daria to mind.

The 1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane thread has been reborn! Rejoice!

Legendeld is ranting again about fanfiction. Check it out.

More later, home sick today.

9/11 and still counting

The infamous 9/11 attacks of seven years ago were echoed in Daria materials both official and unofficial. Daria herself comments on it in an essay online at MTV.com. Glenn Eichler responded to a question about Lawndale residents' possible reactions to 9/11 in an interview with Kara Wild, saying, "I don't think the Morgendorffers would have any specific reaction to September 11th. It's too complicated an issue."

In fanfic, much more is made of what effect the attacks had on the lives of the Morgendorffers and others. Some fanfics reference the attacks as a minor part of their backstory (e.g., jak981125's "Mystic Spiral's Lonely Lawndale Band"), but some are much more direct. A few of the stories in which the September 11, 2001 attacks figure prominently are the following.

• "Across the Violet Sea," by Dennis
• "Darkness"
  
• "Nightmare," by Erin Mills
• "A Matter of Priorities," by Richard Lobinske
• "Nine-Eleven and Counting"
• "Ninety-Three," by MMan
• "Prepare for Bore," by DW Death
  

Even more fanfics include the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and their effects on the inhabitants of Lawndale. Among these is a tale by Psychotol, "She Knows Not What She Does," that is worth reading.

More later. Peace.

Good Dog!

The legendary Rin Tin Tin was born 90 years ago today. It is unlikely that Helen Morgendorffer appreciates this fact, given her experience with Leary IV.

More soon. Back. SFMB is being molested by pornbots. Alas.

Superfan Magnuskrauss has collected all the postings from the PPMB Things Students Still Are Not Allowed To Do At Lawndale High thread and reposted them as a single file on a different website. You wanna see what students can't do, go here. (Beware of ads, though.)

On DariaWiki, the Multiverse, Defender Rings, and Tales of the Ringbearers pages have gotten thorough workovers.

Best fanfic line of the day: "Add "Friggin' in the Riggin'" to the list of Things Students are Not Allowed To Do At Lawndale High."

FF.net

• Freaky Stories from the Fashion Club #1: The Diet Pills, by bhut (COMPLETE!): "Tiffany’s most prominent idiocy was her diet...."
• Girls Together Sarcastically #5: Closets Are for Hangups, by Dennis (COMPLETE!): “Well, that could have ended better,” Quinn said, attempting to sound friendly.
• Is It Graduation Yet? by MandeeMistress (Part 5): “I thought we might have to talk,” Trent said, looking into Daria's deep brown eyes.
• Mirror, Mirror, by Angelinhel (COMPLETE!): Three eerie tales from a dark carnival. Get your tickets now.
• The Sickness, by Angelinhel (COMPLETE!): In the small cave above the valley, she waited, toying with a a gun than only had three bullets left.
• Two Halves, by Dark Kuno (Part 1): “I still never understood why Mom and Dad possibly thought sending Alex to military school was a good idea,” said Quinn.

PPMB

• Common People #3: Tears of the Dragon, by NightGoblyn (Part 1): “Jane hates me.”
  
• Falling Into College 64: This is Now, by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): The return of the Yeagers . . . and Sandi Griffin.
• The Heather/Damsel Chronicles: Clique, Clique, Boom, by NightGoblyn (Part 1): “I love those old classic horror movies, but you absolutely can’t tell anybody.”
  
• The Other Side of Time: A Father's Legacy, by The Sidhe (Parts 1 and 2): “So, what’s the surprise?” Daria said as they left her study. (SFMB)
• The Sleeper Awakens, by durgarox (Part 2): This could have been called: "There Will Be Blood." The "one-shot" continues!
• Tales of the Ringbearers 9: Artifact, by legendeld (Part 1): When he arrived, he saw the body she was looking at. It was a near perfect skeleton. Nicki pointed at its hand. Tom didn’t understand the problem until he saw the ring.

GAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Today is a super-historic day. It is the 61st anniversary of the moment when the first "computer bug" was discovered. In this case, it was a real bug. From this little incident came the whole computer bug, software bug, etc., schtick.

At Holiday Island High, today is the day of Kiku no Sekku, or the Chrysanthemum Festival in Japan. Pretty girl, probably like Quinn in personality.

Enjoy, and I hope you don't get any bugs today.

A Novel Idea

This is International Literacy Day, which Daria of course would support by reading a book. You still have time to get in a short story if you hurry.

This is also the 42nd anniversary of the airing of the very first Star Trek episode on TV. The effect this show has had on the modern world is incalculable. At the very least, it gave us Trekkies for Daria to make fun of.

Richard Lobinske has again updated the 2008 Visual FanWorks Listing, so go there to the link and see what new wonders have appeared.

More gnuz soon. // Okay, back again. Read these:


PPMB

• Avenging, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (COMPLETE!): All the Brians smiled at this. "Silly rabbit—" They started to say . . . and Brittany joined them: "—Trix are for kids."
• A Tale of the Ringbearers: Majesty and the Servant, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): “It is real? Lucifer is real?”
  

Starry Night Ball, Anyone?

This is the anniversary of the Starry Night Ball that the Sloanes attended, as mentioned in Is It Fall Yet?, and also the anniversary of the office retreat held by Vitale, Horowitz, Riordan, Schrecter, Schrecter, and Schrecter. Richard Lobinske points out that September 8th was on a Friday in 2000, and a Saturday in 2001, so take your pick. Wonder what Elsie Sloane looked like in her ball gown.

And there's more. The letter from Bones Medical Teaching supplies, in The Daria Database, is dated September 8, 1998. (Would someone please update that DariaWiki page?)

In the backstory for the fanfic "Gone," September 8, 1954, was assumed to be the birthday of Amy Barksdale. This date would have to be tossed out given the guesstimates about the Barksdale sisters' ages from Glenn Eichler, revealed in one of Kara Wild's interviews with him, but it was a nice thought while it lasted.

Finally, this is the 15th anniversary of the day Daria Morgendorffer appeared in the (controversial) Beavis and Butt-head episode "Incognito." It is assumed she was in 9th grade at Highland High at the time. The episode synopsis is startling and brings to mind "Daria 2007: The Girl from Hope."

Anyway, enjoy your Daria Day!

Happy National Grandparents Day!

In the U.S., today is National Grandparents Day, which I had never heard of before. What famous TV-enabled grandparents do we have from our favorite show . . . hmmm, Jane's grandmother in "The Teachings of Don Jake," that's a good one.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Ah, family. Ya gotta love it.

The newest entry on DariaWiki: Promises, from Richard Lobinske. Oops, wrong, it's Ringmasters, by Brother Grimace.


Lawndale Online

• A Monster in the Unmaking, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!)
• A Simple Makeup Kit, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!)

PPMB

• The Sleeper Awakens, by durgarox (COMPLETE!): It's nightmare time, kids, and you're in for the ride of your life. Whoa.
  
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Part 8): “I wanna be a hamster.”
• Tales of the Ringbearers #5: My Dinner With Robert, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): "Do you have a costume?" Jane asked. "Something tight and Spandexy, with a cute little mask?”
• Tales of the Ringbearers #6: Jurisdiction, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): Robert, meet Richard.
• Tales of the Ringbearers #7: Diplomacy, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): “And who’s going to protect us from these Ringbearers and freaks once they start getting bored?”
  
• Two Aunts, by legendeld (Part 5): "Look, it’s just Becky and Amy have a reputation for being . . . reckless.”

A list of all six current Ringbearer stories can be found here.

We Visit Daria in Church

Let's see, what's going on. . . . the mayor of Lawndale has been indicted, and his picture makes him look both surprised and unhappy. Today is a wedding day, so it's Saturday (well, Sunday, but this picture was taken on a Saturday), and it's a Super Sick Saturday with Sick, Sad World on Channel 3. (Lawndale has a Channel 3? It has a Channel 4, per "The Lost Girls." Maybe Channel 3 or 4 is the station where Linda Griffin works.)

I wonder what the mayor did wrong. Wonder if it affected anything in later episodes. Hmmm.

More exciting news to come!

The Nameless Girl Is Named

Those of you interested in mining Daria's Highland years for new fanfic characters can add Kimberly to the list. It turns out there are two girls named Kimberly in David Van Driessen's classes with Daria (per Beavis and Butt-head). One is a redhead who was being bothered by B&B in "Sexual Harassment." The other is the punk girl to the left of Daria in this picture (sitting next to Cassandra).

I had thought for ages that the punk girl had no name, but it turns out that alert fan Napalm Kracken knew the girl's name from having played the computer game Beavis and Butt-head Do U, in which the punk girl appears and in the instruction book is named Kimberly. An image of her is available online, but note that her image is flopped left-to-right. (Someone in the computer graphics department wasn't paying attention.) Multiple sources online also name her (see here and here, for instance). Thank you, Napalm Kracken!

There is one teensy problem, which is that I strongly suspect that the redhead from "Sexual Harassment" really was, initially, the only girl named Kimberly in Daria's class, and whoever did Beavis and Butt-head Do U grafted the name onto the punk girl. It has been reported that the punk girl makes a smart remark to B&B in the computer game, and the remark appears to have been lifted whole from something the redhead says to B&B in another B&B episode No matter now if it was all in error: the punk girl is now officially named Kimberly.

There you have it. Enjoy your Saturday.

P.S. The episode "Sexual Harassment" is available for viewing online here (after the episode "Spanish Fly").

FF.net

• Is It Graduation Yet? by MandeeMistress (Part 4): She still felt her arms tremble when she had felt Trent’s touch, and she could still taste his kiss on her lip.

PPMB

• The Cynic and The Defender, by Doggieboy (Part 9): “Omigod, Robert! They’re shooting at us!”
• John Lane 36: Promises, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): John woke in the morning feeling Daria's soft skin pressed against his back and her arm around his chest.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Last Man, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): He could still remember when the bombs fell. That was when the sun disappeared.
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All the King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): "Sometimes, when you take on power, you lose. And sometimes," Helen continued, looking away, "even when you win, you become the thing you fought."