When We Partied Like It Was 1999

Today is the 52nd birthday (I can hardly believe it) of rock legend Prince, who was once formerly known as Prince, who was before that again named Prince. When he changed his name it became very hard to pronounce (his name looked like the symbol at left), so it was good when he went back to the original name. Do not confuse him with the book called The Prince, which is not the same thing as the rock star. Prince sold about 1,000,000,000,000 bajillion gazillion record albums and tapes and CDs in his lifetime, which I guess is pretty good. He also made the year 1999 famous.

Here is a very curious thing. In the CD game/utility Daria's Sick, Sad Life Planner, Prince's birth year is wrong. It is listed as 1941 when it was really 1958. We would have celebrated 1999 in 1982. Or something. You know what I mean.

In the first third-season episode of Daria, "Through a Lens Darkly," we discover the following dialog:

• Mr. O'Neill: Now, when he shed his regal vestments and began dressing as if he had no money, a very funny thing happened to the prince. What was that? Kevin?

• Kevin: He became the poor guy formerly known as the prince?

Cute play on words there. Oh, speaking of Prince, he did a song called "The Chocolate Invasion," and today also happens to be National Chocolate Ice Cream Day in the USA. You know what to do.

NUZ!!!

• Richard Lobinske updated the 2010 Fan Art Listing a few days ago. Hooray!
• Lord Akiyama produced two new works of art: Danielle Todds (a fanfiction character) and Quinn and Danny.

PPMB

• Backyard Foray, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): "What is that bright point in the sky?" she asked. "The sun," her lover said, a smirk on his face. "It is, after all, daylight." "Not that, silly," she said and smacked his upper right arm. "To the right of the sun." He blinked and then looked briefly over the tops of his sunglasses. "It looks like a shining star to me, honey." (Daylight/Shining Star)
• Cannot Unsee, by Silver (COMPLETE!): Silence reigned. The four girls stared in horror at the monitor. Tried another link. Continued to stare in horror. "Quinn? What is this?" Sandi asked after a moment. "I... don't know. Someone's redirected all my favorites!" Quinn said, her voice gone monotone.
• Daria/Dorian, by LadieT (Parts 1 to 3): March 26th, 1535, in a village outside of Hamburg, Germany: As Klaus Von Morgendorffen arrived back at his estate, he was greeted by his daughters. His oldest, Katherine, was set to marry the oldest son of business partner. The marriage had been arranged shortly after the birth of both. Katherine, however, was not happy with who her father had chosen to be her husband. Frederick was a cold and bitter young man. Frederick had been given the option of leaving the arrangement but refused. She begged her father to cancel the arrangement but he would have no part of it. Their wedding was to be on her seventeenth birthday, which was just weeks away. As the time approached, Katherine tried in vain to find a way to escape her fate.
• The Dream of the White Darkness, by jtranser (continued): Daria and Harry were quickly hustled into another Crown Vic and driven to a decrepit hunting lodge in a remote location of the Dos Tortas mountains, where they were met by Tony Tsung, former coordinator of topological nuclear weapons development. In addition, he had previously worked with Daria on The Demon Core Project. As the cars sped away to waiting scrap yards, Tony turned to the two refugees and escorted them inside. He signaled them to be quiet, so as not to disturb the peculiar religious ceremony taking place in the old dining room of the lodge.
• Eye of the Beholder, by LadieT et al. (Part 4): "Miss Lane, it has been brought to my attention that you and Miss Morgendorffer seemed to be at odds today." "No, she just wasn't in a talkative mood. No big deal. Why are you so concerned about it?" "I would just hate to see something happen to your friendship... especially if she was to accidentally see these." Ms. Sylvester came from behind Jane and handed her the photos. The color instantly drained from Jane's face as the shock set in.
• Finn Morgendorffer 48: Filling Sacks of Failure, by HolyGrail2007 (Parts 5 and 6): On Friday morning, Finn loaded up the car for a three-day trip for him and his father. “Are you all set, sport?” Jake asked eagerly. “For a five hour trip? Yes. Did you go before we left, Dad?” Finn asked. “Yeah.” “And no coffee? You'd just have to go.” “Yeah.” “Alright, Dad. Let’s get going.” [Best line: “And get me that cameraman who didn’t get her boobs in the shot!”] (Part 6)
• The Future Is Unwritten, by Brian Taylor (preview): [Ten years after graduation...] "Hi, Kevin. What do you do?" "I'm a pre-petrollinium dispensayshunist guy." "He means he pumps gas." "There's still a full-service station in town?" "No." "Tough luck."
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Roentgen (Part 33): "GET OUT OF HERE!" "I'm not scared of you anymore," Quinn said, turning to leave. "Oh? And Professor Goodlett? If you really want to flunk me... try HARDER!" With that, Quinn slammed the door behind her so loud that the transom fell open like a dragon's mouth.
• Hang Time, by Lord Akiyama (Part 1): Jane raised a confused brow. "Your mother is paying me forty to babysit a seventeen-year-old?" she asked. "Quinn isn't going to be alone," Daria noted.
• NEW! Her Last Opportunity, by Coonassblondie (COMPLETE!): Today is the day. The first cognizant thought of the morning, and the butterflies in her stomach had already erupted. This was her deadline, her last chance. She would be leaving for Boston in the morning, hopefully never to permanently return. Oh, sure, she would return for short trips to visit her family, but ultimately, after tonight this would no longer be her room. She glanced around at the bare furniture, finally coming to rest on the stack of boxes stacked neatly by the door, waiting patiently to be hauled to her dorm. Today was her last chance, and she was determined to take it.
  
• Jacob Morgendorffer, Esq., by CAP (Part 10): Only Daria was with Jake. Supper out of the way and Daria’s piano practice done, they shared the living room in a comfortable, companionable silence. Daria curled up on the sofa with a book while her father seated in a recliner scanned paperwork that he pulled from his briefcase. Unknowingly he sighed, just loud enough for Daria to notice. “What’s wrong, Daddy?” she asked. Jake glanced up perplexed by his eldest daughter’s seemingly out of the blue question. “What was that, Kiddo?” he asked. “What’s wrong?” Daria repeated.
• John Lane 46: Substitute Plans, RLobinske (COMPLETE!): When she got to Sandi, Daria said, "I don't think that they had a Cashman's in medieval Verona, but overall, you found a, let's say, unique, way to critique Shakespeare." Sandi accepted the grade and said, "Just because you're stuck in the Middle Ages, it doesn't mean that you can't look good."
• NEWER! Of Wants and Looks, by Ticknart (COMPLETE!): Quinn Morgendorffer stood at the upstairs window, looking out over her family’s front yard. She watched as her older sister, Daria, crossed the lawn and climbed into a beat-up black van. She tugged on a braid as she watched the van pull away and drive down the block. She left the window and wandered into Daria's room. As she looked around, she wondered how much longer it would be before her parents let her go out all day with just her friends and no grown-ups. Would she have to be sixteen, like her sister? That wouldn't be for she just had a birthday it another eight years. Unfair.
  
• Raft College: The First Year, by rglovejoy (Parts 3 and 4): Daria stared at the e-mail. They're pleased to tell me that I have to live in Atkinson? Are they kidding me? She looked up at the bare walls, painted in a light booger green. This really sucks, she thought. At least for now, I have the room to myself. (Part 4)
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Learning a New Trick, by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): "You've got plenty of vacation time built up. Go take some, she told me," Agency Hypersphere Supervisor Richard said while thinking about the last conversation with his director. "Get used to things." (FF.net)