Double-Booking a Date Isn't an Emergency, Either

I'm glad that Quinn is celebrating Emergency Number Day, but I hope she realizes that 911 is not intended for fashion emergencies. Jake, meanwhile, may or may not need Helen to remind him of the number for 911.

Once Quinn gets off the phone, I'm sure she'll be happy to show off her latest photos in honor of National School Picture Day. Daria will be far more reluctant, but I'd be curious to find out if she stuck with Black Clouds Swallowing Chernobyl as her backdrop or decided to switch it up and go for Deep Midnight of Despair instead.

Finally, today we observe Patriot Day by remembering those who were killed in the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001. The Angst Guy's very first Daria fanfic, Nine-Eleven and Counting, centers around the events of 9/11.

Quinn's More Worried about Fashion Emergencies

Daria is calling 9-1-1 for Emergency Number Day, but the emergency in question is that everyone and everything sucks except her. So I don't think the dispatcher will be impressed. Jake, meanwhile, is still hoping that Helen will remind him what, exactly, is the number for 9-1-1.

We also observe 911 Remembrance Day today, the anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies in 2001. The Angst Guy wrote his first fanfic, "Nine-Eleven and Counting," on the subject and I highly recommend it.

Fanfic Update!

• Raiders of the Lost Arkngthand, by WellTemperedClavier (COMPLETE!): "Ash-tainted rain poured down from a sky the color of rust as Daria marched uphill, drawing her mom’s old woolen robe tighter around her. Thunder pealed in the distance, booming across the jagged hills and blackened gullies of the Ashlands."


• The Show Must Go Off, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): "Things didn't get any better over the course of the next few weeks."


• You Must Not Know Who He Is, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "Tommy Sherman was leaning against a bank of lockers and checking out the students, which Daria would have continued to ignored if one of those lockers hadn't been hers."

"Helen! What's the number for 911?"

Someone needs to tell Quinn that, although today is Emergency Number Day, it's not a good idea to call 911 for fashion emergencies. She's still ahead of Jake, though, because at least she didn't have to ask anyone for the number.

On a more serious note, today is also the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Glenn Eichler had some thoughts on how Daria characters might have felt about it in his interview with Kara Wild.

Fandom News!

• Keep up with the latest developments on Hurricane Irma.


• Watch and discuss a video about why we call our parents "Mom" and "Dad."


• The Lawndale Lowdown Podcast would like your feedback!


• Talk about the movie It in the thread.


• What do you think of the new TV series The Orville?

Remembering a Tragedy

Today we observe Patriot Day, which commemorates the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Several Daria fanfic writers have included the tragedy in their stories, and among them are:

• Across the Violet Sea by Dennis


• Darkness by The Angst Guy


• A Matter of Priorities by RLobinske


• Nightmare by Shallow15


• Nine-Eleven and Counting by The Angst Guy


• Prepare for Bore by DW Death

Fandom News!

• How about a West Coast Dariacon this winter? MartinUK wants to know who could make it.


• Share your weird ass dreams in a new thread.


• Discuss writer's block and "Write Where It Hurts" in Deep Thoughts.


• How different would various TV shows or movies be if you'd been involved in making them?


• MartinUK shares a place to showcase your non-fiction writing or other media.


• Snow-Kitty posted a new Iron Chef in Creative Writing: Lawndale High students smoking.

Twelve Years Later

Today is Patriot Day, which commemorates the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon twelve years ago. For Glenn Eichler's thoughts on those events and Daria characters' likely reactions to them, see his interview with Kara Wild.

Quite a few authors have also written fanfics relating to the 9/11 attack, which you can read here:

• Across the Violet Sea by Dennis


• Darkness by The Angst Guy


• A Matter of Priorities by Richard Lobinske


• Nightmare by Erin Mills


• Nine-Eleven and Counting by The Angst Guy


• Ninety-Three by M Man


• Prepare for Bore by DW Death

Fandom News!

• Lessons From Lawndale has been updated again. Thanks, cfardell_Brenorenz29!


• Kara Wild found a familiar-sounding parody by the Nostalgia Chick.


• How bad will the upcoming movie Diana be? Give your opinion in the Weapons of Mass Distraction forum.


• deneich posted a new Iron Chef in Creative Writing: only one parent comes to Lawndale.


• Check out a blast from the past in Reese Kaine's repost of alt.lawndale.com.

A Sad Anniversary

It's hard to believe that ten years have passed since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. I don't feel I'm eloquent enough to write any proper memorials for the day, but I will share a few items relevant to both 9/11 and Daria.

First, Glenn Eichler himself commented briefly on how Daria characters may have been affected by the events in an interview with Kara Wild. Also, the following fanfics either feature the attacks themselves or the aftermath:

• Across the Violet Sea by Dennis


• Darkness by The Angst Guy


• A Matter of Priorities by Richard Lobinske


• Nightmare by Erin Mills


• Nine-Eleven and Counting by The Angst Guy


• Ninety-Three by M Man


• Prepare for Bore by DW Death

It's World Television Day. Hooray.

Today is World Television Day, a pseudo-holiday every bit as stupid as it sounds. Are we supposed to watch it to celebrate? Imagine what this kid is like at Holiday Island High.

Speaking of television, this is also the 72st birthday of actress Marlo Thomas, who starred in the TV series That Girl 40 years ago. At right is Andrea as Ms. Thomas's That Girl character (Anne Marie) in an early MTV alter ego.

Many of the events detailed in part two of "Nine-Eleven and Counting" took place eight years ago, starting today. It was also about this date that Daria received a unique present from her sister Quinn in another tale. Daria's birthday is today according to yet still another fandom mythology, and still yet another. This is the last day this year that Daria's birthday can possibly occur, if she is a Scorpio.

Speaking of lame pseudo-holidays, this is also World Hello Day, Daria Morgendorffer is of course ready to welcome one and all. On the good nerdy side of the holiday spectrum, this is artist René Magritte's 111th birthday anniversary (he is mentioned in only one Daria fanfic), Voltaire's 315th birthday anniversary (he's mentioned in four Daria fanfics), and the 29th year since the infamous Lake Peigneur eco-disaster in Louisiana, which was actually pretty weird and almost funny. In the U.S.A., it's National Adoption Day. Did you ever wonder if Daria was... you know... adopted by space aliens disguised as humans?

An interesting essay by CINCGREEN, "Daria, Batman, Darth Vader and the Braves," is at the author's Fortress.

PPMB

• Balletdictorian, by Kristen Bealer (part 2): "...and we didn't do any fancy stuff or anything! We just stood in front of the mirror barefoot and did a bunch of dumb stretches!" It was dinnertime, and Jodie had had all day to build up a long list of complaints. Unfortunately, she was reciting them to herself. Her mother, Michelle, was reading the Wall Street Journal in between bites of dinner. Andrew was feeding Rachel. Neither had heard a word she'd said.
• Falling into College 71: Merging Goals, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): "Remember how you wanted to get in on the IPO at that dot-com company?" "Yeah," Jake grumbled. "I was a month too late for the stock options." "Look at what those stocks are worth, now." "Buzzdome went belly-up two years ago." "Exactly, the stocks are worthless. What Jodie is offering is payment up front, not empty promises."
• Living Legends, by Trscroggs (EVEN MORE COMPLETE!): “Recently my cover identity had the chance to read a piece of spy-thriller parody by one of the other students.” Blue locked eyes with Pointman as she continued. “The actions of the main character were almost a one-to-one match with the events of the Morocco mission.”
• Shield Maiden, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): “Three for evac, Roger.” Andrea scanned the dusty Iraqi town for the telltale green smoke. Soon, she spotted it rising from a small square. “Visual on green smoke. Landing in thirty seconds. Over.” “Thirty seconds, Roger. We’ll try to keep their heads down, but expect small arms fire. Over.”

Where the Word "Blog" Came From

Last year at this time was posted a short editorial about 9/11 and how Daria fanfic writers have dealt with it. Nothing new has occurred to me to add to that, so we will remember the moment and move on.

I was intrigued to learn, upon reading A Key to the Terminology of Science-Fiction Fandom, by Donald Franson (1962), that "blog" was originally an SF fan term for the "[m]ythical drink of fans; any potable consisting of an incredible mismatch of ingredients." That sounds about right, doesn't it? That's pretty much what this blog is. Thanks for your help, Graham.

BRKNG NUZ: Medea42 discovered a great article about designer perfumes with great relevance to our fandom. Thank you!

Ranger Thorne has new art out: Quinn the Mage Queen, on PPMB.

OverlordMikey wants to try out a fanfic idea on everyone. See what you think of it. It's got promise!

MOAR AULDE IMAGES: Using the WayBack Machine, I've uncorked another motherload of ancient images and other things. This one is for the French site CyberDaria, so there's a lot of French in it. Plus great images, like a very clear one of Daria's driver's license! Have fun with it, there's a ton of stuff here like screen captures and things taken from the old MTV sites. Cool.

PPMB

• Cheap Babysitter, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): The babysitter smiled. "The older girl likes TV. I just bring a bunch of movies and pop 'em in the VCR... girl will watch anything... yeah, her parents won't let her watch this stuff but I stick a tape in and it shuts her up... no, no problem, she just sits and watches... oh yeah, I don't care. Like I said, she'll watch anything... Violent? Maybe.... Oh, the other girl? The redhead? Lend me your purse and I'll tell you how to solve that problem.... Benadryl! She's been out like a light since 7 pm!"
  
• Phoenix, by Glittershrooms (Parts 1 and 2): As its rays crept into the bedroom of Daria Morgendorffer, the sun was pleased to announce the start of another normal day in the city of Lawndale… or as normal that was physically possibly in this town. Still, the sun was left unacknowledged as Daria peacefully slept. Without notice, Daria’s alarm started to scream the lyrics of a Beatles song. "Penny Lane is in my ears and in my ears...."
• Reaped Out 2: Sickle Sad World, by Pinkminx (Part 5): "Quinn..." Helen began cautiously. "What?" Quinn said insolently as she folded her arms protectively across her chest. “Honey I know this has been tough on you, but your father and I...” “Is there something you wanted? I’m not in the mood for any heart to hearts right at this moment.”
• Regifted, by Ajar (Chapter 16): Jodie stirred out of her slumber after just ten hours that morning. She groggily stretched and rolled over to find herself face to face with Marina. “Morning. I got tired and decided to lie down here for a second.” Jodie felt the breath of every word Marina said tickle her face. “I guess I must've fallen asleep. Hope you don't mind.”
• What Happens in Lawndale..., by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): It was going on two a.m., and he was tired. The coffee in his cup was bitter and over-brewed, and a migraine thumped away at his temples. Once again he reviewed the file, particularly the Polaroids of the murder weapons marked EVIDENCE in red sharpie.

That Girl?

Today is the 71st birthday of actress Marlo Thomas, who starred in the TV series That Girl in the late 1960s. What does this have to do with Daria? Someone drew Andrea as "That Girl" in an MTV alter ego, shown at left. I think that flower patterns used to be called "Crazy Daisies," after a bunch of flower stickers like those were released as a promotion by Burger Chef (a long-extinct fast-food place). I remember collecting Crazy Daisies with my siblings. We ate a lot of burgers and fries then. It made us fierce.

Many of the events detailed in part two of "Nine-Eleven and Counting" took place seven years ago today and over the next three days. It was also about this date that Daria received a unique present from her sister Quinn in another tale.

This is also World Hello Day, no kidding, and we have Daria Morgendorffer on hand to welcome everyone here: click here.

I'm way behind (again) on listing fanfiction, but I hope to resolve that today. I'd had a special project cooking for a couple days now. More l8r on that.

LATE NEWS: A lot of new stuff has been added to the Daria Fan Club site, which now has 1,041 members. Hey, we're doing pretty good for a small fandom!

A truly amazing thread about the Morgendorffer home's non-Euclidean (love that word) properties is going on at PPMB in this thread. Marvel at S.C.'s latest 3-D renderings! See proof that whole sections of the house change or even disappear from moment to moment!

Enjoy.

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.

Be All That You Can Be

Off the top of my head, I recall a number of fanfics in which one or more of the Daria crew went into the military. The closeness of 9/11 to the assumed graduation time of Daria's class puts a hard spin on the topic. If memory serves, Daria, Jane, Quinn, Trent, Mack, Upchuck, Kevin, Andrea, and Brittany have all done time in either the Army, Marines, Air Force, or Navy. Daria and Jane once even got to be submarine commanders.

Realistically speaking, though, who do you see as the most likely ones to serve in a branch of the military? Kevin tops my list of volunteers only because he has so few other options, but the chances he'd be allowed in the Armed Forces are low, given the high technical needs of today's warfare.

Of the rest, I see Mack as the most likely to serve, probably in the Army in the post-9/11 fever, and very likely to climb ranks quickly. And after him... Brittany. Seriously. She could do it. And maybe, just maybe, Upchuck.

Your turn. Agree? Disagree? Take your shot.

Interesting alter ego, BTW: Mack as George C. Scott as General George Patton, Jr. Nice trick.