Under Where?

Upchuck is having an absolutely blast on Underwear Day, although I don't think any onlookers could say the same. Jake might take the opportunity to greet the new day, at least until Helen urges him to put his pants on.

Once the pants are firmly in place it will be time to buckle (get it?) down for Work Like a Dog Day. Except that dogs don't wear pants. Still, it goes without saying that Helen will be celebrating this one today. And tomorrow. And every day after that.

Be sure to wish your favorite blogger a happy Blogger Day, and if that just so happens to be me then I won't complain. I also won't complain if you choose to celebrate by offering lots and lots of chocolate.

Fanfic Update!

• The Betrothed, by easmith (COMPLETE!): "Carmen ran back towards the house as fast as she could, still not quite believing what had just happened."


• The Engineer and the Time Lady, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 24): "They moved around the ice castle, but there didn't appear to be any other way inside."


• Harry Potter Morgendorffer, by Meester_Lee (part 40): "HJ’s Hogwarts letter came through the mail in June. Daria’s letter from Ilvermorny had arrived the month before, causing Daria to tease HJ that Dumbledore had decided that he didn’t want HJ at Hogwarts after all."


• Spider Quinn 10 The New Heroes, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (COMPLETE!): "It wasn’t long before Joey, Quinn and Daria arrived, along with Jeffy, Jamie, Stacy and Jane."

All She Needs Is a Pie in the Face!

Andrea's sporting a new look for National Clown Day, not to mention a new hobby and a new mode of transportation. Let's hope she's still got the same personality, because fandom loves that seldom-seen yet delightfully snarky goth chick!

Today is also National Underwear Day, so be sure to hand over your underpants to any fratboys who want to run them up a flagpole. College punks.

Last but not least, let's all take a moment to appreciate the finest Daria fandom blogger ever seen for Blogger Day! Ahem. Me. I'm talking about me. Fandom punks.

Fandom News!

• Vote in the Celebrity Deathmatch poll between Fred Flintstone and Captain Caveman.

An Un-bear-able Holiday

Daria's not too impressed by Teddy Bear Day, but perhaps she's concerned because that particular bear is full of honey instead of cuddly stuffing. Still, beats being surprised by a real bear, in my opinion.

Today also marks seven years since I temporarily took over posting on the Daria Fandom Blog II. No, really, it's a temporary gig, I swear. I can quit any time.

Fanfic Update!

• Blizzard, by peetz5050 (part 2): "'You'd almost think they were waiting for us to come out of town, wouldn't you?' Daria asked as they battled a fresh batch of ravening revenants which had assaulted the barricades moments before."


• Clarity, by Brother Grimace (part 1): "Elsie gave the barest shake of her head as she saw who was waiting for her... Oh, being in that cornfield has so lowered you."


• A Night In, by Zetor (part 2): "Lacey was having a great night. Building and planning the circus had been tons of fun; she was good at putting things together and Lizzy was great at making up stories."


• A totally normal morning (LLH - Short Entries), by Wassersauefer (COMPLETE!): "It was a totally normal saturday morning. Kelly wasn't hungover, she only ever drank water and soda on parties, she had breakfast and the sun was shining. All in all, it was a very fine day."


• Unnamed story (LLH - Short Entries), by Roentgen (parts 42 - 44): "Angier and Mack were finishing up the 18th hole. It was what Mack's grandmother used to call 'a blessed sunny day'. Even though he was a trained athlete, he was still getting used to the subtleties of golf." (Part 43) (Part 44)

And This is a Very Nutty Blog!

Jake's trying to figure out exactly what kind of nut he's holding so that he can properly celebrate National Cashew Day. Don't worry, Jake! If you don't have any cashews, you can pick some up at It's a Nutty, Nutty, Nutty World.

On another note, today is the ninth anniversary of this very blog, the Daria Fandom Blog II. The Angst Guy began posting on this day in 2007, and it's continued with only occasional interruptions since then. Thanks, TAG!

Fandom News!

• What do you think about the Medal of Freedom awarded to Margaret Hamilton and Grace Hopper?


• How do you feel about people or situations that are complex? Join in the latest discussion in Deep Thoughts.


• Talk about National Geographic's show Mars.

Did a Bit of Housekeeping....

Just wanted to let everyone know that I just finished going through the sidebar, updating or removing broken links, changing the "active" labels where appropriate, adding a few new links, etc. If there's anything that still seems to be wrong (not working, mislabeled, whatever) please let me know and I'll fix it as soon as I can.

Also, if there's anything you think should have a place in any section of the sidebar, I'd love to know!

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.