Just as Long as Jake Hasn't Been Warming Up Milk Again

It looks like someone misunderstood the point of the Great American Smokeout, but someone's got to get the ghost of Tommy Sherman out of the girls' bathroom. This would be a good opportunity for Mr. DeMartino to quit smoking, and maybe Trent, as well. Trent was never shown smoking onscreen, but I think we all know that his cough and laidback attitude came from something other than tobacco.

Instead, why not enjoy some quality entertainment by celebrating World Television Day? It doesn't even have to be quality; Sick, Sad World or Fashion Vision are also possibilities.

If you're looking for something more highbrow, then World Philosophy Day is probably more your speed. You can either ponder "the idea that the negative, which is the nothingness of being and the annihilating power both together, is nothingness" or you could just go the route of "pseudo-intellectual poser with accessories from the street fair."

Fanfic Update!

• Almost Shameless, by wilddogjj (COMPLETE!): "Chris Carbone's dream has just turned into a nightmare. He was on a dream date with a real-life celebrity, Taylor Swift, when who should show up to throw a wrench in things but his ex-wife, Brooke."


• Mysteries of Aurora, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "After she awoke, Freya turned on her radio to one of the campus radio stations."

Not the Best Example of Female Empowerment, Are They?

Helen and Linda are wishing each other a lovely International Women's Day, or at least that's what you'd think they're doing. In reality they're engaging in a majorly passive-aggressive struggle for dominance hidden under a facade of sickly-sweet politeness. You know, the same thing they always do when they talk to each other.

As it's also National No Smoking Day, I want everyone to put out their cigarettes, refrain from taking up smoking, or stop holding seances in the girls' bathroom. Whatever you'd most prefer.

Fanfic Update!

• The Better to See You With, My Dearies, by entrancedcat (COMPLETE!): "On her fifth attempt Daria succeeded in placing the contact lenses into her eyes without screaming loudly enough for the Tri-County area to take note."


• Breaking Balmora, by welltemperedclavier (part 2): "'I love what you did with your hair!' Quinn clapped her hands together and leaned down for a better look at the lock of hair Jeval had let hang over his forehead. Jeval smiled back."


• The Crass Menagerie, by wilddogjj (COMPLETE!): "Kevin, Jamie and Chuck were relaxing on the porch drinking beer while enjoying the fact that the snow and ice have melted and green buds are starting to appear on the trees." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Her Last Words, by Sheila Wisz Ellayn (part 60): "Anna really hated oaks now, and yet she thought that hemlock trees were very beautiful indeed."


• Hiking With Wolves, by radiofox (COMPLETE!): "'Remember, don't talk to anyone.' Doug Badwolf reminded his eldest daughter. 'Got it, Dad,' Cerise grumbled."


• Purple Sweater, by Sheila Wisz Ellayn (part 3): "The first thing that Quinn noticed was that Sandi Griffin looked especially irritated that day."


• Song From An American Movie, by ladyevil (part 9): "At Pizza King, Daria was trying to get an audio interview with Tiffany Blum-Decker. 'I...used to...thiiiiiiink....' She drawled."


• Star Trek: Lower Decks: An Aquatic Second Contact, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "T’Lyn watched Mariner leave. 'She didn’t waste time.'"

That Can't Be Good For His Heart Condition, Either!

Mr. DeMartino needs to get with the program, because it's the Great American Smokeout and those cigarettes aren't cheap. Unless Payday has started giving them away as free samples, which honestly wouldn't surprise me.

Today is also National Fast Food Day, so Jake will probably stop off at the Beef 'N Cake for a tasty burger, provided their refrigeration issues have been worked out. Daria and Jane might opt for something safer, like pizza or cheese fries.

Fanfic Update!

• Edicius, by elainefr (part 4): "'Hey.' 'Hey.' 'Come on in,' Jane moved to the side to allow Daria entry into the Lane home. She hadn't been doing much of anything and was debating within herself on whether or not she should try diving into a painting or going for a run or something."


• The Heart of the Griffin, by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "Sandi Griffin woke up with a start. She was sitting up in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat."


• Old Friends (Quinn, Season 2), by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "A panoramic shot of Quinn's high school graduation. Zoom in to show Quinn at the podium with the award she's just received." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Scenes in a High School Hallway, by Roentgen (part 1): "Jane and Daria waited at their locker. 'So,' Daria said, 'did Tom catch up with you?' 'He thinks you're mad at him. He said he was going to talk to someone. I don't know who. I just wish I knew who.'"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: The World of Adventures), by Kuriamo22 (COMPLETE!): "In the darkening sky's above the South Pacific Daria was beginning to re evaluate her career as a reporter for The Boston Barnicle. Her editor thought this trip would have been a nice working vacation for her."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: The World of Adventures), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "The riverboat pulled up along the bank. 'Look Daria,' Jake said. 'The point is, the first day of a new school is bound to be difficult.'"


• Unnamed story (LLH - Short Entries), by Roentgen (part 61): "'People ask why I wasn't there. I'll tell you why. The President. I had expected to be deployed some way by USAES.'"

Hiking and Bread...What Could be Better?

Mr. DeMartino is leading the charge for Take A Hike Day, although you can feel free to use the door when you leave on your own hike. I'm hoping DeMartino won't be bringing his cigarettes along with him, because today is also The Great American Smokeout, so he should think about quitting. If nothing else, I'm sure Mr. O'Neill would frown on smoking in front of the campers.

If you decide you'd rather stay indoors today, then you could bake a loaf of bread for Homemade Bread Day. Yes, Helen, using a bread machine counts!

Fanfic Update!

• Daria: Is this a reunion or a flashback?, by Clayton Overstreet (COMPLETE!): "They say you can't go home again; or do they just wish it? Daria and Jane stood outside the gym at their old high school. Daria wore a dark green blouse over a pair of jeans and sneakers. Jane was in a tight red dress that hugged her hips and a pair of stilettos. Inside music was blaring."


• Last of the Summer Whine, by Kristen Bealer (part 1): "Tom watched as his father shut the trunk on their suitcases with a loud and final 'clunk.' But maybe it's not too late, he told himself. Out loud, he said, 'Spencer Prentiss's family is going to Disney World this summer.'"


• Misery Machine, by NightGoblyn (part 12): "Andrea pushed open the outside door to her apartment building, making a note to not bother calling the office to tell them the lock was broken again. There was a small chance they'd fix it, which would be pretty inconvenient for the few days it lasted before somebody took a sledgehammer to it again."


• Momentum, by Princess-Pasta (part 2): "Trent was wholly unprepared for his life to be completely uprooted in a matter of a few short days but he had no other choice but to pack up what little he owned and leave Maryland. He felt defeated...more so than usual that was."


• Moonstruck, by NightGoblyn (part 3): "As it turned out, her interview to join the Mrs. Manson cult was the highlight of her day. The school day itself was half spent by the time they were released to go to class, causing her to miss her algebra class, English lit, and U.S. history."


• Reclamation, by SacredDust (COMPLETE!): "Ashley Winters chipped away a little more stone from his latest sculpture. It was only half finished and he hadn't quite figured out what it was supposed to be. But as one of his more passionate teachers once told him, art was all in the process." (Part 10)

Smoking Upside-Down Doesn't Make It Healthier!

Mr. DeMartino had better put out the cigarette, because today's the Great American Smokeout and he should probably think about quitting, anyway. I can't imagine those things are doing his already-shaky health any favors.

You can also celebrate Have a Bad Day Day if you want, but I don't recommend it. Daria would probably say that every day is a bad day for her, but I think any day with pizza in it can't be all bad.

Fandom News!

• RLobinske has a reminder about swearing in embedded media.


• Take a look at Buzzfeed's visual take on Daria, as well as other animated characters.


• Discuss the upcoming new season of The Bridge.

It's a Good Day to Quit!

It's the Great American Smokeout, so put away your cigarettes, cancel your pot party, and put a stop to that exorcism in the girl's bathroom. It's never been established whether or not Trent smokes anything, but with that laid-back attitude and recurring cough, I know where my money lies.

Fanfic Update!

• Always Watches (Ideas!), by Princess_Pasta (COMPLETE!): "'I made you a present!' Five year old Jane Lane was holding a crudely wrapped gift in her paint stained hands, a wide toothy grin spread across her grubby face."


• "Aw Mama...Can This Really Be The End?", by Scissors MacGillicutty (parts 25 and 26): "'Daria?' It was Thomas Klebanow, the managing editor. 'Can you come into the conference room?'" (Part 26)


• Bedtime Story, by Indigo (COMPLETE!): "Another day was coming to a close and so Daria walked into her son's room, to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight."


• A Boring Summer, by ST91 (part 1): "Dario Morgendorffer was lying on his stomach on the bed listlessly flipping through a book. It had been less than two weeks after the end of the school but Dario could not wait for it to start again. He was dying of boredom."


• Broken, by tafka (part 2): "I felt ill. This was the last thing I needed. To be singled out in front of the whole class. Why not the whole school while he was at it?"


• Daria Saves Christmas! (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: The Madness Sets In), by Tuisto (COMPLETE!): "Daria was walking down Dega street, she had just a few minutes before past by the Good Times chinese restaurant when she saw him, the young blond man in a red shirt and a red cap, was leaning against a wall, his face turning blue and he grabbed at his throat."


• Dials are Overrated (Collection of old never used story starters), by legendeld (unfinished): "With a grunt she lifted it up only to hear a loud cracking noise. The fall lasted a second at the most and the impact shook her entire body. 'DARIA!'"


• First Day of Summer - Jane's Day, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 1): "The knocking was what woke Jane up. 'Who could that be?' she wondered as she slipped out of bed. She slipped on her dressing gown over her bedclothes and headed downstairs."


• Hey Man Nice Shot, by 45Ranger (parts 1 - 3): "Colonel Armalin sat at the small conference table with Nemec, Verbeck, Jahr, and Randall – The Legion Training Cadre – as they had their weekly meeting to discuss the progress of the various Legionnaires." (Part 2) (Part 3)



• Life and Other Plans (Collection of old never used story starters), by legendeld (unfinished): "'I'm sorry we'll have question and answer time a little later.' Her new English teacher said before looking like he was about to go into more of the feel good nonsense that was her current punishment for not fitting in with the crowd. 'I need to go to the bathroom.'"


• Misery Machine, by NightGoblyn (part 4): "The PA system crackled to life, and Ms. Li's voice said, 'Daria Morgendorffer and Jane Lane to my office. Thank you.' 'That's not ominous,' Jane said, regarding the speaker suspiciously."


• Scars, by legendeld (parts 1 - 3): "The first thing she felt was pain, a pain that seemed to cover her entire body. It pushed away the comfortable numbness and forced her closer and closer to consciousness." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Sick Sad Web, by Princess_Pasta (parts 1 and 2): "Andrea Hecuba was tired. Not tired enough to really want to go home but enough that she could feel it with each step she took." (Part 2)


• Star Trek: Daria - Resurrection, by echopapa (parts 12 and 13): "'I had returned to my cabin,' the cadet continued, 'And was almost finished packing when I saw a movement outside my window. I looked up and saw a ghostly shape glide up alongside the Enterprise and come to a halt...'" (Part 13)


• Tedieval Times (The Ted Zone), by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): "Life in the Middle Ages? I suppose we could synthesize the bubonic plague in science class, but could we get government approval? And how will our positions in the feudal system be assigned? Oh dear! Will I have to start bathing less often?"

Where There's Smoke, There's [cough cough cough]

A mere 22 years ago today, the Surgeon General of the United States declared nicotine was as addictive as heroin. Since then, it has been discovered that tobacco companies have been deliberately increasing the amount of nicotine going into their product.

What would life be like if we lived in a narco-democracy? That's a society in which all voters are addicted to a substance provided to them by the government or a government backer, which is guaranteed to always win elections and have public support (or acquiescence) because no addicted person will vote against them. Good thought for a speculative Daria fanfic, maybe?

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• Daria's Escape, by Aloysius (COMPLETE!): The dark-haired man smiled at her and said, “We don’t have much time, Daria, but do you trust me?” She decided to be honest with him. “About as much as I trust any government official.” He shook his head slightly and looked at her for several seconds. “You’re going to have to trust me—fully—for the next several minutes if the two of us are going to get out of this alive.” (Daria/The Wild, Wild West)
• Daria: Tom Was There, by OverlordMikey (Part 1): Tom noticed a red-and-black flash from the corner of his eye and stopped the Pinto. Looking out his window, he saw Jane Lane on the sidewalk. He waved and she noticed him, then came over to the car window. "Hey, amigo," she said with a grin. She noticed Elsie in the other seat. Elsie was looking away from her. "And howdy, Elsie." Elsie turned and glared at her. "Still angry, huh?" asked Jane. "Hey, it was an accident. How was I supposed to know your mother would take me seriously, let alone actually try square-dancing." "I had to spend my weekend with mother... square dancing. As far as I am concerned—" Elsie turned her head away "—you're dead, Lane."
• Finn Morgendorffer 46: Shields Up,by HolyGrail2007 (Part 4): “I’m here to teach, not bring in funds. If I see Finn fail, he will fail.” “And if he doesn’t fail?” “That’s my decision.” Janet replied. “I appreciate the concern, Angela, but I’m sure that certain... events... from two years ago would agree with me. That fiasco with the damn Ultra-Cola was bad enough. I’m sure Superintendent Cartwright would love to know why you kept calling that soccer player to your office.” Janet smiled evilly.
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Roentgen (Part 28): The seniors, having stopped their swims, shouted out encouragement. "Come on, DeeDee!" DeeDee? thought Daria. DeeDee? Not this again! "You can do it, DeeDee! Just concentrate!"

Mightier Than the Sword

The beloved episode "Cafe Disaffecto" aired for the first time 13 years ago today, when Daria was able to spark an anti-Communist riot in Lawndale by the power of her writing. "The Lost Girls" appeared 11 years ago today, in which Daria was able to bring the notorious Val (as in Val) to Lawndale by the power of her writing. Maybe today should be a holiday for accomplishing things by writing something, the power of the pen and all that. Only what gets accomplished isn't what you thought would happen.

What else... today is the 21st anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which destroyed Alaska and western Canada, plus parts of Siberia, but on the positive side it gave us "Just Add Water," in Daria's third season.

This is the 45th birthday of the WWE wrestler known as The Undertaker, portrayed here by Jesse Moreno (wonder why MTV like this wrestler so much); the 109th birthday anniversary of Ub Iwerks, legendary animator and creator of Mickey Mouse; and the 136th birthday anniversary of Harry Houdini, whom Charles Ruttheimer III imitated so well in "Life in the Past Lane." Plus it is also World Tuberculosis Day, relevant to a certain fanfiction character, and Kick Butts Day, relevant because some of Daria's high school classmates and teachers smoke (e.g., Burnout Chick, Mr. DeMartino).

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• Finn Morgendorffer 38: Fractures, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 4): As Daria watched the three feuding Barksdale sisters continue their talk, she finally started to realize just what it was that was bothering her about this feud. It bothers me because it is stupid and pointless. But it’s also so familiar. Arguing over everything, nothing is sacred in a game of one-up. That’s not just Mom and her sisters. It’s me and Finn. That's... that's the future. And it... blows.
• NEW! The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Roentgen (Part 19): "Hell-oooooo!" The cry from upstairs was Helen Morgendorffer, bounding down stairs with Daria trailing behind her. "Elsie! Tom! Glad to see you again! Can I get you something to drink?" "Bourbon will be fine for me," said Tom with a smile. "Tom Collins, please," Daria said. "Nothing for me, if you don't mind," said Elsie. "I'm so close to my one month chip."
• Rocket Girls, by TAG (continued): “My mother wants meet you,” said Dora, searching in vain for the recently launched V-2. “She asks if you go to our house Saturday. She makes dinner.”
• NEW! Until You've Crossed, by Ticknart (COMPLETE!): Jane frowned. She really didn't want to do anything with Tom, but here she was. Maybe she could make an excuse and get away, see if Daria was up for pizza or a movie. More likely, though, Tom would want to tag along. She'd probably just end up sitting on her butt listening to the two of them go on and on about foreign films and the minute meanings as the movies move from reality to fantasy and back again and what the things in the fantasy mean. Jane could only sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" in her head so many times before she wanted to kill the other two and then herself. Daria was out of the question.
  

Who's Who in the Dariaverse Today

We start with an alter ego of Tiffany Blum-Deckler as Lina Wertmüller, a famed Italian film director I had never heard of until a year and a half ago when I looked her up because I wanted to publish this image on the blog. I still have not seen any of Ms. Wertmüller's movies. Ms. Wertmüller was born on this day 83 years ago. I cannot find the original image from which this one was drawn, but perhaps there wasn't one. Still an excellent outfit for the Tiff.

Also born today: Gary Larson, beloved cartoonist (The Far Side) and Old West gunfighter Doc Holliday, who appeared in a Daria fanfic. My favorite Far Side panel was (of course) "Roger Screws Up."

Moar l8r. Back again.

UU and I are working on the Backgrounders website again. You are invited to look in and see which characters are in the process of getting makeovers.

Silver has collected the continuing M4 story series into one thread on PPMB.

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• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Under normal circumstances, her dates back on Earth had their brains fried by orgasmic recoil from her biocongruency with the ship. It was nice to know that her date wasn't just like most guys.

Sssssmokin'!

The tiny picture at left balloons up wonderfully when you click on it. This is how Quinn's class viewed having Daria as their teacher in "Lucky Strike," which premiered eight years ago today. This is the episode most famous for Daria's fur bikini. Or lack thereof.

Were you aware that the name of this episode came from a brand of cigarettes? Even cartoon characters smoke Lucky Strikes. They're less likely to get cancer than we are. Maybe.

I had an idea once about Jane drawing a comic strip for the school paper featuring a puffin (kind of like a penguin, only less erotic) named Puffy, who smokes cigarettes and does television ads promoting a given cigarette brand.... until he discovers he has cancer, which the cigarette company had assured him he would not get. The comic goes into angst overdrive, with Puffy coughing up blackened parts of his lungs & cursing his fate, yet completely unable to stop smoking, until the students who smoke get riled up and begin protesting. (Burnout Girl, by the way, is a smoker. See picture #13 at that link. Mr. DeMartino smokes too, per "The Big House.")

An Iron Chef about a drunken Daria is gathering some ficlets. Contribute yours!

Daria fan Dulcinea has a PPMB thread about Sandi Griffin, and how we view her. Why are people fascinated with her? Also a good thread for contributions.

Looking for a good debate? Try Deconstructing Mack, a critical discussion of "Saint Mack" Mackenzie and how the show depicted him.


UPDATED FANFICTION LIST

FF.net

• A Tale of Two Bungholes, by Evanilla (Part 1): Here is a very special shipper about two young boys and the girl who moved away... and then moved back. ("If only Mom knew I was spending the night at the house of the two horniest guys in Highland!”) I promise that this story will not cause permanent brain damage. I swear to God it won't. (Boinnnnng!)
  
• Unnamed Crossover Fanfic, by Pinkminx (Part 2): "Look, I'm gunna drop the act. Lawndale High is a cookie-cutter replica of every other school in America, complete with your various stereotypes. No one cares about anything, the teachers are oblivious, and the principal's sole interest is to protect the *valued* name of the school. Just don't do anything to compromise the school's reputation and you'll coast through the next few years."

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• Falling into College #67: How Did We Get All This Stuff? by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): "Daria really has him whipped now," Gina said before popping a candy into her mouth.
• Film Critic Mass, by Patrick Moore, a.k.a. Peapotmaster (Part 1): "Welcome to a special edition of Coming Attractions. Tonight, my special guest is former MTV star, Daria Morgendorffer, to co-host the show with me. Hello, Daria."
• Lambda, by SigDiff (Part 1, restarted by popular demand!): Daria Morgendorffer didn't particularly believe in the story of Gordon Freeman. She viewed him much in the same way she viewed Santa Claus. A man fitting his general description did exist at some point, and probably did some things that were seen as amazing, but he wasn't going to be the savior of humanity. Just like how Santa Claus never brought her that damned replica human skull. [A Daria/Half-Life 2 crossover. HE'S GONNA DO IT! YESSS!]
• Mike and the Spiral (with Jodie Landon) present: “Firecracker," by Ranger Thorne (COMPLETE!): When it comes to love she ain't no slacker / My little darlin' is a Firecracker!
  
• Once Upon a Time in Lawndale, by Disco316 (Parts 6 and 7): “Didn't sleep a wink last night. A group of the most unfashionable losers in black rode herd on me all night. I didn’t think you could make black look ugly until I saw them. Well, maybe leaving them out in the desert will improve their common sense as well as their fashion sense." ALSO: "Once you've killed four, it's easy to make it five."
• Rings and Things That Cannot Go Together, by Ranger Thorne (continued): “I am the Green Lantern of this sector of space,” Daria told him, trying to sound official. “You have been found worthy by my ring to become one of us.”
  
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): "I've gone from attending Lawndale High to being a reporter for one of the lesser New York City newspapers and winding up as Imperial Grand Duchess of the Russian Empire. And I still find myself dealing with idiots, scoundrels, and assorted hostile maladjusted types."
• Straight, Not Narrow, by Angelboy et al. (continued): "Seems like such a waste," said Daria. "The royal men are all quite handsome men." ["The Invitation" is next!]
  
• Things Fall Apart, by Doggieboy (Parts 1 and 2): Bradley Buzzcut looked over the gymnasium of Highland High as the refugees settled into family groups. Blankets and sleeping bags were arranged, while the custodians pushed back the bleachers to make more floor space. He took mental stock as he looked around, but there was so many people it was hard to be sure that everyone was there. [Part 2 takes place in Ohio. Guess which city.]
  
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): "Dad said you wanted to talk to me, Mack. What about?" Now that it was upon him, he couldn't summon the anger he'd felt earlier in the day. Only sadness. "You know what about."
• A Twisted Little Corkscrew, by Dennis (COMPLETE!): Thugs, liars, and bootlickers, she thought as she tossed the wine back. Should've brought my flask.
• Unnamed story, by Scissors MacGillicutty (COMPLETE!): "Those who are one thirty-second awake are expecting me to announce that my old show will soon be available, and those one sixteenth awake are salivating at the prospect of me declaring I'm an alien and then ripping off these clothes to show a...oh, I don't know, a much more revealing outfit and nipples on my elbows."
  
• Unnamed story, by SigDiff (Part 1): See if you can guess the crossover. The towel is a clue.

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• Once Bitten, Twice Shy, by Bliss Ticks: The (in)complete story, so far: "I see the snow bunnies have taken possession of your faculties again." *

* Contains adult content. Hang on.

The Saga of Bob (con't.)

It's been a while since we've talked about Bob, one of the background characters, but I can now officially tell you more about him: he smokes and drinks.

Yes, in "Jane's Addition," Bob is seen lighting up a cigarette (tobacco, I assume) and drinking (alcohol, I assume) at a bar where Mystik Spiral is playing, even though he is in 11th grade at Lawndale High. I still think he's a punk wrestler/ weightlifter. Your mileage may vary. For more on Bob, click the tiny label "bob" below.

Do you get kind of a film noir vibe from this guy? Something kind of dark and eerie and mysterious, something unexpected. Has anyone used him in fanfic? He's a great blank slate. I have a pic of his car somewhere from "The Invitation," will post it later.

Lawndale Online is still down. Damn.

While over at DariaWiki, I started thinking that there weren't near enough Daria Universes on the Daria Multiverse page. Can you think of more to add? I know some good ones have been left out. Let's make this page the longest one ever!


FF.net

• Meet the Monster, by medea42 (COMPLETE!): Reads like the show. Loved Trent's method of making Quinn go away. Brilliant.
• The Young Switcheroo, by Smileyfax (Part 8): We continue through the first season of this wild, switched-around world, now at "Cafe Disaffecto." And we learn who the thief was! And more!
  

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• She Knows Not What She Does, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): Daria's loathsome new career as a telemarketer proves to have an unexpected side benefit.

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• In the Midnight Hour, by Gum Wars (COMPLETE!): You know, I wasn't sure whether to post this one, but I figured hey, it's there, you may as well look at it.

Smoking Stinks

Only twenty years ago today, the then-Surgeon General of the United States, C. Everett Koop, announced that nicotine had addictive properties similar to heroin and cocaine. More recently, it was discovered that tobacco companies have been increasing the amount of nicotine in cigarettes over time, which logically makes it more difficult for smokers to quit smoking as time goes on. Anyone out there putting two and two together? If you want to quit, you may soon find that to be literally impossible. Now, that's angst.

Um, actually, I admit I wouldn't mind reading more about toad smoking at Lawndale High. . . .

A new mini-essay at Fortress CINCGREEN offers worthy food for thought about series stories and sequels in Daria fandom. I posted some comments to it, only to realize later I was talking about serial stories, which wasn't what he was talking about at all, so ignore everything I wrote there unless CINCGREEN deleted it, in which case it doesn't matter and you can forget about what I wrote above. I trust that's clear enough.

More in a moment. Back again.

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• D: The Last Cynic, by CDM (Part 1): A slightly different take on the End of the World as We Know It. (Think Night of the Comet. Great movie.)
• Falling Into College 62: Run it Up the Mast, by Richard Lobinske (Part 4): Daria finally gets a new job . . . editing fanfiction about herself. Just kidding. That would be funny if she did, though. Not funny for her, but, yeah, funny for the rest of us. Imagine the look on her face when she reads some of our stories. Man, that would be the best.
  
• The Other Side Of Time: Witness To The Monkey Show, by The Sidhe (continued): Jake's ancestor takes a licking but keeps on ticking, as they say.

Alter-Ego Improvements #2

In this pic lifted from a flipbook on the MTV.com website, Tiffany Blum-Deckler is Lina Wertmuller, about whom I knew nothing until I Googled her name and discovered she was the Oscar-nominated Italian film director of Seven Beauties and Swept Away, neither of which I have seen. The Daria alter-ego artists are really into some esoteric stuff.

Tiffany's outfit of basic black, with the trademark Wertmuller glasses and flower thingie in her hair, is an improvement over her normal look that can only be measured in light years. Most alter-ego shots make the subject look silly, but not this one. She now has class and style, though we can quibble over the cigarette.

There you have it, another cool fashion ensemble That Should Have Been. Shame she had to wear that other crap for five years.