LJ Mishap + Yuletide

Regarding my previous post about LJ deleting all comments from deleted users: the comments appear to be still there if you switch to an S2 customized comment page. it looks like if you have an S2 style and you turn *off* the LJ universal default, the comments are still there. However, I am also being told this does not work for all S2 style pages, so you might need to experiment.

Of course, given that many S2 customized comment pages destroy usability, this may not be the best option for many people--it's certainly not for me--but it's a temporary measure if you're trying to do a backup or a DW import.

Dreamwidth account creation is currently open to all without an invitation code through the end of 2011. To create a Dreamwidth account, go here. To initiate a Dreamwidth import, go here.

Per denise, if you are trying to import your Livejournals over to Dreamwidth, and you previously did an import with comments that are now deleted on LJ, those comments will not be lost or overwritten in this new import.

eta: aaaaand we have confirmation from starcrossedgirl that new/first imports from DW are importing the "deleted" contents with no problem. So the data is clearly still intact, and the new LJ default style is just hiding them. D: If you've been hesitating about whether to import your journal over to DW, it may be time to take the plunge.

I cannot find confirmation anywhere as to whether this is a coding glitch or an accidental preview of an upcoming LJ change, or whether it was intentional and unreported to the LJ userbase, but there are several support tickets in and I will update this post as I know more.

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Yuletide!!!!!!

It's been a distracting holiday so I haven't gotten a chance to do too much reading yet, but I absolutely love, love, LOVE the fics I got for Yuletide. The gods of Yule blessed me with 5 amazing fics in 4 different fandoms:

[Ten]-Four. Summary: It's 2009. Roya's hair has grown out, the elections have come and gone, and Iran has met the Green Wave.

This is fanfiction for the film Ten (2002). Ten is a brilliant, mesmerizing feminist film by Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, and you can watch the whole thing online here.

The fic returns to two of the film's characters 7 years later. Whether you've seen the film or not, you should still read this fantastic look at two Iranian women in the middle of the Green Wave. Don't be put off by the downbeat narrative style. It's a perfect recreation of the narrative style of the film, which reveals the lives of Iranian women in short sequences just like this one. It's so fabulous, and its take on both the characters and their position within Iranian society is spot-on. I am so delighted by this fic, and I really, really hope you all read it, and thank my Yuletide Santa for writing something so thoughtful. ♥

I also got two AMAZING fics for The Room, oh my gosh. O, HAI, HILARIOUS META-PARODIES!

First is The Room 2, which takes us on a tour of the characters from The Room 1 via the POV of Ghost!Johnny. Featuring such hilarious and accurate Ghost!Johnny observations as ""Bagels still taste good, even when you are a ghost" and "I love Denny like a son. He takes drugs," this fic will take you on a FABULOUS JOURNEY THROUGH THE AFTERLIFE, Wiseau-style. The narrative pov in this is hysterical. I laughed and laughed. <3

Second but no less brilliant is The Room: Post-Mortem. This fic takes a look at Lisa's life after canon, with such sheer brilliance as “Why, Johnny, why,” she gargled into the scotchka and "Isn’t it time you get up and go find yourself a new husband?  Someone has to pay for my breast cancer treatment!”! AMAZING. I screamed "U.S. DOLLARS!" out loud and then had to explain to my relatives why I was talking to the air. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, relatives.

"I'm Here. You're Here. Someone else actually nominated Cruising this year, which totally blew my mind because I have had no luck ever getting people to fill my requests for gay serial killer fic before. But of course since someone else nominated it, I HAD to request it, because next to Strangers on a Train, the Al Pacino/William Friedkin flick Cruising is my very very favorite of all gay serial killer films. Beneath all the rampant homophobia and gay panic it's a really smart, layered, and ambiguous mystery, and I was overjoyed to get a fic that represented all of its darkness and complexity as well as this one did. It's absolutely fantastic, and if you've seen the film--or even if you haven't, but you just like dark and twisted stories (WHO DOESN'T??), then you should definitely, definitely read this, omfg.

Sweet Smell of Success: Sidney's Revenge. Oh my gosh, this fic! My head was spinning just like it was when I saw the film! If you've never seen Sweet Smell of Success, drop what you are doing and GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW oh my gosh. (Or you can wait for next month's movie nights because it is definitely on the menu.) And then after you've watched it, go read this fascinating spin on what happened next between Sidney and JJ and Susan, enjoy the twisted barbed dialogue that's so in-keeping with the original film, and geek out over the subtext. :D :D :D This was awesome.


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I wrote 5 fics and 1 short treat for Yuletide/Yuletide madness this year. 3 of them were for pretty obscure fandoms, but the other 3 are pretty well-known. 3 of them are super-predictable if you know me at all; 2 of them I'm actually really fond of, and 1 I'm really proud of having written, so. Yay. :D

I don't expect anyone to guess what I wrote; but if you do guess at least 1 of the 6 fics, then you get a ficlet from me, any pairing of your choice as long as it's a fandom i'm in. (Or one of my past yuletide fandoms!) If you guess 2 of the 6 fics, then, uh. idk, I WILL DECIDE THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS. :D

I wanted to do dream_holiday recs in this post, because they are all so wonderful, omfg, but I'm out of time, so I'll just say READ! READ THEM ALL!

Also there are so many exciting things happening in Inception fandom right now! inception! arthur_eames! reception! insearchtion! oh my gosh, so much to do, SO LITTLE TIME.

Update soon - hope you all are enjoying your holidays!

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