Lord of the Rings; How the Grinch Stole Christmas: How Sauron Stole Eä, by Elisif.
Dec. 6th, 2025 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
full_metal_ox posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fancakeFandom: Lord of the Rings; How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Pairings/Characters: Gen; Sauron, the Mouth of Sauron, Pippin, Sam Gamgee, the Hobbit community
Rating: General Audiences
Length: (Fic) 957 words; (Comic) 30 panels
Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply
Creator Tags:
Erisif | Valarhalla: #i could have done something useful today #instead i wrote this #i hate myself
english-history-trip: #lotr #nonsense #well that was my day how was yours #why is sauron in a cave and then a tower #go to hell that's why #why is frodo bartholomew cubbins instead of a who #the answer won't surprise you
Creator Links:
(Fic): Elisif: (AO3)![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Elisif; (Tumblr) ![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
valarhalla
(Fancomic): english-history-trip: (Tumblr)english-history-trip
Theme: Amnesty, Crack, Crossovers/Fusions, Just Plain Fun, Non-Fic Recs: Fanart, Non-Fic Recs: Fancomic, Poetry, Tumblore
Summary: Every being in Eä liked peacetime a lot…
But Sauron, who was also in Eä, did NOT.
Reccer's Notes: Elisif’s retelling of The War of the Ring in Seussian rhyming verse, firmly informed by The Lore, maps the Shire onto Whoville without introducing an anachronistic Christmas (that’s for Narnia.)
And then, in proper cumulative Tumbloric fashion, english-history-trip proceeds to remix Seussian illustrations to match. (Spoiler: Sauron does not experience redemptive cardiac enlargement; another character gets to preside over the grand climactic celebration.)
Fanwork Links:
Fic: AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26135110
Tumblr: https://valarhalla.tumblr.com/post/190955320437/every-being-in-eä-liked-peacetime-a-lot-but
Fancomic: https://english-history-trip.tumblr.com/post/636994579930939392/english-history-trip-english-history-trip-part
Pairings/Characters: Gen; Sauron, the Mouth of Sauron, Pippin, Sam Gamgee, the Hobbit community
Rating: General Audiences
Length: (Fic) 957 words; (Comic) 30 panels
Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply
Creator Tags:
Erisif | Valarhalla: #i could have done something useful today #instead i wrote this #i hate myself
english-history-trip: #lotr #nonsense #well that was my day how was yours #why is sauron in a cave and then a tower #go to hell that's why #why is frodo bartholomew cubbins instead of a who #the answer won't surprise you
Creator Links:
(Fic): Elisif: (AO3)
(Fancomic): english-history-trip: (Tumblr)
Theme: Amnesty, Crack, Crossovers/Fusions, Just Plain Fun, Non-Fic Recs: Fanart, Non-Fic Recs: Fancomic, Poetry, Tumblore
Summary: Every being in Eä liked peacetime a lot…
But Sauron, who was also in Eä, did NOT.
Reccer's Notes: Elisif’s retelling of The War of the Ring in Seussian rhyming verse, firmly informed by The Lore, maps the Shire onto Whoville without introducing an anachronistic Christmas (that’s for Narnia.)
And then, in proper cumulative Tumbloric fashion, english-history-trip proceeds to remix Seussian illustrations to match. (Spoiler: Sauron does not experience redemptive cardiac enlargement; another character gets to preside over the grand climactic celebration.)
Fanwork Links:
Fic: AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26135110
Tumblr: https://valarhalla.tumblr.com/post/190955320437/every-being-in-eä-liked-peacetime-a-lot-but
Fancomic: https://english-history-trip.tumblr.com/post/636994579930939392/english-history-trip-english-history-trip-part
For Contributions To American Culture
Dec. 7th, 2025 06:28 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
metafilter_feedThis evening, our president will preside over the ceremony for this year's Kennedy Center Honors. Traditionally the president simply watches the event alongside the honorees, but in a departure from prior ceremonies, this year the president will serve as host and presenter (in addition to having selected the honorees, also a departure from tradition). The Center has also changed the iconic design of the award itself; instead of a medallion on a rainbow-colored sash, the new medallions will sport a rainbow-colored stripe on their faces, and the sash will be navy blue. CBS will not broadcast the ceremony until the 23rd; so in the meantime, let's enjoy some older clips of what the ceremony usually is like.
OVERALL STRUCTURE: Typically each honoree gets a 20-minute segment of the ceremony, which is introduced by another celebrity, followed by a brief film about the artist themselves and then by a musical/performance presentation with a number of surprise guests singing the honoree's own work in tribute. Some good examples of the form: Led Zepplin, 2012 honorees (Introduced by Jack Black, with performances by the Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz and Heart) The Grateful Dead, 2024 honorees (Introduced by Miles Teller, performances by Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, Chloe Sevigny, Sturgill Simpson, David Letterman, Dave Matthews, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks) Tom Hanks, 2014 honoree (Introduced by David Letterman, with performances and tributes by Pentatonix, Martin Short, Steven Spielberg, Lauran Benati, Kelly O'Hara, and some other surprise guests) Stephen Spielberg, 2006 honoree (includes accolades from former colleagues, including John Williams, and concluding with a choral rendition of "Make Your Garden Grow" from the musical Candide) NON-MUSICIAN TRIBUTES: It's easy to figure out "how to celebrate" a musician, since performers can simply cover their songs. Celebrating a dancer, actor, or director is a bit more tricky. However, the Kennedy Center has pulled it off with either spoken-word tributes, or a song or two associated with the performer or a song they particularly like. Some notable examples include the ending of Spielberg and Hanks' ceremonies above, as well as: Mel Brooks, 2009 Honoree - a medley of songs from his films, with performances from Frank Langella, Martin Short, Harry Connick Jr. , Jack Black, Richard Kind, Matthew Morrison, Gary Beach and Matthew Broderick. Lin-Manuel Miranda honoring Billy Crystal, with a "Billy Crystal Oscar medley"- style medley salute to Crystal. Matt Damon honoring George Clooney, turning his speech into an affectionate roast. SURPRISE GUESTS AND BACKUP CHOIRS: Honorees typically don't know who will be paying tributes during their segments and are sometimes visibly surprised to see a longtime friend or colleague coming to pay homage. Other times, the closing number for each segment sees a surprise group of fans or other friends singing backup. Some notable examples: Cyndi Lauper honoring Cher in 2018. Cher was so surprised that she shouted the accusation "You told me you would be in Los Angeles!" to Lauper loud enough for the auditorium to hear. (I'll let you hear what Lauper said in reply.) Garth Brooks singing "Good Night Saigon" during Billy Joel's tribute, joined at the end by a choir of about 40 Vietnam Veterans. Rob Thomas doing "Baba O'Reilly" during the 2008 salute to The Who, joined at the end by a chorus of members of NYPD and FDNY veterans to thank The Who for their support of 9/11 First Responders. Bruno Mars doing "So Lonely" and "Message in a Bottle" during the 2014 Sting tribute, joined at the end by the cast of Sting's musical The Last Ship which was then on Broadway. Smokey Robinson performing "Sweet Caroline" in 2011 for Neil Diamond, joined at the end by a chorus of Boston Red Sox fans to thank him for his support following the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy. OTHER NOTABLE MOMENTS: Including some spot-on-perfect choices for tributes, some oddball choices that still worked, and one of the more fun introductions. Beyonce's performance of "Proud Mary" during Tina Turner's tribute in 2005. Aretha Franklin doing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" during Carole King's tribute in 2015. Snoop Dogg saluting Herbie Hancock in 2013, with a performance of US3's "Cantaloop Flip Fantasia" (which itself sampled Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island"). Snoop can't resist working a bit of "Gin and Juice" into the mix. (Also worth it just to hear the evening's host Carl Kasell intone: "Ladies and Gentlemen....Snoop Dogg!") Bruce Springsteen covering Sting's "I Hung My Head" in 2014, and arguably stealing it right out from under him. Jon Stewart introducing the Bruce Springsteen segment in 2009's ceremony, and offering a unique genetic theory for the source of Springsteen's talents. S. Epatha Merkerson and Jennifer Koh performing "Knee Play 5" from Philip Glass's score to Einstein On the Beach during his own 2018 tribute. A whole playlist of other performances throughout the Kennedy Center's history can be found here.
OVERALL STRUCTURE: Typically each honoree gets a 20-minute segment of the ceremony, which is introduced by another celebrity, followed by a brief film about the artist themselves and then by a musical/performance presentation with a number of surprise guests singing the honoree's own work in tribute. Some good examples of the form: Led Zepplin, 2012 honorees (Introduced by Jack Black, with performances by the Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz and Heart) The Grateful Dead, 2024 honorees (Introduced by Miles Teller, performances by Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, Chloe Sevigny, Sturgill Simpson, David Letterman, Dave Matthews, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks) Tom Hanks, 2014 honoree (Introduced by David Letterman, with performances and tributes by Pentatonix, Martin Short, Steven Spielberg, Lauran Benati, Kelly O'Hara, and some other surprise guests) Stephen Spielberg, 2006 honoree (includes accolades from former colleagues, including John Williams, and concluding with a choral rendition of "Make Your Garden Grow" from the musical Candide) NON-MUSICIAN TRIBUTES: It's easy to figure out "how to celebrate" a musician, since performers can simply cover their songs. Celebrating a dancer, actor, or director is a bit more tricky. However, the Kennedy Center has pulled it off with either spoken-word tributes, or a song or two associated with the performer or a song they particularly like. Some notable examples include the ending of Spielberg and Hanks' ceremonies above, as well as: Mel Brooks, 2009 Honoree - a medley of songs from his films, with performances from Frank Langella, Martin Short, Harry Connick Jr. , Jack Black, Richard Kind, Matthew Morrison, Gary Beach and Matthew Broderick. Lin-Manuel Miranda honoring Billy Crystal, with a "Billy Crystal Oscar medley"- style medley salute to Crystal. Matt Damon honoring George Clooney, turning his speech into an affectionate roast. SURPRISE GUESTS AND BACKUP CHOIRS: Honorees typically don't know who will be paying tributes during their segments and are sometimes visibly surprised to see a longtime friend or colleague coming to pay homage. Other times, the closing number for each segment sees a surprise group of fans or other friends singing backup. Some notable examples: Cyndi Lauper honoring Cher in 2018. Cher was so surprised that she shouted the accusation "You told me you would be in Los Angeles!" to Lauper loud enough for the auditorium to hear. (I'll let you hear what Lauper said in reply.) Garth Brooks singing "Good Night Saigon" during Billy Joel's tribute, joined at the end by a choir of about 40 Vietnam Veterans. Rob Thomas doing "Baba O'Reilly" during the 2008 salute to The Who, joined at the end by a chorus of members of NYPD and FDNY veterans to thank The Who for their support of 9/11 First Responders. Bruno Mars doing "So Lonely" and "Message in a Bottle" during the 2014 Sting tribute, joined at the end by the cast of Sting's musical The Last Ship which was then on Broadway. Smokey Robinson performing "Sweet Caroline" in 2011 for Neil Diamond, joined at the end by a chorus of Boston Red Sox fans to thank him for his support following the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy. OTHER NOTABLE MOMENTS: Including some spot-on-perfect choices for tributes, some oddball choices that still worked, and one of the more fun introductions. Beyonce's performance of "Proud Mary" during Tina Turner's tribute in 2005. Aretha Franklin doing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" during Carole King's tribute in 2015. Snoop Dogg saluting Herbie Hancock in 2013, with a performance of US3's "Cantaloop Flip Fantasia" (which itself sampled Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island"). Snoop can't resist working a bit of "Gin and Juice" into the mix. (Also worth it just to hear the evening's host Carl Kasell intone: "Ladies and Gentlemen....Snoop Dogg!") Bruce Springsteen covering Sting's "I Hung My Head" in 2014, and arguably stealing it right out from under him. Jon Stewart introducing the Bruce Springsteen segment in 2009's ceremony, and offering a unique genetic theory for the source of Springsteen's talents. S. Epatha Merkerson and Jennifer Koh performing "Knee Play 5" from Philip Glass's score to Einstein On the Beach during his own 2018 tribute. A whole playlist of other performances throughout the Kennedy Center's history can be found here.
"How close is my phone to my body?"
Dec. 7th, 2025 04:15 pmmetafilter_feedxena's body (a menstrual auto-investigation using an iphone) is a short video essay by Occitane Lacurie about menstrual tracking. She wrote about it for NECSUS. She also made the video essay Ordinatrices about women and computers, looking through the lens of Mad Men.
Strange connection between breathing and memory recall.
Dec. 7th, 2025 03:18 pmmetafilter_feedJournal of Neuroscience How we breath, inhale/exhale, ties together memory recall.
Press release: https://www.lmu.de/en/about-lmu/structure/central-university-administration/media-relations-and-communications/press-room/press-release/memory-research-how-respiration-shapes-remembering-fd0c5cd7.html from the JN abstract: [snip] Recent evidence suggests that respiration may shape neural dynamics underlying various cognitive processes. In this study, we identify respiration as a potential pacemaker for memory retrieval by showing that key neural signatures of effective remembering—namely, decreases in ⍺/β power and the reactivation of previously encoded neural representations—are tightly synchronized with the respiratory cycle. Notably, the strength of this respiration-brain coupling is associated with individual memory performance, underscoring the critical role and functional significance of brain–body interactions in supporting cognitive functions.
Press release: https://www.lmu.de/en/about-lmu/structure/central-university-administration/media-relations-and-communications/press-room/press-release/memory-research-how-respiration-shapes-remembering-fd0c5cd7.html from the JN abstract: [snip] Recent evidence suggests that respiration may shape neural dynamics underlying various cognitive processes. In this study, we identify respiration as a potential pacemaker for memory retrieval by showing that key neural signatures of effective remembering—namely, decreases in ⍺/β power and the reactivation of previously encoded neural representations—are tightly synchronized with the respiratory cycle. Notably, the strength of this respiration-brain coupling is associated with individual memory performance, underscoring the critical role and functional significance of brain–body interactions in supporting cognitive functions.
"How I Read"
Dec. 7th, 2025 11:55 ammetafilter_feedReporter Aaron W. Gordon publishes a newsletter of nonfiction book recommendations. Most recently he described "How I Read": finding and choosing books, managing his queue, finishing them (or choosing not to), locations and environments where he reads, and so on. Includes cat photos.
The distinction between "knowledge of" and "knowledge how"
Dec. 7th, 2025 10:07 ammetafilter_feedThis is no country for sprezzatura, nor the embodiment preached by the wellness industry with its vocabulary of "balance" and "equilibrium." Here, we are meant to feel the effort. To know yourself is to know your limits, and so push your body to the edge of failure. When they are about to perform stunts, Cruise often briefs his team with an unusual mantra: 'Don't be safe, be competent." from The Last Useful Man [The Metropolitan Review]
For anyone who wishes Season 4 of Stranger things had ended differently
Dec. 7th, 2025 09:46 amRec-Cember Day 4-6: 3 Babylon 5 recs [2 fic, 1 fanart] + a commenting success story
Dec. 6th, 2025 10:43 pmsholioI figured that I'd group these together as they're by the same author. I wanted to talk about this anyway, because this is one of the more gratifying experiences I've had with leaving comments on older fic. Basically, I commented on a long WIP that hadn't been updated in several years, and the author not only wrote the rest of it but ALSO, to my delighted amazement, posted another long fic in the same universe, and started posting some new fanart too. It was wonderful. ♥ Never be afraid to comment even years later; sometimes you not only make someone's day but get lovely fanworks in return.
( 3 Londo/G'Kar Babylon 5 recs (by the same creator) cut for spoilers )
( 3 Londo/G'Kar Babylon 5 recs (by the same creator) cut for spoilers )
まるさんの思い出２。-Memories of Maru 2.-（動画）
Dec. 7th, 2025 04:58 ammaru_feed2008年のまるさんです！ たくさん遊んだ思い出。 Maru in 2008! Memories of playing with Maru a lot.
Video of V3cam being destroyed by lava fountain
Dec. 7th, 2025 04:42 ammetafilter_feed(With 2:00 video) The V3 camera was located on the south rim of Halema'uma'u crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawai'i. The camera, located in a hazardous closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, was buried by tephra from an inclined lava fountain between 9:55 and 9:57 am HST on December 6. The story on Big Island Video News
2562 / Fic - The Old Guard
Dec. 6th, 2025 11:15 pmsiriaAs If From the Sea
The Old Guard | Andy/Quỳnh | ~1000 words
(Also on AO3)
( Andy, Quỳnh, and a moment in a temple courtyard. )
The Old Guard | Andy/Quỳnh | ~1000 words
(Also on AO3)
( Andy, Quỳnh, and a moment in a temple courtyard. )
FIC: The View from T'Khut (Complete).
Dec. 6th, 2025 05:10 pmlaurajvThe View from T'Khut (50669 words) by Laura JV
Chapters: 9/9
Fandom: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Spock/Nyota Uhura, James T. Kirk/Spock, Sarek & Spock (Star Trek), Spock & Spock Prime, James T. Kirk & Spock
Characters: Spock (Star Trek), Spock Prime, James T. Kirk, Nyota Uhura, T'Pau (Star Trek), Sarek (Star Trek), Vulcan Characters (Star Trek), Crew of the Starship Enterprise
Additional Tags: Vulcan Culture (Star Trek), Vulcan Mind Melds (Star Trek), Vulcan Language (Star Trek), jj abrams should be ashamed of himself, Vulcan history, Vulcan mythology, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, symbiotic red algae
Series: Part 1 of The View from T'Khut
Summary:
Chapters: 9/9
Fandom: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Spock/Nyota Uhura, James T. Kirk/Spock, Sarek & Spock (Star Trek), Spock & Spock Prime, James T. Kirk & Spock
Characters: Spock (Star Trek), Spock Prime, James T. Kirk, Nyota Uhura, T'Pau (Star Trek), Sarek (Star Trek), Vulcan Characters (Star Trek), Crew of the Starship Enterprise
Additional Tags: Vulcan Culture (Star Trek), Vulcan Mind Melds (Star Trek), Vulcan Language (Star Trek), jj abrams should be ashamed of himself, Vulcan history, Vulcan mythology, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, symbiotic red algae
Series: Part 1 of The View from T'Khut
Summary:
Part I: The Absent World. The planet vanishes, but her people go on.
Part II: An Archaeology of Loss. The world-death left a scar in spacetime, and a void in the heart of the Federation.
Part III: Time and Darkness. In which Ambassador Spock fires unexpected shots.
"President Trump uses unconventional diplomacy"
Dec. 6th, 2025 10:05 pmmetafilter_feed"The days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over." Since 1986 American presidents have published national security strategy statements. With the recently posted "National Security Strategy of the United States of America" the Trump administration now proclaims its views and plans for its foreign policy and the world.
There's a lot in the document, including a Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, continuing a cold war with China, "cultivating resistance to Europe's current trajectory within European nations," and "want[ing] the restoration and reinvigoration of American spiritual and cultural health."
Commentary from War on the Rocks, The Economist ("bleak, incoherent"; ungated), Al Jazeera, New York Times, Le Monde ("targets Europe and spares adversaries"), Carl Bildt ("new security strategy places itself to the right of the extreme right in Europe"), former ambassador of France to the United States Gérard Araud ("reads like a far-right pamphlet"), Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Atlantic Council, DW News, the Washington Post editorial board ("less a strategy than a mood board"), and The Atlantic ("Like the babble of a thrashing sleeper who alternates between fantasy-laden dreams and cold-sweat nightmares").
There's a lot in the document, including a Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, continuing a cold war with China, "cultivating resistance to Europe's current trajectory within European nations," and "want[ing] the restoration and reinvigoration of American spiritual and cultural health."
Commentary from War on the Rocks, The Economist ("bleak, incoherent"; ungated), Al Jazeera, New York Times, Le Monde ("targets Europe and spares adversaries"), Carl Bildt ("new security strategy places itself to the right of the extreme right in Europe"), former ambassador of France to the United States Gérard Araud ("reads like a far-right pamphlet"), Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Atlantic Council, DW News, the Washington Post editorial board ("less a strategy than a mood board"), and The Atlantic ("Like the babble of a thrashing sleeper who alternates between fantasy-laden dreams and cold-sweat nightmares").
Beware of boys in tight pants
Dec. 6th, 2025 09:43 pmmetafilter_feedPeople of the World: Relax!
"People of the World: Relax!" is excerpted from "The Complete C Comics," a collection of Joe Brainard's innovative work Joe Brainard, previously
"People of the World: Relax!" is excerpted from "The Complete C Comics," a collection of Joe Brainard's innovative work Joe Brainard, previously
New story in anthology -- out now!
Dec. 6th, 2025 03:29 pmgenartiI have various longer posts to make (job transition news, a write-up of a truly hilarious theater experience, etc), but in the meantime, a quick post to let you know that the Murderfish anthology, which I have a story in, is now officially out and available for purchase!
Murderfish is, as it says on the tin, an anthology of stories about murderous fish. (Its predecessors were Murderbirds and Murderbugs, which cracks me up every time I think about it.) Each story features a different kind of sea life, as well as very cool art of them all! I haven't read all the rest yet, but I'm excited to, and it looks like there are a whole lot of genres involved. My story, "In Sheets of Seaweed," is about a woman in the simultaneously privileged and precarious position of being a prince's mistress, who dreams increasingly of sharks calling to her; I called it my "shark selkie" story for a long time before I thought of a title, and in fact after. I'm very fond of this story, and I'm delighted it's found a home at last.
The ebook is available here and the paperback here. The audiobook is coming soon, but hasn't been unveiled quite yet.
Those are both Amazon links, though not affiliate ones. If you're like me and prefer to avoid buying things through Amazon, full support, but for the moment that's all I have. I've asked if it'll be available on other sites as well, and I'll update when I get an answer.
Murderfish is, as it says on the tin, an anthology of stories about murderous fish. (Its predecessors were Murderbirds and Murderbugs, which cracks me up every time I think about it.) Each story features a different kind of sea life, as well as very cool art of them all! I haven't read all the rest yet, but I'm excited to, and it looks like there are a whole lot of genres involved. My story, "In Sheets of Seaweed," is about a woman in the simultaneously privileged and precarious position of being a prince's mistress, who dreams increasingly of sharks calling to her; I called it my "shark selkie" story for a long time before I thought of a title, and in fact after. I'm very fond of this story, and I'm delighted it's found a home at last.
The ebook is available here and the paperback here. The audiobook is coming soon, but hasn't been unveiled quite yet.
Those are both Amazon links, though not affiliate ones. If you're like me and prefer to avoid buying things through Amazon, full support, but for the moment that's all I have. I've asked if it'll be available on other sites as well, and I'll update when I get an answer.
Gosh! names it's best graphic novels of 2025
Dec. 6th, 2025 08:03 pmmetafilter_feedYou know, for kids. Gosh! is the best comics shop in London - and possibly in the whole UK. They also have a best of 2025 list for adults. There's no ranking here to fight about, just alphabetical lists.
The only book I've read on either list is Craig Thompson's Ginseng Roots, which I heartily recommend.
The only book I've read on either list is Craig Thompson's Ginseng Roots, which I heartily recommend.
Producing alternative proteins for vegans is not as easy as you think
Dec. 6th, 2025 07:58 pmmetafilter_feedProducing alternative proteins for vegans is not as easy as you think. The world is facing a crisis in food production and alternative sources of protein can be part of the solution, but the fledgling Australian sector is struggling.
A specialized use of Claude code tool.
Dec. 6th, 2025 07:48 pmmetafilter_feedIt seems to be very useful for de-compiling other code. HN talking about:
"The unexpected effectiveness of one-shot decompilation with Claude (blog.chrislewis.au)"
The author's previous post on de-compiling an N64 game. https://blog.chrislewis.au/using-coding-agents-to-decompile-nintendo-64-games/ But it's not a magic button for people who don't know what they're doing. As a couple of HN comments describe: [snip] saagarjha 3 hours ago | prev | next [–] It's worth noting here that the author came up with a handful of good heuristics to guide Claude and a very specific goal, and the LLM did a good job given those constraints. Most seasoned reverse engineers I know have found similar wins with those in place. What LLMs are (still?) not good at is one-shot reverse engineering for understanding by a non-expert. If that's your goal, don't blindly use an LLM. People already know that you getting an LLM to write prose or code is bad, but it's worth remembering that doing this for decompilation is even harder :) zdware 1 hour ago | parent | next [–] Agree with this. I'm a software engineer that has mostly not had to manage memory for most of my career. I asked Opus how hard it would be to port the script extender for Baldurs Gate 3 from Windows to the native Linux Build. It outlined that it would be very difficult for someone without reverse engineering experience, and correctly pointed out they are using different compilers, so it's not a simple mapping exercise. It's recommendation was not to try unless I was a Ghrida master and had lots of time in my hands.
The author's previous post on de-compiling an N64 game. https://blog.chrislewis.au/using-coding-agents-to-decompile-nintendo-64-games/ But it's not a magic button for people who don't know what they're doing. As a couple of HN comments describe: [snip] saagarjha 3 hours ago | prev | next [–] It's worth noting here that the author came up with a handful of good heuristics to guide Claude and a very specific goal, and the LLM did a good job given those constraints. Most seasoned reverse engineers I know have found similar wins with those in place. What LLMs are (still?) not good at is one-shot reverse engineering for understanding by a non-expert. If that's your goal, don't blindly use an LLM. People already know that you getting an LLM to write prose or code is bad, but it's worth remembering that doing this for decompilation is even harder :) zdware 1 hour ago | parent | next [–] Agree with this. I'm a software engineer that has mostly not had to manage memory for most of my career. I asked Opus how hard it would be to port the script extender for Baldurs Gate 3 from Windows to the native Linux Build. It outlined that it would be very difficult for someone without reverse engineering experience, and correctly pointed out they are using different compilers, so it's not a simple mapping exercise. It's recommendation was not to try unless I was a Ghrida master and had lots of time in my hands.
A Story About Some Expensive Shit
Dec. 6th, 2025 06:06 pmmetafilter_feedPolice in New Zealand recover a James Bond inspired Fabergé egg pendant six days after the would be thief tried to smuggle the $19K pendant out of the store by swallowing it.
The pendant was retrieved naturally, with no medical intervention, according to NZ police.
The pendant was retrieved naturally, with no medical intervention, according to NZ police.