HLH_Shortcuts 2025 "Dear Author" letter
Oct. 11th, 2025 10:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brightknightieDear ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
hlh_shortcuts author,
Thank you for sharing your Highlander love and creativity this year!
TLDR: My personal tip-top favorites are: gen; PG-13 and below; first through third seasons; Duncan, Tessa, Richie, Darius; Duncan/Tessa; choosing the hard right over the easy wrong; choosing to care and to hope; the power of friendship; history, whether as setting or reference; grief and bereavement; fighting the good fight; and the immortality fantasy as hyperbole/metaphor for real life. I also enjoy many other things, so it's fine if none of these click for you!
No need to read on unless you really want to. This post is long. :-D
( Likes, dislikes, crossovers & character-specific prompts )
Again, thank you! Whatever you love best in HL, celebrate that, and I'm sure to enjoy it.
hlh_shortcuts author,Thank you for sharing your Highlander love and creativity this year!
TLDR: My personal tip-top favorites are: gen; PG-13 and below; first through third seasons; Duncan, Tessa, Richie, Darius; Duncan/Tessa; choosing the hard right over the easy wrong; choosing to care and to hope; the power of friendship; history, whether as setting or reference; grief and bereavement; fighting the good fight; and the immortality fantasy as hyperbole/metaphor for real life. I also enjoy many other things, so it's fine if none of these click for you!
No need to read on unless you really want to. This post is long. :-D
( Likes, dislikes, crossovers & character-specific prompts )
Again, thank you! Whatever you love best in HL, celebrate that, and I'm sure to enjoy it.
Lánczos: it's got what images crave
Oct. 11th, 2025 01:13 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
metafilter_feedYou're resizing images in a photo editor, and you see options like Nearest neighbor, Bilinear, or Lánczos. Maybe you're aware that the last one provides high quality output, but you might not know how or why. Lánczos interpolation explained is a blog post explaining why this method works and how it's derived. (It's a little bit mathy; it helps if you've heard of the Fourier transform but it's not required. There's lots of pictures.)
SGA: Antarctic Drift by smilebackwards
Oct. 12th, 2025 02:03 ammific posting in fancakeFandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Jack O'Neill, Janet Fraiser
Rating: Mature
Length: 3592
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: smilebackwards on AO3
Themes: Uncommon settings, Action/adventure, First time, Complete AU, Fusion
Summary: Atlantis Prime is the best Jaeger ever built. Of course it is, Rodney built it himself. Too bad he can’t find anyone Drift compatible to pilot it with him.
John Sheppard was one of the best Jaeger pilots the program had, until he lost his partner in a Kaiju attack off the coast of Alaska. He’s not eager to go back, but the right Drift partner might just convince him.
Reccer's Notes: There are very few Stargate Atlantis AUs set in the Pacific Rim universe, and this is an excellent one. It's in two parts, a Fanvid trailer and then the story. Rodney (with Zelenka) has repaired and re-engineered the jaeger Atlantis Prime but can't find a partner to pilot it. John's a traumatised ex-jaeger-pilot who, after Holland's death, is reluctant to return to the fray. There's romance too, as part of them becoming drift-compatible. The trailer vid is cleverly done and works well with the story - both are very much recommended.
Fanwork Links: Antarctic Drift
and the Fanvid is here
(the works are locked to AO3)
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Jack O'Neill, Janet Fraiser
Rating: Mature
Length: 3592
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: smilebackwards on AO3
Themes: Uncommon settings, Action/adventure, First time, Complete AU, Fusion
Summary: Atlantis Prime is the best Jaeger ever built. Of course it is, Rodney built it himself. Too bad he can’t find anyone Drift compatible to pilot it with him.
John Sheppard was one of the best Jaeger pilots the program had, until he lost his partner in a Kaiju attack off the coast of Alaska. He’s not eager to go back, but the right Drift partner might just convince him.
Reccer's Notes: There are very few Stargate Atlantis AUs set in the Pacific Rim universe, and this is an excellent one. It's in two parts, a Fanvid trailer and then the story. Rodney (with Zelenka) has repaired and re-engineered the jaeger Atlantis Prime but can't find a partner to pilot it. John's a traumatised ex-jaeger-pilot who, after Holland's death, is reluctant to return to the fray. There's romance too, as part of them becoming drift-compatible. The trailer vid is cleverly done and works well with the story - both are very much recommended.
Fanwork Links: Antarctic Drift
and the Fanvid is here
(the works are locked to AO3)
The crownless again shall be king by gvalesdraws (SFW)
Oct. 12th, 2025 01:34 ammific posting in fanart_recsFandom: Tolkien: Lord of the Rings
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Aragorn
Content Notes/Warnings: none
Medium: digital art
Artist on DW/LJ: n/a
Artist Website/Gallery: gvalesdraws on tumblr
Why this piece is awesome: The palette is mostly subtle earth colours for Strider, and the design is gorgeous, the bulk being a portrait of Aragorn as Strider, but the reflection in his raised sword is white and gold, showing Aragorn crowned as king.
Link: The crownless again shall be king
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Aragorn
Content Notes/Warnings: none
Medium: digital art
Artist on DW/LJ: n/a
Artist Website/Gallery: gvalesdraws on tumblr
Why this piece is awesome: The palette is mostly subtle earth colours for Strider, and the design is gorgeous, the bulk being a portrait of Aragorn as Strider, but the reflection in his raised sword is white and gold, showing Aragorn crowned as king.
Link: The crownless again shall be king
Amateur aesthetic practice is "artifice that imitates artifice"
Oct. 11th, 2025 08:45 ammetafilter_feedThe online spaces where amateur content creators once "created and steered online culture" have been hollowed out and replaced by slop, but what really hurts is that the slop is being produced by bots trained on precisely that amateur content. Bricoleurs make art out of trash; AI is a machine for turning art into trash. The deal was, Walsh reminds us, that we would pay for the privilege of creating free content with our data; we didn't realize we'd be paying with our creativity. from I Meme Business, a review of Joanna Walsh's book Amateurs!
Sale Promotion: Cozy the Day Away (Oct 11-12)
Oct. 11th, 2025 07:11 amtanaqui posting in ebooksCozy the Day Away, a flash sale for Cozy Fantasy books, is running again for two days this weekend, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October.
This time, there are more than 150 books in the sale, with many new authors (and new titles from authors who were in previous sales.)
The sale includes ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks and bundles.
A strong focus on diversity: LGBTQIA+, neurodiversity, global majority/PoC characters, mental and physical disabilities, all represented.
A wide variety of genres, including romantasy, cozy mysteries, paranormal and urban fantasy and action/adventure.
Many ebooks are 99p/99c (or even free) and there are steep discounts on other formats.
Find out more and access the list of books (only visible this weekend) at https://cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org/
This time, there are more than 150 books in the sale, with many new authors (and new titles from authors who were in previous sales.)
The sale includes ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks and bundles.
A strong focus on diversity: LGBTQIA+, neurodiversity, global majority/PoC characters, mental and physical disabilities, all represented.
A wide variety of genres, including romantasy, cozy mysteries, paranormal and urban fantasy and action/adventure.
Many ebooks are 99p/99c (or even free) and there are steep discounts on other formats.
Find out more and access the list of books (only visible this weekend) at https://cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org/
wacced out murals
Oct. 11th, 2025 05:11 ammetafilter_feedThe Hidden Meaning Behind Kendrick Lamar's GNX [play album] - "From the storytelling to the production, every element of GNX holds a deeper significance that reveals the artist's vision and perspective. Join us as we break down the lyrics, flows, and message to understand what makes GNX a masterpiece of modern hip-hop."
AI tool helps children with epilepsy live seizure-free
Oct. 11th, 2025 03:13 ammetafilter_feedAI tool helps children with epilepsy live seizure-free. Melbourne researchers test a new AI tool that detects tiny lesions in children with epilepsy, leading to surgeries that leave them seizure-free.
New Alternative to Epipen - Nasal Inhaler
Oct. 11th, 2025 01:29 ammetafilter_feedIn August 2024, the FDA approved the first nasal spray for treatment of anaphylaxsis. Recently, the FDA has cleared the spray for children over 33 lbs.
For people with severe allergies or parents of children with severe allergies, this may reduce barriers to administering lifesaving treatment especially for those with a fear of needles. The nasal spray is being sold by Neffy.
For people with severe allergies or parents of children with severe allergies, this may reduce barriers to administering lifesaving treatment especially for those with a fear of needles. The nasal spray is being sold by Neffy.
Old guitar sounds fabulous
Oct. 10th, 2025 11:20 pmmetafilter_feedWhat a 180 year old Martin sounds like (SLYT)... The guitarist is Nicholas Hosford. The guitar was built in 1842.
(Part of this post is about envy in that I will never be able to play that well.)
Happy Friday, everyone!
(Part of this post is about envy in that I will never be able to play that well.)
Happy Friday, everyone!
weekend open thread – October 11-12, 2025
Oct. 10th, 2025 11:07 pmaskamanager_feed
This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand.
Here are the rules for the weekend posts.
Book recommendation of the week: The Sisters Weiss, by Naomi Ragen. The daughter of a strict ultra-Orthodox Jewish family rebels against the expectations of her parents and community, to mixed results. (Amazon, Bookshop)
* I earn a commission if you use those links.
The post weekend open thread – October 11-12, 2025 appeared first on Ask a Manager.
Challenge 494: Brilliant
Oct. 10th, 2025 04:35 pmteaotter posting in fan_flashworksOur new challenge is:
As always, you can interpret the prompt literally or figuratively, in whatever way works for you.
Each work created for this challenge should be posted as a new entry to the comm. Posting starts now and continues up until the challenge ends at 4pm Pacific Time on Monday, October 20th. No sign-up required.
Mods will tag your work with fandom and challenge. When you've posted entries to three consecutive challenges, you will earn a name tag, and we'll go back and tag all your previous entries with your name.
All kinds of fanworks in all fandoms are welcome. Please have a look at our guidelines before you play. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact a mod. And if you have any suggestions for future challenges, you can leave them in the comments of this post.
You can view stats forfan_flashworks entries and search and filter them via the Community Report and Creator Report. See our FAQ post for more details. (Three cheers for treonb! *\o/*)
Also, keep an eye out for the nextffw_social post, which will go up in the next couple of days. If you haven't joined the ffw_social comm, it's never too late to come and check it out. (Posts are locked, which means you have to join to see them.)
BRILLIANT
As always, you can interpret the prompt literally or figuratively, in whatever way works for you.
Each work created for this challenge should be posted as a new entry to the comm. Posting starts now and continues up until the challenge ends at 4pm Pacific Time on Monday, October 20th. No sign-up required.
Mods will tag your work with fandom and challenge. When you've posted entries to three consecutive challenges, you will earn a name tag, and we'll go back and tag all your previous entries with your name.
All kinds of fanworks in all fandoms are welcome. Please have a look at our guidelines before you play. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact a mod. And if you have any suggestions for future challenges, you can leave them in the comments of this post.
You can view stats for
fan_flashworks entries and search and filter them via the Community Report and Creator Report. See our FAQ post for more details. (Three cheers for treonb! *\o/*)Also, keep an eye out for the next
ffw_social post, which will go up in the next couple of days. If you haven't joined the ffw_social comm, it's never too late to come and check it out. (Posts are locked, which means you have to join to see them.)Admin: Challenge closed
Oct. 10th, 2025 04:32 pmteaotter posting in fan_flashworksThe Garden challenge is now closed. Here are the entries:
Sherlock Holmes (ACD): Fanfic: Autumn Gardening, bysmallhobbit
Torchwood: Fanfic: A Place To Relax, bybadly_knitted
Ducktales (2017): Fanart: The Garden of Selene, byinfinitum_noctem
due South: Fanfiction: Fraser's Garden, bylucy_roman
thunderbolts: fanfic: the beauty of dangerous things, byfadedwings
S.W.A.T.: Fan Fiction: Garden Party, bydarkjediqueen
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fanfic: Uncle Spester, byveronyxk84
no fandom : icons : gardens, byhighlander_ii
Torchwood: Fanfic: Somewhere that's green, bym_findlow
Game Loading: Fanfic: in sleep (a corolla), bybluedreaming
No Fandom: Junk Journal Pages: Cycles, bydrabblewriter
Scream Park: fanfic: roll with it, byteaotter
Guardian: fanfic: Retreat, bychina_shop
\o/ \o/ \o/
Thank you to everyone who participated! You're now free to post your entries to your journal or wherever else you'd like. If you're archiving on AO3, you can add your work to our fan_flashworks collection there.
The Community Report and Creator Report will be updated shortly with the entries from this round. See our FAQ for more details.
Next challenge coming right up.
Sherlock Holmes (ACD): Fanfic: Autumn Gardening, by
smallhobbitTorchwood: Fanfic: A Place To Relax, by
badly_knittedDucktales (2017): Fanart: The Garden of Selene, by
infinitum_noctemdue South: Fanfiction: Fraser's Garden, by
lucy_romanthunderbolts: fanfic: the beauty of dangerous things, by
fadedwingsS.W.A.T.: Fan Fiction: Garden Party, by
darkjediqueenBuffy the Vampire Slayer: Fanfic: Uncle Spester, by
veronyxk84no fandom : icons : gardens, by
highlander_iiTorchwood: Fanfic: Somewhere that's green, by
m_findlowGame Loading: Fanfic: in sleep (a corolla), by
bluedreamingNo Fandom: Junk Journal Pages: Cycles, by
drabblewriterScream Park: fanfic: roll with it, by
teaotterGuardian: fanfic: Retreat, by
china_shop\o/ \o/ \o/
Thank you to everyone who participated! You're now free to post your entries to your journal or wherever else you'd like. If you're archiving on AO3, you can add your work to our fan_flashworks collection there.
The Community Report and Creator Report will be updated shortly with the entries from this round. See our FAQ for more details.
Next challenge coming right up.
When Mike Johnson follows Mitch McConnell's example with Merrick Garland
Oct. 10th, 2025 10:32 pmmetafilter_feedAP Headline: Democrats could have a slight shot at flipping a US House seat in Utah under a new congressional map. What good will that do when Mike Johnson can refuse to seat them, like Adelita Grijalva (Who?)
(Posted here instead of the green since the question is kinda rhetorical)
(Posted here instead of the green since the question is kinda rhetorical)
Guardian: fanfic: Retreat
Oct. 11th, 2025 11:10 amchina_shop posting in fan_flashworksTitle: Retreat
Fandom: Guardian (TV)
Rating: G-rated
Length: 733 words
Notes: Much thanks totrobadora for read-through and feedback on an earlier version. <3
Tags: Gen, Da Qing, Napping spots, Very mild crossover
Summary: Hidden in the dim reaches of the SID library, behind stacks of old case files, is a portal.
( Retreat )
Fandom: Guardian (TV)
Rating: G-rated
Length: 733 words
Notes: Much thanks to
trobadora for read-through and feedback on an earlier version. <3Tags: Gen, Da Qing, Napping spots, Very mild crossover
Summary: Hidden in the dim reaches of the SID library, behind stacks of old case files, is a portal.
( Retreat )
Scream Park: fanfic: roll with it
Oct. 10th, 2025 01:58 pmteaotter posting in fan_flashworksTitle: roll with it
Fandom: Scream Park (mods: you can use the board game tag if we have one)
Challenge: Garden
Length: ~300 words
Note: Scream Park is a fun board game where you're putting together a haunted house using the bits and pieces of previous haunts, and then trying to lure VIPS to come see what you've done.
Summary: It's a half-hour to opening, and things are still going wrong.
( Read more... )
Fandom: Scream Park (mods: you can use the board game tag if we have one)
Challenge: Garden
Length: ~300 words
Note: Scream Park is a fun board game where you're putting together a haunted house using the bits and pieces of previous haunts, and then trying to lure VIPS to come see what you've done.
Summary: It's a half-hour to opening, and things are still going wrong.
( Read more... )