I hotlink here to pictures on OTHER sites. I can't hotlink to HZ photos because, mostly, there aren't any.

The site you linked to (militantplatypus) has some software device that screws up somebody trying to post a direct link to a picture on that site. Instead of your picture, that cartoon shows up instead. I have seen this kind of thing elsewhere. Tripod.com is famous for it. Most sites don't do that. Many other sites simply do something that results in the dreaded "red X" appearing.

HZ has no facility for posting photos directly to this site, which, in reflection, is probably a good thing. We had a bad couple of days in which it became possible to stick images in post headers...

There are many websites where for free, or a very small fee, you can upload one of your own photos. Once it's there, it then has its very own URL, and you can link to it from anywhere else. I use Photopile.com.

Example: Me, as the dreaded Darth Helmet!