Yes, and I've not seen this before, the HTML uses an SVG with an emoji in it as the favicon:
<link rel="icon" href="data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22 viewBox=%220 0 100 100%22>
<text y=%22.9em%22 font-size=%2290%22>
:( HN has remove the emoji
</text>
</svg>">
Very neat. Might use that.