TIL: Today I Learned

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I just realised (after some lengthy Net searches and image comparisons) that one of my favourite fantasy avatars is actually a composite of various parts of classic Baldur's Gate avatars. I will confess to being somewhat disappointed by this revelation.
 
Link or it didn't happen.

Also, why are you up so late?
 
I've subscribed to the thread, but it seems to have been dead for almost a year now.
That's because Doctor Who took a year-long hiatus. The only new episode we're expecting this year is the Christmas special. Maybe. All the speculating that can reasonably be done about the new companion has been done, so it just remains to wait for the new season.
 
There's always speculation to be had. There's even people who think that the Fourth Doctor is not the best Doctor ever.

Also, I haven't watched all of the latest season (danged syndication) so no spoilers, please.
 
Okay. It's probably best that you don't read the thread until you've caught up, then.

(and yeah, I've heard of these odd people who don't think Tom Baker is the Best Doctor Ever :hmm:)
 
They should be neutralised at the earliest opportunity.
 
Link or it didn't happen. ... Also, why are you up so late?

Amongst other things, that's why. :p

Spoiler Artwork investigation :
The artwork in question:
Grey-robedwizard.jpg


I don't know why I didn't spot it before, but the base is clearly this Baldur's Gate avatar:

955c70f50611bb1d20aa3535290895a8.jpg


However, the hood (and possibly the beard) come from Edwin's picture:

BGEdwin.jpg


Whereas the armour is Sarevok's:

BGIISarevok.jpg


I'm also fairly certain that it's one of Keldorn's scars on his eyebrow:

iu


It's clearly a popular mash-up, because I found other related images whilst searching for some to use in this post!
 
As mentioned here:

Weirdly, cetaceans (dolphins and whales) are ungulates. Specifically, cetaceans and hippos form a clade called "whippomorphs" ("whippo" = "whale" + "hippo"; who said taxonomists aren't cool guys and gals?). This means that much to her chagrin, the hippo's closest relative at the party is actually the annoying loser dolphin. Ungulates are a group of animals that evolved to walk on some of their toes, which often take the form of hooves, and they are mostly herbivores. They are divided into the artiodactyls (even-toed, like the animals shown here), and perissodactyls (odd-toed, like horses and rhinoceroses). Many of them have additional, smaller toes that are not usually used in bearing their weight. Cetaceans have lost their toes altogether. Regarding the shape of an ungulate's leg, the backward-bending "knee" in the hind leg of a horse or deer is actually its ankle, and the joint corresponding to our knee is up closer to the body, so their body plan is more similar to ours than it might at first appear. A hoof is largely formed of an overgrown toenail. Cetaceans have lost their hind legs entirely, and they have a few disconnected bones that are remnants of a pelvis. The tail flukes are made of cartilage. Although the shape of a sealion's body bears some similarity to a dolphin's, the "tail flukes" of a sealion are actually its feet. Sealions and seals are related to bears, and their streamlined aquatic shape is a case of convergent evolution, rather than a sign of being closely related to cetaceans.
 
As mentioned here:

Weirdly, cetaceans (dolphins and whales) are ungulates. Specifically, cetaceans and hippos form a clade called "whippomorphs" ("whippo" = "whale" + "hippo"; who said taxonomists aren't cool guys and gals?). This means that much to her chagrin, the hippo's closest relative at the party is actually the annoying loser dolphin. Ungulates are a group of animals that evolved to walk on some of their toes, which often take the form of hooves, and they are mostly herbivores. They are divided into the artiodactyls (even-toed, like the animals shown here), and perissodactyls (odd-toed, like horses and rhinoceroses). Many of them have additional, smaller toes that are not usually used in bearing their weight. Cetaceans have lost their toes altogether. Regarding the shape of an ungulate's leg, the backward-bending "knee" in the hind leg of a horse or deer is actually its ankle, and the joint corresponding to our knee is up closer to the body, so their body plan is more similar to ours than it might at first appear. A hoof is largely formed of an overgrown toenail. Cetaceans have lost their hind legs entirely, and they have a few disconnected bones that are remnants of a pelvis. The tail flukes are made of cartilage. Although the shape of a sealion's body bears some similarity to a dolphin's, the "tail flukes" of a sealion are actually its feet. Sealions and seals are related to bears, and their streamlined aquatic shape is a case of convergent evolution, rather than a sign of being closely related to cetaceans.

No. Whale + Hippo as "Whippo" is over-lame.

Should have been termed Phalaenoippopotamoeidoi or some such :) Barbarians ruin science terminology.
 
TIL that more people were murdered in Brazil from 2011 to 2015 than died in the Syrian civil war during the same period.
 
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Yeah it's still completely f**ed up. Got some more stats on those murders? Gang related stuff?
 
Favelas are pretty damned awful. For awhile, there was smartphone footage almost daily of children being shot, associated with drug crime.
 
As mentioned here:

Weirdly, cetaceans (dolphins and whales) are ungulates. Specifically, cetaceans and hippos form a clade called "whippomorphs" ("whippo" = "whale" + "hippo"; who said taxonomists aren't cool guys and gals?). This means that much to her chagrin, the hippo's closest relative at the party is actually the annoying loser dolphin. Ungulates are a group of animals that evolved to walk on some of their toes, which often take the form of hooves, and they are mostly herbivores. They are divided into the artiodactyls (even-toed, like the animals shown here), and perissodactyls (odd-toed, like horses and rhinoceroses). Many of them have additional, smaller toes that are not usually used in bearing their weight. Cetaceans have lost their toes altogether. Regarding the shape of an ungulate's leg, the backward-bending "knee" in the hind leg of a horse or deer is actually its ankle, and the joint corresponding to our knee is up closer to the body, so their body plan is more similar to ours than it might at first appear. A hoof is largely formed of an overgrown toenail. Cetaceans have lost their hind legs entirely, and they have a few disconnected bones that are remnants of a pelvis. The tail flukes are made of cartilage. Although the shape of a sealion's body bears some similarity to a dolphin's, the "tail flukes" of a sealion are actually its feet. Sealions and seals are related to bears, and their streamlined aquatic shape is a case of convergent evolution, rather than a sign of being closely related to cetaceans.
I'd read about the whales and hippopotamuses; this is something that drives the YEC/ID crowd on the Dawkins/Krauss YouTube pages into fits.

I hadn't known about the sea lions' relation to bears, though; that's interesting.
 
Yea
Amongst other things, that's why. :p

Spoiler Artwork investigation :
The artwork in question:
Grey-robedwizard.jpg


I don't know why I didn't spot it before, but the base is clearly this Baldur's Gate avatar:

955c70f50611bb1d20aa3535290895a8.jpg


However, the hood (and possibly the beard) come from Edwin's picture:

BGEdwin.jpg


Whereas the armour is Sarevok's:

BGIISarevok.jpg


I'm also fairly certain that it's one of Keldorn's scars on his eyebrow:

iu


It's clearly a popular mash-up, because I found other related images whilst searching for some to use in this post!
You're absolutely right. They flipped all the reflected all of the images (left/right), re-colored them and then added them as layers on a new composite image. Good on you for spotting it - the image creator did an awesome job mashing them all together seamlessly.
 
Yeah it's still completely f**ed up. Got some more stats on those murders? Gang related stuff?

No, but it's probably safe to assume.
 
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