Presidential candidates Milos Zeman (L) and Vladimir Franz (R) attend the last television pre-election debate of all nine candidates ahead of the presidential elections on January 10, 2013, in Prague, Czech Republic. Czechs will choose their next president from nine candidates in the first direct presidential elections on January 11 and 12. By Martin Divisek /VLP/isifa/Getty Images.
Jesus Garcia, 10, holds his dog Luna, after it underwent sterilization surgery at Las Golondrinas neighbourhood in Mexico City, on January 10, 2013. The local government started a sterilization campaign for stray dogs and cats. By Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images.
Guatemala's National Civil Police drug squad graduates stand in formation during their graduation ceremony at Guatemala's Police Academy on January 9, 2013 in Guatemala City. Guatemala keeps a constant struggle against drug trafficking as 90 per cent of the drug going to the United States, main world market, travels through the region. By Johan Ordonez/AFP/Getty Images.
A soldier from the Netherlands embraces his crying children prior to him being transfered to Turkey from Eindhoven Military Airport on January 8, 2013 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. This advance party of Dutch and German troops will fly to Turkey to prepare for the arrival of the Patriots with the main body of European soldiers arriving later in the month. By Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.
Marina Galperina admires the swagger of some Russian gravestones:
A certain Russian blogger has recently rehashed these marvels. He presents them as opulent post-mortem totems to the “bourgeoisie of Russia and their henchmen.” I’m guessing something a bit more specific, as the style of the marble etchings are reminiscent of that often seen in the cemeteries of Yekaterinburg, Russia’s crime capital of the 1990′s where many mob gents were burried, with style.
Not to mention that the portraits look like Hollywood-cast ’90s gangsters — the dangly jewelry, the open collars, the ’90s cellphones splayed out on the table (these are very realistic, detailed portraits, you guys), the particular leather jacket fashions, kinging towering stances and faces of contentment, often with a detailed etching of a city landmark in the background. As in, I ran that city b and then I died.
DesignBoom zooms in:
As an artistic impetus for social change, Cuban-American contemporary artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada has created an aerial land artwork spanning the length of two football fields in Amsterdam. Commissioned by the feminist organization Mama Cash for their campaign, Vogelvrije Vrouwen - defend women who defend human rights, the work depicts the portrait of an anonymous mesoamerican woman in honor of female activists and as a protest against their persecution in the Mesoamerican region.
A Barn Owl is held during London Zoo's annual stocktake of animals on January 3, 2013 in London, England. The zoo's stocktake takes place annually, and gives keepers a chance to check on the numbers of every one of the animals from stick insects and frogs to tigers and camels. By Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.
A camel herder and her grandson along the Ghez River, Xinjiang Province, China. Via Getty Images.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) arrives for a House Democratic Caucus meeting to discuss the legislation that will blunt the effects of the 'fiscal cliff' before a rare New Year's Day session in Washington, DC on January 1, 2013. Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) negotiated the deal that produced The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which passed the Senate after midnight on New Year's Day. By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
The Dish 