Dia de los Muertos is a traditional Mexican and Latin American holiday in which the living commemorate the memories of their dead ancestors. Although occurring at the same time of year as Halloween and sharing a common imagery of death – Dia de los Muertos decorations and foods prominently feature skull and skeleton motifs.This holiday does not consider the dead to be morbid or frightening; rather, they are objects of affection and even humor. Families visit the graves of loved ones, share meals, and build altars in their homes to their memory.
Tom of Finland's real name is Touko - because he was born on May 8, 1920, on the south coast of Finland, and May in Finnish is "Toukokuu". His homeland had been independent for just three years when Touko was born, and outside its few cities the country was still rough and wild. The men who worked in the fields and woods, the farmers and loggers, were true frontiersmen, every bit as rough and wild as the countryside. Tom of Finland died on November 7, 1991 at the age of 71.
The top-scoring panoramic photos entered in the eleventh Epson International Pano Awards have just been announced. The contest is meant to showcase the best work of panoramic photographers around the world. Organizers reported that they received 5,859 entries from 1,452 photographers in 96 countries this year, competing for the top spots in five categories, for several special awards, and for some of the cash prizes offered. Contest organizers were once again kind enough to share some of the winners and top scorers here.
Water is a precious resource and a relatively plentiful lunar presence could prove important to future astronaut and robotic missions seeking to extract and utilize water.The moon lacks the bodies of liquid water that are a hallmark of Earth but scientists said on Monday lunar water is more widespread than previously known, with water molecules trapped within mineral grains on the surface and more water perhaps hidden in ice patches residing in permanent shadows. While research 11 years ago indicated water was relatively widespread in small amounts on the moon, a team of scientists is now reporting the first unambiguous detection of water molecules on the lunar surface. At the same time, another team is reporting that the moon possesses roughly 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers) of permanent shadows that potentially could harbor hidden pockets of water in the form of ice.
