A Closer Look at the Healthcare Debate

Given the circus that is the American news media, it can be tricky to cut through the bullshit and hoopla and get to the heart of any given issue. Such is the case with the healthcare debate, which has effectively devolved into theater, with most media attention focusing on the people who talk the most but are the least knowledgeable. Beyond the abstract ramblings about socialism and Hitler lies the fact that millions upon millions of Americans are unable to afford healthcare of any kind. Add to that the fact that millions more who are "covered" still don't get the care they need. In this segment from Real Time with Bill Maher, comedian Dana Gould takes a look at the two sides of the debate. You might be surprised by what you see. Gould's signoff says it all.

A Closer Look at the Healthcare Debate

The Tenderloin Project

The best art isn't always the easiest to watch. Furthermore, the art that speaks to us most powerfully is often rooted in reality. Photographer/director Sean Desmond's Tenderloin Project most certainly falls into both categories. The project combines film and photography to paint what Desmond describes as "a compelling and honest portrait" of the Tenderloin, known widely as one of San Francisco's poorest and most marginalized areas. The result is something deeply resonant and meaningful, with a message and a purpose in mind. "The project will culminate in publishing the images in book form," explain the creators, "with proceeds from the sales being donated to organizations that promote and give access to art in the Tenderloin. This, we feel, will allow our project to live on for years and generations to come in the form of art within the community. " Check here for more info, videos and pics.

The Tenderloin Project

Doctors Baffled By Indian Village With 200+ Sets of Twins

This is just some unusual shit. The tiny Indian town of Kodinji is what we might call a statistical anomaly. How can it be that this village has a rate of twin-births four times that of the worldwide average? Teachers in this town must get dumb ass confused. From Yahoo! News:

Walk around Kodinji village and you'll think that you have double vision. The village is home to as many as 230 sets of twins. Nobody knows why there are so many twins in the village of 15,000 people, although one local doctor suspects it might be due to the water.

In fact with about 35-45 twins per live birth, this village in North Kerala, India, has four times more twins than normal. Not surprisingly, the village has been dubbed "the twin village." The latest official estimates by the Kodinji's Twins and Kins Association (TAKA), which conducted door-to-door surveys at the start of the year, found that there were 204 sets of twins. Based on births since the survey was conducted, there are probably now around 230 sets of twins in the village, locals said. That number is set to rise as there are five women pregnant with twins.

Scientists are still trying to uncover the mystery of why there are so many twins in the village. "All the factors leading to the occurrence of twinning world wide, we cannot see it here. There is something unknown that is causing this phenomenon," he said.

Full Story Here

Doctors Baffled By Indian Village With 200+ Sets of Twins