I saw a wonderful documentary last night at an indie documentary film festival, named Play In the Gray, which deals with themes about gender socialization and LGBT acceptance. It explores the troupe members' personal stories about their lives, how they've matured into acceptance as lesbians, and about their relationships with other women and their families. Features the work of Kate Bornstein (Gender Outlaw).

About: "Play in the Gray is a penetrating, and at times vulnerably raw, portrait of the work, art, and emotional lives of the members of All The Kings Men.

All The Kings Men is a drag and cabaret inspired theater troupe based out of Boston. The troupe intrigues— on stage they perform as old ladies or appear to be women dressed as men or men dressed as women. Their electrifying, award-winning show makes audiences laugh while also questioning themselves and the world. Behind the scenes, Katie, Maria, Julee, Karin, Jill and Leighsa, the members of All the Kings Men, practice hard, spend long hours on the road, and struggle to “make it”—they want All the Kings Men to be a household name."

Experts’ Shocking Warning: Don’t Let Fish Chew on Your Feet | Discoblog | Discover Magazine

Experts’ Shocking Warning: Don’t Let Fish Chew on Your Feet | Discoblog | Discover Magazine

The next time fish-pedicure enthusiasts dunk their feet in a vat of squirming, skin-nibbling, toothless carp, they may get more than they bargained for—especially if those fish just feasted on diseased skin. Health officials, fearing the spread of infections, have now launched a major investigation into this allegedly fishy beauty technique.

In the UK, fish pedicures are booming, which is great for beauty clinics because the procedure costs upwards of £50 ($81 U.S.). Visitors place their feet in a tank full of Garra rufa fish—a variety of Turkish toothless carp—and sit back while the fish eat away their dead skin. These foot-fetishistic fish have been nicknamed “doctor fish,” and though more and more UK citizens are dunking their feet, the UK’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) has a hunch that this procedure may be doing more harm than good.

New Opportunity to Pass Civil Unions in Hawaii � Human Rights Campaign | HRC Back Story

New Opportunity to Pass Civil Unions in Hawaii � Human Rights Campaign | HRC Back Story:

By Tony Wagner
January 19th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Today, the Hawaii state legislature opens their 2011-12 legislative session at the state capitol in Honolulu.� They will have many important issues to address, but we need to send a strong message that LGBT civil rights should be among the highest of priorities."

The evolution of body types (3)

The evolution of body types (3)

Next time you're at the gym, ponder this: The look you may be going for wasn't always considered chic. The classic body type has evolved throughout the years.

And it likely won't be tomorrow.

FAQ On ACOs: Accountable Care Organizations, Explained - Kaiser Health News

FAQ On ACOs: Accountable Care Organizations, Explained - Kaiser Health News:

ACO is the hottest three-letter word in health care

By Jenny Gold
KHN Staff Writer
JAN 13, 2011
Accountable care organizations take up only seven pages of the massive new health law yet have become one of the most talked about provisions. This latest model for delivering services offers doctors and hospitals financial incentives to provide good quality care to Medicare beneficiaries while keeping down costs. A cottage industry of consultants has sprung up to help even ordinary hospitals become the first ACOs on the block."

Fact Check: Questions Mount As Health Law Rolls Out - Kaiser Health News

Fact Check: Questions Mount As Health Law Rolls Out - Kaiser Health News:

* According to the Republicans, the job toll is about 650,000 -- thoroughly debunked, among others by the group factcheck.org.It turns out that what the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) actually said about job loss is that the law would allow people to stop working because they could get health insurance — not prompt employers to cut jobs or fire people.

* People who earn less than 133 percent of the poverty line (about $14,400 in 2010; soon to be updated for 2011) will get Medicaid coverage, which costs them nothing.

* There's no employer mandate in the law. For employers with fewer than 50 workers, there's no requirement — period. For those with fewer than 25 workers, there’s actually a tax credit to help them pay for coverage for their workers.

* I've read that the return on investment for health insurance companies averages around 16 percent. How does that compare with other countries?

Private insurance — particularly for-profit private insurance — isn't all that common in other countries other than as a supplement or complement to public health insurance.

Mental Stimulation Postpones, Then Speeds Dementia : NPR

Mental Stimulation Postpones, Then Speeds Dementia : NPR

When it comes to staving off dementia, new evidence suggests that the "use it or lose it" dictum holds true — at least for a while. But it also appears that mentally stimulating lifestyles may speed up dementia once it hits in old age.