#medicial bills

[lyxchee-art]

Part 2 of custom Skullgirls palettes but with Disney Villains! +bonus.

Fukua - Bill Sykes (Oliver & Company)

Valentine - Helga Sinclair (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Double - Claude Frollo (The Hunchback from Notre Dame)

BONUS DOWN HERE!!

Filia - Fagin

Umbrella - Jenny

Both from Oliver and Company!

[ifocusblogs]

Navigating the Complex Landscape of Medical Billing: A Comprehensive Guide

In the intricate web of healthcare services, one often overlooked but crucial aspect is medical billing. For many patients, the mere mention of medical billing can evoke feelings of confusion and frustration. However, understanding the intricacies of this process is essential for both healthcare providers and patients alike. In this article, we will delve into the world of medical billing, demystifying its complexities and shedding light on its significance in the healthcare ecosystem.

I. What is Medical Billing? Medical billing is the process of submitting and following up on claims with health insurance companies to receive payment for services rendered by healthcare providers. This multifaceted procedure involves coding, invoicing, and communication with insurance companies to ensure accurate and timely reimbursement for medical services.

II. The Role of Medical Coders: At the heart of medical billing lies the work of medical coders. These professionals assign specific codes to diagnoses and procedures based on the information provided by healthcare providers. Accurate coding is crucial, as it determines the amount of reimbursement a healthcare provider receives. The two primary coding systems in use today are the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT).

III. The Medical Billing Process: A. Patient Registration: The process begins with patient registration, where essential demographic and insurance information is collected. B. Documentation and Coding: Healthcare providers document the services provided and diagnoses made, and medical coders assign appropriate codes. C. Claim Submission: Completed claims are submitted to insurance companies electronically or via paper submission, initiating the reimbursement process. D. Adjudication: Insurance companies review claims for accuracy and adherence to policy guidelines, determining the amount of reimbursement. E. Payment and Denial: Providers receive payment for approved claims, while denied claims may require resubmission with additional information or clarification.

IV. Common Challenges in Medical Billing: A. Coding Errors: Inaccuracies in coding can lead to claim denials and delayed payments. B. Insurance Verification: Failure to verify patient insurance coverage can result in claim rejections. C. Timely Submission: Delays in claim submission can impede the reimbursement process. D. Complex Regulations: Ever-evolving healthcare regulations and policies can pose challenges for healthcare providers.

V. Importance of Patient Understanding: Patients play a vital role in the medical billing process. Understanding insurance coverage, reviewing statements for accuracy, and promptly addressing any discrepancies can contribute to a smoother billing experience. Clear communication between patients and healthcare providers is essential to resolving billing issues effectively.

VI. The Future of Medical Billing: Advancements in technology, such as electronic health records (EHR) and artificial intelligence, are shaping the future of medical billing. These innovations aim to streamline processes, reduce errors, and enhance overall efficiency in the healthcare industry.

Conclusion:

Medical billing is a critical component of the healthcare system, ensuring that healthcare providers receive proper compensation for the services they deliver. While the process may seem daunting, understanding its intricacies empowers both healthcare providers and patients to navigate the complexities of medical billing successfully. As technology continues to advance, the future holds promise for a more seamless and efficient medical billing experience for all stakeholders involved in the healthcare journey.

[billskeis]

pls create clingy tom fluffs

ᡣ𐭩 clingy tom while sick

it was two in the afternoon, you lay in bed. you put down your phone in hopes that the throbbing headache you’ve had since last night went away. you caught a cold most likely from staying out clubbing, maybe you shouldn’t have taken that stranger’s drink.

asswipe, you thought, who goes to the club sick?

“baby?? you awake? i’m back!” you hear a shout from afar with the noises of a door shutting and the rustling of plastic bags. with the shuffling of shoes assumingely being taken off, your boyfriend enters your bedroom of your parents house. they’re out on vacation and agreed to let tom stay in the meanwhile.

his face immediately drops when he sees you in your state. tissues everywhere, eye bags accompanied your face, your nose was suuuper red, which was really embarrassing but tom thought that was cute.

sweating, many blankets lay top of you as this was his way of making you feel better by letting you ‘sweat it out.’

“oh schatzi look at you, and you insisted we go out today!” he sets down the bags gently near the foot of your bed, sitting down on the mattress that dips with his weight, “tom! it’s okay! we can still go out just let me take a hot steaming shower and get ready quickly—i wanna go see that movie,” he shakes his head at you and pushes you back down to lie down as you attempt to get up.

he ruffles the head on top of your head, “as much as i love you and i wish we can go out, you’re in no state to..” he lays his head on your legs, the plush blanket cushioning him even further. “but tom—“ “no baby! i’m not letting you get up until you’re one hundred percent better, yeah?” he now grabs one of your hands to play with your fingers, admiring how they look.

you scoff, he’s being awfully stubborn for someone who can’t seem to not touch you.

“tom! get up please! i don’t want you getting sick,” “i’m not moving, your lap is comfortable.. i thought you weren’t even sick,” he snorts. rolling your eyes, you sniffle, feeling your nose becoming runny, you reach to grab a tissue to blow your nose.

“don’t get up. i’ll do it,” he gets up as fast as his body lets him and grabs a tissue from the box on your bedside table. holding the tissue up to your nose, you blow, he pinches the tissue to catch all that came out. “better?” he asks, you nod obligingly.

that was pretty nasty but oh well whatever floats his boat i guess.

he then bends down to grab something from the bag, opening the lid, he shakes a pill into his hand. “take this, i know you don’t like these but i at least got the strawberry flavour you liked,” you pouted, staring at him.

ingesting the pill, he quickly holds the glass of water to your mouth to drink it. knowing that pills are particularly hard for you to take, he knows that by drinking water after conditions your body to take it in easier.

the pill was sweet, yet the flavour that lingered on your tongue was only for a second being washed by the water.

he kisses the side of your cheek, “good job pretty,” tom began taking of his sweater and swiftly entered the bed to cuddle beside you. “um hello? do you not remember what current state i’m in?” moving your head a bit, his arm snakes under the side of your neck to hold you closer to him, “relax i’m not going to get sick, you baby, just let me hold you.”

“wow cannot get enough of me huh, after the way you were dancing with me last night?” “you were super hot that night couldn’t help my self, plus, i’m only doing this because you’re weak and cute,” you scoff, is he serious? “yeah right.”

he laughs at you and just kisses your forehead, you then peak down to look at the many things he bought from his little trip. they were all your favourite snacks. medicines, tea bags, oh, and more medicine.

on a side note, being the twin who was basically immune and had to always take care of fragile bill, he has a known habit to panic and instead of asking for help, his stubborn ass buys everything in the store, gambling on which medicine to take and hoping for the best.

luckily for you, he had bill to teach him properly which ones to buy, but habits never die do they?

now you weren’t hungry or feeling snackish, so you just lay with tom, nuzzling your head into his chest. he’s warm, warm and comfortable, and you’re so grateful to have someone like him.

kissing the top of your forehead, he switches on your TV to put on a show the two of you both like. “i’m feeling better already,” “i’m glad baby, you’ll be back to shape in no time, well, because of me of course!”

that whole day, tom would not leave your side. even when you had to go to the bathroom. he’d sit inside the room until you finished and would wash your hands for you.

he says that the joint effort of doing it with you gets rid of the germs better.

this was just his excuse to keep touching you in some sort of way.

you enter the room with a bucket of cold water and a towel. setting it down, you soak the towel into the basin and ring out any excess. folding the towel to fit, you place the now cold compress onto tom’s forehead who’s laying in your bed.

“i told you, silly, that you’d get sick.” you shake your head in disapproval to see tom frown. he looks up at you even though it’s hard for him to keep his eyes open. now we did say tom barely ever gets sick, but once in a blue moon when he does, hits him HARD.

“what can i say? i can never get enough of you, need to be with you all the time,” “you’re corny,” “and you love it.”

[spotlightstory]

The Michigan Medicis of Donald Trump’s America

Left, clockwise from top left Blackwater founder Erik Prince; U.S. Sec of Education Betsy DeVos (Prince); philanthropist Elsa and Prince Corporation founder Edgar Prince. Right, philanthropist Hellen and Amway co-founder Richard DeVos; standing, businessman Dick DeVos.

If you ever wondered where the weird Republican ideas came from or how did we get here, well, here's a piece of the puzzle. Buckle up, it's a long read. Link to full article above. I pulled out quotes on topics below.

"In the solar system of elite Republican contributors, Richard DeVos Sr., who died Thursday at age 92—one of the two founders of Amway, the direct-sale colossus—occupied an exalted place, and his offspring did too. Since the 1970s, members of the DeVos family had given as much as $200 million to the G.O.P. and been tireless promoters of the modern conservative movement—its ideas, its policies, and its crusades combining free-market economics, a push for privatization of many government functions, and Christian social values. While other far-right mega-donors may have become better known over the years (the Coorses and the Kochs, Sheldon Adelson and the Mercers), Michigan’s DeVos dynasty stands apart—for the duration, range, and depth of its influence."

Conservative think tanks, advocacy organizations, and colleges

Grand Valley State University; Calvin College, attended by several generations of DeVoses, including Rich’s daughter-in-law Betsy DeVos, Northwood University, her husband Dick’s alma mater. Hillsdale, the libertarian-plus-Christian liberal-arts college in southern Michigan.

Other recipients of DeVos largesse: the Heritage Foundation, the Institute for Justice, and the American Enterprise Institute

"The DeVoses’ preference for “values-oriented” candidates reflect the teachings of the Christian Reformed Church. A small breakaway denomination of its Dutch forerunner, it has some 300,000 adherents in North America, many living in the same western-Michigan towns where their immigrant ancestors settled in the 1840s to pursue a faith.."

SCHOOL REFORM: Who can forget Betsy DeVos’s campaign to undo the state’s public-education system and replace it with for-profit and charter schools that, as she had put it two decades earlier, shared her mission of “defending the Judeo-Christian values"?

“[Among] her big ‘accomplishments,’” says Diane Ravitch, the N.Y.U. professor and respected education historian, “have been reversing civil-rights enforcement for kids with disabilities, putting administrators from for-profit colleges in charge of monitoring for-profit colleges . . . stabbing in the back young people with heavy debt for their college education, and being a constant critic of public schools.” One saving grace, Ravitch contends, is that DeVos has gotten very few of her budget proposals through Congress. 

LABOR UNIONS: Another target was labor unions. Amway and the Prince Corporation had no use for them. Now the family waged a public fight. After Dick DeVos was routed when he ran for governor of Michigan in 2006, he blamed his defeat, in part, on Michigan’s unions and began to push for a right-to-work law (weakening the unions’ economic power and political clout, a pillar of the state’s Democratic Party). In 2012, the bill got through, and Michigan—headquarters to the United Automobile Workers, no less—became yet another of the country’s right-to-work states.

FAMILY: "Betsy and Erik’s father, Edgar Prince, was a Chrysler-Plymouth salesman and then machine engineer who started a die-cast business and also had a tinkerer’s gift for inventions. One, the lighted vanity mirror on the flip-up sun visor (introduced in 1972), helped Prince become one of the wealthiest men in Michigan." (wow) "As he got richer, the elder Prince rewarded his hometown handsomely; Prince money has done much to preserve downtown Holland, which remains a 1950s time capsule of Candy Land façades."

The C.R.C.’s greatest figure, Abraham Kuyper, a Dutch theologian and prime minister who died almost a century ago, had declared, in words the faithful know by heart: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”  

The Princes and DeVoses—with neighboring homes in Holland—had effected a merger thanks to the 1979 marriage of their firstborn, Betsy Prince and Dick DeVos, then in their 20s. “Bible-reading jet-setter” was the description in a Detroit Free Press profile of Betsy.

Betsy and Dick own a 22,000-square-foot mansion on Lake Macatawa.

ERIK PRINCE was devoted to his father, who doted on him. He played four sports at Holland Christian and was the proudly straitlaced kid who, without being asked, put away the soccer balls after practice. Prince enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987 but was shocked by the frat-house atmosphere—too much for a junior culture warrior who’d been an intern at the Family Research Council. After three semesters, he transferred to Michigan’s Hillsdale College.

Today Hillsdale, under its president, Larry P. Arnn (former head of the Claremont Institute, a citadel of far-right ideology), is known as a feeder school for the Trump administration, including Betsy DeVos’s chief of staff, Josh Venable. In May, the week Vice President Pence gave the commencement address there, Politico called it “the college that wants to take over Washington”—citing many alums who are now D.C. power players. 

In 1989, Erik had been invited to a “youth” inaugural ball for Bush—and there had met Joan Keating, the woman who would become his first wife. Prince even worked as a Bush White House intern. “I saw a lot of things I didn’t agree with,” he later said. “Homosexual groups being invited in, the budget agreement, the Clean Air Act, those kind of bills. I think the administration has been indifferent to a lot of conservative concerns.” He left that job for another, in the office of California congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who has often been called Vladimir Putin’s top Capitol Hill asset, so valued, the Times has reported, that he was given a Kremlin code name.

Prince spent four years with the SEALs in the early 90s but moved on after his wife was diagnosed with cancer and his father, aged 63, died of a heart attack. The elder Prince left behind a business with 4,500 employees. The family sold it for $1.3 billion, and Erik, at 25, now had a sizable inheritance.

One of Prince’s instructors in the SEALs, Al Clark, was also looking to set up a security-and-defense training company. Prince had money to invest. Out of this came Blackwater, which began as an instruction facility for law enforcement, the military, and special-ops squads in Moyock, North Carolina. 

The article goes into detail about Blackwater and it is mind-blowing. Their involvement post 9/11, Russian arms dealings, US government contracts,

"The source says he resigned after he discovered that Prince had approved plans to illegally weaponize aircraft and “actively train former Chinese Red Army personnel that are now being deployed into Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar, and the Uighur region in China”—actions he perceived as supporting foreign interests above America’s. (Other Prince associates reportedly resigned for similar reasons.) Prince firmly denied the allegations."

[genesisera]

Eyes on Iris - Fundraiser for Medicial and Living Assistance

Okay, this is gonna be a bit different from the usual FFXIV glamor posts and sharing, but a mutual of mine, Iris, is having difficulties in their life and they need all the help they can get.

Iris has lupus, a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting the skin, joints, and internal organs that you might only recognize from its trademark butterfly facial rash; more specifically, they have active CNS (central nervous system) lupus, whose symptoms strongly resemble and can be confused with those of multiple sclerosis.

Maintaining housing is a huge priority for Iris because their lupus has made them photosensitive to UV rays, meaning even just physically being outside for too long can trigger a lupus flareup; these flareups can manifest as full body pain and fatigue severe enough to leave them totally bedbound and even struggle to sit up in bed just to advocate for themself online. Since their diagnosis in 2012, their doctors have repeatedly recommended that they have a dedicated caretaker at home; on top of how hard this is to secure alone, becoming homeless in 2022 and the stress of maintaining housing on a weekly basis ever since has only worsened their lupus complications, to the point where they developed epilepsy a year ago and risk a deadly seizure with each flareup.

---

Thankfully, there are a few ways you can donate to Iris directly:

Venmo: @areanynamesopen PayPal: paypal.me/popeyeotaku

When you send a donation, please write "For Iris" in your message so we know what it's for. On PayPal, please select Friends & Family before submitting to minimize the amount of money lost to PayPal's processing fees.

Aside from financial support, Eyes on Iris would greatly appreciate any material donations as well. Iris has provided a list of necessities and QoL improvement items that you can find and cover at https://giftwhale.com/lists/wtTeSh. Please keep helping iris they need >$1000 to pay for medical bills for their lupus and epilepsy and need every bit of help they can get here: eyesoniris.carrd.co P.S. Please also follow them on @irisposting.bsky.social for any life updates - they appreciate the company.

[infinitebutterlogjam]

John F. Kennedy inauguration, January 20, 1961. East Portico of the United States Capitol.

Tomorrow Donald Trump takes office once again, and while the inauguration of a president is always momentous, this particular reinstatement is especially noteworthy. The fact that Donald Trump is a convicted felon several times over, as well as an admitted sexual assaulter, makes his presidency perversely “unique.” While previous occupants of the White House have engaged in questionable acts, both personal and official, Trump’s level of criminality is not only unprecedented, it is well beyond the limits of acceptable behavior for a potential next-door neighbor, never mind the “leader of the free world.” Setting those qualities aside (as enough voters chose to do), he has also been remarkably open about his desire to subvert and discard the established tenets of democracy itself and establish a type of authoritarian government, for which he has abundant help in the form of several billionaires not particularly known for their largesse.

That is not a small thing.

When faced with the potential of another Trump presidency, I have consoled myself in the past with the knowledge that our nation engaged in a literal civil war, and emerged, if not unscathed, at least eventually intact. It occurs to me now, however, there are possibly worse things than civil war, particularly when the president is unfettered and all intended checks and balances are pointedly discarded. But the unlimited power given to Trump and his handlers (including de facto co-leader, Elon Musk) isn’t necessarily that which I find most disturbing; it’s the absolute willingness on the part of his acolytes to dislodge and discard honest discernment and critical thinking.

I’ve pondered this a lot.

Prior to his entry into American politics, I thought of Donald Trump as merely a kind of attention seeking buffoon, if I thought of him at all, vulgar and crass and wholly disingenuous. I could detect zero degree of self-reflection but a very great deal of self-focus. That he was not intellectually curious I did not find especially surprising, nor the fact that he was apparently unencumbered by any sense of empathy or guiding morality beyond self-preservation and self-promotion. Later, finding that he habitually left a trail of unpaid bills and ruined lives in the wake of his numerous failed businesses (and they are quite numerous), seemed also not surprising. In every way, in fact, Donald Trump appeared to epitomize the most loathsome sort of American, a kind of hubristic caricature of capitalist greed, openly corrupt, wildly misogynistic, engaging in the sort of double-dealing and underhanded machinations, personal and professional, to make a Medici blush.

But Donald Trump has never sought to conceal his basic persona. He has never been any more nor any less than exactly as he appears, and for me that is the most unsettling aspect of his looming presidency. That anyone could observe his unvarnished character, have an inkling of the nature and substance of his documented business dealings, be aware of his stated ideology and personal history, and witness his frank lack of acuity, while still believing he is suitable as president is both astounding and appalling. Even more disturbing is the realization that the motivation behind so much denial and deflection springs largely from his status as a white male. Apparently it is fairly easy to toss away the trappings, teachings and pretense of “Christianity” when choosing such a leader, hypocrisy be damned. Judgement in this case is reserved for others, or more precisely, “the others,” i.e., those who are not white males.

As for me, I feel deep shame not to have recognized and acknowledged much sooner the degree to which racism and other forms of bigotry permeate this nation. I’m particularly galled at my own lack of full awareness given the fact that this country was undeniably founded and built on genocide and enslavement, while the continued marginalization and demonization of vulnerable people, including immigrants and members of the lgbt community is a daily reminder.

I’m not sure where we’ll go from here. I’m uncertain into what future we might find ourselves propelled, and I’m even less confident as to how those of us who are lately “Woke” might combat a potentially undesirable and destructive outcome.

But I’m open to ideas.

At the very least, I’m going to try clinging to kindness (between bouts of outrage), writing, reading, painting, music, theater, and my loving and infinitely patient community of friends.

[kate-les-bridge-stewart]

So my buddy @timeandspacenovelist created a little au that I decided to build off of and it kinda turned into a sorta spaghetti western breaking bad with osgate and thasmin lol

This is a classic spaghetti western setting, late 1890s in small town USA

Yaz is the sheriff and 13 is her deputy

Graham runs a local saloon that basically acts as the town square

Ryan is one of Grahams bartenders

Dan runs a local barber shop

Three of the masters are the main bad guys in town; dhawan, missy and simm

They run 3 of the biggest criminal organizations in the whole eastern USA

Missy runs a massive illegal drug manufacturing operation, Simms group acts as the distributor for said drugs

Dhawan runs a hitman group and also just acts as the military for the other two groups

All three of them work as a triple alliance

12 is the undertaker and the main medical doctor in town

Clara, amy, and bill all work with 13 and yaz to help fight crime and solve cases

Osgood is the local gunsmith/weaponsmith and shes renowned across the country as one of the best in her field

One thing about osgood though is that very little is actually known about her...

Kate is a seasoned military veteran who's known as one of the best sharpshooters/snipers of the century

She settled down in this town for retirement (and also to be with osgood) but she occasionally helps yaz and 13 with cases

9 is the town mayor (since he seemed the most competent out of 10 and 11)

Clara acts as a negotiator and the detective that does most of the interrogations and interviews

Amy and bill act as sorta spies or investigators

Bill also looks for, stores, and bookkeeps evidence for cases

River runs a brothel and gives yaz and 13 tips on any criminals that come thru there. She may also do a bit of vigilante work on the side 😏

Remember how I said theres very little known about osgood? Well, theres a reason for that...

You see, osgood has a bit of a naughty streak to her.

She works with every major criminal organization on the eastern US. She acts as a bank for them to store and hide their assets and money

She also manages shipments of any supplies the groups might need, mainly weapons or drugs

She organized a certain level of mutual cooperation amoung all the criminal groups and sometimes helps negotiate any major disagreements between them (but only if they threaten to cause harm to the system she built)

Kate knows about this and often helps serve as her bodyguard

Osgood obviously wanted to conceal her identity so she uses the code name "Medici" as a reference to the de Medici family of italy, known as one of the richest and most powerful families to ever exist (they were so powerful cus they formed the first bank which made them reeeeeally influential as you can imagine)

I'm gonna add to this soon but I just wanted to jot down the main points of this au first

[vintagebiker43]

“Una notte di molti, molti anni fa, ero di guardia notturna nel mio ospedale. Mi avvisarono alle 22 dell’arrivo di un traumatizzato stradale: condizioni disperate, dissero, stai pronto. Io sono nato pronto, risposi con la mia deprecabile grinta giovanile.

Partii dall’ecografia nella sala trauma. Poi lo portarono in Tac. C’erano tutti: anestesisti, ortopedici, chirurghi generali, chirurghi vascolari, otorini. L’uomo era sfasciato dappertutto, ma proprio dappertutto. Mentre sul monitor scorrevano le immagini della TC stavano tutti dietro di me, zitti, ad ascoltare la litania di accidenti che poi, di lì a poco, avrei trascritto nel mio referto. Ma a quel punto il referto sarebbe stato inutile: avevamo già fatto il punto della situazione, ci eravamo parlati. Ognuno di noi adesso sapeva cosa fare. Eravamo una squadra, un gruppo di persone che si fidavano gli uni degli altri, ciecamente. Quell’uomo era nelle migliori mani possibili, ve lo giuro su quello che ho di più caro al mondo.

Il Paziente andò in sala. Gli passarono sopra tutti, a turno: chirurghi, ortopedici, otorini. Gli anestesisti in seconda fila, a tenerlo vivo. Intorno alle cinque della mattina il lavoro grosso era stato fatto. Mi chiamarono per dare un’ultima occhiata in ecografia: in sala operatoria c’era sangue ovunque, sembrava ci fosse appena transitata Beatrix Kiddo di Kill Bill. L’uomo, l’omone anzi, perché era grosso come un armadio a tre ante, era disteso ancora sul letto operatorio. Sembrava che dormisse.

La mattina, alle otto, il momento dello smonto, telefonai in terapia intensiva. Mi rispose la collega della notte, con la voce stravolta dalla stanchezza. Disse: È vivo, è stabile, abbiamo fatto un buon lavoro. Tornai a casa carico di adrenalina: i bambini erano all’asilo, mia moglie al lavoro, avevo tutta la mattina per me. Non riuscii a prendere sonno: tutta quell’adrenalina accumulata mi girava ancora in corpo, vorticosamente. Quell’uomo era vivo grazie all’equipe di medici che avevano passato la notte in bianco per lui. È poco, dite? Può essere. Ma se quell’uomo fosse stato vostro marito, vostro figlio, vostro padre, allora sì che avrebbe fatto la differenza. Tutta la differenza di questo mondo.

Da quella notte sono passati vent’anni ed è cambiato quasi tutto nel modo di intendere la vita ospedaliera. I medici sono diventati carne da macello. La sanità si è trasformata in un’azienda che deve fabbricare utili, dividendi e consenso elettorale. Però, siccome costa troppo, deve anche tramutarsi in qualche altra cosa, lasciare spazi, cedere terreno. Mutare natura. Ma in silenzio, senza fare troppo rumore.

E di quel gruppo di medici cosa è rimasto? Qualcuno è andato in pensione, qualcun altro è rimasto dov’era, a svolgere il suo ottimo lavoro, qualcun altro ancora ha avuto il privilegio di trovarsi a dirigere un reparto tutto suo nella pia illusione di costruire qualcosa di buono. Nel mentre, dicevo, è cambiato quasi tutto. La politica ha preso il sopravvento e tirato i cordoni della borsa. Ai nuovi medici, giunti via via a sostituire i vecchi, non piace passare le notti in bianco nel pronto soccorso o nelle sale operatorie. Meglio un lavoro impiegatizio. Meglio un lavoro da casa, se possibile. Meno responsabilità, meno rotture di scatole, più soldi in tasca. Chi è rimasto delega: meglio una Tac in più, anche se non necessaria, che una in meno. Pazienza se tra vent’anni quella Tac causerà un tumore da qualche parte. La medicina ha smesso di essere un’arte, insomma, e le manca ancora troppo per diventare una scienza esatta. Meglio non rischiare. Meglio farsi i fatti propri.

Così, adesso io mi ritrovo in piena notte con un’urgenza addominale, e spesso sono da solo. Io, il tecnico e la Tac, nel silenzio più attonito che si possa immaginare. E non dovrei nemmeno essere lì, in quel momento, perché non è più il mio ruolo, quello. Così, mentre attendo le immagini sul monitor, mi domando perché quasi tutto è cambiato, perché certa politica ha fatto fuggire i medici dagli ospedali, cosa ha fatto perdere loro la passione, l’entusiasmo divorante, il ricordo dei validi motivi per cui, molti anni prima, hanno scelto quella professione e non un’altra. Cosa li spinge a essere indifferenti verso i Pazienti, verso colleghi che in loro assenza dovranno svolgere il lavoro che per qualche futile motivo non hanno voluto portare a termine. Cosa spinga loro, ma alla fine spinga tutti, in senso generale, senza distinzione di sesso, età, censo, lavoro, a credere di essere in perenne credito col mondo. Di essere dalla parte della ragione, sempre e comunque.

Ve lo dico subito: non trovo la risposta, e a questo punto credo che non la troverò mai. La risposta forse verrà fuori quando vi recherete in ospedale e troverete solo medici pagati a cottimo, gente che quella notte è lì e la prossima chissà dove, a quante centinaia di chilometri di distanza. Quando non esisterà più un gruppo, un’equipe affiatata pronta a passare la notte in bianco per salvare una vita, una sola: quella di vostro marito, vostro padre, o vostro figlio. Oppure la risposta andrete a chiederla a certa politica: la quale risponderà che non è sua responsabilità, e che gli errori di programmazione, il numero chiuso a medicina, l’imbuto di ingresso nelle specialità, sono colpa di quelli di prima. Di quelli che hanno governato, male, prima.

Ma quelli di prima eravamo anche noi: il radiologo, l’anestesista, il chirurgo, l’ortopedico, il maxillo-facciale. Quella fantastica squadra di bravi medici, ognuno dei quali si fidava ciecamente dell’altro. Ci rimpiangerete, certo. Come ci rimpiangiamo già noi stessi, ogni giorno, ogni santo giorno di lavoro, finché durerà ancora.”

(Da un post del Dott. Giancarlo Addonisio)

[ma-come-mai]

“Una notte di molti, molti anni fa, ero di guardia notturna nel mio ospedale. Mi avvisarono alle 22 dell’arrivo di un traumatizzato stradale: condizioni disperate, dissero, stai pronto. Io sono nato pronto, risposi con la mia deprecabile grinta giovanile.

Partii dall’ecografia nella sala trauma. Poi lo portarono in Tac. C’erano tutti: anestesisti, ortopedici, chirurghi generali, chirurghi vascolari, otorini. L’uomo era sfasciato dappertutto, ma proprio dappertutto. Mentre sul monitor scorrevano le immagini della TC stavano tutti dietro di me, zitti, ad ascoltare la litania di accidenti che poi, di lì a poco, avrei trascritto nel mio referto. Ma a quel punto il referto sarebbe stato inutile: avevamo già fatto il punto della situazione, ci eravamo parlati. Ognuno di noi adesso sapeva cosa fare. Eravamo una squadra, un gruppo di persone che si fidavano gli uni degli altri, ciecamente. Quell’uomo era nelle migliori mani possibili, ve lo giuro su quello che ho di più caro al mondo.

Il Paziente andò in sala. Gli passarono sopra tutti, a turno: chirurghi, ortopedici, otorini. Gli anestesisti in seconda fila, a tenerlo vivo. Intorno alle cinque della mattina il lavoro grosso era stato fatto. Mi chiamarono per dare un’ultima occhiata in ecografia: in sala operatoria c’era sangue ovunque, sembrava ci fosse appena transitata Beatrix Kiddo di Kill Bill. L’uomo, l’omone anzi, perché era grosso come un armadio a tre ante, era disteso ancora sul letto operatorio. Sembrava che dormisse.

La mattina, alle otto, il momento dello smonto, telefonai in terapia intensiva. Mi rispose la collega della notte, con la voce stravolta dalla stanchezza. Disse: È vivo, è stabile, abbiamo fatto un buon lavoro. Tornai a casa carico di adrenalina: i bambini erano all’asilo, mia moglie al lavoro, avevo tutta la mattina per me. Non riuscii a prendere sonno: tutta quell’adrenalina accumulata mi girava ancora in corpo, vorticosamente. Quell’uomo era vivo grazie all’equipe di medici che avevano passato la notte in bianco per lui. È poco, dite? Può essere. Ma se quell’uomo fosse stato vostro marito, vostro figlio, vostro padre, allora sì che avrebbe fatto la differenza. Tutta la differenza di questo mondo.

Da quella notte sono passati vent’anni ed è cambiato quasi tutto nel modo di intendere la vita ospedaliera. I medici sono diventati carne da macello. La sanità si è trasformata in un’azienda che deve fabbricare utili, dividendi e consenso elettorale. Però, siccome costa troppo, deve anche tramutarsi in qualche altra cosa, lasciare spazi, cedere terreno. Mutare natura. Ma in silenzio, senza fare troppo rumore.

E di quel gruppo di medici cosa è rimasto? Qualcuno è andato in pensione, qualcun altro è rimasto dov’era, a svolgere il suo ottimo lavoro, qualcun altro ancora ha avuto il privilegio di trovarsi a dirigere un reparto tutto suo nella pia illusione di costruire qualcosa di buono. Nel mentre, dicevo, è cambiato quasi tutto. La politica ha preso il sopravvento e tirato i cordoni della borsa. Ai nuovi medici, giunti via via a sostituire i vecchi, non piace passare le notti in bianco nel pronto soccorso o nelle sale operatorie. Meglio un lavoro impiegatizio. Meglio un lavoro da casa, se possibile. Meno responsabilità, meno rotture di scatole, più soldi in tasca. Chi è rimasto delega: meglio una Tac in più, anche se non necessaria, che una in meno. Pazienza se tra vent’anni quella Tac causerà un tumore da qualche parte. La medicina ha smesso di essere un’arte, insomma, e le manca ancora troppo per diventare una scienza esatta. Meglio non rischiare. Meglio farsi i fatti propri.

Così, adesso io mi ritrovo in piena notte con un’urgenza addominale, e spesso sono da solo. Io, il tecnico e la Tac, nel silenzio più attonito che si possa immaginare. E non dovrei nemmeno essere lì, in quel momento, perché non è più il mio ruolo, quello. Così, mentre attendo le immagini sul monitor, mi domando perché quasi tutto è cambiato, perché certa politica ha fatto fuggire i medici dagli ospedali, cosa ha fatto perdere loro la passione, l’entusiasmo divorante, il ricordo dei validi motivi per cui, molti anni prima, hanno scelto quella professione e non un’altra. Cosa li spinge a essere indifferenti verso i Pazienti, verso colleghi che in loro assenza dovranno svolgere il lavoro che per qualche futile motivo non hanno voluto portare a termine. Cosa spinga loro, ma alla fine spinga tutti, in senso generale, senza distinzione di sesso, età, censo, lavoro, a credere di essere in perenne credito col mondo. Di essere dalla parte della ragione, sempre e comunque.

Ve lo dico subito: non trovo la risposta, e a questo punto credo che non la troverò mai. La risposta forse verrà fuori quando vi recherete in ospedale e troverete solo medici pagati a cottimo, gente che quella notte è lì e la prossima chissà dove, a quante centinaia di chilometri di distanza. Quando non esisterà più un gruppo, un’equipe affiatata pronta a passare la notte in bianco per salvare una vita, una sola: quella di vostro marito, vostro padre, o vostro figlio. Oppure la risposta andrete a chiederla a certa politica: la quale risponderà che non è sua responsabilità, e che gli errori di programmazione, il numero chiuso a medicina, l’imbuto di ingresso nelle specialità, sono colpa di quelli di prima. Di quelli che hanno governato, male, prima.

Ma quelli di prima eravamo anche noi: il radiologo, l’anestesista, il chirurgo, l’ortopedico, il maxillo-facciale. Quella fantastica squadra di bravi medici, ognuno dei quali si fidava ciecamente dell’altro. Ci rimpiangerete, certo. Come ci rimpiangiamo già noi stessi, ogni giorno, ogni santo giorno di lavoro, finché durerà ancora.”

(Da un post del Dott. Giancarlo Addonisio)

—

Foto della mia ultima ispezione all’ospedale “San Francesco” di Nuoro.

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Dana Andrews, Matthew/Stymie Beard, Brahms’s 1879 Violin Concerto in D, Greg Carmichael (Acoustic Alchemy), Johnny Cash’s 1st free concert @ San Quentin (1960) w/Merle Haggard in the “audience,” Morris Chestnut, Xavier Cugat, Douglas David, Joseph Donkoh, Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople), Grandmaster Flash, E.M. Forster, Philip Glass’s 2012 SYMPHONY NO. 9, Rocky Graziano, Ty Hardin, the Hearts of Space radio series (1983), Miki Higashino, Huntingdon High School (PA), Milt “Bags” Jackson, web  journalist Kathy Kolb, Carole Landis, Charles Matongo, Country Joe McDonald, Lorenzo de' Medici, Makori Mokua, Colin Morgan, Arthur Prysock, Paul Revere (the Revolutionary), Paul Revere & the Raiders (1958), Betsy Ross, Nathaniel Shilkret, Simon & Garfunkel’s 1966 “Sounds of Silence” single, Shelby Steele, Tank, TOP OF THE POPS TV show (1964), Ari Up (The Slits), “Mad Anthony” Wayne, Huldrych Zwingli and my former neighbor, occasional collaborator, and Renaissance Man, Bill Stefanacci—globe-trotting film-maker, martial arts expert, surfer, yoga enthusiast, and mastermind behind the band Funk Dub Division.

Beyond guiding the musical brain trust of FDD, Bill is immersed in the physics and electronics of psycho acoustics. Published in over 800 journals, his theories on sub-atomic particle/wave arrays in DNA are accepted by the global science community as the bridge between the material world and consciousness itself. Bill is also the head of ESA Productions, creating documentaries and films for educational television. Musically he has worked Hugh Masakela, Les McCann, Metallica, Judy Mowatt, The Persuasions, Third World, Pamela Z, and various classical/world music ensembles. As for Funk Dub Division, they’re not just music—they’re a state of mind involving funk, dub, soul, experimental, and electronic moshing featuring some of world music's tightest players and vocalists blend in a digital, psychedelic amalgamation. On a cosmic turntable they play next to Black Uhuru, Miles Davis, Martin Denny, Thelonious Monk, Rufus, Ravi Shankar, and William Burroughs. Have some fun in 2024 with FDD’s music—and HB BS!

https://funkdubdivision.bandcamp.com

#Bill #Stefanacci #Funk #Dub #Division #birthday #physics #electronics #psychoacoustics #acoustics #subatomic #particles #DNA #ESA #Productions #HughMasakela #LesMcCann #Metallica #JudyMowatt #ThePersuasions #ThirdWorld #PamelaZ #Soul #experimental #mosh #digital #psychedelic #BlackUhuru #MilesDavis #MartinDenny #TheloniousMonk #Rufus #RaviShankar #WilliamBurroughs

[indiejones]

THE 236 GREATEST PERSONALITIES IN THE ENTIRE KNOWN HISTORY/COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THIS WORLD! (@INDIES)

ie. THE 236 GREATEST PERSONALITIES IN WORLD HISTORY! (@INDIES)

Rajesh Khanna

Lionel Messi

Leonardo Da Vinci

Online Indie

Muhammad Ali

Joan of Arc

William Shakespeare

Vincent Van Gogh

J. K. Rowling

David Lean

Nadia Comaneci

Diego Maradona

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Meena Kumari

Julius Caesar

Harrison Ford

Ludwig Van Beethoven

William W. Cargill

Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche

Samuel Curtis Johnson

Sam Walton

John D. Rockefeller

Andrew Carnegie

Roy Thomson

Tim Berners-Lee

Marie Curie

James J. Hill

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Roman Polanski

Samuel Slater

J. P. Morgan

Cary Grant

Dmitri Mendeleev

John Harvard

Alain Delon

Ramakrishna Paramhansa (Official God)

The Lumiere Brothers, Auguste & Louis

Carl Friedrich Benz

Michelangelo

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Ramana Maharishi

Mark Twain

Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri

Bruce Lee

Bhagwan Krishna (Official God)

Charlemagne

Rene Descartes

John F. Kennedy

Bhagwan Ganesha (Official God)

Walt Disney

Albert Einstein

Nikola Tesla

Alfred Hitchcock

Pythagoras

William Randolph Hearst

Cosimo de’ Medici

Johann Sebastian Bach

Alec Guinness

Nostradamus

Christopher Plummer

Archimedes

Jackie Chan

Guru Dutt

Amma Karunamayi/ Mata Parvati (Official God)

Peter Sellers

Gerard Depardieu

Joseph Safra

Robert Morris

Sean Connery

Petr Kellner

Aristotle Onassis

Usain Bolt

Jack Welch

Alfredo di Stefano

Elizabeth Taylor

Michael Jordan

Paul Muni

Steven Spielberg

Louis Pasteur

Ingrid Bergman

Norma Shearer

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Ayn Rand

Jesus Christ (Official God)

Luciano Pavarotti

Alain Resnais

Frank Sinatra

Allah (Official God)

Richard Nixon

Charlie Chaplin

Thomas Alva Edison

Alexander Graham Bell

Wright Brothers

Arjun (of Bhagwan Krishna’s Gita)

Jim Simons

George Lucas

Swami Sri Lahiri Mahasaya

Carl Lewis

Brett Favre

Helen Keller

Bernard Mannes Baruch

Buddha (Official God)

Hugh Grant

K. L. Saigal

Roger Federer

Rash Behari Bose

Tiger Woods

William Blake

Jesse Owens

Claude Miller

Bernardo Bertolucci

Subhash Chandra Bose

Satyajit Ray

Hippocrates

Chiang Kai-Shek

John Logie Baird

Geeta Dutt

Raphael (painter)

Bhagwan Shiva (Official God)

Radha (Ancient Krishna devotee)

George Orwell

Jorge Paulo Lemann

Catherine Deneuve

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Bill Gates

Bhagwan Ram (Official God)

Michael Phelps

Michael Faraday

Audrey Hepburn

Dalai Lama

Grace Kelly

Mikhail Gorbachev

Vladimir Putin

Galileo Galilei

Gary Cooper

Roger Moore

John Huston

Blaise Pascal

Humphrey Bogart

Rudyard Kipling

Samuel Morse

Wayne Gretzky

Yogi Berra

Barry Levinson

Patrice Chereau (director)

Jerry Lewis

Louis Daguerre

James Watt

Henri Rousseau

Nikita Krushchev

Jack Dorsey

Dev Anand

Elia Kazan

Alexander Fleming

David Selznick

Frank Marshall

Viswanathan Anand

Major Dhyan Chand

Swami Vivekananda

Felix Rohatyn

Sam Spiegel

Anand Bakshi

Victor Hugo

Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Official God)

Steve Jobs

Srinivasa Ramanujam

Lord Hanuman

Stanley Kubrick

Giotto

Voltaire

Diego Velazquez

Ernest Hemingway

Francis Ford Coppola

Michael Douglas

Kirk Douglas

Mario Lemieux

Kishore Kumar

James Stewart

Douglas Fairbanks

Confucius

Babe Ruth

Raj Kapoor

Titian aka Tiziano Vecelli

El Greco

Francisco de Goya

Jim Carrey

Mohammad Rafi

Steffi Graf

Pele

Gustave Courbet

Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi

Milos Forman

Steve Wozniak

Georgia O’ Keeffe

Mala Sinha

Aryabhatta

Magic Johnson

Patanjali

Leo Tolstoy

Tansen

Henry Fonda

Albrecht Durer

Benazir Bhutto

Cal Ripken Jr

Samuel Goldwyn

Mumtaz (actress)

Panini

Nicolaus Copernicus

Pablo Picasso

George Clooney

Olivia de Havilland

Prem Chand

Imran Khan

Pete Sampras

Ratan Tata

Meerabai (16th c. Krishna devotee)

Queen Elizabeth II

Pope John Paul II

James Cameron

Jack Ma

Warren Buffett

Romy Schneider

C. V. Raman

Aung San Suu Kyi

Benjamin Netanyahu

Frank Capra

Michael Schumacher

Steve Forbes

Paramhansa Yogananda

Tom Hanks

Kamal Amrohi

Hans Holbein

Shammi Kapoor

Gerardus Mercator

Edith Piaf

Bhagwan Shirdi Sai Baba (Official God) .

[indiesole]

THE 236 GREATEST PERSONALITIES IN THE ENTIRE KNOWN HISTORY/COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THIS WORLD! (@INDIES)

i.e. THE 236 GREATEST PERSONALITIES IN WORLD HISTORY! (@INDIES)

Rajesh Khanna

Lionel Messi

Leonardo Da Vinci

Muhammad Ali

Joan of Arc

William Shakespeare

Vincent Van Gogh

Online Indie

J. K. Rowling

David Lean

Nadia Comaneci

Diego Maradona

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Meena Kumari

Julius Caesar

Harrison Ford

Ludwig Van Beethoven

William W. Cargill

Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche

Samuel Curtis Johnson

Sam Walton

John D. Rockefeller

Andrew Carnegie

Roy Thomson

Tim Berners-Lee

Marie Curie

James J. Hill

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Roman Polanski

Samuel Slater

J. P. Morgan

Cary Grant

Dmitri Mendeleev

John Harvard

Alain Delon

Ramakrishna Paramhansa (Official God)

The Lumiere Brothers, Auguste & Louis

Carl Friedrich Benz

Michelangelo

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Ramana Maharishi

Mark Twain

Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri

Bruce Lee

Bhagwan Krishna (Official God)

Charlemagne

Rene Descartes

John F. Kennedy

Bhagwan Ganesha (Official God)

Walt Disney

Albert Einstein

Nikola Tesla

Alfred Hitchcock

Pythagoras

William Randolph Hearst

Cosimo de’ Medici

Johann Sebastian Bach

Alec Guinness

Nostradamus

Christopher Plummer

Archimedes

Jackie Chan

Guru Dutt

Amma Karunamayi/ Mata Parvati (Official God)

Peter Sellers

Gerard Depardieu

Joseph Safra

Robert Morris

Sean Connery

Petr Kellner

Aristotle Onassis

Usain Bolt

Jack Welch

Alfredo di Stefano

Elizabeth Taylor

Michael Jordan

Paul Muni

Steven Spielberg

Louis Pasteur

Ingrid Bergman

Norma Shearer

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Ayn Rand

Jesus Christ (Official God)

Luciano Pavarotti

Alain Resnais

Frank Sinatra

Allah (Official God)

Richard Nixon

Charlie Chaplin

Thomas Alva Edison

Alexander Graham Bell

Wright Brothers

Arjun (of Bhagwan Krishna’s Gita)

Jim Simons

George Lucas

Swami Sri Lahiri Mahasaya

Carl Lewis

Brett Favre

Helen Keller

Bernard Mannes Baruch

Buddha (Official God)

Hugh Grant

K. L. Saigal

Roger Federer

Rash Behari Bose

Tiger Woods

William Blake

Jesse Owens

Claude Miller

Bernardo Bertolucci

Subhash Chandra Bose

Satyajit Ray

Hippocrates

Chiang Kai-Shek

John Logie Baird

Geeta Dutt

Raphael (painter)

Bhagwan Shiva (Official God)

Radha (Ancient Krishna devotee)

George Orwell

Jorge Paulo Lemann

Catherine Deneuve

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Bill Gates

Bhagwan Ram (Official God)

Michael Phelps

Michael Faraday

Audrey Hepburn

Dalai Lama

Grace Kelly

Mikhail Gorbachev

Vladimir Putin

Galileo Galilei

Gary Cooper

Roger Moore

John Huston

Blaise Pascal

Humphrey Bogart

Rudyard Kipling

Samuel Morse

Wayne Gretzky

Yogi Berra

Barry Levinson

Patrice Chereau (director)

Jerry Lewis

Louis Daguerre

James Watt

Henri Rousseau

Nikita Krushchev

Jack Dorsey

Dev Anand

Elia Kazan

Alexander Fleming

David Selznick

Frank Marshall

Viswanathan Anand

Major Dhyan Chand

Swami Vivekananda

Felix Rohatyn

Sam Spiegel

Anand Bakshi

Victor Hugo

Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Official God)

Steve Jobs

Srinivasa Ramanujam

Lord Hanuman

Stanley Kubrick

Giotto

Voltaire

Diego Velazquez

Ernest Hemingway

Francis Ford Coppola

Michael Douglas

Kirk Douglas

Mario Lemieux

Kishore Kumar

James Stewart

Douglas Fairbanks

Confucius

Babe Ruth

Raj Kapoor

Titian aka Tiziano Vecelli

El Greco

Francisco de Goya

Jim Carrey

Mohammad Rafi

Steffi Graf

Pele

Gustave Courbet

Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi

Milos Forman

Steve Wozniak

Georgia O’ Keeffe

Mala Sinha

Aryabhatta

Magic Johnson

Patanjali

Leo Tolstoy

Tansen

Henry Fonda

Albrecht Durer

Benazir Bhutto

Cal Ripken Jr

Samuel Goldwyn

Mumtaz (actress)

Panini

Nicolaus Copernicus

Pablo Picasso

George Clooney

Olivia de Havilland

Prem Chand

Imran Khan

Pete Sampras

Ratan Tata

Meerabai (16th c. Krishna devotee)

Queen Elizabeth II

Pope John Paul II

James Cameron

Jack Ma

Warren Buffett

Romy Schneider

C. V. Raman

Aung San Suu Kyi

Benjamin Netanyahu

Frank Capra

Michael Schumacher

Steve Forbes

Paramhansa Yogananda

Tom Hanks

Kamal Amrohi

Hans Holbein

Shammi Kapoor

Gerardus Mercator

Edith Piaf

Bhagwan Shirdi Sai Baba (Official God)

[zhooniyaa-waagosh]

A huge number of these services are also only available if you have an income, so people who don't have jobs don't get help.

And this is something that no one seems to realize is a real problem, but the costs of bills and mediciation and the like isn't taken into account when deciding if you apply for financial assistance, so if you make too much to qualify, that's it. No help for you.

It doesn't matter if you can't afford groceries after paying all your bills. It doesn't matter if private insurance costs more than you can afford and doesn't even cover everything so you're still paying a couple hundred for medicine every month on top of insurance copays. It doesn't matter if most of your paycheck goes to child support. It doesn't matter if your electric costs went up without warning and now you don't have power.

There's nuance in life that people don't want to talk about, especially when it comes to money.

[emanuelaleo]

Bill Gates ha detto che fra dieci anni i medici saranno sostituiti dall'ia forse siamo salvi da questi giovani medici ubriaconi

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.22 (before 1950)

1076 – Having received a letter during the Lenten synod of 14–20 February demanding that he abdicate, Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor. 1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Ferdinand of Majorca and the forces of Matilda of Hainaut, ends in victory for Ferdinand. 1371 – Robert II becomes King of Scotland, beginning the Stuart dynasty. 1495 – King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne. 1632 – Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the dedicatee, receives the first printed copy of Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems. 1651 – St. Peter's Flood: A storm surge floods the Frisian coast, drowning 15,000 people. 1744 – War of the Austrian Succession: The Battle of Toulon causes several Royal Navy captains to be court-martialed, and the Articles of War to be amended. 1770 – British customs officer Ebenezer Richardson fires blindly into a crowd during a protest in North End, Boston, fatally wounding 11-year-old Christopher Seider; the first American fatality of the American Revolution. 1797 – The last Invasion of Britain begins near Fishguard, Wales. 1819 – By the Adams–Onís Treaty, Spain sells Florida to the United States for five million U.S. dollars. 1847 – Mexican–American War: The Battle of Buena Vista: Five thousand American troops defeat 15,000 Mexican troops. 1848 – The French Revolution of 1848, which would lead to the establishment of the French Second Republic, begins. 1856 – The United States Republican Party opens its first national convention in Pittsburgh. 1862 – American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is officially inaugurated for a six-year term as the President of the Confederate States of America in Richmond, Virginia. He was previously inaugurated as a provisional president on February 18, 1861. 1872 – The Prohibition Party holds its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio, nominating James Black as its presidential nominee. 1879 – In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of five-and-dime Woolworth stores. 1881 – Cleopatra's Needle, a 3,500-year-old Ancient Egyptian obelisk is erected in Central Park, New York. 1889 – President Grover Cleveland signs a bill admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington as U.S. states. 1899 – Filipino forces led by General Antonio Luna launch counterattacks for the first time against the American forces during the Philippine–American War. The Filipinos fail to regain Manila from the Americans. 1904 – The United Kingdom sells a meteorological station on the South Orkney Islands to Argentina; the islands are subsequently claimed by the United Kingdom in 1908. 1909 – The sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet, led by USS Connecticut, return to the United States after a voyage around the world. 1921 – After Russian forces under Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg drive the Chinese out, the Bogd Khan is reinstalled as the emperor of Mongolia. 1942 – World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders General Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines as the Japanese victory becomes inevitable. 1943 – World War II: Members of the White Rose resistance, Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst are executed in Nazi Germany. 1944 – World War II: American aircraft mistakenly bomb the Dutch towns of Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede and Deventer, resulting in 800 dead in Nijmegen alone. 1944 – World War II: The Soviet Red Army recaptures Krivoi Rog. 1946 – The "Long Telegram", proposing how the United States should deal with the Soviet Union, arrives from the US embassy in Moscow.

[3thurs]

Third Thursday events and exhibitions for February 20

The next Third Thursday — the monthly evening of art in Athens, Georgia — is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. This schedule and each venue’s location and hours of operation are available at 3thurs.org.

Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia

Yoga in the Galleries, 6 p.m. — This free yoga class surrounded by works of art in the galleries is led by instructors from Five Points Yoga and open to both beginner and experienced yogis. Sanitized mats are provided. Space is limited and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis; tickets are available at the front desk starting at 5:15 p.m.

On view:

“Beyond the Medici: The Haukohl Family Collection” — Florentine baroque art.

“The Awe of Ordinary Labors: 20th-Century Paintings from Ukraine” — Works by Ukrainian painters that complied with Soviet government requirements on the surface but also communicated subtle subversive statements.

“Waffle House Vistas” — Photographs by Micah Cash taken from inside Waffle House restaurants, plus a newly commissioned time-based work.

Permanent collection: A wide range of the museum’s permanent collection is always on view, featuring painting, sculpture, works on paper and decorative arts from the Renaissance to contemporary periods.

The museum’s days of operation are Tuesday – Sunday. Reserve a free ticket and see our policies at https://georgiamuseum.org/visit/.

ATHICA: Athens Institute for Contemporary Art

ATHICA@675 Pulaski St., Suite 1200:

“2025 Members’ Showcase” — Paintings, photographs, sculptures and more from over 50 of ATHICA’s member artists.

ATHICA@CINÉ Gallery:

“R.B. Pruett: Paintings” — Through cutting up and repurposing paintings, Pruett uses layers of fragmentation, collage and distortion to build new images that twist and turn with a cartoon cubism.

Lyndon House Arts Center

“Twist: Carol John” — In John’s paintings, dots, lines and squares multiply to create vibrating forms and surfaces that resonate with playful pops of color. 

“Distillations: Patti Robert-Pizzuto and Johntimothy Pizzuto”— Composed of drawings on paper and wall-bound constructions, this show brings together the work of life partners who share a restrained palette and lightness of touch.

“Imposter Syndrome” — Emily Llamazales weaves together narratives of imaginative world building and speculative evolutionary traits using found objects and documentary photography.

“Victoria Dugger’s Jet Magazine Collection” — A testament to the rich tapestry of Black culture, history and excellence captured over decades.

“Window Works: Meditations on Perceived Acts of Violence: Michael Reese” — This body of work examines the idea of perception as it relates to Black bodies. The work speaks to Reese’s understanding of the intellectual and behavioral gesturing that is required of Black folks to successfully control the narrative of perception.

ACE/FRANCISCO Gallery

Opening reception, 6 – 9 p.m. — The following two exhibitions will open this Third Thursday, with both of the artists in attendance.

On view:

“Louise Haynes Hall: Beneath the Sky and Sea” — Large abstract paintings inspired by the natural habitat of South Carolina’s Lowcountry.

“Cecilia Reynolds: Playing House” — Watercolor, drawing and collage that transform everyday moments into something more precious.

The Classic Center

Free Tours of UGA Libraries’ Georgia Music Collections at the Akins Ford Arena, 6:30 – 7 p.m. and 7:15 – 7:45 p.m. — Ryan Lewis, Georgia music curator for the Special Collections Libraries at UGA, will lead visitors through a display that features more than 200 legendary artists, from Arrested Development to Whisperin’ Bill Anderson. 

Also on view:

“Legendary Georgia Musicians in Watercolor” — Jackie Dorsey’s homage to musicians who have called Georgia home. 

“Linnentown Then and Now: The Johnsons” — Portraits by Caroline Ford Coleman).

tiny ATH gallery

Opening for an exhibition by Linda Hall, a Florida-based artist who makes elaborate masks and animal sculptures.

—

Third Thursday was established in 2012 to encourage attendance at Athens’ established art venues through coordination and co-promotion by the organizing entities. 

Contact: Michael Lachowski, Georgia Museum of Art, mlachow@uga.edu.