Pronunciation

              Two tourists were driving through Wales. As they were approaching Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogoc they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town’s name. They argued back and forth until they stopped for lunch. 

              As they stood at the counter, one tourist asked the employee, “Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce the name of where we are...very slowly?’’ 

              The girl leaned over the counter and said, “Burrrrrrrr, gerrrrrrr, Kiiiiing.”

The Story of Peng Shuilin

In life, we are always complaining about this or that. We are always dissatisfied, though able-bodied and free to choose. Poor people want to be rich, and the rich are never satisfied with what they have etc, etc.... 

Now, meet Peng Shuilin and read his story.

PENG Shuilin is only 78cm tall.

He was born in Hunan Province, China. In 1995, while working in Shenzhen, a freight truck sliced his body in half. His lower body and legs were beyond repair. 

Surgeons sewed up his torso. Peng Shuilin, 37, spent nearly 2 years in hospital in Shenzhen, Southern China, undergoing a series of operations to re-route nearly every major organ or system inside his body. Peng kept exercising his arms, building up strength, washing his face and brushing his teeth.

He survived against all odds. Now Peng Shulin has astounded doctors by learning to walk again after a decade. 

Considering Peng's plight, doctors at the China Rehabilitation Research Centre in Beijing devised an ingenious way to allow him to walk on his own, creating a sophisticated egg cup-liked casing to hold his body, with two bionic legs attached.

It took careful consideration, skilled measurement and technical expertise. Peng has been walking the corridors of Beijing Rehabilitation Centre with the aid of his specially created legs and a re-sized walking frame.

RGO is a recipicating gait orthosis, attached to a prosthetic socket bucket. There is a cable attached to both legs so when one goes forward, the other goes backwards. Rock to the side, add a bit of a twist and the leg without the weight on it advances,while the other one stays still, giving a highly inefficient way of ambulation. 

Oh, he is so happy and contended to 'walk' again after 10 years with half a body!

Hospital Vice-President Lin Liu said: "We've just given him a checkup; he is fitter than most men his age."

Peng Shuilin has gone into business and opened his own bargain store, called the Half Man-Half Price Store. 

The inspirational 37-year-old has become a businessman and is used as a role model for other amputees.

At just 2ft 7ins tall, he moves around in a wheelchair giving lectures on recovery from disability. His attitude is amazing, he just doesn't complain.

"He had good care, but his secret is cheerfulness. Nothing ever gets him down." 

You have a whole body. You have feet. Now you have met a man who has no feet. His life is a feat of endurance, a triumph of the human spirit in overcoming extreme adversity and all odds.

Next time you want to complain about something trivial ……… DON’T. Just remember Peng Shulin instead. 

Town Miser

              When the town miser died, a few charitable individuals gathered together for his funeral. Just before thy closed the box, the minister said, “Before we send this man’s soul to heaven, would someone like to get up and say a good word about him?”

              Silence. Nothing. 

              “Please, friends,” said the minister, “just one good word.”

              Just then a voice came up from the rear pews, “His brother was worse!”

Coffee Can Be Good For The Heart

A couple of cups of coffee a day may help some heart attack patients avoid further serious problems, provided they have normal blood pressure, researchers found.

The finding is somewhat surprising, given the fact that strong coffee can cause palpitations.

A study of 374 patients who had a heart attack or other acute heart problems found that those with normal blood pressure and who drank one or two cups of coffee a day were 88 percent less likely than non-coffee drinkers to develop a condition in which the heart fails to pump blood effectively.

The condition, known as left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), is a common precursor of heart failure.

The protective effect, however, was not seen in patients with high blood pressure, where coffee drinking is linked to an increased likelihood of developing LVSD.

“Coffee contains several biologically active compounds which may have either beneficial or harmful effects on the cardiovascular system,” said Greek investigator Christina-Maria Kastorini.

Coffee is a rich source of chlorogenic acid and antioxidants, which have protective properties. However, in people with hypertension, its negative effect on blood pressure appears to cancel this out.

The research was conducted by a team at Harokopio University and the Hippokration Hospital in Athens, Greece. The findings were presented at a European Society of Cardiology meeting in Prague recently.

- Reuters

Appendicitis

              “But, it can’t wait,” the man yelled furiously.

              “Young man,” said the doctor impatiently, “she can’t have appendicitis because I removed her appendix over five years ago. Just relax and do as I say. She can’t have more than one appendix.”

              “Well, a man can have more that one wife,” said the man acidly.

              The doctor rushed right over and, sure enough, the new wife had appendicitis.

Does Green Tea Reduce Blood Pressure?

The Claim: Green Tea can help lower blood pressure.

The facts: Few foods have a reputation for soothing stress quite like a hot cup of tea.

Green tea, in particular, has been credited with reducing stress and anxiety and is believed to contain compounds that relax blood vessels.

However, when scientists looked at whether it lowers blood pressure, even by a little, the evidence is fairly weak.

Some small studies have found that a few cps a day can shave some points off blood pressure levels, but others have found that it provides no help at all and may even be counter-productive. 

Still, the news is not all bad for tea drinkers.

In a recent randomised study financed in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, scientists at Tufts University recruited 65 men and women with modestly high blood pressure who were not taking medication.

Some were randomly assigned to drink a cup of hibiscus tea three times a day, while others received a tea-flavoured placebo.

After six weeks, the hibiscus tea group saw a respectable drop in systolic pressure - the top number in blood pressure readings - compared to the placebo group, suggesting that the tea made an impact.

However, experts said that more study is needed.

The bottom line: Green tea does not seem to have much effect on blood pressure while hibiscus tea may have the potential of lowering blood pressure. 

- The New York Times 

Doctor’s Demands

              Doctors at a hospital have gone on strike. Hospital officials say they will find out what the Doctor’s demands are as soon as they can get a pharmacist over there to read the picket signs!

Season Ticket

              Sarah was reading a newspaper, while her husband was engrossed in a magazine. Suddenly, she burst out laughing.

              “Listen to this,’’ she said. “There’s a classified ad. here where a guy is offering to swap his wife for a season ticket to the stadium.”

              “Hmmm,” her husband said, not looking up from his magazine. 

              Teasing him, Sarah said, “Would you swap me for a season ticket?”

              “Absolutely not,’’ he said.

              “How sweet,’’ Sarah said. “Tell me why not.’’

              “Season’s more than half over,” he said.