Eclectic: Dean - The Power of Positive Thinking

Dean's Stoke Musing

When you're feeling negative, all those books by self-help gurus about the power of positive thinking can seem more like wishful thinking than practical advice. Is there a scientific basis for the power of positive thinking? Can a positive outlook on life really improve your health? Many recent studies indicate that positive thinking can be more powerful than even the 'gurus' often give it credit for.

What Is Positive Thinking?

Critics of the power of positive thinking often say it is a naive world view that refuses to look at the facts. "Life is hard and then you die" is their motto. Psychologists and others who have studied the subject in depth disagree. Truly positive thinkers, far from hiding their heads in the sand, face life's challenges head-on because they are able to learn and grow from negative experiences and take advantage of existing opportunities. An emerging field of psychology, positive psychology, takes a scientific approach to the power of positive thinking and has come up with some surprising revelations:

• Happiness is the cause of positive outcomes in life, not the result.
• Happy people tend to have deep religious or spiritual beliefs.
• Wealth does not bring happiness, but using one's wealth to benefit others does contribute to personal happiness.
• Altruism is a surer road to happiness than hedonism.
• Happiness (or positive thinking) is a "skill" that can be learned.

The Neuroscience of Positive Thinking

Recent advances in brain imaging and other tools of neuroscience increasingly agree with the findings of positive psychology. Dr. Dacher Keltner of the University of California at Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center is one of this growing number of psychologists who believe there is hard scientific evidence that human beings are "hard wired" to be happy and compassionate. For generations, we have equated Darwin's Theory of Evolution with "survival of the fittest." In fact, though, according to Dr. Keltner, Darwin argued that "sympathy is our greatest instinct" and is the key to our personal and collective survival. How is this possible?

Brain imaging devices have the ability to pinpoint areas of the brain that become active when we are engaging in a specific activity or feeling a particular emotion. When we are feeling compassionate, a part of the brain "lights up" that is directly connected to cerebral networks that release a powerful hormone called oxytocin. Sometimes called the "love hormone", oxytocin is associated with our bonding instincts, whether sexual, parental, religious or cultural. More importantly for those who want to cultivate positive thinking in their lives, oxytocin makes us feel happy and can be produced with or without an external object of love.

On the flipside, the amygdala is a small organ in the brain that is responsible for triggering fear. When operating normally, it is an invaluable survival tool that aids in the release of adrenaline and other chemicals that cause us to react appropriately to immediate danger. The problem with the amygdala in modern society is that we are constantly bombarded with frightening news reports. A downturn in the economy, for instance, is cause for alarm, but is also a call to action. When we are unable to take positive action, the result is stress and anxiety. While a good night's sleep will help (oxytocin, dopamine and other healing chemicals are released in sleep), when we wake up in the morning, we are again reminded of the "crisis" and, if we haven't cultivated positive thinking, we are plunged into anxiety again. Left unchecked, this can lead to a fatalistic sense of despair.

Cultivating Positive Thinking

Neuroscientists have identified the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain just behind the forehead) as the brain's "executive center" or "decision maker." It is the area of the brain that allows us to step back from a situation and analyse it from a distance. Interestingly, brain scans of long term meditators have revealed that when meditating, areas of the prefrontal cortex become extremely active. Not only that, but the sense of happiness and bliss that they experience is partially a result of "feel good" hormones (endorphins) being released when the mind is in a meditative state.

Psychologists and neuroscientists have also studied the affects of "random acts of kindness" on emotional stability and positive thinking. Surprisingly, little things like holding a door open for someone can have a more beneficial affect on the person who performs the act of kindness than it has on the recipient. Kindness and compassion towards ourselves has a similarly positive affect. Studies have shown that "random acts of self-kindness" have the same affect as do those offered others. The simple act of physically giving yourself a hug or pat on the back has been shown to decrease cortisol (a stress hormone) levels and heart rate while at the same time releasing oxytocin.

Affirmations, too, have their place in positive thinking. Henry Ford's statement, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" is often quoted by self help gurus. If we are thinking, "I can't", we automatically respond with negative self imagery. When we think, "I can", we are affirming our ability to overcome obstacles. In neurological terms, "I can't" activates negative amygdaloid activity, while "I can" shunts neurological activity to the positive, creative areas of the prefrontal cortex.

The Power of Positive Thinking on Health

Stress has been identified as the most destructive emotion and there are direct links between stress and heart and other crippling and life threatening diseases. While few long term studies have been conducted on the causal connection between positive thinking and health have been conducted, those studies that have been done and anecdotal evidence confirm that positive thinking strengthens the immune system and assists in healing.

Science has only just begun to change its focus from the causes of mental illness and physical disease to the causes of happiness and health. While the evidence is not all in, the evidence accumulated so far affirms what most of us intuitively know: positive thinking leads to positive outcomes. Perhaps the greatest contribution made by positive psychology and neuroscience is that positive thinking is inextricably linked with virtues like kindness and compassion and is not dependent on material riches. It can incidentally lead to wealth, but more importantly, positive thinking leads to "wellth" of body, mind and spirit.

Original article The Power of Positive Thinking in Natural Therapy Pages Australia's #1 Natural Health Site

Eclectic: Gary - Use Fiction or the Promise of Real Hope for Persons Having Been Affected by Stroke

Gary - PEI Blog

This ongoing project actually is accomplishing seemingly the impossible.  Matching the movements of a robot to the mental demands of the brain. It is a beginning.

A beginning that proves that the impossible is possible. (here is a quick intro)

"In an ongoing clinical trial, a paralyzed woman was able to reach for and sip from a drink on her own – for the first time in nearly 15 years – by using her thoughts to direct a robotic arm. The trial, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, is evaluating the safety and feasibility of an investigational device called the BrainGate neural interface system. This is a type of brain-computer interface (BCI) intended to put robotics and other assistive technology under the brain's control.

A report published today in Nature describes how two individuals — both paralyzed by stroke — learned to use the BrainGate system to make reach-and-grasp movements with a robotic arm, as part of the BrainGate2 clinical trial. The report highlights the potential for long-term use and durability of the BrainGate system, part of which is implanted in the brain to capture the signals underlying intentional movement. It also describes the most complex functions to date that anyone has been able to perform using a BCI.

For the woman, it was the first time since her stroke that she was able to sip a drink without help from a caregiver."

Watch this You Tube video to really get your mind around what this project is really all about.

Eclectic: Monty - Change For a Dollar?

Written and directed by Sharon Wright:

Just announced 8/1/12 - We've been nominated for TWO Regional EMMY AWARDS!   PLEASE HELP ME MAKE MY NEXT ONE! CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND DONATE A DOLLAR. LET'S KEEP MAKING FILMS THAT INSPIRE THE WORLD!
     http://sharonwright.chipin.com/change-through-film

** PLEASE NOTE ** This film and story are Copyright Protected, therefore any re-upload or public display is prohibited without express written consent of the owner. BUT, Links are ALWAYS welcome!

Is he asking for Change, or is he asking for CHANGE?  Follow a man as he affects multiple peoples' lives with just one dollar, proving that it doesn't take much to be the change in someone's life.

SSTattler: The following is a link to YouTube by Sharon Wright.

Eclectic: Jackie - Two Trees and a Woodpecker

It is hard to find a joke today without a dirty word or two in it, but here is one:

Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, are growing in the woods. A small tree begins to grow between them, and the beech says to the birch, 'Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?' The birch says he cannot tell, but just then a woodpecker lands on the sapling.

The birch says, 'Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?'

The woodpecker takes a taste of the small tree and replies, 'It is neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. It is, however, the best piece of ash I have ever poked my pecker into.'

----> Now wipe that smile off your face! <----

Eclectic: Carrie - Having Deer for Breakfast

Having Deer for Breakfast

Deer enjoying breakfast. Notice the deer in the background, too.  They don't seem to know what to make of all this.  You are not going to believe this one.

Eclectic: SSTattler - V.S. Ramachandran, 3 Clues to Understanding Your Brain

From T.E.D.:

Vilayanur Ramachandran tells us what brain damage can reveal about the connection between celebral tissue and the mind, using three startling delusions as examples.

Neurologist V.S. Ramachandran looks deep into the brain’s most basic mechanisms. By working with those who have very specific mental disabilities caused by brain injury or stroke, he can map functions of the mind to physical structures of the brain.

V.S. Ramachandran is a mesmerizing speaker, able to concretely and simply describe the most complicated inner workings of the brain. His investigations into phantom limb pain, synesthesia and other brain disorders allow him to explore (and begin to answer) the most basic philosophical questions about the nature of self and human consciousness.

Ramachandran is the director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, and an adjunct professor at the Salk Institute. He is the author of Phantoms in the Brain (the basis for a Nova special), A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness and The Man with the Phantom Twin: Adventures in the Neuroscience of the Human Brain.

"Ramachandran is a latter-day Marco Polo, journeying the silk road of science to strange and exotic Cathays of the mind. He returns laden with phenomenological treasures...which, in his subtle and expert telling, yield more satisfying riches of scientific understanding." 

--- Richard Dawkins

Eclectic: Regina - Yoga And My Life

From Regina Price

On January 1, 2007, more than 5 years ago, my life changed phenomenally. I had a brain aneurysm rupture and lost my former life as a psychologist—which included all my speech, writing, counting and understanding money. Apparently, 85% of people with similar brain hemorrhages lose their lives, but I was taken to the university hospital by ambulance right away and the staff and doctors all helped me. I was in the U of A hospital for almost a month followed by another two months at the Glenrose. But I had no speech. Barbara Newborn, a yoga teacher from the States who had a stroke said elegantly: “The loss of language erased my connections with anyone or anything I had ever known. It isolated me from the rest of the world and from myself.”

For more than one year, I tried hard to regain my speech and therefore, went to a speech therapist 3 times a week to recover my language. I also lost my driving licence for the same length of time. But the most difficult thing to deal with was the loss of my confidence of who I was. I realized that yoga could help because it will connect my body and my mind.

Before my aneurysm, I had jobs involved sitting in chairs all the time and after I became a registered psychologist I counselled children in two schools. I often felt pain in my back from sitting on little chairs working with the children. Over the years I took pain killers every day to make it through that day. Over 15 years ago, I went to physiotherapists because I had so much pain in my back. One suggested I could start going to yoga.

In the beginning of my life with yoga, I started out with different teachers and took one class a week but I found it was difficult and painful and my yoga teachers couldn’t help me. Then, in 2006 we moved to Sherwood Park and I started classes at Yoga for Today. Going to classes here really started to help. Then I had the aneurysm …

After three months of living at home, I decided to take my life more seriously. Because of my psychology background, I decided to change “myself”. I started reading and thinking, painting and walking with my therapy dog, Dougal. I took three art therapy courses to learn about my loss and how I could help myself and others through art. Also, I started gardening at our acreage—all because I had my husband loving me and allowing me to try new experiences.

Then, I tried to talk with my daughter, Naomi, about my speech problems and what I believed about yoga and how it could help me in the future. Together, we decided to go to a year of yoga teacher’s training and, than, I learned more about my body and how it moves and which postures could help me. Naomi helped me by driving me and going to classes and writing notes for me at class. I re-learned how to write by writing papers about my asana experiences every month—it was very helpful. It was fascinating and inspiring and slowly, I started talking more and listening more. I began to understand how yoga helped me to re-organize my brain and body in such a way that they work together naturally.

Since that learning experience, I started to going to yoga classes as often as I could—about 3 times a week. Now, that I am retired, I have the time to go to yoga classes and I also volunteer at other places to help people. This has made my life more stress-free and I often have days without constant pain in my back. I hardly take pain killers anymore. I am much happier and enjoy living every day. I want to share my experiences with others to help them find themselves—and to feel more comfortable—like me.

Saturday Articles - Sept/01/2012

Eclectic: Gary - Good News and Bad News!

The Good News About Stroke !!!

From Gary at Prince Edward Island Stroke Recovery.

American Stroke Association's Infographic

According to the American Stroke Association's recent "Infographic", (new word) stroke has dropped to the number 4 leading cause of death in the United States. (and by logical extension, the world).

I wonder if that means that we are getting better at saving the lives of persons effected by stroke. OR, we are getting better at preventing strokes in the first place. OR, there has been a dramatic change in one or more of the 3 OTHER leading causes of death.

Just be aware that when one shoe falls we automatically in our minds eye, think "wait for it". Wait for what? The OTHER shoe to fall, of course.

The Bad News !!!

According to the same infographic  stroke is the NUMBER ONE cause of long term disability in the United States. (and by logical extension, the world)

Just think about what that means to the 800,000 NEW people who are effected by stroke in the United States alone every year. (something like one a minute) Now, think about what that means to the 5,000.000 people who are living with disability after having survived a stroke in the United States alone.

Consider the cost to survivors, families, caregivers, health care professionals, communities, governments and tax payers to start with.

Isn't it time that we all learned more about stroke, how to prevent it, how to recover from it and how to be the best that our bodies will allow us to be after stroke.

Many people think that stroke is NOT preventable and that a productive "Life After Stroke" is impossible. Changing the way we think can FIX that. ANYTHING is possible when my ATTITUDE says, "I CAN"

Gary
Stroke Survivor since 2002

Article: Welcome to the Stroke 2012 Conference in Australia.

Stroke 2012 will be a combined event for the Stroke Society of Australasia 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting and the 8th Smart Strokes Australasian Nursing and Allied Health Stroke Conference. This will be the second time a combined event between the organisations has been held and will be of interest to medical, nursing and allied health professionals.

Last year the Stroke Society of Australasia 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting attracted over 400 delegates to Adelaide, SA. Smart Strokes 2011 was a great success with over 400 delegates attending the conference on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

The many distinguished invited speakers for Stroke 2012 include four well renowned international keynotes, along with national experts in stroke. Our keynote speakers for this year are:

• Rustam Al-Shahi Salman: MRC Senior Clinical Fellow University of Edinburgh, and Consultant Neurologist, Western General Hospital Edinburgh , UK
• Valerie Pomeroy: Professor of Neurorehabiliation, University of East Anglia, UK
• Christian Stapf: Professor of Neurology at Université Diderot – Sorbonne Paris Cité, France, and Columbia University in New York City, USA, and Head of Acute Neurovascular Unit of Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France
• Caroline Watkins: Professor of Stroke and Older People’s Care, University of Central Lancashire, UK

We anticipate Stroke 2012 will be a vibrant and exciting conference attracting over 600 delegates - including researchers, clinicians and managers

See the full article  Stroke 2012 Conference in Australia.

Article: Heart-to-Heart: Canadian Adults Wary of Having “The Talk” with their Parent(s)

New program helps to break the ice and get Canadian adults and their parent(s) talking about a serious heart condition that can lead to stroke.

Toronto, ON — August 7, 2012 — Many parents feels anxious about the inevitable talk about the “birds and bees” with their children – sitting their kids down and explaining the facts. However, when the tables are turned and the “kids” become adults, having “The Talk” with their parent(s) about sensitive health issues can be really uncomfortable.  A recent survey shows about 60 per cent of Canadian adults with living parent(s) regularly do not have “The Talk” about health issues with their parent(s) and almost a third (30 per cent) say they don’t quite know how to start conversations with them about sensitive health topics.

Breaking the Ice
Having “The Talk” about health issues is very important – especially when it comes to a condition like atrial fibrillation (AF) and its link to stroke.  If you have AF, a serious heart condition, your risk of stroke is considered three to five times higher than those without AF. Fortunately – with a physician’s help and by taking some practical steps – you can take action to lower this risk.

“The survey makes it clear that Canadians understand how debilitating strokes can be, but for whatever reason it seems that they aren’t talking about AF and stroke with their parents” says Dr. Frank Silver, Professor of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto.  “We need to open the lines of communication to encourage Canadians 55 years and older to proactively raise the topic during their next doctor’s visit to get checked and if needed, start treatment to reduce their risk.”

To help break the ice, new tools are available at www.StrokeAndAF.ca – an educational resource available to Canadians with information about AF and stroke.  For Canadians who can’t find the words themselves to have “The Talk” with their parent (s), they can send a customizable video featuring a barbershop quartet as a gentle door opener to start “The Talk”. After all, everything sounds better set to music.  Once sent, they can refer to the “The Talk” Tip Sheet which provides helpful advice on how to approach this tricky conversation.

Article: Sharon - Are You Still The Same Person After Your Stroke?

Are you still the same person after your stroke? Have you lost your identity after stroke?

I came on this poem. It has been published in several stroke newsletters:

"I'm Still Me" 

My voice may be slow and weak

But if you let me, I can still speak

I may be slow when I move about

But I still like to get up and out

I may not remember all you say

But I like to hear it anyway

I may not do all I plan

But I plan to do all that I can

There has been changes as anyone can see

But all in all "I'm still me."  (Author unknown)

In the research literature on stroke, the majority of research stresses that people lose their identity after stroke.  Recently some of the researchers are questioning whether stroke survivors are actually saying that or whether this is what professionals believe.

I know that most people’s bodies change after a stroke.  Most people will have some degree of physical or cognitive impairment.  Impairments can range from a bit of difficulty finding words all the way to being in a wheelchair and unable to talk at all, but are you a different person because you have such an impairment?  In 1997, when John had his stroke, the neurologist and speech therapist stressed that he had lost so much of his brain that he couldn’t think in the same way nor could he ever be the same person that he was before.  Our daughter, Patty was the one that fought hardest for her dad to be treated like her dad and receive the respect he had always received.

My professional training and my conversations with the professionals treating John left me with concerns about creating unrealistic expectations for recovery and expecting John to be the wonderful father and husband he had been before stroke.  One day I said to Patty who was 11 at the time, “You know that your dad will never get better,” Patty was silent for a couple of minutes and then asked, “Mom, you have always told us to focus on what we can do, not on what we can’t. Why is Dad different now?”  That comment really made me stop and think about how we treat stroke survivors and whether they lose their identity or whether we force them to be different because of the way we treat them.

There is significant research that demonstrates that if we treat people as if they are slow and different or put them in an environment with no stimulation or completely isolate them, they indeed will become slow and different.    Indeed a very good article by Haslam (2008) suggests that social identity continuity predicts better quality of life after stroke.

You can read about our experience after John’s stroke.  It was published in the journal, Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, The Language of Recovery: How Effective Communication of Information Is Crucial to Restructuring Post-Stroke Life or a brief synopsis is in the next article as well.

Haslam C, Holme A, Haslam SA, Iyer A, Jetten J, Williams WH. Maintaining Group Memberships: Social Identity Continuity Predicts Well-Being After Stroke. Neuropsych Rehab 2008;18(5-6):671-691.

How were you treated after stroke?  Did people assume you were the same person, or were you treated differently?  Who helped you to maintain your sense of self?  How did they do that?

Article: The Language of Recovery: How Effective Communication of Information Is Crucial to Restructuring Post-Stroke Life

by Sharon Anderson and Nancy J. Marlett

Background: Providing appropriate and effective information to people with stroke and their families has been identified as a key component to successful practice. Researchers continue to focus on “lack of information” as being the lack of specific technical medical information rather than the communication of practical knowledge and how people use that knowledge to restructure life after stroke. To meet patients’ expectations and achieve better outcomes in stroke, professionals need access to communication theory, research, and training.

I come to this article as the wife of a stroke survivor, the mother of two children, a veteran medical professional, a founder of a website for families dealing with stroke, and a student of communication as the key to identity. After my husband lost the use of the right side of his body and could not speak, he was transferred immediately by ambulance to the hospital. In the emergency department, I was shown the CT scan and was told he had had a nonhemorrhagic stroke. John was admitted into a general medical ward in the hospital under the care of an internal medicine specialist. Two days later, the  medical resident came into the room and told me, “The neurologist has just been here, we have done another CT scan and he can talk to you now.” I followed him into the corridor, where the neurologist did the entire consultation while dinner trays were being carried to and from rooms by nurses, families were arriving to see their loved ones, nurses scurried to finish their work toward the end of their shift, and numerous curious onlookers listened to the conversation about John’s condition. The neurologist very quickly went over information from the CT scan on the brain damage, his prognosis, and his negative prognostications for rehabilitation. I was screaming inside, “This is not communication!” This was my first point of contact with a specialist in stroke care.

See the full article Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation: Grand Rounds - The Language of Recovery: How Effective Communication of Information Is Crucial to Restructuring Post-Stroke Life.

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Saturdays Comics Aug/25/2012

For Better and For Worse Lynn Johnston / 2007-02-25 "Today, you made the sunshine!"	Dilbert Scott Adams / 2012-08-23 "Elbonian hackers stole a million ..."
Garfield Jim Davis / 2012-08-22 "I wouldn't want to be you !"	Betty Delainey & Rasmussen / 2012-08-24 "I'll try anything ..."

* For Better and For Worse" is a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim. (See as well  the author Lynn Johnston).

** I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons. It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low. Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

*** Changed from "Pickles" to "Betty" -- "Betty" is a excellent cartoon and Gary Delainey & Gerry Rasmussen are authors/artists/cartoon-strips and they live in Edmonton.

YouTube: ICE Trikes (aka Tadpole) Front and Rear Suspension.

ICE 2010 Trikes Road Response Suspension film. For the Ultimate in recumbent trikes visit the ICE trikes website.  http://www.icetrikes.co.uk




A few comments (of many):

If I had that rig I simply couldn't resist putting an electric assist drive on there and load a LiPo battery pack into the frame... then it would really make sense. 

-- SquirrelFromGradLife

We do ship these suspension units as retro fit kits. Please could you e-mail us direct for a quotation including shipping to your area. There are 2 types of Velomobile shells available for the Sprint. One of which is sold direct from Canada - The Borealis from (velomobiles.ca/Borealis.html) or the UK from Ocean Cycle - the Challenger )(oceancycle.co.uk.) 

-- Icetrikes 

The Vortex isn't available with suspension? Is that due to suspension stealing some force and performance? Or just weight or that it's not considered necessary on a road bike? I would also be interested in knowing how performance would compare to two-wheel bikes such as the M5 low-riders. 

-- JohanKH 

The Vortex is generally aimed at faster road riding and like fast road bikes in general it is not configured with suspension. If greater comfort is a higher priority over pure speed then do consider the Sprint model. We are adding an option for the hard shell seat on the Sprint. True performance comparisons with other vehicles would be interesting though we have not had the chance to do this so far. M5 have some nice details of comparisons on their products. 

-- Icetrikes

SSTattler: If you want to read a lots of comments see YouTube: Ice Trikes 2010. Front and Rear Suspension.

Saturdays Comics Aug/18/2012

For Better and For Worse Lynn Johnston / 2007/02/10 "Aphasia ... it should be called 'confuse-ya' !"	Dilbert Scott Adams / 2012-08-18 "Now I see why you use euphemisms!"
Garfield Jim Davis / 2012-08-18 "Unless you get carried off by ants."	Betty Delainey & Rasmussen / 2012-08-18 "...much a business as a day care for nerds."

* For Better and For Worse" is a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim. (See as well  the author Lynn Johnston).

** I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons. It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low. Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

*** Changed from "Pickles" to "Betty" -- "Betty" is a excellent cartoon and Gary Delainey & Gerry Rasmussen are authors/artists/cartoon-strips and they live in Edmonton.

Eclectic: Jackie - Brilliant ideas!

70 Funny and Creative Inventions of 2011

This post showcases some funny, crazy, weird, creative and wacky inventions introduced to markets and submitted to patent offices around the world in 2011. Most of these highly unusual gadgets and gizmos will make you laugh but still serve really useful purposes. Typically, it’s some of the most absurd patents and inventions that successfully land on the shelves of Brookstone, in pages of Sky Mall Magazine, and other fun gadget stores. Some of these designs are pretty hilarious, I hope you can enjoy.

(SSTattler: I cut to the amusement of the Stroke Survivors Tattler;  if you want more you can look at Brookstone, Sky Mall Magazine, ...)

YouTube: Oscar Pistorius 2012

The history of Oscar Pistorius from a disability teenager to a competitor at Olympics London 2012. Should a handicapped racer be allowed to race against able-bodied runners?  Does his artificial carbon-fibre legs give him advantage or disadvantage?  Many YouTube/articles say both positive and negative.  Please we need your comments in SSTattler at the bottom of the article.

Article: Oscar Pistorius knocked out of London 2012 Olympics

Oscar Pistorius knocked out of London 2012 Olympics but his achievements will resound for years to come.

by http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Oscar Pistorius’s Olympic journey ended on Sunday night but he leaves London having kicked down another door with his carbon-fibre blades.

The South African was eliminated from the 400m, finishing last in his semi-final, but his presence was always likely to be more significant than his achievements on the track.

Pistorius secured his place in sporting history by becoming the first double amputee to compete at the Olympics. He will be back in a few weeks to add to his haul of Paralympic titles, but the impact of the 95 seconds or so he spent in competitive action will reverberate longer in the sport than anything he achieves next month.
See the full article Oscar Pistorius knocked out of London 2012 Olympics.

YouTube: Oscar Pistorius - The Blade Runner

2012 Olympic hopeful Oscar Pistorius working toward the London Games. Oscar is a double-amputee since 11 months old.

YouTube: Blade Runner Has Eyes Set On Olympics

Should a handicapped racer be allowed to race against able-bodied runners? South Africa's Oscar Pistorious is known as the Blade Runner, because he runs on artificial legs. And, as Len Berman reports, he has fought his way to the World Championships. His goal, despite all obstacles thrown in his path, is the Olympics.

Saturdays Comics - August 4th / 2012

For Better and For Worse Lynn Johnston / 200-/02-09 "... I'm so pumped !!"	Dilbert Scott Adams / 2012-08-03 "... if we have to work all night!"
Garfield Jim Davis / 2012-08-03 "Garfield! Lunch!"	Betty Delainey & Rasmussen / 2012-08-02 "It's an interesting process."

* For Better and For Worse" is a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim. (See as well  the author Lynn Johnston).

** I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons. It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low. Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

*** Changed from "Pickles" to "Betty" -- "Betty" is a excellent cartoon and Gary Delainey & Gerry Rasmussen are authors/artists/cartoon-strips and they live in Edmonton.

Eclectic: Jackie - Rock'n August Events !

Five days of activities begin early Tuesday morning at the St. Albert Inn when City TV kicks off Rock'n August with the Breakfast Television. Many of the classics that will be competing in Saturday's Show 'n Shine competition will be at this event. Each evening until Friday Night's Cruise and Street Dance different locations in St. Albert host an evening of classic car shows, community barbecues and musical entertainment. Friday night, the streets of St. Albert are packed with thousands of eager spectators viewing the 400 plus classic cars as they parade past City Hall. The party continues as the stage is filled with some of the best musical entertainment of the year. St. Albert’s Sturgeon River valley is home to the much anticipated Show 'n Shine that starts early on Saturday morning. The cars are parked and polished one more time awaiting the decision on who will walk away with the 2012 trophies and bragging rights to "Best in Show". Between 15,000 and 18,000 people attend the Show 'n Shine that has something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Start Tuesday Morning August 7th, 7-9AM until Saturday August 11th, 7:00pm to Close.

See the full article 2012 Rock'n August - Events !