"Ant"-ics: - The Corruption Within

Underneath the feet of mankind and dwelling within the walls of the unsuspecting humans lies the vast empire of the ants. Creatures often looked down upon for their size, ants however have empires that are vaster than that of Alexander and Napoleon combined. But within the boundaries of the empire of Ants, lies a deeper kingdom, a kingdom of corruption, murder and unscrupulous greed.

Following humans, Ants decided it was time to come up with their own borders and countries. All the countries were doing well except one, Antladesh. The only reason for the country's rampant crime and seemingly endless corruption was the leaders that ran the country. The others, who opposed the leaders, were also corrupted. For over 2 decades, unstoppable corruption had brought the country to the brink of an economic and civic downfall. The most powerful ant nation, led by President G.Ant Brush had taken a sudden interest in the nation.

When Antladesh shunned its leader Khalanta and her corrupted seed, Antarik, the opposition's commander, Sheikanta stood up to take over. But, as evil deeds after evil deeds got exposed, the citizen ants, brainwashed by a higher power, decided to banish both the leaders. In what seemed like a sure downfall, came out Professor Antus. His claim to fame came after he was rewarded for his earthly deeds and using him as a puppet with strings high up in the congress, he was sent as a savior to the ant nation. Antladesh welcomed him, thinking their crises had ended, but high up plans were being made to take over the country and exploit its resources, which were endless soft dirt, water and a location from which most of the growing Ant nations could be watched.

G.Ant Brush vibrated its feelers at the prospect of gaining such a nation, while Antus agreed to step into Ant Politics. To ensure his landslide victories, the banished leaders and their respective representatives and workers were all entangled in the web of their own corruption. They all tried so hard to conceal themselves even deeper underground that they lost track of their future career. Those who dared to stare adversary directly in the eyes with their own shameful and hated "vision" were all put behind bars and some even vanished into thin air. In one more attempt to win the confidence and trust of the people, G.Ant gave Antladesh, the assassin of their very own nation's father. After so many elusive decades his re-appearance did raise some feelers, but overall the ants were happy.

The corruption continued behind closed doors as the minds of the ant population were being drilled into and filled with fantasies of a golden tomorrow. Those who dared to question were silenced immediately. Some figured that anything would be better than the present scenario, but some where gravely mistaken. The ants had succumbed to their woes and had put themselves at their vulnerable best.

Antus was the unmistaken winner and no bookie ant had a field day about it. The wiser ones watched in awe, as the foolishness of the ants revealed day by day. On the brink of the takeover, some gathered enough courage and drew in from their deep and hidden patriotism to ask for more time. Time was granted but the conclusion was assured. Whatever was supposed to happen would happen and now the Antladesh population could do nothing about it. They had chosen their destiny and they would get what they deserved. In yet another show of selfish corruption and raw ignorance, the ants had sold their freedom for a better tomorrow. Some ants wonder how that is possible, while others watch silently; hand in hand, contemplating the gravity of their mistake.

By Osama Rahman

Weight loss is problem that many people struggle with and it should be taken seriously. Being overweight is very unhealthy and can cause you to have a myriad of problems especially if you're obese, like increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes etc. Unfortunately the trend among teenagers nowadays is to pick up 'an easy, effortless way of losing weight', as it is advertised, from over the counter and relying on them for results. The problem is that most of these claims are false and could even prove to be dangerous.

1. Using a sauna belt: -
How it works: - You wear the 'sauna belt' on any flabby area, like on your thighs, abdomen wherever, it produces heat and supposedly burns up the fat in that region

Does it work? No way!
What went wrong: - The only that you loose with the sauna belt is water. The word sauna is used metaphorically to describe an unusually hot or humid environment. The steam and high heat in real sauna rooms causes bathers to perspire, thus flushing away impurities and toxins from the body. The Sauna belt however doesn't do anything except perhaps dehydrate you. You gain all that water back anyway when you replenish yourself. It ain't that easy to burn fat!

2. Ode to the vibrator: -
How it works: - I'm sure you've seen one of these somewhere. Its one of those machines that has a belt you're supposed to wrap around your buttocks area or waist and it literally vibrates, shaking that body part as well. It is supposed to provide some movement for the muscles there so that they can use up some calories for energy and voila you've lost muscle fat!

Does it work? Not really
What went wrong: - Oh please. You have to use a machine to help you work your muscles? This method is not a 100% failure. To some extent it may help you but doctors warn that it could prove to be harmful in the long run. Think about it. Making your muscles vibrate like that unnaturally could even weaken them over time. Not a wise choice.

3. Electrical muscle stimulators-
How it works: - Technology comes into play here. Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) is the concept whereby electric impulses are used to contract muscles or stimulate them to work. It's similar to the one mentioned above but it is like oh so 21st century.

Does it work? The efficacy of the devices for decreasing body fat has been debated. The FDA has even taken many of them off the market for making unsubstantiated claims.

What went wrong: - Electrical muscle stimulators have legitimate use in physical therapy treatment. When used incorrectly, like for weight loss, muscle stimulators can be dangerous, causing electrical shocks and burns.

Other unproven methods are:
* Appetite suppressing eyeglasses - are common eyeglasses with colored lenses that claim to project an image to the retina which dampens the desire to eat. There is no evidence these work.

* "Magic weight-loss earrings" and devices custom-fitted to the purchaser's ear that purport to stimulate acupuncture points controlling hunger have not been proven effective.

The most important thing is to be wary of claims that sound too good to be true. When it comes to weight-loss schemes, be particularly skeptical of claims containing words and phrases like: easy, effortless, guaranteed, miraculous, exotic, secret, ancient, breakthrough. Losing weight may not be effortless, but it doesn't have to be complicated. To achieve long-term results, it's best to avoid quick-fix schemes and complex regimens. A balanced, healthy diet and sensible, regular exercise are the keys to maintaining your ideal weight. Having a doctor's advice on the best way to lose weight for you is also very important.

A reason for the high success rate of these gadgets is that people don't believe that in this age of technology there isn't a quick fix solution to weight loss. So whether you're obese or just want to loose some puppy fat to be slim like a model, do not invest your hopes (and your money) in all manner of pills, potions, gadgets, and programs that hold the promise of a slimmer, happier future for you. Do it the right and the safe way.

By Nisma Elias

Lesson 1: First Aid, Part Two
Couple of weeks ago, we discussed animal bites and bloody wounds. Here are some more first-aid tips you should remember.

When there is nose bleeding
* Make the person sit upright in a chair and have him/her tilt his/her head slightly forward.

* Gently pinch his/her nose (just below the bony ridge) with a tissue or clean washcloth.

* Keep pressure on the nose for about 10 minutes; if you stop too soon, bleeding may start again. It helps to apply ice wrapped in a paper towel.

* Do not lean back. This may cause blood to flow down the back of the throat, which tastes bad and may initiate gagging, coughing, or vomiting.

* Take rest for a while after a nosebleed. Blowing, picking, rubbing is discouraged.

When there is a first-degree burn
First-degree burns are comparatively mild; symptoms are redness, pain and minor swelling.

* Remove clothing from the burned area immediately.

* Run cool (not cold) water over the burned area (if water isn't available, any cold, drinkable fluid can be used) or hold a clean, cold compress on the burn for approximately 3 to 5 minutes (do not use ice, as it may cause the burn to take longer to heal).

* If the burned area is small, loosely cover it with a sterile gauze pad or bandage.

* If the area affected is small (the size of a quarter or smaller), keep the area clean and continue to use cool compresses and a loose dressing over the next 24 hours. You can also apply antibiotic cream two to three times a day, although this isn't absolutely necessary.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is a lifesaving technique useful in emergencies such as heart attack or near drowning, where someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped. CPR involves a combination of mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing and chest compression.

To learn more about how to carry out CPR, visit:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-cpr/FA00061

By Sabhanaz Rashid Diya