Few Things about Antibiotics

Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications in modern medicine. Antibiotics cure disease by killing or injuring bacteria. The first antibiotic was penicillin, discovered accidentally from a mold culture. Today, over 100 different antibiotics are available to doctors to cure minor discomforts as well as life-threatening infections. Most antibiotics have 2 names, the trade or brand name, created by the drug company that manufactures the drug, and a generic name, based on the antibiotic's chemical structure or chemical class. Trade names such as Keflex and Zithromax are capitalized. Generics such as cephalexin and azithromycin are not capitalized.

Although antibiotics are useful in a wide variety of infections, it is important to realize that antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. Antibiotics are useless against viral infections (for example, the common cold) and fungal infections (such as ringworm).

Antibiotics may have interactions with other prescription and nonprescription medications. For example, Biaxin (an antibiotic) should not be taken with Reglan (a digestive system drug).

Antibiotics may have side effects. Some of the more common side effects may include:
-Soft stools or diarrhea
-Mild stomach upset
You should notify your doctor if you have any of the following side effects:
-Vomiting
-Severe watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps
-Allergic reaction (shortness of breath, hives, swelling of your lips, face, or tongue, fainting)
-Vaginal itching or discharge
-White patches on your tongue

It is important to learn how to take antibiotics correctly. Read the label to see how many pills to take and how often to take your medicine. Also, ask your pharmacist if there is anything you should know about the medication. An important question to ask is how the medication should be taken. Some medications need to be taken with something in your stomach such as a glass of milk or a few crackers, and others only with water. Taking your antibiotics incorrectly may affect their absorption, reducing or eliminating their effectiveness.

It is also important to store your medication correctly. Many children's antibiotics need to be refrigerated (amoxicillin), while others are best left at room temperature (Biaxin).
Take your entire course of antibiotics. Even though you may feel better before your medicine is entirely gone, follow through and take the entire course. This is important for your healing. If an antibiotic is stopped in midcourse, the bacteria may be partially treated and not completely killed, causing the bacteria to be resistant to the antibiotic. This can cause a serious problem if those now-resistant bacteria grow enough to cause a reinfection.

Some people are allergic to certain types of antibiotics, most commonly penicillin. If you have a question about a potential allergy, ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking the medicine.
Allergic reactions commonly have the following symptoms:
-Shortness of breath
-Hives
-Itching
-Swelling of your lips, face, or tongue
-Fainting

One of the foremost concerns in modern medicine is antibiotic resistance. Simply put, if an antibiotic is used long enough, bacteria will emerge that cannot be killed by that antibiotic. This is known as antibiotic resistance. Infections exist today that are caused by bacteria resistant to some antibiotics. The existence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria creates the danger of life-threatening infections that don't respond to antibiotics.

There are several reasons for the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One of the most important is antibiotic overuse. This includes the common practice of prescribing antibiotics for the common cold or flu. Even though antibiotics do not affect viruses, many people expect to get a prescription for antibiotics when they visit their doctor. Although the common cold is uncomfortable, antibiotics do not cure it, nor change its course. Each person can help reduce the development of resistant bacteria by not asking for antibiotics for a common cold or flu.

Maaf: Antara Fitrah dan Tradisi

Scene 1:
Ahad malam sebelum tidur.........
Istri: sayang, dinda minta maaf dari hujung rambut sampai hujung kaki ya........ (manja)
suami: (terlalu mengantuk) he-eh...............

Isnin pagi selepas sholat subuh berjamaah............
istri: sayang, dinda minta maaf sekiranya selama ini dinda selalu buat silap dan salah ya......(sambil mencium tangan sang suami)
suami: (hairan, tapi buat tak kisah) he-eh, he-eh..........

Isnin malam sebelum tidur...........
istri: sayang, salah dan silap dinda mohon diampunkan ya............(manja)
suami: (terlalu suspense sehingga bangkit duduk di tepi katil) Yang dinda selalu minta maaf ni pasal apa? Ada buat hal besar kah?
istri:tak da lah, dinda cuma ikut kata ustadzah kat surau. Dia kata, istri kena selalu minta maaf pada suami. Minima dua kali sehari..........(jujur)
suami: isy, betul kah? (tak terjangkau akalnya) Betul dinda tak da buat hal di belakang na? (curiga)
istri: isy, kanda ni, betul lah...................
(niat hati ikhlas sebenarnya, tapi jadi timbul fitnah pulak)

Scene 2
Sepasang suami istri baru melepasi 6 bulan pertama fasa pernikahan mereka.

Isnin pagi, sang suami tengah menikmati sebungkus nasi lemak.........
suami: tan, mana kopi abang ni. Lekas lah, nanti abang terlambat pulak.
istri: (tergopoh-gopoh membawa secawan kopi) maaf abang, tadi Intan lupa masak air panas.
suami:(hendak minum kopi) ya Allah, intan, awat tak campur air sejuk sikit. Ini panas sangat ni, macam mana nak minum? (mula bengang)
istri: maaf abang, tadi intan lupa...........

Selasa malam,selepas makan malam.............
suami: Intan, tolong ambil specs abang dalam beg tu (sambil mengambil surat kabar)

trang........... bunyi sesuatu jatuh.
Suami: ya Allah, Intan, macam mana specs tu boleh jatuh. Tengok , habis pecah (geram)
istri: maaf abang, intan tak sengaja, tadi tangan intan basah......
suami: (naik angin) sikit-sikit minta maaf, sikit-sikit minta maaf. Itu yang hang tahu. Kalau buat kerja betul tak pa jugak. Hang ni tak reti buat kerja kah?
istri:..............(terkedu)

(Kerap sangat minta maaf pun tak boleh juga. Bukan semua orang suka.)

Scene 3
Di pagi raya yang indah. Keluarga Amin berkunjung ke rumah keluarga Faiz. Semua bermaaf-maaafan dan bersalam-salaman dengan riang gembira.

Faiz: Amin, mai sat.........(berbisik, sambil mengajak Amin berbincang di satu sudut rumah)
Amin: awat.....(mulutnya penuh dengan biskut raya)
Faiz: bila hang nak settle hutang tu. Aku dah pokai ni! (desperate)
Amin: Isy, hang ni, tak boleh tengok aku senang kah? Baru tadi kita bermaaf-maafan, ni hang dah nak kutip hutang pulak dah.
Faiz: maaf, maaf jugak. hutang hang bila nak bayar? Bussiness is bussiness, man. (geram)
Amin: relax, bro. Lepas raya aku settle lah. (sambil menyuap satu lagi biskut ke mulutnya)
Faiz: tak boleh, tak boleh. Aku nak esok juga hang settle kesemua. Kalau tak..........(mengugut)
Amin: ok........ok.........(sambil cabut lari)

(Ada sesetengah perkara yang tak boleh selesai hanya dengan minta maaf.)

Puisi: Refleksi Jiwa Sang Politisi

Bosan......
Jemu......
Berdiri kaku jiwa tanpa tangisan
Memandang cermin kalbu yang bisu

Kerja amal..........
Amal Bakti.........
Bakti Kasih........
Kasih Penyayang......
Semua sudah ku beri
Semua sudah ku tepati
Semua sudah kau nikmati
Semua sudah kau rasai

Apalagi yang Ku mahu?

Wang.........
Kuasa.........
Dunia.........
Ku ingin semua merangkak mengemis sayang
Ku ingin semua tunduk tanpa rasa
Ku ingin semua menyerah kalah dalam luka
Ku ingin semua jiwa mabuk kepayang

Salahkah aku
jika dapat ku ragut apa yang kau pun mahu?
Salahkah aku
jika dapat ku raih apa yang tak kau mampu?
Salahkah aku
jika ku genggam apa yang kau tahu?
Salahkah aku
jika ku rebut apa yang kau pun buru?

Peduli apa dengan luka
Peduli apa dengan bisa
Peduli apa dengan hina
Peduli apa dengan agama

Ikhlas?
ah, jangan kau soal aku dahulu
tak kah kau tahu
mungkin kau pun begitu
tapi sendiri tak tahu

Cocktail party:should it be a culture?

The official definition of a Cocktail according to the modern Merriam-Webster Dictionary is "an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients." That's a pretty broad definition, but reflects the modern practice of referring to almost any mixed drink as a Cocktail. A Mixed Drink is an alcoholic beverage of two or more ingredients. Typically, a base spirit is combined with other distilled spirits, mixers, sweetners, juices and water.
The term Mixed Drink can also refer more specifically to tall or short drinks with a spirit and mixer served over ice, such as the Gin and Tonic and Screwdriver.

The first published definition of the Cocktail appeared in an editorial response in The Balance and Columbian Repository of 1806. This read: "Cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters." It is this definition of ingredients that still refers to the "ideal cocktail." Bitters are a common bar ingredient that was considered a necessity in early bars but were left out of many drinks until their recent comeback thanks to an interest in classic cocktails. Many brands of bitters began as medicinal tonics but they found a home in cocktails as concentrated flavor stimulants that add a nice kick to the mix even though they are only used by the dash. The often secret formulas include a variety of herbs, fruits, spices and roots distilled in a base liquor.

There are as many stories behind the origin of the name Cocktail as there are behind the creation of the Margarita or the Martini. As always, some are preposterous, some believable and who knows, one may be the truth.

Anyone who drinks knows that there are some serious side effects. You may get hangover.
These are some of the symptoms of a hangover:
-Dehydration
-Dry mouth
-Tiredness
-Headache
-Nausea
-Weakness
-Anxiety
-Irritability
-Pessimism
-Difficulty concentrating
-Sensitivity to light and noise
-Trouble sleeping
-Suspension of the laws of gravity

Inspite of those bad effects, do you still like cocktail party? Think the best for your health!

Awas, bahaya mungkin mengintai!

Nak dijadikan cerita, Isnin lepas, tepat pukul 04.10 saya bangkit sahur. Lepas membasuh muka dan warm-up hidangan sahur, tepat pukul 04.15, terdengar bunyi telehone rumah berdering. Lama.......... dan memang bising. Bimbanglah pula si baby terjaga tak pasal-pasal. Satu perkara yang bermain dalam fikiran saya ketika itu, itu mesti my husband, sahur wake up call, seperti biasa. Tapi, kenapa guna telephone rumah.........ah, mungkin batterie handphonenya habis.

Entah mungkin kerana masih ada baki mengantuk, saya "perasan" itu memang my husband voice, dan dia suruh saya buka pintu. Saya pun bergegas mengambil kunci rumah, switch on lampu teres dan..........tengok-tengok dari sebalik langsir, ei, awat tak muncul-muncul juga. Nanti terlambat lah pula saya nak makan sahur ni. Itu perkara yang berlegar-legar dalam fikiran saya ketika itu.

Setelah menunggu 5 minutes, saya pun memutuskan nak pi toilet sekejap. Belum pun sempat melangkahkan kaki masuk toilet, telephone pun berbunyi lagi. Kali ini clear telinga saya boleh dengar "dia" suruh buka pintu. Tapi, sekali lagi yang ditunggu pun tak kunjung sampai. Geram menunggu terlalu lama saya pun meneruskan "kerja" saya, lalu makan sahur. Belum pun habis hidangan sahur, telephone berbunyi lagi, lama.......... dan akibatnya my baby terjaga, nasib baik tak menangis. Saya biar telephone itu berhenti sendiri,saya fikir kalau nanti husband dah depan pintu, saya bukalah nanti pintu tu.

Sambil menikmati sahur, tiba-tiba terfikirlah pula saya beberapa perkara yang membuat saya musykil yang "dia" adalah my husband. Saya pun kirim sms bertanya pada husband, mungkin memang dia yang call tadi. Ternyata..........tidak. Alahai, takutnya saya. Teringatlah pula saya dengan macam-macam kes samun dan bunuh ketika sahur, yang kerap berlaku kebelakangan ini. Husband pun bergegas datang dan "memeriksa" sekeliling rumah.

Apapun, hari itu laporan polis pun dibuat. Bilik Gerakan Polis pun sudah dihubungi. Bimbanglah akan keselamatan kami sekeluarga. Mungkin Tuhan masih sayangkan kami, sehingga perkara buruk tidak berlaku. Nasib baik ketika itu, fikiran waras masih melekat di kepala saya sehingga saya tidak terburu-buru membuka pinta. kalau tak, tak tahulah apa yang mungkin berlaku. Naudzubillah.

Sekarang kami lebih waspada. Macasm-macam cara "mempersenjatai" diri di guna, mulai dari senjata betul dan juga senjata ghaib yaitu memperbanyak doa. Bukanlah niat kita nak bunuh orang, tapi kalau dah pada saat yang terlalu kritikal, mungkin real weapon itu boleh membantu. Bab doa pula, mungkin tuhan nak beri peringatan, terlalu banyak lupa dan lalai kami sebagai hamba Allah dan itu adalah satu teguran.

Apapun, bagi anda di luar sana, berhati-hatilah. Kita tak tahu perkara buruk apa yang mungkin berlaku pada diri kita. Tapi setidaknya lakukan yang terbaik untuk melindungi diri dan keluarga. Walllahualam.

Haute Couture

France is the birthplace and contemporary heartland of Haute Couture. It has been described as the ultimate fashion laboratory because of its unique history of developing the highly-skilled artisans that produce the majority of custom made elements that outfit almost all of the fashion pieces found at the highest end of couture spectrum.

Haute Couture is the most rarefied of all fashion categories. Literally, Haute means elevated or high and Couture means dressmaker. Thus we get High Dressmaker or High Fashion. Haute Couture got it’s start in France at the very beginning of the 20th century and has remained a predominantly French phenomenon to this day.The houses generate more than 1 billion dollars in annual sales and employ close to 5,000 people. After World War II, during fashion's golden age more than 14,000 women wore couture. Today only 2,000 women in the world buy clothes in haute couture houses. Haute couture means designing for rich women, who can afford to pay the very high prices.

Couture is the only 100% unique fashion category. Each couture piece is unique, and constructed by only the finest artisans in each production category. In classic couture based in France designers utilize a dwindling but highly skilled set of old-school artisans who use only the finest, most costly, and most time consuming materials and methods for construction.

Haute couture refers to one of a kind, ornate "high" fashions, that are often conceptual and experimental in nature. Haute couture fashion represents a chance to create the best of the best - using the highest-quality textiles, and unique materials like aged leather, chain mail, or 24 karat gold. Haute couture projects give designers the opportunity to experiment with innovative sewing techniques, hand-sewing and beading, and to create fanciful, exquisite designs that are much more prestigious than ready-to-wear (mass market) collections.

Haute Couture is so specialized that it can mean many different things. It is the “most expensive” fashion around, in which this level of expense is only for the top fashion designers and houses, not many in the fashion world can charge such high amounts.

Haute couture is a multi-million dollar per-year industry - though most haute couture creations are extremely costly to produce. However, the notoriety and prestige of haute couture fashions (especially when worn by celebrities) have the unique ability to generate tremendous publicity for a design house - and that almost always leads to higher sales in the designer's ready-to-wear collections, which can often include simplified, more affordable versions of couture pieces.

Paris has long been known as the ‘City of fashion'. This is the place where it all began. There are haute couture houses like Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. To be called an haute couture house, a business must belong to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture in Paris, which is regulated by the French Department of Industry.

Today, Paris must compete with Milan, Japan, and New York for the title of "epicenter" of the fashion world, but the history of high fashion has its roots firmly in France.

Xanthan Gum : it is not bubble gum

Xanthan gum derives its name from the strain of bacteria used during the fermentation process, Xanthomonas campestris. Xanthomonas campestris is the same bacteria responsible for causing black rot to form on broccoli, cauliflower and other leafy vegetables. The bacteria form a slimy substance which acts as a natural stabilizer or thickener.

Xanthan gum is a long chain polysacharide composed of the sugars glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid. The backbone is similar to cellulose, with added sidechains of trisacharides (three sugars in a chain).A polysacharide is a chain of sugars. Some familiar polysacharides are starch and cellulose.

The trisacharide side chains of mannose and glucuronic acid make the molecule rigid, and allow it to form a right-handed helix. These features make it interact with itself and with other long chain molecules to form thick mixtures and gels in water.

Xanthan Gum is mainly made from starch, is a high molecular weight polysaccharide products.Xanthan gum can be used as stabliser ,thickener , emusifier and high viscosity agent in more than twenty industrial fields, such as food, pharmaceutical ,fine chemical, agriculture, oil drilling and exploitation , and so on .

Xanthan gum is used as a thickener in sauces, as an agent in ice cream that prevents ice crystals from forming, and as a fat substitute that adds the "mouth feel" of fat without the calories in low or non- fat dairy product.. It is also used in canned pet food to add "cling". Xanthan gum is also used as a substitute for wheat gluten in gluten-free breads, pastas and other flour-based food products.

In pastry fillings, it prevents "weeping" ( syneresis ) of the water in the filling, protecting the crispness of the crust. It has a very high viscosity (thickness) even when very little is used. When mixed with guar gum or locust bean gum , the viscosity is more than when either one is used alone, so less of each can be used.

Another use for xanthan gum is the stabilization and binding of cosmetic products. One advantage of xanthan gum is that a little goes an incredibly long way. Cosmetic manufacturers add a very small amount of xanthan gum to their cream-based products in order to keep the individual ingredients from separating. Despite the use of bacteria during processing, xanthan gum itself is not generally harmful to human skin or digestive systems, though some individuals may find they are allergic to it. Xanthan gum is often used whenever a gel-like quality is sought.

One lesser-known use of xanthan gum is in the oil industry. Oil companies often use water as a lubricant for oil well pumps, but regular water is not very thick. A natural thickener such as guar gum or xanthan gum can be added to the water in order to increase its viscosity, or thickness.