Don't tell me
what I already know

Talking to my friend, Nayeema, the other day, I came upon something which irritated me so much it tested not only my patience and blood-pressure but also my human sanity. A common occurrence in everyday conversation is when people tell other people how much they appreciate the other person. That's all fine and dandy for me, but when value-judgment comes into question, it becomes annoying. It's almost like criticism but the fact that it is positive and obvious, makes it ever worse.

I have heard numerous people praising the works of all other people. When I myself, am complimented on something, it never fails to bring a smile on my face. But when people tell me what I already know, it ticks the sleeping dragon lying within me. Some people can cope with it and I don't know how. For e.g., once a person was complimenting a comic author on one of his jokes saying, and I quote, “Your joke was funny. Your article was funny too.” Had the joke not been funny, it wouldn't have been a joke and had the article not been funny the author would not be a comic writer. The person who stumbled on the discovery of the matter being funny is stupid. Stupid and annoying. Not only is this combination unhealthy it is also fatal. Unhealthy, because sane people will smack your lips and fatal because saner people will kill you.

To emphasize my argument, I presented the scenario to my friend Nayeema (who also agreed to my point of view, seeing that she is sane and not stupid). Movie buff watches A Lot like Love, A Walk to Remember and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and tells the directors of the respective movies that their movies were “romantic”. It doesn't take a genius to deduce that but it surely takes a moron to point it out to the makers of the aforementioned movies. Even if you say it to a normal person, s/he will also hate you for being alive. It's common human behavior to hate an ignorant, time wasting, idiotic, mistake of nature.

To underline my argument and re-write it in bold and italic, to grab my friend's attention like such: - I Am Spider-Man, I asked her how she would feel if someone came up and told her that she had a headache at a time when she really did have a headache. Sure that would suck, but how would she feel if the person who imparts that information to her had gotten the information from her to begin with? In easy words, you tell a person that you have a headache and that person returns 5 seconds later and tells you that you have a head-ache. That kind of situation would force even the Pope to kill.

Therefore, it is really not wise to tell people things that they already know. And no you didn't know this was so annoying until I told you it was, so don't act like I annoyed you, because I didn't. I kindly request people to refrain from imparting pieces of wisdom that everybody is aware of. Don't phrase the obvious because it annoys people. Now I shall end with a bold full-stop because I firmly believe people will get rid of this annoying and happiness/sanity/holiness sapping activity.

Moral: - Water is good for health. Don't say that because I know it.

By Osama Rahman
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Book review

Arrow's Fall

"We cannot help you fight those demons in your head,
You must fight alone.
And when by God's grace you win,
It is because of the strength you had
harvested in those lonely moments"
~ Asif Naser Yusuf "Winning the good fight"

We're rarely aware of just what we are capable of, and discover hidden strength only in the most desperate moments. Thus Talia, imprisoned, and beaten and tortured to within inches of death, manages to find the power to fight back and escape.

The Arrows trilogy, later renamed as "The Heralds of Valdemar" is the first trilogy in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series, stories set in the universe of Velgarth, revolving around the kingdom of Valdemar. It later spawned many sequels and prequels as Lackey expanded her canvas.

The series opens with 'Arrows of the Queen", which introduces the principal characters, as well as the concept of the Heralds, special psychic courtiers in military and administrative service to the ruler of Valdemar. Here we meet the country bumpkin Talia, who flees her home in the Borders and finds herself in Haven, Valdemar's capital, where she realises her destiny as a Herald.

Book 2, "Arrow's Flight" talks about Talia's internship, and sheds some light on the politics beyond Valdemar's Borders, and provides a hint of sinister undertakings quietly shuffling towards a deadly climax.

The final book in this trilogy, "Arrow's Fall" explodes in action, as Talia, newly returned from her internship finds herself embroiled in court politics. Even as she tries to win back her lost credibility from the hands of the conspirators, she is sent on a diplomatic mission to a neighbouring kingdom, one that puts her life - and Valdemar's fate - in fatal jeopardy.

If the preceding book was slow-paced and uneventful, this one will leave you chilled on one page and have you biting your nails in the next as events unfold at breakneck pace. Lackey is a skilled storyteller, and has a seasoned hand with characterisation, which shows even in this early venture. Be prepared for some shocks, though; Valdemar's motto is "There is no one true way," and you will definitely find your morals challenged throughout this series.

By Sabrina F Ahmad
sabera.jade@gmail.com