hyper boleh!

felix's sessions on writing have been a real eye-opener. not just because he is a journalist or a writer or a lecturer or a critic, but because he is all that. while i thought that it was a most useful session, my fellow attendees spoke about getting felix to "adapt" to the civil service style of writing or how they were trying to stay awake. i will save my comments about their typical civil servant attitudes for another time.

much as i have enjoyed the sessions, i do not agree with everything no matter how correct they are (yes, i disagree with the "correctness" of some of them). probably my biggest disagreement was the use of "hyperboles" in writing. (a hyperbole is an exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement).

according to him, hyperboles serve no purpose other than take up more space. here are some of his examples:

"freak accident" - every accident is freakish in nature. which accident was planned?
"innocent bystander" - "innocent" is redundant because a bystander is always innocent.
"latest update" - updates are meant to be the latest news.
"significant milestone" - milestones are all significant.

while i agree that hyperboles are redundant in writing, my bone of contention is from the readers' point of view. with so much information available to us these days, how do you capture a reader with just "accident" or "milestone" or "update" - there are accidents everywhere and everyday, and there are updates ALL the time.

despite his insistence that it is poor writing, i stand firm on this (sorry felix). as a reader i do not want to read about ALL accidents and ALL updates. boring boring boring. what will catch my attention is if (in felix's own words) the "accident was freakishly out of this world"! poor writing, sure. but strong appeal.

i am not saying that hyperboles be used all the time and everything needs to be exaggerated to capture readers - over-exaggeration too is a sin. but no matter how redundant hyperboles are to a "proper sentence", the fact is, it is a "redundancy" which can (if used appropriately) capture readers' attention and imagination.

so now, would you rather watch "a comedy which is so damn hilariously funny, it will numb your funny bones" or "a comedy"? you decide.

why civil servants are happier than private sector workers

amazed by the results of a survey conducted by jobscentral - which reported that "civil servants (were) happier compared to those in private sector" - i thought i'd come up with 10 reasons how that could be possible.

1. a civil servant's work does not require that much thinking (if applicable at all).

2. the world's biggest companies are either in trouble, folding or folded. but organisations in "good company" won't.

3. they were provided a step-by-step guide for the survey so that they will not "go wrong".

4. they were given only two choices - it was either happy or ecstatic.

5. it is the recession now leh. a safe place is a happy place.

6. as with all civil service procedures, the subordinates "drafted" the survey answers (pending their superior's approval).

7. a civil servant's job is very specialised - they just need to do their parts. the rest pass on to the "appropriate party". private sector workers need to bao ka liao (everything also must do!) or they will liao liao (say bye bye!).

8. there was a happiness audit.

9. the surveyees were arrowed. but promised full anonymity.

10. isn't jobscentral a job board (where people look for jobs)? you mean they have that many civil servants in its database!