LOL @ Swedish Idol

... ... ... THIS JUST IN! ... ... ...

And now, onto today's post.

I think this movie is hilarious both with and without sound. The auditioner is not only making some of the strangest and most entertaining faces ever seen on planet Earth, but is also jumping around the room and contortioning into odd poses. A good example of this is when he wraps both of his arms around the back of his head and starts wiggling his fingers at the judges as he leaps around the room. As far as the audio component, the audition is made even more entertaining by the fact that the auditioner is also singing in an extremely high-pitched, nasally voice that should never, ever be heard coming from a guy unless intentionally. (Even then, it's iffy.)


Those responsible for editing the audition recording made the video even more entertaining by not only (and most likely) cutting out the less entertaining parts of the audition and keeping only the more humorous clips. They also included well-timed shots of the judges and their own reactions to the auditioner's bizarre behavior, which were clearly expressed through their own incredulous facial expressions. Absolutely no narrative or captions are needed to express how completely abnormal this audition was.


There are three things that could have made this video better. First off, there seems to be a momentary lag in the recording, due to fault by the original recorder of the person who posted the video, that causes a small segment of the video to be lost and which also serves to momentarily agitate the viewer as they wonder if the video is going to correct itself or not. I also think that whoever posted this video could have made this audition even more entertaining to the viewer by including the rest of the audition, since the video obviously cuts the audition off mid-sentence. More humor could have been added by even just including the judges' commentary on the audition, though of course, the fact that the judges apparently spoke no English might not have contributed much to the overall experience, after all.

Previously known as the Transcontinental Pussy... The Monorail Cat!

What are the ramifications of diagramming while writing in a virtual environment? How do diagrams function, in general, as well as within the context of writing and on the web? How does the diagram you selected function as a learning device? What was the original context of the diagram? How does the meaning of the diagram alter now that it has been extricated from the original context? What our your responsibilities as a writer when removing a diagram from its original context? What details are important within the diagram? How are they labeled? Are they labeled? How would you have labeled them differently? How could you label them differently? What the heck does any of this have to do with writing anyway? How the hell are we supposed to answer all this in only 300 words?

Using diagrams on the web, as opposed to on paper, allows the diagram to be shown to massive amounts of people much faster.

How diagrams function: Diagrams are used to "accompany and illustrate a geometrical theorem, mathematical demonstration, etc.". In this case, the diagram depicts the future of transportation: the monorail cat.

This diagram can function as a learning device because it shows us exactly what the future of transportation will look like. It also shows us that this method of transportation will be extrememly bad-tempered and will not move unless it damn well feels like it. Or unless it's fed.

The diagram was originally being used to demonstrate the efficiency of Monorail Cats next to Monorail Pandas or Monorail Dogs. (I'm only partially making that up.)

"How did the meaning of the diagram alter now that it has been extricated from the original context?" It really didn't. It's still a spoof diagram meant for entertainment purposes.

Responsibilities as a writer when removing a diagram from its original context include citing the original source (see hyperlink above), and explaining the diagram to your new audience that probably hasn't seen the diagram in context before now.

Details important within the diagram are the location of the cat (it appears to be slung over a thin ledge, much like a monorail) and the text within the diagram, which ... well, explain that it's a Monorail Cat.

Yes, the diagram is labeled, with the words 'Monorail Cat Technical Diagram'. This explains that the object shown is in fact a Monorail Cat. If I had labeled the Monorail Cat, I probably would've included more details, such as door location, etc. Much like this:



What the heck does any of this have to do with writing anyway?

Diagrams can make writing more interesting, and can also show exactly what someone is attempting very poorly to describe to you. For instance, posting a diagram of a Monorail Cat explains more to the reader/viewer than just posting "It's a cat. .... That you ride in.......... Did I mention it's really REALLY cute?"