För femte gången är brittiska The X Factor tillbaka i England, första avsnittet visades i lördags och hela hösten kommer man vaska fram en ny artist. Ni vet förmodligen hur det går till, dom har fyra olika grupper och varje jurymedlem har hand om en grupp var, och coachar dom. Sedan någon gång i slutet av hösten, ungefär samtidigt som vår nya svenska Idol utses förmodar jag, så utses X Factor vinnaren.

Förra året kollade jag hela tiden och det var verkligen bra artister med då, så många som jag älskade och det var roligt att se det lite annorlunda formatet mot för det vanliga Idol och American Idol. Förra året vann Leon, men helt ärligt har jag inte hört något från honom. Jag antar att han, och många av dom andra tidigare X Factor deltagarna mest blivit kända i Storbrittanien, så om man är riktigt intresserad av att veta mer om hur det gått för dom är det enkelt att hitta. Många har då gett ut skivor, så mycket vet jag. Egentligen är jag inte så intresserad av vad deltagarna gör efter själva serien är slut, det roligaste slutar ju när serien slutar. Det finns dock en stor lysande stjärna som kommit från The X Factor som jag tror alla känner till - Leona Lewis. Hon var med där för två säsonger sedan och har blivit känd världen över.

Hursomhelst, den här säsongen brörjar riktigt bra, med många ansikten och röster man kommer komma ihåg. Men som vanligt är det många duktiga artister som inte visas förrän i den andra utgallringen. Roligt med det här här året är att det är en ny i juryn - Cheryl Cole. Ganska välkänt namn, borta i England förmodar jag att hon och hennes man (forbollsspelaren Ashley Cole) är värsta superparet, men själv vet jag mest att hon är med i tjejbandet Girls Aloud, som faktiskt också uppkom genom en liknande talangtävling. Cheryl ersatte Sharon Osbourne (väldigt bra byte där) och redan nu har hon gjort så att programmet känns fräschare (dessutom blev tittarsiffrorna högre). Jag tycker om henne, även fast hon verkar vara lite för mycket som Danni Minouge, alltså att dom representerar samma typ av musik och därav har samma smak och samma åsikter. Men det spelar inte så stor roll, hon ser ju bra ut i TV, och det är väl det allra viktigaste ;) Jag har dock läst ganska många kommentarer om valet av henne som ny jurymedlem, tydligen hade det blivit en skandal för ett tg sedan när hon hade slagit en annan kvinna, och folk tycker att det är konstigt att dom kan ha med henne trots att dom förra året diskade en tjej som tagit sig till finalen då det kom fram en video där hon misshandlade en annan tjej. Själv tycker jag inte att det är samma sak, men men. Vi får väl se hur bra hon är senare i höst.

Jag kommer försöka skriva varje vecka om X Factor, så mycket jag hinner, eftersom jag älskar programmet. En bra sak att det går på lördagskvällar, för då är det inga andra serier att se så då har man förmodligen lite tid, men sen är det kanske också en nackdel att det går på en lördag, då helgen är den enda lediga tid så kanske det blir lite sisådär med att ta sig till att skriva.

Vad tycker du om The X Factor så här långt?

It’s raining outside. I was ecstatic yesterday when it started to rain – I’ve been rain-dancing for weeks, it seems like. And then it rained all day, and it sorta surprised me, this feeling that bubbled up; I don’t know that I’d call it irritation, but I was definitely feeling some sort of, “Okay, thanks for the rain! You can stop now!” And if I wasn’t feeling that last night, I certainly was this morning. Oh, I am Very Grateful for the rain. Let’s be clear about that. It’s just that two days of rain – especially when I have to drive across town in horrific traffic made worse by any kind of weather – does not seem very appealing.

****

The Almost-Ex and I decided that we would help the girls pick out presents for each other for Mothers’/Fathers’ Day, birthdays, and Christmas. Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day went great. He just did the giftcard thing, but whatever. I was very proud of us. When she called on my birthday, Gracie told me she had bought me a Dora card and a music card. I was thinking iTunes. Apparently she was thinking that it was a card with Dora on it that played music. THAT kind of music card. Still, I thought I was okay. Then he didn’t mention anything when he dropped off the girls. (Lack of communication? Number one reason we didn’t work out.) Last night I found the card in the suitcase when I put the girls’ clothes away from this weekend.  Know what it was? A $10 gift card to Target. Ten bucks.

****

David Lynch?? DAVID LYNCH??? Seriously?! I mean, I know our defense is hurting. I know we’re in trouble without Asante Samuel. And Randall Gay. But the dirtiest player in the league? Really? I know I shouldn’t judge Belichick’s decisions – he seems to know a little about what he’s doing. I mean, I had my doubts about Randy Moss and look how that turned out. But the dude played for the Broncos and we all know the Broncos are the last stop for a respectable player before ending up in the Land of Hoodlums and Players Who Can’t Get Along: the Raiders. Dude just doesn’t seem like Patriots material.

One character trait I have always been blissfully aware of, however, is the fact that I can be a wee bit controlling. Not nearly as bad as some people, but hey, when I can, I like to control the situation. For one, it prevents unnecessary and undesired change. (See? Ha! Look at how I tied that in there.) For another, it has a very satisfying side affect of making me feel a bit powerful, like a queen waiving her scepter before a crowd and making her minions bow before her.

Obviously, I’m exaggerating a little; making light of a flaw that’s difficult to discuss. I know I’m like this, I can admit that I’m like this…but do I always think I’m wrong?

Saturday night I got into a small argument with The Almost-Ex. Truly, it was a small addition to a lengthy and ongoing disagreement. You see, he’s been dating someone for awhile, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned a time or two. I’m happy that he’s realized that life does move on – really, I am. (One of the many reasons I’m happy that she’s in his life is that I could probably tell you down to the day when they started dating because that’s when he started being nice to me again.) However, The Almost-Ex and I disagree about what sort of role his new girlfriend should play in the lives of our small, impressionable children.

The Almost-Ex left in January. He bought a house in February. He started dating shortly thereafter. I’m pretty sure he started dating this girl in late April, early June. June was when he started being overly nice to me, a shell of who he used to be. (And believe me, that’s a nice thing to say, compared to who he used to be.)

That’s a lot of change to go through in nine months. It’s a lot for us to process, and we’re the adults (or so I’ve been told); I can’t imagine what it feels like to the girls. I feel like we’re finally all back on track. Gracie is doing well in school, Bee’s hitting all her developmental milestones and has gone back to learning things a little too quickly, and we’re all back to a nice routine.

 Or, at least I thought we were until Gracie outed the fact that her dad’s new girlfriend was hanging out with them.

I very privately hit the roof. I couldn’t believe that he was introducing his new girlfriend to his very young children. What the heck is he thinking? How does he know whether things will work out, or for how long they’ll work out? Does he intend to introduce an entire string of new girlfriends to his children? Doesn’t he know that how he acts around them will greatly influence how they relate to boys much, much, much later down the road? That was how I reacted to my friends and how I wanted to react to the newly-dubbed Mr. Stupid. But I didn’t.

The second time Gracie mentioned hanging out with Ms. Girlfriend, I took The Almost-Ex outside and very calmly explained how I felt. I listed the reasons I thought it was a bad idea to introduce new women into the girls’ lives so soon. I asked him to please wait until he and his girlfriend had been dating for six months before bringing the girls into the mix, to ensure a little more stability.

He argued with me. Assuming I was acting from a position of jealously, he told that was just how things were and that I needed to get used to it. He said things would be different when I found someone. I, in turn, assured him that I was happy he had someone, that it was a little weird but not unexpected and he was free to do whatever he wanted outside from the hour and a half he had the girls on Tuesdays and Thursdays and every other weekend. I further explained to him that I had been rearranging my schedule for nine months, that I wouldn’t even let my guy friends come over alone for fear that I might confuse the girls. He didn’t say out loud that he agreed with me, but I certainly came away from that discussion thinking that we had an understanding.

Until Saturday when Gracie mentioned that she had gone to the circus with Ms. Girlfriend and Ms. Girlfriend’s daughter. I was pretty short and obviously irritated when The Almost-Ex got back on the phone. When he asked what was wrong, I asked if he had gone to the circus with the girls and his girlfriend. He was already defensive when he admitted they had gone. I told him he knew how I felt about that, and he said I would have to get used to it. I returned firmly that I did not have to get used to it. I told him I can’t control what he does, but that I don’t have to like it.

It’s true. I hate that I can’t make him understand that I truly think his actions will hurt the girls in some way. I feel like he’s making this stand just because he can, that he’s chosen this to prove to me that I can’t control any of his actions anymore. It’s juvenile and utterly ridiculous.

Or is it just me and my fear of change and loss of control?

Whoo!  Weeks of no-hopers with their saccarine sob stories and voices that sound like the rest of the pop tat that's available in the charts these days.

It's not X Factor, it's the Tat Factor.  (Not The Tats Factor.  That's whole other concept.  One I'd gladly endorse...)

"Hey, let's create the worst, most insipid pop rubbish and mass market it to an audience that wouldn't know some thing good if it crept up and bit them on their fucking ass."

I mean really.  It's just shit.

That said, why does it draw me in like it does?  It's not the sob stories and the tales of woe.  It's not the doe-eyed wonders with their pop tat voices.

So what is it?  Why do I watch it?

For the dross.  For the half-wits, monkeys and mentally ill that flock to this show.

I know I don't have a good singing voice.  Doesn't stop me from singing Total Eclipse of the Heart when Mrs Mind Robber isn't around.  But I don't have the self-delusion that I'm going to go on National TV and make a tool of myself.

Still, if their secord rate "talent" keeps me entertained then I can't really complain, can I?

Every week of the auditions, almost every candidate tells the cameras that he/she wants nothing more in their lives than to be famous; they want to be more famous than Mariah Carey or Madonna; they want to sell more albums than Robbie Williams. The level of self-belief is startling, particularly given the limits (of most) of their singing talent.

Prince Charles got a lot of stick a few years ago because he said that young people should have more realistic ambitions. He was criticised by, among others, the then education secretary Charles Clarke, who interpreted Charles's remarks as a "know your place" put-down from the upper classes.

It was nothing of the sort. I remember thinking at the time that HRH was spot on. A frighteningly high proportion of young people want only to be celebrities. More importantly, it seems to me that they want to be famous more than they want to be famous for doing something; celebrity is everything.

Telling those young people that their dream will come true if they really believe it will, and if they want it enough, is bordering on cruelty. It's certainly irresponsible, because the fact is they're not going to be singing stars.

One woman on tonight's programme is a case in point. A mother since a very young age, with a history of drug abuse, she said she wanted to give her children a new life, and she was clearly sincere. But she also said that she didn't want to do anything except sing. Now, as it happens, she gave an outstanding audition and I wouldn't be surprised if she got down to the last two or three. But what if she doesn't realise her dream? What of the hundreds of thousands of young people who, if not actively encouraged, aren't exactly discouraged from focussing every ounce of their energy to attain an unattainable dream?

A couple of weeks ago, Michael Gove criticised the publishers of magazines like Zoo and Nuts for peddling an unrealistic view of women. More damaging, surely, to young people's self-esteem are those magazines which treat celebrities as objects of worship and respect, even where the reasons for achieving celebrity status is either unclear or disreputable. "You, too, can have all this," these publications seem to be saying. "All you need to do is win a reality TV show."

Which is why I'm such a fan of Simon Cowell's. His role as the hard man of the judge's panel on The X-Factor is, I'm sure, largely a media construct. But when he tells auditioning hopefuls that they should give up their dreams of becoming singers, that they don't have the talent to make it, he's offering them advice that their families and friends should have given them a long time ago.

There's nothing wrong in having dreams, or even in having a go at realising that dream. But when reality bites, it's time to use your talent for something more achievable.

So that's that off my chest. Now I can get on with the traditional run-up to Christmas in the Harris household: tuning into The X-Factor every Saturday between now and December.

And that really annoys me.

The number of times I’ve berated myself lately – in my head, of course – “Katie, just do it already,” is quite pathetic. But no matter how many times I try to motivate myself, I know in the wee recesses of my mind that my attempts are only half-hearted. I have this script that I run through time and time again.

Step 1: Realization. Hey, an electronic payment option for my car isn’t showing up on the website.

Step 2: Investigation. Uh, Almost-Ex? My car profile isn’t showing up on E-pay. Oh, you just willy-nilly took it off? Thank-you-very-much-I-should-let-you-go-before-I-strangle-you. Further investigation: Do I have my car loan information? Why, no, I do not.

Step 3: Identify solutions. I should hunt through these piles and mountains and mountainous piles of old bills and paperwork to find my car loan information.

And see, here’s where I go off the tracks. Steps 1 through 3? I rock those steps. Those are nice, clean, shiny steps. They’re even (here’s a new word) healthy. But then at Step 4, my clever little tricky mind betrays me for my procrastination-addicted evil twin.

Step 4: Identify alternative solutions. Or, I could wait for the paper bill to arrive, as promised by Almost-Ex. That buys me time to focus on other crises.

Step 5: Begin internal nagging, whilst worrying ceaselessly and obsessively. The bill hasn’t arrived yet. I wonder where it is. What if there isn’t a paper bill. Should I call Almost-Ex and ask again? I don’t want to disturb our fragile relations, though. I can’t believe he didn’t check to see if I had the information before he erased my profile. What if I never find my information? Would Car Dealership With Rotten Service be of any help?

Step 6: Return to my original solution, while endlessly repeating Step 5. I really should go through those piles and figure out the car situation before I miss a payment.

Step 7: Panic. Actually do what I should have done days/weeks/months ago. Feel a strange new emotion, which, quite possibly, could be relief.  Crap. The new month is in two days. I have to make another car payment in two days. I should go through these piles of stuff. Oh, look at what I found a dozen pages down. An old car bill. I’ll just type this info in on the website, panic briefly about the bank information and…oh look, they already have the joint checking account information stored with my VIN. Well, that’s a little alarming, but whatever. Works for me. Done. Paid. In ten minutes. Wow. I could have stopped panicking about this weeks ago.

The hell of it is, this is a typical scenario. I worry needlessly about things for weeks, finally do them once things hit the panic stage, and then I feel euphoric because I don’t have to worry about them any more. I wish I could re-program myself to skip Steps 4 through 6. I don’t think the sense of euphoria is worth all of that panic. I’m sure I’m stripping days off of my life with all of the worrying. Certainly I have a lot more grey hair. (I’m not kidding. I pull it out, I know the production has stepped up a bit recently.)

Why, oh, why can’t I SHUT THE HELL UP, ALREADY, and just get things done?

The Almost-Ex called me at work. That in itself was cause for alarm. He didn't email, IM, or text me. He called. In the middle of the day. On a day in which he was supposed to be picking them up from daycare for the weekend. See my cause for alarm? I took the call and right away he was all: "I have bad news." That really gave me the warm fuzzies. Turns out his girlfriend's stepdad died last night. And he wanted to know if I would keep the girls this weekend so he could drive "up there" to be with her. After he asked if I had plans, he did say that he could drive up there Sunday night if I couldn't (read: wouldn't) keep them.

I stalled. I told him I'd see what I could do and then call him back. I didn't want to say no - I mean, this was a death that we were talking about. But - hello! Involving the girlfriend of my Almost-Ex. While I am perfectly comfortable with the fact that she is intimate with my (Almost-Ex) husband, I really don't feel compelled to rearrange my life for her. But her step-dad died. I was so conflicted.

And I was angry that he had even put me in that position. I had plans! Some friends had invited me to join their card game for the first time. I was going to go out and laugh and drink wine, and then come home for a really good night's sleep! Tomorrow I was going to get a pedicure and hold cake auditions and read Breaking Dawn from start to finish! YES, I HAD PLANS!!!! I get two days out of every 14 to actually have time for me, to charge up for the next 14. I love my children dearly, but good god, I am in so much need for a break that I could have wept.

I consulted my girlfriends. I vented.  I strategized.  (f I declined, I couldn't very well ask him to watch them the half-week after my birthday.) I came up with a plan. I would ask him to watch them next weekend. And then I would take them for a few days. And then he could take them for my birthday night, and maybe the weekend after that. I'd play it by ear. See how he reacted.  And he was very gracious and appreciative and offered to keep them next weekend and the half-week and weekend after my birthday. So that was that.

I'm truly very sorry that his girlfriend's stepdad died. I've had very limited experience - thankfully - of losing a loved one so unexpectedly. Taking care of my own flesh and blood shouldn't be such an issue, comparatively. But I was so looking forward to a break.

What a wretch am I.

Oh, it’s not a harsh judgment. I have plenty of friends who don’t read. But I know, deep down, we’re just not going to click all the way if that essential part of your soul is missing.

See? Not so harsh.

I used to pour over books as a child. As a teen, oftentimes I’d burn through a 300 or 400 page book in a single day. During college, in addition to my heavy coursework, I’d work through an average of four books a month.

Being a mom has eaten into my reading time. For awhile, when I was trying to salvage my marriage, I gave up reading altogether. I didn’t have time in between work crises, crawling through the trenches of mommyhood and trying to not-think my way through the inevitable divorce.

Then, a friend loaned me a book she said I absolutely had to read: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Mitchell. I told her I would read it; she seemed so enthusiastic about it and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.  But really, I had seen the books on display for months (if not years) and I had read the description half a dozen times without any pull. The very sight of the book had started to irk me. But a promise was a promise, so I picked it up to give me a whirl. In return, the book gave me my life back.

The author was a young woman going through a reluctant divorce (though, sans children). She mirrored every emotion, every step I had taken so far. The likeness was uncanny. As I sipped and reveled my way through the rest of the book, each story she related had been a twist or unexpected turn I had just stumbled through. That book was a magical key that unlocked the drawer I had stuffed every bad feeling into – and once I let the bad gunk out, I started feeling like me again.

I started driving to a nearby train station during my lunch hour and hiding in my car so I could sneak in an hour of reading. I made myself go to bed 15 minutes earlier so I could nibble away at a second book. Soon the nibbles turned into gulps and it wasn’t long before I was sitting at the table reading a book while the girls ate their lunches, or sneaking off for five minutes here and there on the weekends so I could see what happened next. I’m only up to about two books per month (except for that crazy Twilight series run – 1500+ in 10 days), but I’m me again. I’m reading.

And it feels like I have my soul, my Katie-ness, back.

Happy Love Thursday, everyone. May you love something (or someone) so much that it always helps you find your way.

Meliputi segala sesuatu tentang jalan. Mulai dari struktur tanah, aspal, pasir, tanah, genangan air, lubang dan lainnya. Di sebagian besar ruas jalan di Indonesia, kondisinya sungguh memprihatinkan. Selain berpengaruh pada keselamatan trasnsportasi, kondisi jalan yang rusak juga akan menghambat roda perekonomian yang melintasi jalan tersebut.

2. Lingkungan

Lingkungan di sini merupakan lingkungan di sekitar perjalanan, di luar jalan itu sendiri. Meliputi obyek statis dan dinamis. Obyek statis misalnya, bangunan, tiang listrik, pepohonan, dll. Obyek dinamis misalnya, hewan, cuaca dan pengguna jalan lain. Keduanya, terutama obyek dinamis, sangat patut diperhitungkan saat perjalanan.

Jika ditelusuri lebih jauh, maka sebagian besar dari faktor di atas pangkal permasalahannya juga manusia. Untuk kondisi jalan, selama bukan rusak karena kondisi alam, maka ini juga termasuk kelalaian manusia dalam memelihara fasilitas. Kondisi sepeda motor juga merupakan tanggungjawab manusia sebagai pemilik dan pengguna yang wajib merawatnya. Faktor lingkungan lain seperti pepohonan, hewan, tiang listrik juga secara tidak langsung melibatkan peran manusia yang lalai dalam mengaturnya. Jadi, faktor di luar manusia yang asli cuma keadaan cuaca dan bencana alam yang sering menyertainya.

KYLIE & DANNII MINOGUE

KYLIE ANN MINOGUE -28th May 1968- & DANIELLE JANE MINOGUE -b.20th Oct, 1971- Australian sisters who have achieved a high level of success in Britain and Europe with their individual careers. Kylie came to prominance in the popular Australian Soap 'Neighbours', which found a much wider audience in Britain. Kylie turned to a Pop career, beginning with a light, fluffy image with record Producers Stock Aitken Waterman, before reinventing herself as a Grande Diva.

Her sister Dannii enjoyed some limited success in the music scene, before achieving greater fame by using her physical beauty in Modelling. Recently though, Dannii has had much Press attention as one of the Judges on 'The X-Factor' (Britain's original Idol Show). Kylie's appeal was at first that of a beautiful girl-next-door, but in the last decade has evolved into a sophisticated Diva. Dannii on the other hand, has always had a more sexy, sexpot appeal, with a far fuller figure and confident manner.

&

Can't choose..can't choose..what can I say?

Heh.

The point of this anecdote being that I often feel people should be asking this question of me.  I've been doing this whole emotional roller coaster thing  pretty constantly for a while now, in the continuing aftermath of the breakup with Mr X. Some examples?

Today:

7am: Wake up, remember last night's dream about Mr X that ended with me standing in some sort of public space, head in hands, sobbing uncontrollably while random people walk by without paying attention. Curse under my breath. Feel depressed. Want to cry but try to go back to sleep instead. Fail. Get up and have breakfast.

1pm: Chat online with best friend. Discuss fitness goals and convince her to do the hundred pushup challenge with me (http://hundredpushups.com/index.html). Get psyched about increased future sexiness of buff arms/shoulders/back. Put on hot hip hop/neuvo tango/rock 'n' roll music and dance around apartment half clothed.

3pm: Accidentally let iTunes fall on song that reminds me of Mr X. Crash down from half-clothed dance high and feel profound sense of loss regarding all the memories that used to make me so happy, but now only leave me feeling empty and nauseous.

6pm: Cardio kickboxing, followed by a run. Inspired by happy exercise endorphins to try and come up with grocery list and healthy eating plan that does not include triscuits.

8pm: Optimistically think that dahl (indian lentil dish) is a really good meal idea. Open spice cabinet for first time in 6 months to assess supplies.

8:05pm: Overwhelmed by smell of spices and associated plethora of Mr. X-related meals & memories- shut spice cabinet, stand in front of fridge, and cry.

What's it like to be on the verge of insanity? It sucks :P  I've always hated roller coasters.

But, in case you were wondering, I'm not writing about this (just) for the sake of whining.  I'm trying to conjure up some trace of light at the end of the tunnel- which is: At the beginning of this whole ordeal, I don't think it was so much a roller coaster as a constant residence in the black tar pit of despair (how's that for whining). So, I'm trying to look at the silver lining and tell myself that in some sense the insanity is a good sign- at least sometimes I do feel better.

Sometimes I have a good workout, or a good class, or a good conversation, or a good/great/fabulous tango night (see previous post), or a random full moon, and I get the peculiar impression there is a little part of me- roughed up, half starved, and pinned under psychological rubble though she may be- who still has some fight left. Has the will to get better and the belief that it'll actually happen.  Wants to put on a hot dress and even hotter shoes, go out into the world and kick some ass (and maybe even blow some poor man's mind).

I guess the relevant question, then, isn't about what it's like to be on the verge of insanity- it's about how to take hold of ass-kicking-hot-shoes girl, nurture her, and give her whatever it is that she needs to put crying-fridge-girl to rest and become a full-time resident of my life.   

10:21pm: Chat online once again and "lmao" over inside jokes I haven't thought about in 8 years. Remind myself I was once happy without Mr. X, and therefore it should logically be possible to be so again.  

Decide to end the day while ahead...

G'night. 

FEARNE COTTON

Fearne Cotton (b. 3rd Sept, 1981) Born in London, studied drama before embarking on a career in television as a presenter on popular shows like Top of the Pops & X-Factor. Not strictly speaking a great beauty, but a very cute, leggy blonde with great popular appeal. Smouldering eyes and a very slight lisp add to a very sexy youthful package that quickly grows on the viewer, hence her rapid rise to success. 

He’s just another writer.

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, a series that follows the life of Buffy Summers and her role as the chosen one who battles vampires, demons and other creatures of darkness (redundant, no?). Do I need to elaborate on this? Buffy (the TV series, not the lead character) is influential to the point that having a strong female lead who’s struggling to maintain a normal life while dealing with the supernatural became a common theme for several TV series like Charmed. Which is the only example I can think of right now. Nevertheless, Buffy became the blueprint of what’s cool. And with "what's cool", I'm referring to the usage of pop-culture references in normal conversations, the proliferation of “-y” thing (which converts nouns into adjectives) and more importantly, the reiteration of female empowerment.

The spin-off, Angel which tells the tale of the original vampire-with-a-soul and his adventures with Cordelia and Wesley in the not-so-sunny side of Los Angeles, California. Incidentally, it was noted on several occasions that the show performed better than its parent series. Admittedly, I got bored by the end of the third season but it doesn’t mean that the series' popularity declined alongside my loss of interest.

In print, Whedon is currently on his final arc for the award-winning Marvel comic book Astonishing X-Men. In a span of twenty-four issues, he managed to garner a ground-breaking audience response to the title by producing a well-structured, well-written, fresh take on established characters which is accessible to new readers and yet retains the respect of longtime fans. His stories include the supposed mutant “cure” (closely resembling the Last Stand’s plot), Colossus’s resurrection, the attack of the sentient Danger Room, the return of Cassandra Nova and the Hellfire Club brought about by Emma Frost's sudden return to the dark side, Armor's initiation to the X-Men core team, Cyclops' death and resurrection and his new look - minus the ruby-quartz visor as he can control his optic blasts. For now anyway.

And then there's his stint with Runaways, another comic book that features a group of teenagers who became super heroes to make up for the wrong doings done by their parents. Not particularly impressed with his work on this but it's still superb as compared to say, Brubacker's run on Uncanny X-Men. Plus it's really hard to top Brian Vaughan and Adrian Alphona who created this series.

What's amazing about Whedon is that he has a seemingly-perfect grasp of his characters that he pens their lines with such precision that it projects their personalities right on. Aside from declaring himself as a feminist*, he's also known to champion gay rights**. Both of which are very evident in most of his works.

*Something that you probably didn't know you didn't know: Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) of the X-Men was a big influence on the character of Buffy Summers. **The infamous Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay lesbian relationship. And the Angel-Spike encounter in the spin-off series.

Of course there are loads more about him that I need not mention. Actually I should but I'm just trying to cut this short. Ultimately, the point I'm trying to convey is that one shouldn't dismiss anything as "just another (writer, cook, poet, singer, actress, etc.)" just because.

The mere fact that Whedon's creations have had that much cultural impact speaks that he deserves the credit as much as the next writer.

He’s probably not the best, but he is damn good.

But with the recent delays in Astonishing X-Men's release (it takes about four months to release one freaking issue) I might retract that last statement.

I need to know what he did to Shadowcat!*** It's a bummer knowing he has a penchant for killing his lead characters.

***Last seen in issue #24, Shadowcat passed out inside the Breakworld's weapon aimed towards the Earth. She phased through it hoping to dismantle the controls from the inside. Unfortunately, she could not find any mechanism as it was made of pure metal with a hollow part on the upper tip. Beast later found out that it was a bullet. And it was fired with Kitty still inside.

These events happened prior to the Messiah CompleX crossover. And not even Kitty's shadow was seen in any of the thirteen-part issues of that story. Which led the fans to conclude that something bad happened to her in Astonishing X-Men.

In a recent issue of Uncanny X-Men, it was shown that Colossus was deeply affected by the loss of the love of his life but with the recent war between his team and the Marauders/Purifiers, he was not able to give it proper attention. Nothing was clearly confirmed though.

*******

This is a response to my dialogue with TheFuzzyOne and Lina a few months back regarding Joss Whedon.

Leona Lewis has been a relative unknown to the American market, but that's sure to change quickly. If you haven't heard her first American single "Bleeding Love" yet, don't worry, you will. It's arguably the best R&B-pop song so far this year, and projects Leona in discussion with Alicia and Mariah (too early to say Jordin?) for 2008 female pop radio dominance. What makes this even odder for me to say, is the fact Leona is essentially an American Idol winner from Britain (winning the reality talent show "The X-Factor," which was begat by the British "Pop Idol," which begat "American Idol"). Prior to auditioning for the show, she was a receptionist and pizza waitress. Now she stands at the forefront of being an international superstar.

As for the music, "Bleeding Love" is already the most downloaded song in America, and the album provides more of the same--with a couple of early duds and more ballads (might want to just download "Bleeding Love" and sample the rest--the album picks back up from the middle to the end). Check for yourself.

Quarters for the songs: Bleeding Love; Better in Time; Yesterday; Whatever it Takes; Take a Bow; The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

Worth listening, if you like: Alicia Keys; Kelly Clarkson; Mary J. Blige; Mariah Carey; Nelly Furtado; Whitney Houston; Toni Braxton.

*******

Nice to see the mix of the various generations of X-Men. Let me try if I could name all characters present (from right to left):

Wolverine - Nightcrawler - Storm - Shadowcat - Colossus - Gambit - Rogue - Phoenix - Emma Frost - Forge - Jubilee - Bishop - Psylocke - Thunderbird - Dazzler - Sunfire - Banshee - Havok - (logic states that it should be) Polaris - Angel - Marvel Girl - Cyclops - Beast - Iceman - Sentinel - Professor Xavier - Magneto

Cover for the upcoming 500th issue of Uncanny X-Men.

Provavelmente você nunca ouviu nada a respeito de Leona Lewis. A cantora londrina, apesar de ter suas músicas nas paradas de sucesso de seu país, por aqui ainda se mantém no anonimato. Lewis foi campeã da temporada de 2006 do “The X Factor”, programa que segue os mesmos padrões do “American Idol”. Os executivos já se deram conta do potencial da cantora, e Leona assinou um contrato com Clive Davis, do grupo RCA Records, para o lançamento de cinco álbuns no mercado norte-americano. As cifras do acordo chegam a valores superiores a U$9,7 milhões. Lá fora, o carro-chefe do seu cd, o Spirit, é a faixa "Bleeding Love". Veja o clipe abaixo.

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Veja também o comovente "Footprints in the Sand".

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