Thank goodness for weekend.
Updated my little website. Fixed a graphic, minor tweaks here and there, particularly on the links page. Check it out!
TV:
“Ugly Betty” – episode deserved a thumbs up. As much as I didn’t care for the conspiracy storyline, it worked out very well (the cast is major talented, I must say – this would have floundered at the hands of lesser talents). Daniel found out that his long-thought-dead brother Alex was now… Alexis – via a sex change (like, gee, Alexis, seriously no one in the family knew of your deep-seated gender confusion?) – and the Meade sibling rivalry remains, causing their father’s magazine empire to face a major – uh – transformation. Betty had her own sibling rivalry issues with her sister Hilda (who seemed to be irritating the models at Fashion Week until it turned out they like her – which frustrated Betty to no end). Hilda and Daniel kissed (!), but more because they were drunk and foolish over their sibling issues. Hooray that Betty and the accountant are getting closer again! Justin, Betty’s nephew, got to enjoy Fashion Week by being Wilhelmina’s temporary assistant (Wilhemina having been blinded by faulty botoxin injection’s swelling up around her eyes). Too funny. Heck, even Betty’s dad’s immigration problem is turning to be not as tragic as it had been awhile back – not when the federal investigator is now trying to make him love her – uh, talk about conflict of interest, lady!
“Grey’s Anatomy” – Meredith’s mom, Ellis, got to be lucid – temporarily, though. Wow, Ellis Grey as lucid was curiously interesting. Ellis as senile Alheimer’s patient who still gnawed at her daughter was one thing; Ellis as lucid – clearly in conflict. She missed the last five years of her life, and picked up where she thought she left off with Meredith – arguing with Meredith to go to med school (back when Meredith, evidentally a perfectly focused and bright girl, probably was still recovery from partying with the frats of the Ivy League – yeah, right). Only, Meredith did go to med school – yet Ellis is still disappointed, because Meredith just wants to be happy with her man – not aggressively out to be the cardiac surgeon her mother was. Ellis is imperfect – even those interns (re: Cristina) who idolize her knew she messed up on the life-career balance thing – Ellis mostly knew she screwed up her life in giving up the love of her life, the Chief. The scene with Ellis and the Chief – aww – amazing stuff. Her making him promise to look after Meredith (before she went back into senility); Meredith’s heart-breaking moment of basically telling her mom that she both loved and hated her – and saying that only hope was what helped her believe that one day a cure would let them finally get to know each other – what stuff!
It reminds anyone why this show is called “Grey’s Anatomy.” It’s always more compelling when Ellis appears and Meredith comes across as such a person. Yeah, Meredith has her friends and McDreamy, but she’s often very much alone – being her mother’s daughter – and it was nice that the Chief is someone who can understand. If he’s a father figure for anyone, he’s probably the closest thing for Meredith, who can barely face her own biological dad.
Cristina Yang’s jerking around Burke’s marriage proposal was a bit much – but gee, will she learn from Ellis’ (personal) mistakes? And, George and Callie getting married – crazy – and inevitably, Izzy adopted the role of irritating sister-in-law, spewing all kinds of bile at Callie (good for George to defend Callie). Liked seeing how Dr. Bailey was loving her clinic – she’s a surgeon, yes, but she’s a great doctor and a good person.
Last but not least by any means: the report on global warming is out, and what does it mean?
In a grim and powerful assessment of the future of the planet, the leading international network of climate scientists has concluded for the first time that global warming is “unequivocal” and that human activity is the main driver, “very likely” causing most of the rise in temperatures since 1950.
They said the world was in for centuries of climbing temperatures, rising seas and shifting weather patterns — unavoidable results of the buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
But their report, released here on Friday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said warming and its harmful consequences could be substantially blunted by prompt action.
“could be substantially blunted by prompt action” means what? We all get hybrid cars? use more wind and solar power? Recyle, re-use, etc.? What Would Al Gore Do?