Blergh

How did Ruby go from an awkward 11-year-old to a pill of a 15-year-old over one summer? Oh well. Also, I agree that Zeek could be the red herring but instead of Camille I think they could have the really unexpected twist of it being Amber who dies perhaps in childbirth [not unheard of even these days]. Agree nice bonding with Amber and Haddie and am glad Amber finally told Sarah. Also, refreshing that, instead of Sarah doing her usual bit of either being totally gushy or going into a rage, she just was so stunned at the news that all she could do was say 'Oh,' With all that texting re Zeek's condition to the kids, I wonder if anyone thought to notify his mother Blanche [or are we supposed to forget she exists like we did Haddie for most of the last season]. Not exactly happy that Drew's with Natalie but, at least for now, she seems willing to be cordial to his family and even helpful so at least for the time being it's working. Also, while I agree that who Snowflake Academy deal was poorly pitched to Max [who likely viewed the late Gwen solely as someone who merely took away Kristina's time from HIM] , I did like that, after Adam's talk, Max FINALLY did something for another person's sake that he didn't see had any direct benefit to him or his hobbies.

No, you didn't. As what was presented here, the elder Mr. King had been born 'Donnal Pollock' but had, at an unknown time for reasons at this point lost to history, changed his name to 'Donald King' evidently informally and without legal sanction prior to meeting and marrying Stephen's mother. Dr. Gates displayed Mr. King's family tree which seemed to show a death date for the Donald King nee Donnal Pollock but it was shown at too wide a shot with the entire 'King/Pollock' tree for my nearsighted glance to pinpoint what it was. Still, I have to admit that I was very impressed at the scope of the geneaological research re that family by Dr. Gates as well as Mr. King's fascination to learn how his family had fared in the US having emigrated from Ireland after a mass famine. As to Gloria Reuben? Again, it was amazing to learn about her father's family having been Jewish though I'm not sure his earliest Jamaican ancestors were Sephardic Jews who'd fled Castille after the 1490's or Ashkenazic Jews who had fled Central or Eastern Europe shortly before being granted full citizenship by the British Empire in 1830. Also, what of Miss Reuben's paternal grandmother? Was she descended from French Creoles instead of being from that Jewish community? Also, fasicinating that they found Miss Reuben's original African ancestress on her mother's side but, sadly, we have no way of knowing what the woman known as Leonora was originally named or where in Africa she had originated [same with Phillis Wheatley re her original name and birthplace]. Lastly, quite an amazing tale Dr. Gates uncovered re Courtney Vance's tragic father's orgins. It seems his motherless paternal grandmother had been kicked from pillar to post back and forth from a tiny Arkansas town to Chicago when she met up with that Chicago minister and found herself pregnant at 16. Even though it turned out via legality and DNA, he was NOT Mr. Vance's actual grandfather, I think it must have taken some guts on that 17-year-old's part to have intiated that court case in order to try to provide for her impending son. Now why she went after him and none of the Arringtons [who seem to be paternally related to Mr. Vance], is a mystery. However; I think it's quite possible that she made sure she was close by to try to watch him grow up when she gave Mr. Vance's father to his foster parents. I wonder if Mr Vance's father knew this neighbor was his actual mother and, perhaps, had even heard whispers of the court case? Regardless, I'm very happy this series has returned and am looking forward to how next week's athletic guest will react.

Doctor Zhivago- liked the train ride, liked the scenery but hated how were expected to root for these two incredibly selfish folks who couldn't have cared less that the world was blowing up around them nor the slightest concern for even their own children- much less their loyal spouses who suffered via their selfishness. Oh and if I had to hear yet another rendering of that theme one more time, I'd have thrown something.

Moby Dick- The classic monstrosity that was foisted on me in high school which made me root for the whale because I knew with the whale's KO, it had to end ! I'm convinced that those 1850's readers and reviewers who HATED Mellville were absolutely RIGHT and that this only became a 'classic' after some Lit profs in Massachussetts in the 1920's were convinced that the current [1920's Jazz Age] students had it too soft compared to their WWI brethren so they unearthed it from its totally deserved obscurity to punish the students and too many teachers have wasted too much time on this doorstopper to not want new generations of students to be punished like they were. Oh, and it wouldn't surprise if Mellville's MO for writing this book came from Mrs. Mellville getting annoyed with him hanging around the house and telling him 'Herman, go to the study and write down that drivel but get out of my face!'

Once I attempted to fry chicken but wound up with a bunch of birds coated in with nothing but grease -and every morsel of batter caked at the bottom of the fryer. Oh,yeah, the fryer had to be pitched along with the chicken and it was an heirloom to boot.

Saw the one with the Romanian expats who now lived in Hawaii with their kids and her parents. Disappointed that they chose the place closest to the wife's fave beach instead of one of the two larger places because even though they all seemed to like the new place and appeared to get along, it was decidedly more cramped for the older couple- and the older couple didn't appear to speak any English so it's almost certain that they have no one besides their immediate family to interact with. Yes, the family has two live in babysitters who care for the kids while the parents work or surf and it's likely their Hawaiian home's more palatial than they'd have had in Romania but the parents appeared to be no older than their mid 60's so they must feel in an odd kind of limbo knowing they will have no autonomy or friends in a strange land for the rest of their lives.

I intitially thought the same thing, attica, but then it turned out her elderly half-cousin had had her paternal grandmother's [not grandfather's] original surname so if the brother passed that onto his own daughter, then it's almost certain that he himself had changed it for himself beforehand. Still, it's ironic that 'Driver' wound up becoming far more famous in acting circles than 'Stancliff' . Good point about Minnie's father being more involved in her life despite her being via a 'separate family'. Of course, it could be with her increasing fame and his increasing age towards the end he overhauled his priorities and also wanted to be a grandfather to her son.

I really liked the Minnie Driver episode. Yes, it was quite fascinating to learn about her father's hithero unknown aircraft heroics but I wonder if one possible reason he kept all of that hidden from Minnie was that he was ashamed of his times in the mental wards after what had happened. Also, while Minnie was open to the fact that her father was married to someone else when she was born [and even showed her father in a dress uniform on his wedding day], they didn't say what became of his father's wife nor whether they had offspring. Yeah, it seems Minnie's father himself was born of a nonmarital union that happened when Minnie's grandfather was married to someone else but it's unclear whether Minnie's grandmother was already widowed [ perhaps secretly divorced but they told the registar otherwise] and whether she may have had children by her first union. No doubt that Minnie's father knew about his older half-bro [the actor who evidently changed his legal surname to his own mother's maiden name which is a good indicatation how he regarded the mutual father] but did the half-bro know about Minnie's father? And how old did Minnie's paternal grandparents live to be? Well, better late than never that she was able to meet this previously unknown older cousins and they seemed quite simpatica. Ironic that she said she was undertaking this search for her son's sake because didn't want him to grow up not knowing his heritage but while she may have good reason for having never identified his father publically, how can she not see that she's hiding half of her son's heritage the same way half of her own was hidden from her? Yes, even if she's privately told her son who his father is , is that the same as having spent time with him, meeting his paternal grandparents or even seeing their photos before he's an adult? Even in the New Millenium, I wonder if her son won't eventually resent her for seeing to it that he was the third generation born of a nonmarital union. I stress that I think this was a very well done episode and I really liked her enthusiasm as well as having initiative re undertaking different aspects of the search.

When I'm online, I usually have it on for the many songs and soundtracks I like listening to. However; when I DO watch [instead of just listen to it], I'm partial to historic and nostalgic stuff that's been posted. As far 'contemporary' stuff, I have to admit to liking 'Depression Cooking with Clara' [a 90-something Italian-American grandma who reminded me of my late Nana in both diminuative size AND 'tude of embracing both the parental Old World Heritage yet having had to grow up in a big American city ] . Clara was chockful of good recipes and poignant stories and laughs and I was sad to hear of her passing last year even though she'd 'retired' a few years before. Oddly enough I've also started following Casey Neistat who reminds me of a friend I've long since lost touch with. While I can't say I always agree with his choices or 'tudes, it interesting to watch in that he [like Clara] invites the viewers to follow the steps of how/why he does stuff [in his case often travelling and racing]AND he beat amazing odds in that he was a high school dropout who ran away and got his girlfriend pregnant BUT he stepped up to the plate and has been a very hands-on dad to his now teenaged son [ long after he split with the girlfriend] and it's interesting to watch them together since Casey's so manic a force of nature while his son is so laid-back and more levelheaded. They balance out each other well and I think it's a safe bet that they will stay real friends after the boy has grown up. One very good vid is of them travelling to Machu Picchu a few years back with Casey not having planned out as much as he could have in retrospect and the two of them having to work out how to get from Points A to B despite stuff going against them. Oh, and now Casey's wed his longtime on/off girlfriend [not his son's mother] but I can't say I'm 100 percent sure that will last forever via the vids but they're interesting to watch together. Also, he made a good tribute video to his grandmother Louise -a onetime Rockette who taught tap dancing 6 days a week until very shortly before her own death at 92 [and it seemed he was closer to her than any other adult member of his family -she even helped him try to sell his car on one video]. Yeah, let others have dancing kitties and dumb stunts, this is what I like on YouTube.

Regardless of how Kelsey's youngest kids got here, those ARE their ancestors too so I thought it was perfectly relevent to show him in the pool with this child talking about the great-grandmother she will never be able to meet. Anyway, it must have been heartbreaking for Kelsey's grandma to have BOTH parents become alcoholics who showed little if any interest in parenting . If she had any inkling that Kelsey was developing an alcohol problem, it's a bit puzzling if she didn't consider begging him to get help due to her parents' fates. Fascinating though tragic was how his 3 X great-grandparents made it to Oregon via the Oregon Trail plugging on even after leaving their eldest son in an unmarked grave. I wonder if any of their 11 other children had progeny who still live in the area? Terrible irony is that it's a virtual certainty that Kelsey's grandma knew nothing of her Oregon Trail ancestors who made it despite the odds -just that her father was an alcoholic and not that there had once been something to be proud of via that line. On a somewhat puzzling programming note, was it just to spare Kelsey's feeling that they said his sister 'died at eighteen' instead of mentioning that she was murdered ? Not only is that public record but Kelsey himself made pleas at her convicted murderer's parole hearing just five years ago to keep him from being released. Although I'm not a fan of all of Kelsey's personal life choices, I like his work and, more importantly, I liked this episode and appreciate how he dealt with the information provided.

An interesting take! It may be Valerie might have uncovered an unprosecuted murder! I wonder if perhaps the law bought the great-grandmother's side due to past domestic violence calls, her husband having made threats against her life in the presence of irrefutable source/s [ e.g. police] OR if the husband had previously had a lengthy police record independent of anything to do with his wife and that is why they may have been willing to accept her acount and not prosecute . Also, interesting that just a week after her 2nd husband's violent death, she deeded over her property to her daughter and son-in-law [Valerie's beloved grandmother]. Could she have done so merely because she was so shaken by the events that she didn't think she could manage her property solo thereafter [in spite of having been the sole provider for her children during her first widowhood and even emigrating with them] OR could there have been collusion between the three re testimony and property? Also, it's interesting that she chose to emigrate a week after Italy entered WWI. Was it just believing that a New World could provide a better, more independent life for herself and her children that motivated her or was there something local that she felt compelled to flee with her children from? All that said, I DO agree that she must have been a strong woman to strike out solo at a time and place when few women did so.

Matrix- seeing that metal spine thing get pulled out of Keanu's stomach. If I hadn't been pestered by a friend that I had to see the whole movie on the big screen, I would have been OUT of there - just nasty. And I after I queezily endured the remainder of it to the bitter end, I didn't bother with the sequels.

Thank you! Perhaps the most failed opportunity of Thelma and Louise was when the protagonists first saw Brad Pitt on the side of the road and Geena Davis begged Susan Sarandon to pick him up since he reminds her of a puppy- then made puppy sounds until Susan did so. How I wish [for the characters' and movie's sakes ]that Susan responded 'Quit whimpering like that or I'll put YOU out on the side of the road with him!' and the two just kept on driving past him.

Thank you! I agree. I also liked the idea that 'the Force' could be in anyone if they had faith in themselves(not just a select group) and were willing to work hard to do what was right [and I could easily imagine how they eventually defeated the Empire forever on my own without the sequels]. That said, I did like ROTJ in that through faith, good organization and hard work one could overcome incredible odds and even redeem someone thought by everyone (themselves included) to be iredeemable. However, via all the 'remakes', others' novelizations and 'prequels', Lucas couldn't leave well enough alone and the entire point of the enterprise got perverted into a celebration of cruelty and sadism while ridiculing idealism and mercy . It was like a cook who made a good stew but then kept adding/subtracting ingredients until the stock was unrecognizable then vomitted into[ and there was STILL gluttons who wouldn't quit eating it and pretending it was good]. I saw the OT many times but I could only sit through the 'prequels' once and only if they sincerely attempt to reverse the downward spiral that's overwhelmed it ever since the end of ROTJ will I consider seeing the newest one next year.

Crocodile Dundee- What was the point of Sue climbing over that crowd in the subway station just to tell Mick she loved him without even the slightest wink or comedic nod? It just ended what had been a breezy comedy about fishes out of water with an abrupt, annoying thud.

I wonder if the 3X great-grandfather may have gotten the DTs from trying to STOP drinking? Unfortunately, at that time, there was no other treatment for chronic alcoholism than to abruptly quit cold turkey and sometimes the body wasn't able to withstand the convulsions, etc. from the DT's. Yeah, why didn't they make any effort to find out why and when 2X great-grandpa left England for Canada [and whether his mother went with him or he left on his own]. Agree,too, that it would have been interesting to have found out re more detail of the Loyalist ancestors [and how long their line had been in North America before the US Revolution]. While it's true that many Loyalists were rewarded by Great Britain with land,etc. it should also be noted that by the sudden, unexpected migration of them a mere dozen years after the Seven Years/French and Indian War somewhat upset the already shaky balance re differing ethnicities in Canada. IMO, what was most frustrating here is that the McAdams' sisters didn't seem to want to make the tiniest effort to actually search anything themselves but were perfectly content to have their mother and the researchers do all the work on their behalf..

My 'View' UO- How I wish just ONE of the past or current 'View' cohosts had had the guts to say upon Barbara Walters' re-re-retirement 'I hope she finds her peace but I'm not going to fake that she was ever my friend nor that she bettered journalism or womanhood so I'm skipping that mawkish tribute to her!'

What was somewhat odd about John and Olivia's bond was that she fully embraced HIS extended family but, apart from one banker uncle and when Cousin Rose and grandkids showed up, he and all their kids didn't show the slightest interest in any of HER family [and Olivia didn't seem to question it]. Even when they put together their Silver Anniversary party and Olivia proposed two brothers attending John flatly said no because they were NOT family. Also, oddly enough they all informally 'adopted' Olivia's late best friend's daughter named for her and she considered them her family but she evidently had other folks raise her after her mother's early death but she didn't consider her caregiver/s to be family.

OK, here's something no one expected to find when searching the family tree- one ancestress got legally divorced from her husband instead of just quietly 'separating' with him going off with a girlfriend then winding up in a rest home and her 'visiting' their grown kids and grandkids for years at a time on a rotating basis until her own passing. The thing is that even the grandkids all seemed to think that she and their grandfather had just informally separated rather than her having gotten a divorce. My guess is that she didn't want to be legally tied to his messes any more and this was the only way to do it but she somehow got those few in the know to keep it quiet so there would be no 'disgrace'.

riverblue, I don't want to get too technical but I'll just say that these precautions you've taken may cut down on the possibility of 'Net frauds using stuff on the living but it won't eliminate it altogether - and there have been frauds who've misused vital info on dead folks for current schemes Anyway, to keep this ontopic, I say surf genealogy sites as long as you don't have to identify yourself or provide more details though doing it offline helps ensure the info is more authentic..

Perhaps Great-Grandma may have remarried and used her [3rd?] husband's surname in the records from the divorce onwards or just lived with someone, claimed they were married and used the name anyway for stuff. If Mr. Ferguson's interested, perhaps he could see if any of Grandma Jessie's sisters or half-sisters on that side may have left offspring and if so maybe one of them could clue him on on Great-Grandma's fate.

Hate to be a wet blanket but one should be careful putting too much data on any online genealogy site due to the propensity of identity thieves and frauds being able to use them for ill purposes. If you want to research, do it offline via city directories, county records and churches. Yeah, a lot more time consuming but far less risky.

Agree that John-Boy never really had good taste or sense re those he fell but I never got why he was so bonkers over Marsha Woolery hovering over her like a puppy for table scraps even after she managed to help cause his ankle to get broken. She had less depth than a mosquito's reflection on an oil slick.

I agree- and I was hoping we'd get a scene in which he'd driven her all the way to the framed boy's farm, made her tell the boy's unjust dad what she pulled and had JohnBoy, the boy and his dad ALL scream in her face about what a stupid, snotty person she was who only cared about not being ignored for a few minutes rather than what happened to anyone else.

Saw the one in which the mother got annoyed with her kid thumbing his Smartphone so she pulled off his thumbs then told her toddler not to suck her brother's dismembered thumb. Nasty!