Week #7 (Week #3 of 2nd six weeks): Is it Warming or Cooling? Which is it?

Hey Scholars,

This week's topic is global climate change. The current scientific view point is that our climate is slowly warming. Prior to this current belief, there were scholars that thought we were headed for an ice age. Even movies such as The Day After Tomorrow depict this. This week we will reinforce Science's Current Perspective but for this week's post I want you to find alternate opinions on this subject. Post the link where you found your info.


Mr. D

Dexter: The Angel of Death

Dexter: "I understand the urge to end someone's life, but what is this fascination with ending the world?"Several readers mentioned in the comments section last week that Travis was acting alone and hallucinating the existence of Professor Gellar. (I hadn't thought of that at all. It's probably obvious that I don't read other people's reviews.) Interestingly, nothing in this episode

Community: Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps

“Trick-or-Dean!”

Imagine, for your entertainment, the concept of a door. You try to unlock it with a key of imagination but someone has changed the locks since the divorce so you kick it open instead, hurting your foot in the process. You limp through and beyond is another dimension: a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind, a dimension where the lights flicker all week because the Dean can't

Ringer: She's Ruining Everything

"What the hell am I doing?"Judging by episode two, the main thrust of Ringer will be Bridget slowly attempting to fix the lives of people that Siobhan presumably took for granted. And she's got a pretty big rap-sheet so far: She cheats on her husband, who seems like a great guy who at one point truly loved his wife. She betrays her best friend, who's clearly vulnerable and erratic. And she

All that and BRAIIINsss too: A Few Thoughts About Zombies

"Zombies are the new vampires, didn't you know that?"- Arlene, True BloodI have been thinking about Zombies a lot lately... a whole lot, almost a bit obsessively. Let me be clear, I am not too concerned about the dead rising tomorrow, but the dead sure have been shambling around here quite a bit lately, and I am not altogether unconcerned.*warning, all sorts of spoilers for stuff ahead, here's a

Doctor Who: The Time Monster

"Nobody and nothing can stop me now!"

There's something very Russell T Davies about this season finale. Like many of RTD's season finales, 'The Time Monster' is an epic story that sees the Doctor and his surrogate family working together to stop a recurring enemy from conquering the universe or something. And like so many of Russell's epic finales, it's an overblown mess of a story, remembered

Person of Interest: Judgment

“You have two questions right now: Who are you and where is my son? Which one do you want to focus on?”Kidnapping cases on TV are tricky. On the one hand, they’re really easy to relate to, because everybody is afraid of losing the ones they love and it plays on our paranoia, which is something Person of Interest does well; on the other hand, everybody knows they’re not going to kill the kidnappee

Supernatural: Slash Fiction

Frank: "Well, I'll be darned. Psycho Butch and Sundance. You're on CNN right now."Was that a record number of beheadings in a single television episode? I don't remember ever seeing that many, even in an episode of Highlander. This was the first time the leviathans as the big bad really worked for me. The weird extended torture scene in the basement was surprisingly fun in a sick sort of way,

Star Trek: And the Children Shall Lead

Spock: "Without followers, evil cannot spread."Apparently, lawyers are evil aliens plotting to kill us all. Or maybe this episode was a morality tale about respecting your parents and doing your homework, and the evils of ice cream and ring-around-the-rosy.Much like season one's "Miri", this was another episode centered around children that might have worked if it had been better written. An

In Time

[Say hello to J.D. Balthazar, who will be reviewing movies for us! Welcome to the site, J.D. -- Billie]In Time is a slick, bright, and fast paced sci-fi action movie directed by Andrew Niccol of Gattaca fame. It falls into the dystopian future sub-section of Sci-fi, and uses a sort of Bonnie and Clyde meets Robin Hood framework. It is set in the near future, with a look that draws from

Vampire Diaries: Ghost World

“We’ll choose between boyfriend ghost dramas.”It’s oddly reassuring that this episode of VD is not perfect. This is not to say that it was terrible—rather, it was very, very good. It just lacked the frightening impact of the previous five episodes. That’s a good thing: it’s a reminder that even at its least-astonishing, this is still a fascinating high-tension show.Part of the diminished impact

Grimm: Pilot

Nearly two hundred years ago, two brothers wrote down true tales of the monsters that walk among us. Visible only to the Grimm family, the monsters look human to the rest of us, so the true importance of the tales “written” by the Grimm brothers is known only to their descendants, each of whom receives the curse when an older relative dies. Portland detective Nick Burkhardt is the latest in this

American Horror Story: Halloween (1)

"It's just a feeling I get... darkness."I think the biggest hurdle this show has to overcome relates to the Harmon's and the fact that they're still living in that goddamn house! I may be stupid for seeking some realism in a show about gay ghosts and Frankenstein babies, but it's so ridiculously silly that this family is still sticking around despite being assaulted and weirded out by literally

Walking Dead: Bloodletting

“Little girl goes missing, you look for her, its plain and simple.”

How much of our civilized selves can we hold onto? What can we give up? Or must we give up and still call ourselves human?

If last week kept me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath this week had me holding back tears on an emotional roller-coaster. The amazing acting of Andrew Lincoln and Sarah Wayne Callies had me in

Ringer: Pilot

"You have the wrong girl!"It's almost fitting that a show all about identity and duplicity has some of its own identity issues. Pilot episodes are rarely flawless, but I was a little surprised at how Ringer's series premiere was more than a little frayed around the edges. Whether they want to or not, the specter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer hangs over the show. Not so much in trying to keep up

Person of Interest: Cura Te Ipsum

Andrew: “You're a good man.”Reese: “Good? I lost that part of myself a long time ago.”What does it take to be “good”? What does it mean?It’s often been said that Person of Interest feels like Ben and Sayid’s time as a team during Season 4 of LOST. In this episode, the comparisons between Reese and Sayid, especially their concern about not being a good person, were intensified in that last very

Dexter: A Horse of a Different Color

Dexter: "I guess there are some things even daddies can't fix."Again with a specific religious theme. This time, surrender to something greater than yourself. We don't often see Dexter get emotional, but he lost it several times. The Four Horsemen tableau actually shocked Dexter into swearing out loud. He was noticeably upset when Harrison went into surgery, and hugged the doctor when it was

Doctor Who: The Mutants

"Un people, un-doing un-things un-together."

Dealing with themes of imperialism, apartheid, environmental issues and evolution, 'The Mutants' is certainly a story with ambition. In more skilled hands it could’ve been something of merit, but in Bob Baker and Dave Martin’s hands 'The Mutants' ends up being a great big plodding mess.

I'll get the good points out of the way first. Pertwee is

Week #6: Species in DANGER!!! (Week #2 of 2nd six weeks)

Hey Scholars,

This week we are covering Endangered Species and how to help them survive the danger. For this weeks post Tell us a story of an endangered species and their recovery story or the story of their demise.

Yay for story time!!!

Mr. D

Once Upon a Time: Pilot

Emma: “Just because you believe something, doesn’t make it true.”Henry: “That’s exactly what makes it true.”That’s it, kids. All those characters you’ve known ever since before you can even remember? Get ready to know them again. This show, or at least the pilot, has achieved perfect balance between familiarity and freshness. It’s hard to avoid using words like “fantastic” and “magical” to

Supernatural: Shut Up, Dr. Phil

Dean: "Another physically impossible death. You got any ideas?"Sam: "Cirque de Soleil?"A tiny beating heart in the center of a cupcake. That's not something you see every day.This one was obviously about the fact that the brothers aren't talking. Or more accurately, that Dean isn't talking to Sam about something important. Note that they didn't defeat the monsters this time, and they also

Red Lightning

[This is a book review of Red Lightning by John Varley, first published in 2006.]It's twenty-some years after the events of Red Thunder, and the tourist industry on Mars has taken off. Manny and Kelly are running a hotel on Mars with their teenage children, daughter Elizabeth and son Ray, and this time, Ray is telling the first person story. Although it has many of the same characters, focuses

Vampire Diaries: Smells Like Teen Spirit

“Anyone else think it should feel slightly more empowering?”How? What? How? Three very excellent questions. And here’s a fourth:Damon, will you feed me s’mores?By the end of this episode, Elena has gone dark-Buffy, Damon is being haunted by the ghost (?) of a dead werewolf uncle, Jeremy is about to cheat on Bonnie with the ghost of his vampire ex-girlfriend, Bonnie is dodging Jeremy’s calls,

Person of Interest: Mission Creep

“Not every ex-soldier meets a reclusive billionaire.”

If the last episode was all about Finch, this one was Reese’s turn under the spotlight. It was a sad week for him. Or sadder.

Last week I discussed the idea that good cases-of-the-week reveal and/or change something about our characters. We learned quite a bit of Reese’s inner turmoil by witnessing how much he saw himself in Joey, our

American Horror Story: Murder House

"We have to get out of this house."I think by now it's been established that this is a polarizing show that you'll either love or entirely despise. Online commentary seems to fall into one of two extremes, some considering it wonderfully intense and intriguing, others thinking it's one of the stupidest shows on television. Of course, it is pretty stupid. The writers are creating such a batshit

The Walking Dead: What Lies Ahead

Rick: “It can’t be harder than our journey’s been so far, can it?”Good movies and shows haunt me. What I mean by this is that for days after, scenes pop up in my head. I remember little bits and mull them over. The Walking Dead is certainly one of those shows. The strong story lines, the great acting, the obvious skill of the directors make it fabulous TV, and the second season premiere

Terra Nova: The Runaway

"They mostly come at night. Mostly."Did they cast that little girl based on her resemblance to Carrie Henn? Why didn't they just give her a plastic doll head to carry around, too? The whole thing with little Leah just screamed set-up. Why would the Sixers ignore a little girl with no family, feed her scraps and deny her hair-care products, and then mount a full-level assault on Terra Nova to

Ringer: The Poor Kids Do It Everyday

"I don't know you... and I never did"So I guess Bridget is abandoning the concept of making this a 'short-term' deal. And I guess Siobhan is straight-up evil. I like both girls a lot (well, more than I did at the beginning of the series), but it would be foolish to claim that they were being written well. A problem with a show like this, one that depends on twists and cliffhangers, is that in the

Fringe: Subject 9

“I never meant to harm you.”Whereas last week’s episode left me—but not everyone—rather cold, this ostensible case-of-the-week was absolutely delightful. The difference? Although Olivia and Walter thought they were on the trail of a traditional fringy unsub, they were really pursuing their own destiny. That makes for good television, doesn’t it?Knowing that Peter must arrive soon, in one way or

Eureka: What Goes Around, Comes Around

… in which random electromagnetic pockets begin wreaking havoc all over town. Meanwhile, Zoe learns that she’s been accepted for early admission to an undergrad pre-med program at Harvard.So Season 3 draws to a close with a focus on relationships and another round of “life is short, seize the moment” talk (which is apparently code for “I think we should have sex”). It turns out that, yes, all

Community: Remedial Chaos Theory

“Roxxxxannnnee!”

Far too many sitcoms are lazy. They play it safe by spoon feeding their audience predictable gags even a blind man can see the punchline coming from a mile away. Since we live in a unjust reality these shows are often the more successful ones. This is why Two and A Half Men kicks off its ninth season with record ratings while all three seasons of Arrested Development sit

Dexter: Smokey and the Bandit

Dexter: "Is this what happens to serial killers at the end of their lives?"In previous seasons, Dexter said more than once that growing old was not in the cards for him, that he would probably get caught or killed instead. But things have changed. Dexter is now thinking that he might very well live to grow old, and he doesn't want to be a nasty old man with a storage locker and no real

Week #5: Aquatic Biodiversity (week #1 of 2nd 6 wks)

Scholars,

This week we are discussing aquatic diversity. One of the major impacts that can affect biodiversity of an aquatic ecosystem are Invasive Species. For this weeks post I want you to find a news article discussing an invasive species that has infected an area and post the link (url) to that article.

Happy Hunting

Mr. D

Supernatural: Defending Your Life

"When did our black and white case turn to mud?"Old ground for Dean. But interestingly, new ground for Sam.There's a lot more to guilt than culpability. Dean didn't force Jo to become a hunter, and he tried his best to talk her out of it. Sam never had a chance at a normal life after he was chosen by the Yellow-Eyed Demon -- and that was Mary's fault, not Dean's. Dean was the one with no

Star Trek: The Paradise Syndrome

Kirk: "It's like discovering Atlantis. Or Shangri-la."Kirk got more than his fair share of romantic interests during the original run of Trek. "The Paradise Syndrome" isn't my favorite, or even my second favorite, but it's far from the worst. It had a somewhat similar flavor as "City on the Edge of Forever" (a woman in a place and time completely removed from Kirk's life on the Enterprise) and

Red Thunder

[This is a book review of Red Thunder by John Varley, first published in 2003.]Red Thunder feels a lot like a John Varley interpretation of a Heinlein juvenile. I love nearly all of Robert A. Heinlein's works, including his juveniles; they're science fiction classics for a reason. I love Varley's works as well. You'd think a combination of the two would ring all of my bells. And they sort of

Vampire Diaries: The Reckoning

“The species has become such a broody lot.”Senior Prank Night is all about memory-making: crazy fun, minor vengeance on loved and hated teachers, and a community of young people coming together despite their differences. Senior year is typically (on TV, that is) associated with putting the kid-stuff of petty rivalries and mean-girliness behind. It’s one last youthful gasp before the onset of

American Horror Story: Home Invasion

"Is everybody crazy?"This episode toned down the supernatural insanity that made the pilot just as attention-grabbing as it was unbearable, but it's still clear that American Horror Story is focused on plaguing its central family with ludicrous levels of misery. It's something that too often affected Ryan Murphy's other series Nip/Tuck, which became over-reliant on terrible things happening to

Newsflash: Haven Renewed and Other Stories

Last week was all about cancellations (so long, The Playboy Club, Free Agents, How to be a Gentleman, we hardly cared to know you). This week seems to be all about renewals and pick ups. And for shows we give a damn about, too.

--Despite earlier rumours that the series was facing cancellation, Syfy have renewed Haven for a 13-episode third season. The network also announced that Christmas

Merlin: The Darkest Hour (2)

“I look at you and I wonder about myself. Could I knowingly give up my life for something?”

Well, I certainly didn't see that coming, although I really should have.

It was a given that neither Arthur or Merlin were going to die. They're the stars after all. So it was obvious that one of the other knights would have to sacrifice themselves. And going by the way they kept emphasising how

Person of Interest: Ghosts

In this episode we were treated to a lot of mythology, which is a bold move to be made so early in the series. We’ve barely known these characters, and we’re already delving into Finch’s past. And it was good.It seems that most of my speculations on the pilot have been disproved. Through flashbacks, we learned that Finch was not injured on 9/11. In fact, he hinted in the pilot that he’d lost

Ringer: A Whole New Kind of Bitch

"That's your excuse for sleeping with my husband? You're her twin?"This was the strongest episode so far, if only because the writers are in the process of fixing some of Ringer's inherent problems. The biggest being that the entire premise of this show is more than a little, I don't know, silly: "Solution to my twin sister supposedly killing herself? I got it! I'll steal her entire identity!"

Doctor Who/Torchwood/The Sarah Jane Adventures Crossover Guide

Doctor Who has spawned two spin-off series' since its return in 2005. Doctor Who sits at the heart of the franchise, with The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood catering for the children and adult ends of the market. The question is: how does it all fit together? Below is a chronology of the show's main crossover episodes. It's by no means exhaustive; but what follows should be enough

Doctor Who: The Sea Devils

“He used to be a friend of mine once, a very good friend. In fact, you might almost say we were at school together”

Growing up, watching Doctor Who was a lot like dating River Song; everything was in the wrong order. Since the BBC only ever showed repeats sporadically, and my parents couldn't afford a Sky package, I was reliant on whatever cheap VHS I could find in car boot sales for my Who fix.

Terra Nova: What Remains

"So you're going to tell her it's twenty years later than she thinks, and she's gone back in time eighty-five million years, but you think a husband is going to confuse her?"I often find this kind of plot annoying, but not this time. This was the best episode so far. And why? Cute fun character development time.So we had a virus that takes a person's memory back a few years. Elisabeth Shannon,

Trailer for The Avengers

The new trailer for Joss Whedon's latest movie, The Avengers, is now available online. It has something to do with superheroes...oh, who cares? It's Joss Whedon! Let us know what you think in the comments. Will His Jossiness finally get his vengeance on movie-goers and film studios for not liking Serenity enough to give us a sequel?

Dexter: Once Upon a Time

Deb: "God! Why can't things just stay the same?"I kept thinking, serviceable episode. Maybe it was because of all the scenes in the service station.Our theme this week was change, with a side order of ritual. Things don't stay the same forever. Harrison is now old enough to notice the content of Daddy's stories and that Daddy has a secret box, so we must have new stories and a box that isn't

Community: Competitive Ecology

“Offence taken!”I've noticed a pattern emerging with this season of Community. Episodes will usually have a very strong A-story, one that features the various members of the study group, as well as a much weaker B-story that will focus on Greendale other misfits like Chang and the Dean. 'Competitive Ecology' followed that pattern to the letter. The A-story was great, the best so far this season.

American Horror Story: Pilot

[Hey, everyone -- say hello to our new guest writer, maxpower03! He's going to be covering American Horror Story and Ringer for us.-- Billie]"Great. It's a real Addams Family house."Ryan Murphy has always been criticized for pushing the envelope so much that his series become contrived and ridiculous. It's what he's become more or less famous for. Finally, Murphy has found the one genre which

Fringe: Alone in the World

“I need more time!”It is interesting to consider the development of television narrative devices. I maintain that TV today is a place of subtle, radical developments in traditional narrative structure, just as much as Victorian novels (particularly the sensational ones) often addressed the grim realities hiding under petticoats and behind cravats. Those wildly popular novels incorporated radical

Supernatural: The Girl Next Door

Sam: "Nothing in our lives is simple."This episode was like a classic novel about the nature of tragedy, but a lot shorter and without the dense prose.There are hunters and monsters, and the gray area in between. Who was the real monster in this episode, Amy or Dean? Amy kept her word to Sam. She was only killing to save the life of her child, and she was even targeting bad guys. That's not a

Vampire Diaries: Disturbing Behavior

“So you’re not, like, switching Salvatores, are you?”Episodes like this make me worry about the fate of the Vampire Diaries. No show should be this consistently, persistently, wonderful. They’re setting the bar way too high. There should, at the very least, be some sort of limit on how many jaw-drops the show demands of its viewers.I’m not complaining, of course—although the sheer volume of

Haven: Sins of the Fathers

Duke: “Reunions are over-rated.”I had some trouble writing this review. I hate cliffhangers and I’m not sure how I feel about this episode. It is cruel and unusual punishment to make us wait until next summer. Audrey’s kidnapped and Duke and Nathan are ready to kill each other. Who got shot on the boat? It better be nobody. Nathan has one of those crazy tattoos and it looks fresh. The

Glee: Asian F

“You always make me watch Dreamgirls. You say you’re Beyonce, but on the inside, you feel like Effie White.”Wow, what a packed episode. From the title I had thought it would be focused on Mike and Tina, but it was Mercedes who took centre stage.She’s Telling You She’s Not GoingAww Mercedes, our new original Effie White. Mercedes has clearly been storing up her resentment about not being in the

American Horror Story: Horror-ible or Great?

American Horror Story, the latest creation of Glee masterminds Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, premiered Wednesday night on FX. It was moderately scary and definitely disturbing. Connie Britton is cool, and Taissa Farmiga has just as much ironic gravitas as older sister Vera. Latex catsuits are not my favorite evening wear.I went on a review-reading kick before AHS aired, and promptly came down

Warehouse 13: Stand

… in which Sykes set his final plans in motion.Wow. Another shocking ending. And a surprisingly high body count for these last two episodes. Wow.So, Walter Sykes needed H.G. to unlock the emergency escape portal that connected the Warehouse to the Regents’ Sanctum. Her former teacher constructed the lock to secure the portal when the Regents decided to abandon that failsafe over 100 years ago

Warehouse 13: Emily Lake

… in which the Warehouse crew attempts to stay one step ahead of Walter Sykes, while ferreting out his master plan.Son of a bitch. Well, they finally broke me. I’m not sure if I’ve ever really cried at Warehouse 13 before. They’ve certainly tugged at my heartstrings and moved me to the occasional tear or two, but I can’t remember ever being truly wrecked by an episode. Man, did they get me

Ringer: It's Gonna Kill Me, But I'll Do It

"I don't want you to feel bad. Why don't you sleep with my husband and see if that makes you feel better?"One of the promises made by the writers prior to the series premiere was that mysteries wouldn't unfold at a glacial pace, and that answers will be given at a speed which would satisfy the viewer. Sometimes this formula can backfire a little, like in the busy pilot and its abundance of

Terra Nova: Instinct

"We built Terra Nova on their breeding ground."And oops.Definitely a good second outing. Maybe because they brought in the big writing and directing guns (Star Trek and 24. It's sort of scary that I know those names so well).The opening scenes had me worried that we were heading in a soapy direction -- I want science fiction in my science fiction, not melodrama -- so I was actually relieved when

Merlin: The Darkest Hour (1)

“You're a brave man, Merlin... between battles.”

Merlin is one of those shows that has steadily improved as it has gone on. The first season might have been on the iffy side but by the second season it was starting to find its feet. By Season three, the show had finally come into its own, even if it did feature an episode about a farting goblin. And now comes season four, which promises to the

Dexter: Those Kinds of Things

Dexter: "I have no idea what Hammer time is. Or how it differs from regular time."Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?Actually, I should probably have said "religion" instead of "snakes." Although I think they're heading less toward religion and more toward Dexter trying to understand spirituality in general, since it's something he finds utterly baffling. As I've said a number of times in past

Doctor Who: The Wedding of River Song

Churchill: “All of history is happening at once."You have to admire the ambition of tonight's episode. For fifteen minutes I just stared at the screen, both amazed and befuddled. The visuals were at times breathtaking: from the car carrying balloons, to steam trains exiting the Gherkin, to the vaguely impressive pterodactyls. (Less impressive after Terra Nova.) I even liked the weird meld of

Eureka: Have an Ice Day

… in which Tess begins filling in for Allison as head of Global. Meanwhile, the Iceman Cometh.Circumstances forced me to let this one percolate for a few days before I was able to work on the review. Unfortunately, the extra time didn’t do the episode any favors. When I first sat down to write, the only two things I could remember about ‘Have an Ice Day!’ were that Zane and Taggart were back (

Community: Geography of Global Conflict

“Looks like someone woke up on the regular side of the bed”

Urgh, again with the teasing. Did they not think I was being serious with my threats last week? Because, you know, I wasn't. But I was very serious about appearing to be serious.

Doppelgänger Hi-Jinks

Initially, it seemed like this episode was going to be all about the rivalry between Annie and her multi-cultural evil twin, Annie

Fringe: One Night in October

“I’ve always thought there were people who leave an indelible mark on your soul. An imprint that can never be erased.”Fringe has set itself a difficult task. To resolve the missing-Peter problem too quickly would diminish the impact of his absence. But creating a new, overarching narrative goal other than the restoration (in whatever form) of Peter would frustrate both our desires and the

Supernatural: Hello, Cruel World

"You can kiss my ass, Doctor Monster Face."Have I mentioned lately that I'm not a horror fan? I actually don't like it when Supernatural scares me. So people are getting eaten, swim teams are getting possessed but without the chocolately cookie goodness, their only standing set just burned down, Bobby is missing, Sam is suicidal as well as unconscious and seizing, Dean has a broken leg, and

Alphas: Original Sin

“It’s time for everyone to open their eyes, to open their minds...”

What a great season finale! Thank goodness Rosen has finally decided to do the right thing. Well, at least what he thinks is the right thing. Having his daughter in league with the sociopath who lives forever may mess things up a bit. I can’t wait for next season. Will Rosen’s revelation make a difference, or will they