Okay, here are some other thoughts on episodes I wasn't able to catch up on until today.

Kidonia:

-Decent episode, good way to show why society needs at least some laws to function for very long. 
-I was surprised that Brain would go for the idea of a lawless society without foreseeing its many potential problems when the constitution was written. 
-Buster with smelly socks on his ears was fun.  Of course, I found it ironic that Francine had the nerve to criticize him for smelly socks, as sock odor seems to be a problem that she suffers from herself.  In fact, it's been brought up in more than one episode.
-Most of all, I really got a kick out of Ms. Read's gentle nod to the Boomerang Generation:  "You can stay here long as you like...or at least until you're 30."

Adventures in Budylon:

-D.W. usually has hilariously biting lines, but her attempts at this just fell flat and seemed like humorless, matter-of-fact observations here.
-Ladonna's spontaneous, zombie-like obsession with "Extreme Kite Flyers" was pretty cute, though.
-I don't make much of it, but something seemed a little...awkward...about Arthur and Ladonna sleeping together overnight in a tent.  Almost exclusively, sleepovers are either all-boys or all-girls at that age.      With very young kids (Bud and D.W.) it's not that odd, it's just more strange for Arthur and Ladonna, given that they're just a few years away from puberty.  It strikes me as funny the more I think about the title clearly being a play on Babylon - a Biblical metaphor for hedonism - and the episode ending with everyone "sleeping together."   

All Thumbs:

-I agree, Arthur's response was just way too harsh.  Really, it wasn't that big a deal.  It seems like Arthur and Buster have been having a lot of disputes in recent episodes.  While things are usually mostly resolved, the disparity between Arthur's more sensible nature and Buster's weirdness/immaturity has only grown over time.  One wonders if they'll manage to stay friends as they grow older and eventually into adulthood.  I think it's doubtful.  Good thing they'll be eight years old forever.
-Buster's ears doing a 180 degree rotation to listen to what's being said behind him...serious lol.   
-Even funnier was poor George's tortured speech on lemurs.  I could absolutely relate to this.  As a kid, I hated getting up and doing speeches in front of class.
-MARIA SPOKE!!!      Well, sort of.  We heard her let out a "gasp" when she learns of Buster's thumb sucking in Arthur's thoughts.  It's not much, but this is a big step for her.  As much as I want her to become a central character, I sort of like the air of mystery she carries as a silent wallflower.  It makes her rare moments in the spotlight all the more valuable.