GeorgeHarrison
Yep It was so weird to hear Ling's laughter, just like Selma's, when they were coming back from China, and day after day she will take more from her new mother. But, when she was shown later, 2 or 3 times, she looked rather smart for such a young girl and, inlike Maggie, she looks very calm and patient, more similar mentally to little Lisa. But who knows, how Selma can change her.
I can't remember, if there are any people who were adopted kids in Springfield, that's why it's so interesting. We saw orphanarium and also Frank Grimes was an orphan, but no kids were adopted. Some people in Springfield can be very cruel to persons, who are different from others or have some problems. Especially kids: remember, how Nelson in one THOH teased Bart: "Your father is dead, and mine is just sitting in jail". Ewww.... Maybe Lisa as a grownup could protect Ling and convince her, that she is a happy kid, even if she don't know her biological parents, if little girl would be sad about it.

As for bowties - they're definitely fit simpsonic mood, nice touch, I can't say nothing agaist this, well-done for Treehouse of Horror - even lonely Homer looks so nice and making funny faces in that "sad" poem. But somehow I didn't remember those bowties till I saw that screenshot Marco posted I doubt that scene was redone, maybe these details just too small to remember... :\

Andreas
Yeah, I also very doubt that they have added it afterwards. Just my bad memory, then.

About the subject: I don't believe Selma (or Patty) is able to raise a good child. Rememeber how they treated Marge in their childhood - like a slave, she was doing all nasty work while her older sisters were resting. That's another shocking thing I believe in: bad childhood often causes good parentage (Marge) and vice versa (Homer, or Selma). There are exceptions of course, it's not a strict rule... but Selma should give her adopted child to Marge as soon as possible.

One of Simpsons family members, which always surprised me - is Grampa Simpson. And most of all - Simpsons girls relations with him. Marge and Lisa are so kind and caring, and Marge treat her sisters nicely, no matter how awful they are, but when Abe comes - often even Marge and Lisa don't pay attention to him and even refusing to accept him on holidays
Yes, sometimes he is so annoying, but girls are always so responsible, couldn't they treat him more nicely if not during whole year, but at least on all holidays and family celebrations and convince Homer to be more friendly too?

I think there are several scenes when Lisa shows more love for Grandpa Simpson than anyone else does. Remember in Million Dollar Abie she and grandpa were put in a similar situation to Homer and her at the bbq incident, when she became a vegetarian. There was not as much focus on the relationship between Lisa and grandpa though, but the affection (both from Lisa and Abe) is apparent when Lisa tries to explain to him that bullfighting is wrong:

Lisa: Why would you want to use it to hurt poor, helpless animals?
Abe: Listen, I'm 83 years old, and for the first time in my life people are cheering for me.
Lisa: I was always cheering for you, grandpa… till now.
Abe: How does she always know how to get to me?

Also, remember when Bart had to work at the retirement home. I don’t recall now how he got there, but when he saw Lisa there he asked something like: They made you work here too? Lisa answers that she has been working there voluntarily for some time. So there’s definitely more chance for Lisa and Abe to develop a close granddaughter/grandpa relationship and this also shows Lisa’s compassion and patience with old people including Abe. I wish the Million Dollar Abie episode focused more on their relationship, because I can see great potential in this subject. 

brakusaetsya
It's true, a lot of the time things change on the show, depending on what the writers do to make the episode fit. Certain things that seem one way in an episode will be different in another. Take Principal Skinner, for example. In the 7th season episode "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grand--" ya-da-ya-da-ya-da, who cares what the episode is called. When Grampa tells the story of being in the Flying Hellfish, he mentions one of his companions is "Sheldon Skinner". Sheldon looks and sounds exactly like Principal Skinner. However, we find out who the real Seymour Skinner is in the ninth season episode "The Principal and the Pauper". But that can't be right then; Sheldon Skinner wouldn't have looked or sounded anything like Arman Tamzarian, he would've looked or sounded (remotely, anyway) like the real Seymour Skinner.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that sometimes the writers goof, or contradict themselves in writing episodes. Sometimes they'll make Lisa do one thing in an episode because it fits (i.e. having her laugh at the fact that Grampa gave all his money to buy Homer a house), and then in other episodes, have her be her normal idealistic self. In moments like the former, all we can do is roll our eyes and let it slide, imo. We all know what Lisa's convictions are, and we know that she wouldn't treat people the way that Homer and Bart do.

brakusaetsya
She wasn't the only one who was laughing that moment - the whole family was. And if Lisa shows indifference to her Grampa sometimes, it's more an exception than a rule. Usually, Lisa is very friendly with people who doesn't hurt her or her beliefs, and Abe never did anything bad to Lisa. I think Lisa just accepts the fact that Abe lives in the retirement castle as some kind of axiom, that's why she's not against that. When Abe and Lisa meet in the show, they act like good friends, like people who understand each other, despite the huge age gap. I can't help myself but link the same screenshot once again - link