Could this be the end for The Simpsons?
Is this the last season of The Simpsons? It could very well be, if money issues between Fox and the voice cast aren’t hammered out fast.
The Daily Beast reports a standoff between the network and the six lead actors who provide the voices for the Simpson family and a plethora of Springfield townspeople.
At issue is Fox’s demands that production costs be slashed and actors salaries be reduced. The salary reduction would be offset by money from syndication and merchandise.
“Fox is taking the position that, unless they can cut the production costs really drastically, they’ll pull the plug on new shows,” an insider told the website.
“They show has made billions in profits over the years and will continue to do so as far as the eye can see down the road. The actors are willing to take a pay cut of roughly a third, but that’s not good enough for Fox.”
Now, before you get upset on behalf of the actors, they’re not on the brink of bankruptcy either. Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria, Yeardley Smith and Harry Shearer earn approximately $8 million every year for their work on the longtime sitcom.
The new deal would trim that to a measly $4 million per year.
The insider explains that if the cast doesn’t accept the new deal, The Simpsons would end, only living on in repeats.
"Simpsons" Voice Actor Speaks Out
NEW YORK - “Simpsons” voice actor Harry Shearer says he’s willing to take a 70 percent pay cut in exchange for profit participation in the show.
Shearer [who provides the voice of Mr Burns and others] is the first “Simpsons” actor to publicly address the studio’s request that actor’s take pay cuts of up to 45 percent to allow the show to continue beyond its current, 23rd season. The studio has asked them to agree to have their salaries of $440,000 per episode cut to $250,000 per episode.
In a statement Friday, Shearer said he was willing to go even lower — in exchange for back end payments for the show, like those received by its producers. He also expressed willingness to walk away from the show if no deal with Fox can be reached.
“As a member of the “Simpsons” cast for 23 years, I think it’s fair to say that we’ve had a great run and no one should feel sorry for any of us,” he said. “But given how much joy the show has given so many people over the years — and given how many billions of dollars in profits News Corp. has earned and will earn from it — I find it hard to believe that this is Fox’s final word on the subject. At least I certainly hope it isn’t, because the alternative is to cancel the show or fire me for having the gall to try to save the show by helping Fox with its new business model.”
Amusing Video Clip
Mother's Embrace
Fable of the Porcupine
It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold.
The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.
After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.
Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.
The moral of the story is: Learn to live with the pricks in your life!
Woman charged after she snaps neck of boy’s Chihuahua
HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Cody Hogg was scared of dogs until Finnegan came into his life.
From the day his mother brought the friendly Chihuahua home, the dog was a member of Cody’s family.
In fact, Finnegan was like “a really, really close brother,” the 11-year-old Hamiltonian said.
But his one-year-old “brother” was killed over the Thanksgiving weekend when a woman was upset that the dog had apparently nipped at her pant legs and yanked at Finnegan’s leash, snapping his neck.
Cody was walking Finnegan eastbound on Delaware Avenue near Main and Wentworth streets Saturday morning, just about a block away from his home, and passed by a woman going in the opposite direction.
Finnegan went over to the woman to say “Hi, I want to be your friend,” but the passerby was not very pleased with the dog approaching her, Cody said.
The five-pound dog started biting at the stranger’s pant legs, so she grabbed the retractable leash and tossed the animal, Cody’s mother, Janis, said. “Being so tiny, he just flew … up in air and landed on road beside them,” Janis, 45, said.
A family in a nearby car witnessed the incident, called police and kept the woman on the scene. A 34-year-old woman was charged with animal cruelty.
Staff Sergeant Deb Wilkie said the cruelty charge was a rare one, as these charges are usually for owners mistreating their own pets. “It takes a lot to snap (the neck). It’s a fairly significant jerk on a leash,” she said.
When police arrived at about 9:20 a.m., the dog was dead and the boy was crying, Wilkie said. “(He) was inconsolable.”
After Cody told her the news, Janis ran to the spot on Delaware with her two sons, and the older one, 15-year-old Kyle, ran up ahead. When she got closer, she saw Kyle “crumpled” on the sidewalk in grief as he realized Finnegan, lying in a witness’s arms, was gone.
Throughout the incident, the woman did not say anything at all, Cody said. If she had told him Finnegan was bothering her, he would have reined in his leash, the boy said. “Apparently she didn’t feel like using her words; she felt like using her actions.”
As the 11-year-old got ready to have Thanksgiving dinner Monday with his mother and Kyle, he still said he felt a mix of emotions. “I’m sort of really, really confused. Really, really angry at the same time. Really, really sad too.”
“He was just so happy all the time to see whoever was there,” Janis said. “He wanted affection.” Every morning, Finnegan would leap from Kyle’s bed and go to her room, jump onto her head and lick her face, she added.
Before Finnegan, Cody was afraid of dogs but now he loves all kinds of canines, she said. “This was part of the reason I wanted to get dogs … I got Finnegan and taught them that they’re dog people.”
Janis said she only wants the woman who was charged to realize what an effect her actions had on her children. “I don’t know what her story is; I just want her to realize that she traumatized my boys … Finnegan is their baby.”
Cody also just wanted the woman to learn a lesson more than anything else.
“I wouldn’t (want to see) her sentenced to anything, even though she did take my dog,” he said. “I would say … make her work at a dog shelter to let her know that dogs and cats and animals aren’t such a bad thing after all.
[KEN COMMENTS: People like this should be banished from the planet. To kill a tiny dog in front of its young owner and show no remorse whatsoever, well this woman in pure evil. She's lucky they have not released her name, that's all I can say. And this little boy shows wisdom beyond his years, if she did that to my dog I'd want to put her on a leash and snap her neck, what a bitch]
"Bee"-autiful Quilting Supplies (and much more)
Recently I ran into my former neighbour Kelly Corfe, who I discovered owns The Quilting Bee in Fonthill, ON. Here's a description of the store as featured on The Quilting Bee's website:
"We are a brick and mortar store located in a beautiful log cabin in Fonthill, Ontario. Our store is growing ... in November we will be moving to our new location at the rear of the log cabin. Our store space will increase to 3,800 square feet. Our shelves are always full of the latest, best quality quilting cottons. We have patterns, notions, many kinds of threads and classes for all skill levels.
The Quilting Bee is a dealer for Janome Sewing Machines.
The Quilting Bee is also a two-time award winning Handi Quilter dealer. HQ machines are always in stock plus a large selection of thread (including Superior), stencils, pantographs and classes for longarm quilting.
Please browse our website and stop by the store soon. We would love to see you!"
"Thank-you Ken for the free ad on your website...and what a website it is!
Lots to look at and well done. I always enjoy Y&R news.
Thanks again."
-Kelly Corfe
Humour
Two 90-year-old women, Rose and Barb had been friends all of their lives.
When it was clear that Rose was dying, Barb visited her every day.
One day Barb said, 'Rose, we both loved playing women's softball all our lives, and we played all through High School.
Please do me one favor: when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there's women's softball there.'
Rose looked up at Barb from her deathbed and said, 'Barb, you've been my best friend for many years. If it's at all possible, I'll do this favor for you.'
Shortly after that, Rose passed on.
A few nights later, Barb was awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to her, 'Barb, Barb.'
'Who is it?', asked Barb, sitting up suddenly. 'Who is it?'
'Barb -- it's me, Rose.'
'Rose! Where are you?'
'In Heaven,' replied Rose. 'I have some really good news and a little bad news.'
'The good news,' Rose said, 'is that there's softball in Heaven. Better yet all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better than that, were all young again. Better still, it's always springtime, and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play softball all we want, and we never get tired.'
'That's fantastic,' said Barb. 'It's beyond my wildest dreams! So what's the bad news?
'You're pitching Tuesday.'