THE SIMPSONS NEWS

So last Friday the crew got an unpleasant surprise. We were all told that Friday, April 25^th was going to be everyones last day. We’re all going on hiatus again. Just as we thought, thing were returning to normal, we all get the boot all over again. Why?

Well, it seems that the contract for the voice actors on the show has expired and new contracts need to be negotiated. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Screen Actors Guild. This is purely a Simpsons thing. The voice actors on the show have been negotiating their contract for the last two and a half weeks so far. The thing is, we can’t go on with any of the show until this is settled. Ever since the writer’s strike happened, we haven’t really gotten a chance to catch up to the schedule we needed to get to. This means that we don’t have any surplus of shows with voices already recorded, and so we have no work.

Overall, this is bad news. Whenever the negotiations are done, we all still have to wait until a month afterwards to be called back into work since the shows need to have time to be storyboarded. So if the negotiations take a month, we’re going to be out for at least two. If the negotiations take a two months, we’re going to be out for three..etc. Not only that, but if for some reason, when the Screen Actors Guild starts negotiating actor’s contracts in a month or so, and if they decide (God forbid) to go on strike for whatever reason, the Simpsons voice actors will also go on strike. Which would, of course, effect us all over again.

Man, what lousy bunch of months to be working in this studio. I don’t think I’ve ever been through anything like this in the last sixteen years I’ve been working here.

I wasn’t prepared for this situation. My savings haven’t had a chance to recuperate from the last break. There are a few circumstances that at least make this situation a bit better than last time. One is that my wife is working which means that we have a little bit of income coming in. This will help out a lot, but unfortunately, what she makes, is not nearly enough to pay all our bills. After all, she is only working part time. The second good circumstance is the fact that, since this is only effecting the Simpsons show, I could potentially find work at another show if I need to. Problem with that is, I might get a pay cut if I move to another show.

In any case, I’m back to worrying all over again. I suppose I just need to roll with the punches and feel my way through this one. I have options this time around, I just need to make the right decisions. Change is always scary.

MOVIES

So Alesha really wanted to see the Expelled movie I wrote about two weeks ago. She was really intrigued by the idea of the movie and wanted to see what it had to say. So we went to see it this weekend. It wasn’t what I thought it would be and I enjoyed the movie. To my surprise, it was NOT about Creationism, it was actually about Intelligent Design Theory (as I’ve stated in my post two weeks ago, they are not the same thing and this movie shows the clear difference). I learned a few things from it as well. My wife and I became an instant fan of the scientist in France that was interviewed because he was so darn smart and witty. My wife looovved it. She agreed with just about all it had to say. I personally didn’t, but I liked in non the less. I would recommend you watch it, because it opens up very interesting discussions topics.

Having said that, I will say that it was a very emotionally manipulative movie and I, for one, was distracted by that. It was difficult for me to try to find the structure of the argumentation being put forth. Mainly do to my awareness of the negative and positive imagery (with accompanying music) that was placed on the screen, that was there in order to get an emotional reaction to what was being said. It was annoying me greatly. This is a trick also used in Michael Moore documentaries and it annoyed me in them also.

I thought that the movie could have benefited greatly from some more clear evidence outside the personal testimony of the “victims”, since often times a victim of an apparent injustice believes themselves victimized for one a reason but in truth there might not have been an injustice at all. I thought the movie could have provided more evidence in each person’s case so that there would be no doubt as to why they were treated the way they were.

In the end, the movie had the potential to change my mind on the whole idea of teaching Intelligent Design in schools, but it failed. I personally think that the scientific data clearly points to an intelligent designer. I believe that this designer is God. I’ve read plenty of books by great thinkers that have come to these conclusions through out the centuries, some using science to prove their point while others used pure reason and common experience. Non of these brilliant people (Socrates, Aristotle, Aquinas, Anselm, John Duns Scotus, Blaise Pascal, C.S. Lewis…etc) thought that their conclusions where scientific but they did believe them to be true. The Intelligent Design theory, seems to just want to point out that the universe seems to be intelligently designed, but wants to leave out the “by what or who?” question unanswered (just like the theory of Evolution). That seems kinda of a silly thing to do since the only answer to the question is either “Aliens did it,” or “God did it”. Since natural science is far to limited to be able to deal with the Supernatural it can never give the answer, I would like to hear, namely, “God”.

Once upon a time, most scientists believed in God (perhaps they still do). Many of these scientists (if not the majority of these scientists) were priests. These scientist saw intelligent design in nature and it often propelled them to investigated further into nature in order to see how God created things and what laws He had written into nature. The thing about these scientists, is that they never pretended to conclude that their belief in God was a scientific conclusion but rather a logical one based on common sense. Why must it be different now? Why must Intelligent Design be a scientific theory rather than a logical one based on common sense?

CATHOLICISM

So the Pope came to visit and I was excited. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going to the regular TV news channels to give me info on what was going on. Instead of getting news all I got is complaining and criticism of the Pope, and he hadn’t even landed yet. I wanted the news not Pope bashing. After about a day of this, I just went to the EWTN website and watched the visit through their eyes. It was a relief to be able to watch the visit without having to filter through all the negativity. I liked that they went out of their way to actually discuss what the Pope was saying rather than spin it into something bad or complain about what he didn’t say.

COPYRIGHT PROTECTION

Alright, so do you remember that copyright bill I wrote about in my last post? Well on Monday I got this e-mail from the group that was keeping an eye out for it. This is how it went:

 

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP

 

Today the House and Senate sent us draft copies of the new Orphan Works Act of 2008. They haven’t officially released it yet, but we’ve been told the Senate will do so this week. A quick analysis confirms our worst fears and our early warnings. If these proposals are enacted into law, all the work you have ever done or will do could be orphaned and exposed to commercial infringement from the moment you create it.

 

You’ve probably already heard Mark Simon’s webcast interview with Brad Holland. If not, please listen to it at:

http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/orphan.html. <http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/orphan.html>

 

Then forget the spin you’ve heard from backers of this bill. This radical proposal, now pending before Congress, could cost you your past and future copyrights.

 

The Illustrators’ Partnership is currently working with our attorney – in concert with the other 12 groups in the American Society of Illustrators Partnership to have our voices – and yours – heard in Congress. We’ll keep you posted regarding how you can do your part.

 

Please forward this information to every creative person and group you know. Mr. Holland and Mr. Simon have given their permission for this audio file to be copied and transferred and replayed.

 

For additional information about Orphan Works developments, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists

http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185

 

If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com

Place “Add Name” in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.

Today I got this one:

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP

 

The Orphan Works Act of 2008 will be officially released momentarily.

 

The language in the draft confirms our warnings. If this bill passes, you’ll be forced to clear all your secondary licensing rights through at least two government certified databases – or risk orphaning your art.

 

Despite its masquerade as the “last resort” to search for a rights owner, these databases will likely become the only source many users will rely on for finding a rights owner. Reason: it will give users the legal right to infringe any copyright not in the databases.

 

We’re working with our attorney now to prepare opposition letters.

 

We have contracted CapWiz, a service that will allow you to send these letters to Congress with a push of the button.

 

CapWiz will also provide us with “digital stickers” that anyone else – organizations, individual artists, blogs, etc. – can put on their sites that create a direct link to the command center to write their Congressman and Senators to defeat this radical change to U.S. Copyright law

 

Please stay tuned and we’ll tell you in a day or so what you can do to register your opposition.

 

For additional background on Orphan Works, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists

http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185

 

If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com

Place “Add Name” in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.

Sounds bad. It’ll be time to do something soon. Better get ready. I’ll keep you posted.

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