Signed, Sealed, D'oh-livered: Stamp to Feature Simpsons

(NEWSER) - The eagerly awaited Simpsons postage stamps made their debut today and got an enthusiastic reception from the show's creator. "This is the biggest and most adhesive honor The Simpsons has ever received," said Matt Groening. The stamps go on sale May 7, and the US Postal Service is encouraging fans to vote for their favorite, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Only Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie made the cut. More»

Matt Groening says Springfield is named after the one in his home state

(NEWSER) - The show has teased about the real location of Springfield for years, but Simpsons creator Matt Groening lets Smithsonian magazine in on the secret: Homer's hometown is named after Springfield, Oregon. Why? Groening grew up in Portland watching Father Knows Best, which was set in "Springfield." As a kid, he just assumed it was the same Springfield near his hometown in Oregon. He didn't realize the city in Father Knows Best was fictional until years later. More»

Huge labor costs, declining usage have deficit at $9.2 billion this year

(NEWSER) - With a $5.5 billion payment due Sept. 30, the US Postal Service's longstanding financial woes are about to come to a head—in fact, if Congress doesn't do something soon, the agency might have to shut down entirely this winter, reports the New York Times . The USPS handles about 3 billion pieces of mail a week, but that's down 22% over the past five years. Added to declining usage, Postal Service costs are up, with strong benefits and no-layoff provisions in union contracts causing labor to account for 80% of USPS costs—as opposed to 53% at UPS and 32% at FedEx. More»

Matt Groening's sitcom can really teach us something

(NEWSER) - The Simpsons is more than just a cartoon—it’s spawned essays, books, and lecture series, and the Telegraph takes a look at the lessons it can teach us:

• Family is the most important thing: Contrary to former president George Bush’s beliefs, The Simpsons celebrates family—complete with a non-absent, albeit dumb, father and a more realistic view of family life than most sitcoms.

Katharine Hepburn, Mother Teresa, Negro Leagues baseball make the cut

(NEWSER) - Nobel Prize winner Mother Teresa, Oscar-winning actress Katharine Hepburn, singing cowboy Gene Autry, artist Winslow Homer, and Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Mauldin will be honored on US postage stamps next year. Other new stamps will honor baseball's Negro Leagues, the Sunday funnies and the Hawaiian rain forest, the AP reports. Here are some of the new designs. More»