Futurama

The comics are of a larger size in the UK, and although the stories are exactly the same as the US comics, they are published in a different order. government. The UK series was first published in 2002 and so far consists of 28 issues, incorporating the Simpsons crossovers. citizens are liable to fines and imprisonment if discovered and prosecuted by the U.S. The comics are A5-size and now published 4 times a year. However, U.S. The US series was first published in 2000 and so far consists of 22 issues plus 2 2-part crossovers with The Simpsons. citizens can visit Cuba by travelling through other countries (like Mexico, Canada or the Bahamas) because Cuban immigration does not stamp the passports (the visum is a separate leaflet).

There are two sets of comics available, the US series and UK series. Nevertheless, U.S. These are currently the only new stories featuring the Futurama characters. citizens are not officially banned from travelling to Cuba, they are generally prohibited from spending money there (exceptions are made for students studying in Cuba, diplomats, certain business people, and people with family members in Cuba), which amounts to a de facto travel ban, as Cuba requires that foreign visitors spend a minimum of three nights in a hotel; moreover, the only direct flights from the United States are strictly for those with family members in Cuba, or others with licences from OFAC. Matt Groening's Bongo Comics group is still producing a spin-off series of Futurama comic books. Although U.S. Due to an extremely small production run, the video game is quite scarce and generally sells for more than most games that are just being released. [80] The lack of domestic sources of capital financing, an inherent by-product of its socialist economic system, makes Cuba's debt extremely vulnerable to disruptions in trade.

Critical reviews raised the issue of poor play control and graphic quality, but noted that the game possessed an excellent storyline and voice acting. Cuba also has other sources of debt including approximately $25 billion in debt disputed with Russia dating from the era of the Soviet Union. Unique Development Studios released a video game titled Futurama for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles in August 2003. Cuba owes approximately $5.4 billion in foreign debt to Paris Club nations such as France, Japan and Germany. Despite the different release dates, the content of the DVDs are identical for both Regions. The main current trading partners of Cuba are: Venezuela, China, Spain, Canada and, the Netherlands. The DVDs were released in Europe first as a test to see if they would sell, and sales were very good on both sides of the Atlantic. embargo was condemned for the 13th time in 2004 by the General Assembly of the United Nations, by 179 countries (out of 183 voting).

In Europe (DVD Region 2), the first and second seasons were both released in 2002; the third season was released on June 2, 2003; and the fourth on November 24th, 2003. legislation is considered highly controversial, and the U.S. In the USA (DVD Region 1), the first season of Futurama was released on DVD on March 25, 2003; the second season on August 12, 2003; the third season on March 9, 2004; and the fourth (and final) on August 24, 2004. This extraterritorial U.S. Comedy Central in the US will begin airing Futurama when its contract with Cartoon Network expires in 2008. Any company that deals with Cuba risks problems dealing with the United States, so internationally operating companies may be forced to choose between Cuba and the United States, which is a far larger market. Futurama now appears in syndication on the Cartoon Network and the TBS Superstation in the US, Sky One, Sky Two and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, Teletoon/Télétoon in Canada, Fox 8 and Channel 10 in Australia, Fox España and Antena 3 in Spain, Pro7 in Germany, Italia 1 in Italy, Canal Fox in Latin America, One TV in the Middle East, MTV3 in Finland, TV400 (formerly aired on TV4) in Sweden, SF2 in Switzerland, Telemundo in Puerto Rico and Azteca 7 in Mexico. Trade with the United States is restricted to cash-only transactions for food and medicine.

Everybody is excited to get back together--as I am! Into the Future, Billy. embargo. Full feature length FUTURAMA movies. Cuba currently trades with almost every nation in the world, albeit with restrictions from the U.S. phoned me about an hour ago and said that this Futurama project is a done deal! Here's the word from DX--- There are 4 DVD movies that we'll start recording at the end of July or August. One other factor in the proclaimed recovery of the Cuban economy were the remittances from Cuban-Americans, now much diminished, which for a while constituted a large part of the external inputs into the Cuban Economy. HERE'S GREAT NEWS! Here's the official word on Futurama!! David X. Since 2003, both tourism levels and nickel prices increased.

On January 19, 2006, Billy West confirmed on his message board that four Futurama direct-to-DVD movies will begin production in July or August 2006:. In response, Cuba opened up to tourism, which is now a major source of income. In January 2006, Variety reported that there have been negotiations to bring back Futurama as a television show, though only a 'limited' amount of episodes may be produced [2]. For several decades, Cuba received what was effectively a Soviet subsidy, whereby Cuba provided the Soviet Union with sugar and the Soviets provided Cuba with petroleum at below market prices. The summary has since been deleted [1]. The Cuban economy was hit hard in the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Comecon economic bloc, with which it had traded predominantly. The IMDb once had a plot summary, but Can't Get Enough Futurama reported that the plot summary was submitted by a user who wished to show that the IMDb would report "unconfirmed rumours". See details at the Ludwig Van Mises Institute.

The Internet Movie Database has a Futurama movie page, which claims that the movie will be released in 2007. Other currencies, including the euro, were not affected. He stated that the Fox Network did not understand the show, and he discussed the possiblity of the show's return and a straight-to-DVD movie. At that time, use of the dollar in business was officially banned, and a 10% surcharge was introduced for the conversion of dollars (in cash) to convertible pesos, the island's new official currency. Several months later, Matt Groening told The Sydney Morning Herald that he "has faith in the relaunch of Futurama". dollar was made legal tender (the country operated under a dual-currency system); this arrangement was, however, revoked on 25 October 2004. In July 2005, Billy West seemed to have confirmed a "straight to DVD" Futurama movie on a video blog. In 1993 the U.S.

The idea was to make a Futurama movie right to DVD and then a 2nd and a 3rd [...]. However, State Security is reported able to confiscate this money from individuals when it deems that appropriate [79]. Cohen [...] and he said that they did have talks with the top guys at FOX and they were extremely impressed with the sales of the Futurama DVDs. who send money to relatives or friends. Well, I spoke to David X. Until recently Cubans also receive an estimated $850 million annually from Cubans in the U.S. On May 22, 2005, the Can't Get Enough Futurama website carried the following unofficial post, attributed to Billy West's discussion board:. But in the 1990s tourism saw an explosive growth, becoming the second most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean to the Dominican Republic.

Even though there were no official words on the revival of the show, there have been rumors of it since the news broke that Family Guy was being revived. In the 19th Century, until the richer ores of Chile were found, it was common to export some of Cuba's long mined copper ore to Wales History of Swansea and England [78]. It should be noted that Entertainment Weekly disparaged Family Guy early in production, leading to the show's animosity towards the magazine. Historically, sugar, tobacco and (later) nickel were the main sources of foreign trade income for Cuba. The last reporter asks "Stewie, do you know if Fox has any plans to bring back Futurama?" Stewie then asks "What magazine are you from?" and the reporter replies Entertainment Weekly, Stewie then angrily snaps the reporter's neck, killing him. "A recent report by the American agency for sustainable farming, Food First, said annual production of fruit and vegetables is growing at 250% a year." [77]. Stewie, when walking down the red carpet to the premiere, is stopped by various reporters asking questions. That's an increase of around 30% year on year.", says Senora Hernandes, in charge of one of hundreds of small urban farms dotted around Havana.

There is also a reference to Futurama in the Family Guy movie. And we expect this year's harvest to yield no less than 30 kilograms. Groening revealed in the DVD audio commentary for this episode that he intended The Simpsons to be a television show in the Futurama universe, and conversely Futurama was a television show in The Simpsons universe, which is somewhat confirmed in the Simpsons episode in which he guest stars. When we first started this farm three years ago it stood at 18 kilograms. shorts" imitating the popular mannerism used by Homer. "Last year alone we produced 27 kilograms of vegetables per square metre. Bender eats the shorts, then says "mmmm.. Since the fall of Cuba's many trading partners, the island has focused on urban communal farms.

Bender finds a Bart Simpson doll which says "Eat my shorts" when its string is pulled. Such federal spending in 2005 budgeted 68% towards education, healthcare, social security, cultural programs, sports, and scientific research.^[1] According to Cuban statistics, during the first half of the year the Cuban economy grew by 7.3%, with 9% growth expected by the end of the year.^[2]. Similarly, Futurama references The Simpsons. In an early episode of Futurama, the crew are sent to destroy a huge ball of garbage in space by placing a bomb on it. Economic activity is thereby maintained largely by government spending. Since Futurama's cancellation, Matt Groening's The Simpsons series has made several references to Futurama:. Cuba's socialist economy is primarily based on state ownership — exceptions to this include microscale private enterprises. In Britain, the series was picked up by Sky One shortly after its US premiere, and Channel 4 later acquired terrestrial broadcast rights. Some of the well-known smaller towns are Baracoa which was the first Spanish settlement on Cuba, as well as Trinidad and Bayamo.

On October 28, 2005, Comedy Central announced that it had signed a multi-year deal to broadcast the series, paying a reported $400,000 each for all 72 episodes, presumably beginning when Cartoon Network's broadcast rights end in 2007. Havana is the largest city and capital; other major cities include Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. In the United States, Futurama can be seen on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, usually playing adjacent to another (once) cancelled series, Family Guy. In general (with local variations), there is a drier season from November to April, and a rainier season from May to October. Several television stations are currently airing the series in syndication. The local climate is tropical, though moderated by trade winds. I want to see how it ends". The island consists mostly of flat to rolling plains, with more rugged hills and mountains primarily in the southeast and the highest point is the Pico Real del Turquino at 2,005 m.

The last line of dialogue (recorded months after the episode was taped, after the show's cancellation), aptly enough, was "Don't stop playing, Fry.. The main island is the world's 16th largest. The episode was not a true series finale however, and though many plot issues were resolved in the last season, the final episode was in no way a clear "conclusion" to the series. Guantánamo Bay, is a naval base that has been leased by the United States since 1903, a lease that has been contested since 1960 by Castro. With this episode, the fifth television season (fourth production season) and the whole series ended. The Republic comprises the entire island, including many outlying islands such as the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), previously known as the Isla de los Pinos (Isle of Pines). (Note: the production season forms the basis for the DVD and video sets.) The 72nd and final episode, called "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings", aired in the USA on August 10, 2003. 760 miles long) of Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and is bounded to the north by the Straits of Florida and the greater North Atlantic Ocean, to the northwest by the Gulf of Mexico, to the west by the Yucatan Channel, to the south by the Caribbean Sea, and to the east by the Windward Passage.

These delays account for the difference in Fox's broadcast season number and production season number. The elongated island (aprox. Due to numerous preemptions and other schedule shuffles, Fox had enough new episodes backlogged for another full year of shows. Cuba, 65 million years ago, also received part of the impact of Chicxulub Crater with tsunami kilometers high reaching at least 500 Km away to the middle provinces [75], [76] and beyond. While Futurama ended after its fifth broadcast season, there were actually only four production seasons. Geologically Cuba was once in the Pacific, and crossing between North and South America before they were joined, "crashed" into what is now Florida [74]. This way, camera movements provided a perfect geometry of the environment and characters (for example, at the beginning of the series when the camera flies around the Planet Express building). The present subdivisions closely resemble those of Spanish military provinces during the Cuban Wars of Independence, when the most troublesome areas were subdivided.

The scenes were first painted by hand and then implemented in 3D. These in turn were formerly part of six larger historical provinces: Pinar del Rio (item 1 on map), Habana (items 2,3,4 on map), Matanzas, Las Villas (approximately 6, 7, 8, and 9 on map, Camaguey (roughly 10 and part of 11) and Oriente (part of 11, plus 12, 13, 14, and 15). Many of the spacecraft and backgrounds appearing in Futurama were made using 3D computer graphics. Fourteen provinces and one special municipality (the Isla de la Juventud) now comprise Cuba. This show is also one of the few animated series to use fully orchestrated original music in almost every episode. They also argue that the electoral system in Cuba today is more democratic than that the in most western nations, where the corporate elite hold much political clout. Three remixes of the theme song were produced and used as the main theme in three different episodes. sanctions.

The original theme song for the show was to be the 1960s electronic music recording "Psyche Rock" by Pierre Henry, but the inability to license the track for the show led Tyng to compose a theme strongly reminiscent of it. Supporters of the Cuban government will compare the human rights record to the authoritarian rule under the previous US backed regime of Fulgencio Batista, and they argue that the overall current situation would have been far better if it not for U.S. The theme and incidental music for the show were composed by Christopher Tyng. [73]. McCoy, DeForest Kelley, by that time deceased, or James Doohan, who refused to appear; his character was replaced by 'Welshy'.). It is routinely consulted by central government when new laws are being considered. (This episode did not include a speaking role for the character of Dr. There is however an official worker's central that serves as a central organization for all other trade unions, the Worker's Central of Cuba (Central de Trabajadores de Cuba, CTC).

Celebrities who have lent their voices to the show include Dick Clark, Beck, Donovan, Al Gore, Stephen Hawking, The Beastie Boys, Sigourney Weaver, Lucy Liu, Pamela Anderson, John Goodman (as Robot Santa), and the Star Trek cast, in "Where No Fan Has Gone Before". Different political views are found within each of the unions. It was changed to Philip as a way to remember Hartman. Elections of union officers at the workplace are open and competitive. Fry's first name was originally going to be Curtis. Unions are self financed from monthly dues, which are paid by members to their local union official, and they receive no subsidies from the state. The character Philip J. Cuban law permits workers to freely form trade union organisations and does not require such organisations to register with any state agency in order to function or to acquire legality.

Some believe Billy West performs the character of Zapp Brannigan in a Hartman-ish voice as a tribute to him (hence why Zapp looks so much like Hartman's Simpsons character, Troy McClure), but the DVD commentary reveals that West's version of Zapp's voice is actually unchanged from the way he did it originally in auditions. All Cuban workers have the right to join a trade union, and although membership of a union is voluntary ninety eight per cent of the active population belong to one of the 19 trade unions in Cuba. Phil Hartman was cast as a voice actor on the series, but he died before production began. [72]. Actors lending their voices to the series include Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and Tress MacNeille. [71] Cuba remains one of the few countries in the world, and the only one in the Western Hemisphere, to deny the International Committee of the Red Cross access to its prisons. Also demonstrated at that World's Fair was Philo Farnsworth's vacuum tube television; Professor Farnsworth is named after him. Groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have issued many warnings about possible prisioners of conscience.

Futurama takes its name from a General Motors exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair which depicted future technologies. However, since Castro, in power for the last 47 years, denies access to many humanitarian organizations, it is difficult to determine exact numbers. Star Trek: The Pepsi Generation does, however, get an Oscar nomination for best soft-drink product placement. The Cuban Government placed a moratorium on capital punishment in 2001, making an exception for perpetrators of an armed hijacking 2 years later. (It is mentioned with no penalties, however, once by Hermes Conrad while describing the Democratic Order Of Planets, and again in the episode where the Planet Express crew uses the Internet, and once more in the first episode when Fry says the doors are just like the ones from Star Trek.) There is little mention of what happened to The Next Generation and the other spinoffs, but the head of Jonathan Frakes lives on in a glass jar (normally on a shelf directly behind the jar housing the head of Leonard Nimoy). Dissidents currently complain of harassment; others claim torture [70]. The destruction because of the "Wars" ultimately led to its banning by the Earth government and the execution of its followers "in the manner most befitting virgins", i.e., by being thrown into a volcano to the phrase "He's dead, Jim." By the year 3000, even discussing the show is a serious legal offense. Yet, others report that from 1959-1987 there have been from 35,000 to 141,000 [69] (table is in thousands) executions.

This caused the "Star Trek Wars" (not to be confused with the "Star Wars Trek", the mass migration of Star Wars fans). Many argue that only a few thousands of unjustified deaths have occurred under Castro's leadership. Over the years, as life began to imitate Star Trek more and more, the sci-fi series evolved into an enormous mainstream religious cult that swept the world. The Cuban government has in the past been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials, and extra-judicial executions [68]. They believe that Robot Jesus was a very well built robot, but he was not their messiah, and they do not permit decapodians to attend their functions (presumably because shellfish aren't kosher, although ironic since the Decapodians are a parody of Jewish stereotypes). (The 1976 Consitution and its 1992 revision require that the President of the Council of State be a member of the National Assembly). Robot Jews exist as well, although all we know about them is that they hold functions to celebrate a robot becoming a "Bot Mitzvah". He is also First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, and since 1976 a member of the National Assembly from the municipality of Santiago de Cuba.

Robot religions exist as well, with the most popular being the quasi-Christian religion of Robotology, which has its Hell located in an abandoned New Jersey amusement park, presided over by the crafty Robot Devil. Fidel Castro has been the head of government since 1959, first as prime minister and, after the abolition of that office with the adoption of the 1976 Constitution, as President of the Council of State, which also serves as head of state. Hanukkah is now represented by the Hanukkah Zombie and Kwanzaa by Kwanzaabot. A smaller Executive Committee consisting of the more important members of the Council of Ministers oversees normal business. Zoidberg), and attempts to punish them on Christmas Eve if they are caught outdoors after sun-down. Executive authority is formally vested in the Council of Ministers, a large cabinet comprised of 8 members of the Council of State, the heads of the national ministries, and other persons. to judge people, whether naughty or nice, and distribute presents accordingly, but his standards were set so high that he invariably deems everybody naughty (except for Dr. However, save for two sessions a year, legislative power is exercised by the 31 member Council of State which is elected by the National Assembly from itself.

He was originally created and programmed by Mom's Friendly Robot Co. Legislative power is nominally in the hands of the National Assembly of People’s Power. Christmas, now Xmas, is celebrated with the fear of a giant robotic Santa Claus, who is located on Neptune. Candidates for the National Assembly are nominated by municipal assemblies with one candidate for each seat and put to a approval vote where voters may approve all, some or none of the candidates(source: "Democracy in Cuba and the 1997-1998 Elections" by Arnold August). Some of today's holidays still exist, but with slightly different mascots. Neighborhood committees nominate candidates for the municipal assemblies who are then placed before the voters whom chose among several candidates. (Waltermercadismo is also mentioned in the Latin American version.). Elections are held by secret ballot and everyone age 16 or older can vote.

Oprahism and Voodoo are now mainstream religions. The Communist Party of Cuba is the sole legal political party, and no other party is legally allowed to exist. There is some form of Space Catholicism, led by the reptilian Space Pope (Crocodylus pontifex) and based upon a platform of discouraging love between robots and humans (featured in I Dated a Robot, an episode wherein Fry breaks the robot-human love taboo by dating a robot version of Lucy Liu). It has a relatively large influence in Cuba, but its authority is "moral", not on any legal authority. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism have all merged into one Amalgamated Church. It makes recommendations concerning the future development of the revolution, and it criticizes tendencies it considers counterrevolutionary. Religion has changed quite a bit since the year 2000. Those selected are considered model citizens and strong supporters of the revolution.

The war recently made its final end when the Nibblonians used Fry to sneak a bomb into the Brainspawn's main base that would seal them into a pocket dimension prison. The Cuban constitution states that, "the Communist Party of Cuba...is the superior guiding force of society and the state." Members of the Communist Party of Cuba are selected by the party in a thorough process that includes interviews with co-workers and neighbors. Since a matter of years after the Big Bang, an eternal war has been waged across space between the Nibblonians (Nibbler's race) and the Brainspawn (evil floating giant brains with telekinetic and telepathic powers). 30" [67]. It is unknown if it's possible to travel between these universes freely. In 2005 an additional 7,610 Cuban emigrants from Cuba entered through the "southern border in the fiscal year that ended Sept. At the edge of the universe, one can witness the alternate cowboy universe. The numbers of Cubans who leave by sea is still about 2,000 a year but the trend is upward at present [66].

The universe ends after Dog Doo 7. [65]. A planet named Arrakis exists, a tip-of-the-hat to Frank Herbert's Dune novels. soil without a visa, thus there is still an unofficial exodus [64]; these escapes are often most ingenious e.g. There is also at least one rogue colony of robots that kills humans on sight (this being Chapek 9, a reference to Karel Čapek who coined the term robot). residency to any Cuban who arrives on U.S. A victorious war with the Arachnid homeworld of Tarantulon VI resulted in a silk surplus, which in turn led to a $300 tax refund from the head of Richard Nixon, the ruling President of Earth. law [63] grants U.S.

The series featured a bitter conflict between Earth and Spheron 1, a planet inhabited by giant, bouncing balls. However, U.S. Despite the existence of DOOP, interplanetary relations are poor, with constant wars and invasions, often poorly planned and fought for foolish and unnecessary reasons. Under this, the United States grants a specific number of visas to those wishing to emigrate (20,000 since 1994) while those Cubans picked up at sea trying to emigrate without a visa are returned to Cuba. The DOOP symbol has rotational symmetry. After the chaos that accompanied the Mariel boatlift, Cuba and the United States (commonly called the 1994 Clinton-Castro accords [62]) have agreed to limit emigration to the United States. The inhabitants of Omicron Persei 8 are frequently engaged in conflicts with DOOP. [61] The emigration that occurred immediately after the Cuban Revolution was primarily of the upper and middle classes that were predominantly white, thus contributing to a demographic shift along with changes in birth rates among the various ethnic groups.

Earth sometimes acts unilaterally without the aid of other DOOP members. Since 1959, over a million Cubans have left the island, primarily to Miami, Florida where a vocal, well educated and economically very successful anti-Castro community exists (Cuban-American lobby). or like the 'Federation' from your Star Trek program", includes Earth and many other worlds. Cuba has historically been more heavily European than other Caribbean islands, and in 1950 was said to have a 75% white majority. Farnsworth as being "similar to the United Nations.. Between 1900 and 1930 close to a million Spaniards arrived from Spain. This organization, described by Prof. Immigration and emigration have had noticeable changes in the demographic profile of Cuba during the 20th century.

The Democratic Order Of Planets (DOOP) was founded in 2945 after the Second Galactic War (a parallel to the United Nations' founding in 1945 after World War II). (State of the World's Children 2005) However, this high abortion rate and very low birth rate, reminiscent of former Communist Eastern Europe and Russia, threatens to cause the population to shrink significantly in the coming decades, although this has not happened yet due to relatively small numbers of elderly. Bang! Zoom! Straight to the moon!". [60] Selective termination of high-risk pregnancies is one factor contributing to the low official infant mortality rate in Cuba of 5.8 per thousand births. Citizens of the 31st century have lost all knowledge of the lunar landing, mistaking Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners for a typical 20th century astronaut due to his common phrase, "One of these days, Alice. Cuba has a high abortion rate of 77.7 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 in 1996, 3rd highest in the world among 55 countries whose abortion rate was available to be compiled in a 1999 UN study. Earth's moon is still mostly unsettled with the exception of some farms, but houses an amusement park (heavily parodying Disney theme parks even to the motto: "The Happiest Place Orbiting Earth"), and is the sole tourist attraction. A contributing cause is Cuba's policy of abortion on demand.

The Western Hemisphere of the planet is currently owned by the Wongs, parents of Planet Express intern Amy Wong. The fertility rate of 1.5 children per woman (in 1995-2000) is the lowest of any country in the western hemisphere (tied with Canada and Barbados). Mars has been terraformed to a great degree (it is now the home of many wealthy socialites), and is home to Mars University. Cuba has a low birth rate. Earth's national holiday appears to be "Freedom Day", which is traditionally celebrated by doing whatever one wants without regard to the consequences, as well as nude hot tubbing parties, and by dancing and chanting, "Freedom, freedom, freedom, oy!". Phillip Agee [58] and foreign activists of various radical causes [59]. At the end of Futurama's last episode, however, the Robot Devil drags Nixon's head back to Hell, so the status of his presidency is now in question. This population includes defectors from the US e.g.

At times, Nixon's head is carried by the Secretary of Transportation or the headless body of Spiro Agnew. There is internal illegal immigration to Havana seeking greater opportunities, these internal illegals are known as "palestinos." Cuba also shelters a population of non-Cubans of unknown size. After the Planet Express crew manages to retrieve it, Nixon's head is mounted on a gargantuan, weaponized cyborg body, helping to sway the robot vote. The melting pot is expressed not only in a racial sense, but also in religion (see below) and the music of Cuba. Nixon buys Bender's robotic body from a pawn shop to serve as his new body. Also, lighter skinned people often have more prestigious jobs (although in socialist Cuba this does not translate to a high difference in income). Despite having been elected President of the United States twice, the head of Richard Nixon is elected President of Earth by exploiting the fact that his old body is not being elected, and Earthican law only stipulates that no body can be elected more than twice. Nevertheless, the sizeable Jamaican population in Santiago de Cuba is frequently stereotyped as lazy.

The two main parties are the Tastycrats and the Fingerlicans, whose names sound similar to the current American parties, the Democrats and Republicans. In Cuba there is relatively little racial tension. The organization of political parties in Futurama is similar to the American two-party system with a number of third parties. Historical papers show that, while considered inferior to Cubans of European descent, they were considered superior to blacks due to their paler skin. Citizens of Earth are called Earthicans. Most stayed in Cuba, as they could not afford a return passage to China. visible) where the stars are today. The Chinese population in Cuba derives mostly from laborers who arrived in the 19th century to build railroads and work in mines, as was also occurring in the United States at this time.

and the flag of Earth looks like the Flag of the United States, but with an image of the Earth (with the U.S. According to the CIA's World Factbook, Cuba is 51% mulatto (mixed white and black), 37% white, 11% black, and 1% Chinese. This world government seems to be quite US-centric as Earth's capital is Washington, D.C. Cuba has been able to reduce reported infant mortality to zero in certain remote rural areas.[57]. It seems that various sub-states may have prime ministers and similar leaders, much like the current American system of governors. Venezuela and Cuba have offered to provide another 100,000 Latin Americans with this service within the same period. Earth has a unified government called the United States of Earth headed by a single President of Earth. 15,000 citizens of the Caribbean community will receive this form of medical care between the second half of June 2005 and June 2006.

This campaign is spearheaded by 25-star General Major Webelo Zapp Brannigan, a conceited, self-absorbed, trouserless individual who makes regular appearances throughout the series. Castro promises that one hundred thousand Venezuelans will receive these services this year, and until July 2005, 25,024 patients from said country, and a similar number of Cubans will have been operated on [56]. Apparently, Earth is in the process of embarking on a long-term campaign to conquer and/or eliminate all other worlds/races not allied with it. The country is now able to operate and provide services in all branches of ophthalmology to hundreds of thousands of patients. Much of the Milky Way galaxy now operates under the Earth government's sphere of influence, similar to America's influence on world politics today. Like a number of countries, Cuba has developed a hospital system for health tourists, taking advantage of a combination of low labor costs, an educated work force, and the ability of such tourists to pay in much desired hard currency for their care. Numerous other galaxies have been colonized or have made contact by the year 3000. Other patients from Central and South America bring the total to 100,000 free eye operations this year." [55].

They often provide additional jokes for fans dedicated enough to decode the messages. "Since July 25, more than 3,000 people from ten Caribbean countries have had eye operations in Cuba funded by oil-rich Venezuela. The first is a simple one-to-one substitution cipher from the Latin alphabet, while the second uses a more complex modular addition code (officially an ancient alien language predating the universe). On August 20, Cuba achieved what is almost certainly a world record - performing 1,648 eye operations at 20 hospitals in a single day.". The show also often makes use of a pair of alien alphabets in background signage. Teams of Cuban doctors assess applicants for eye surgery before sending patients to Havana on special flights from ten Caribbean countries and more than 15 Latin American nations. Ironically, "aks" represents an earlier pronunciation of the word, with the modern "ask" an innovation, so the 31st century sees the word coming full circle. "But one of Castro's most respected achievements is the establishment of a comprehensive health system producing one doctor for every 170 people, compared to 188 in the US and 250 in the UK.

These changes include the disuse of the word Christmas in favor of Xmas (with the X pronounced, as in "ex-mas") and the pronunciation of ask metathesizing as "aks". During the UN's general assembly in 2000, Fidel Castro offered the United Nations 6,000 doctors for service in the third world. English itself has also evolved from today, but still remains comprehensible. Cuba has also given treatment on the island to more than 14,000 children and 4,000 adults damaged by radiation in Chernobyl, which is actually more than the rest of the world combined has done for the victims during that catastrophe. In "A Clone of My Own" (and "Space Pilot 3000"), it is implied that French is now a dead language, and that the official language spoken by the French will then be English (in the French version of Futurama, German is substituted for French as the dead language). Cuban doctors played a vital role in the health-care system of Sri Lanka in the 1980s, particularly in the war-torn North-east province, when a crisis in that country's education system limited the number of doctors coming out of universities. Futurama's universe also makes several bold predictions about the future of linguistics. [54].

See also: Timeline of Futurama. It dispatched physicians to help Nicaragua and Peru, then hostile to Cuba, recover from earthquakes. This sort of indifference to death and pain may be partly a mockery of the reactionary trend of citing rising crime statistics as a symptom of human life losing its value, partly on account of the failure to take proper precautions or care of themselves because of the availability of medicines and operations, and partly callousness (such as Fry's happy declaration that his organ transplant came from a guy who liked to ride motorcycles). Cuba has sent doctors to underdeveloped nations and educated foreign doctors since the early 1960s. What does piano wire count as?") Grievous bodily injuries are shrugged off or treated with a sort of mild uncaring, perhaps in reference to the highly advanced medical technology as well as the general disregard for the lives of others or oneself. They offer medical services to 85,154,748 people; 34,700,000 in Latin America and the Caribbean and 50,400,000 in Africa and Asia. Bare hands or weapons?" "Hm. Today, according to Cuban government statistics, Cuba has over 71,000 doctors [53], with 20,000 health workers in Venezuela, and 5,000 more spread around the world in over 60 additional countries, as it views such missions an important part of its foreign policy.

("Could you pick me up a license to kill?" "Sure. Support from the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chávez has alleviated some of those problems. Murder is discussed casually, as if there were little or no penalty for it. [51], [52] However, like the rest of the Cuban economy, Cuban medical care has suffered from severe material shortages following the end of Soviet subsidies. The suicide booths are not the only sign of a devaluing of human life, despite their popularity. The massive Havana hospital, "Calixto Garcia" as well as 72 others were operating well before 1959. In another episode, Pamela Anderson mentions that she won an Academy Award for Baywatch: The Movie, the first ever to be filmed entirely in slow-motion. Cuba has had good doctors for centuries such as Carlos Finlay, who determined how yellow fever was spread; thus during the 1898-1902 US presence in Cuba with much heroic sacrifice such as that of Clara Louise Maas [50] yellow fever was essentially eliminated.

Atlanta, after being moved to sea, sinks due to overdevelopment and becomes a "lost city" (a parody of the story of Atlantis); its residents evolve (with the help of Coca-Cola's caffeine) into mermaids. Cuba's healthcare system is widely regarded as one of the best in the world; however WHO data cited here comes directly from national health authorities of each country [49]. Los Angeles has become a wasteland, Fry mistaking it for New New York in the year 4000 after believing he had been cryogenically frozen for a further 1000 years. Castro has long made the promise of free, universal health care an important part of the case for his government. For example, in the time that has passed formerly-endangered owls and marmosets have emerged as the primary urban pests, at the expense of rats and pigeons. All students regardless of age and gender wear school uniforms with the color denoting grade level. Some of the show's humor comes from passing references to historical events of the past thousand years. This less than credible perfect percentage suggests data manipulation.

Less inspiring 31st century innovations include coin-operated Suicide Booths (said in the show to have been in business since 2008) and Soylent Cola (the taste "varies from person to person"). Cuba’s literacy rates by this criteria at 15 to 24 years of age (both male and female) is 100% [48]. Among the robots, spaceships, and floating buildings, Professor Farnsworth introduced many memorable new inventions such as the Smell-o-scope, the What-if Machine, and the Parabox. UNESCO data is reported as “estimates compiled from national population censuses and household surveys and updated to 2005” [47]. Wheels used in transportation have been made obsolete by hover technology, to the point that 31st century characters do not know what a wheel is. [46]. Despite this, Futurama's world also showcases numerous technological advantages that have been developed by the year 3000. Cuban third and fourth graders were reported better educated in basic language and mathematics skills than children in other Latin American countries that took part in the study, with the "test achievement of the lower half of students in Cuba is significantly better than the test achievement of the upper half of students in the countries that (fell) immediately behind Cuba" in the study group [45].

Robots are treated as independent beings - indeed only twice in the series are robots referred to as property (in The Route of All Evil Qubert refers to Bender as "company property", and in The 30% Iron Chef the Professor shouts "That's my robot! I own him!"). In a 1998 study by UNESCO [43], and as explained by Fidel Castro, Havana, on September 16, 2002 [44] Cuban education progress is excellent. A specific issue on Earth is the large population of super-intelligent/super-incompetent robots (homeless robots and orphan children robots, like Tinny Tim); they are generally lazy, greedy and surly (with the exception of the sycophantic super-efficient Robot 1-X), and often unwilling to assist their human creators. Due to a massive campaign coordinated by the government but executed by the population, illiteracy was said eradicated a few years after the Cuban revolution; however, sometimes information on child labor in Cuba is missing [42]. A common clash between the former two is alien immigration plaguing Earth. Yet, before the revolution, the illiteracy was at 23,6 percent (50 percent in rural areas). Race issues in 3000 are now centered around relations among humans, aliens, and robots. Historically, Cuba has had some of the highest rates of education and literacy in Latin America [41].

The show's vision of the future is very similar to the present in many ways: the same political figures and celebrities that we know today survive as heads in jars, a method invented by Ron Popeil; television remains the primary means of entertainment; the Internet is still slow and filled with pornography, and problems such as global warming, inflexible bureaucracy, and substance abuse are still pressing issues. In 1961 private schools and universities were nationalized (without payment), [39], [40]. Unlike past cartoons like The Jetsons, which showed an efficient, clean, happy future, Futurama portrays a less idealistic view, with humans still dealing with many of the same basic problems of the 20th century. The University of Havana, Cuba's oldest university, was founded in 1721; prior to 1959 there were other official including universities: Universidad de Oriente (founded in 1947) and Universidad Central de Las Villas (founded in 1857); private universities included: Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva (founded in 1946); Universidad Masónica, and the Universidad de la Salle in Nuevo Vedado. The visually retro-futuristic world of Futurama is not a utopia but neither is it a dystopia. Important religious festivals include various days dedicated to the saints such as the "Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre" (the Virgin of Cobre, Cuba's patron saint, syncretised with Santería's Ochún) on September 8, and San Lázaro (Lazarus) (syncretised with Babalu Ayé), on December 17..................... The capabilities of many things vary according to what is most appropriate for the situation at hand. As in most Latin American countries as well as Spain, this day is celebrated in conjunction with, or sometimes instead of Christmas Day.

The setting is first and foremost a backdrop for humor, and the show is not above committing continuity errors if they serve to further the gags. In Cuba 6 January is the "Día de Reyes Magos" which in English means "Day of Kings" is celebrated to commemorate the day that the Three Wise Men came to visit Jesus according to the Gospels. Nearly every mission that the Professor assigns his crew is unusually dangerous. Around 1999 over several years almost 400 Cuban Jews, from a population once numbering about ten thousand [36],[37], left for Israel [38]. The ship is equipped with autopilot and a shipboard artificial intelligence. In the 1960s about 8,000 Jews left for Miami [35]. Zoidberg accompany the crew as needed. Havana still has one or two active synagogues and mosques.

Amy and Dr. Cuba has small but vibrant Jewish, Muslim and Bahá'í populations. The Planet Express ship is helmed by Leela, with Bender serving as cook and Fry as delivery boy. Pentecostalism is also growing rapidly, and the Assemblies of God alone claims a membership of over 100,000 people. The Professor often makes passing references to the brutal deaths of previous employees; the crew prior to Fry's arrival was said to have been devoured by a space wasp, while another was stung to death by a swarm of gigantic bees. followed religious beliefs in Cuba, though these are by no means exclusive, and one can easily be a follower of several religious currents at the same time, as well as being a member of the communist party. Planet Express is a delivery company held by Professor Farnsworth to fund his "research" and "inventions". The religious landscape of Cuba is strongly marked by syncretisms of various kinds.

See also: Futurama's recurring characters. Cuban "classical" music often includes music with strong African and European influences, and features symphonic works as well as music for soloists. Futurama centers around seven main characters who work for Planet Express, as well as several secondary characters. Cuban "classical" music has also won international acclaim. . Popular Cuban music of all styles has been enjoyed and praised widely across the world. The futuristic time frame allowed the show's writers to be creative with their humor by introducing ideas and events from pulp science fiction of the mid 20th century into the series. The Tres was invented in Cuba, but other traditional Cuban instruments are of African and/or Neo-Taino origin, and include the maracas and various wooden drum variants.

The series covers the adventures of Fry and his colleagues as they travel around the universe making deliveries on behalf of Planet Express. chachachá was invented to make it possible for American 'Yankees' to dance to Cuban music. Fry's attempt to escape from his now-mandatory job assignment as a delivery boy ends when he is hired on at Planet Express, a small intergalactic package delivery company run by his distantly descended nephew, as a delivery boy. The "central form" of this music is Son, which has been the basis of many other musical styles like salsa and mambo. He is defrosted one thousand years later on December 31, 2999 and finds himself in New New York City. Cuban music is the most commonly known expression of culture. Fry, a New York City slacker and pizza delivery man, who is cryogenically frozen by accident on New Year's Eve, 1999. Borders book stores carry 1,991 titles on Cuba in stock.

The series begins with Philip J. Amazon.com (directed by Jeff Bezos who was raised by a Cuban family) currently lists 6,026 titles dealing with Cuba; Barnesandnoble.com lists 3,126. Zoidberg, and various other characters) announced in a post to the message board of his official website that the Futurama team would be producing four new, direct-to-DVD movies beginning in the July or August 2006. Authors both pro- and against the present Cuban government present their views in the US. On January 19th, 2006, Billy West (the voice actor who plays Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. A good number of U.S university presses continually present scholarly volumes on various Cuban topics. It is currently rerun on the Adult Swim scheduling segment of Cartoon Network in the United States, on Teletoon in Canada, on Channel 4, Sky One and Sky Two in the UK, and on Fox8 and Network Ten in Australia. In Miami Cuban-American publishing houses are full of independent uncensored literature.

Set in "New New York City" in the 31st century, it was introduced on the Fox Network and received airplay between March 28, 1999 and August 10, 2003. The Castro government lavishly funds its Cuban booths at bookfairs in Latin America. Cohen (also a writer for The Simpsons). Cuban authors continue to produce large amounts of government supported printed and electronic work inside the Island. Futurama is an American animated television series created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. These repressive actions of the Cuban government have drawn much international condemnation e.g Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 author. Futurama season 5 details. Despite continual state repression, literature is very much alive in Cuba.

Futurama season 4 details. It has produced more than its fair share of literature, including the output of non-Cuban Ernest Hemingway. Futurama season 3 details. Cuban culture is much influenced by the fact that it is a melting pot of cultures, mostly from Spain and Africa. Futurama season 2 details. Now it is increasing again although at a far slower rate than before [21]. Futurama season 1 details. This led to another unregulated exodus of asylum seekers to the United States in 1994, which was slowed to a trickle of a few thousand a year by the U.S.-Cuban accords.

When they exit, Bender is in the car with them and says, "All right! You guys are my new best friends!" Homer then says, "You wish, loser!" and throws him out of the back of the hovercar, breaking him. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 dealt Cuba a giant economic blow. During this sequence, Homer and Bart drive through a "tunnel" where they shift dimensions temporarily. Eventually the United States stopped the flow of vessels and Cuba ended the uncontrolled exodus. "Future-Drama": Bart and Lisa Simpson explore their teenage years with the help of Professor Frink. Under the Mariel boatlift, over 125,000 Cubans migrated to the United States. He then signs Bender dolls and draws a sketch of Fry for Bart's friend Milhouse. In response to this, Castro allowed anyone who desired to leave the country to do so through the port of Mariel.

"My Big Fat Geek Wedding": Matt Groening appears as himself (animated) and was introduced at a convention as the creator of the hit show Futurama. In April 1980, over 10,000 Cubans stormed the Peruvian embassy in Havana seeking political asylum. The Third Grade": Bender appears in one of Bart Simpson's dreams. [20]. Lisa vs. and Latin America [18], [19]. "Bart vs. It is believed by some[15] [16] although disputed by others [17], that the Cuban government, now allied with its Venezuelan counterpart, continues "destabilization" activities efforts supporting radical and violent Marxist groups in the U.S.

"Fraudcast News": a person jumps off a cliff, screaming "Why did they cancel Futurama?". Cuba [12] and the US have also engaged in continuing acts of espionage against one another [13], [14]. "Missionary: Impossible": Bender can be seen answering calls on FOX during a fundraising telethon. [10] [11]. She is shallow, ditzy, and prone to overusing 31st century slang. The United States has also supported anti-Castro terrorist groups in their attacks against Cuba. Amy Wong (Lauren Tom) - Amy is an intern at Planet Express and heir to half of Mars, constantly pestered by her parents about their lack of grandchildren. In a 1976 notorious terrorist attack on Cubana Flight 455 in which 73 died was allegedly masterminded by CIA funded Castro opponents operating from Venezuela.

Although a self-proclaimed expert on humans, he constantly provides incompetent medical care and mistakes Fry for a woman when they first meet. Castro and the US duel in Cold War actions. Zoidberg (Billy West) - Zoidberg is a lobster-like alien from Decapod 10 and the staff doctor of Planet Express. After this, the United States never openly threatened Cuba again, but was said to engage in absurdly elaborate covert activities to assassinate Castro, namely The Cuban Project. John Zoidberg a.k.a. Within Cuba, Che is held as a hero of the socialist movement, but only since the mid 1980s, when the launch of the 'Era of Rectification' saw his ideas being re-asserted as Cuba distanced itself from Gorbachev's USSR. Dr. Che Guevara is known to have led the Cubans in the rebellion in the DRC, formerly known as Zaire.

Much of the show revolves around Fry's attempts to adapt to the 31st century and his interaction with his friends, the rest of the staff of Planet Express. president John F. He seeks out his closest living relative, Professor Farnsworth, who employs Fry as a delivery boy at Planet Express. backed Cuban expatriates failed because U.S. Fry (voiced by Billy West) - Fry is a pizza delivery boy, cryogenically frozen at the beginning of the New Year, 2000 and revived just in time to usher in the year 3000. The Bay of Pigs invasion of April 1961 by U.S. Fry a.k.a. For more on these issues see the Economy section below.

Philip J. embargo and other measures, such as prosecuting US citizens who vacation in Cuba. Since Castro came to power, the United States has since progressively enacted legislation intended to isolate Cuba economically via the U.S. at Bejucal and Bahia Honda), and the Chinese government still maintains a large electronic surveilance presence especially at a base in Havana Province. The USSR long after the Missile Crisis had bases in Cuba (e.g.