Regarding Julie Kavner's Disappearance
Several weeks ago, the professional sycophant James Lipton managed to gather together the six principal voices/actors of The Simpsons on his Bravo show Inside the Actor's Studio. (I say six, but it should be seven: Phil Hartman, the comedic genius who contributed so much to The Simpsons in its heyday, was taken from us far too soon.) Despite Lipton's usual obsequiousness, it was a real treat to get to see everyone together in the flesh. However, as you may have noticed, Julie Kavner (the voice of Marge and her sisters, as well as Rhoda Morgenstern's little sister Brenda back in the day) disappeared about a third or so of the way through the show. Apparently, Kavner had asked to go to the restroom at an inopportune time for Lifton who, rather than letting her go easily, insisted that she first respond to his requests to "do" her characters. I'm not clear on how things went down, but, when Kavner finally got away to the restroom, she didn't come back. She was reportedly furious at Lipton.

Anyhow, that's why Kavner's there one minute and gone the next.