Volume 2 Issue 20
February 28, 2003
Farewell, Neighbor
A tribute to Mr. Rodgers, where the hell is everyone, and State Farm won't cover your car if there's a nuclear war
So I've been doing this for about 3-4 months now, and while I often get compliments or some disagreements on things I write, I've never seen an outpouring of complaints like yesterday, when at least a half-dozen people wrote to complain that I had not given the passing of Fred Rogers enough coverage. Actually, I got as much as I could, since he passed away yesterday morning, and not all the papers had their obits and tributes ready yet. Today below you'll see more.
Personally, I grew up with Rogers like every other American since the early 1960's, in fact I remember having a cousin who worked for him in Pittsburgh send me a bunch of stuff from the show which was to me the time the neatest thing in the world (that and her husband worked for the Pittsburgh Penguins in some capacity, and I always liked looking at his Stanley Cup rings!). I think it's interesting that Rodgers show today was just as popular as it was 15, 20 or 30 years ago. Despite all the special effects of today, and all the cartoons or computer games, Mr. Rogers simple messages were an oasis of calmness and normality in a TV world that puffs itself up through special effects, contrived storylines, and a lack of consequences. He always said he got into TV because he hated it, and he wanted a place on the tube where kids could not feel overwhelmed, and could learn at the same time. PBS has announced it will continue to run the shows, and that is good news for future generations. Unlike the reruns of Charles Shultz's Peanuts, which are basically just there to make adults feel comfortable, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood will continue to be new to children over and over again, and continuing to spread positive messages, instead of filling kids minds with pointless dribble. Yes, Mr. Rogers has moved up to a better neighborhood, but hopefully his message and his ideas will live on for a long time. In these trying times, they are certainly needed more than ever. Farewell, neighbor.
So where the hell is everyone? Only me and the other new guy showed up for work today, even though I think the roads are the best they've been all week! I was thinking that since it was snowing they'd be messy, but someone told me everything was clear, and it was...see what happens when the road crews do their jobs? There's hope for DC in the snow yet! I guess everyone just wanted a 3-day weekend.
Fred Rogers 1928-2003: The tributes to Mr. Rogers today are numerous, and in almost every paper in the nation. I'll link to some of the more interesting articles below, then give you the links to the papers with the best packages, such as his hometown Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which has an entire special section today.
Of course, first, the old gray lady may be fading, but no one still does an obit like the New York Times -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/28/obituaries/28ROGE.html
The Post-Gazette's Obit -
http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/20030228rogersae1p1.asp
The Post-Gazette's front page -
http://www.post-gazette.com/images2/friday.pdf
Teresa Heinz, now John Kerry's husband, remembers her friend -
http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/20030228frheinz0228fnp7.asp
The Washington Post has a great appreciation, that includes a good story about Mr. Rogers meeting Koko the sign-language gorilla -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13688-2003Feb27.html
A smaller paper remembers him -
http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/southjersey/m022803d.h tm
Pittsburgh's editorial -
http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/20030228edrogers0228p1.asp
One thing that some have brought up is that Mr. Rogers was mostly responsible for the survival of public broadcasting -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13771-2003Feb27.html
Stomach Cancer has a very low survival rate -
http://www.post-gazette.com/healthscience/20030228cancerhealth1p1.asp
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a special section today, with tons of stories on Rogers life and his influence on America. It's available at http://www.post-gazette.com
After the war: Who will run Iraq? Let's hope its not Henry Kissinger...he may try to assassinate himself -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2079391/
And what is this de-nazification policy that the Administration keeps referring too? An interesting history lesson -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2079444/
That Other Country: There are rising fears that the Bush administration may accidentally end up in a nuclear war with North Korea -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13402-2003Feb27.html
Nick Kristof is very worried about this possibility -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/28/opinion/28KRIS.html
Look Who's Running for President: More details on Bob Graham, the latest contestant -
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/Graham_030 228.html
Bob's Diaries have come up again, as well as his tradition of working one of his constituents job a month. He once even played a dead body at a theatre -
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030228/4907674s.htm
And the Post actually got an interview, and confronts the whole family business thing. (Bob Graham is Don Graham's half-uncle.) -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13832-2003Feb27.html
Look Who's Running for President 2: President Bush's re-elect numbers have fallen below 50% in another poll -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/02/27/bush.poll/index.ht ml
Look Who's Running for President 3: The New Hampshire Democrats had a dinner last night at the tallest building in New Hampshire, the Manchester Holiday Inn. (One day I'll thrill you with my stories from New Hampshire...) Only Sharpton, Dean, and Liberman showed up. Liberman booed again, Sharpton gave a great speech, and Dean wowed them. The usual. -
http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_show.html?article=186 16
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/dean0228200 3.htm
http://www.ctnow.com/news/nationworld/hc-caucus0228.artfeb28.story
Look Who's Running for President - The Odds: Here's the latest from the oddsmakers -
http://www.americasline.com/pres.html
Look Who's Voting for President: Michigan is still trying to move it's primary up, and is trying to get the candidates to pledge they won't snub the state -
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/058/region/Presidential_cand idates_asked_:.shtml
Look Who's Voting for President 2: Maryland is thinking of joining the front-loaders -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14067-2003Feb27.html
Bad John Edwards Photo of the Day:
Oh fantastic, my damn supporters are so dumb they don't know which way to hold the sign...can't my advance people find anyone who's literate?
Don't Call Us. Of course, you won't be able to call anyone, but anyway...: If there's a nuclear war, State Farm will no longer cover your auto loss. Just so you know. This one has some great quotes -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5280828.htm
Would you want to know? Speaking of disasters...a scientist has suggested that if a killer asteroid was headed toward Earth that would destroy civilization, maybe the people shouldn't be told about it -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/02/28/asteriod.alert/inde x.html
And um...strange clouds are forming in the upper atmosphere. Why is this not concerning anyone?
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/nighshining clouds030228.html
AIDS in Africa: Where entire nations may one day "die out" -
http://www.spectator.co.uk/article.php3?table=old§ion=curren t&issue=2003-03-01&id=2832
A Victory for Freedom: A closed street near Independence Hall in Philadelphia will reopen in April -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5280753.htm
Have a great weekend! Maybe us DC folk will get a day or two without snow!
