Here's to you, Fred Rogers. I don't think you made it on to Pioneer 10, and that's too bad. In your own way, I think your helped remind us it isn't all about individual rights and precision-guided munitions. On the occasional lazy Saturday when I would kick back and join in hypnotic adventures to fascinating places like The Spoon Factory, I felt better about where I was...could almost be lulled into thinking that I was in Canada. Thanks, Fred.

That's awful! How sad. We'll miss you.

Perhaps we should spend some time listening to some great Mr. Rogers quotes in his honor.

There goes the neighborhood

I [censored] loved that man. When my family and I moved to America, I was about 5. That guy taught me everything. I basically learned english using (eating) alphabet cereal and watching Mr. Rogers.

what a loss.

god bless, truly a legend and a tv icon.

The freaky thing is, only last night, my girlfriend and I were joking around about the similarities between Mr. Rogers and Michael Jackson. Jackson certainly lives in the Land of Make-Believe...

I basically learned english using (eating) alphabet cereal and watching Mr. Rogers.

I listened to a lot of radio today, much of it eulogizing Fred....

I spent a bit of time of time with my beautiful, (but married!!) dental hygeinist, too (trying to use up my dental insurance before March layoffs!), and was interested to hear her ask "did I hear that Mister Rogers was a sniper in in Korea and that he wore long-sleeve shirts to hide some USMC tattoos?" Ah, urban legends. Don't they have legs?

Fred Rogers wasn't around in my childhood (think Captain Kangaroo and Mister Greenjeans instead...) but I slowly came to appreciate his unique, gentle person. Five percent odd and suitable for the occasional parody? Sure. Fine-tuned in to the psyche of children, though...and a guy who knew what he was up to -- comfortable in his own skin.

I definitely grew up with Sesame Street and Mr Rogers (not to forget 3-2-1 Contact and that other math show on PBS ). Frankly, I can't remember much from those shows, but I know I feel very comfortable when I see clips from them on TV. I definitely loved the characters, and my parents were always worried because my favorite Sesame Street character was Oscar

that other math show on PBS

Square One TV? That was really well past my time, but I enjoyed watching it anyway, especially the Mathnet segments. The other PBS/CTW show for me was The Electric Company. I remember once hearing an actor who had worked with Morgan Freeman tell him that he was sort of in awe of him, as he was one of the people that taught him to read, and then that Morgan was kinda weirded out by it; he didn't know if he was being made fun of, or if the guy was serious, which might have been weirder to him.

And speaking of 3-2-1 Contact, I wonder how many people realized that that band ``The Bloodhound Gang'' was named after that odd detective show that was the final segment of (I think) every episode of 3-2-1?

Square One! That's it! And yeah, the only thing I could remember about it was the math detectives segment. Ahhh, memories

I watched ABC Nightline last night and they re-aired an interview with Fred Rogers in August 2001 the day he taped the last Mr .Rogers show.
They started out the segment by waiting for him at the train he'd ride into town each day. The man was stopped about every ten feet and asked if he was Mr. Rogers and thanked by so many people for being there when they were a kid and teaching them so much. He was a truly unique person and the world will miss him...

They started out the segment by waiting for him at the train he'd ride into town each day.

The last commuter train ran in Pittsburgh in 1989. It's conceivable he took Amtrak in, but that seems unlikely. Was it a subway?

I'm curious, because he sort of was my neighbor. WQED was right next to my high school, and their building is owned by my employer. (Carnegie Mellon University) He was one of those people you saw around, sometimes. Very saddening to wake up to the report that he was gone; Someone had left flowers at the display in Pittsburgh International Airport which included some information and items from the show (in C wing, something that's been there a while welcoming travelers to Mister Rogers' neighborhood.

It's conceivable he took Amtrak in, but that seems unlikely. Was it a subway?

It wasn't an Amtrak train I know for sure. It was above ground, but that's what they said, they met him at his train.. I thought they said it was Washington DC, so maybe it was really shortly after the last show because they showed him at a PBS banquet as well in the intro part of the story.

Well, there are sections of our Metro above ground. I know it is in Old Town Alexandria, for instance, but that's sort of out of DC. I'm not sure what trains go in and out of the city. I've always been on Amtrak.

I guess not "immediately after" then.