The Playbook

Sometimes I model. (Circa November 2011)

todaystie:

Here are some interesting facts about him, though:

• He basically saved public television. In 1969 the government wanted to cut public television funds. Mister Rogers then went to Washington where he gave an amazing merely six minute speech. By the end of the speech not only did he charm the hostile Senators, he got them to double the budget they would have initially cut down. The whole thing can be found on youtube, a video called “Mister Rogers defending PBS to the US Senate.”

• “Certain fundamentalist preachers hated him because, apparently not getting the “kindest man who ever lived” memo, they would ask him to denounce homosexuals. Mr. Rogers’s response? He’d pat the target on the shoulder and say, “God loves you just as you are.” Rogers even belonged to a “More Light” congregation in Pittsburgh, a part of the Presbyterian Church dedicated to welcoming LGBT persons to full participation in the church.”

• According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town. Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”

• Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec’s house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host). On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver’s home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life—the house supposedly lit up when Rogers arrived, and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night. Further, like with the reporters, Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life.

Man I loved Mister Rogers when I was a kid.  Reading this may have boosted him up a notch in my book.

humansofnewyork:

My name is Brandon Stanton and I’m a photographer in New York City. As many of you already know, several months ago I was approached by the fashion label DKNY, who offered me $15,000 to purchase 300 of my photographs. I politely refused the offer. But earlier this week, one of my fans discovered that DKNY was using my photographs anyway— in Asia. (Full Story:http://thebea.st/13ijYt6) 

As atonement for this infringement, I publicly requested that DKNY donate $100,000 in my name to the YMCA in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, so that underprivileged children could attend summer camp. DKNY responded on Monday with a $25,000 donation.

Over the next three days, my audience stepped in and raised the full $100,000 themselves. Over 3,000 people chipped in, and raised an astonishing $103,710 in 72 hours. (http://bit.ly/YTy4h3)

I have no interest in vilifying DKNY. It is a company composed of thousands of good people. The founder, Donna Karan, is highly respected around the world for both her creativity and philanthropy. 

But I would appreciate if you would REBLOG this post, and lend your voice to my request that DKNY raise their donation to match the $103,710 that we raised. 

Together, we could create a $208,000 investment in the lives of children in one of New York’s most vital and diverse neighborhoods. Thank you so much.

Do it for the greater good.