On Andy Rooney

So what about Andy Rooney. Who is this guy anyway? Of course these questions wouldn't really matter to someone who doesn't watch 60 Minutes in the same way I don't really care about what you search for on Google.

But how do you get a job like his? And how much do you think he gets paid for his five minute slot. Now of course I know that it takes time to prepare for the weekly piece but really, how much time can it take? And if it takes as much time as I think it does, and he makes as much as I think he does, then he has to be one of the highest paid news people on television. Not that I begrudge him that. With those eyebrows and (almost) suits, he gets to comment about anything he wants.

I once though of developing a web site that dealt with things that nobody really cared about (toned down version of what I was really going to say) until my brother-in-law said something to the effect of, "Who cares what you really don't care about" Another innovative idea shot down in its infancy.

But really, who wouldn't want to be paid for talking about subjects like the mail he gets or how food is coming in smaller and smaller containers for the same price. Thank goodness he has his five minutes. I'm not sure if I could take an hour of it. Excluding commercials that would look like perhaps seven or eight vignettes. By the way, I really like the word vignette but don't often have the chance to use it.

He seems to be genuinely liked. When he is introduced by Lesley Stahl or one of the other "regular" news people, they always seem to have a smile on their face. Really doesn't matter what he is going to talk about. It's Andy's turn. Let him close out the show.

I'll bet that Andy is one of those people who is fortunate enough n their older years (don’t ya just hate that expression) to only do those things that he wants to. He may want to make some comments on the GMC affair or president Obama but I don't think people come into his office (more about that later) and tell him what to talk about. If anything he would do five minutes on how someone came into his office to tell him what to talk about. Nice going Andy. It's all grist for the mill.

I'm glad there are people like Andy around. And I'm glad that he can get paid for dong his thing and that people enjoy what he has to say.

But sometimes, the more I watch him the more I feel like I can finally know what a curmudgeon is or at least what one of them looks like.

What do you think?