Quote of the Day (Andy Rooney, on Coffee Types)

“Someone sent us a box with five bags of assorted coffee flavors. They were almond, cinnamon, hazelnut, French vanilla and amaretto. If I want the taste of hazelnut, I’ll have a hazelnut. If I want coffee, I want coffee.”—Former 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney (1919-2011), Common Nonsense (2003)

Quote of the Day (Andy Rooney, on “The Strange Thing About Speaking”)

“The strange thing about speaking is that you only know for sure that you've made a point with an audience when you say something funny and they laugh. If you make what you hope is a good, serious point, there's no way for them to let you know.”—Pieces of My Mind, by Andy Rooney (1987)

Somehow, his listening audience found enough in Andy Rooney’s  short, on-air essays to want the longtime 60 Minutes mainstay around for more than three decades. It might have taken longer than the instant response the network curmudgeon craved, but eventually they certainly did let him know what they thought.

It’s hard to believe that, after so much time, the 92-year-old journalist has stepped down from his regular perch. He strikes me as the type who values short, unsentimental expression, so here it is: Thanks for the years of laughter, Andy.