Calling All 'All Banians'

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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Most of us have a special affection for the city we grew up in. Even if we don't stay there, we end up liking it better than where we moved to.

I grew up in Albany, New York. We call ourselves "All banians". Not "Al-banians" like in the Country, Albania.

There's another city named "Albany" in Georgia. There are a lot of repetitions in city names in the United States. It must be confusing for the post office: Columbia South Carolina, Columbia, Missouri, Columbus, Georgia, Columbus, Ohio. There's a Lafayette Indiana and another in Louisiana. Portland, Maine, Portland Oregon. Rochester, New York, Rochester, Minnesota. Charleston, West Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina.

I was looking in my Atlas - a lot of our street names are repetitious and dull, you know - Main Street, Second Avenue, Park, Maple, Broadway. We have some great city names though. Cincinnati, Pocatello, Albuquerque, Oshkosh, Keokuk, Hoboken, Tallahassee, Chattanooga.

A lot of our cities are associated with just one thing. You know, Reno, divorce; Las Vegas, gambling; Detroit, cars; Washington, government; Green Bay, football.

One of the biggest surprises to me is Pittsburgh. I didn't know it's on an island, like New York City.

I like New York best too. It's a hard city to visit but a good city to live in. Something you probably don't know if you don't live in New York: you shop at a small grocery store around the corner from where you live. You don't get in a car and drive to a supermarket in the mall.

Downtown has gone out of style in a lot of American cities. It's moved to the outskirts of town.

I've been to Des Moines, Iowa several times. I don't know why they put "Des" in front of "Moines". They call it "DE MOINES". "Moines" means "monks" in French.

A lot of interesting city names begin with T. Tacoma, Tucson, Tulsa, Tuscaloosa, Terre Haute, Toledo, Topeka.

I only like to go to cities I've been to before so I'll probably never get to Fargo, North Dakota.
By Andy Rooney

[jfulton45]

Andy, I have been watching you on 60 Minutes for a very long time. This past Sunday you spoke about a subject that I know very well, names of cities in more than one state. There are over 14,000 different names of cities,state,counties, and townships in the United States. Over 4,000 of them have duplicate names in two or more states. Take some of your co workers for instance: Bradley - Arkansas, Florida,Illinois, Maine, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia; Cooper - Maine, Missouri, Texas, and Florida; Logan - Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois,Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia.

I was so interested in the use of duplicated names that I invented a game based on this idea. I have a copyright for the game, but I have not been able to get it manufactured. It's a good fun game to test a person's knowledge of places in the United States.

Keep up the good information.

[zchickz]

Wait a minute. Wait 60 of 'em if you want.

You will be no less incredulous.

Pittsburgh is an island?

According to Andy Rooney, it is. The veteran "60 Minutes" commentator asserted just that Sunday, while making observations about various American cities.

"One of the biggest surprises to me is Pittsburgh," Rooney mused as a shot of the Golden Triangle appeared on screen. "I didn't know it's on an island, like New York City."

The city undeniably sits at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers. The region unquestionably was waterlogged by Hurricane Ivan's remnants in 2004.

But suggesting Pittsburgh is an island?

The folks at "60 Minutes" are used to asking the tough questions.

Let's see if they can answer one: Does Rooney, 87, realize his gaffe?


Eric Heyl can be reached at [e-mail] or [phone].

[hermit22]

Hey, Mr. Rooney, Forget the movie Fargo, it was actually done in Brainerd, Minnesota....and was
too nasty to show to the kids.

If you go to Western North Dakota,a reliable source says, you can see 81 antelope in a herd, pheasants running in the yard, deer and fawn keeping their eye on you too,
buffalo up close, not to mention all the chickens and roosters and cows and oil well "horses". Also you can listen to the coyotes howl, watch the geese and ducks etc. fly north in spring, south in fall. Keep your space from the mountain lions so you will get back home safe.And don't forget the pelicans,hurrons....and all the birds where east meets west.Big horn sheep....fox,and don't aggrivate the neighbors.

[pawpwr1]

I was writing a paper for a college class while attending the better University to the North of Fargo when I heard Fargo, ND mentioned at the end of 60 minutes. Fargo is pretty historic considering it being smaller than many other cities in the U.S. We have had events such as 97' Flood/storm season, The Movie Fargo, many famous athletes, singers, and government officials. We also have some of the best law enforcement agencies with some unfortunate but important cases involving Jeana North, Dennis Gaede, and a murder trial involving Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. So Mr. Rooney, please come visit our wonderful All American City. I would be happy to be your personal tour guide.

[trueprogress]

I have a feeling that Andy will retire soon after the election. If so....Why not open this sement to "other voices" - perhaps Rush and Dennis Prager, to give gravitas to the time now used for fluffy, silly tired Andy stuff.

[sawfingers]

I knew Pittsburgh was not on an island, but so what? If I want to ensure my children receive accurate information, I certainly would not have them wholly rely on the information received on TV. I taught my children to consider information analytically.

Mr. Rooney's commentaries are a respite from the grim information we receive. He does not blather. Every commentary has a clear purpose statement and is supported exquisitely and talently. Sometimes I don't agree with him, but I respect his opinion.

I hope he never retires - appreciate him.

[ecmcrew]

Andrew,
Twice a year our Circadian rhythm is deliberately upset for no good rational reason. Our medication, bowel movements, sleeping and eating routines are all adversely affected by government decree. If you were to visit a farm in Fargo ND you would here roosters crow at daybreak regardless of where the hour hand is set on the clock. But, then, you%u2019re apt to forgo Fargo than visit. Perhaps I missed it but have you ever comment on the rationality of this ritual twice a year? Why don%u2019t we just ignore the clock and get up at first light, huh? BTW, Happy Halloween. Ciao time. Anibal Josi da Silva

[SC1089]

Blah, I didn't realize comments could be posted directly on this page. Immediately after I watched the segment I wrote CBS a detailed complaint explaining how Pittsburgh is not an island.

But yeah, on the South side of Pittsburgh is the Monongahela river, on the North side is the Allegheny river, they confluence at "The Point" making the Ohio river on the West side. On the East side however, there is nothing but land.

I could see how Andrew (I've heard he actually prefers to be called Andrew) could be confused looking at Pittsburgh from the West End, but I expect better from Investigative Journalists.

[rexannamk]

Tina, Andy Rooney said, "...I don%u2019t know why they put "Des" in front of "Moines". They call it "DE MOINES". "Moines" means "monks" in French." "Moines" is plural. "Des" is a French preposition, a combination of "de" and "les," or "of" and "the." Therefore, "Des Moines" means "Of the Monks." Andy was really wondering why people pronounce it as "De Moines," which is grammatically incorrect, when it should be pronounced as "Des Moines," which is correct. I suspect the majority of the citizen of Des Moines do not speak or read French and are unaware of Des Moines history.

[monk-y]

What on earth? This guy is a professional? Being a twenty-something, I don't know what Rooney did in the past, but I find it hard to believe that this piece of child-like (or senile) blabbering made it past the show's editors. Two questions: What were they thinking? and Can I get paid for rambling incoherently (and inaccurately)?