Watch CBS News

Andy On 'Interesting Junk'

This segment was originally broadcast on Dec. 10, 2006.

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



I don't mean to be unfriendly but, I don't know what possesses people to send me things but I get a ton of stuff in the mail. Most of it is junk but some of it is interesting junk.

I made the mistake of saying that about the only medicine I take is an occasional Tum and someone sent me a lifetime supply of Tums. I've estimated that there are about 2,200 Tums. If I take two a week, these would last me 1,100 weeks which is about 21 years.

I also got a "professional quality kazoo." I wouldn't want an amateur-quality kazoo.

I had one when I was a kid but a kazoo must be near the bottom of the list of musical instruments, below the harmonica certainly and just above the Jew's harp.

I get a lot of books from people looking for a plug. I've never plugged a book yet but that doesn't seem to discourage anyone.

A man named Bruce Bowman sent me a book he wrote called "Exposed." I guess it's a good book but he actually sent me a box with 20 copies of it. What am I supposed to do with 20 copies of a book like this that I don't want one of?

He probably chose the best-looking picture of himself for the cover - he isn't really this good-looking.

People are always painting pictures of me. If I thought I looked like most of them, I'd get into some other line of work where my face didn't show.

This was sort of a surprise: an irreligious T-shirt. Sent by an atheist I suppose. I don't know how many atheists there are in this country.

I also got a piece of gold sent to me by a man in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. It's one ounce of 14 karat gold. I'm not sure what a karat is but whatever it is I have to send this back or I'd get fired.

I think I know what I'm going to do with all these things people have sent me. I'm going to get them all together - put them in a big box, tie a ribbon around it - and throw the box away.
Written by Andy Rooney

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.