1) AIG bonus rage.

From my friend Professor Herm who tied the rage to a very “rodent-like” New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo:

This AIG bonus debacle seems like a “staged” opportunity for Andrew Cuomo to generate headlines in advance of the 2010 gubernatorial race. No other explanation makes sense. Sure, the bonuses are outrageous, but so are the bonuses at Chase, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs & Morgan Stanley. They all received government protection in some form or another; but Cuomo hasn’t rubbed salt in their wounds. Why did he single out AIG? I think Cuomo borrowed a page from the Bill Clinton playbook. When asked by Dan Rather why he engaged in inappropriate relations with Monica Lewinsky, Clinton replied “I did it … because I could.” Oy vey!

I understand people are outraged, but … I don’t know. Maybe it’s because Papa Snob worked for a big defense contractor his whole career and understands how the executive game is played (even though he was a manager, not an exec., his bosses were the one’s livin’ the high life). I’ve been influenced by his attitude of, “What is the point in this? The government can’t bust in and break people’s contracts! I wonder how Rick Sanchez would feel if CNN broke his contract with him!“

Mind you, he was yelling at Rick Sanchez while Rick Sanchez was yelling about AIG bonuses and my father is very, very anti-Rick Sanchez.

Which brings us to …

(More after the jump.)

TJ gives The Snob a helping hand here with her “Ack! Not Rick Sanchez” problem. (Image from media blog Soup Cans)

2) Rick Sanchez talking about his “Twitter board.”

I’m on Twitter. When I first joined, I used it a lot more, but found myself gravitating back to Facebook, which I enjoy more because it’s like my other Web page away from The Snob blog. I simply didn’t think my life was interesting enough to warrant regular updates. That, and I’m lazy. I belong to a lot of social networking sites. Even Plurk, which I haven’t touched in ages. And even though sites like HelloTxt let me update everything at once, I still barely use the service.

Image from blog, Soup CansThat said, Rick Sanchez is killing Twitter for me. If I have to hear any more about his “Twitter King” status or how he’s the “Chief Twit” at CNN, I am going to personally drive to Atlanta and break his laptop. If I want personal opinions from people, I have Twitter, Facebook, Gawker, TV pundits, hacks, tons of other blogs and all of the internet to gorge on. I turn on the stupid CNN to get the stupid news! Report NEWS, dammit! Not “tweets!”

A matter of fact, I’m this close to starting a “News, Not Tweets” movement. With T-shirts and everything. I don’t know why CNN feels this need to cool hunt every hot new techie trend, hence forcing many other cable news networks to pretend to give a shit about said trend. The level of condensation towards Tweets on MSNBC and FOX News is borderline hostile wrapped in a terse grin of “They’re making me do this.”

Just stop with the Twitter! Just STOP!

That said, while I’m not always bemused by the histrionics of the folks at News Busters (or any of the more partisan news sites due to an overall lack of self-awareness and sense of humor), I do enjoy that they seem to have it out for Rick Sanchez. They largely think he’s some sort of “Manchurian Newscaster” for the other side. (If he is, I’d suggest that the Dems aim higher next time.) Rick really brings out the best in their unrepentant snarkiness as they made a buffet out of CNN’s Susan Roesgen calling Sanchez CNN’s “Chief Twit.”

Now CNN Newsroom anchor Rick Sanchez has an ego that’s almost as big as Barack Obama’s ears. He’s particularly proud of integrating social media such as Twitter and Facebook on his program. His CNN blog features entries modestly claiming “Who’s the TWITTER KING? C’mon…you have to ask?” and “But we know who started it (using social media) all, right?”

NewsBuster Ken Shepherd took note last month when CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen told Sanchez: “you’re CNN’s chief twit.” Sanchez thanked her for “the compliment” and then said, “Good Lord.”

I realize the Twitter must be doing SOMETHING for CNN, otherwise they wouldn’t be pimping it and Sanchez so hard. But I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like it and get it and I’m within the demo target CNN is going for with this stuff.

But then, I’m also a former print journalist, which probably means I’m archaic in my thinking (complaining about “young folks” when I qualify as a “young folk”) and that if it doesn’t get newsprint ink on your hands it’s probably not real news. I probably also own a rotary phone out of “irony” and all my Prince records are on vinyl. (And both those things happen to be kind of true.)

So, I’ll just be uncool and not get this whole alleged popularity of the man I lovingly call The Riggle Sanchez and his “tweets.” Maybe it’s me (considering CNN actually has Sanchez “wallpaper” for your computer, but none I can find of any of my CNN favs). It wouldn’t be the first time it was just me on something. I also hate Taye Diggs for no tangible reason. And Lil Wayne. And hot pickles. And Leggings worn instead of pants. And when people apologize on the behalf of other people, not out of kindness, but out of wanting to make the person who refuses to apologize look like a douche, making their apology on the behalf of the other’s lack of apology really all about the faux apologizer and their gigantic ego about 90 percent of the time.*

*And yes. I’m referring to Keith Olbermann every time he apologizes for Bill O’Reilly. Please. Your mocking of Bill is sometimes funny. The ratings pissing contests between you both gets a little tedious because I honestly don’t give a shit. But the apologizing? Please, stick with the sarcasm and comedy. If these people were the victims of R. Kelly pissing on them you would not be apologizing on the behalf of R. Kelly’s “little Kelly.” Because you aren’t boxing with Kelly over the 18-to-24.