Talking Squawk, the official "Squawk Box" blog, provides tidbits, insights and some sarcastic reflections on the WEEK THAT WAS and the WEEK TO COME from the notepad of the show's senior executive producer.
Cable connection
Comcast (yes, the mother ship around here at CNBC) went on a $45 billion shopping spree this week, agreeing to buy Time Warner Cable in an all-stock transaction. The purchase would increase Comcast's lead as the nation's largest cable provider. We're just happy that after the announcement, Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts made his first stop "Squawk Box."
CNBC @ the Olympics
We sent two of our best: "Squawk on the Street" anchor and Squawk brother Carl Quintanilla (Twitter @carlquintanilla) along with international superstar Michelle Caruso-Cabrera (Twitter @MCaruso_Cabrera) to cover the Olympics. Each story they found is worth another look, so check out the links below.
Starting, of course, with Carl's trip to vodka heaven and playing an Olympic-style drinking game.
Michelle learned the sport of curling and reported on U.S. snowboarder Shaun White's failure to fulfill his Olympic dream of a three-peat.
Carl also ate caviar-flavored potato chips, attempted a downhill ski run and talked about the spring-like Sochi weather.
We like Bob
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., is one of our favorite lawmakers, and it has nothing to do with politics. We just love how he plays ball with us when we goof off on air.
I'm sorry …
The CEO of AOL really stepped in it. But does Tim Armstrong's apology hold water? And should he have apologized in the first place? We kicked the story around this week, and believe me, there was a lot to kick.
Market master
Tom Lee of JPMorgan is the best for two reasons. No 1., he's been right; No. 2., he's very humble about it. So when he comes on Squawk and tells us that the buyers' strike is over and the markets are ready to rally, we tend to humbly believe him.
Higher learning
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., explains why the lack of access to higher education holds many people back. The problem is that we have a dated model, which may be good for some students but not for everyone.
'Dumb Starbucks'
When does parody go too far? I guess the lawyers at Starbucks will have to decide. Sure enough, the day after we ran this story, city health inspectors magically showed up. It gets even weirder. It turns out the whole thing was a publicity stunt by Comedy Central comedian Nathan Fielder.
- Earnings on tap
- Monday: No major earnings reports, as the markets are closed for President's Day
- Tuesday: Coca-Cola, Duke Energy, Fluor, Medtronic, Waste Management, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Wolverine Worldwide
- Wednesday: Carlyle Group, Devon Energy, Marriott International, Williams Cos.
- Thursday: DirecTV, Hewlett-Packard, Groupon, Intuit, PriceLine, Wal-Mart, WebMD, World Wrestling
- Friday: Boise Cascade, Donaldson
Tweets of note
CNBC's Seema Mody (Twitter: @SeemaCNBC) wrote:
Click that photo, and yes—that's Squawk co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin sitting next to Dr Oz. Here's more for those who want to learn the art of meditation.
Fashion Week
Bud Konheim, co-founder of Nicole Miller, stopped by the set this week to give us his take on the business of branding and the state of the luxury retail market. He was a ton of fun and came dressed in a Sorkin-styled sweater! Konheim also made some controversial comments about how the .
Word Jumble
After a long hiatus, the battle is back-on. Joe edged out fellow co-host Becky Quick 2 to 1 in their eight-year Jumble grudge match. Here's Joe's bonus word of the week: KNIEUJ. And here's Becky's word: EEEWEP. Find the answers at the end of the blog.
Mark your calendar (or set your DVR)
- Monday: No "Squawk Box" because the markets are closed for President's Day
- Tuesday: Rep Paul Ryan, R-Wis. (guest host!) and Dr. Doom Marc Farber
- Wednesday: Investor Dennis Gartman and Kenneth Feld, CEO of the Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey Circus
- Friday: Barry Knapp of Barclays and Michael Ryan of UBS
Next week's economic calendar
- Monday: No reports because most government officer are closed for President's Day
- Tuesday: Empire State Manufacturing Index
- Wednesday: Housing Starts and Producer Price Index
- Thursday: Consumer Price Index and Weekly Jobless Claims,
- Friday: Existing Home Sales
The Corny-Sappy Motivational Business-Based Inspirational Quote
"To succeed in business, to reach the top, an individual must know all it is possible to know about that business."
—J. Paul Getty
—By CNBC's Matthew Quayle. Follow him on Twitter @matthew_quayle.
*Joe's Jumble bonus word answer: KNIEUJ = Junkie
*Becky's jumble bonus word answer: EEEWEP = Peewee