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Squawking with 'Walking Dead' Daryl (sans crossbow)

What a week! Highlights include Daryl from "The Walking Dead," Jack Welch, Jim Chanos, T. Boone Pickens, Sam Zell, and yachts versus 11-foot kayaks. This is Talking Squawk, the official "Squawk Box" blog, providing 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.

Jack Welch
Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Welch way

Jack Welch is our favorite guest of ALL-TIME.

Nobody tells it to us like Jack, and he's been coming on this show for as long as it has been in existence. (BTW, we're in year 18!)

He told it to us "Straight from the Gut" back then, and he's still teaching us his "Winning" ways to this day. (Jack, do I get extra points for creative writing links?)

So you want the unedited, hit-you-over-the-head answer to what he thinks about the government shutdown and how to fix it?

He told "Squawk Box" on Friday that the resident has become too powerful relative to Congress, and the Republicans are the worst marketers of their ideas.

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in "The Walking Dead."
Source: The Walking Dead | AMC

"Talking Squawk" Dead?

OK, follow me here.

There's a show about the show "The Walking Dead" on AMC called "Talking Dead." On "Talking Dead," they sit around and talk about what happened on "The Walking Dead" that week. We find that a little odd. The reason for our skepticism is that CNBC has a blog called "Talking Squawk." This "Talking Squawk" blog strangely enough talks about what happened on the show called "Squawk Box."

"Talking Squawk" … "Talking Dead" … Hey! They must have copied us!!! (SPOILER ALERT: Not true, not true).

Zombie talk: 'Walking Dead' season 4
VIDEO8:4908:49
Zombie talk: 'Walking Dead' season 4

If we had figured this out in advance, we would never have invited AMC Networks President Charles Collier or the guy who plays the "Walking Dead" zombie-killing, crossbow-wielding Daryl Dixon (real name, Norman Reedus @wwwbigbaldhead) to talk about this Sunday's big Season 4 premiere! Watch video of their interview.

I can't believe they sneaked that past us! But I will say right here and now, our interview was a hard-hitting piece of journalism full of critiques on how to make the show better. (We love you Daryl!)

Mr. Shorty

He's one of the world's most famous short sellers. Unlike the traditional approach to investing, Jim Chanos makes most of his money (a fortune BTW) by figuring out what's not working. One company he still thinks isn't working very well is Hewlett-Packard, which he's been short since the 2012 CNBC-Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha Conference.

Chanos also gave us his take on the government shutdown and possible ways we can get out of this mess. But he said the signals from the stock market provide hope.

Doomsday scenario

Want a doomsday scenario on this whole government shutdown? Jes Staley of Blue Mountain Capital said its simple: Default on our debt and the impact will be felt around the world like the cloud of dust that killed the dinosaurs after the giant asteroid hit.

Look Ma, no hands! GM's self-driving car
VIDEO2:5102:51
Look Ma, no hands! GM's self-driving car

Look Ma', no hands

We love @lebeaucarnews (yep, that's our Phil LeBeau's Twitter handle). And we trust his judgment when it comes to cars. But Phil, do you really think no-hands driving is a good idea? Watch the video.

Gellin' with Yellen

It looks like come 2014, we'll be "Gellin' with Yellen." It was the worst-kept secret. We even got those nerdy economists signing that letter and giving us the "JA-NET YELL-EN!" March on Washington cheer! But we don't anticipate that Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) will be "Gellin with Yellen" anytime soon. Read and watch his interview here.

T. Boone Pickens
Adam Jeffery | CNBC

T. Boone math

Word problem time! Four, minus two, minus one equals ... T. Boone Pickens's answer to how he was knocked off the Forbes billionaire list. He had $4 billion. He lost $2 billion on bad bets. He gave $1 billion away to charity and his beloved Oklahoma State University. That leaves him with just about $1 billion.

So how's he going to get the money back? Think Peter Lynch: Invest in what you know. And Pickens knows energy. Here's his take on the Keystone XL pipeline and how it would make OPEC obsolete.

Squawkward moment

Andrew Ross Sorkin to Dominic Chu: "You made it through your first hit on this show. You are no longer a 'Squawk' virgin."

Dominic: "Umm, great ... Thanks."

Introducing the new $100 bill
VIDEO0:3500:35
Introducing the new $100 bill

The new $105 bill?

Would you pay $105 for a new edition of the $100 bill just to have it before anyone else? How about paying $3 for a $2 bill? Or maybe you would pay $2 for a Susan B. Anthony dollar? They say value is in the eye of the beholder. These deep thoughts are courtesy of Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew in this week's Executive Edge.

Sam Zell

He's a motorcycle-riding real estate billionaire and he's never been found at a loss for words. Sam Zell spent two hours on the "Squawk Box" set this week. Check out his argument on why Washington is so broken and why the tea party is not crazy.

Politics aside, Zell is very interested in improving the country's education system. See how he ties the failure of urban school systems to a thesis for buying and selling real estate.

And watch this video on why he thinks half of America thinks Obamacare "sucks."

Live Mas Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme

Yum Brands missed the mark with its latest earnings report. This seems impossible to us on "Squawk Box" because it owns Taco Bell. These are the guys who actually created a multithousand-calorie salad and the "Fiery Doritos Locos Taco." Joe was relieved to find out the problem was with KFC, not with our beloved Taco Bell.

Megayacht Musashi
Source: Feadship

When size does matter

Wealth Reporter Robert Frank (follow him at @RobTFrank) has a cool job. He's gets to play with the toys of the super-rich. We're talking 400- to 500-foot yachts with movie theaters. Check out his report: My mega-yacht's bigger than yours.

We're talking serious toys—not like my Old Town Loon Kayak.

(But who said size matters anyway?!)

Earnings on tap

Apple's shock-proof iPad?

AllThingsD reports that Apple will hold a fall iPad event Oct. 22. Among the highlights, the fifth- generation iPad is expected to feature a thinner, lighter design and an improved camera. It's to run Apple's new 64-bit, A7 chip and will likely sport the fingerprint sensor featured in the iPhone 5s.

Sounds cool—but where's the idiot-proof, shock-proof system that would prevent damage from Dads who run over theirs with a minivan?

(I'd like to meet the moron who did that.)

Tweets of note

@DougKass tweeted on Wednesday: On RealMoneyPro/TheStreet this morning: "My Summer Twitter Vacation is Officially Over."

(Did anybody really think he would be gone long?)

Hair Nation (courtesy of Director @pauldefabo and Technical Director @keith_falcone)

When we get bored in the control room, we place Joe's head in places where it should not be.

For example, over the face of an energy tycoon known for pushing wind power, natural gas and Oklahoma State football.

Must follow them @ ...

OK, last time we tried to win some Twitter love with the AWESOME CNBC reporter team. But apparently I didn't say AWESOME loud enough!

All right, @TheDomino, @lebeaucarnews, @EYoonCNBC, and @Sharon_Epperson are excused from this exercise because they responded appropriately. They followed, they re-tweeted. AWESOME job!

Others fine reporters like @EamonJavers, @KaylaTausche, @seemaCNBC, @JackieDeAngelis, @JBoorstin, @ScottCohnCNBC, and @JaneWells get a pass. They have been loyal followers of mine and the show, and I'm sure they were just very busy and "accidentally" missed their chance to retweet our blog link.

But Mary Thompson!? @MThompsonCNBC, how long have we known each other? Didn't I fight for you to get that new 24-inch Sony flat-screen TV on your desk? That was me!

@BobPisani, the years of sharing, heart to heart, about our rock concert experiences that would prevent us from ever being president one day.

@RobTFrank, OK, I'm not the "super-rich" and I don't have a 500-foot yacht, but geez at least I own a kayak. (See super-rich report above!)

@CourtReagan, you see me in the gym all the time, in my workout clothes, sweating. (Gross, maybe you should get a pass too!)

@JonFortt, is this any way to start your new life here in New Jersey?

@CNBCJosh, aren't you the new guy?

@KateKellyCNBC, I'm hurt. I'm just plain hurt (but I put up a brave, steely front).

@JohnJHarwood, yes, I blew it on the Rick Perry opportunity. I wasn't thinking. But I have a 2-year-old. Anyone can have a brain freeze.

(I don't know if you all fully appreciate the opportunity here. I mean think about it, tens of dozens of people read this blog every week! OK, maybe some of those dozens are my Mom re-reading it, but still!)

Overheard on the set

Anchor 1: "I got in early so I could appear on 'Way Too Early with Brian Shactman.' Threw off my whole shower routine."

Anchor 2: "Meaning you didn't shower?"

"Squawk Box" co-hosts Joe Kernen and Becky Quick keep a handwritten record of their daily Word Jumble standings going back years.
Matthew J. Belvedere | CNBC

Word Jumble

Joe and Becky love to play the word jumble in the paper—seven years running, and Becky has the weekly handwritten scores to prove it! This week, Becky is on a roll with three wins to Joe's one.

*Joe's bonus Jumbled word of the week: BYCBAR

*Becky's bonus jumbled word of the week: PRAPEN

*Answers at the end

Set yours DVRs (and I mean REALLY set the DVR's! Check out this line-up!)

  • Monday: "Rise Above" special with Erskine Bowles, Mark Bertolini (Aetna CEO) and Dick Parsons (former Time Warner CEO and Citigroup chairman)
  • Tuesday: Leon Cooperman (Omega Advisors) and David Tepper (Appaloosa)
  • Wednesday: The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett
  • Thursday: "Squawk Box" goes to Washington for Debt Ceiling Deadline Day!
  • Friday: Jim Nussle (former OMB Director)

Next week's economic calendar (This was pre-government shutdown. God only knows when we'll see most of this data for real?!)

  • Tuesday: Empire Manufacturing (Oct) at 8:30 a.m. ET
  • Wednesday: CPI and Core CPI (Sep) at 8:30 a.m. ET
  • Thursday: Weekly Jobless Claims at 8:30 a.m. ET; Housing Starts/Building Permits (Sep) at 8:30 a.m. ET; Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization (Sep) at 9:15 a.m. ET.
  • Friday: LEI (Sep) at 10 a.m. ET

The "Corny-Sappy Motivational Business-Based Inspirational Quote"

"You don't need to be a rocket scientist. Investing is not a game where the guy with the 160 IQ beats the guy with 130 IQ."
—Warren Buffet

(130? Ugh. Well maybe not, but finally a quote that gives me some hope!)

—By CNBC's Matthew Quayle. Follow him on Twitter @matthew_quayle.

*Joe's Jumble bonus word answer: BYCBAR=crabby

*Becky's Jumble bonus word answer: PRAPEN=napper