Thu Jul 30, 2009

On Today's Show: www.crntalk.com

Allen Wastler -Managing Editor CNBC.com

Allen Wastler is the Managing Editor of CNBC.com and the author of the CNBC.com blog, Two Way Street With Allen Wastler. He is responsible for all editorial content for CNBC.com—with bureaus in Europe, Asia and the US. Prior to joining CNBC.com, Wastler was Managing Editor of CNNMoney.com, a joint venture between CNN and Time Inc, where he was responsible for all editorial and content production. Before his tenure as Managing Editor at CNNMoney.com, Wastler was the Managing Editor of CNNfn.com where he headed all editorial operations for the site. Wastler was also a regular commentator on CNN’s weekend business shows and frequently appeared on CNN networks to comment on breaking business news. From 1989-1997, Wastler held various positions at The Journal of Commerce, a Knight-Ridder newspaper that was sold to the Economist Group during his tenure there. His positions included News Editor for Trade and Transportation as well as West Coast Bureau Chief where he oversaw coverage of West Coast trade and transportation developments. Wastler has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor's degree in journalism writing from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
blog: "CNBC Two Way Street with Allen Wastler
• An update on the current earnings season - which is one of the most important in years. The news has been more positive than expected and Allen can discuss what this means for investors and the economy as a whole.
• GM is out of bankruptcy, Ford posted better than expected earnings - is the worst behind us? Allen can address what might be next for the automotive industry.
• Allen can explain the key things that investors should know about President Obama’s proposed financial regulatory reform.

Rick Harrison - The “King of Pawning” and One of History’s “Pawn Stars”
Offers a Glimpse Into the World of Pawn, Its History and Its Relevance Today
Pawnbroking can be traced back at least 3,000 years to ancient China, and has been found in the earliest written histories of Greek and Roman civilizations. In fact, Queen Isabella of Spain pawned the crown jewels to finance Columbus' voyage to America. It’s one of the oldest forms of banking, and until the 1950s, it was the leading form of consumer credit in the U.S. When hard times hit and financial institutions are not as willing to lend, the popularity of pawnshops traditionally rises, especially for small sums of money. Enter Rick Harrison a member of the only family-run pawnshop in Las Vegas, where three generations of men from the Harrison family – grandfather, father and son – run the business together. This family lives and breaths the pawn business. Using their sharp-eyed skills they carefully assess the value of items their colorful customers bring in -- ranging from the obscure to the truly historic. Everything and everyone has a story and it’s Rick’s job to decipher fact from fiction, because in the pawn business the customer isn’t always right. And in Las Vegas, the stories are as colorful as they get. From a 15th century samurai sword to a Picasso painting, there isn’t much Rick hasn’t seen or heard, inevitably making him an expert in rare collectables. First he must carefully appraise the worth of each item, determine if it's real or fake and then reveal the often surprising answer to "What's it worth?"

Steve Schirripa "Face The Ace" Host - Premieres Aug 1 at 9 PM PT/ET NBC
Steve Schirripa is the host of NBC’s exciting new reality poker game show, “Face the Ace,” where amateurs play against world-class poker players in a heads-up, no limit hold’em poker for a chance to win $1 million. Schirripa was born in Brooklyn, NY - a city noted more for the “mob” stereotype. But stereotypes, like a wise guy’s alibi, can be misleading. A series regular on David Chase’s acclaimed HBO drama “The Sopranos”, the Brooklyn College graduate’s acting odyssey began while working at a hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Once the entertainment director of The Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Schirripa worked with such comedians as Drew Carey, Kevin Pollack and Bruce Baum. His cameo roles in their comedy specials led to episodic work on the big and small screen, with Schirripa continually appearing in more productions. Over the past few years, Schirripa has guest starred on “Ugly Betty,” “Joey,” “Enterprise,” “Law & Order,” “My Wife and Kids,” “Ed,” “The George Lopez Show” and “The King of Queens.” As a regular popular guest on the talk show circuit, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” approached Schirripa to be a special correspondent; to date he has appeared on the show over a dozen times. He is also a correspondent for “The Today Show,” and a regular film critic on “The Showbiz Show.” Schirripa has been a guest on the following shows; “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Good Morning America,” “The View,” “Good Day Live,” “Fox and Friends,” “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” “Last Call with Carson Daly,” “Jimmy Kimmel,” “The Late Late Show,” “Imus” and several other national and regional programs. He was also the host of Spike TV’s series “Casino Cinema.” Schirripa’s big screen credentials are as formidable as his portrayal of Bobby Bacala. He recently won best supporting actor in the New York Independent Film Festival for his role in “What Are The Odds,” and also stars in “Duane Hopwood,”which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Schirripa can be seen in the Newline feature film “High Roller.” He played memorable characters in “Monday Night Mayhem” with John Turturro, with David Spade in “Meet Joe Dirt” and with David Arquette in “See Spot Run.” Schirripa also appeared in “Detroit Rock City, Flintstones-Viva Rock Vegas”, Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” and Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” He recently lent his voice to Sony Pictures animated film “Open Season 2.” Schirripa will next star in “The Hungry Ghosts,” directed by his Sopranos’ cast mate Michael Imperioli. The film and Schrripa’s work has gotten much critical praise. Jason Guerrasio of Filmmaker Magazine says “The Hungry Ghost” is a “gripping...an impressive debut film that offers an uncompromising look at the complexities of life and the redemptive qualities we need to get through it…Steve Schirripa gives a remarkable performance.” Schirripa can also add published writer to his list of credits. The National Bestseller, A “Goomba’s Guide to Life” published by Clarkson Potter, is his first in a series of three Goomba guidebooks. This comical book co-written by Charles Fleming, includes chapters on growing up in Brooklyn, great Goomba’s in history, and goomba’s Do’s and Don’t. His second book “The Goomba’s Book of Love” and his third “The Goomba Diet” are currently in stores. With the popularity of the Goomba series, Schirripa was asked to write Goomba books for young adults, the first entitled “Nicky Duece: Welcome to the Family,” which was followed up by “Nicky Duece: Home for the Holidays.” Because of the book’s success, Nickelodeon optioned the NICKY book idea, and is currently in pre-production on transforming the book into a film. Schirripa is attached as an executive producer and actor to the project. Schirripa recently appeared as a guest judge on the 6th season of the hit NBC show “Last Comic Standing” and he is currently starring on the hit family series, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.”