Let's Hear It For The Unsung Heroes

Do you have people in your office who do a great deal of valuable work and get very little credit for it? And I don't necessarily mean that they're unappreciated by their bosses and co-workers, although that can happen.

The thought first crystallized for me during a vacation last year. My wife and I go on a cruise each January, and when people hear that I work at CNBC, they often have comments or questions about the anchors or the programming. We met a lovely couple whom I'll call Bob and Gail, since those are, in fact, their names. One of Bob's first comments was that "whoever plays those sound effects during Squawk Box is great!".

If you watch Squawk Box on CNBC, you know what Bob meant. From flushing toilets to game show buzzers to clips from "Seinfeld" - if it's appropriate to the situation, it appears instantly, as if out of nowhere.

This doesn't happen by magic. We have an amazing audio technician named John who, as someone on the show commented, "must have 14 hands". He sits in a room by himself, just off the control room, and does a very difficult job very well for three consecutive hours. And no one in the viewing audience knows about him.

Well, at least one does. I told Bob all about John, and e-mailed John a note to tell him he had a big fan. And when I got back to work the following week, John sought me out to tell me how much he appreciated hearing that.

I suppose this situation is more pronounced in the TV business, because - after all - you only see the people who are on the air. What they do isn't easy by any means. But it also takes a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes to make it work.

Squawk Box is a good and unique show largely because of its terrific anchors, Becky Quick, Joe Kernen, and Carl Quintanilla.

But many of the memorable moments come right from people like John, who are as creative and important in their own way as the people you actually get to see.

Let's hear it for the unsung heroes!

Breaking News: I Have The Internet, Too

I spend my workday at CNBC searching for (and dealing with) breaking news. We've even titled the desk where I sit the "Breaking News Desk", so you know we take it quite seriously. Bottom line: I know breaking news when I see it.

Or at least, I thought I did.

Apparently, there's a story I missed: only a few select people have access to the internet. They're the only ones who see all those wonderfully funny jokes that circulate around the world. They're the only ones who have seen those hilarious videos of cats driving cars, science experiments gone horribly awry, and of buses crashing through windows. And they get first crack at those wonderful e-mails which, if you forward to enough people, will bring peace, harmony, and a few million dollars to the recipients.

OK, I'm being sarcastic here.

We all know people who take everything they find remotely interesting on the internet and forward it to EVERYONE they know. And not just occasionally. They also love the mathematical marvel that we all know as the internet chain letter, usually topped with a plea to "send to everyone you know!".

To these people I have but one question: "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?????"

I get enough spam in my e-mail box. I don't want yours.

If you send me a chain letter, I will take one and only one action: hit the delete key. I really don't need the practice as I'm pretty good with that key, but if you insist on making me hit it, I will. If you say "please don't break the chain!", I'll think "then you shouldn't have sent this to me!".

If I receive any e-mail with more than one "FWD:" in the subject line, chances are it's going in the trash, unread.

If I get an e-mail with a few hundred recipients that's NOT an invitation to a party, it's going "poof"!

If you send me an e-mail that says "hilarious viewing", I guess you'll have to remain among the exclusive club of internet reviewers. I'm not viewing. I'm deleting.

I'm a very easygoing guy. Just ask anyone that knows me. But this kind of behavior makes my blood boil. I can't even imagine why anyone would think that they're the official internet monitors and that everyone they know needs to see everything THEY think is slightly interesting.

I'm not saying I've never enjoyed jokes or videos that are available on the internet. But I'll find them and enjoy them on my own time, in my own way.

So, if you want to e-mail me to say hi, no problem. If you want to forward me something you discovered in your exclusive tour of the internet, please think twice!

Not-So-Instant Karma

I'm a pretty lucky guy.

I have a great wife and family, a good job in a fun industry, and enough friends to keep me happy.

Why?

Karma.

Yes, I'm serious. At least in part.

I'm not particularly mystical, or spiritual. I've never meditated. The only time I went to a mountaintop seeking anything was on a hike during a trip to Vermont, and all I was seeking was some exercise and a nice lunch.

But I spent quite a bit of time this past week thinking about karma, as I hosted several college students at CNBC who were interested in spending a day and exploring possible careers in the media. They loved it. And so did I.

Why did I do this bit of good?

When I graduated from college in 1978, I wanted nothing more than a career in radio. In pursuit of that goal, I called a few dozen alumni of our radio station for Cornell students, WVBR-FM.

To a person, every single one took the time to talk to me and offer encouragement and advice. Several invited me to their workplaces. A few let me stay in their homes. It was an amazing feeling. I've never forgotten.

Over the years, I've had the chance to repay the favor. One of my former communications professors at Cornell brings a class of graduating seniors to New York City every year for a tour of various media outlets, and during my years at Bloomberg, I hosted a day for them.

This year, WVBR-FM reached out to alumni like myself for externship opportunities. I was thrilled when several of them expressed eagerness to follow me through my day at CNBC.

And you know what? Helping these students felt just as good - perhaps even better - than when I was helped as a graduating senior way back when. And it's fun to see your job through fresh, excited eyes.

Over the last 30 years, whenever anyone has asked for help in finding a job, I've helped. Success felt great even when I wasn't the job seeker.

This concept isn't just limited to the workplace.

When people ask if I can come over and fix their computers, I do it. I was a practicing tax preparer for years, and still do returns for my entire family. Whenever anyone asks for tax help, I give it.

My reward?

All the great things in life that I mention above. Do good, and good shall find you. It's happened too many times to be a coincidence.

A good friend who's now a high executive at a major media outfit was kind enough to serve as an advisor when I was negotiating the terms of my current job. When I wanted to send him a gift of some sort, he uttered these words to live by. "No need. Pay it forward."

I have. As often as I can.

Scorched Earth Tech Support, May I Help You?

I'm known among friends, family, and co-workers as somewhat of an amateur computer expert. I'd venture to say that I get way more "please help me fix this!" requests than your average non-professional.

I've developed this interest not only because I enjoy it and have a natural affinity for it, but also because in today's high-tech world, it helps me (and helps me help others) avoid a great deal of grief caused by those who DO get paid to do it for a living.

(Note to my brother-in-law and professional computer tech Mike - I didn't mean you!)

Here's an example: a friend's son came home from college during break with the sad tale that his laptop could no longer connect to the internet. His school - being a modern, up-to-date university, provides campus wide Wi-Fi connections, along with a guarantee that you'll be able to connect to the internet anywhere on campus. If you can't, they'll send a tech out to troubleshoot the issue.

According to my friend's son (who is not prone to exaggeration), the tech guy came out, took a quick look, and told him to wipe out his entire hard drive and reinstall Windows.

Now, I'm not saying that wouldn't work. I also know that if my living room develops a loose floorboard, and I bulldoze the house and rebuild it, that will solve the problem. I'm just saying that maybe, just maybe, there's an easier solution!

I'm proud to say I DID solve his problem without wiping out his hard drive - by replacing a corrupt Windows system file. Now, if I knew how to do this, why didn't the professional?

I called this the "scorched earth" approach to tech support. It may destroy everything in its path, but it will certainly solve the problem.

While not all examples are this extreme, I've found this type of thinking rampant when I've needed to call on tech support for various consumer and electronics products I own.

The folks at one software company were sure that my computer was the problem when the installation of their product cut off my internet access. It wasn't, but I had to troubleshoot and solve the problem on my own.

I've had to call the support people on two different occasions to solve a problem with my GPS unit. The only useful suggestion was: return the unit and get a new one.

And .. then of course, there's "did you try rebooting?"

I'm not totally unsympathetic to the poor folks on the other end of the phone who have to deal with the masses. (Especially since they're often in another country and don't speak English all that well, but that's a subject for another time.) Tech support is a huge expense for those who need to provide it, and finding qualified people is difficult. But one-size-fits-all solutions don't do it for me. I suspect they don't do it for anyone else, either.

More Random Admissions (That Don't Involve The Carpenters)

My last post about "shameful admissions" garnered quite a bit of reaction, mostly along the lines of "You like the Carpenters??". And, of course, my wife's response of "you told them what??"

Nonetheless, this sort of reaction is inspiring. OK, I admit that the "inspiring" and "it's been three weeks since my last blog post" don't exactly go together, but it's a new year and I'm trying harder.

The fact is, I do quite a few odd, quirky things. I'm betting that a few of you do, too, so see if you recognize any of your own behaviors here. What will this prove? That either I'm a lot like many of you or that I'm a total oddball who really should have been placed on a different planet.

1)I can't bring myself to click the "update" button in my Quicken software if the financial markets have had a bad day. I wait until the next positive day.

2)There are certain movies that I HAVE to stop and watch, even if for just a little bit, if I come across them on cable. Oh, sure, there are a few classics like "The Godfather" (either the original or Part II) but there are a few absolute headscratchers in this category. They include Young Guns II (for some reason, Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid is highly entertaining to me), Scream (I like to think it's just Neve Campbell's presence), Diner (the idea that a marriage proposal hinges on a sports trivia quiz is absolutely fantastic), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Sean Penn's best performance EVER), and Major League (the sight of Wesley Snipes sliding into second and coming up 10 feet short shouldn't crack me up EVERY time, but it does.)

3)If I come across a song that I haven't heard in years, I'll immediately download it and listen to it repeatedly. When I say repeatedly, I mean what I say. Like about 700 times in a row. (note to all you lawyers out there: I subscribe to the Rhaspody service so all my downloads are LEGAL!).

4)If my favorite sports team is winning a game, I have a LOT of trouble watching the end. Perhaps I just can't take the pressure. This doesn't apply if I'm actually at the game, but I've been known to skip the 6th and 7th innings of a Yankee game and tune back in for the 8th. When I'm at Ranger games and the opposing team is swarming around our net, I have this theory that if I look away, they can't possibly score. I've missed many opponent's goals in the last 25 years as a result. Exception to the rule: if it's post-season, I watch everything and just suffer.

Odd corollary: I totally reject the idea that what I say has any influence over what happens in the game. For instance, if I say the team is playing well and they suddenly stop playing well, I refuse to take the blame. My oddball friends, however .. well, that's another story.

5)I'm completely incapable of calling in sick to work. I like to say it's my fantastic work ethic but the fact is, I probably just have a guilty conscience. I don't know why, since - other than a one week bout with the flu in 1994, I've taken exactly three sick days since starting my first stint at CNBC in 1989. This has allowed me to go into work sick and get everyone else ill. Hey, why should I be the only one suffering?

So, I must end by asking this question.

Is it just me?

Shameful Admissions (Why Rainy Days And Mondays Don't Get Me Down)

I'm not sure if it's a benefit of aging, or being married, or both, but at age 51 (and in year 9 of marriage), I'm finding I no longer have a problem admitting that I like things that simply aren't (or weren't) cool to like.

My wife, Peri (who's much better at being cool than I ever was), summed up this philosophy in what's now become a classic response, at least in our house, to various uncool or unattractive admissions: "That's OK. You already have a wife!"

I had an epiphany about this several years back while listening to the 60s channel on my XM Radio. A Carpenters song came on and I found myself singing it at the top of my lungs, and it suddenly hit me. "Holy S**T. I LIKE the Carpenters. I LOVE the Carpenters!". "Haaangin' around .... nothin' to do but frown ... "

Understand that I grew up in the golden age of rock 'n roll, when it was very cool to like the Beatles, Doors, Led Zeppelin, Kinks, and any number of happening rock bands. And I did (and do) like them (you haven't lived until you've heard me sing "When The Music's Over" at top volume in the car.)

But having watched American Bandstand starting at age one (you can verify this with my 82-year old Mom in Florida) and grown up listening to classic radio stations like WABC and WMCA, I like all sorts of hit music, from Buddy Holly to Neil Sedaka to - yes - the Carpenters and Barry Manilow. Yes, Barry, too. (I made this admission in the Squawk Box control room at CNBC recently, and our director looked at me and said, "Please stop. You're scaring us.")

When I got to the college radio station in 1974, it was the height of the progressive rock era, and if a band wasn't played on WNEW-FM, you couldn't possibly admit you liked it. I took grief for liking Creedence Clearwater Revival, for goodness sakes, so even admitting to myself that I liked the Carpenters was unthinkable. Barry, too. Over time, I convinced myself that I only liked "cool" bands, and bought into my own self-deception with a vengeance.

Except once in a while, my true nature would come out. During an all-night show on our station, I actually played Bread's "Everything I Own". It's a good song. It's a GREAT song. But it didn't belong on progressive rock radio in the 70s, and in reviewing my playlist for the evening, the program director wrote one word next to that song. "No."

But my Carpenters epiphany was one of the most liberating experiences of my recent adult life.

Within short order, I realized I didn't care what ANYONE thought of my tastes in music, movies ("Diner" is one of my favorites), TV Shows (reality junkies, you have a friend in me), clothing - or pretty much anything. In short, I decided it was cool to be uncool.

But that's OK. Because I already have a wife. And she likes Barry and the Carpenters, too!

Money Isn't Everything, Even Though I Want More

I think about money often. Maybe too often.

Of course, part of that is built into my life as a producer of financial and business news. I also moonlighted as a professional tax preparer for many years and still take responsibility for my family's finances and tax returns. I'm an unwaveringly consistent investor and saver, as well as a Quicken fanatic who enjoys poring over its reports as if they were ancient tablets of wisdom. You could say I'm incurable. Or, as many of my family members like to say to me for no particular reason, "Go make a spreadsheet".

I also fantasize about what it would be like to have a lot more, especially when I drive by the New York Lotto billboard on the Cross Bronx Expressway each morning, which has the latest prize amount for the twice-weekly Mega Millions drawing prominently displayed.

But what I'm talking about here is not so much about wanting and having money as much as it is about how it can make people behave.

So I offer some guidelines that most definitely work for me, and might work for you, too. Or not.

1. If you're out to dinner with a group of friends, split the check evenly and just forget about it.

Hey, wasn't the point just to enjoy the company of other people and some good food? Who cares if your entree cost $2 less than someone else's? This is NOT worth making a fuss over, and next time, YOU can order the lobster thermidor and no one will blink. The next time you and 9 other people are looking over a check and trying to figure out who had what, feel free to tell everyone what some random blogger thinks!

2. Pick up the check once in a while.

Yes, I know I what I said in rule#1. Some people can't get past the idea of spending the extra money, but consider this: in two weeks, you won't miss or even remember what you spend showing your friends a good time, but the goodwill you generate will last a lifetime. And when you give, you get back. That's the fun part of being generous. You get it back in spades.

3. If you're buying something that you want and will use often, get the best or most suitable one, not the cheapest.

That doesn't mean you should seek out the highest price tag, but if you, for example, love barbecuing in the backyard, go ahead and get that Weber Genesis Gold and forego the Cheapo 200 which probably won't last as long nor be as good.

Or let's say you've decided to buy a flat panel TV, and there's some feature that you absolutely love and want, except that it'll cost $100 more. Trust me. Spend the $100. Again, in two weeks you won't miss the $100, but I can promise that the absence of that feature will bug you for a lifetime. Well, at least the TV's lifetime.

4. If you bought something and the price goes down later, don't agonize.

This happens most often, but not only, with electronics. You buy something and a year later you find the cost has dropped by 50%.

So what? You've had the enjoyment for a year, and most likely, it was 50% MORE for those who bought the year before you. So forget about it. Or go buy a second one and rejoice at what a great deal you got.

5. Don't drive all over the known universe trying to save a dollar.

I'm not just talking about gasoline prices here. I often experience shopping fatigue - where I've been to enough places to have a general idea of what something costs, and am ready to be done with the process. I place a very high value on my time, as you probably do. Buy what you need or want to buy, and go home.

Yes, I know many people are on budgets and have to watch their money closely, and believe me, I appreciate that. But trust me - these behaviors will make your life better and you know what? You'll wind up on the plus side of the ledger, in many ways that money can't measure.