good morning. deadlocked. former illinois governor rod blagojevich convicted on just one of the 24 counts in his corruption trial. so did the prosecution blow the case? the jury foreman speaks out in an exclusive live interview. country in crisis. one-fifth of pakistan under water, as many as 20 million homeless as fear, chaos and disease spread. this morning ann curry has made her way to the flood zone. and lucky to be alive. a pilot rehearsing for an air show forced to eject as the jet loses control, slams into the ground and explodes. what's ironic? the music playing at the time of the crash. that pilot will join us

exclusively today, wednesday, august 18th, 2010. c-universal tn captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. rod blagojevich may not have a lot of time to celebrate his partial victory after being found guilty on only a single count in his corruption trial. >> almost immediately prosecutors promise to retry the case as soon as possible after the jury deadlocked on 23 other charges, including that the former el notice governor tried to sell president obama's vacant senate seat. what went on inside the jury room? why couldn't the jury reach a decision on those other, more serious counts? we'll ask the jury foreman in an exclusive live interview coming up in just a few minutes. also ahead new details on the death of the accused craigslist killer.

philip markoff took his own life and left behind what could be a message for his ex-fiancee. we'll show it to you. plus some midair disturbance on board a southwest airlines flight. a flight attendant took a baby away from her parents after she saw the mother slap the baby in the face. we'll have details on that story. and hearing loss in teenagers up 30% in just a little over a decade. are ipods and other pmp3 players to blame. let's begin with rod blagojevich convicted on just one of the 24 counts he faced at his corruption trial. john yang has been following the trial since it began and is in chicago with the latest. john, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. this morning we are learning some surprising new details about what went on inside the jury room during those 14 days of deliberations. after the verdict, rod blagojevich talked like a

giant-killer. >> the government threw everything but the kitchen sink at me, on every count except for one, on every charge except for one, they could not prove that i did anything wrong. >> reporter: the lone guilty verdict, lying to the fbi back in 2005. a verdict blagojevich plans to appeal. on 23 more serious charges, including racketeering and attempted extortion and bribery, the jury was deadlocked. >> and we have a prosecutor who has wasted and wants to spend tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to keep persecuting me, persecuting my family, taking me away from my little girls as well as take my home away from us. >> reporter: the result was a blow to prosecutors who claim to have halted a political corruption crime spree when they arrested blagojevich in december, 2008. >> most appalling is the fact that governor blagojevich tried to sell the appointment to the senate seat vacated by president-elect obama. the conduct would make lincoln roll over in his grave. >> reporter: juries said they were evenly divided on some of

the charges but as close to 11-1 on a guilty verdict on others. >> by what was being said, i think everyone understood that it would be pointless to deliberate any longer. >> reporter: a last-minute switch by an unnamed juror delayed a conviction on a second charge. attempted extortion of rahm emanuel when he was a chicago congressman. >> a lot of people feel we didn't complete our job by not being unanimous. i don't feel that way. we did everything in our power. it is what it is. >> reporter: prosecutors pledge to retry blagojevich but defense attorneys mock the idea. >> we didn't put on any defense, none, zero, zip, nothing, and they still couldn't get a conviction. >> reporter: because both blagojevich and the campaign fund that was paying his legal fees are both broke, in a retrial, u.s. taxpayers could be paying for both the prosecution and the defense. meredith? >> all right, john yang, thank

you very much. jury foreman is with us for an exclusive interview. good morning to you. >> good morning to you. >> yesterday after the verdict, rod blagojevich told a crowd of reporters, and i'm quoting him, this was a persecution. they threw everything they could at me. the jury agreed the government did not prove its case. is that how you see it? >> personally, no. i saw it as the prosecution did prove its case. there was a difference of opinion and interpretation of the evidence, and several people voted not guilty on several counts and as mentioned, there was the 11-1 for a few of the counts. >> and that one holdout we understand was a retired woman. what was her argument against convicting the ex-governor? >> the argument was that he was a politician, he was talking to

other politicians, sometimes his fund-raisers, sometimes his chief of staff or deputy governors, and he was just talking. so she saw it as no crime was being committed, it was just talk, political talk. that was her position. and we -- all of us as a jury respected her position and her right to have that opinion. it differed from ours. >> how would you describe the atmosphere in the jury room? >> there were times, especially later on, where the frustration level went up. there was tension. but it was always a feeling of respect for other people's opinions. so there was no shouting, there was no fighting. it was fairly amicable our deliberations. as i said, there were times

where there was anger and frustration, but overall i'd say that we did respect each other. >> you know, you say that the government did prove its case but only got a conviction on one count. what do you think was the major flaw in its case? >> the major flaw was probably the complexity of the case. the amount of information that we had to digest, the length of the judge's instructions to us that we had to learn legal terms, we had to learn the law and how to apply it to the evidence that was given to us, either in witness testimony or in wire tapped conversations. >> would you like to see the prosecutors retry this case? if so, what advice would you give them? >> personally i would. and if possible to streamline the case. concentrate on areas where they have more information and not

rely so much on witness testimony, which was sometimes weak. that's where we split the most. the vote could be something like five guilty to seven not guilty or it would flip, sometimes it would be 9-3. so it was all over. and i think it was a testimony to the jurors that they were deliberating on the basis of evidence and not through bias or discrimination or whatever they heard in the media. >> you know what, you sound like somebody who is pretty much exhausted and glad this is over. we really appreciate you joining us this morning. >> thank you. you're welcome. now let's bring in robert ray, a former federal prosecutor who succeeded ken starr. you were also a friend of the u.s. attorney in this case, patrick fitzgerald. you just heard the jury foreman.

if you were fitzgerald, would his words encourage you to go for a retrial. >> i think they'd be cautionary. i think on the one hand if you have, with regard to the core of the case, a one-juror holdout, that's certainly encouraging for retrial to think that the result might be different. on the other hand, the foreman said it best. there are some troubling aspects of the government's case as well. if there's going to be a retrial, it needs to be streamlined, the trial needs to be tighter and probably the list of charges needs to be trimmed. >> usually when a federal government brings its full resources to bear against a defendant, particularly in chicago, they win. so isn't this a giant failure for the government? >> well, there was still a conviction. that sort of gets lost. >> one out of 24. >> correct, but it's also still a felony. it's false statements to the fbi. that's serious. so the jury did find that a crime was committed here, it just didn't find that the core of the case, which related to whether he was attempting to sell his office, was in fact

proven. and there's a legitimate argument on the other side identified by that one juror and perhaps other jurors and that is was it just politics or was really a crime committed. again, weighing the question about whether or not to retry, prosecutors are encouraged to be zealous and to be strong advocates and to strike hard blows, but not foul ones. so i think that's going to be a factor in their consideration about whether or not to retry this case and how to retry it when they do. >> the minute the verdict came out, fitzgerald jumps up and says we're going to retry this case and that's going to cost millions and millions of dollars added to what's already been spent and it's already on the backs of the taxpayers. there are probably a lot of people saying look, you tried it once and failed. don't try it on our backs. >> that's a substantial point. it's also a high profile case. if public sentiment doesn't support a retrial, that will be a very difficult environment to retry a case. you still have to pick a jury and the community is listening. it couldn't help but listen to

what's happened here. if public sentiment through jurors is not prepared to convict in another trial, there's no reason to think that the result will be any different in a retrial than it was in the first trial. >> all right, thank you so much for your perspective this morning. really appreciate. >> it thank you. thank you for being here. it's 7:11 and here's matt. aid is slowly trickling into flood-ravaged pakistan. it can't come fast enough to the millions of people who have been forced out of their homes. to give you an idea of just how bad the flooding is, this is a nasa satellite image of pakistan taken a year ago. look at what that same region looks like now. the blue areas are water that has taken over parts of the landscape. ann curry was in the flooded area earlier today and has now made her way to the capital of islamabad. ann, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. 21 days since pakistan's catastrophic floods began. the u.n. today said that it has finally secured half of what's needed for the emergency response. this as millions of people on

the ground are still waiting for any kind of help at all. one of the 20 million affected, they struggle to survive. without food, electricity, clean water or any outside help. we have nothing, his wife is saying. this baby i held in my arms, i pulled that child through the waters. i thought only about saving my children. she saved all five, though nine months pregnant. her husband was at work and found them four days later, stunned his entire family, including the grandparents, survived. this nation's trauma is turning to anger. with a fifth of the country flooded and thousands on the move, protesters today burned tires, stopping traffic, saying that the government has done nothing. only pakistan's army, which has rescued 600,000 people so far,

including this boy today, escapes the fury. this man and his son lost everything, save a few family photos. and some dishes. still, they have offered all nine members of a family a place to sleep, and what little food they can find. one family of flood victims helping another in the epic struggle to save pakistan's future. today i asked a lot of people in the flood zone what they would say to americans who fear that donating to flood victim would end up supporting extremists. they said it is a lie to say that they support the taliban, for example. they say that the taliban is against everything they believe in. we should note that the disaster is great here, the need is great and there are a lot of very recognizable charities who are working here on the ground, matt, including the international rescue committee,

save the children and doctors without borders. now back to you. >> that's ann curry in islamabad this morning. we want to give you some information right now. to learn more about how you can help flood victims, head to our website, that is todayshow.com. and now let's get a check of the morning's other top stories. natalie morales is covering for ann at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with president obama on the road again today trying to help democrats. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in columbus, ohio. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. well, it's day three of the president's cross-country fund-raising and campaign tour. while he saw some of the friendliest crowds he's seen yet in seattle, the question still looms do these stops help or hinder his fellow democrats. >> you remember our slogan during the campaign, "yes, we can." their slogan is "no, we can't." >> reporter: in washington state tuesday the president was clearly testing some new lines of attack against republicans. >> i bring all this stuff up not

because i want to relitigate the past. i just don't want to relive the past. >> reporter: outside a fund-raising for embattled patty murray, protesters gathered angry about obama administration paul seechlt while inside the president appeared to acknowledge that his position on the mosque near ground zero is not popular. >> i have pollsters. i know when things don't poll well. but i wasn't sent to washington. you did not send me to the oval office to just do what was popular. you sent me there to do what was right. >> reporter: but the latest nbc news/wall street journal poll shows a growing disconnect between mr. obama and the public. there's now a debate about just how helpful he can be to democrat candidates. republican candidate dino rossi sees the president as an asset to his campaign. >> it's probably helpful in a lot of different ways. >> reporter: and it cuts both ways. sarah palin is now being used to raise money for democrats and fire up their base.

this week the abortion rights women's group emily's list unveiled a new campaign designed to combat palin's attempts to elee elect republican women to office, a grew she refers to as mama grizzlies. >> sarah palin, you don't speak for us. >> reporter: aides tell me the president may not be the biggest asset to woo voters to the polls, but he will be a huge fund-raising asset. worst case scenario, you'll see him raising money constantly between now and november. >> chuck todd in columbus, ohio. thanks, chuck. today funeral services were being held for former alaska senator ted stevens killed in a plane crash last week. vice president biden and sarah palin are among those attending. overseas markets are mostly lower. cnbc's erin burnett is at the stock exchange. lots of news about housing. >> reporter: that's right. we just got the numbers that the average rate on a new mortgage is about 4.6%. the problem is even those near record low rates are not getting

americans to buy new homes. as a conference hosted by tim geithner yesterday one of the biggest investors in the country said everybody who has a mortgage in good standing should be allowed to get a flat 4% fixed rate mortgage. he thinks that could cause housing prices to go up by as much as 10%. bottom line, natalie, housing is all that matters for wall street and main street. back to you. >> erin burnett at the new york stock exchange. thank you. famed home run hitter bobby thompson has died at the age of 86. it was thompson has died. it was the shot heard round the world that won the pennant for the giants in 1951. many consider it to be the most dramatic play in baseball history. some amazing rescues in china where flood waters swept people away as others tried to save them. they were all eventually pulled from the raging water. in washington state, a 15-year-old girl was rescued tuesday after falling over the side of a cliff. a navy helicopter was able to pull her to safety. and a stunt pilot is safe after a frightening incident in

argentina. take a look when one of the plane's wings breaks off mid-air. the plane came down with a parachute about 500 feet away from spectators. later, it burst into flames. fortunately the pilot walked away. he's said to be okay with slight burns on his feet. i tell you, that's unbelievable when you see the footage, that he walked away from it. >> we have another story in the next half hour about a pilot at an air show from canada. incredible stuff. watch what happens to him right as the plane hits the ground. he will join us for an interview in our next half hour. >> okay. taking the bus. >> you don't like flying anyway. >> nope. >> mr. roker has the weather. >> well, so far in the nortidasant,tl m atic states we have storms to talk about. look at this from the ohio riv valley to the mid atlantic states down to atlantic city we are looking at strong storms, heavy thunderstorms, rainfall

amounts from one to three inches. rest of the country, beautiful through the pacific northwest. sunny skies, low 70s and 80s. beautiful out west. we have the wet weather. remnants of tropical depression 5 causing heavy rain throughout the gulf coast. we've got also some sunshine throughout much of florida on into the lower southeastern region. good morning. i'm craig herrera. we'll start off with a live shot from san bruno mountain. the camera a little bit shaky. the low clouds causing delays at sfo, up to 45 minutes for arriving flights. temperatures are in the 50s, and a couple of 40s for the north end of the bay, where visibility got down to about half a mile in some places close to san rafael this morning. highs today, 70s and a couple of low 80s. we still have some wind coming through. we'll get a little more sunshine again today and as we go through the weekend, we'll cool off a bit more. and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. now to an incident on a southwest airlines flight.

a flight attendant took a 13-month-old girl from her mother after saying the woman slapped the girl in the face. >> reporter: somewhere in the skies between dallas and albuquerque the crying began. but to one southwest flight attendant it wasn't the noise that was troubling. it was what she said the baby's mother was doing to stop it. according to a police report the flight attendant, beverly mccurly saw the mother strike the child with an open hand on the face. that's when police say the flight attendant took the child and walked to the rear of the aircraft. once there the flight attendant said she noticed the little girl, just 13 months old, also had a black eye. troubling enough for southwest to call ahead and have police waiting for the parents on the ground. >> the local paramedics checked the child out, extensive interviews were conducted with flight crew, with the parents, with witnesses from the plane. >> reporter: the mother admitted to police while standing in the

jetway that she did strike her child but didn't do anything wrong. "i popped her when she kicked me," she said, "and that was it." the dog bite, she said, was from a dog bite. the family was allowed to board the next flight out. a tough call. >> i wouldn't want any harm to my child. at the same time i wouldn't want someone to necessarily say my discipline style is incorrect. >> it's really hard to criminalize bad parenting. >> reporter: experts say whether charges were filed or not the southwest flight attendant probably did the right thing. >> if you're deciding whether to report or not it's better to err on the side of what could be best for the children. >> reporter: just part of a flight crew's training. southwest said, our flight attendant offered to hold the baby to soothe the child. authorities were called only as a precaution. at 30,000 feet, taking control in the cabin is often priority number one. for today, lee cowan, nbc news,

los angeles. still ahead, chilling new details on the death of alleged craigslist killer. first this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] how can rice production in india, affect wheat output in the u.s., the shipping industry in norway, and the rubber industry, in south america? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex global economy. it's just one reason 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information to read and consider carefully before investing.

still ahead, one in five teenagers now suffering from hearing loss. why their headphones could be to blame. also a pilot ejects seconds before his jet crashes and bursts into a massive fireball. he's lucky to be alive. we'll talk to him, but first these messages, your local news and weather. you talk to these guys. they go through every car and truck we make with a big fat red pencil. because they know a family's going to be inside. a teenager. a guy on the way to the job. the engineers of chevrolet.

just another reason why we can offer a 5-year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. and another reason why a chevy's a chevy. mommy. mom, the back to school list is here. looks expensive. graphing calculator, flash drives... that was easy. [ male announcer ] get back to school and back to savings on everything on your list at staples. [ female announcer ] wisk is about to change the way you look at stains forever. discover the power of our stain spectrum technology in the new red bottle of wisk. in stores now!

good morning, everyone. time is 7:26. i'm garvin thomas. he's mike inouye with the report on the traffic. >> and this is the bay bridge toll plaza, garvin. we officially have a backup. the backup going just to the 880 overcrossing. it's formed over the last half hour. slow, steady build there. take you to the maps, show you the approach off the east shore freeway. still just 19 minutes. very smooth drive off richmond off the carquinez drive. hercules is not showing any slowdown. we have the major issue here is westbound 580 coming out of the altamont pass. had a series of three accidents at the dublin interchanged. all cleared, just slow and

steady, that wins the race coming through livermore. do you think the clouds and low clouds will reach over there? >> some of them are there. they're not quite as low, so visibility is not quite as much of an issue. up high, they're up high, and enough to cause delays at sfo. waking up to 50s and a couple of 60s. the delays at sfo for some arriving flights up to 45 minutes. by 12:00, got sunshine. uv index at 9, very high. 69 for a high. 74, san jose. and 64 san francisco. we'll be back after this break.

a teenager will appear in court this morning to face charges of pimping a 14-year-old girl as a prostitute. san rafael police say they found the girl walking the streets in the canal district saturday during a sting targeting customers. police say she is a runaway from richmond, allegedly pimped by an 18-year-old named tia powell, also from richmond. paul pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of pimping a minor under the age of 16. we have more local news for you in half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, august 18, 2010. another sunny morning in new york. our crowds better enjoy it while they can because al says we have possibly thunderstorms headed our way. we'll get his forecast in just a moment. in studio 1a, i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer. coming up, the words accused craigslist killer philip markoff wrote in blood on the wall of his jail cell just before he took his own life. the latest, just ahead. incredible video to show you as well. a pilot's brush with death. he lost control of

his jet and managed to eject just seconds before his plane crashed and burst into flames. wait until you hear what song was playing over the loudspeakers at the air show grounds when the crash occurred. he's going to share his story in an exclusive live interview coming up in just a couple of minutes. plus, are ipods and other mp-3 players to blame for the startling hearing changes in teenagers? we will talk about that as well. we'll begin with the new details in the death of philip markoff, the accused craigslist killer. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. this morning we're getting our first look inside markoff's cell. just to paint a picture for you here, police say he had photos of his ex-fiancee spread out all over. according to investigators, this was the last thing he was looking at before he committed suicide and after he stabbed himself, he wrote messages in blood, in a place where he could see it but she couldn't. it was her name and something else which may be a secret message.

sitting in jail on what would have been his one-year wedding anniversary, philip markoff was thinking about megan mcallister, the fiancee who dumped him after his arrest. now chilling details of his final moments. boston tv station wfxt obtained jailhouse illages showing markoff's cell just after his suicide. spread out on the table, several pictures of his ex-fiancee megan. on the wall markoff wrote megan's name in blood. below megan he wrote the word "pocket." its meaning still a mystery but investigators believe that could be his special nickname for her. in his cell, police say markoff was in macgyver mode creating a primitive scalpel out of a pen and a sharp piece of metal. a deadly weapon he used on himself. >> he inflicted a series of small puncture wounds and incisions on his body including his neck, arms, wrist and ankles. he hit several veins and the carotid artery in his neck. >> reporter: the accused

craigslist killer placed plastic bags around his neck and feet to suffocate himself and catch the blood. he climbed into his cot and put the blanket over his head, so passing guards doing routine rounds, it looked like he was sleeping. even as he died, his final message to megan still up on the wall. >> this is his way of saying, you may have broken off the marriage, we may never be together again hand in hand as a couple but in spiritual never leave me. the word pocket will likely turn out to have some special significance, his way of reaching out, reaching out from the grave to grab her to manipulate her, to be in control this one last time. >> reporter: the clean-cut medical student was accused of leading a secret double life. by day the all-american boy engaged to megan, planning a wedding that never happened. by night, the craigslist killer, attacking women he found online. prosecutors say he killed one of them in a boston hotel room.

julissa brisman, a massage therapist. her family will never get the chance to face him in court. >> mr. markoff died at his own hand. it should not obscure the overwhelming evidence against mr. markoff or the brutality of his crimes. it is, in no small way, the ultimate indicator of consciousness of guilt. >> reporter: and for megan mcallister, the woman who loved markoff and registered for wedding gifts with him, this begins yet another difficult chapter. >> his former fiancee has to be strong enough to say, he's responsible for his death, i'm not. she needs to move on with her life. >> reporter: much easier said than done. we should mention megan mcallister is now in the caribbean in medical school. so far no comment from her or her family about the latest developments and the message he wrote in blood on the wall of his cell. the question now, why wasn't markoff on suicide watch? he was a high-profile, many say,

who tried to kill himself before. at his news conference yesterday, the d.a. said, "we are looking at what was done and what was not done and we will reach a conclusion." meredith? thank you very much. now a check on the weather from al. >> all right. thanks, meredith. we have severe storms out west from central and southern minnesota into south dakota and participates of nebraska. we see supercells developing. maybe strong thunderstorms, already seeing strong thunderstorms between duluth and minneapolis. rainfall from one to two inches of rain stretching into wisconsin. the rest of the country today, beautiful in the pacific northwest. sunshine through the southeast. we have heavy rain in the midatlantic states back into the mississippi river valley to the gulf coast. plenty of sunshine. the heat continues in the southwest. we have gorgeous weather along the west coast. 85 and sunny with low humidity in los angeles today. a good morning to you. i'm craig herrera, live as we look out over the golden gate

bridge over mt. tamalpais, a lot of fog, especially to the north end of the bay this morning. right now, we have a lot of 50s and a couple places getting closer to the 60s. this afternoon, we'll manage about another 10 to 12 degrees of warming. sit in the 70s and 80s and stay there through tomorrow. this weekend welcoin, things co off quite a bit. here's your seven-day forecast and back to the 70s by saturday and sunday. that's your latest weather. don't forget. you can check your weather all day long and all night long on ç the weather channel or weather.com online. matt? >> if music is the soundtrack to your life, one canadian pilot could not have picked a more appropriate song to be playing during his miraculous survival from a fiery crash. in a moment, we'll talk to him exclusively, but first his story. when canadian forces captain brian bews took to the skies last month in a cf-18 fighter to practice for an upcoming air show "staying alive" was playing

for spectators on the ground. ♪ staying alive >> reporter: no one could have guessed that would foreshadow what was about to happen. he was rehearsing an alpha pass when something went terribly wrong, his plane went turbulence and began to plummet. with moments to spare he hit the eject button and was thrown from the jet as it crashed into the ground and burst into flames. just four seconds passed between the time bews ejected from the cockpit and the time he hit the ground. luckily, the wind carried him away from the wreckage of the jet. the veteran pilot said his training and instincts saved his life. >> i knew where the jet was going and i didn't want to be there with it. i knew my only chance at survival was to pull the ejection handle. >> reporter: despite the crash bews only suffered compression fractures to the spine. doctors say he should make a full recovery, but as the bee gees say, bews is lucky to be "staying alive."

♪ staying alive >> captain brian bews is with us now exclusively. captain, good morning. how are you doing? >> hi, good morning, matt, how are you? >> i'm doing fine. you've been flying for a long time. you train extensively for emergencies. i'm just curious, when we watch the footage we've all shaking our head. did it go as planned? did the training kick in calmly or is it a blur to you? >> well, everything went pretty quickly. but, no, the training did kick in. it became obvious what i needed to do. i was well trained for it. it was a matter of pulling the handle and going for a ride. >> you say it became obvious what you needed to do. what were you attempting to do and when did you realize that jet was in serious trouble? >> well, i was performing a high alpha pass which is a slow speed pass with the nose raised 25 degrees. i tried to accelerate away from that which normally the jet climbs straight away. on that day when i added power

it turned sharply to the right, started sliding through the air and then the nose dropped. when i started feeling the jet sliding to the right i knew there was a problem. i tried to fight it for a second or two and the jet was not responsive to whatever i was doing to it. >> you are trained that if the jet is not controllable, you get out of that jet. but ejection is not for sissies, captain. you go out at 5,000 pounds of thrust. what was it like? >> it was quite a ride. i remember the whole thing. i remember pulling the handle. the canopy jettisoned away from you, watching the jet below me and crash into the ground, it was quite surreal. >> you didn't land far from the fireball of what was once your jet. were you aware of that? were you worried that even after you were on the ground you weren't safe? >> well, i knew i was landing close to the fireball, but i had so much other things going through my mind that it didn't

really occur to me that i could get pulled into the fireball. once i was being dragged away from the fireball, then i knew that was better. then i was just trying to get out of my parachute. >> i'm curious. i understand you watched the video we're all seeing alone in your hospital room. when you watched it, did it kind of send off an alarm in your head? did you fully realize how little time occurred between you getting out of the cockpit and the plane hitting the ground? >> yes. it was quite compressed from what i remember. i remember the sequence of events leading up to it which seems to be longer in time than it actually is. when i looked at the video, it was quite clear to me when the problem started, how long it took to develop and when i pulled the ejection handle how quickly everything happened after that. >> yeah. four seconds between the time you pulled the ejection handle and you hit the ground. that's not a lot of time. >> no, not at all. it was a wild ride.

it was fast and furious. that's for sure. >> a lot of attention being paid to the song on the loud speakers. "staying alive" by the bee gees. how did you feel about the song before this happened, how do you feel about it now? >> it was a challenge, but i had to get a little bit of disco into my routine. it's a great song. i put that in there in the high alpha pass. i didn't expect it to come out this way but it's quite fitting. >> quickly, any reservations about flying again, captain? >> oh, absolutely not. i would get in a jet today and do the same demo routine today if i could. doctors won't allow me to for another month or two. no problems getting back into the jet. >> when you get back in, bring the bee gees cd with you. okay? >> i'll do that. >> we're happy you're okay, captain. thanks for talking to us this morning. >> thanks very much. good to be here. just ahead, why hearing loss is soaring among teenagers. we'll talk about that right after this.

♪ [ female announcer ] wake up to black silk fr folgers. bold flavor. exceptionally smooth.

sure, but let me get a little infortion first. for broccoli, say on for toys, say two. ys ! the system can't process your response at this time. what ? please call back between 8 and 5 ceral standard time. he's in control. gobye. even kids ow it's wrong to give someone the run around. at ally bank you never have to deal with an endless automated system. yocan talk to a real person 24/7. it's just the right thing to do. [ female announcer ] kids who don't eat breakfast may not be getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. ♪ a nutritious start to the day is essential. that's why carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies the nutrients of a balanced breakfast. so kids get the protein and calcium they need to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start.

we are back at 7:45. this morning on today's health the rapid rise in teen hearing loss. according to a study one in five teenagers has lost at least some of their hearing. a rise of around 30% in just around a decade. dr. nancy snyderman, good morning to you. >> hi. >> one in five, 20% of adolescents. that's serious. >> i think this is for real and it is serious. what teenagers forget and we forgot, too, at rock concerts is once you damage the nerve of hearing, it is so fragile you cannot operate or give a medicine for. this is permanent damage. the mp-3 or ipod generation, it's easy to ramp up the sound beyond what you conceive of as dangerous and the damage can be serious. >> researchers didn't look into the reasons behind the hearing loss but you are suggesting it's the mp-3s among other things.

>> they raised the question, well, what could it be? i will take the stance that i don't think it's genetics. i don't think there is suddenly a change in the human animal over ten years that can explain it. what can explain it is the technology that once upon a time you put earbuds in or put on headphones and you could hear the person next to you. now there is really no bleed of the music. so it goes right against your eardrum, right into your middle ear, inner ear into the brain and the acoustics are so extraordinary that we crank up the sound. there is so much post production in music that what you can hear is extraordinary. when you crank it up, you can hear it better. it's too tantalizing. >> i'm amazed at the decibel levels for mp-3s at maximum level is 115 decibels. how does it compare to what's

normal, healthy. >> a jet engine is high. rock concerts, and this is how we grew up could be 150 decibels. a jet engine on a commuter plane, it is loud. then look at the ipod or mp-3 player at 110 decibels. it's not much difference. that means you get one minute at 110 decibels at maximum level before you can have permanent hearing. normal conversation is 60. so we are in a noise polluted environment these days. but that is one area of our lives that's controllable. >> kids won't turn off the ipods so what is a safe level to listen to music? >> on every mp-3 player, ipod you can look at the bar and see if it's above 50%. it shouldn't be, no matter what. as a parent if you can hear what your child is listening to, it's already too loud. if your child is having trouble in school, grades dropped,

doesn't seem to hear you, suddenly it was society seeming to have problems struggling. talk to your pediatrician about getting a hearing test. sometimes a piece of paper to say, look, you have already lost hearing, is enough to have it change a child's behavior. and the hearing loss is what we call the higher frequencies. so the first thing kids can't hear are women's voices, mom, and in crowded restaurants can be difficult to converse. it's for real. >> kids say "i can't hear you, mom." >> it's exactly right. >> thank you very much. >> you bet. >> still ahead, the popular restaurant salads that are just as fattening as big burger meals. but first, these messages. [ male announcer ] luxury seating for up to seven.

the performance of a mercedes-benz. maybe you don't have to settle for a minivan. maybe you don't have to settle...period. introducing the newly-redesigned 2011 r-cla. ♪ [ laughs ] this is it! [ all ] 10...9...8... a new school year has so much potential! any resolutions? my resolution is the same as always; keep her full and focused with my fiber. [ all ] 3...2...1... happy school year! [ female announcer ] this school year, make a resolution to give your kid kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain. that helps keep them full so they can focus on the day ahead. keeps 'em full... keeps 'em focused. keeps 'em full... there's oil out there we've got to capture.

my job is to hunt it down. i'm fred lemond, and i'm in charge of bp's efforts to remove oil from these waters. bp has taken full responsibility foeathcle nup anncthcl iatludes i keeping you informed. you may have heard that oil is no longer flowing into the gulf, but our spotter planes and helicopters will keep searching for any oil. we use satellite images, infrared and thermal photography 'we ''ng to map and target the oil. rediin we're finding less oil every day, but we've still got thousands of vessels ready to clean it up. local shrimp and fishing boats, organized into task forces and strike teams. plus, specialized skimmers from around the world. we've skimmed over 35 million gallons of oil/water mixture and removed millions more with other methods. i grew up on the gulf coast and i love these waters. as long as there's oil out there that could make it ashore, i'm gonna do everything i can to stop it. bp's commitment is that we will see this through. and we'll he to clean up the gulf.

or use it to run across the planet. the fun, the fast, the solid glk. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial. we are back now at 7:51 with a slew of shark encounters that have some calling this the summer of the great white. here's nbc's martin fletcher. >> reporter: a beautiful corner of the australian coast, paradise, but this is all that's left of nick edward's board. he died tuesday, victim of a great white shark. friends were shocked. >> i imagine the shark was looking for a seal. >> reporter: it shredded his leg. rescuers used a rope as a tourniquet but couldn't stop the blood. edward's father, too, was warned by his mother to, please, stay

water. >> he said, mom, i love it. i love surfing. he said, if i go out there, i will die doing something i love. >> reporter: in the same place six years ago a great white bit a surfer in two. they are the predators of the sea immortalized in the movie "jaws". >> you're going to need a bigger boat. >> reporter: this summer beaches at cape cod have been closed after sightings of the great white, but the great whites may need protecting. they are protected in u.s. waters. chuck patterson was beyond excited when he spotted one last week. he paddled out with his camera, risked his life to get these pictures. >> i definitely have a little fear, i can't lie. but at the same time i was really intrigued just to see it do its swim and cruise around me, i was really excited but also didn't want to fall in. >> reporter: luckily, he didn't. we are fascinated by the great whites, scared, too. for "today" martin fletcher, nbc news, london.

>> scary. >> very scary. >> scary. >> very scary. llahead, has teen fashion become too adult for young girls? >> what a parent can do after your local news. here, take the card. you go to the shops... i'll meet you at the gate. thanks. please remove all metal objects out of your pockets. with chase freedom you can get a total of 5% cash back.

fun money from freedom. that's 5% cash back in quarterly categories and an unlimited 1% cash back everywhere else. and this too. does your card do this? i'm going to need a supervisor over here at gate 4. sign up for this quarter's bonus today. chase what matters. go to chase.com/freedom. look in the glove box. [ children laughing ] suitcase? huh? ♪ where do gummy bears hide? under the seat. look! yeah! ♪ [ telephone rings ] [ male announcer ] the all new chevy equinox. [ man ] guess who? dad! [ man ] enjoy the trip! okay, daddy! [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it takes you farther... and brings you closer. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. ♪

your favorites, in pieces. it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do more of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia.

then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. good morning, everyone. 7:56 is the time. i'm garvin thomas. let's get a check of your weather forecast with craig herrera. craig? >> good morning, garvin. temperatures still below average as we start the morning. start to see some clearing, but we still have a lot of cloud cover. highs are a good 5 to 10 degrees cooler than they have been or they should be for this time of year. we get up into the 60s and 70s. we'll manage some sunshine for the as game today, 12:35. the uv index at that point getting up to 9, considered very high. keep applying that sunscreen. 65 far high there in oakland. 74 through san jose. about 64 in san francisco. the north end of the bay, lots of mid- and upper 70s. enough sea breeze to keep us rather mild for this time of year. your seven-day forecast, not a whole lot of changes as we go

through thursday and friday. saturday and sunday, wind comes back and we'll cool off quite a bit. next weekend, we'llrt to up.mac garvin thomas is back with more local news after the break. [ male announcer ] when meg whitman arrived at ebay, they had 30 people and an idea. meg's job was to make it happen. it took leadership. focus. and the ability to bring people together. meg whitman delivered. named one of america's best ceo's by harvard business review, she grew ebay 15,000 strong and made small business dreams come true. now meg has a plan to create jobs. fix sacramento. and deliver results. meg whitman. for a new california.

today, nurses from children's hospital in oakland will rally to protest proposed changes to their health care. they say management is trying to reduce coverage for them and their families. nurses will rally outside the hospital from noon to 1:00 this afternoon. the california nurse's association says children has

signaled they also want to cut health benefit for other hospital workers. now, one shot is bad enough, but now thousands of people will need to be revaccinated after a bay area medical foundation discovered a potentially bad batch of vaccines. the southern pacific medical foundation is calling 3,000 patients to let them know they need to come in again. the shots for various illnesses were given between january and june at care centers in san francisco, sonoma, marin, and lake county. doctors say the vaccines won't hurt you, but they might not work because they were stored at the wrong temperature. more local news for you in half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 18th day of august, 2010. we have stepped outside to join our friends on the plaza under cloudy skies here in the northeast. maybe a little rain later in the day, but you know what, it's cool out. 73 degrees. actually comfortable. by the way, we'll let you know that daughtry will take to the plaza as part of the summer concert series friday morning here on the plaza at 8:30. outside now i'm matt lauer along

with meredith vieira and al roker. coming up, when you see some of the outfits tweens walk around in, it makes you shake your head. >> if you have gone for back to school shopping -- and a tween is 9 to 14 -- wearing things on the runways of paris or milan look like a hooker to be honest. what message is it sending to kids? >> also ahead, if you're watching your weight, you go to a restaurant and say, i'm not having a burger and fries, i'll have salad. uh-oh. some of the salads have more fat and calories than the big burger meals. we'll tell you what you should order and more importantly what you should not be ordering. >> mr. spoilsport. and later on, are your college students money smart? we're going to show you how to teach your teenager money smart ways to get on campus and

whether or not it is a good idea to cosign for a credit card. >> i would think the answer is yes. >> debit or credit card? >> credit. >> okay. lots to get to. let's go inside. ann is on assignment in pakistan today. natalie is at the news desk with the headlines. good morning. >> good morning, matt, meredith and al. former illinois governor rod blagojevich will appeal tuesday's conviction on one felony count of lying to federal agents. after 14 days of deliberations, the jury deadlocked on the other charges including the most sensational that blagojevich tried to sell president obama's former senate seat. the judge set a hearing to consider the prosecution's call for a retrial. a major egg recall this morning. more than a quarter billion eggs have been linked to salmonella poisoning. federal health officials say the eggs distributed under 13 different brands nationwide are possibly to blame for 200 cases of food poisoning in june and

july, mostly in california, colorado and minnesota. the united nations said it is now making progress raising money for flood relief in pakistan. the world body has been pressuring donors to stop a spiralling humanitarian catastrophe since the flooding began there three weeks ago. a court appearance for a south carolina mother who police say suffocated her toddlers before placing them in their car seats and faking an accident. nbc's ron mott has more now. good morning to you. >> reporter: police say the 29-year-old mother tried to make it look like an accident but the sheriff said almost from the start the case had the stench of foul play. the mother who allegedly killed her two toddlers before putting the car in neutral and rolling them into a river was more troubled than even she knew, said the sheriff. >> i believe she was fed up with her mother telling her that she

couldn't take care of the children or she wasn't taking care of the children. she just wanted to be free. >> reporter: now the 29-year-old mother is in jail, charged with murder. she initially reported an accident. >> people that were in the car, did they get out or are they in the car? >> the driver got out, but the kids, two kids, still in there. >> reporter: police say she admitted suffocating the boys after clashing with the children's grandmother with whom they lived. she also has a 5-year-old daughter who was unharmed. officials say her story didn't add up from the start. >> she didn't show any remorse. >> reporter: for one, police say, she walked almost a mile from the scene before asking anyone for help. she was dry and there were no obvious signs of an accident, leading police to suspect she got out of the car on a boat ramp and let it go. the deaths brought back memories of 1994 when susan smith strapd her young boys into their seats and drove the car into a lake.

at first she claimed they were carjacked but essentially she, too, confessed to killing her kids. >> reporter: the arraignment is scheduled for later today. authorities conducted autopsies on the children. the coroner says the 2-year-old had defensive wounds indicating that he put up a fight for his life, natalie. >> such a horrific story. ron mott, thank you. the secret service questioned the piemt of a small plane who flew through restricted air space tuesday during president obama's visit to seattle. the air national guard scrambled two jets. the pilot and passenger were returning from vacation and were clueless and harmless, in their words. >> went from sunny to cloudy like we said it would. >> like al said. here with a check of the weather. >> that's my story and i'm sticking with it. all these folks here in new york. where are you from?

>> buffalo. >> shuffling off to buffalo? nice. when do you shuffle off to buffalo? >> tomorrow. >> do you always say everything together? very nice. >> we're triplets. >> you three? >> yeah! >> that's great. where's mom? oh, there's mom! that's great. i like that. let's check your weather, see atwh going going on. heavy rain inlmatonwiingt, delaware and 76 degrees. we have showers and thunderstorms firing up in delaware and midatlantic states back into the mid-mississippi river valley. sunshine in the pacific northwest. sunny and hot in the southwest. showers through the gulf coast. sunny skies with hit-or-miss thunderstorms in southern florida. you're celebrating your sweet 16. where are you from? >> i'm from california. >> a california girl like

some of our california friends at the "today" show. look at this gorgeous shot. san francisco, aquatic park, sausalito, tiberon, a bit of a breeze. 57 in san francisco right now, a couple 60s for the rest of the bay area from hayward down through san jose, north end of the bay in the 50s. highs today 60s 70s and 80s, 60s at the beaches. this is the story moving forward into the weekend when we start to cool off. a this guy came to see al rooker. you added an extra o there. so you can't spell -- anyway, back to you. >> it's the thought that counts. >> yeah, it is. >> coming up, are today's fashions for tweens sending the wrong message and crossing the line? these messages.ig aft ththese messages.

isps. ♪ with the tastes of sea salt and olive oil. ♪ or sprinkled with italian herbs. ♪ townhouse flatbread crisps. they're perfect for snack time, party time, any time. ♪ new townhouse flatbread crisps. the everyday cracker with the specially-crafted taste. [ announcer ] you make healthy choices every day-- new townhouse flatboh, max!sps.

and you want to do the same for your laughable, lovable dog. [ barks ] that's why purina fit & trim is specially formulated... with high-quality protein, including delicious real chicken, to help him maintain lean muscle and a healthy weight, so he can make the most of every day. long live your buddy. long live your dog. purina fit & trim. in this. one day, i'll park this in a spot reserved for me. it's got 26,000 miles on it now, but i'm gonna take it to a thousand million. [ male announcer ] when you own a certified pre-owned mercedes-benz, chances are they'll own it one day, too. which is why it undergoes such a rigorous inspection to meet our uncompromising standards. one day, i'm gonna drive this to vegas. [ male announcer ] hurry in to your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for 1.99% financing during our certified pre-owned sales event through august 31st. during our certified pre-owned what's inside this little dial? how about three mascaras in one.

almay's new one coat dial up mascara takes your lashes from full, to fuller, to fullest. so you can go from daytime to dazzling in three clicks. new one coat dial up mascara, only from almay. time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®.

it has two layers for softness and an inner layer for a luxurious experience you can see and feel. in fact, it may inspire you to make all the things you touch ultra plush. quilted northern ultra plush. luxury you can see and feel™. and if you're not delighted, we'll give you your money back. to get more of the fiber you need every day, try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. go to fiberchoice.com to get savings and rewards. we are back with an issue so many parents wrestle with. what is appropriate for young people to wear? tween fashion is a huge business but are today's designs too much too soon? that's the focus of a recent article in new york magazine.

here's nbc's mara schiavocampo. >> reporter: the trend for tweens is practically everywhere you look. in blogs, music videos -- ♪ >> reporter: -- and on tv shows. >> what? >> reporter: young girls dressing like much older ones. >> how old are they? >> 13. >> reporter: now, just in time for back to school shopping you're seeing it in schools. >> they're 6 years old wearing clothes that seem like they should be on teenagers. short-shorts, tank tops. >> i don't want my daughter thinking she's got to be grown before she needs to be. >> reporter: these days the junior department is looking more like the women's section with retailers offering the same racy clothes adults are wearing in kid sizes. the tween market is worth $43 billion so retailers focus on taste even if it is not age appropriate.

>> everyone wants to look in the peak of sexuality, the peak of desirability. this is a big, big industry. there is a lot of money to be made here. >> reporter: macy's new material girl line designed by madonna and her 13-year-old daughter lourdes is a juniors collection featuring clothes like this strapless corset mini dress and skinny jeans. the material girl said it's all about creative ing them. >> reporter: nancy says like most 12-year-olds her daughter morgan wants to wear what's cute and trendy, but she says just because it's in stores doesn't mean it will be in the closet. >> kids should be kids. i think at her age, 7 to 16, they should not have short-shorts because, to me, they look like hot pants. >> it's hard. i know she's the mom. she knows best.

so i just have to stick with that. >> reporter: a debate countless mothers are having with their own tweens -- how to wear what's in style and in good taste. nbc news, los angeles. >> with us is the editor in chief of "redbook" magazine and the mother of two tween girls. good morning. >> good morning. >> how did we reach a point where we have an industry that caters to kids 9 to 13 years old with padded bikinis and hot pants. everything looks to be designed to sexualize little girls. >> we all saw the video of little girls gyrating to "single ladies." i think it's true that parents really can be the limit-setters. kids really look to us for that. >> your daughters are 8 and 10. what criteria do you use? >> i have a few different appropriateness criteria when we

do back-to-school shopping. the first thing is, is this a skin show? my kids are little girls still. they shouldn't have what's not even cleavage yet showing. they shouldn't have super short skirts on. we discussed that and my kids get it and appreciate when i say, look, you don't want to sit down and have everybody see your underpants when you cross your legs. we talk through that. the other thing is cost. every family has to figure out what's appropriate for them. lastly, can you run around and be a kid in this? tiny mini skirts and heels? not so much. that's important. >> some of the people they are looking at like miley cyrus, for example, or taylor monson from "gossip girl." they are obviously older girls and the clothing might be appropriate for them, you could argue that, but it's not for kids. how do you strike a balance with your child? >> well, you talk it through with them and you find your comfort level.

there is so much you can say yes to. it's really nice to encourage, as madonna talked about in the clip, to encourage creativity and individuality. my 10-year-old has been dressing herself since she was 3. she went to school, you know, wearing halloween costumes basically at some points. but never anything that was really inappropriate. that's what's important. let them have fun with fashion. let them be creative. let them do their dress-up thing as much as possible. help them find boundaries. >> we have all gone through this in our lives where we want to push the envelope as much as possible. tweens are in a funny position. they're kids but not quite, but they are not adults either. they are trying to find a space that's right for them. >> girlhood is a precious, precious time. you don't want to rush them out of it and have them acting and dressing like women before they are women. it's really important to preserve that time to be kids. >> all right. thank you very much.

i hope the kids are listening. the last kid in the piece was so sweet. >> adorable. >> you want that one. you may not get that one. up next, restaurant salad shockers including one that has the same amount of calories as a double whopper combo and a chocolate shake. cam bo aombo a chocolate shake. to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then... well... i have to keep winding myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. if depression is taking so much out of you, ask your doctor about pristiq. (announcer) pristiq is a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults. pristiq is not approved for children under 18.

do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine, to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. pristiq may cause or worsen high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or glaucoma. telling your doctor if you have heart disease... or before you reduce or stop taking pristiq. side effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating. (woman) for me, pristiq is a key in helping to treat my depression. (announcer) ask your doctor about pristiq. to treat my depression. there's oil out there we've got to capture. my job is to hunt it down. i'm fred lemond, and i'm in charge of bp's efforts to remove oil from these waters. you may have heard that l is no longer flowing o into the gulf, but our spotter planes

and helicopters will keep searching. we've still got thousands of vessels ready to clean up any oil we find. we've skimmed over 35 million gallons of oil/water mixture. i grew up on the gulf coast and i love these waters. we'll be here as long as it takes to clean up the gulf. [ female announcer ] wisk is about to change the way you look at stains forever. discover the power of our stain spectrum technology in the new red bottle of wisk. in stores now! [ female announcer ] this is not a prescription. this is diane. diane, who has diabetes and a daughter who could use a little perspective. diane, who worked with her walgreens pharmacist to keep her blood-sugar numbers in check with a few changes to her diet. ♪ diane, who's showing her daughter the world's a bit bigger than 8th grade. expertise -- find it everywhere there's a walgreens.

it's a good snack. you're welcome. they grow so fast. [ woman ] i know. they do, don't they? why is carol sitting all the way over there? carol almost told evan that there are vegetables in the chef boyardee. nearly ruined their favorite after-school snack. so she's in a time-out. i hope she learns from this. [ female announcer ] chef boyardee micro beef ravioli microwave cups. an after-school snack with a full serving of vegetables. just don't tell them. shh.

we're back at 8:20. ♪ >> i don't know what that music is. up next on "eat this, not that!" if you think ordering salad is always the healthy option, think again. david zinczenko is the editor in chief of men's health magazine and is the author of the "eat this, not that!" series. >> good to see you, matt. >> lettuce isn't fattening, but it's the salads today and all the extras where the fat and calories are. >> it's the extras. they fry this stuff. it's dressing. you go, get the salad, think you're making a sacrifice. hey, make fun of me friends, that's okay, i'm losing weight. they don't realize in some cases it's like the incredible hulk. >> the laugh is on you. you have five salad shockers here. the first is applebee's oriental

chicken salad. this is a doozy in terms of fat and calories. >> if that's an oriental salad i am foo man chu. that's a kfc salad. they fried everything. >> 1300 calories, 93 grams of fat and 2,000 grams of sodium. >> it's a miracle they didn't fry the let sus. it's the equivalent of a mcdonald's double quarter pounder, fries and a coke. >> but they have a better option. >> go with the paradise chicken salad. you're cutting out 1,000 calories, 90 grams of fat. it has too much sodium at 2,000 milligrams. that's what you should get in a day. i guess paradise is a salt mine, but it is a big savings over what you would have eaten. >> a healthier option. wendy's blt cobb salad with croutons and classic ranch. i think the croutons and the dressing are the problem.

>> the croutons are stale sponges that soak up oil. the creamy dressing doesn't do you any favors. bacon, lettuce and maybe tummy for blt. this is the equivalent of two bacon cheeseburgers at wendy's. it's not much of a savings there. it's still a big salad with a lot of calories and fat. >> okay. wendy's has a healthier alternative. the apple pecan chicken salad with roasted pecans and pomegranate vinaigrette. let's go to quizno's. equal opportunity offenders here. the chicken caesar flatbread salad. 920 calories, 66 grams of fat and 2,090 milligrams of sodium. >> exactly, matt. this is the equivalent of having these three white castle sliders, bacon, cheese sliders, and three chicken rings. >> think about it. you have gone in to be healthy

and this is technically what you are consuming in terms of fat and calories. >> it's a day's worth of calories. if you go to quizno's and don't want that thing, you can have the raspberry chipotle chicken salad. you will save 600 calories and 50 grams of fat. >> it's a little smaller. >> it's a good portion. it makes sense. >> this is tgi friday's santa fe chopped salad. 1,800 calories. >> i mean, any mexican-themed salad, stay away from. >> what's in there? >> it's this thick, creamy dressing right here. it's all the fried tortilla bits. it's just like, i don't know, let's make a deal with mexico. keep your salads, we'll keep salma hayek. [ laughter ] >> don't ever get a mexic mexican-themed salad. >> he works hard on these.

he also works in the catskills on weekends. >> it just came to me. this is the calorie equivalent of a burger king double whopper, fries and a chocolate shake. >> the frosty? >> that's over here at wendy's. >> oh, great. >> and the healthier alternative? >> a cobb salad. >> you save 1,300 calories. >> it's your only option on that menu. >> california pizza kitchen's waldorf chicken salad with blue cheese dressing. that's a mistake right here. >> this is a fat farm. this has 1600 calories, almost a day's worth. this is the equivalent of this half pound double with cheese, fries, a medium frosty. the good thing about california pizza kitchen is you can make substitutions. if you get the half moroccan chicken salad you will save over 1,000 calories. this is the leaner half of the salad. >> what's our deal with mexico again? >> we're keeping salma.

>> thank you. >> thanks, matt. just ahead, teaching your teesh teenager to be money smart as they head to college after your local news and your local weather forecast as well. good morning, everyone. time is 8:26. if everybody works right, the next face you'll see is craig herrera. hey, what do you know? >> thanks to our wonderful staff. we do have some 60s out there this morning. we do have fog and low clouds. we will get some sunshine a bit of it this afternoon. if you're headed to the a's game, of the for a hi69 for a h. at the beaches we're back into the 60s. sunset 7:58, no longer the 8:00 hour. here's your seven-day forecast. a little cooler this weekend.

back with more news after the break.

three people are recovering after two separate stabbings in san jose. outside a taco bell at payne avenue and south winchester boulevard. someone stabbed a 19-year-old man who's in critical condition as well. the second stabbing happened just before 9 near story road. a 34-year-old man is expected to

survive. police say both stabbings could be gang-related. if you're busted talking or texting behind the wheel today, don't say we didn't warn you. phase 2 is on the way. law enforcement is cracking down on drivers who ignore laws. the first time around, which was just last week, deputies and police cited 900 drivers. more local news in half an hour. "today" returns shortly.

♪ 8:30 this wednesday morning the 18th of august, 2010. no surprise here. we have another fantastic crowd in rockefeller plaza. if they come back in 48 hours they could hear the hard-rocking band daughtry live on stage. we have another great show a week from friday as well.

>> also coming up, we have a woman who knows how to put the icing on the cake. i will give you three ingredients, what can you make with them -- butter, sugar and vanilla? oh, buttercream icing. we'll find out how to do it with martha stewart. >> also ahead, college money savings. this is the first year kids going to college cannot automatically get a credit card unless they have a job or get a parent to cosign. how do you teach your college kids smart finances? we'll get into that in a few minutes. >> we're going to spend a day in the life of a 13-year-old spelling champion. we're going to find out what it takes to become a wizard of words. >> as long as she doesn't put us to the test. also, then things that are ruining your skin and simple remedies you can try coming up. >> but first, mr. roker with a look at the weather. >> let's show you what's happening as we look ahead to

the weekend. saturday going to be beautiful up and down the eastern seaboard. gulf coast to the ohio river valley, wet weather. on sunday, sunday the rain moves closer to the eastern seaboard. showers in the pacific northwest. sunny and hot along the west coast. good morning. we begin live with a shot right over san jose. gorgeous shot to the morning. as we look toward the fremont hills, craig herrera, temperatures are running cooler than average. that will be the trend as we go through today and tomorrow. we will manage some 80s. but that's all right. the sunshine feels good, right? about 80 in livermore, 74 in san jose, mid 70s for the north end of the bay. this weekend, thorks breezy and cooler. have a great day. that's your latest weather. you can get your weather any time day or night on weather.com

or the weather channel on cable. we have a birthday? >> both of us. >> what are your names? >> joe and joseph. >> that's a law firm, i think. you have that birthday every year? you better. keep it up and you will be with this guy, uncle willy. >> got my muppet tie on. i'm ready for back to school. some people have already gone back to school in some places. happy birthday to you. the year has flown by. we had winter, summer and that was it. we have harold bergman from jacksonville, florida. sat behind einstein in college. he buys a fish filet at mcdonald's every day. i love those. eva himes of duncannon, pennsylvania. retired sunday school teacher. celebrated her 100th birthday

camping with her family. how about that? scratching all night if she camps like i do. amelia cochran of gibson island, maryland. that's pretty. is it a bay or a river? well, i thought it was -- maybe it's a river. anyway, began modeling when she was 99 years old. how about that? walking down the runway. and we have margaret ingram, laguna woods, california. works part time at the country store near her home. happy birthday. how sweet. and we have charles burroughs of camden, south carolina. i have relatives there. 100 years old today. lives independently. retired railroad driver and a former jockey. enjoys bird-watching. lots of birds in south carolina. neil bemalloy, a nice boy, boca

raton, florida. tributes his longevity to a dry martini just to clear the throat. speaking of dry martinis, back to new york. >> thank you, willard. coming up, martha stewart shares her favorite frosting recipes. this is "today" on nbc. b-a-c-c-a-l-a-u-r-e-a-t-e.

baccalaureate. correct. [ audience groans ] since this competition has been continuing for 48 hours and we have yet to eliminate anyone, it is the decision of this board to declare all 20 contestants winners. you have all competed admirably. admirably. a-d-m-i-r-a-b-l-y. admirably. [ male announcer ] at&t is making high speed internet affordable for only $14.95 a month with select services. at&t. rethink possible.

♪ we are back at 8:37 this morning on martha on today, the icing on the cake. from basic buttercream to chocolate ganache, martha has four frostings to make your next cake irresistible and they are in the september issue of "living." >> we have a man on the cover. >> how about congratulations? it's about time. >> kevin sharkey. he lives, you live.

>> we have to do this quickly before david zinczenko bursts in to ruin this for everybody. >> buttercream. three simple ingredients, butter, sugar and vanilla, that's all it takes. >> this is confectioner's sugar -- 10-x as my mother called it. it's ground up granulated sugar with corn starch added for lightness. this one is just basically -- this is a lot of frosting. it will do a lot of cakes and cup cakes. six sticks of unsalted butter. >> softened first. >> right. room temperature. where is our power, guys? and one cup of confectioner's sugar to it. all together eight cups. sift your sugar. no lumps. then you get a light, fluffy frosting. then add one and a half teaspoons of vanilla. >> say the mixer were working -- >> there we go! [ applause ] >> hooray!

>> how long would you mix that? [ . >> you may want to pull the eject handle like the pilot. get out of this thing. >> mix it until it's light and fluffy. i'll do other ones while you do these. >> would you put food coloring in it to change the color? >> you could, of course. but as you said, buttercream looks so good natural. >> just the way it is. >> with a sprinkle of sugar. >> now cream cheese is a very nice frosting using butter, too. >> good on carrot cake. >> red velvet. two sticks of butter, two pounds of cream cheese. >> can you use low fat cream cheese? >> yeah, but i go for the real thing. mix it up together with, again, more confectioner's sugar. don't you love these mixers? >> that's not going either.

>> not our day. >> but this has vegetables. >> i have no idea. it's ge, believe it or not. >> you can ice this cake. >> thank you. >> it looks really pretty and it's tasty. >> okay. now to the ganache. >> this is the easiest frosting in the world. all you do is heat up cream. this is one and a quarter cups. you add a little bit, one tablespoon of corn syrup because that keeps the ganache shiny and malleable. into the cream and the cream is already warm. you just pour the boiling cream into your chocolate. >> got to be hot enough. you were showing me the way to do the chocolate is with a serrated knife. >> on the short side it's easier. watch how easy. see? >> can i show you something?

is there even a cake under there still? >> she wants frosting! >> that's beautiful. >> this is easy, too. >> put it on a rack and you can have a tray under it. pour the ganache over your beautiful chocolate cake. not a lot. you don't need a lot. this is also delicious. >> we can do this later and have somebody pour it in your mouth. >> that, too. >> yum. >> what are you talking about? >> this one is -- angelfood with a great lemon glaze. >> a glaze. confectioner's sugar, four and a half cups and a quarter cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. >> you just whisk it. don't have to worry about that blender. >> no, you don't. >> and i think a little cointreau. >> just a tad. you don't need much. you just want to flavor it. that gets into a nice smooth --

that's it. you just use a spoon and pour it over like an angelfood cake. it looks thick. ooh, not too much! a little bit -- >> that will look like meredith's. >> we don't want it to look like meredith's. >> whoa. [ laughter ] >> this is going to turn ugly. >> i don't want it on me! >> i don't have a dog in this fight. >> they are getting into the icing fight. i thought you were adults. >> you thought wrong. >> but this is the fun stuff you can do -- i got her! >> thank you. >> martha, thank you very much. all the recipes in the issue of

"martha stewart living." al, hold her one more time. we are back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on our special series, back to school today, credit card smart. how teenagers can deal with finances before they head off to school. carmen, good morning. this is the first year where college students cannot get a credit card without proof of a job or having a parent or guardian to cosign. the idea was so they wouldn't amass a lot of debt. >> right. >> but it can be a bad thing for them. >> i am of two minds here. yes, credit card companies went too crazy marketing college kids, extended too much credit, but enabling parents to continue

to be shackled to their adult grown children until they are 25-plus, i have heard from too many 25-year-olds with full-time jobs not able to get one credit card because they couldn't establish their own credit in college. this is what's going to happen. this is the future. >> they get out of college and want an apartment, a car, a loan, whatever. >> and the parents have to continue to cosign. this is a bit drastic, so you have to take measures, plan it out better. >> let's talk about options out there. first of all, it's a secured card, what is that? >> think of it as training wheels on a credit card. you put cash money on the card. you have to prove income. if you have a work study or part-time job this could be the card for you. you build off that money, your cash is on the card. they will extend you credit eventually. you want to make sure they report to the credit reporting agencies to build your credit. >> also, you say you can cosign as a parent on a new card with your child.

>> yeah. i'm never a fan of cosigning. it's like codependency. but if you cosign on a new card you're both equally responsible for the balance and also for your credit report. but because your college student doesn't have credit history you will get a low limit. this limits the damage to your credit report and score and your wallet if you get footed with the bill. it's good to do that. once you graduate you have to be in it together in terms of closing the card. that's something you want to do to cut the apron strings. >> if the kid is responsible you have to go to them saying i want to close this but i want your permission which is weird. >> it is strange. the limit is low so it limits the damage to you and your credit score. >> you can authorize your son or daughter to use your card, an existing card. that sounds dangerous. we did it. >> you did that. >> i'm not sure it was the smartest thing. >> times have changed. because they don't have access

to credit. the problem with authorized users is it doesn't build up your credit score. if you have a student who's not very responsible handing them plastic isn't very responsible. they know you get the bill. and you have a big credit limit. the damage to your credit score and cash could be substantial. be careful. >> how about forgetting the credit card and going for a debit card? >> here's the thing. that could be a good situation if you have -- talking about limits. in college you're learning about limits to your money. make sure if you get a debit card that it doesn't have overdraft protection. there is nothing like going to the register and being denied to teach you something. also, too, it's not going to build credit. i want you to build your credit before the age of 25. try to handle both a debit and credit card. >> if you had to pick one, what's your advice? >> go with the secured card or cosign and a debit card with a limit in term of cash finances there. be careful about budgeting.

remember, not just books but meals. is it cafeteria, pizza budget, transportation. there are a lot of expenses that can creep up, especially if your kid is a freshman and not prepared for it. budget now. >> keep the money conversation going with kids. >> it's an important thing. i tell you, when the bills come, you're tempted to pick up the phone and yell and be stressed out. don't have the conversation once a month. have it continuously when you talk during the week. how's the pizza budget? is there anything going over budget or under? let's adjust a little bit. how is the credit card going? keep talking so don't do it when they owe you something because they will be hiding things. >> and understand they will make mistakes. >> we all go on pizza benders. >> thank you so much. pizza benders, yeah. still ahead, how to get the family organized for the school year. first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> reporter: back now at 8:51 with a young girl who's developed a real love for spelling. sarah, good morning. >> good morning, matt. if you have seen "spellbound" you know some kids take spelling seriously. i had a chance to meet an eager

13-year-olwith a fierce passion for the art of the word. like a lot of girls, anja loves dancing, soccer and just hanging out with her family. what gets her excited -- >> [ spelling word ] >> reporter: -- letters. >> i have always really liked language. i like to read. i like words. >> reporter: her official love affair with words began two years ago when she entered her 6th grade spelling bee and won. did you expect to do that well? >> not at all. >> reporter: she began the road to regionals. with more unexpected wins, her spelling saga began. >> this is the official dictionary. it weighs 14 pounds. this is the medal i got for winning regionals last year. >> she always wanted to be in a spelling bee. she's found her thing. >> reporter: almost every young word whiz wants to make it to

nationals for a chance to compete in the world's most famous spell-off, the scripps national spelling bee held every year in the nation's capital. for anja this meant training with dad every day -- a rigorous, inspiring routine. >> it's given her the confidence to get on stage in front of 400, 500 people. >> reporter: at the national spelling bee, first a success. >> kanban, k-a-n-b-a-n. >> absolutely. >> reporter: and then. >> c-a-r-a-c -- i-o-s. [ bell ringing ] >> reporter: -- a stumper. >> you know when they don't look at you you've missed. there's always next year. >> it's pretty amazing. >> reporter: what's the most difficult part of it?

>> words from some languages have really weird spelling patterns. languages like russian, portuguese, things like that, they have different spelling patterns than you're used to. >> reporter: i struggle with words more than five letters. so i get you. this fall, 13-year-old anja begins 8th grade. she's got big dreams ahead. what do you want to do? >> i would like to be an engineer or astrophysicist. >> reporter: she's living in the moment, preparing for the national spelling bee next year. one word at a time. >> fescue, f-e-s-c-u-e. >> reporter: anja will keep practicing. the last time she'll be able to enter. you can't be beyond 8th grade to compete. i'm sorry. i apologize. >> there were so many b's in

that. >> is anybody a good speller here? onomatopoeia. seriously. do it. we tried it yesterday in the office. no one could spell it. >> o -- >> yeah. >> n-a -- >> no. that's what i went with. >> m -- >> it's hard because you have to see the word. >> you can see it and then you can spell it. sure. they don't do that in a spelling bee. >> please spell onomotopeia. >> i have one for you. how do you spell revenge? i will get to that. f

sweet n' sour filled twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning, everyone. time is 8:56. iismt garvin thomas. craig has an update on the forecast. >> good morning, garvin and all of you. temperatures have been cooler than average. we want to show you tip dale where we are on average over

some of the major averages. we're going santa rosa 82. the numbers have been cooler than average. sunshine is nicer in the afternoon. maybe next week we'll start to warm up a bit more, but a few low 80s for highs today. today, tomorrow an into the weekend we actuabi oo off a t more. we'll be right back. >> ...berber carpet. it was a whole bowl of stew. nooo. why? i could have saved this one. i could have saved this one. ♪ call 1-800-steemer [ male announcer ] when meg whitman arrived at ebay,

they had 30 people and an idea. meg's job was to make it happen. it took leadership. focus. and the ability to bring people together. meg whitman delivered. named one of america's best ceo's by harvard business review, she grew ebay 15,000 strong and made small business dreams come true. now meg has a plan to create jobs. fix sacramento. and deliver results. meg whitman. for a new california. today a group of alleged sexual abuse victims plan to file two lawsuits against the oakland catholic diocese. the suit charges the vatican an diocese was allowing a priest to molest children between 1975 and 1985. the group also says they have letters that show pope benedict

xiv allowed a pedophile to continue to work without notice to parents. chris will have another local update for you in 30 minutes. "today" returns in just a minute.

we're back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning. it's the 18th day of august, 2010. you know it's pretty nice in the northeast though we have clouds in the sky. we have moderate temperature. and maybe a little rain in the forecast. al will try to keep that away from these nice people who gathered on our plaza. we'll see how they grade him this morning. i'm matt lauer along with al roker. happy to see these people made us part of their morning routine. coming up, more about a controversial incident that took place aboard a southwest airlines flight. apparently a flight attendant witnessed a mother slapping her

crying baby with an open hand on the face. the flight attendant took matters into her own hands, took the baby away from the parents and went to the rear of the plane. police got involved. we'll tell you how it all ended up. >> that's a tough situation. >> did she do the right thing? that's the question. >> it's wednesday, so it's today's money 9-1-1. we have a lot of answers to your financial questions including tackling federal student loan debt. whether it is a good idea to consolidate with a private company. we'll talk about paying off your mortgage before retirement and how to handle debt if you owe hundreds of thousands of dollars. also ahead, skin solutions from tanning beds to drinking and smoking. we're going to tell you the ten things that can seriously damage your skin and what you can do to improve your complexion. >> okay. a lot to get to. ann is on assignment in pakistan this morning. natalie is at the news desks with the headlines. hi. >> good morning, matt and al and good morning, everyone.

prosecutors are vowing to retry rod blagojevich after a chicago jury deadlocked tuesday on 23 of 24 counts he faced. he was convicted of one count of lying to federal agents. officials in pakistan say flood waters covering one-fifth of the country will not fully recede until the end of the month. the united nations says it's raised half of the money needed for initial flood relief efforts. anxious moments in china where flood waters swept several people away as others tried to save them. they were all eventually pulled out of the raging water. mazda is recalling cars because of power steering problems including mazda-3 models from 2007 to 2009 and maz mazda-5 models from 2007 and 2008. there have been about 33 complaints about steering problems including three crashes. a mid-air incident on a southwest airlines flight as a flight attendant took a 13-month-old girl from a mother after saying the woman slapped

her child in the face. more from lee cowan. >> reporter: somewhere in the skies between dallas and albuquerque the crying began. but to one southwest flight attendant it wasn't the noise that was troubling. it was what she said the baby's mother was doing to stop it. according to a police report the flight attendant, beverly mccurly saw the mother strike the child with an open hand on the face. that's when police say the flight attendant took the child from the mother and walked to the rear of the aircraft. once there the flight attendant told police she noticed the little girl, just 13 months old, also had a black eye. troubling enough for southwest to call ahead and have police waiting for the parents on the ground. >> the local paramedics checked the child out, extensive interviews were conducted with flight crew, with the parents, with witnesses from the plane. >> reporter: the mother admitted to police while standing in the jetway that she did strike her child but didn't do anything wrong. "i popped her when she kicked me," she said, "and that was it."

"the black eye," she explained, "was from a dog bite." no charges were filed and the family was allowed to board the next flight out. a tough call. >> i wouldn't want any harm to my child. at the same time i wouldn't want someone to necessarily say my discipline style is incorrect. >> it's really hard to criminalize bad parenting. >> reporter: experts say whether charges were filed or not the southwest flight attendant probably did the right thing. >> if you're deciding whether to report or not it's better to err on the side of what could be best for the children. >> reporter: just part of a flight crew's training. southwest said, our flight attendant offered to hold the baby to soothe the child. authorities were called only as a precaution. at 30,000 feet, taking control in the cabin is often priority number one. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. it is now four minutes past the hour. you are up to date now.

let's get a check on the weather from al. >> thanks, natalie. let's see what's happening. we have strong stormsinir fg up just south of atlantic city across through washington, down to knoxville, tennessee. some of the storms dropping lots of rain, isolated areas of hail. anywhere from one to two inches of rain. the rest of the country looking at beautiful weather out west. 73 in seattle. 80 in portland. 85 in los angeles. look for a risk of strong storms through minneapolis to iowa. we have showers from the southwest and also looking at hit-or-miss thunderstorms there and the remnants of tropical depression 5 causing problems for the lower gulf coast. good morning to you. we'll start off with a live shot from san bruno mountain looking back over san francisco. we'll get some clearing, and by the time we get to 12:00, we'll see some clearing especially to oakland for the a's game. just not starting to see the 60s pop up on the map.

70s and 80s everywhere else. notice the seven-day forecast. not a whole lot of change as we go into the next few days. over the weekend we'll cool down more. and now today's money 9-1-1 where we offer advice for pressing financial questions. our team today jean chatzky and the author of "money 911." new to the panel, ceo of the financial assurance corporation. welcome. looking very sharp. and a personal finance expert. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> here we go. we have a question now. we're going to skype. holly from vernon, connecticut. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question for the panel? >> my husband and i are both successful professionals and as a result we have about $150,000 in student loan debt.

we have consolidated our loans but we still have four payments every month, two federal and two private, which total about $1250. although we have good credit we feel we don't really have many options since they don't recommend that we consolidate private and federal student loans. i was wondering if there are options to decrease our overall student loan payment every month? >> a couple of things. they're right about that. you don't want to mix federal and private together because you lose some of the hardship provisions and should you hit hard times you may need those. what you want to look at are the private loans. they are most likely the more expensive of the two. you look at stretching out the payments on the federal loans and seeing if you can just hammer, whale on those private ones, bring the interest rates down and if your credit score is really excellent, close to 800 you may be able to bring it

down. the only other alternative -- and i want to hear what these guys think about this as well is do you have equity in your home? do you have a substantial amount of equity in a home? holly? >> not enough. especially when we purchased our home two years ago it was right before the market started to come down. >> for anybody looking at that, that's the cheapest way to refinance a student loan these days. home equity loans. >> pay off the loan? >> if you can. you have to be careful. you don't want to go on some sort of bender, use the money unwisely. if you're very disciplined it can be decent. >> it does also remember if you declare bankruptcy you cannot get rid of the student loans ever whereas if you use equity in the home and you have enough and it's cheap, then that's the case if you fall on hard times you could take care of it. >> let's get to the phone now. i knew a gal from kalamazoo, michigan named ruthie. good morning. what's your question?

>> caller: good morning. i'm 57 years old, retired with a pension. my husband joe is 58 and plans to retire in four to seven years. he currently contributes the maximum allowable amount into a 40 401-k account and we have no credit card debt. our mortgage is 3.75% and we have seven years remaining on the mortgage. my question is after all our monthly bills are paid we often have extra cash we'd like to do something with. is it better to put the extra money into an investment or savings or is it better to pay down on the principal of the mortgage? >> you guys are retiring very, very young. that's one thing that concerns me here. with a 5% interest rate you don't have to be in a huge rush to pay off the mortgage. you have a long stretch of retirement ahead of you. i would much rather you put the money to work and make it work hard for you in a real diversified portfolio. i know he has a retirement

savings but you can open up another ira. i wouldn't worry about the mortgage and house. you will be free and clear shortly. >> and 5% only costs you 3.5 with taxes. >> invest it. >> and a happy life, ruthie, good for you. >> happy long life. >> good for you. now to a viewer e-mail. this was sent in anonymously from a viewer in montana. "my parents are in their 50s in debt to the irs for a total of $200,000. they have little savings and a lien on their home. we have talked about the ads on television for attorneys to consolidate debt. is there a way to have it reduced? >> they want to confirm first that the debt is theirs, that the total liability is their total liability. you know, the irs has been known to blunder a bit and perhaps bluff folks. once they confirm that, then i would encourage them to seek

perhaps some abatement for the penalties, getting the penalties waived or reduced. often times a big debt like that has lots of penalties and interest. >> you can negotiate? >> they will put you on a payment plan and she asked specifically about the ads on tv. we can get rid of your debt, cut it in half. avoid them. be careful. >> let's go to skype with jennifer from ann arbor, michigan. good morning. >> good morning, al. >> what's your question for the panel? >> i was watching the "today" recently -- >> that's very, very good. >> i'm sorry. go ahead. >> i was watching "today" recently and it was recommended that people look into refinancing. now, i have looked into refinancing, but no one will actually take a look at us. we're upside down on the mortgage. due to the housing economy, but we are up to date on our bills.

it seems to me that only the people who are not making their payments can actually refinance, or people who are first time home buyers can get the great rates. do you have any differing information that could help us? >> carmen? >> there is a little bit of a mix up. it's not refinancing you're talking about. refinancing is only for folks with equity in their home, and a lot of equity. at least 20% or more. basically buying your home again at a different rate. if you're under water you're talking about a loan modification. this is different. this is when the bank adjusts the terms of the loan, lowers your interest rate, lowers the monthly payment. you may pay more in the end or they extend the loan from 20 years to 30. you have to get help and it is true that loa lot of banks aren helping unless you fall behind. go to makinghomeaffordable.org and talk to a hud housing counselor to talk about your chances of a loan mod. >> lots of great advice.

jennifer, good luck with the refinance or home modification. >> thank you so much. still ahead, getting your kids organized as they head back to school. we have tips for a productive school year. up next, ten things that are ruining your skin and how to protect yourself, right after these messages. well, max, first day... moh-ohm. -do you have your lunch? -yes. and you know where your classroom is? uh huh. mom, i can walk from here. what about your... mom, i got it. ♪ [ female announcer ] they're never too big for a little something sweet. kellogg's rice krispies treats. for a little something sweet. activia has delicious news for dessert lovers. often, the best part of a meal is the dessert. but sometimes after a busy day and a heavy greasy dinner...

my system needs some tlc. now there is something new. introducing activia dessert. rich, silky, smooth yogurt with desserty flavors like strawberry cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, and peach cobbler. and because it's activia, it helps regulate my digestive system. mmm. works for me. ♪ activia new activia dessert. [ spray bottle ] what does she see in him? [ liquid cleaner ] well, he cleans three times more soap scum per swipe than you. [ spray bottle ] and i bring out the shine, too! ding! what was that? that was the noise a shine makes... [ male announcer ] remove three times more soap scum per swipe with the new mr. clean magic erer bath scrubber. time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. [ female announcer ] introducing granola thins. new from nature valley. delicious granola squares lightly toasted

for a delicate crispy crunch. layered with creamy peanut butter or rich dark chocolate flavor. an irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth taste... ♪ and nature approves. new nature valley granola thins. nature at its most delicious. ♪ ♪ da da-da, da, da, da-da ♪ da-da, da, da, da ♪ da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da ♪ [ female announcer ] there's a place called hidden valley where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. ♪ hidden valley ranch. makes vegetables delectable. discover four more ways to make vegetables delectable

with farmhouse originals from hidden valley. [ female announcer ] start your morning... hey. what are you doing up? i thought i'd take a drive before work. want to come? [ female announcer ] or make his day. yeah. [ female announcer ] maxwell house gives you a rich, full-flavored cup of coffee, so you can be good to the last drop. this morning on today's health, ten things ruining your skin. aging is inevitable, but you can slow down the pace. here are skin remedies is dr. susan taylor, dermatologist. good morning. >> good morning. >> we know the damage the sun can do. harvard medical school says it is still the biggest cause of damage to the skin. >> people don't realize exposure while driving in the car, while walking down the street is significant. the rule is you have to apply

sunscreen every day and you have to apply it every two hours because it wears off after two hours. don't forget to use spf 30. no excuses. there is a sunscreen for everyone. if your skin is dry, you can use a moisturizing sunscreen. if it's oily, use gel. there are sprays, sticks. >> even sensitive skin, you name it. >> right. >> we know stress is a big skin-buster. what can we do to alleviate that? >> first of all, find out what's right for you. it might be yoga, exercise, meditation. so it's going to be different for everyone. what you have to realize is that when you're under stress the body releases neuropeptides. they can act on the skin making acne worse, eczema worse, psoriasis worse. also adrenaline is released causing blood vessels to constrict depriving the skin of

oxygen and nutrients. >> everything flares up then. >> you need to relieve it. >> compounded with stress is lack of sleep. >> that's right. >> one other thing to do is trying to get more sleep. >> you need seven to eight hours of sleep. that's hard for many people. if you get six, try to add another 30 minutes. that's a real simple thing to do. what you have to realize is that stress can have profound effects on the skin. it can cause skin cells to reproduce abnormally. that could lead to precancers for example and shorten the life span of cells. >> 15, 30 minutes makes a big difference. >> goes a long way. >> okay. let's talk about dehydration. if you're drinking alcohol or if you're even washing your face with too much hot water, that can dehydrate the skin. >> or drying soaps or cleansers can dehydrate the skin. that can ruin your skin, so moisturize. there are many moisturizers available.

this one has ceramides in it. those are lipids that help the skin hold onto water. apply moisturizer a couple times a day if your skin is dehydrated. and be mindful of the cleansers and soaps you're using. >> in the summer people don't like to moisturize because they think they will break out. what can you do? >> there are many moisturizers that are noncomedegenic. they won't break you out. >> i know people are addicted to lip balm and it turns out overuse is making your lips drier. >> it can, depending on the ingredients. there are ingredients or dyes that give it a bright color that can irritate the skin and produce extra dryness. if that's happening to you, look for a balm that just has petrolatum, think of it as vasoline. apply it several times a day. your lips will get better as

opposed to drier. >> we know there is serious damage tanning salons can do. everyone recommend it is self-tanners, but often the application isn't easy. how do you keep from getting streaky. >> first of all, self-tanners have come a long way. they're terrific now. if you're applying one on your legs, shave beforehand to remove dead layers of cells. when you apply self-tanner it won't streak. you could even use a loofah sponge or buff-puff. >> ex-foal yat first. >> you could use a lotion and then the self-tanner goes on smoothly and evenly. >> for people with problem skin who break '02out a lot, they te to overuse products. >> it causes redness and irritation. the rule is select one product. use it for six to eight weeks. that's how long it takes to see improvement. if you don't see improvement after that time see a

dermatologist. >> benzoperoxide and salycilic acid. >> don't combine them. >> and tobacco is terrible for your skin. >> smoke releases free radicals which damages your collagen and elastin in the skin. so stop smoking. you can't reverse all the damage. some of it you can. if you have deep wrinkles and folds and a sal low skin tone, go to your determine knormatold. there are things we can prescribe. >> thank you very much. still to come, keeping your kids organized as they head bact hese messagetos.asoom. rst, these messages. [ female announcer ] what if your natural beauty could be flawless, too?

new aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers, with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on, to even skin tone in four weeks. new aveeno tinted moisturizers.

[ girls ] good. ♪ ♪ thank you! ♪ phew! [ ernie ] we make our cookies the way only keebler elves can: with a little something extra. so every bite can be uncommonly good. with. you're college.ve best seven years of my life. i know, dad.

your comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. it's their softest roll ever. check out the pattern. it's softness done right. same soft rolls we use at home honey! one more thing, guys. oh nice a shoe rack! actually, it's a toilet paper rack. sweet. huh. huh. [ female announcer ] do you know scott? scott extra soft is softness, done right. [ female announcer ] do you know scott? mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love light & fit. still to come on "today," a lesson in organization for parents as your kids head back to class. how planning now can lead to a more successful school year ahead. plus, crowd pleasing cakes

from today's kitchen. two award winning chefs mark and clark are here. afr. ewweather. tivia is better than ! hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? today is your tasty lucky day! sure, why not? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. ooh, i think i'll pass. no, no, no! trust me. it is beyond tasty. okay! mmm! wow! i can't believe it, i love it! mmm, this is really good! new best tasting activia ever! taste it, love it, or it's free! ♪ activia

[ water runs ] [ female announcer ] new chef boyardee whole grain beefaroni. [ whispering ] now with whole grain pasta. shh. good morning to you. a couple minutes before 9:30. i'm kris sanchez. let's get your forecast with craig. >> good morning, chris. good more to all of you. a little cooler than average. we've been dealing with some 50s right now, just started to see some 60s. it's taking some time to get the sunshine going. finally when we do, 70s and 80s. a couple lower 80s like almaden valley. there's your seven-day forecast. we are with this trend at least through friday. it's the weekend the fog gets thicker and the wind a little stronger. next week looks warmer.h lmore

the break. n

. a san francisco nightclub is fighting for its right to party. an attorney for the sand cafe on pier 50 says the club will defy an eviction notice from the port of san francisco. they decided to end the lease after a man was shot to death outside that club last month. police have also called for the club's closure. another man was shot and killed in 2008 during a fight. the club's lawyer says that the violent incidents have been exaggerated, an, in his words, misdescribed." the family of a -- is suing the dead pilot's estate. the lawsuit accuses him and the company that owned the plane of negligence. according to the suit, the family says that bourne showed blatant disregard for poor weather, the condition of his aircraft and a lack of flying experience. the suit was filed by the family of 31-year-old andrew ingram. he was a passenger in the small

plane that crashed into an east palo alto neighborhood six months ago, killing all on board. democrats throughout the central coast are seeing red. voters elected state assemblyman sam blakley to fill the senate seat in district 15. they were just one vote away from claiming the two thirds majority needed to pass budget plans and tax increases. that special election drew lots of interest across the country. meg whitman campaigned for him, while president obama endorsed the democratic candidate. district 15 had five -- including southern santa clara county. we have more local news in half an hour, and "today" returns in less than a minute.

♪ you've got to like this guy, daughtry. an emmy-nominated band formed by chris daughtry after he was voted off "american idol" four years ago. he's never looked back. this friday on "today" they are all going to be here live, rocking the plaza. the summer series isn't over yet. next week, katy perry will be here to celebrate the debut of her new album "teenage dream." come on down. >> i wonder what she'll be

wearing this time. meanwhile in this half hour it's back to school time. yeah! that means books, homework, projects and lots of after school activities. it's easy for your child, but not to mention parents sometimes to get overwhelmed. this morning we are going to have a lesson in organization to help your kids have a less stressful and more productive school year. >> that's a big thing. lila is going into 6th grade. it's about organization. there is a locker now, changing classes, wow. >> about when to do your homework and to have an area set up so they want to do homework. we'll get to that in a bit. >> one place you will want to be is today's kitchen for a classic recipe for crab cakes from two award winning james beard chefs who say the secret is to keep it simple. >> more crab. >> more crab! like more cowbell.

you can't go wrong. i have a fever and only crab can cure it. let's take a look and see what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. checking out the weekend ahead. saturday we have sunshine up and down the east coast. [ cowbell ] >> thank you very much! wet weather on the gulf coast into the ohio river valley. sunday, more rain through new england down along the southeastern atlantic coast. [ natalie laughing ] >> she's crying. [ i think we have some people here as well laughing and crying. good morning. a live shot, san jose. look at the clearing up above. it took some time to get the sunshine going, for the next

couple days, late morning clearing. another system that's going to come through and cool us off this weekend. into tomorrow and friday, we'll manage a couple 70s, lower 80s, and we'll drop into the 70s for saturday and sunday. and that's your latest weather. >> coming up next, how getting your kids organized now can lead to a better school year ahead after these messages. nouncer ] everyone deserves to be safe. that's why every new toyota comes with the star safety system standard. it's is a combination of five accident avoidance technologies. the star safety system is something that's standard on 100 percent of toyota vehicles. we always think of safety, even in the concept design of our vehicles. [ male announcer ] the star safety system. standard. because we know, there's nothing more important to you than your safety. all our new safety features are at toyota.com/safety. and you have that moment of... "oh, yeah!"

well... this... is mine. sprinkled with cinnamon, sparkling with taste. cinnamon toast crunch. enjoy the cinnsation. ♪ i feel like bustin' loose, bustin' loose, now ♪ [ male announcer ] chips ahoy! crammed with real chocolate chips... there's a lotta joy... [ man ] hey! ...in chips ahoy! there's a lotta joy... mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love light & fit. who are you?!? i'm your "genie"! weren't you just wishing for something more nutritious to eat? i was! well, you could enjoy the taste of decadent dark chocolate, the crunch of almonds, plus 35% of your daily fiber... plus antioxidants in a kellogg's fiber plus bar. mmmm.

right then. two more wishes? i'm good. oh. back to the lamp then. see ya! [ female announcer ] kellogg's fiber plus bars. you couldn't wish for more. ♪ oh, love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love, love as they do at the beginning ? only air optix® contact lens materials have tricomfort™ technology. they let up to five times more oxygen through the lens than traditional soft contact lenses... ...are designed to retain moisture for comfort

all day long... and have superior deposit resistance for cleaner lenses. air optix®, the lens you can survive a long day in. go to airoptix.com for a free one-month trial offer. would you like that to hurt now, or later? uh, what? sir, do you want heartburn pain now or later? [ male announcer ] these medicines make you choose. pepcid® complete doesn't. it's fast acting and long lasting. pepcid® complete works now and works later. this morning on back to school today, the importance of being organized. after the first school bell rings your home will be flooded with homework, books, binders

and projects. teaching kids to be organized now can lead to a more successful school year ahead. wendy welsh is a psychologist, mom of two and an expert for momlogic.com. what else, wendy? >> this is a big hurdle for parents to be organized and keep kids organized. >> there are so many bits and pieces with children. when a newborn comes to the house they bring 40 pounds of laundry. when it's school it's homework, clothes, art projects. >> really important to let them start off on a good foot for the school year. >> in order for the brain to learn, we need to have an organized environment. it helps us internally organize by organizing our environment. >> i can't concentrate unless everything is clean. >> i clean my desk before i work. >> exactly. that's what kids are doing as well. let's talk about basic tools starting off first with homework time and creating an atmosphere

that's going to lead them to want to sit down at the table and do that. >> our homework is down here. what we have is they come in backpacks. these are great ones from lands end and l.l. bean. they have a pile of paperwork. first i pull out the stuff for me that needs to be signed, needs a check, a permission slip. i have file folders and one is always called mom. i take out my own first. i make sure their homework goes in files in their slots. when i hear later, "where's my homework" they know where it is. it's labeled and color coded. >> how often do you clean and throw away? >> ideally, every day. believe it or not, there are day of handouts you have to get back. signing the reading list or what have you. you have to go through the backpack every day. i know every mom doesn't especially if you have three kids at different schools and all kinds of stuff, but try. >> this is a battle in a lot of homes. the wardrobe wars.

that's where we are over here. >> oh, yes. i have a prima donna drama queen entering 2nd grade. she changes four, five times and has tantrums if things aren't write. sunday we take out ziploc bags, label them monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. everything from the shoes to underwear to socks. the full outfit is there and there are no changes allowed in the morning. that's the outfit. that keeps it from -- you know how suddenly it's p.e. day on wednesday and the uniform is in the wash? this helps. we negotiate. we have time on sunday. we negotiate and work through. >> also, keeping kids organized. a lot of it has to do with you keeping your calendar organized and their schedules together. >> we are all blackberry, iphone computer people. it's wonderful to have the schedule hidden away. kids can't take responsibility for their lives or reminding us

what they need unless we have a visual reminder. there are great mom calendars out there. they come with color coded stickers with each kid and their schedule. i think getting kids in the habit of working through with you and this should be on the fridge. this makes it fun and at a glance you have a visual reference for the day without logging onto the kpurnd opening the program. -- computer and opening the program. the kids can count the days to the birthday party and remind you to get a present. >> i wish my kids would. half the time i'm running to the store. >> exactly. >> to keep them motivated what are other tools or things to keep them going. >> starting with younger children it's a matter of doing more for them and slowly falling back a little bit. i like to say if you do your job well, you have worked yourself out of a job as a mother. you're trying to train them. the older ones, give them responsibility. i give rewards, not allowance.

you don't get paid for it being friday. i reward itunes songs. >> good songs. >> not explicit songs. that's the one my kids like. or video game time. >> wendy walsh, thank you. good advice. up next, classic crab cakes from maine right after these messages. me love activia light? me sometimes i have no choice but to eat on the run and to eat whatever happens to be around. heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet

and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. activia light, with bifidus regularis, helps regulate your digestive system in two weeks. mmmm. activia light is not light on taste! and with only 70 calories activia light helps make it easier to watch my weight. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®.

comes in a new liquid gel. hey college girl. hey mom. i just got your package. great.

yea, mom you're the best. i thought you would like it. so, how are your classes, are you enjoying them? (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. we can't wait to get you home. i love you mom. i love you too. we'll see you soon. choosey moms, choose jif. to get more of the fiber you need every day, try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. go to fiberchoice.com to get savings and rewards.

♪ sitting in the morning sun this morning in today's kitchen, a classic crowd pleaser -- crab cakes. mark and clark keep it simple by using fresh ingredients. they are chefs in maine.

good to see you guys. you're not going to use that on me, are you? so we have fresh crab cakes. >> absolutely. you can buy the crab meat, but you can tear off the top of the crab, the knuckles and claws. clean out the gills, just like with soft shell crab. you don't want to eat that stuff. >> how many crabs do you need to make them? >> you probably need a dozen to get enough meat. >> so you clean it out, and you've got a big bowl of crab. yeah, that's what we're talking about. >> this is what you want. this is the good stuff. >> here, all done. we have been working on it for hours. >> all day. what goes into this? it's pretty simple. >> my thing, i believe -- and mark -- we love to put the fresh lemon juice right on here. using really fresh crab it

brightens it up really nice. add that and we have bread crumbs that have been sauteed and not browned, as you can see. >> what do you saute them in? >> whole butter. >> you want to be careful buzz you don't want the crab to break up. >> a little bit. it won't hurt. you don't have to be super careful, but don't beat it into submission either. then a little bit of sour cream. well, a lot. >> okay. >> that's on the don't eat list, so we won't talk about it too much. a little bit of flour. you can always add more to make them form appropriately. but this is pretty good. >> do you throw in any salt or pepper? >> yeah. why don't you add a little bit of that? >> you can always use the nice kosher salt, sea salt. and a little bit of freshly ground pepper. i think these are going to form

up. there we go. a little bit more flour. >> the flour is the binder? gets you the right consistency. >> you can put it all in, but less is more. >> definitely. >> i noticed you coat them before -- in a little flour? >> just a little bit of flour. >> there we go. takes a few minutes and these are beautiful. >> there we go. these are almost ready. >> thanks. >> now, we're going to make a nice tartar sauce? >> exactly. a remoulade which is perfect with crab cakes. >> that sounds better than tartar sauce. >> absolutely. you can make your own mayonnaise or buy an organic with olive oil and nice things in it. essentially you're adding shallots and chopped pickles, mustard. we add different things, a thai sricha chili paste.

this is so easy especially if you buy the mayonnaise. it makes it even easier. we have a little bit of vinegar for a kick. we like a little kick in the crab cake. >> how's the crab season in maine? >> it's been really good this year. it's been a good season all around. lots of crabby tourists and nice tourists. just lots of them. it's been a great year. >> the weather has helped out this year. >> last year was a horrible -- >> hideous. we were all ready to shoot ourselves. it was the worst ever. it rained for 30 days in june. it was cloudy in july. everybody was afraid they lost all their money. that looks really good. i will stick my finger in and taste it. clark has crab cakes just about ready there. >> oh, man. this is pretty darn tasty. >> isn't it good? >> it is. >> you can use maine peketoe

crab. >> that's fun to say. >> it really is. if you have the patient to pick them. they really are a pain. they're not that cute. they're cute to look at. >> so you put a little bit of the -- >> put the remoulade right on. >> or a lot of it. >> just dip it. >> pick them up and eat them. >> i didn't know it was finger food. >> it is now. >> oh, man. >> lots of crab meat. not much stuff to interfere. just enough to hold it in here. >> natalie will be here in a minute. >> does she like crab cakes? >> she does. we'll be right back, but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

natalie's still on the cowbell. look who stopped by.

>> we came to visit and have crab. >> i need this. >> yes. >> we are going to be talking about a lot of things. there are so many more teenagers, young girls getting botox. >> really? >> yeah. >> and girls as young as 8 getting bikini waxes. our facebook lit up like crazy. >> it's disturbing on many levels. >> botox, many of them are trying to beat the wrinkles or change the shape of their faces. >> what does an 8-year-old -- >> that's -- >> geez. >> also more coming up. >> we'll talk about that. >> and a movie called "lottery ticket." what would you do if you won $300 million? how would your life change? >> bye-bye!

moving on. >> and much, much more of course. >> we'll see you in a little bit. >> who knew? >> and who knew? >> after your local news. [ male announcer ] when meg whitman arrived at ebay,

they had 30 people and an idea. meg's job was to make it happen. it took leadership. focus. and the ability to bring people together. meg whitman delivered. named one of america's best ceo's by harvard business review,

she grew ebay 15,000 strong and made small business dreams come true. now meg has a plan to create jobs. fix sacramento. and deliver results. meg whitman. for a new california. good morning to you. a couple minutes before 10:00. i'm kris sanchez here with craig herrera, who has the forecast that's so nice and cool.

>> absolutely. good morning, chris. good morning to all of you. a bit of clearing there. if you're headed to the a's game, we'll see some clearing, the uv index back up to 9. high there at 69 at gametime. and the coast still has 60s. through tomorrow we have more of those lower 80s in some of the lower spots. then this weekend a lot of fog. it's going to take some time to clear the fog. the sea breeze returns and back into the 70s in the warmer spots. next week it looks like the mid and upper 80s are back in the forecast. back to you. thank you very much. if you're busted talking or texting behind the wheel today, don't say we didn't try to warn you. zero-tolerance part 2 is under way. they're cracking down on drivers who are ignoring the cell phone laws. agencies are joining forces for the second phase of the campaign. the first time around, which was just last week, deputies and police officers cited 900

drivers. it turns out the genes that can cause diabetes mauve fought off deadly diseases in the past. they looked into the survival of the fittest theory, asking why we have not evolved past those two kins. they established a link between type 1 diabetes and the ability to people who have rheumatoid arthritis were less likely to develop crohn's disease. thousands of patients will need to be revaccinated after a bay area medical foundation discovered potentially bad batch of vaccines. the foundation is recalling 3,000 patients and telling them they may need to get another shot. those shots are for different illnesses, and were given between january and june at care centers in san francisco, sonoma, marin and lake counties. doctors say the vaccines won't hurt you, but they might not be

effective, because they were osteoed at the wrong term. see you back here in half an hour.

hey, everybody, it is wines-day, august 18th and we've got the wine to prove it. >> yes, we do. all of this wine came to us courtesy of the folks at the farmers' market. what's cool about rockefeller center in new york, you don't expect is it, but in the middle of the heart of the biggest city in the country, they have a farmers' market. >> on wednesdays, thursdays and fridays. >> it's just right down the street. >> look who we caught actually there one day, when you said you

were doing "dateline." or was that your evil twin, helen. >> you go there in the middle of the city. >> fresh fruit, they brought us terrific wines, lavender, and a wide assortment of various cheeses. >> they also brought these glasses. these are, i guess there's a woman sommelier, there's only 15 of the tom sommeliers in the world are women. >> is that anthony? >> anthony's got gas. >> it happens, it happens. >> he just ate cabbage, so, anyway, i don't know if it's true, but it's from andrea wine.com. >> they say the shape of the glass makes the wine taste better. >> how does a glass make wine taste better. >> that's a nice pinot, is that

a pinot grigio? i don't know. i'm not sophisticated enough, it tastes the same to me. but it's a lovely glass. we had an unbelievable reaction. >> yesterday we did a story how young girls around the age of eight are going to the salons and getting their bikini lines waxed. some of the mothers are taking in and the question is, is when is it too young. clearly eight seemed incredibly too young. >> not to some of you who came to us on facebook and made your opinions known. >> there was a woman from georgia who said my daughter is nine and we get her eyebrows and lip waxed. she has been shaving her legs for a year. when she needs a bikini wax, we will have it done. it makes her feel better about herself. >> there's questions i would ask that would be indelicate. and you know me, i don't do that. >> well you know for some young

girls, hair gross and it's embarrassing. >> we were trying to make the point yesterday, is it before puberty. people are doing it to children before puberty. kids before 12 are getting botox so that they will never even have wrinkles in their life. it's so self-absorb and narcissistic. we should be out playing with paper dolls, you know what i'm saying? >> let's go to other responses. valerie in oregon says i was actually thinking about waxing my 9-year-old's underarms, so she wouldn't have to shave. am i just crazy? >> yes, you are. >> if there's nothing there, don't do it. don't make her even be thinking this way, yet. >> look, there are certain things that make us all self-conscious. if it's bad, you got to do something. >> why not shave it like we've done for years and years. >> a thing they do in egypt, which is kind of a cool thing,

they want to get rid of all the hair on your arms, okay? the way they do it is they take sugar, water and lemon, cook it on the stove. cook it slowly, it turns into a gummy substance. they actually sell it. and they put it on your arms and they just rip sugar, water and lemon. cook it, sleely, slowly. they put it on your arm and rip it. just like waxing. they sell it like crazy. they believe in like, get rid of it all. just all of it. >> all of it. >> all of it. >> how egyptian are you? >> just about 100%. so, kate in missouri says delicate subject. they are too young emotionally but their bodies are telling them differently. >> that's key to the whole thing. if we are maturing at a faster rate and kids are maturing earlier and earlier and earlier, kids don't deserve grown-up

problems. they are dealing with the sexuality. they are bombarded. they haven't had a chance to have a childhood. people without a successful childhood, we talk about them every day on this show. they go on to have bad adulthoods. things didn't happen properly in developmental years. >> we were talking about kids getting botox at an early age. they are young girls in their teens choosing to get injected. they want to beat the written cals before they come or change the shape of the face. they say it relaxes part of your face. parents are probably paying for this, i can imagine. if your child's self-esteem needs fixing, that's not the doctor to see. see a shrink of community service person. someone other than the doctor. there's going to be something tomorrow. >> something else they are not

happy with. it's not just children who need help. >> what are you talking about? >> we have been talking about this story for awhile. >> which one? >> here goes. >> now, a moment with mel. >> yep, lost control of his 2008 car. >> he was all by himself. he crashed the car. they say he was not -- he didn't have alcohol in his system according to the officers. >> no drugs. >> that was a moment with mel. >> that definitely was -- >> and that was a moment with mel. >> we like it. >> we like it. we just don't have all the kinks worked out. >> this was a story today -- >> this goes under -- >> this is a story that when we

saw it on tv, you couldn't believe it happened. there was a flight attendant on a southwest airlines flight. >> why is it always southwest? >> i love southwest. >> these things always happen on southwest. >> a woman with an open hand slapped her 1-year-old daughter in the face. >> she says she popped her. >> that was the quote afterwards. she hit her in the face. the flight attendant saw and said she would take the baby. >> she didn't take three beers and go down the chute? >> no. >> the flight attendant was concerned enough to call the police. when the flight landed the police asked the woman did you hit your child. she said, yes, i popped her after she kicked us. she's one, by the way. i popped her after she kicked me. the black eye was a bite from the dog. the people, the police allowed that family to board another

plane and proceed on their way. >> the flight attendant handled it beautifully, i think. if the woman is willing to smack a child in front of so many witnesses, it causes concern about what she does when nobody is around. i think they were right to check it out. >> i think it's a weird thing. say you are in the store and someone smacks their child. >> i get upset. >> do you do something or not? >> you know what i usually say, can i help you? do you need help with your child? they are surprised and caught they are not handling it well. no, no, no, i'm fine. it reminds them you are in a public place. >> it's better to say something than not. >> you are the one that doesn't say anything to anyone. >> i'm talking if they really get -- >> i think the tendency is not to -- i think people explain things. >> people don't want to get

involved. when it's a child you should. hi, sarah. what's going on. >> the waxing is coming back up, but we are talking act the flight attendant now. lindsay says if i were a flight attendant, i would do the same thing even if it's a misunderstanding. sometimes parents need a time-out, too. where did the kid learn to kick? >> this is a day after the tragic story in south carolina, the woman who suffocated her two children. there's an incredible organization child help. 1-800-for-child. call them before you hit your kid. >> ice cube is in the house. >> what could you do if you won 300 million bucks. he's going to tell us right after this. [ male announcer ] sometimes one taco can't handle all your favorite toppings.

¿qué si usamos tacos s grandes? [ ma announcer ] old el paso super stuffers. 33 larger shells. feed your fiesta. 33 larger shells. why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia!

and it starts with healthy skin. discover aveeno daily lotion. the exclusive oat formula is proven to improve... skin's health in one day, with significant improvement in two weeks. get healthy skin for life, with avno daily moisturizing lotion. family trees... circles of friends... backyards are one size fits all. and just like we mix and mingle... so do the delicious tastes and textures in every handful of chex mix. we're made to mix. ♪ and i feel like... [ female announcer ] kellogg's® wants to make kids happy one tummy at a time. because 9 out of 10 kids don't get the fiber they need,

that's why froot loops® and apple jacks® have 3 grams of fiber in every yummy bowl. they're the cereals your kids love and the fiber their tummies love... which makes for a whole lotta happy. froot loops® and apple jacks, an oh-so-good source of fiber. kellogg's® makes fiber fun. ice cube helped define

gangsta rap. and now the guy has collected a long list of credits and a film called "lottery ticket." a film about what happens when one neighborhood guy wins $350 million and tries to keep it a secret. >> and he is here with us. and it takes place over the fourth of july weekend, right? >> yes. >> so we have three days it has to keep it a secret from his family. >> the time before he can really cash the money in. so everybody knows he's rich, but he's not actually rich. >> how do they find out if he's trying to keep it a secret? >> you know, it's the neighborhood. you know what i mean? once one person knows, everybody knows in about 20 minutes. >> you're not the lottery winner, you're just sort of the guy who's the wide old sage. >> i'm the old dude that, you know, has seen everything going on in the neighborhood. and wants to change. and he pulls bow wow aside and tells him what he should do with the money. >> how did they make you look a

little older? >> they kind of grays you up a little bit. >> they had to do a whole lot of work to make me look that bad. >> i don't think you look that bad. >> how is it working with bow wow, he used to be little bow wow and now he grew up. >> he did. >> i did a movie called "all about the benjamins." and he did a little role in it. and to see him now take the lead in star-studded cast. >> he carries it. >> yes. he does. >> what's the lesson in this movie? >> the lesson is, you know, remember who was there before you were successful, you know? that's basically the lesson. it's not about all the new friends that come along when you get something. it's about the people that was there before you had something. >> in the beginning. you're still keeping up with your music, aren't you? >> yes. >> hard core gangsta rap, isn't it? >> yes. >> you're not a gangster? >> of course i am. i'm a businessman. >> married with kids. >> you're a family guy in the

superbs now. >> come on now, you know. >> and you, you on your own kind of lottery, buddy, didn't you? >> yeah. >> how has it changed you? >> it's gotten me to think about more than myself, you know. i got to think about my family, i got to think about their future. and you know, it just puts everything in perspective for me. >> when is your next cd coming out? >> september 28, called "i am the west." it's a good record. >> how is it different from the other records you put out? >> what's different is -- it's just, it's just progression and you know, when you've been doing it as long as i have, you're always looking for new topics, new things to talk about. >> give us an example, what would be a new topic? >> i got a song called "'hood robbing." you know the story of robin hood. rob from the rich and give to the poor.

now "'hood robbing" now it's like everybody robbing from the poor and giving to the rich. everybody losing their house. >> relevant to the times. >> thank you and good luck with the movie. >> no problem. i hope every go see "lottery ticket" this friday. >> it opens this week. >> yes. >> we're not going it say no to the gangsta, now everybody you'll want to make for college, easy. she's got those gloves on again. >> we'll be back with julie in a minute. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings.

that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. and these are the ones you'll love on a tuesday. pillsbury crescent dogs, with just a few ingredients, you have an easy to make dinner. they're crescents for the other 364. try them toght.

time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. where? it's really good. do you see it? it's called hope. hope? yeah. hope. i don't see any hope. i don't see any hope in here. you can't see it there, but you can see it here... 'cause every time you get a happy meal or a mighty kids meal some of the money goes to ronald mcdonald house charities. to help lots of kids and families. hope's good! happy meals. the simple joy of helping.

♪ one woman who never stops, she is the accidental housewife. julie adelman, and she's here with everything your college student is going to need to make paving the way as comfortable.

>> cozy and clean. >> i am accidental, so this will be clean enough. >> it's the way you roll. >> it's the way i roll. which brings us to laundry. which, as you know, kids at home throw it all over the place. >> and they do it all at once. >> which is very cute. we've got great little graphic designs on them. but the trick here is, the fact that unless you give them underwear for three weeks or four weeks, which is a good idea, it's going to get smelly, smelly. so if you put a little bit of arm and hammer baking soda right in with their laundry to get rid of the yucky smell. >> really? >> yes. and they can dump the whole thing in the washer and it's okay. now these are terrific, too. you know how at the end of the year, you put up hooks in the college room dorms and you're paying extras for all the damage. these are command hooks, they're adhesive, they go on, within a few hours, they dry, they stick

up to 75 pounds they can hang. and they don't damage the wall, you can use them again, just get new adhesive. the shower, we know that won't be cleaned, if ever. >> so many diseases. >> they do, so cloths are cool and now they make shower sandals, adidas, nike, they're not expensive and the water goes over the top, so they don't absorb and they are very fast-drying. >> wear those in the shower? >> yes. >> in the shower. so you wear them in. they walk back to the room. you know how you usually just chuck the flip flops in the corner, mold begins to take up residence, this will help. >> i didn't know they were just for the shower. >> they're called shower sandals. and your little caddy. again you want one that's event la ventilated. >> and that one? >> if you're lucky enough to have your own shower, this is a suction one or you can put it on

your head and carry it there. >> i've seen that. >> the beds. >> we don't know who our kids are sleeping with. don't get worried, don't get worried about cody. i'm talking about dust mites and things like that. these are called allergy-blocking sheets and casements, you put them all over the mattress, if they're lucky enough to have box spring, you put them over that. these beds have been used over and over and they also make a pillow that you just chuck that pillow, it's an allergy-blocking pillow. you chuck that right into the washing machine and wash the whole pillow. which is probably easier than the case. >> what are you getting rid of? >> the dust mites. >> microallergens, it's called some kind of technology that the pores are this small, the dust mitings and their doo-doo. >> now -- storage space is a real problem. these things are terrific. these are just, you know, risers, you get them five

inches, and it will riser it up. so -- >> you can put more under there. >> more storage space, or if you make a surprise visit to cody and that's girl, he can throw her under here. >> hoda and i -- >> coda? >> i'm good. coda goes to college. anyway -- >> these are terrific. these are for storage. these are on wheels which is great so they can slide them in and out. if you want something a little bit more decorative, these are great by jacqueline smith, they zip up and you can put cedar blocks in. also so if there's moths hanging around, they won't bring them home. >> are these risers sturdy? >> yes, they are. >> there you go. >> now these are not -- yes, it

feels, they prkt our manicures, these are great in college they're spending half of their lives over the computer, eating, drinking, press that bill baby down, it's called cyberclean. press it down, it will lift all the stuff in the nooks and crannies. and it's idiot-proof and i'm not talking about us. >> what is up with julie today? >> calling you an idiot? >> calling you an idiot. >> i said us. >> this will turn from yellow to a darker color. >> microwave. it's easy, idiot proof for us, all the things they need, popcorn, pizza. >> thank you very much, julie. >> we'll be back. more basketballs. soccer balls. and a museum! [ growls ] more basketballs. soccer balls! more books. yeah. like just a ton of books.

[ girl ] and books about soft things. soft and slimy. [ female announcer ] now clip double box tops for education. from totino's pizza rolls and party pizzas. and make their school a better place. from totino's pizza rolls and party pizzas. guys remember, we're a solar system. mars is down...and... um, it's only 10am. who hasn't had their jimmy dean breakfast this morning?

mmmm! now lets orbit i feel awesome. you're all awesome. jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches, fight the morning fade. good morning to you, a couple minutes before 10:30. craig herrera is here with the forecast that still feels a little more like fall in the summer. >> yeah, kids heading back too school have every reason to, because it feels like it out there. we're still waiting for warmer temperatures. some 60s right now, finally seeing more of them all over the bay area. most of the morning we spent in the 50s. 60s back at the coast, getting some sunshine for the a's game beginning at 12:35. notice the weekend, we're cooling off quite a bit with a good sea breeze. next week, those of you waiting for the warmer conditions,

you'll get them next week. those of you who like the mild conditions, enjoy them through friday. we'll have more news after the break.

the california city which ousted its leaders for inflated salaries is now trying to track down another money leak. bell, the city, ended a loan program started by the former city administrator that paid out $900,000 to city workers and at least two council members.

the city council never approved of that program. so now the city is working on tracking down that money. a state audit last week found that bell overcharged residents more than $3 million for paying for pension obligations. we expect facebook to announce today it will do something similar to what foursquare or goalla does, location-based services, telling the world you are at the corner cafe, for example. more information is coming later this afternoon. speaking of copycatting, you've had heard of groupon, and gilt launches today with discount coupons on san francisco street food fest telephone, which is this weekend. today the bay area will boast it has the first chinese church in the country to go green. they installed solar panels meant to generate clean power

for 25 years. the church is located in santa clara. it is currently the largest chinese church in the fashion, with more than 2,400 members. we want to thank you for being with us today. we'll be back igndhtbrly e a br.ning ♪ we're back on this winesday with some "who knew" trivia and today it's all about very familiar voices on commercials that you kind of know that but you just can't place. kathie lee is across the street at the msnbc.com cafe and it's good to see you. they'll see commercials and try to guess whose voice is on it. those with the right answer get $100 and those with the wrong answer get a kathie lee music cd. >> how do you think people are going to do? >> i think they're pretty smart, i think they'll get it. >> let's see if you're right, let's go across the street to kathie. >> first up, you're from

wisconsin. let's watch this visa commercial for the winter olympics. >> a mighty flame will soon ignite bringing people everywhere together. to celebrate the power and the grace. >> oh, give it away. >> morgan freeman. [ cheers and applause ] >> that voice is so distinctive. >> he's so human and he is god, after all. he played it in a movie. >> what visa did in the commercials is they wrote scripts for every possible contingency. and whoever won, they pulled it out and it seemed like morgan freeman was really there. >> that's genius. back across to kathie. >> a group of people from vermont. next, a commercial for mercedes benz, okay? >> what drives us to create a hydrogen electric car and to build a vehicle that earned the world green car award.

and engineer blue tech, the world's cleanest diesel technology. >> this one is kind of tough. who do you think it is in. >> i think we're getting the cd. >> lucky you. >> who do you think it is? >> i have no idea. >> just take a mad guess. >> i got nothing. >> morgan freeman? >> no, not morgan freeman. >> john hamm. >> john hamm, from "mad men" who is completely sexy. >> john hamm, who plays an advertising executive, is doing that commercial, but he is using the same seductive voice that he sells his clients with. i'm mad that he does drive a cadillac. >> does he? >> yeah. >> okay. back across to kathie. >> lovely ladies visiting from south africa. let's see if you get this. we have a clip from a commercial for pizza hut. do you like pizza? >> yes. >> pizza hut's new buffalo chicken pizza.

all white meat marinated in a zesty buffalo sauce. >> whoopi goldberg? >> no. >> and the voice on the commercial is the singer and actress who performed in "chicago" and "hairspray" and her name is queen latifah. >> she livens up everything. she's known for animated characters. and even if you don't get who she is, there's something special about her voice that just makes you happy. >> i like hearing her. >> where are you from, odessa, texas. >> let's watch a clip from our next commercial from budweiser, okay? >> these days, it's out with the old, in with the new. true, it didn't have a water dispenser or an ice-maker. but it does have is plenty of room for what's really important. >> got any ideas, i can give you a hint. want a hint? >> he played roles ranging from

batman to bank robber. >> i see his face, but i don't know his name. >> glover? >> ladies,is an hour show. >> i don't know. >> you're going to love my record. >> the answer is the sexiest man alive most years, george clooney. >> george clooney. even if you don't get that it's george clooney, there's something special and majestic in his voice, so that you know the commercial is more important and it will give you a kick to figure it out and you'll go, wow, when you realize it. >> do people buy more things because they love the person behind the voice in. >> the jury is out on were they even know. but it does bring some -- >> the thing is, it brings acting rather than announcing and that's where advertising is going now. >> back across to kathie. >> a lovely couple from oregon. listen to this lovely voice. >> nine out of ten of the largest european telecom carriers and three out of five

of the largest u.s. cable providers, what are these companies building in their business? >> i love the way he says "business." who is that? >> sean connery? >> yes, it is. >> yes, indeed. one of the most recognizable voices, isn't it? >> absolutely. he bring as level three to it and he's the international man of mystery. what he's selling is mysterious, it is all working. >> a couple of homegrowns, guys from new york. let's check out this commercial for pure water. all right, guys? >> hey, it's me, water. so you want me to be super-amazing right from the faucet. but you think home filters could be a pain in the bubkus. >> you might know him from the show "scrubs" or not. >> zach bratt.

>> he's the new kind of announcer, you sort of thing you know him from television, he's not an old-school announcer, he brings a lot of humor and personality to what he's saying. >> they get a lot more than the bread and butter announcers, it can go up to millions for a big name. >> you're kidding? i guess that's all the time we've got. kathie lee is going to come back. thank you so much for being with us today. >> up next -- just because they're small, that doesn't mean that their bark is bigger than their bite. we're talking about our animal kingdom babies. to delight bailey's senses.and e don't i? [ barks ] because i think food speaks a language of love. that's what inspired me to rethink dry dog food. [ female announcer ] chef michael's canine creations. [ chef michael ] mmm. tender shredded pieces made with real meat... and crunchy garnishes to enhance the mealtime experience. . .

why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! hey, little dude. dinner's my middle name. how 'bout some hamburger helper? oh, my, but your mouth is gonna love it. plus now you get three box tops for your kids' school. now this is the deal of the day. hamburger helper. one pound. one pan. one tasty meal and bonubox tops.

hamburger helper. one pound. one pan. it's tough to get enough servings of vegetables every day if you don't always like the taste of them. good thing v8 v-fusion juice gives you a serving of vegetables hidden by a serving of fruit. [woof woof] v8. what's your number?

takes care of 33 loads. tide stain release only handles 11. and clorox 2 gets rid of tough stains right before your eyes. clorox 2. find it next to the clorox bleach. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat.

♪ you know, it's time for, today's "call of the wild." that means one thing, kathie lee son this side. >> they're the little babies with us today. here with some of the cutest of the animal kingdom is dave from the national wildlife federation. you brought some cuties even hoda will like. >> the national wildlife federation just launched a partnership with johnson naturals, which is all about getting kids and families connected with nature. i thought in celebration of that, i would bring all wildlife babies. this little guy here is a common marmoset. you don't want to touch, it is a wild animal and he has teeth even though he's a little baby. he's only about three months old. >> we don't need to see you, we

just need to see him. this guy is adorable. and what he's doing right now is clinging to me like he would to his mom. and they live in family groups, just like our kids rely on our families, our parents to take care of them. this little guy lives in a social group and his parents will look out for him. >> where are his parents? >> i'm stepping in for them. he lives in a social group. how cute is he, right? >> how big is he going to get? >> only about twice the size of this. they're very small monkey, they live in south america and they eat tree sap and insects and fruit. >> let's go on to our next little guy, we're going to step over here, come on over. >> this is an african leopard. we got her on a leash, too, because she's a little rambunctious and i have a toy here. these guys are beautiful, wild cats. >> are they on endangered

species shall. >> yes, because of their beautiful coats, loss of habitat. >> she's not liking her little leash here. >> these guys, she's going to grow up to be one of the stealthiest killers. unleak cheetahs that chase down their prey or lions that hunt in packs, these guys hang out in trees, they stalk that i prey silently when full-grown, she might only be 100 pounds, but can take animals twice their size, drag them up into trees. >> she can drag it all the way up a tree? >> you can see what she's doing with a toy here, is simulating what she would do with prey. >> even when kids, when they go out and play, it prepares them for real life. >> right now could she go after prey? >> there we go. >> she's a little bit too young. so -- there we go.

that's what we were trying to get her to do. >> so, our next animal, i'm going to have jamie hang on to. because she's a little skittish. this is a cookaburra. >> can you guys roll your "r"s? >>. [ r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r ] [ bird jungle sounds ] >> you guys are lucky, this is a juvenile bird, just starting to make the call. these cookaburras live in australia and they have this laughing call. you guys just heard it. i'm impressed, these guys are

predatory birds, what's neat, if you live in australia, you know how you could put up a birdhouse and get a chickadee to live in it. if you live in australia and put up a big-enough nesting box, this could be a bird that lives in your back yard. >> this is wild. >> let's try to get through the next couple of animals here. >> this is an adorable little -- let's step over here to the table. to see if he'll move around. these guys are not super-big. but this animal is going to be about four times the size. they live in south america and they don't have tons of eggs. they only lay about ten eggs. because of that -- >> during the course of their lifetime? >> no, at a time. because of that, animals that don't reproduce quickly -- >> they disappear. >> right. >> these guys -- >> this is a different kind -- >> we remember your -- >> it took a while to get the smell out of the studio.

>> this little guy is covered in quills here. to protect him from lions and leopards. i got poked, these things can actually do some damage. she'll get to be about four times the size as well. they get to be pretty big. the second-largest rodent in the world. >> thank you, dave. thank you for all that information. >> up next, drop the tissues, we'll tell you how to get over a bad break-up and get on with your life. ♪ special k protein shakes -- ♪ a truly great-tasting breakfast shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it's the creamy, delicious way to satisfy... your hunger to help you lose weight. ♪ so you can kick the tin can habit. try special k protein shakes today.

100% natural nuts and granola in bite sized clusters. it's a little bit of nature... a little bit better. and nature approves. granola nut clusters from nature valley. introducing venus embrace disposables, the only one with five blades surrounded by a ribbon of moisture. it's our closest shave for your closest moments. venus embrace. reveal the goddess in yo it's called hope. hope? 'cause every time you get a happy meal or a mighty kids meal some of the money goes to ronald mcdonald house charities. happy meals. the simple joy of helping.

♪

we have all gone through a bad break up. if that special someone completely breaks your heart, how do you bounce back. >> in the end, she took matters into her own hands and gave herself what she needed. she'll tell us about that in a

minute. >> "today" contributor, jeff gardere gave us this. the idea that you told us about was amazing. tell us the story about your break up. >> i was broken up with last march. i was devastated. i couldn't get out of bed or talk to my girlfriends. one day, i decided to do something about it. it may sound silly, but i sent myself flowers. i said seasoned me something beautiful. it said girl don't shed another tear over a guy who won't send you these. i thought it would make a little difference, but it was enormous. >> it turned into a huge moment for you. >> that's why. i had a simple gesture. every day i saw it, it gave me a boost. i thought about the ways to

encourage women and inspire each other. >> have friends. >> have friends do it for you. >> sometimes you don't know what to say to someone. >> how involved you should get. >> we have e-mails, which is action steps to take. text messages and -- >> tell us the website so people know where to go. >> pinkkisses.com. >> we went to the plaza and found their break up stories. jeff is going help us out here. let's go to the first tape. >> i was dating this guy for a year and a half. we were really in love and then we broke up. we needed a break. so, he just started trash talking me on facebook and like over text message. then three weeks after we broke up, he got a new girlfriend, which he lied to me about and i found out about over facebook. >> jeff grab that one.

>> did she waste a year and a half? >> she wasted a year and a half. this is what you are talking about. be empowered to take control of your life. she was a victim. she didn't know he was going to do this stuff. she trashed on facebook. it was a gift he gave her by finally letting her know what was going on. it was building up for some time. now, shees free. what is she going to do about it? >> three different things -- say hoda has a bad situation, say i send hoda, what are the three you can get? >> pick your attitude. >> she's classy. what would you send her? >> why am i involved in this situation. >> you could do it about me. >> you can get text message that is say girl you are beautiful. you deserve better. >> when your heart is broken and you get a random message,

sometimes you feel in the weeds. >> it's amazing what they can do. we have the better than sex truffles you can send. we have flowers. we also have life coaching for more getting to set a new goal and action steps to get there. >> let's go to another one of our people need your help. >> her boyfriend broke up with her out of the blue from her perspective. she was shocked by it. didn't have any idea it was coming. anything i can do to help her move forward, i would do. do you have advice? >> be a friend, but tell her what she needs to know, not what she wants to hear. from her perspective, it was out of the blue. i bet everyone around her knew there were signals and red

flags. be honest. when you send empowering e-mails, if she can own those and begin to incorporate those, it gives a power and empowers her to be able to do better next time. >> it's amaze whag friends can do for you by being there. a phone call or watching movie. >> we are glad yours has a happy ending. i bet he misses you. >> he's a jerk. this woman? i pity the fool. >> we'll be back with more on nbc.

erin from san luis obispo. there's a woman in full-body leopard print, we should be showing the picture -- there we go. >> no, that's dave mawssejeki's mom.

>> come back tomorrow. trey is going to perform. >> come back tomorrow. trey is going to perform. bye-bye. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com