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tv   Today  NBC  December 21, 2010 7:00am-11:00am PST

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good morning. the wild good morning. the wild west. record rains in california. more than a foot in some areas in a matter of days, triggering deadly accidents and emergency evacuations. and there's more on the way. spidey scare. an actor rushed to the hospital after falling 30 feet into the
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orchestra pit during a performance of "spider-man, turn off the dark." the latest troubling setback for the most expensive production ever. the most expensive production ever. tuesday, december 21st 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and good morning, i'm tamron hall. meredith has this morning off. >> just about all sections of california have been affected by the rain, it began falling last friday with barely any letup. listen to los angeles, 5.2 inches, 5.8 inches in santa monica and the storm is expected to intensify today and perhaps tomorrow. we're going to have the latest in a live report coming up in just a couple of minutes.
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also, a terrifying attack. a guy pulled from his kayak and attacked by a massive crocodile. two men watched it happen and they speak out in a live interview. we have all read the wedding section in the local newspaper. one couple in new york is generating quite a controversy, not because they were featured in the "new york times" but because they opened up how they met. both were married with kids and got divorced to be together. we will share some of the angry comments the article is generating. but let's start on this tuesday morning with the record rains in california. miguel almaguer is outside of los angeles. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. four hikers are missing after local creeks and rivers flooded last night. meantime, here in the foothills it is sandbags and wood keeping the mud back for now but many are bracing for more wild, wet weather.
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record rain, 12 inches in parts of southern california t is already being called the storm of the decade. but with another five to ten inches on the way, forecasters say the worst is yet to come. outside of los angeles, in the foothills, homes are fortified. thousands of sandbags, the first line of defense. the threat is massive mud slides. in 2009, vegetation in this area burned in the state's largest wildfire. if the rain-soaked ground gives way, landslides could swallow entire blocks. >> we live in a neighborhood that was tagged or named paradise valley when it was lost in 1963. now, sort of paradise lost is a big part of their lives. >> reporter: the highway patrol says rain a factor in hundreds of accidents, at least two people have been killed. virtually the entire state of california is affected by wild weather.
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monday in kern county, thousands were asked to evacuate to higher ground. in oceano, more than a dozen homes were destroyed. >> it's gotten to the point where we can't get any and out anymore. >> reporter: across the west in colorado, wind gusts topped 80 miles per hour. and in the rockies, whiteout conditions. so you were not prepared for this? >> not at all. >> reporter: back in california, a 40-year snowfall record was shattered in mammoth, ten feet of snow in just four days. but in the l.a. foothills, the worry is mud. and a forecast that calls for more rain. the search for those missing hike letters now kick into high gear since we have daybreak here in california. meantime, we are expecting more heavy wet rain. many wondering, matt, how much more water these hills can take. >> and that is the big question, how much longer will it rain out west and what's in store here in
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the east. the weather stephanie abrams has it for us, in for al this morning. >> od morning. we do have flood advisories still posted from nevada to southern california. the stream of moisture is going to continue to pump in the rain and also the snow. let me show you how much more rain we are going to see here. over the next couple of days into southern california, yes, we could see another 5-7 inches of rain down by san diego. a piece of this system will break off, travel across the country and then potentially bring us a snowstorm here saturday night into monday throughout the northeast. it's still a little far out to tell exactly where it will track a little bit closer to the coast, it will mean a mess, farther out to sea, it won't be as bad. tamron and matt, back to you. >> i can't believe winter does not officially start until tonight. >> i know. but she's talking about a possible white christmas there. >> oh. i'm sorry. >> mrs. grinch, goods to have
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you with us. >> palm trees at christmas are nice. >> carl, help me out, at the newsdesk. white christmas. >> i was going to say, tamron, come on. good morning, everybody. this morning, the pentagon and nato are denying a report the u.s. wants a bigger role in pakistan. the u.s. relies chiefly on unmanned drone aircraft, the target militants that use pakistan as a refuge while launching attacks in afghanistan. military officials believe special forces raised could capture militants for interrogation. the white house says it's confident the senate will ratify the nuclear arms treaty president obama signed with russia. kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. good to see you. the president has a lot riding on this. he has been making phone calls and so has the secretary of state. the pentagon says it's vital to national security. only a couple of republicans are publicly saying they will ratify the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty. republican leaders say there are problems with this concerned
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about constraints on u.s. missile defense and would they really be able to know what russia has in the future. democrats say there has been enough debate and time to vote now. that could happen within a critical test vote today and we'll be watching. >> kelly o'donnell on the hill. exchange students and other americans trying to fly home for the holidays are still being delayed today by wintry weather that grounded flights and even disrupted train service. 22 years ago today pan am flight 23 was blown up over lockerbie, scotland killing 273 people and 88 americans. today, 44 senators will release their report on the decision to release the man convicted in that bombing. michael has an advanced copy. good morning. >> good morning. the scottish government released him on compassionate grounds because he's believed to have terminal cancer and only three months to live. today, 16 months later, he is still alive and reportedly
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living in a luxury villa in libya. the report says libya waged commercial warfare to secure his relief threatening to cut off bp's $900 billion oil deal with libya and a british spy master repeatedly lobbied the british government for release and the government targeted the scottish government at the same time the scots were trying to get a $4 billion loan. and the prognosis he had terminal cancer was false and manipulated by the doctors including some paid by the libyan government. >> that bombing, 22 years ago. the purse used by a florida school board member to swat a gunman last week is being auctioned on ebay for charity. by this morning, the bidding had topped $11,000. yet another mishap for the problem plagued production of ""spider-man" turn off the dark," a stuntman fell 30 feet
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and taken to the hospital as a precaution. the $65 million show opening has been delayed by cast injuries and technical glitches. >> now 7:08. don't i know people not interested in going now really want to go. >> i hate to say it, you wait to see the action. this is the fourth injury to an actor. the opening has been pushed back 27 days. they're in previews right now. that's not going well. >> not at all, to say the least. >> into the orchestra pit. >> oh. but i would love to see the show. with that said, i'm one of those people that would like to see the show. >> you don't want a white christmas but you want to go see people hurt on broadway. what's wrong with you? >> bad to the bone, i am. like your weather. for the day today, we will be seeing white in the west and upp
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a nicer vieww bouncing arou. not much in the way of showers yet, but an active morning. the lightning strikes with the tropical moisture and the jet stream behind it. that will spill rape across the system with today's highs in the 50s and rain falling overnight into early tomorrow and a break for thursday and friday. over to you. >> all right, stephanie. thank you. the man who self-published a controversial book called "the pedophile's guide to love and pleasure" has now been arrested on obscenity charges. here's the latest. carrie, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. this is a how-to book for pedophiles. when we first told you about it about a month ago it had reached the top 100 on amazon.com. there was an uproar on the internet. amazon no longer sells the book, and now deputies say the author
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in a few hours here will be booked into the polk county jail. >> reporter: florida deputies flew to pueblo, colorado, to arrest phillip ray grieves. he is charged with obscenity for allegedly selling his autographed how-to book to deputies and then send it to florida by mail. it's "the pedophile's guide to love and pleasure." a child lover's codeç of condu. >> he created this book specifically to teach people how to sexually molest and rape children. >> reporter: sheriff grady judge says he targeted him using florida's tough obscenity laws when he learned prosecutors nationwide while disgusted by the book, said they couldn't do anything because it was protected free speech. >> there may be nothing that the other 49 states can do, but there's something the state of florida can do, and that is to
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make sure that we prosecute phillip grieves for his manifesto. >> to tell you the truth, i don't think that it's always bad for the child. >> also, what he believes is acceptable behavior. >> first of all, i wanted to provide some guidelines for pedophiles so that they could avoid harming their victims. >> reporter: legal experts say the difficulty in this case is what is protected free speech? for example, a book that shows you how to make a bomb is legal. the question is then does greaves' guide for pedophiles go one step further? >> in our system one can advocate indicate a lawless, even a despicable philosophy. the key question becomes whether it crosses the line and instead becomes a detailed instructional manual on how to commit horrible
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crimes. >> what's wrong with a society that thinks we've gotten to the point that we can't arrest child predators and child pornographers for writing a manifesto of how to rape a child? >> reporter: if the author is convicted on these obscenity charges, it is a third degree penalty. he could face up to five years in prison. >> all right, kerry sanders, thank you. it is 7:13. once again, here's matt. >> thank you. we're learning more about how bernie madoff reacted behind bars to the news of his son's suicide. this is madoff's former secretary could be taken into custody today. nbc's jeff rosson has details on this. good morning. >> good morning, matt. bernie madoff's secretary did pretty well over the years. prosecutors say too well. making off with $14 million. they claim she's now hiding the money and if she doesn't tell them where it is, she could go to jail today. >> reporter: with bernie madoff behind bars, prosecutors have honed in on his personal
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secretary, annette bonjourno and the money she pocketed. right now she is under house arrest inside her million dollar mansion in boca rat own, florida. she also owns this mansion on long island valued at $2 million. >> she knows where the money is. she knows where the bones are buried. in order to save herself, she could become a major prosecution witness in this case. >> reporter: she denies any wrong doing. her lawyer tells nbc news they're willing to disclose her accounts as long as prosecutors don't freeze them, but still, in court later today the judge could order her to jail. >> prosecutors know that when somebody is locked up, they're more willing to cooperate than when they're out and about driving around in bentleys in south florida. prosecutors have also considered criminal charges against bernie madoff's sons, andrew and mark. it was just last week that mark committed suicide inside his
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luxury manhattan apartment. now new details on how bernie madoff took the news behind bars. the new york post spoke with a former inmateç in the same prin who says a voice over the enter comcrackled inmate madoff, report to the chapelle where he was told. madoff was crying and he was very distraught. over the next two days, the paper reports, bernie madoy didt come out of his cell. not even to eat. >> he feels totally isolated from the family. especially the fact that his wife, ruth, apparently has not visited him and once their son mark killed himself, she blamed bernie for his death. >> reporter: madoff's only surviving son, andrew, remains the target of lawsuits and a criminal investigation, but his fiance, catherine hooper, tells the "wall street journal" he is focused on moving on. >> andrew has just tried to keep busy. he has done things like meet with his piano teacher, a long-time friend of his. he also has had lunches with friends. just trying to keep a sense of
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normalcy, much like he did in the time after his father's arrest. >> reporter: andrew madoff still lives in a $4.4 million apartment here in new york city, but under court restrictions he can't spend more than $500 at a time without documenting it. andrew denies any involvement in his father's scam and, matt, sources say federal prosecutors still don't have enough evidence to charge him with anything. >> all right. nbc's jeff rosson. thank you very much. it's now 7:16. once again, here's tamrom. it is high seas for vacation in the caribbean. the high rate of crime is spilling over into the tourist areas on many 50i8dz. michelle kazinski is in miami with details. >> reporter: good morning. you think paradise, right? would you believe the u.n. says as a region, the caribbean has the highest murder rate in the world? it says something to the people who brought this to our attention that work in the tourism industry. i mean, they want people to go
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down there, but they feel that it has reached a level that tourists should know about it. the lure is all too obvious. many now who race here to soak up the sun are coming face-to-face with a darker side. high rates of crime throughout the caribbean island. in january 29-year-old american nina nielsen stabbed to death in antigua while there for a wedding and a busload of cruise passengers were taken. and a couple was shot to death in their beds in st. thomas. 14-year-old killed by gang gunfire. all of this just this year, and in 2008 welsh tourist ben and catherine were rob and murdered on antigua on their honeymoon. >> there's a definite increase. not only is there an increase in the number of cases, but in the severity. >> reporter: the u.n. even put together a report showing how crime is impeding the development of the caribbean.
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in murder rates this collection of tiny islands tops the world. assaults well above the world average and the bahamas rape is at a disturbing level. that's where this young woman we'll call julie was pushed into a taxi when she was 17 on vacation with her parents three years ago. she was looking for the beach. >> i tried to get away, and he came after me. >> reporter: driven instead to a secluded squallered apartment and raped. >> i was in a downtown area with stores and shopping and, i mean, it doesn't have to be a back alley at night, you know? >> reporter: american ex-pat harry got so fed up -- >> this fellow has been robbed more than once. >> reporter: he started a crime reporting system. people call him to make a record of what happens to them. >> a lot of people now are putting their houses on the market and leaving the island. >> reporter: because of crime? >> because of crime. >> reporter: there have been efforts made to toughen
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penalties. hanging on a wooden gallos inside this jail with a saltan door knocker, but officials would not talk to us, would not return calls or e-mails until a p.r. firm for the island got involved. >> we are of the firm view that this remains a safe place. >> reporter: as wonderful as this island is for most, crime has been hanging around here like a dark and ominousç cloud. one big reason, experts cite, is drug trafficking. we also hear frustration about how hard it is to get information out of there, how few cases are prosecuted. you know, nobody wants to scare anybody. in the last year more than ten million people visited the caribbean, and it seemed the vast majority of crime affected the people who li there, but many feel that tourists should at least be warned when they leave their resort or cruise ship because so few know about this and their guard is down. >> all right, michelle, thank you. it is 7:19. once again, here's matt. >> thank you. there was a cool sight in the sky last night. did you see it?
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it was a total eclipse of the moon. the first time a lunar eclipse has occurred on the same day of the winter solstice since 1638. dr. tyson is an astro physicist, the director of the hayden planetarium here in new york. good morning. let's go back to almostry school. what exactly is a lunar eclipse? >> a lunar eclipse, power earth has a shadow in space at all times. there's no occasion to take notice of that until something that's lit by the sun enters it, and that's what happened last night. the full moon crossed into the shadow. >> can you show us here. >> i can show you right now. >> do i live on the basketball or the grapefruit? which one? >> i don't know, actually. so we've got the sun and the earth lit up. nmt in the daytime you're not seeing the eclipse. in the moon in orbit around the earth and slowing it enters earth's shadow and darkens. like that. >> differing from a solar eclipse? >> a solar eclipse -- i can show you that. that's like -- a solar eclipse,
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okay -- >> are you kidding me? >> the moon goes -- >> you just happened to have it on your tie? >> i've got to be prepared. >> i don't even want to know what a tsunami is. >> so on a solar eclipse the moon moves in front of the sun, blocking out the sun turning daytime into night. >> okay. >> this is a very high intense moment, and it will only last a few minutes. this thing, what i just showed here, took three hours. >> and you tweeted about it yesterday. you astro physicist. you said it's the longest, slowest, most boring of celestial spectacles. we'll be back after the commercial. thank you very much. >> no. what i just showed here, that whole thing took three hours. >> right. >> i watched it last night, and it took on a nice deep amber color. >> it gets that reddish glow? >> it didn't get red this time. it got dark amber, maple syrup color. i may have been hungry. i don't know. that was the color.
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i watched maybe the first half hour of it and then i went to sleep. the whole thing just repeats itself. >> is that what it was? >> it repeats out the other side, and i can't, you know -- >> so we have the winter solstice. the sun is as close to the earth as it ever is. >> no, no, no. no. in fact, it's the opposite of that. >> it's as far away from the earth? >> that tells you that our distance to the sun has nothing to do with our weather.ç >> how far was the sun from the earth last night? >> no, no. distance has nothing to do with the solstice. >> really? >> we will be closest to the sun on january 4th or 3rd. somewhere around there. we'll be 91 million miles close to the sun. three million miles closer than we are in july. that's a whole other -- that's a different show. >> let me look at the tie again. doctor, good to see you. coming up, in fall-out over "new york times" decision to celebrate newlyweds who found true love while they were married to other people. first this is "today" on nbc. n true love while they were
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married to other people. true love while they were married[ female announcer ] safeway talks gift ideas. music makes a great gift. i like rock, hip-hop, country... and you are telling me this, why? i...uh...thought you might be my secret saa? no. i'm giving for skunk. uh, i can hear you. no. not you. the other skunk. [ female announcer ] safeway is the place to stock up on itunes gift cards. right now, save $6 on a $40 4-pack. keep 'em on hand. only at safeway. ingredients for life.
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still ahead, the search for a las vegas show girl whoa eewe.
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ding dong ding, dong
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♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, ♪ ♪ throw care away, christmas is here, bringing good cheer, ♪ ♪ to young and old, meek and the bold, ding dong ding, dong, ♪ ♪ that is their song, with joyful ring, all caroling, ♪ ♪ one seems to hear, words of good cheer, from everywhere, ♪ ♪ filling the air, oh how they pound, raising the sound, ♪
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♪ o'er hill and dale, telling their tale, gaily they ring, ♪ ♪ while people sing, songs of good cheer, christmas is here, ♪ ♪ merry, merry, merry, merry christmas, ♪ 7:30 now on this tuesday morning, the 21st of december, 2010. four days left to go until christmas. a lot of people out here on the plaza, thank you for stopping by. tamron hall is filling in while meredith is off today. the mysterious disappearance of a show girl missing for two weeks. we're going to talk to her sister coming up. also ahead a kayaking trip of a lifetime comes to a sudden and deadly end when a massive
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crocodile pulled the guide right out of his boat. coming up two men who were there speak out in an exclusive live interview. also the newlyweds who are facing a backlash online after opening up in an article about their relationship. the reason, when they first met, they were remarkably candid about falling in love while they were married to other people. we're going to have more on that story and tell you a little bit about the reaction they're getting in just a little while. let's begin this half hour for that missing woman in las vegas. we'll talk to that woman's sister in a moment. but kristen welker is in las vegas with the latest. >> reporter: good morning to you. tamron. debby flores is one of the dancers in the luxor hotel on the strip. she was rehearsing for one of the biggest shows of her career when all of a sudden she vanished. for debbie flores, dancing isn't just a career, it's a way of life.
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born in puerto rico and raised in baltimore, debbie earned college degrees in business and law before leaving the east coast to pursue a dance career in las vegas. >> this is her life, she loves dancing and she left her career to follow her dream and what she loves to do. >> reporter: for her latest gig, debbie was performing in the racy burr lesing show. debbie left at 6:00 p.m. and headed home. according to her sister, she told her roommate she was going to visit her ex-girlfriend jason gi griffin. debbie's sister says griffith confirmed that debbie showed up at his house that night and had a short conversation with him at his doorstep, then told him she was going home. since then, no one had seen or
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heard from the 31-year-old dancer. >> she was very dedicated to her work and she wouldn't just not show up to her show, a rehearsal and not say anything to anybody. she would never do that. >> reporter: the day after debbie disappeared, her car was abandoned in a vacant lot in a las vegas mobile home park several mimes away from her condo near the strip. >> i'm prepared for the worst because it's definitely out of her character. >> reporter: nbc news has learned that griffith will face a judge in a las vegas courtroom this morning. in the arrest report, debbie says griffith kicked her and pulled her car to keep her from using her iphone. debbie also told the officer that she was pregnant with griffith's child. debbie's friends say they were aware of her troubled relationship with griffith. >> he broke debbie's heart.
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>> reporter: meanwhile debbie's families are trying to get the word out about her disappearance, passing out fliers on the las vegas strip. griffith's arraignment is scheduled to begin here at the criminal justice center in just a few hours. we want to stress this hearing has nothing to do with debbie's disappearance. he has not been named as a suspect in this case. nbc news spoke briefly with griffith. he declined comment. tamron? >> kristen welker, thank you. good morning, celeste, thank you for joining us. obviously our thoughts are your sister. i imagine you're ee're replayi
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experiences with her over the last few days. >> our last conversation was on friday, december 12th. i'm sorry, december 10th. and she called to speak to my son about christmas. >> and that was two days before she went missing. you have said that you're confident she's okay, but also it's not her personality to just up and disappear and not contact you or your mother, even her friends. >> no. she would never act like this. she was always in contact with somebody at all times, specifically my mother. >> and your mother received a text message from debbie a couple of days or so earlier in the month before she disappeared and the text message, she said in case there's ever an emergency with me, contact boo griffi griffith. have you been able to discern anything from that text? >> no. i'm disregarding the text
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because it could mean anything. there's more to that text. and it just doesn't make any sense. it could mean that that's a contact number because we don't live out here. it could mean anything, so i'm just disregarding it. i'm letting the police and the authorities handle that. >> blue is her boyfriend. again not related to her disappearance, he is cooperating with police. do you believe he's telling them everything that happened the day she went to his home? >> i hope that he is. and it's her ex-boyfriend that i hope that he is cooperating. again, you know, the authorities are doing a great job handling this case right now. they're just following leads, making sure they have taken things slowly and handling it the way it should be. >> we saw debbie's friends gathered out trying to get the information out regarding her disappearance. she sounds like an amazing
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person, gave up her career in business and followed her dream in vegas as a performer. what is your hope at this point? obviously it's to get your sister back, but what do you want her or anyone else to hear at this point? >> you know, she's a loving, wonderful person. everybody has a brother or sister, a loved one. if you have any information, any whereabouts, if you saw her that day, that night in her car, in the parking lot, at a stoplight, any little detail to please contact the authorities and let us know anything, any clues to that could lead to possible finding her. >> our thoughts are with you and your family and we hope debbie comes home safely. now let's get a check of the weather from stephanie who's in for al this morning. "today's" weather is brought to you by kay jewelers, the
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number one jewelry store in america. >> we're seeing the active weather right now, that is along the west coast and also into the midwest as well as new england. the forecast for today shows that sun shining anywhere from the mid-atlantic all the way down to the gulf >> we have quite a spicy crowd
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today. you guys really love each other, right? >> of course, absolutely. up next, a well known outdoors man was pulled out of his kayak by a crocodile.
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we're back now at 7:42 with a tragic end to a kayaking expedition in the congo. a tour guide was tragically killed by a crocodile. >> all of the men on this trip were experienced kayaker who is knew the dangers they faced when they set out on a two-month voyage. it was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime with danger never far behind. ben stoke and chris were part o two-month journey inside the heart of the congo. the two men trusted their abilities, but both americans had great confidence in their south african team member
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hendrik coetzee. in 2007 coetzee was -- but this journey was not without peril. navigating white waters and preditors who live and feed in those rivers. t >> this area has the highest con ten vegas of hippo s and crocs n earth. >> in early november as the three ki kayaked -- tloor theree three-tone hip coes.
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despite the clear and present danger, there was one basic rule, nobody panic. but in the end, coetzee would have no panic or even relakt. the men were paddling the river out of nowhere, a massive crocodile snatched coetzee from his kayaks, the american helpless. >> the crocodile can exceed over 15 feet in africa, weigh close to 2,000 pounds, have thousands of pounds of pressure per square inch in his jaw. no human being stands a chance against that monster of an animal. >> reporter: two weeks before he died, coetzee posted a blog when he talked about what might have been his final trip. this is the nature of the beast, risk. >> he was trying to highlight the clean water crisis in central africa supposed to wrap
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up this week. coetzee's body was never recovered and a memorial is planned in south africa at the end of january. >> thank you very much. ben stokes buokesbury and chris korbulic are with us. con dodolences on the los of yo guide. >> thank you. >> take me back. obviously, you all knew the risks and henry had talked about this and we even heard on the videotape this part of this river had one of the highest concentrations of crocodiles and hippos anywhere on the planet. what kinds of precautions were you able to take? >> matt, actually, that blog post or that podcast was in reference to a section of the nile river. this this section of the lukuga river was unknown to the outside world. we didn't know what to expect in terms of wildlife. sure, we anticipated there might
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be some crocs and hippos in the river. but that specific podcast was talking about the merchant section of the nile river that does in fact have the highest concentration of crocs and hippos on earth. >> i understand you guys were paddling in somewhat close proximity for a very good reason. can you explain that? >> yeah. we were paddling very close together, which is a pretty practiced formation we had done for many miles. we did through the falls that obviously kept us very safe, along the lukuga, we did it pretty much the whole river until that last day. by all accounts, we thought that it was the best way to go. >> the reason for that being that you appear larger- >> appear as a larger -- right. the thought behind that is, is that grouping the kayaks close enough together, you appear not
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as one eight foot long kayak but a grouping that's very large and much larger than a single kayak, you appear as a larger organism. >> when this happened at the end of a whitewater section, henry used to say, don't panic, you really didn't have time to think or panic, do you? this crocodile came out of nowhere. >> yeah. absolutely. it came from behind. we didn't see anything until it was too late. >> it basically grabbed him and turned him upside down. we're looking at some national geographic footage but turned him upside down and took him under water. that's the last you saw of him. did he have a chance to say anything, ask for help? anything like that? >> matt, the two of us had different experiences. chris was close enough to him where they were actually marking their paddle strokes so they wouldn't hit their paddles. chris saw the crocodile maybe a
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split second before it had hendri hendrick. my first recognition was hearing hendrik say, oh, my god. i turned and caught site of it for another split seconds before the crocodile ripped hendrik over. >> would you go back in this section, this area? you're bringing attention to the problems with clean water throughout the world, really. would you go back and do something like this again? >> i think at this point we would probably stay off the la cuing kuga river out of respect for hendrick. we're certainly interested in going back to the african continent and congo for further expeditions and exploration of the water crisis. >> again, ben and chris, our condolences on the los of your friend. we thank you for sharing your story with us this morning.
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>> thanks, matt. >> thanks, matt. >> we'll be right back after these messages.
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jufd just ahead, fallout from a couple who fell in love while in love with other people.
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>> good morning. 7:56. mike said trouble in milpitas. >> just hanging around. westbound 237 off of 880. slow with one lane blocked. three lanes blocked at one point, but it has been a half hour. the rest of the south bay note bad. 87 at 101 with a light slowing. a look at the sunol grade. it's a vacation we have seen and we have the rain that may be a problem. >> it might be nice if the rain took a vacation.
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mountain lifted showers with moist airlifting up. you can see heavy rain across southern california. the clouds are spilling across the bay area and the rain will develop into the afternoon. turning rainy and highs in the upper 50s for areas south of san jose. low to mid 50s and plan on wind and rain tonight and embedded thunder as well with showers and ak bre a break thursday into friday. more news after the break. for the holidays?t do tell. true love. true love is a myth. [ gasps ] you're a myth! excuse me? [ female announcer ] it's the thought that counts. and the gift. safeway. ingredients for life.
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that smells scrumptious. yummy! smells delightful. awesome! i'm not smelling anything. [ female announcer ] everything for holiday baking. just add love. safeway. ingredients for life.
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>> if you are a smoker and feel like you are the ohm one, you are pretty much right. one out of 10 in san mateo and contra costa smokes. that is tied for sixth lowest in the state according to the department of health. only 13% of californians smoke in california at all compared to 21% nationwide. we have the second lowest rate behind utah. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. ice breakers mints
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with icy-cool flavor crystals. ice breakers. stay cool. 8:00 now. we are back on a tuesday morning. 21st day of december, 2010. a lot of people gathered on our plaza this morning. santa claus taking a break in his last minute prep to shake hands on the plaza. and matt lauer along with tamron hall who's in while meredith is taking a little time off this morning. and we have got a nice crowd of people here. >> a lot of them from texas. >> coming up in this half hour,
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newlyweds announce their marriages in the newspaper all the time. >> common place, but would you do it if you met one another while each of you were still married. this couple decided to tell the world about their love and it has sparked quite a controversy. people are judging, people are giving their opinions. we'll talk about their decision to go public with their love despite the pain for others. we have got jack black in our studio this morning. he's got a brand-new movie out called "gulliver's travels." and we're going to give mr. black a chance to explain for the very first time how in the world he cut meredith out of that movie. >> right, put him on the spot. >> i don't think i have seen meredith more proud about any work she's done than the work she did as a liliputian.
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and how to prepare easy audible gift audible gifts. good morning to you, matt, good morning everybody. today government -- united nations monitors to independent their nuclear program. richardson is on a diplomatic mission to the region and he says he wants north korea to step back from the brink of confrontation. toyota is being fined for failing to announce recalls quickly enough. the japanese automaker has recalled more than 11 million vehicles in the last year. at least 2,000 people have been evacuated in california as torrential rain and gusting
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winds pelt that state. tens of thousands of homes were without power. downtown los angeles has receiveded more than a third of its annual precipitation. a wet summer in australia where floods as far as the eye can see left people stranded and needing rescue by helicopter. as we head over to wall street, melissa lee is over at the stock exchange. >> 'tis the season for the holiday bonus and these bank bonuses have been the target of public anger since the financial crisis. regulators may now force the way -- half or more of pay in stock or deferred compensation that is not cash. the thinking here is that that would curb the excessive risk taking that contributed to the financial crisis. a u.s. national guard helicopter with six people on
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board is reportedly crashed near puerto rico. it was en route to a drug raid when it disappeared in bad weather on monday. the 30 rock star was diagnosed with diabetes in 1996. morgan is said to be doing well, expects to get back to work after the holidays, although he may miss one or two episodes. every year at 100,000 people flock to saint rafael france for an evening of lights and all you can eat christmas goodies. where do we sign up? it is now 8:0 4, let's get to stephanie for the weather. >> we drove all night, we just got in at 6:30, what's the rest of your plans? we're going to see the sights in the city. >> and then drive back home if
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you can believe that. we're going to take you to our pick city for the day. quincy, illinois, a few rain drops there. sunshine along the east coast, messy here's a look from san bruno mountain. we have clouds filling in and take a look at the radar view. the clouds spilling fro west to east but the showers actually going from south to north. the tropical moisture feeding into the system will power up more rain drops and highs today in the mid to upper 50s. we'll be locally heavy rain at times. then we catch a break thursday and friday. >> two couples just engaged. don't know each other. do you want to have a double wedding? >> i don't think so. >> speaking of weddings, we're going to have some online
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backlash to some newlyweds who opened up to the "new york times" about falling in love while they were both married to other people. we'll have that story right after this. has left you nowhere to go.esn when you've lost interest in everything. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious... aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. cttellr doouor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever,
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[ male announcer ] prevent uncomfortable gas moments with gas-x prevention. just one before meals helps prevent gas before it starts. from gas-x, the gas-xperts. back now at 8:09 and with the newlywed couple here in new york who talks about the start of their relationship to the "new york times" wedding section. that's nothing new, but this couple opened up about meeting while they were married and how they got divorced to be together.
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they look like the picture of wedded bliss, carol ann and john celebrating their new life together. >> so what better time to get a love letter than now. >> she's a tv news reporter, he's an advertising executive. but now their marriage is causing a storm of controversy. this past weekend, their wedding was featured in the "new york times" vales section. in the paper the bride and groom said they fell in love while they were both married to someone else. they told the "new york times" that first the two couples became friends after meeting at their children's school, but soon they were in love and decided to leave their spouses. she told the times, i will always feel terribly about the pain i caused my ex-husband. he told the paper, i did a terrible thing as honorably as i could. >> my take as a psychologist on
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it is that they still feel extremely guilty that they left their partners behind, that they met while four of them were friends and in some ways this is their confessional. >> reporter: the article created a an online firestorm. one reader called the couple tawdry, sad and tasteless. another reader said what kind of person putting their own pleasure above the emotional health of their own children? and they found like two of the most selfish egotist kl people on the planet. another one said life is about enjoying life with someone you truly love, sometimes it's messy as in this case. it's a similar story of broken vows for singer shaniya twain. two years ago her marriage made headlines when her husband left her. he was having an affair with twains best friend. now another twist, u.s. weekly
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magazine is reporting twain is engaged to the ex-husband of her ex-best friend. >> first you have your best friend stealing your ex-husband and then you have that best friend hooking one your ex-husband. >> shaniya is celebrating a new love with questionses whether they should be celebrating their new love on the pages of the "new york times." >> we asked carol ann riddell, i think if we had an indication afterwards of the nerve it struck, we obviously would not have shared our life in any way publicly. let's turn to psychotherapist robbie ludwig. >> this one has really, your
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mother -- >> she had a lot to say about this. >> she felt they were acting in an adolescents way. when you're in a marriage and you look around and you say, you know what? i think i want something a little bit better. people have a strong reaction to that because we like to think of the vows of marriage as really meaning something. >> this couple argues that they were in unhappy marriages and they fell in love. the woman in this says that i didn't believe in soul mates until i laid eyes on him. >> yeah. >> the question is if falling in love with someone else enough to leave your marriage and leave your children and throw all caution to the wind. >> they say yes. >> but also it's like falling in lust, because of course we don't know the other side of the story. but a lot of people got the sense, hey, did you even work on your marriage at all? because after all, listen, if you're married for a long time and you have kids, it's not
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always fun and it's not always sexy. the question is how do you handle this? they say yes, i say no, work out your marriage, figure out by all means necessary whether or not you can salvage your marriage and repair it. even if they were unhappy. just because they had an unhappy year, doesn't mean they're going to have an unhappy lifetime. >> one viewer wrote it is a time of our lives when spouse and children takes a back seat to selfish, self centered love. why does this hit a nerve in a world where half the marriages end in divorce. >> they seem to be bragging, we found real love, we found happiness, what about you? and i think people are looking and saying, hey, how do you really find happiness in a relationship? we don't have one answer. i think it raises issues for a lot of people in terms of their own relationships. >> carol ann ridel says we are
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proud of how we handled the situation. there was nothing in the story we were ashamed of. >> denial is not only a river in egypt. >> you think they're in denial? >> they're trying to prove they're going to be okay. injury will have to be repaired from all the trauma they caused. >> i think that 50% of marriages end in divorce, but there are also 50% of marriages that they stay married and so those people are saying, stick it out, work on your marriage and take care of your responsibilities. >> when women give up on the emotional component of a marriage, that's usually when it crumbles. so anyone who's going to be self-reflective is going to be struck by this story and i think men also evaluate whether they're in the right kind of marriage. all unions are imperfect, if you're hearing this story during a certain time in your relationship, it will strike a
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cord, because the feeling is there's always someone better out there theoretically, what are you going to do about it? isn't that the purpose of the institution of marriage? >> trade up, i don't want this, so tomorrow i'll find someone new? it's really to stick it out and work on the issues. >> there's a feeling that the new york times also betrayed us because they usually write about stories, love stories that are innocent and worthy of printing and all of a sudden it looks like they're going to the dark side of reporting. >> or at least the messy side. that's what someone called this the messy side of love. >> we could talk about this all day. thank you both very much. up next, jack black on his giant new role. we'll catch up with him right after this. [ dog ] she's not coming, is she?
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we're back now at 8:19. this is a contemporary take on a classic tale as gulliver is transported to a land populated by liliputians. why did you want to go back here? >> i loved the book, it was super funny and i likeded the challenge of updating a classic. >> he works in the mail room, where did gulliver come from, not the mail room? >> yeah, it was just an adventure. but, yeah, we brought it into modern day, working in the mail room, and i have a huge crush on the travel editor. >> but you can't even voice it.
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you're pretty shy. >> very shy and i finally get an opportunity to impress her by going on a real writing assignment and writing about the bermuda triangle. >> you wake up in this place and you're surrounded by the liliputians, and they don't like you. >> first they don't like me, but i win them over with my giant spirit. >> because they're basically at war with their neighboring enemies. let's take a look at what happens. >> i'm gulliver. listen, they want me to vanquish you guys. but i don't want to vanquis anybody. >> you spent a lot of this movie
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with the camera like right here. >> it's true. >> super self-confident. >> the closeups really tell the story, every crease. but that's what you show up for when you're making a giant movie, super, super close-ups. >> okay, so meredith. let's get to it. meredith was so proud and pleased when you asked her, when you cast her as one of the liliputians, the kind of trampy liliputian. >> she came to film with us. may i say, brilliant performance. look at that action. she really put her whole self into it. she was brilliant. >> her one line was lame ass which she says under her breath here almost every day. and so then she came back,
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excited as could be. >> yeah. >> and you called her. >> yeah, i called her with the bad news, that her part had been cut. in fact the whole scene had been cut. >> she said it was the pivotal scene in the movie. >> it was heart breaking. i loved the scene and all i can say is sometimes, for the good of the film, great scenes have to be cut for the flow, the powers that be insisted that we had to cut it and i see what they were saying. i did side for her, though. >> you did? >> and i want her to know, wherever she is, meredith, i will make it up to you. i sing weddings or bat mitzvahs. >> does she get paid for that role? >> i think there's probably no payments in terms of residuares. >> you have a couple of kids, 2
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and 4? >> they don't really know that i'm a movie star. they think i'm a clown. but, yeah, we'll show them my movies when the time comes. >> since you have young boys, does it influence the roles you want to do in the future? >> it does. i like to do family films more often now because of it. i want them to be able to see my movies before they're 20 years old. i did some yo gabba gabba. so they can see their dad doing fun stuff. >> what are you doing at christmas? >> i will probably have a delicious feast with the family. >> i'm just going to have a simple meal, but you have a delicious feast. >> what are your new year's resolutions? >> i'm going to drop a couple of l.b.s.
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>> jack black, "gulliver's travels" opens christmas day. your local news and weather, but ahead a look at some more inspiring images of 2010.
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good morning, it's 8:26. we're calling it holiday light. >> that's an understatement. this is the poll plaza. kind of this flow all morning, the metering lights were turned off around 7:30. look at the east shore and the approach, smooth through berkeley. smooth if you're heading opposite direction of the morning commute, what little there is. bring your chains if you're headed to the sierra. i did find a little slowing. 21 miles per hour, very light
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there as well. >> the weather not getting in the way of the commute right now. you can see in the last hour, still a lot of lightning showing up. a pretty energetic system and pretty strong jet stream. we'll see the rain spilling in, a chance of thunder in the mix as well. we'll see rain picking up as we head towards the evening and night time hours. rain event for wednesday. thursday and friday we catch a break but then more rain drops in on u in time for saturday. time is 8:27. more news after the break. for itchy dry skin.
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search is on for the man who held up a walker at gun point on the iron horse trail in pleasant hill. the mugger approached his victim walking on the trail taking the man's cell phone and his money. the suspect then ran away north on that trail. more local news coming up in about 30 minutes at 8:56. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.
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8:30 now on a tuesday morning. we talked a second ago to jack black. our 17th annual toy drive is
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coming to an end. the last day of our toy drive, if you want to find out how you can donate, go to our website, todayshow.c todayshow.com. >> he's acting like santa, i don't know if he knows he's an elf. >> i'm matt lauer, along with tamron hall and carl quintanilla. >> if you don't want to brave the malls at this time of year. make the gifts. make the gifts you want to give to other people. we're going to join her in the kitchen to find out about some of her ideas. we're reconnecting with the 45 dogs who found loving homes, courtesy of the "today" show.
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plus you know how hard it is to keep a diet during the weekend. we'll show you what to bring to a party and some low calorie eggnog. we have got a lot to get to, let's get a check of the weather. al's off today. we have got stephanie abrams doing the foirg. >> i found a football crowd. let's talk about the white christmas forecast. santa, pay attention. historically speaking, in new york city, a 10% chancef a white christmas. minneapolis, a 73% chance of a white christmas. and right now new york city is right on the edge of a white christmas. we have a storm system tracking across the country, so it's a
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little iffy. there's the an mateo bridge looking dry. the clouds are filling in of king out the sun andll the lightning and rain you see on the north coast will be edging closer to the bay area. as we head towards 4:00 tonight we'll likely see a chance of rain picking up especially into the overnight, breezy with showers through the day. slight chance of a thundershower before things calm down thursday and friday. and it's time to find out who celebrates birthdays. >> it's christmas time and holiday times, beginning to look like it. what a classic. happy birthday from smucker's.
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emily weil, from cincinnati, ohio. good chili in that town. 111 years old. and we have helen carr of jacksonville, florida. 101, enjoys spending all of her time with her cat holly. we have albert miller, of whiting, new jersey. 100 years old, a retired principal and he's called the prince albert. how about that? and we have clara wortmann, from canton, georgia. and irene hudson, 100,
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worked at a senior citizen's community post office for many years. and we have bert o'neill from daytona beach, florida. he lives independently and still drives and does laundry. how about that? emily ridgway, acted in several great plays in her area. a great actress and they all love her. happy birthday. that's it, that's all, from washington at this time. >> we have spent way too much out there. we have steals and deals on some terrific items. but first this is "today" on nbc. verizon 4glte.
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stream hd video and rule the air
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on the fastest 4g network in america. this morning on education
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nation today, the subject of a new documentary premiering tonight on nbc. scott cohn is here with a preview. >> where have you heard this story before? easy money offered to people who can't really afford to borrow it, buying something whose price is already soaring. this time it's not a house and it's not a mortgage, it's a college education and a student loan. and increasingly, those loans are going bad. like most people who have gone to college, nick and emily of round lake heights, illinois thought they were making a wise choice. >> we thought it would be worth the investment. when we graduated we would get jobs that would be worthy of this debt. >> reporter: at the time of this interview, both were unemployed with three young children and student loans totaling more than $250,000. what does it foal like? >> it feels like there's no way out. like it will just be there
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forever. >> we're not going on vacation. we're not fixing the house, we're not -- >> reporter: nick emily married young, and then started a family. but they were determined to continue their education. >> it was like, can we afford this? can we afford for me to stay in school? >> we can't afford not to. >> reporter: eventually nick got his mba and emily got her
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bachelor's degrees. >> there's subsidized and unsubsidized. >> now they're looking at a payment of $17,067 a month for the next six years. >> we'll have to pay $275,000 in interest. >> reporter: with one of the worst -- student loan defaults have doubled in the last 10 years. kyle mccarthy has a master's degree, $72,000 in student loans and with a $14 an hour job at a bookstore, no way to pay them back. >> i have tried to work out anything for them, you know, i can pay this amount of money, i can give you $50 a month. and it was, no, you need to pay the full amount now. >> reporter: the student loan default rate now rivals that of credit cards and home mortgages and with the cost of a college education, rising as much as
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three times the rate of inflati inflation, students are borrowing more and more. americans now owe more on their student loans than they do on their credit cards. but a key difference between student loans and credit cards, student loans generally cannot be refinanced or wiped out in bankruptcy. this debt will literally stay with you your entire life and in some cases beyond. america's student debt is more than $870 billion, on pace to hit $1 trillion in 2012. >> we cannot afford not to go to school and it backfires. >> that's the kind of calculus everybody makes, this is the key to success, and yet they're borrowing without jobs out there. >> you can catch the premier, the price of admission, america's college debt crisis. that's tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern time on cnbc. coming up next, we'll go into the kitchen. but first, this is "today" on
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"today's" holiday kitchen is brought to you by hershey kisses. delightfully delicious, one of a kind kisses. >> back at 8:44, and on "today's" holiday kitchen, gifts you can really sink your teeth into. we have some edible ideas and saying you've got connections, santa claus is with us as well. good to see you, santa. >> santa is taking a cooking class. and you have a great idea if you don't have time to go out and buy a gift. or if you just want something that warms your heart, you can go to the kitchen. >> i think that home cooked edible gifts are the best.
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>> and apparently this is santa's favorites because you need carbs to make it through the night? >> just like any athlete. >> we have got some red onion and garlic. we're going to grab some tuna. >> that's nice. we'll add some tuna and then we'll add some colorful vegetables like tomatoes. >> artichokes? >> i love the color. >> and then some parsley. >> go for it. >> there you go. >> now asaute all of that for a couple of minutes and add the campanelle. santa, this is the final preparation.
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. >> this is the santa taste. we probably should have -- yes, you bring it, you put the lid on just like this. with a little bow and you give them the little dish. so i buy a new dish. i make the pasta and i bring it over to their house and so they're getting food and a dish. >> that beautiful pound cake too makes a lovely dish. >> santa, are you doing all right? >> i just wanted to finish this. >> we have got some carmel and you melt it down, and then santa is going to drizzle this in year. >> and does that give it a marble effect? >> it's a peanut butter carmel cake. so what you do is go in there, with a little bit of carmel. >> don't be shy, santa. swirl it into the dough just like that. this is really fun for kids to
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make. in fact my daughter loves this. and then you top it with the remaining dough. so you split the dough in half. >> and a little more drizzle? >> you can smell the peanut butter. it smells amazing. >> and very festive. >> and when you bring it to your guests, i just put a little topping around it and i hand them the whole thing. >> it's really, really nice. >> i'll take this now, i got a lot of families that would really love this. >> i like to even drizzle the top, you can bring some carmel if you want and finish it off with a little more carmel. >> this is great for holiday lunch, or with coffee. >> the last idea is this, that you buy a cookbook, whatever cookbook you want. you buy your favorite cookbook and then you bake something out of it. these happen to be my favorite, lemon and almonds, dipped in
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white chocolate. santa, you want to help me out? and then there's some white chocolate chips and then i take this and i dip them in there. >> in the meantime, you want to take a bite of that? good stuff? go for it. and this is an adorable gift. >> and this would be great for the workplace. >> you can buy any cookbook and take out a recipe. >> thank you so much, thank you santa for your help as well. >> thank you so much. >> up next, this is our bow to wow dogs and their new loving parents. ♪ i'm gonna get it, i know i'm gonna get it. ♪ ♪ i can't wait
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♪ every little step, brings me closer to the gift. can't be late. ♪ ♪ rip it open in a second and it's time to play. ♪ ♪ i was up all night in anticipation feeling electric jewels of jubilation. ♪ ♪ yule tide carols from the local congregation. ♪ ♪ make it tough to hold my patience in check. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪
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back now with your special series from bow to wow where we clean up shelter dogs, find them loving homes and we teach them how to bark wildly. our animal advocate joe rapaport is here with us as well. >> it's another year and another perfect record. not only did every one of our dogs get adopted. but as you see, it's the owners
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who feel they got the gift of a lifetime. 2010 was another stellar year for all of our canines we featured and thanks in part to the segment, adoption animal care and control in new york city was up 17% during a very difficult year. whether large or small, young or old, injured or spry. each of our doggies ended up in the most loving homes all over the country. >> if you're looking for a can dad to be a therapy dog, he would be a perfect dog. >> and that's what wally is doing, paying the good will forward and acting as a therapy dog in georgia. our playful lab puppy, he's certainly living the life of leisure, enjoying an ocean view from his own raft, with his new sister and new best friend by his side. and remember this hot dog?
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who had a pin in her hip after getting hit by a car, she's now a california girl, healthy, happy and cozy at home with her new wonderful owners. how about 6-year-old autumn, who was a victim of the recession. >> she's really cute. >> at home with a new brother in pennsylvania. even our favorite dog walkers walked away with one of our rescues. >> i may take her home myself. >> and olympic gold medalist steve holcomb who took home bailey giving herr the life of a champion in california. it's been a wonderful year and now just in time for the holidays, it's a wonderful life. for all of our shelter dogs. >> and here are many of our bow to wow families and their dogs. good morning, everybody, happy holidays, nice to see you. relationships going well? everybody's happy? we have steve over here, our
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gold medalist from vancouver, the four-man bobsled. and bailey, how has that transition been? >> fantastic, she's an incredible dog and i think she's a little more clever than i ever expected. she's been a lot of fun. this is the first time i have seen her since early september. >> how's her life in colorado? >> it's interesting. when i first brought her into denver, i got her out of the cage and i think it's the first time she has ever seen a squirrel. she didn't know what to do, she was just frozen, looking at me like what's happening? she's pretty happy out there, there's all sorts of room to run around. >> christine, you've got -- by the way, you used to take care of dogs before they were adopt, you fostered dogs which is lovely that you would do that. and you have adopted jackson? >> yes. >> tell me how jackson's doing. >> jackson is amazing. i get stopped all the time.
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>> you could have ended up with satchel over here. we'll talk about that in a second. kim, you actually adopted seth and renamed seth charlie. how's charlie doing? >> he has a little stage fright today. but he's great. >> he's usnot used to being arod other dogs? one of our stage managers, his wife lisa is down here and they adopted satchel. you had just lost your dog. and so satchel came into your life at a good time. he does a great trick, you actually put the newspaper in satchel's mouth? >> satchel as got a thing.
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by the way, satchel did this great thing recently. mark told us that he's walking satchel so he missed the giants football clash the other day. so would you do it again. >> oh, yes. >> and steve what would you tell other people who are watching the bow to wow segment? >> these are dogs that have been through some hardships themselves and they're getting a second opportunity. >> and christine, all you have to do is be able to open up your heart as you have done so many times in the past. forget what it does for the dog, what it does for you. >> absolutely. all the other dogs i fostered went to the most amazing homes. he's the one that got my heart and i have never regretted it. >> it's good to see all of these partnerships working so well. happy holidays, everybody, and thank you for taking part in bow to wow, we bel .r
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we'll be right back after these messages and your local news and weather. b good morning, everyone, most people are on vacation but there's still some traffic. >> the accidents we had were big ones and now we have pleasant travel times. highway 87, the only slow spot into or out of downtown.
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speeds in the 50s but that's enough to bug you a little bit. the bay bridge toll plaza, the metering lights were only on for an hour. we're starting to pick up heading out of the city, but no major issues through the north bay and the low clouds still sticking around. more news after this. mmm. you smell that? yeah, wait. what is that? love. smells like ham. [ female announcer ] serve a main course brimming with comfort and joy. safeway. ingredients for life.
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brimming with comfort and joy. the chill of peppermint. the rich dark chocolate. york peppermint patty. get the sensation. i love eggnog, i love gingerbread, i love pumpkin pie. i love everything but those blinking lights. oh yeah, right in my eye. [ female announcer ] if it tastes like the holidays, we've got it. saeway. ingredients for life. a recreation center in the east bay needs your help to fight crime, $20,000 for a dozen new security cameras. the city won't pay for them so the rec center is asking the public for donations. the cameras should help reduce purse snatchings and fights in the area. every day thousands use the center from ball room dancing to basketball games.
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we'll have another update in 30 minutes. the "today" show returns in about one minute. california's latest dropout rate proves we're in the middle of an epidemic. the troubled cities see dropout rates of 40%. with almost a quarter of our kids turn their back on school, we're failing a generation as a nation we're falling behind world leaders. chinese students score first in reading and math and science outpacing us compared to 30 countries the u.s. ranks mediocre. u.s. production of post grad degrees is stagnant. we've fallen from first place to ninth in our percentage of
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students with college degrees. this can't continue. we believe our education system needs radical change. let's put students first. check out students first.org and share your thoughts with us at nbc editorials.com. we're back now on a tuesday morning, december 21, 2010. can you hear in the background the sound of tap dancing? check out under the banner over here. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, today we have got natalie and al both off. nice to have you here ladies.
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>> always good to be here around christmas time. >> did you see the lunar ecalista last night? a lot of people stayed up late, others woke up early to see the first lunar eclipse to take place on the winter solstice in 500 years or so. >> that was a good year. >> we're going to show you it to you, there it looks beautiful there. we're going to show it to you in case you missed it. also, you know that owning is better than renting. once you get married your credit merges with your spouse. is that a good thing or a bad thing? another installment of a popular series. jill's steals and deals. we're going to take a look at things discounted up to 88% off. if that's possible.
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jewelry, that great poncho, electronics, a lot of that great stuff is for our "today" show viewers. we're going to show you all those things coming up. and later some tips on enjoying yourself while keeping on your diet. obviously there's so many tempting foods. since i have been here today alone, i have had pound cake and pasta. we're going to give you tips on how to stay at least kind of marginally on your diet through the holiday. carl, take it away. >> good morning, matt, good morning, everybody. nato is denying reports that the u.n. is pushing to expand ground operations into pakistan following a "new york times" reports. the times has cited unnamed sour sources. they mostly relied on unmanned drones to target militants in
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that country. the two countries pledged to share military intelligence, cooperate on nuclear energy and develop their own supersonic stealth fighter jet. meantime the senate's moving towards a vote this week on the nuclear arms treaty. 67 votes are needed for ratification. at least 2,000 people have been evacuated in california as torrential rain and gusting winds pelt that city. tens of thousands of homes are without power. since friday alone, downtown los angeles has received more than a third of its annual precipitation. and in the colorado mountains, higher altitude areas could have eight feet of snow by thursday. in nebraska, temperatures have plummeted, freezing the rivers solid. and while it may look picturesque, it's causing a headache for locals, the ice
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actually acting like a dam. exchange students and other americans trying to fly home from europe for the holidays are still being delayed today by wintry weather that has grounded flights and ev. failing to recall millions of dangerously defective vehicles quickly enough. the fines total $32.4 million for two separate violations. the japanese automaker has recalled more than 11 million vehicles in the last year. a horrifying scene monday in taiwan where police say a man involved in a domestic dispute drove his car into a school zone. bystanders lifted the car to free one student who was pinned beneath it. none of the injuries were life threatening. the writer of a how to guide for pedophiles has been extradited to colorado.
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phillip graves sold the book through amazon.com. although the online book seller has now pulled that title from its site. others argue that graves arrest violates his right to free speech. another mishap last night for the problem plagued spider-man turn off the dark. a stunt double fell 80 feet during a preview and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. the $65 million show has delayed by cast injuries and technical glitches. and today is the darkest day of our lives. it was the first time -- amateur astronomers look to the sky to say good night moon as it disappeared into the earth's shadow. it's five minutes after the hour, now back to matt and tamron. the good news is that the days are going to start getting warmer.
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>> you're absolutely right. >> these people are taping the show back here. more engaged couples down here. stephanie abrams in filling in for al and she's got the forecast. >> we still have our big system, flood advisories posted in nia and nevada. the pineapple express, we will see several more feet of snow into the mountains and we will see over the next few days, we will see another five to seven inches of rain into southern let's take a look at san jose. you can see the clouds filling
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in. we'll see winds picking up around lunchtimeal and rain dro. a lot of thundershowers and look at the moisture spilling in. most of the energy will swing through southern california but back here in the bay area we will see things turning windy later today. tomorrow plan on rain to start and showers to follow for the afternoon and much needed break comes in thursday into friday. carl, over to you. this morning on "today's money," financial myth-busters. as we wait for the economy to get better, our lives continue to get more and more complicated financially. so, when it comes to money myths, the truth can help consumers achieve some real savings. carmen wong ulrich is a personal finance expert and author of "the real cost of living." carmen, good morning to you. >> good morning, carl. >> why is the difference between myths and reality gotten so difficult to tell? >> well, because we've learned a lot, especially over the past five years or so, right? we've seen how markets fluctuate
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and how where we put our money changes when things happen with these markets. so, we have to pay a lot of attention. our financial lives are getting so, so complicated. we have to know and separate myths from facts. >> so, we're going to play a little game here. >> yes, we are. >> we're going to roll out a myth and then talk about the fact -- if it is in fact true. we'll start with the first question, and that is, it's good to not have a credit card until you're in your 20s. >> not if you want to be an independent adult and not if you're the parent of someone in their 20s. i hear from so many 25-year-olds with full-time jobs who cannot get a credit card. the key here is, you know with the card act to discourage all the credit card issuers from giving cards to kids in college. they said until you're 21 years of age, you can't have a credit card on your own. you need to absolutely get some form of credit. if you are 18 and up, cosign on the card with your parents with a low, low limit.
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or if you're an independent adult and you can get your own credit. >> you don't want to be 25 and have your parents still cosign. >> and that's happening to a lot of folks. if you don't want to be in that situation, get a card now by cosigning. low limit, that's key. >> the next question is, when you get married, your credit merges, which i think is very interesting, because not all of us have the same credit with the person we're in love with. >> no. i hear way too many people who one has great credit and one doesn't. no. when you get married, your credit reports and scores don't merge unless you apply for a loan together. but you can do that if you're co-habitating and you're not married and you apply for a mortgage together. then your credit is merged. what happens is they take your high score, then this low score, and they average it out. but here's the thing, if you have great credit and your partner doesn't, protect that credit, because it's very, very valuable shorks you have to apply for something like a mortgage. your credit will buoy up both of you. >> so, if i have the good credit, should i be taking on trying to rescue her credit in some cases? >> do not rescue because you have to protect your own. you have to protect your credit
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because your great credit will help you when you have to apply for a loan together. >> okay. this is the next one. the housing market woes are nothing new. >> right. >> we know all about that. but when it comes to paying your mortgage, some people are confused. the statement is don't pay off your mortgage early. if you have that luxury, should you? >> the myth is, and this is what we hear a lot, what's wrong with prepaying your mortgage? you want to get rid of the mortgage, right? the housing market when you buy a home, it's like buying into the stock market. there's a valuation that goes up and down. it's not like a loan you take out to pay for your car, for example. so you become part of a market, and this market doesn't perform as well as the stock market. so, if you put your money into the market long term, the stock market well diversified portfolio performs better over time than your home, but this is not exactly just a financial decision. it's a personal one as well. if you're after security and stability, know you're going to lose out on some money, so be wise about it. >> one myth is easy, all debt is bad. is that true? >> absolutely not. absolutely not. debt is neither bad nor good.
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it's a tool. it's just a tool. and the more you realize it's a tool, you can make it a tool that works for you in a good way. i wouldn't be here if i didn't have some debt, student loans. if they're done the right way, of course. mortgage to buy a home, that kind of thing. even credit card debt if you're building a business. if you use debt as a tool as opposed to saying it's bad or good, then you're smart about it and it's not going to be bad for you. >> all right, how about this last one -- money will make me happier. is it that easy? so many people say yes. >> so many people say, listen, if i had more money, my problems would go away. that's not the case. there was a study out of princeton, the man who won the nobel prize found that if you make a household income of about $75,000, on a day-to-day basis, after that management of money, you're no more happy, but if you have less than that money, day-to-day, things will get you down much more, but if you have about that much money, your basic needs are met and you have a little extra money to spend to enjoy yourself. other things weigh in much more on your happiness than money. >> it's amazing. we hear so much about money. it's good to have you bring us
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back down to earth, carmen. >> thank you, carl. >> carmen wong ulrich. coming up, chic decorating tips to bring the holiday spirit to every room in your home. but next, on our series "jill's steals and deals," deep discounts for a limited time a wers, after y" vie these messages. ♪electronic santa song
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♪electronic santa song
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in a more delicious world, there would be more smoothness, more creaminess, more rich just-for-me-ness, more hershey's bliss-fulness. hershey's bliss. it's not just chocolate. it's bliss. pancakes! ♪ from dawn 'til sunset, i'll never walk away ♪ ♪ blueberry pancakes are so good ♪ [ male announcer ] bisquick. pancake lovers unite. come on... isn't it time an auto insurer gave it to you straight? that's why you should talk to state farm. but not yet. first, talk to any one of the 40 million drivers who already have state farm.
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40 million. yeah, that's more than geico and progressive combined. by a lot. 40 million drivers. more savings. and discounts up to 40%. where else you gonna get discounts like that? call an agent at 1-800-state-farm or go online. call an agent at 1-800-state-farm this morning we continue our special series "jill's steals and deals," from electronics to clothing to jewelry, "today" and "us weekly" contributor jill martin is back with some great products at deeply discounted prices. retailers have agreed to offer these exclusively to "today" viewers for a limited time. as always, once we reveal the deals, head to todayshow.com for
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more details. jill, good morning! >> good morning. >> i love that you bring deals to the room. that's awesome. but remind people again how they're able to take advantage of these. >> okay, so, once you see an item that you like, immediately logon to todayshow.com and there will be a code there that links to the website. from there, it only lasts for 24 hours, and these retailers have given us these deals. i don't benefit from any of these, nor does the "today" show. we're just able to bring these deals to viewers. so, logon immediately because it's a rush. >> no time to waste. >> let's shop. >> these are so soft. >> these are great. >> and lovely. it's a comforter, but good for people with allergies, right? >> right. microfiber bon ton reversible down comforters. so, it's reversible, obviously, two different colors. so, the retail price, $120 to $160. steals and deals price, $19.20. that's an 84% to 88% discount. >> that's incredible. >> and feel these. so soft. >> amazing, yes.
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>> and these are great for travel, if your kids are going to school, for gifts. and obviously, two colors. >> so two for the price of one in a sense because it's reversible. fantastic. >> and $19.20, so you can't go wrong. >> you have some ponchos. these are also nice. >> big with celebrities, miley cyrus, nicole richie. what i love about ponchos, and i know you're a big poncho wearer. >> because you can throw them on and just pull them off. >> and you can wear them under jackets and it's a great piece. but depending where you live in the country, these are great. you see the grommets and the french detail. >> how much are these normally? >> okay, so, $150 retail. >> wow. >> steals and deals price, $30. that's 80% discount. >> take all three! >> right? i know, everyone, all the crew is like, which one should we take? which one should we take? >> and these are plarts with celebrities, you said? >> huge. again, miley cyrus, nicole richie. but these are great to have. so comfy and chic. >> let's get to the jewelry, girl's best friend, or diamonds or whatever they say. but nevertheless, these are cute. >> this is a great gift.
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isabel grace jewelry, and you pick your initial, or if you're giving it as a gift. a lot of mommies get it in their daughter or son's name. and it comes with one charm and one necklace in gold or silver. originally $62. steals and deals price, $19. that's a 59% discount. >> and you get the necklace and a charm. the necklace and one charm. if you want to add additional charms, those are retail price, but you get the necklace and any initial you want. and again, it's fine silver accented with 22 karat gold. >> very nice. and statement rings are a big thing. everyone says i've got to have one good ring, the rock. >> and with all the parties, these are three different styles, statement rings, which are great and will dress up any outfit. originally, the retail price $180. steals and deals price, $30. that's an 83% discount. jessica alba, britney spears, all fans of this brand. >> let me take a look at that. you said jessica alba. she's one of my favorites.
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>> erica adams cocktail rings, and these are fun and comes with a little pouch. so great gift. >> very chic, and there's a few selections. and it comes with the pouch? >> yes, so that's great. >> from jewelry to electronics. >> this all the guys are going nuts for, but a lot of people don't want to upgrade their car to get bluetooth in it. >> or it could cost a lot. >> right, it could cost a lot. first of all, originally $80. now $20. that's 75% off. and this attaches right to your visor in your car. it takes calls and links up with any device you have, any phone -- almost any device. it will also pick up gps, so if your phone has gps, it will tell you the directions, which i always need, and it will pick up the music. so, it's really an in-car speaker. 17 hours of talk time, 15 days of standby time, so it's great for travel as well. plantronics, bluetooth in-car speaker. >> what was the original price? >> $80 and now $20, steals and deals price. that's 75% off. >> and you were telling me that the sites crash because these are such good deals that people run on to get these.
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>> i hope people are logging on already. but be patient. go on to todayshow.com. the code's there and then you'll be linked to all these websites. >> good stuff. >> so, go shopping. >> jill, good stuff. five products, five steals and deals. again to remind you, they are comforter by living quarter, the stylish poncho from vain apparel, the neck laid is isabele grace, and the in-car speaker phone. head to todayshow.com for the promotion codes and website for these exclusive bargains. coming up, how to eat the right foods so you don't pack on the pounds this holiday. joy's "diet has the s.o." has t answers. first, these messages. lucy, i missed you.
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♪ [ gasps ] this is for you. thanks. ♪ cool. ♪ [ chuckles ] whoa! ♪ [ chuckles ] i love this part. yeah. me, too. [ lucy gasps ] [ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. and i figured i would take these... "dietary supplement weight-loss pills." ooh, "consult a physician if you experience rapid heartbeat, "dizziness, shortness of breath... "side effects may include chest pain, nausea..." yeah. couple days of that, and i will be in a bathing suit in no time! [ female announcer ] need a clinically proven way to lose weight now?
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then try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim-fast. who has time to slim slowly? you can do this... get the ball. get the ball, girl. hmmm, you can't do that. but you can do this. it's the simple things. scientifically formulated bengay pain relief + massage with penetrating nubs gives you the targeted relief of a massage plus the powerful, long-lasting pain relief of bengay.
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bengay pain relief + massage. visit bengay.com/relief for a $3.00 coupon. love the nubs! get great last minute gifts wednesday through friday at sears! save fifty to sixty percent off coats, sweaters fleece and sleepwear for the family. this keurig brewer is one, oh nine, ninety-nine. plus, save sixty percent off fine jewelry. be the santa you want to be. nd your santa at sears.com with cinnabon cinnamon have such a sweet and delicious aroma that my family can't wait to get their hands on them. enjoy cinnabon cinnamon... now in all pillsbury cinnamon rolls.
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♪ so many generous contributors have pitched in for our 17th annual holiday toy drive. viewers here on the plaza, viewers at home, and companies like microsoft. laura wallace is the general manager of the new york metro district for microsoft. laura, good morning. >> good morning, carl. >> what is microsoft's donation this year? >> well, thanks for inviting us back this year. this year, we gave $1.5 million in software to support non-profits across the u.s. in support of children's programs, help them grow and learn and be able to connect with their families during the holidays. >> what kind of software and how does it help non-profits? >> it includes office. you can think of children coming after school and being able to use microsoft word to create their book report, leverage bing to do research for science projects, use windows live photo gallery to be able to share photos with their families at the holidays, so. >> and you brought a kinect, which i understand is one of the most highly sought-after presents this holiday season. >> it absolutely is. a little sweetener this season, we have some xbox kinect systems for the kids to enjoy, an
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opportunity for families -- >> guard that carefully. you have to be careful walking out of here with that. thank you, laura wallace. >> thank you for having me. >> and thank you to microsoft for your continued support over all these years. tomorrow you can go to todayshow.com. believe again... shake it up, shake up the happiness. (ho ho ho) wake it up, wake up the happiness. (ho ho ho) c'mon ya'll.... it's christmas time ho ho hooooooo... [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light...
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...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents? good morning, it's 9:26. mike joins me now with a look at the commute. >> we have a car fire blocking two lanes eastbound 580 around the dublin grade. we have the two lanes blocked. no injuries reported but this is causing slowdown as heading off the castro valley. overall, very light throughout the area, a little remaining slowdown westbound 880. it's been calm as far as quiet. >> we're seeing the winds pick up and rain holding off. we have a clouds spilling in. rain as we approach this evening into tonight and that rain may
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also include thundershowers with our highs mid to upper 50s and tomorrow we'll see rain to start, showers to follow, inilstl lookindry.yist apothil time is 9:26. more news after the break. ok
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an update to a city we're follow ing. the city of san jose is reacting to the report that the drink the water has unsafe levels of chromium 6. standards were set by the u.s. epa and california panel of health. our customers can feel confident the water supply is safe to drink. this is from the environmental working group which tested cities and found chromium 6. it is the same chemical featured
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in the movie erin brock vich. bottled water may not be the answer because that could have chromium 6 as well. the best way to protect is to install a reverse osmosis system. we'll be back with more local news coming up at 9:56. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. [ female announcer ] safeway talks gift ideas. music makes a great gift. i like rock, hip-hop, country... and you are telling me this, why? i...uh...thought you might be my secret santa? no. i'm giving for skunk. uh, i can hear you. no. not you. the other skunk.
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[ female announcer ] safeway is the place to stock up on itunes gift cards. right now, save $6 on $40 4-pack. keep 'em on hand. only at safeway. ingredients for life. accentuate your cleavage, however, lets see a little bit of shotgun wedding going on there. i think you should have paid more attention to the beaded belt at the waist. >> brides to be compete in challenges to earn plastic surgery procedures in a quest to win their ultimate dream wedding. we'll talk about why this show does not make the cut for
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everyone. i'm tamron hall, coming up in this half hour, on joy's diet s.o.s., how you, your family and your diet is survive this season. also ahead, never mind the food, how about the decorations, from your foyer to the living room and even some festive touches for your bedroom. we will check out some fashion forward holiday chic for your home. >> and in "today's" holiday kitchen, three essential ingredients to have on hand for when unexpected guests stop buy. and for creative dishes. let's get a check of the weather from stephanie abrams. >> let's show you where we are going to see a white tuesday at least. we do have the snowaround the great lakes and in the west. i assure you that snow will stay on the ground.
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speaking of a white christmas, you need an inch of snow on the ground and snow falling for it to qualify as a white christmas. here's a look you can see the golden gate bridge looks dry for now. look what's happening on the radar. we have thunderstorms offshore that will push to the coast. a lot of energy slamming through southern california today. for the bay area, we'll see rain as the sun goes down and rain locally heavy at times and slight chance of thunder. dry towards thursday and friday. but more rain for saturday. . >> i live in florida so we never had the white christmas day. >> it snowed in miami, not on christmas, but it wasn't an
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ordinary sight. i have asthma. and when my symptoms came back i'd get this tightness in my chest. so i went back to my doctor again. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms all day and night. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. it is a combination of two medicines and should not be taken more often than prescribed. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems,
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and children and adolescents may have an increased risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems. symbicort is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine like inhaled corticosteroids. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop symbicort without loss of control, and prescribe a long-term asthma control medicine. be sure to see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. symbicort is a good choice to help control my asthma all day and night. [ inhales ] [ exhales ] ask your doctor if symbicort is a good choice for you. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.
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everyday i eat your soups, i save a lot of money. that's great. so, your rich and hearty soups have made me, rich and hearty. that's funny. i'm hearty because of your juicy steak, your potatoes... you're really, rich and happy. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. ♪ [ gasps ] this is for you. thanks. ♪ cool. ♪ [ chuckles ] whoa! ♪ [ chuckles ] i love this part. yeah. me, too. [ lucy gasps ] [ female announcer ] this year,
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hallmark has all new ways to say it. this morning on joy's diet s.o.s., answers to your daily diet dilemmas. joy bauer "today's" nutritionist and the author of joy bauer slim down workout. she has solutions for you and your kids and your holiday guests. >> you know it's in the back of everyone's mind, i really want to eat something good and healthy, but i'm tempted by all of the delectable things out there. rhona in los angeles,
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california, joins us via skype this morning. >> i was just wondering if you could recommend a dish or two that would look appealing to bring to a holiday party but would also be a healthy go-to choice for me and everyone who's in to healthy options these days. >> for the appetizer, i would tell you to bring a large platter of vegetables and some sort of healthy but delicious dip. i like to take a can of white beans and i literally purr ray it with roasted garlic and pepper. you can easily trim hundreds of calories just by using the low fat or the fat free counterparts, or forget the mayo and in terms of the entree, i say go for a turkey lasagna. pick a favorite recipe.
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and instead of using -- use reduced fatd cheese and if you really want to go the extra mile, try to sneak in some chopped vegetables into the marinara sauce. >> christine is on the phone in grove, texas. >> caller: my kids are out of school for the holidays, so i would like to find some healthy drinks they can drink during the day when they're home. if my kids don't enjoy water or milk and i don't want to give them any drinks with artificial sweeteners, what are your suggestions for an interesting, healthy beverage option. >> you can take 100% pure fruit juice and you can cut it 50/50 with naturally flavored setser. you create a soda type feel.
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if you take cranberry juice and cut it with seltzer, you get cranberry soda. you can take that same 100% fruit juice and you can pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it and jazz it up with a glass of water with a few fruity ice cubes. as those ice cubes start to melt, you add a shot of flavor. and lastly, you can make lightly sweetened iced tea. i think this is the perfect compromise. brew up some interesting tea like wild berry or cherry berry or orange. and for every two-quarter pitcher that you make, you can add a third cup of either sugar or honey. that's going to translate to about two teaspoons of sugar per glass of lightly sweetened iced t tea. if you can slightly pull that sugar down as you introduce this to them, bonus, but i think it's
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a great compromise. >> good luck with the kids. >> we have got a viewer e-mail, and she says joy do you have a good recipe for a lower calorie eggnog. is there such a thing, she writes? >> this is such an animal. and the first thing i tell people is that you can pretty much take any home made recipe for eggnog and instead of using heavy cream, you can either use fat free half and half or you can buy the cans of evaporated, fat free or skimmed milk. you're going to trim over 200 calories per cup. and a personal recipe that i love that people should try at home. i take five cups of super cold 1% low fat milk and i mix it with a package of the instant sugar free vanilla putting mix, one tablespoon of vanilla. and then you put it in refrigerator and let it start to solidify a little bit, it's
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going to thicken up. and then when you pour it into glasses, you can put a little bit of ground nutmeg. you can imagine traditional eggnog is 400 calories a cup, my version, 135 calories. and it's really delicious. for people that don't like that eggy taste, it's perfect. every room in your home right after this. ♪ [ male announcer ] they've been tested, built and driven like no other. and now they're being offered like no other. come to the winter event and get an exceptional offer on the mercedes-benz of your dreams. it's our way of showing a little holiday spirit. and stay connected with three years of mbrace service complimentary. ♪
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♪ crayons and play-doh ♪ the latest dvd's ♪ lip gloss, gift cards, candy, shampoo ♪ ♪ anything for me? ♪ oh, stocking stuffers from walgreens ♪ ♪ you'll be glad you came ♪ get hershey's kisses chocolates ♪ ♪ in a great big candy cane [ female announcer ] don't forget to stuff those stockings. and no one makes it easier than walgreens, with a huge selection and extended holiday hours. most stores open till midnight. [ female announcer ] stay jolly with walgreens. you soak up some rays in the morning, grab a cool drink around noon, and sleep soundly at night...
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knowing no one looking to freeze or concentrate you... will ever set foot in this paradise. simply orange. honestly simple. ( chirping ) ♪ [ 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. and now make lettuce a real salad with hidden valley salad kits. everything you need all in one bag, like garlic croutons, lemon pita bites, parmesan cheese, and caesar dressing. turn plain lettuce into a hidden valley salad.
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[ female announcer ] start with betty, and get to the "oh what fun" part a whole lot faster. betty crocker sugar cookie mix. see what you can make at bettycrockercookies.com. get great last minute gifts this wednesday through friday at sears! save fifty to sixty percent off coats, sweaters, fleece and sleepwear for the family. ...get this twenty-two inch rca lcd/dvd combo for two twenty-nine, ninety-nine. plus, this craftsman mechanics tool set is just eighty-nine ninety-nine. sears. this morning on "today's" countdown to christmas, deck the halls from your living room. chic ideas with interior designer elaine griffin. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> it's not too late. >> it's not too late. and i have some fun, easy and
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elegant ideas for the whole house. those are the key words, elegant and whole house. let's start with outside. >> the outside, which everybody knows people tend to go overboard sometimes, but there's a way to do this tastefully? >> outdoor things that leave the vegas behind and focus on elegant. so we are more like red carnations, big statement entries and if you have a sun room, you also want to decorate that, if you have a sun porch. if you have a great room, you want lots of little pine trees. decorate your sun porch too. >> move it inside. one of the best ways to do this is to start with the very room you walk into. >> when you're in your foyer, you never want to forget that. normally people think i'm just going to decorate the living
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room and i'm not going to decorate the foyer. let's start with the foyer and put presents instead of the living room, let's put the presents in the foyer. another big thing is work with the colors that you have instead of the red and the green. we have presents that are wrapped in brown, green, whatever goes with you. and something that's super easy too. decorate with great mirrors, decorate them with festive ornaments. that's so easy to do. everyone has this, use spring, use ribbon, it's super easy. finally you want greenery. greenery is on sale right now. you want greenery, shrubs, greenery is available right now. >> use the color of the room to your advantage. >> before we were all about the red and the green, but now we're about taking the colors you have and working with that. this is a living room that's
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green and yellow. those are the colors of the tree, we want to add a metallic to be festive. and this is really all about red. if it were all about yellow, we would be using the yellow too. >> you don't have to have one big tree, but a mini tree. >> smaller trees are easier to put up and easier to take down january 1, or if you're like my mom, february 3. and final tip, don't forget to match the style of your decorating to the style of your room. so if you're modern and streamlined, like this room here, you want to have modern and streamlined decorations too. >> as you said, you can go beyond the reds and the greens and you can go metallic. what does this mean? >> i can show you in our dining room picture. this is where the sugar plum fairy lives. it's bright, it's bouncy and look at that chandelier.
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don't forget the decorate the chandelier. >> hang the ornaments from the chandelier. >> exactly. nothing is easier than a ton of pine cones on your tree, on your center table, spray paint them gold and silver. you want to have different sizes. and if you're living in the south, magnolia leaves. very easy. >> one room people might not automatically think of to decorate is the bedroom. >> you want to know that it's christmas from the moment you open your eyes to the moment you close your eyes. >> you do this for yourself, basically? >> of course. >> people are going to come in and see it so you're going to joan it on your own. >> we have a wreath in the window, a small table. >> elaine griffin, those are tips you don't hear too much.
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up next, what to do when guests just drop by. this is "today" on nbc.
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this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen. having the kitchen stocked with a few key ingredients can save the day when holiday guests pop in. let's get cooking. good to see you. >> good morning. >> after you get over the shock of people just showing up -- >> before you get the shock of people showing up, you have to have your pantry stocked. always have some good fresh stuff around. >> keep it around, you can make crab cakes, you can make soup,
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salmon. chestnuts, you can find them roasting on the streets of new york, in miami, not so much, but we can buy them, we can roast them ourselves but you can actually buy them preroasted and they keep frozen forever. squash, again, versatile, amazingly versatile. you can make soups, you can take stews. just wuchl. >> i was thinking eggs and bread. >> i'm starting my pasta. i have a little bit of garlic. a little bit of red crushed chili. and some white wine. if don't have any white wine, don't worry. but if you're drinking a bottle throw some in there. so we're going to let that reduce down. if you come over here, it looks just like that.
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and we're pretty much done, all we have to do is mix the rest of the ingredients. i have some sour cream. a little bit of butter, because we really want this to stick to the noodles. a touch of lemon zest. but you can predo all of this so you can have this sitting ready. and then i have parsley, chives and basil. a lot of good, fresh herbs in there. season it just a little bit. and then i have the pasta, which you can buy the way precook your pasta and have it toppeded in oil if you want in your refrigerator. and then just heat it up in the sauce. >> oh, wow. >> and then you mix all this together. and look how wonderful this is. you have the crab and the fresh herbs and the creme fresh and sour cream and butter pulls it all together. and when we put it into the
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bowl, we can mix it up even more. and all this crab is going to be sitting on top of it. so we're going to bring this over here. and't generally serve pasta too much with cheese. it's a very italian thing. all right, back to the squash. pumpkin squash. butter nut squash. which we have here. we have it all cut up. in this bowl i have a little bit of brown sugar and olive oil. >> i already know this is going to be tasty. >> put the squash in, a little bit of salt and some fresh thyme. swish it around and then throw it on to a baking sheet, just like so. 400-degree oven, 20 to 25 minutes. i have beautiful arugula.
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>> i could eat it myself, but i'm willing to share. >> that gives it a nice flavor and texture. >> on top of that i'm putting pumpkin juice. >> lovely, michelle, thank you so much. >> coming up, bernadette peters, but first your local news.
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good morning. let's check in with mike with the clean up of little problems. >> the car fire was the only
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issue causing problems. look, blowing the fire out. heading over towards 680, the only real slowing for the bay area. a nice easy drive towards 680 down threw sunol. southbound 680 to the left, no major issues. the metering lights were only on about an hour. people are waiting for the price to change. >> they are saving money. at least they are not getting rained on as they wait. look what's happening offshore. heavy flooding rains across southern california and a system that will bring in a chance for thundershowers along with the rain increasing throughout the night. mid to upper 50s and the winds will kick up too, 15 to 25 miles per hour as the front approaches. we should catch a break from the
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rain thursday and friday and more rain arrives during christmas morning. san jose woman recovering this morning after two pit bulls attacked her in front of her own home. it happened as she was trying to get to her car on whiteson drive about 6:20 last night. a neighbor threw stones at the dogs trying to stop them. the woman suffered major injuries, not life threatening. police are warning neighbors, the dogs are still on the loose. they have clipped ears and may have light gray spots. again, they are pit bulls. more local news in a half hour. the "today" show returns in about a minute. [ female announcer ] safeway talks made-for-you meals.
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when you don't have to cook, you have time for other things. yeah, like what? i don't know. fishing. fishing?! i, uh, i said wishing. [ female announcer ] when we do the cooking, you do the enjoying. safeway. ingredients for life. is the perfect choice for holiday gatherings. martinelli's is non-alcoholic, festive like champagne, and tastes great! martinelli's: since 1868.
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mmm. you smell that? yeah, wait. what is that? love. smells like ham. [ female announcer ] serve a main course brimming with comfort and joy. safeway. ingredients for life. captions paid for by nbc-universal television brimming with comfort and joy. let's just listen to that for just a moment. >> crank it. crank it. you know how i like to crank it. >> i used to wish my whole life i could sing like barbra streisand. now i just wish i could sing like you used to. i can't four of those notes anymore. >> here's the magic of music. this particular song --
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>> which one? ♪ from now on our troubles will be miles away ♪ >> okay, this song, if you go to our website, klgandhoda.com. there's a right-hand column. it says kathie lee's tunes. you click on it and it takes you -- because we're so techie, to itunes where you can buy it. we're selling -- finally, someone's going to be buying your music. >> that's a first for me after a 44-year career in music. >> this song is up today. then tomorrow we'll get two. >> not because the public's clamoring just because somebody thought of it. everybody, welcome, it is tuesday, booze-day, december 21st. just a matter of hours. this is the winter solstice and old man winter arrives, arrives. >> if you were up late or early depending on who you are, this was this once in a lifetime or many lifetime's event, lunar eclipse. >> total lunar eclipse and i,
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like an idiot, got up to see it. >> it lasted for three hours. >> it was so crystal clear and gorgeous. but by the time i got up to see it, it had clouded over and i didn't get to see it. >> look, you can see it right now. here's the thing about these things. this lunar eclipse is i think once in 500-plus years but you know the other eclipses that they have, the regular eclipses? >> yes. when the earth hits the sun -- >> every time we do a story we're like this is a once in a lifetime deal -- everyone go outside. i feel like i've done the story -- >> frank says it is the second one he's seen. >> i feel like i've done a bunch of those stories about the eclipses. i think we just let people think they only happen every now and then. well that's good because we have candy cane martini today. >> yes, we do. it is a vodka and peppermint schnapps combination with a candy cane garnish. it looks like water. >> you know i don't eat sweets
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so i'll just put that aside. here you go. cheers. happy winter. >> wow. >> woo. so there's been a lot of buzz in new york city over a broadway show that's not yet officially opened. >> postponed several times now. it is called ""spider-man." "you understand a lot of people want to see that, be they know of all the stuff. >> bono and the edge have written the store. julianne moore is directed it. >> the problem is it's being riddled with real physical accidents. the actors are getting hurt. just last night, this actor fell. the crowd like completely screamed and -- you don't know if it is part of the play or it's a real thing. when all these people are flying around you and above you, who knows if it is part of the action. >> you don't know. this seven minutes before the end of the show. they stopped the whole
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performance and this guy sustained only minor injuries. was taken to the hospital. >> i just spoke with the general manager of that show. and he literally called five minutes ago and said that the young man has minor injuries. my more injuries. they're all very, very grateful for it. but first of all, it is so highly anticipated this musical. it's julie taymor who did "lion king." ground-breaking theater. so the expectations are so high. but so is the host of it. right now it is $65 million to produce this. >> there have been three other accidents and they just keep happening. we'll see what happens. they delayed the opening. >> this is the fourth time. >> we wish everybody well. whether you're in the show or underneath it. you know? >> stuff's falling on the people. what we talked about yesterday has caused quite the
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commotion. >> we told you yesterday that in the "new york times" there was with a vows section where people get married. carol ann riddell, her second marriage as was her husband. the difference between this marriage is that each of them admitted basically that they were in marriages that weren't right, they found each other and they ended up getting married and they sort of told the whole tale in the middle of the "new york times" newspaper about she says that she was going through pain and why is god doing this to her. she ended up leaving her husband and he left his wife. >> they both expressed remorse for the pain that they caused but they feel like it is either pain now or or much more pain later or that was one of the quotes. right? they both spoke out. >> today. yeah. carol ann riddell told forbes.com we did this because we just wanted one honest account for how this happened for our sakes and for our kids' sakes. we're proud of our family and the way we handled this situation this past year and there's nothing in the story we
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are ashamed of. >> she's surprised by the backlash. >> she says this is sort of surprising to me. i think people are focusing on the negative, not the positive." >> i think when you are crazy in love, no matter how you got there, you think everyone is sharing in your glory. >> that's the lens you see everything through. >> they're surprised saying why would anyone think this is bad, we're so happy. but you see what's in the bodies that are littered behind them. >> one person says i find it -- i'm paraphrasing -- ironic that the title is "vows." basically, you know, the vows that you just made are the ones that you didn't honor originally. so i mean -- listen. people make mistakes in life. have you certainly -- no, we all certainly all made our mistakes. but it comes down to especially when there are children involved, you just -- and there are spouses -- ex-spouses that
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have to read this. you know what it reminds me of? remember when governor sanford of south carolina went on and on and on, boo hooed about this woman he was in love with in argentina and his beautiful wife has to hear that. this is his soulmate. yet they don't even realize the damage they're continuing to do. >> i think honesty is overrated sometimes. >> you sure do. you don't use it much. >> stop it! but seriously, like why does everyone have to say everything? >> they don't have to. we live this a world where everybody feels free to and compelled to because of all the social networking and media and everything. >> i think it is okay to either omit the truth or just not say anything if you know it is going to really hurt somebody. when governor sanford stood up and boo-hooed about his new soulmate while his wife had to listen, you didn't have to say that. you have said we've gone our own separate -- >> well, he was crying for himself, not the people he had
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hurt. like he hadn't learned anything yet. there's time but other people say i wonder what it will be like for their third marriage. we hope they have a happy marriage but i don't know, unless you learn something, learn a lesson from it, you're bound to make the same mistake again. >> this is an interesting story. today it was announced shania twain is engaged. >> this has a crazy twist. shania twain and her husband, "mutt" lange -- >> one of the most successful music producers. >> they were married for 14 years. then muttlang ran off with her best friend. they're together. shania ends up now getting engaged to her ex-best friend's husband. >> who, i'm sorry, he's ku cuten mutt. >> he's totally sexy. he's gorgeous. >> he's cute. i don't know if he's a sweet guy. we wish mutt and shania and
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everybody all the happiness in the world. you just can't even keep track of this stuff. she's going to write a heck of a song about it, i think. that came off unkind. i'm sorry. i think the new one is very cute. >> i think he is adorable. good news for betty white. >> what hasn't she won? she's going to be asked to pose for "playboy" now. >> she's been named entertainer of the year by the associated press. >> come on, let's give it up for betty. >> she won so many awards this year. she wan a s.a.g. lifetime achievement award. her seventh emmy. seventh! emmy. all right? she's in that show "hot in cleveland." >> and the snickers commercial is one of the best commercials of the year. and hosting "snl." >> i think it was that snickers commercial that reminded -- wasn't that the catalyst? >> there's something about
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betty. i'd love to see abe also host it. >> he would be good, too. >> what did she turn the other day? 89? and she was in every single skit that night at "snl." and it was late at night and she was -- got blez her. >> just one quick thing. >> two quick things. >> right, right. if you love to get into bed and be cozy. sometimes you put on your pajamas and they're cold and you get in the sheets and they're freezing, we have the solution -- it is called the p.j. warming sack. you plug it in, put your p.j.s in and 15 minutes later you take them out. feel them, they're so toasty! >> this is what i need to get christine for christmas. because she's always, always cold. >> can you believe? is that all that's in there? just one? there's a top and a bottom. it is just like hot out of the dryer. i love it. $30. pajama warmer.com. >> our friends at rapid lash who
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i told you guys all along how -- what an unbelievable product this is. it retails for $50 but today rapid lash sent us a rapid lash wreath and we're going to randomly pick 15 people that go to facebook and write "lash me, baby." >> what else are we giving away? >> we're also continuing our tivo sweepstakes. we're going to give away five tivos at random. klgandhoda.com. we're giving away five premier boxes and a year subscription. k lchlt gchlt alg and hoda.com. why a good temper tantrum can be beneficial to your health and other stressters busters. later, there's almost no award without her name on it. bernadette peters is in the house. first these messages
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if deep breaths, yoga classes and venting to your friends aren't helping you
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de-stress, you aren't alone. >> studies show those supposedly true anxiety busters are just a bust. "prevention" magazine uncovered what really helps and what doesn't. the magazine's executive director is here to tell us all about it. you're going to bust some myths, huh? >> sure am. >> you got two little skeptics here. >> here we go. yesterday's which had dom and today's smart strategy. yesterday's wisdom is to express your opinions. >> we live in a tell-all culture. everybody is on facebook. we talk about the bagel we had for lunch, every last feeling that we had. >> exhausting. >> but sometimes it's better just to deal with your grief, if you're upset, have some tears, of course, it is normal. but really return to your every day life. research backs it up. >> but shouldn't we choose very carefully the people we are that vulnerable with? that's the problem. we're putting everything out there for everybody and most of
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the time that i read the stuff it's like, who cares? get a life. >> i know exactly what you mean. and it is important to share with friends and your confidants. >> but there are very few of them. >> right. it is a question of being specific and careful. >> you say never soothe yourself with food is the old way of doing it. but now you're saying actually chocolate may not be such a bad thing. >> this is such good news for all of us especially me. but here's the deal -- it's not milk chocolate. it is actually the dark chocolate. you can eat an ounce a day and it actually lowers your stress hormone. it is very good at this time of year. >> again though, it is a matter of volume. the amount. >> right. you can't be eating a mr. goodbar 24 hours a day. >> well you can, but you're going to reap what you sew. >> if you're in an argument with your husband, everyone said don't go to bed mad and you're saying the new strategy is just go to bed. just get some rest. >> listen. if you're fighting, it is 3:00 a.m., you're going to say things you don't mean. at that point were your brain
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cues what we call a fight or flight response. it is not going to go anywhere good. the feeling is make a truce, say we're mott going to talk about this until tomorrow morning but the next day, do in fact talk about it. >> well that's different. that's not -- that's very different than what i thought she meant. >> but you're still steamed. if you're really upset, you know you're not sleeping anyway. get some rest, i toss and turn when i have something like that on my mind. >> you punch your pillow -- >> men don't. they fall right asleep. >> how is that possible? >> right to sleep within two seconds. that makes you even madder! because they're fine. they know they'll get it in the morning but they don't care. >> you're up here turning on the tv. >> it is making me mad thinkinging about it. >> i'm sorry. >> the old days they should say we should always try to control our temper. now you guys are saying just let it rip sometimes. >> sometimes it's absolutely appropriate. the brain likes it when you display a little bit of anger because it gives you some control over the situation. >> a little bit of anger.
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>> yeah. i don't think that you should be chronically hysterically yelling at everybody. we've all seen lots of people like that in the news -- >> but enough about the jersey shore. >> back to our lives. the feeling is if somebody cuts you off in traffic, somebody says to you at work that you think is insulting or inappropriate, it is okay to say i don't like it. >> if you're driving in traffic an someone cuts you off, i did this whole series on stress. i said what if you scream and pound the steering wheel and whatever and you get it out. those guys were the of the mind set, you're still all amped up. sometimes it is a release. >> but it is not doing the other person any harm, it does you the harm. sometimes you roll down your window and you say god bless you. that so disarms people. you kill them with kindness sometimes. that's the most destressing thing in the whole world. >> you see what i'm dealing with? lastly real quick, don't try to
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get any stress from your family, turn to your pet. >> there's something wonderful about cuddling up with your little dog. research has shown that they are actually better at helping your stress levels go down and you can solve problems faster when you're doing something in the presence of your animal rather than your spouse or friend. >> unless it is your animal that just made you crazy because he just pooped on your carpet. i'm just trying to have you think things through. >> there's even more in preventi"prevention" magazine. have a lovely destressed holiday. god bless you. she hates my guts. >> just a little. >> i meant you. the most awful gifts ever. what not to wrap up t weekend. bernadette's coming up.
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we're back with our new series "sara on the streets." basically we send sara out on to the streets. >> this week in the spirit of giving we sent miss sara out to get the scoop on the gifts you wish you had never received. >> yep, it wouldn't be the holiday season if we didn't talk about the gifts that make people grumpy like the grinch. i asked folks in our nbc store about the worst gifts they've ever received.
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>> a pair of socks or something like that. >> probably socks. >> one year i got a cell phone case without a cell phone in it. >> socks. >> what's up with the socks trend? who gave you those socks? >> my grandmother. >> pajamas that are just too young for you. >> are they theme? >> theme. >> is this from grandma? we love the socks an pajamas. >> i got a little statue kind of like christmas -- wasn't santa but it was like a christmassy, holiday, kind of wintry thing. >> where is that little statue now? >> we regifted it. >> my husband gave me a butter dish from our christmas after we got married. >> my mom tried to get me some really sexy lingerie for christmas in front of my children, in front of my -- everybody. >> maybe she was shopping off your bridal registry. >> hello! people at first were like i
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don't have anything. well they were like this one time i got this statue. so i was like, and so you did get something. >> what about you, sara? >> i get sometimes weird stuff, i'm kind of like, huh? but not bad. >> donna and joe just gave me wonderful pink socks. i was very happy. >> yes, we love your socks. a lot. still to come, inventions from the minds of babes that you'll want under your tree. santa's in the house checking out if bernadette peters andiada de laurentis have been naughty or nice.
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good morning, mike joins me. >> the first to show the slowing and last to clear up. the 17 is recorded, a little slow before and after but no problems around the area. the real mccoy coming into the area for next couple of hours eastbound 580. still slow off the castro valley. the sigalert has long since cleared. san mateo bridge issued a highway advisory. check that out. >> at least the winds aren't 60
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miles per hour. that would be something. we aren't seeing any rain around the east bay. north bay seeing a few showers at times around the hill tops towards napa county. most of the moisture sitting offshore. as the cold front approaches, the winds will pick up and we'll see rain spreading over the bay area. as we head into your evening commute and rain off and on and thunder as well fernight.wollo. 10:27. more news after the break. [ male announcer ] it's a rule of nature.
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that's great. so, your rich and hearty soups have made me, rich and hearty. 's funny. i'm hearty because of your juicy steak, your potatoes... you're really, rich and happy. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. good morning, san francisco is still waiting to hear if it will have the honor of hosting the 2013 america'$2013 america'. city official thought they would be told on friday but no word from organizers. all we have is word that negotiations are intensifying with official in rhode island. it lay and italy and spain are also in the
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running. they were not happy when san francisco said holding the race at pier 60 would be too expensive. thank you for joining us, the "t ahaat gve. dreolayxt. ha greve day. we're back with more of "today" and some wonderful kid inventions. >> little play dough here, legos there, you never know what make spark your child's next brilliant idea. guess who is with us? >> itada is here with us and we have here casey. and at the very end, zachary. >> hi, zachary. how are you? >> a.j. is with us. how are you? >> you're the ceo of -- >> telebrands corporation. we sell all that as seen on tv stuff that you see in all the retail stores all over the
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country. >> finding these kid inventors must have been fun. >> this was a fantastic idea that we came up with to -- we see inventors all the time. this is the first time we reached out for kid inventors. it was absolutely a delight. these kids are so bright, they came up with great ideas. hopefully one will be the next big thing. >> start with itafa. show us what you have in your hand. >> these are green paws. they are made out of yard waste and recyclable materials -- >> they're shoes for your dogs? >> yes. >> what do you mean yard waste? >> don't go into detail. >> just stuff you'd find in your own yard? >> it is did bark and tree leaves. >> oh, okay. >> why did you decide to make the dog shoe? >> he has three dogs that made a mess every time they came into the house and he invented these so they won't be a mess. >> what's your dog's name? >> rocky. >> he's got one on. >> so these aren't being
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produced yet. >> they're not but we had lots of kids inventors come from different schools around the area, the tri-state area. these are three of the inventions that we liked the most. this one i liked because first of all, pet category, people love their pets. people are humanizing their pets more than ever before. this also solves the common problem your dog runs in and tracks mud through the whole house. before they go out, put the boots on, before they come in, take the boots off. your house stays clean. >> casey has what we call "the swing-it shoe." >> the swing heel is a high-heeled shoe that turns into flats when you swing it down. >> so that you can dance -- >> you are so smart! >> wow! what made you think of that idea. >> well, a busy woman and basically our mothers were inspiration of this because they often get tired in their heels.
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>> they're almost like sneakers on the bottom. >> in new york city where women commute, sometimes they wear sneakers, they change into high heels in the office. just wear this when they commute, get to the office, pop up their heels. >> i hope you guys have good lawyers to get these patented. >> thanks, kids. we'll step all the way down to the grippy soap. we're zachary. you have something called grippy soap. >> this is a bar of soap that normal soap does. >> oh. >> so it is almost like the way rub it all over. >> it's got texture so you can grab it. it is just like a deodorant. >> did you think of that because you were just losing the soap in the shower?
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in your hand, body lotion it kind of a pain. do that. is one hand action, solves all your problems. sooner? do it. >> we had to wait for zach. >> we have these last two for you. >> thank you very much! you guys are so sweet. what's going to happen with these kids' inventions? come on down here -- don't leave us over here. >> telebrands is currently evaluating these ideas. we may take a license from one of them or more. they're all really good ideas and we'll try to market them. test market it, if they're successful they'll be available at a may wror retailer near you. >> snts that fantastic? congratulations. >> your parents must be so proud of you guys. >> have a great holiday. okay, from a little light ic to datv, bernadette peters takes a walk over from broadway it hang with us for a little while right after this.
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♪ isn't it rich ♪ aren't we a pair ♪ me here at last on the ground ♪ ♪ you in mid-air >> that is so beautiful. >> that's the tony, golden globe and grammy-winning bernadette peters -- >> don't talk over it!
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>> its see good. it is from "little night music," a great show. you're looking at the performance the "new york times" called an indelible moment in the history of theater. doesn't get much better than that, miss bernadette. >> what was it like reading that kind of review? >> i usually don't read them but i did sneak that one. it's great. then you go back to work and that's really what it's about. you know, it's really about having that what a gift this whole show has been. >> i loved it! loved it from the beginning. >> it is an experience every night i get to do. >> you've loved working with your co-star. you want to tell us about elaine? >> oh, elaine. elaine is just brilliant and she's a master. elaine stritch is just a master. >> you work with some masters through the years. are you ever in awe of the other person's talent? >> oh, my god, yes.
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well, it's just magical. i mean when that happens, it's just where does it come from. it's true. you know? but i just love to learn. i just watch and i learn and hopefully i can absorb some of it and -- >> well, you won a couple of tonys. you've been in so many shows. this one clearly is unique. there's something special and different about it. what is it in your eyes that makes it unique? >> i didn't realize how appealing it is to an audience, this show. because i wasn't that familiar with the show. >> but you brought the humor about which, people don't think of this as a funny show, but this is very humerus. >> it's very funny and the audiences when they wait for me outside, i didn't realize how funny this show was. it is a very funny book. it is a wonderful story that the audience really gets involved with. hugh wheeler wrote the book. then you have this music that's totally incredible, and also witty. and the voices, we have the most wonderful talented cast. >> singing that song "send in
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the clowns," it's been sung by so many people. was there anything that was even remotely intimidating about taking on that song? >> you know, i just didn't think about it. i just said -- i let the scene sort of tell me what the song was about. and it really comes out of the scene and it just made so much sense once you do the scene. >> it is the first time the song has ever made complete and total sense to me. i went "now i get it, stephen sondheim." because away from the actual story, what are you talking about. but in the confines of this story -- >> he righwrites for the charac and for the story. if you just let it tell you what it's supposed to tell you -- >> she's going to be coming to the kennedy center to do "follies." our friend eric schafer is going to direct through. that would probably come to broadway after a big run at kennedy center. >> well, we'll see. would be lovely. we'll see what happens. >> when you're not doing that,
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you have this children's book which is -- >> second one. >> -- "stella." there is something so engaging about this character in this book, about this dog who wants to be a pig or pretends to be one that kids must just eat up. >> it is doing very, very well. i love the story because it's really teaching you not to judge people from the outside and to learn to accept and love all that you are. and she's a little pit bull who doesn't think anyone likes her so she pretends to be a pig. >> i think pit bulls have gotten some bad -- >> they have. >> these dogs are trained and pit bulls start out just precious. >> they were the family dog at the turn of the century. they were the nanny dog and helen keller had a pit bull. and petey in our gang had a pit
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bull. it is the vanity dog of the tough guys right now and it is really a shame because they're really lovely, warm dogs. >> you also learned how to write your first songs after all these years in the theater, she's become a songwriter. >> but you know, kathie lee, i can only write -- i write in planes and that's it. i write the song and the story in the plane or in the car coming home from the plane. >> you need to travel more. >> air travel. so the next one's going to be about my cat. but i haven't taken a flight yet. >> bernadette, good luck. thank you for coming by. >> go see it. >> until january 9th. >> it's been extended january 9th. coming up next,ae tr giada s santa to some of her home cooking. >> he'll never be the same. he won't go home to martha.
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so, we book a flight to hawaii using our points from chase sapphire. last minute... on christmas. and sitting next to us, chevy chase. and we really hit it off. we play golf, and then the luau. he's like da vinci with ice. and after, we help hang christmas decorations. wait, wait, wait. you flew last minute... on christmas... with points from chase sapphire? yeah. amazing. believe it. with points from chase sapphire, you can book airline tickets with no blackout dates or restrictions.
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>> announcer: "today's holiday kitchen" is brought to you by pillsbury crescents.
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warm and flaky rolls in minutes. >> time for "today's holiday kitchen." we're getting a little saucy with giada. "today" contributor giada delaurentiis that is. and santa. >> first of all, santa was just saying that the chair is not big enough for us. >> it has nothing to do with the size of you girls. we needed more width. >> hey! come on, we'll cook for santa because he's got a big, big night ahead. he needs his favorite things. you have a sweet tooth, right, santa? >> of course i do. >> start with cookies over here. out. they're all baked off and ready for you guys -- >> i need one of these. >> any frosting. >> i'm going to do a green camel. >> of course you are.
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>> that's what wise men rode in on, hoda. >> were they green? >> maybe santa would like to try whatever you guys decorate. what do you think, santa? yes? you up for it? look, nice, hoda! >> you just threw that together. >> as she sakes her booty on over there. >> nobody walks like hoda. nobody swings it the way that woman does. >> he likes it. he likes mine. be careful of kathie lee's. santa, do you want something savory now? i figure santa can't just have something savory. >> that would be nice. >> that's really unique and pretty. >> of course it is. that's the way i roll. okay. there you go, santa. >> tell me which one you like better. now -- >> we're making something savory. since santa loves apples and so
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do the reindeers -- correct? >> reindeer love apples. >> we are making a ham gruyere first. one. >> green mustard down first. then a little cheese, a little gruyere. >> i love that. i miss cheese so much. >> cheese, a little apple. apple that's sautes in a little butter and thyme and a little bit of ham. >> yeah, baby. santa, be that way. that means you need more cheese because it's got to stick. >> put it right in the panini. >> look at that one. do you have to spray it with anything? >> it is non-stick. put it down there for about five minutes. this is what it looks like.
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>> oh, my gosh. >> do we have to give that to santa? >> why does he get it? what's he done? he's just sitting over there. >> you can have one. you want it try one? >> okay, santa, this is for your sustenance. want to keep that over here? santa loves that. that's his favorite. >> yes. >> he loves, loves, loves that one. >> it is like a very fancy ruben without the sauerkraut. last, but not least -- since i guess i can't do a segment with you guys without a drink -- >> santa can't drink and drive so that's for us. >> oh, but he does. little did you know, he does. >> the reindeer know exactly where they're going. >> reindeers are in charge. yes. >> what are you making? ginger-apple martini. ginger to keep him warm -- >> i don't think santa needs this. what do you think? >> sorry, santa. >> ho-ho-ho!
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>> wait, cheers! happy holidays! whatever! >> whatever! >> happy holidays. >> love you, giada. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc if we survive. honey...? [ mom ] yes.
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for 3 1/2 weeks we've been shipping out toys to kids all over the country helping millions of needy children have a happier holiday. >> we'd like to thank gymboree for donating more than $150,000 worth of products to our drive. stacy stanford is from goody who makes all those wonderful hair products. >> we have so excited to be here. this is actually the sixth consecutive year that goody's donated to the "today" sho show drive. this year we gave out more than
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$250,000 worth of accessories. >> tell us what this is in your hand. >> we at goody are about making life fun and easy. >> this little spin pin actually does the work of up to 20 bobby pins with a few simple twists into your hair. >> it is like a corkscrew. i don't mow if i did it well enough because i'm hurrying. if you do it right it holds it up and it's so cute. >> bobbie thomas showed us these. >> they are easy to throw your hair up in the middle of the day. >> what are you wearing in your hair in. >> i have another goody hair accessory. i'm a big headband girl and i have shorter hair. we do have the solution for all those with short hair this spring. >> thanks, stacy. appreciate everything. again, tomorrow is the
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absolute last day to contribute to the toy drive. tomorrow we are so excited, aaron neville is going to be with us, actor jason siegel -- >> who's crazy. ! >> yes, he is. and an authentic fish dinner for christmas. and an authentic fish dinner for christmas. >> see you tomorrow, bye-bye. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com
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you know what i want for the holidays? do tell. true love. true love is a myth. [ gasps ] you're a myth! excuse me? [ female announcer ] it's the thought that counts. and the gift. safeway. ingredients for life.
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that smells scrumptious. yummy! smells delightful. awesome!

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