hour and every half hour after that. >> have a great day. good morning. weather wallop. a new snowstorm making a mess of the commute in the east, while out west, a dangerous wildfire near big sur forces evacuations. hold the phone. a federal judge rules the nsa's mass collection of phone records unconstitutional. does this mean the government has to stop what it's doing? feeling lucky? the mega millions prize is now up to $586 million. and it's on the verge of growing to the largest jackpot in u.s. history. and nice catch. an airport security officer dives to the rescue when a baby falls off a table. the heroic action that's landed him a bonus today, tuesday,

december 17, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> morning, everyone, welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. >> look how pretty it is. the snow is falling here in new york city. 25 degrees. and it's weird because tomorrow in bora-bora, it's gonna be 90 and that's where i'll be after i win the mega millions. >> we're going to miss you. >> good luck to you, as well. >> good to have you. >> thank you very much. >> this weather is of course today's top story. dylan dreyer finds herself in it again 30 miles to our northwest in parsippany, new jersey. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. you know, out in the snow once again, it started at about 5:00 this morning. temperatures have been hovering

right around 20 degrees. so has been sticking to everything, including the roads immediately. now, this is not going to be a this is not a huge snow event but the timing you, affecting the tristate area in time for the tuesday morning commute but then heavy by parts of new england by midafternoon and that's going to make a mess of their evening commute up that watch now, these alberta clipper-type systems as they are called, it started yesterday in the midwest, where we ended up with about three inches of snow in some areas, certainly enough to make the roads very slippery and also the runways slippery, too. we have picture from dane county regional airport in madison, wisconsin, where a plane slid right off the runway into a snowbank. fortunately, nobody was hurt. the backside of this storm, very, very cold. 26 degrees below zero in northern wisconsin. not going to get that cold around here but it is going to stay in the 20s throughout the entire day. it is slippery from start to finish, once again, all commuters having to take extra

caution today. savannah? >> dylan dreyer in parsippany, new jersey, thank you very much. thank you so much. let's go to al. >> i have to tell you, already airlines have canceled proactively up to 250 flights. the numbers will just be growing. here you can see the system now pushing its way in. it's a fast mover, but don't be fooled. there's another bit of energy as we go interactive and show you what is going on, you can see snow in philadelphia, snow from our top of the rock cam here in new york. we'll be watching this system. so actually what will happen, even though the rush hour this morning will be kind of rough, by 12, noon, you see the heavier bands of snow cutting across new jersey into long island and new york city. heavier snow starting to set up into new england. and as the afternoon rolls on, boston, you're going to have to worry about your evening commute, heavier snow there. still snowing back in new york and on up into new england. and then this thing moves out rather quickly. the good news is, as dylan mentioned, not going to be a

heavy snow. but about three to six inches locally, maine about nine inches. the other end of the country, big sur, california, 500 acres, so far, at least 20 homes destroyed, including the home of the big sur fire chief, yet she stayed on duty, trying to protect the community. it's not under control yet. l.a. got up to 85. they will continue with south-southeasterly winds, 10 to 15 miles per hour. and it's been a big dry season. they are on track to have their driest year yet. san francisco is 15 inches below where they should be for rainfall this year. l.a. over 10 inches, with no relief in sight. so, guys, if this continues, this will probably be the driest year on record for california by about 40%. >> al, thank you so much. >> we'll be back with your local forecasts in a couple minutes. let's turn to washington now

where the obama administration is beginning to plan an appeal of a major court ruling. a federal judge says the nsa's massive collection of phone call data brought to light by edward snowden likely violates the constitution. nbc's justice correspondent, pete williams, has more on this. hi, pete. >> reporter: good morning, matt. president obama will meet today with the leaders of some of the biggest tech companies and one subject will be leaks about government surveillance programs. they will be meeting a day after the judge's ruling that one of those programs is unconstitutional. the ruling is a blow to an nsa surveillance program that gathers data about every phone call made in the u.s., and saves in a massive database to be checked the government says when it has a terrorism lead tied to a specific phone number. civil liberties groups sued, claiming the government needs some indication of wrongdoing before it goes harvesting all that data. >> this kind of program, this kind of dragnet program,

operates the other way around. it gives the government access to everything on the theory that something somewhere might be relevant. >> reporter: the ruling departs from a 1979 supreme court decision that said people have no expectation of privacy in the records of their phone calls. that notion, said federal judge richard leon, has been eclipsed3 importante de lo que era en by technological advances and a cellphone-centric lifestyle. count the phones the judge said. giving the nsa a vast amount of information it couldn't get three decades ago. but an expert on the government search power says the judge might have that wrong. >> in some ways, the telephone is a less important technology today. than this was in 1979. in 1979, it was such a critical way of by communicating. >> reporter: the ruling comes from a judge appointed by president bush. >> conservatives these days are also very anti-government, and very much anti-big government. and as a result, there is sort

of a strange bedfellows between conservatives and liberals on this issue. >> pete, two issues here. let's stick with constitutionality to begin with. this judge basically overruled a supreme court decision that you mentioned from 1979 saying that, "americans have no expectation of privacy in the record of their phone calls." 15 fisa court judges have upheld the constitutionality of this program. so what are the government's chances of winning on appeal? >> well, they're pretty decent. the court of appeals may see this very differently. remember this is just one judge's opinion. what the critics would say of the fisa court rulings, you had an adversary process, you had people coming in arguing the other side which is something the fisa court never heard. >> and judge leon said the government basically didn't present one piece of evidence that shows that this program of collecting all this metadata has worked to prevent terrorism.

>> and that's going to be this troubling to the government. and what the judge says, he can't find one instance where the immediacy of this in real time with speed of the essence made a difference. he acknowledges there were some cases where it was helpful, but he says it's not one of those things where the heat of the moment paid off. but in the final analysis, the government may change how this works anyway. there has already been a recommendation that the phone company store all this data and then the government seek into it when needs to. >> what is the next step in the process? >> goes to the court of appeals. we're months away from that. and could go to the supreme court, too. so the resolution of this could be at least a year or year and a half away. >> pete williams in washington. as always, thanks very much. meantime, we're learning a lot more about the deadly carjacking at a popular upscale mall in new jersey. the victim was killed as his wife looked on. stephanie gosk joins us with the latest on that. >> this is a christmas shopping trip that turned tragic for a young couple. investigators now believe it was a husband's attempt to protect his wife that led to his murder.

dustin's arms were full of holiday gifts as he and his wife, jamie, approached their car in a parking garage at an upscale new jersey mall. police now believe they were followed by at least two men, targeted because of their high-end range rover. after helping his 27-year-old wife in to the passenger's seat, dustin was met by a gunman who demanded the keys to the suv. but according to reports, the 30-year-old lawyer refused, knowing his wife was already sitting in the car. that's when police say four shots rang out, one fatally hitting dustin, who was later pronounced dead. his wife was forced from the car, which was driven off by the two suspects. >> most charming, delightful guy. >> reporter: police have recovered the vehicle ditched some 15 miles from the mall and a massive manhunt is under way for the killers. a camera may have caught images

of the suspects, but the police are asking for the public's help, offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest. at dustin's law firm, colleagues are stunned by the news. >> staff was in tears and still some of them still are. it's disbelief. whatever there is these kinds of violent acts, it's a horrible thing. >> reporter: while his neighbors attempt to process a seemingly random ability of violence. >> it could just happen to anyone and that's the worst part of it all. my prayers are out there to his family and friends. it's heartbreaking. >> reporter: police will not publicly speculate on a motive behind the crime, but county prosecutor says it obviously was a car with some value. back to you. >> stephanie, thanks so much. >> a lot of pressure on them right now. let's turn to natalie. she's here with news in syria. >> that's right. and escalating violence this morning as the military once again squares off with anti-government activist groups.

nbc's keir simmons has the latest from demascus. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. damascus is a city of war. there are people in the streets, roads are busy, but overnight, we heard frequent explosions and a record $6.5 billion is needed to help people trapped by this bitter conflict. here in syria, armed rebels have turning on each other and innocent people. this morning, reports claim that 18 civilians were executed by an islamist group last week. but the death toll on both sides climbs. carnage in the largest city, allepo, last weekend, trying to rescue those buried by a massive bomb. children clinging to parents. a badly injured man is carried away. a boy trembles in shock. 26 children were killed, opposition groups say. barrel bombs are packed with

nails and explosives dropped from government helicopters as seen in this cellphone video of an earlier attack. desperate to escape, millions have fled their homes. those who get out at camps like this one in lebanon now face a freezing winter in just tents. in a u.n. center, mothers crowd around me. "help me get to the west," one begs, holding her 9-month-old child. but the west looks increasingly powerless as syria's fight over a country in ruins. we arrived in damascus last night. driving around this morning, it is almost surreal. many acting almost as if there isn't a war. yet just a short distance away, suburbs are under siege and parts of damascus have been reduced to rubble. >> do take care of yourself there. tragedy for u.s. forces in afghanistan, a defense official tells nbc news that six american service members were killed today when their aircraft went down in southern afghanistan. that is the largest death toll

in a single incident to hit the international nato force in months. the cause of the crash is under investigation, however, initial reports indicate that there was no enemy activity in the area when the aircraft went down. the u.s. has been drawing down its forces in afghanistan but there still are about 60,000 american troops serving there right now. in italy, the defense team for american amanda knox began closing arguments today in the retrial of the meredith kercher murder case. in his closing arguments, the prosecution slammed knox for becoming well known because of the case while the victim has fallen into oblivion. this is the third trial of knox. italy's supreme court overturned the acquittals in march, citing inconsistencies in the case. when you go to the airport,

you have your stuff? tow. why do you put bait bill? a man places his baby on the table while he is putting his jacket back on, but as the baby is falling you, the officer slides in like an all-star center fielder, making you the catch. his good deed did not go unnoticed. there are reports the security company gave their employee a well-deserved bonus. i think we can all say. that's incredible. >> father might want to chip in on that also. >> destroy that video. yeah. don't let the wife see it on the security tape. don't let the wife see it on the security tape. a lesson for all of us. including long kicks from 53 and 49 yards out. now the forecast. >> we'll be looking at a warm-up. but in the meantime, actually we're looking at a little freezing fog down in southern illinois. that makes for rough driving conditions. the clipper comes across. in the southeast, we'll see temperatures starting to warm up, as well. your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. and that is your latest weather.

7:15. happy tuesday morning to you. i'm meteorologist christina loren. a milder start to the day. upper 30s and low 40s now. temperatures climb not quite to the level we saw yesterday but on the low 70s in places like morgan hill. mid 60s on the peninsula. san francisco, same for you. upper 60s in the east bay and tri valley. and good news, our air quality is going to improve greatly as we head into the end of the week. hope you have a fantastic day.

and that is your latest weather. >> thanks. as we tonight, tonight's mega million jackpot, $586 million. by the time the numbers are drawn, it could be the largest ever. kerry sanders is in fot. lauderda lauderdale, florida. >> reporter: if you are the sole winner and you have the one ticket and you take a lump sum, it will be about 316 plus million dollars. more than enough to buy a vessel like this one. this one here, 112-feet long, costs a mere $6.25 million. everybody has a dream. the odds of yours coming true with mega millions, 1 in 259 million. you're just as likely to find a lost diamond ring at the bottom of the ocean. but that doesn't stop people from dreaming big. and dropping bills. >> i played $40. >> when it gets big, i'm greedy.

>> reporter: say you do win. you may want to relocate. realtor and reality tv show has a nice $5.75 million house for sale in glamorous south florida. >> you have double everything. >> climate controlled wine cellar. >> 750 bottles of wine. >> how big is this house? >> this is 7 bedrooms, 6 1/2 bathrooms and over 12,000 square feet. and is t. leads right out to the ocean. >> why move to practice? >> one x t, tax reasons. and two, the weather help. >> reporter: as for a fancy new set of wheels, this is a ferrari xxf evolution.\help. >> reporter: as for a fancy new set of wheels, this is a ferrari xxf evolution.elp. >> reporter: as for a fancy new set of wheels, this is a ferrari xxf evolution.lp. >> reporter: as for a fancy new set of wheels, this is a ferrari xxf evolution.p. >> reporter: as for a fancy new set of wheels, this is a ferrari xxf evolution.. >> reporter: as for a fancy new set of wheels, this is a ferrari xxf evolution.. >> reporter: as for a fancy new set of wheels, this is a ferrari xxf evolution. it sold for $2.7 million just last week. any chanceky take it for a spin? >> no. >> reporter: but even if you win this grotesque amount of money, there are limits. you cannot afford your own nfl team like the dallas cowboys.

and you can not afford the private hawaiian island of lanai. but this sort of pay day still puts you in a special category. more money than singer miley cyrus. actor brad pitt. even politician mitt romney. as for how you win, st stat tes shans say letting the exciter pick is no different than using your own numbers. so if you win, you'll have more than enough to buy the boats, houses and really plenty of money to help out the less fortunate, as well. and of course all your friends and your newfound friends and your lost relatives who will all be calling. >> that's right. kerry, thank you so much. so right now it's $546 million. tamron is in the orange room with the new class headed for the rock and roll hall of fame.

good morning. >> good morning. this is the 2014 list and you know people always love to debate whether their favorites got in or whether their favorite shoes have gotten in. so here is the list. peter gabriel, darrel hall and john oates, kiss, nirvana, linda ronstadt all earning the spot. and we are joined by an okay spell la group from texas. and they are the winners of the singoff. and in honor of my favorite on the list, they will hit it. go, guys. ♪ >> hall and oates were my

favorite. we're asking you who is your favorite or who should have made the list? guys, you'll stick around this morning. >> thank you. coming up, are you a good judge of when you've had too much to drink? the stunning results of an experiment that will change the way you think and perhaps behave. saand imagine being a delivy driver take. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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this is a breaking news update from nbc bay area news. >> good morning to you at 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. people on the peninsula are being warned to keep their doors and windows closed, as crews battle a fire at a scrap metal yard. "today in the bay's" chase cain live in redwood city with the latest. chase? >> reporter: laura, just an advisory at this point. it is not mandatory, but say if you can smell or see smoke, keep your doors and windows close, stay inside if you can. two fires burning here off seaport boulevard. the first at sims metal broke out around 1:00 a.m., when a pile of appliances being recycled exploded and caught on fire. redwood city has been able to get that fire under control. it is contained now. but in the process, one of the embers from that fire set some vehicles at a next door business on fire. so then they had to respond to

that, as well. what we're hearing is that they have both of those situations sort of handled here, because they had two alarms worth of resources, even though they were only technically at a one-alarm fire. and this is not the first time. there has been a fire at sims metal. you may remember what happened just last month. we will talk to you more about that coming up later this morning at 11:00. for now, live in redwood city, chase cain, "today in the bay." >> let's check in withris tina, a look at our forecast, not high winds out there. >> no, winds calm. and whether or not you can see that smoke from redwood city, we can see the haze. another spare of the air day. tenth consecutive, as a matter of fact. this is san jose. i'm happy to report, we are going to see some improving conditions when it comes to your air quality. as we head further into the week. in fact, starting tomorrow, dramatic improvements. temperatures right now in the 40s. as we get into this afternoon, we're going to climb into the upper 60s in san jose. peninsula looks good for the upper 60s and we touch on the mid to upper 60s even in san francisco. let's check your drive.

>> the haze preventing our cameras from seeing anything distinctive. the slowing over here, northbound 101, 180, winchester boulevard in the center of your screen the biggest slow down. and bottom of your screen, north 85, showing the build up. not a big deal but toward the area because of the fire, the closure. north 101, you cannot exit at seaport boulevard but can exit at woodside. another local news update in a half hour. see you then.

a day's work for the fol at u.p.s. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning. we're showing you this picture because this is the busiest delivery day of the year for that shipping giant. the company will deliver, get this, 29 million packages today alone. >> just one guy? >> just one guy. janet shamlian chipping in. we have a truck side seat to show you how they get it all done. >> not breaking any speed records. meantime, snow already beginning to fall here in new york city as another storm moves across the northeast. and it's already affecting travel. >> and strong winds are fueling

an out of control wildfire in the big sur area. it's already destroyed at least 15 homes and forced about 100 residents to evacuate. >> and cha-ching, have you bought your tickets yet? mega millions is up to $586 million. could be even higher when the winning numbers are drawn later tonight. >> still ahead from serious news and pop stars and crazy videos out there, what were you searching for most on google in 2013? remember when natalie became a british citizen? >> that was so much fun. plus we have the largest cle collection of jewelry ever displayed at one time. we'll find out what is being done to keep them safe from us. >> let's begin this half hour, though, with a new rossen report. this morning this is a wake-up call for anyone headed to a holiday party. jeff rossen and his team set up a social experiment that might

change the way you behave. jeff, good morning to you. >> good morning. real wake-up call for all of us. this is of course party season. a lot of us think we know our own limits. i can have a couple of drinks and if i'm not suring my word or stumbling, i'm fine. how many of you have gotten behind the wheel after drinking at your holiday party? this morning our social experiment will open your ice. you can really trust yourself? we're throwing a holiday party. and the electrliquor is flowing. we invited this group of friends to a restaurant and told them we're doing a story about holiday drinking. what they don't know? >> blow hard. >> reporter: after the party, this local police officer working with us is giving them breathalyzers. and field sobriety tests. >> seven, eight, nine. >> reporter: show of hands. how many of you feel in control

of yourselves? coordinated? most of you. this man told us he'd even be okay to drive right now. you'd get behind the wheel? >> why not. >> reporter: authorities say too often people lose track of how much they're really drinking and don't know their own limit. according to new data, during christmas and new year's, nearly 40% of all traffic deaths involve drunk driving. >> i think the misperception is people feel they can have a few drinks when in reality one dripping can impair you. >> reporter: which makes our social experiment so important. we supplied the alcohol telling half of them to drink as they normally would. and the other half not to drink at all. they're our designated drivers. we also hired car services as a backup to make sure everyone got home safely. but would they drive if they could? >> i'd wait longer. all rig >> reporter: how long would you

wait? >> at least an hour, hour and a half. >> keep going. >> reporter: so we wait that ed long and gave her a breathalyzer test. are you surprised it took only two drinks to get you over the will he limit? >> i am. >> reporter: but that's another commonlimit? >> i am. >> reporter: but that's another common mistake. even after you stop drinking, your blood alcohol level can continue to rise as the liquor seeps into your system. art here stopped drinking two hours ago. he still can't walk straight. he blows a 0.12. well over the limit. >> good thing i didn't drive. >> reporter: most of our drinkers told us they wouldn't drive. but then there's ron. who is about to make a bold admission. if you lived close by, would you you drive home? >> two blocks, i'm good. >> reporter: you think you could do it safely? >> two blocks, yeah. >> reporter: but watch what happens when the officer tells him to walk straight.

>> one, two, three, four, five -- >> reporter: he can't do it. and his blood alcohol level? >> 0.13. >> 0.13? ? >> you're legally intoxicated. >> wow. three drinks and i'm intoxicated? >> reporter: actually, we watched him order one, two, three, four drinks. plus a shot. >> i probably would have gotten into a car to drive home had i been at a local bar. >> seeing you were nearly twice the legal limit, what is that like to hear? >> it's disheartening. >> you would you have gotten on the road. >> very scary. i'm an idiot. you don't realize how much you drank up afterroad. >> very scary. i'm an idiot. you don't realize how much you drank up after the sobriety test comes. >> and by then it's too late. >> absolutely too late. god forbid i'd hurt somebody or

kill somebody. >> we want to thank that group for helping us out and of course being so honest. very hard to do that with cameras around. remember, they knew they weren't driving home. that was all for an experiment. authorities say the message is clear, even with one drippink, can be physically impaired and so is your judging. if you are driving, do not drink at all. and you could easily got caught. police are stepping up dui patrols and checkpoints everywhere. >> jeff, thank you. >> really smart. happy you did that. and al now has a check of the weather and the snow behind us. >> that's right. and the good news is we'll see a change. all this arctic air we've been looking at, the good news is it will start to moderate. in fact what's happened, the jet stream has been way up to the north out west. we're looking at it making either way through there. but it's taking a dip here in the northeast. so that's allowed the colder air

in. the good news is as we head into the weekend, get a little bit of a change and we'll love that. you'll love the change here in the east. midsection of the country, you'll see what we're calling apomega block basically. high pressure dominating. but that fridge it air comes down into the south and central part of the country while in the east, it's going to get more mild. temperatures will be about 10 to 20 degrees above normal by the time we get into saturday. in the meantime, this clipper comes across, brings 3 to 6 inches through the northeast and new england. fog in the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine in the midsection of the country. a little on the cool side. 25 7:37. good tuesday morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren, taking a live look from high atop san bruno. hi and mid level clouds from the sub tropical latitudes and will climb into the upper 60s to low 70s, out of the 40s and even 50s where we are now. good-looking day shaping up. temperatures into the 70s in

morgan hill, upper 60s along the peninsula. mid 60s for san francisco. north bay, upper 60s today. east bay looking good, upper 60s and 68 on the way to blepleasan. , check out the forecast weather channel on cable and weather.com online. up next, are you expecting a package? we hit the road with the folks at u.p.s. on this busiest delivery day of the year. and then on trending, holiday photos causing a stir in the nation's capital. but first these messages. let's do gifts, no, let's do surprises. yes, yes, bingo. let's do confidence. let's do how did you know? let's see what's in santa's bag, and nail it. let's do this. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get your choice of a reciprocating or circular saw when you buy this ryobi

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happier holidays. chex party mix. in her favorite color? diamonds that capture her look, her style perfectly. kay jewelers presents the artistry diamonds collection. genuine diamonds, in vivid blues, greens, blacks, yellows and purples. the beauty of genuine diamonds in a palette of colors that express "her" perfectly. at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. artistry diamonds. they're diamonds of a different color. ♪ every kiss begins with kay ♪ >> well, don't be surprised if you see a lot of delivery trucks in your neighborhood today. with online sales up and christmas a week away, this is the busiest day of the year for u.p.s. janet, good morning to you.

>> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning to you. i know it looks like i have taken on a second job here. to be on one of these u.p.s. trucks is that everyone, including reporters, wear one of these brown uniforms. i'm with ken. we're in one of the 60,000 trucks on the roadways on one of the busiest days of the year. volume is up tens of millions of packages all due to online shopping. even at this early hour, the rush is on. and today could be record setting. u.p.s. expected to deliver 29 million packages worldwide. 300 every second. >> it is giving consumers the opportunity to shop later, essentially compressing the shopping season. >> reporter: online holiday shopping has created a tidal wave of holiday shipping. up an unprecedented 8% of last year. >> 90% of our christmas shopping

was done online. >> it's a waste of money driving to the store. that's one of the reasons i like to shop online, to save myself gas. >> have a good day. >> reporter: this store is more than a place to buy. they are also fulfillment centers, able to send your purchase anywhere. >> do you want to pick it up in the store? do you want it shipped to your home? whichever way you want to do it, we have it available here. >> reporter: but online the store never closes and shoppers know it. which is why millions will push it to the limit. >> if you order on the 23rd, we will get it to you by christmas. >> promise? >> promise. >> amazon says you can order as late as sunday night at midnight and still get free two-day

shippers for their prime members. ken will make more than 100 stops today. it's no problem. he has been doing this 29 years. and doesn't usually have cargo in the passenger seat, but he's a pro at it. back to you. >> be honest, have you had ken driving around in circles on the same block? >> maybe. >> he's got to get to work. >> janet and ken, the man of few words, thank you very much. >> ken looks cute. coming up, do you walk around talking on your cell phone without a single care in the world? beware of the cell phone crasher. and tamron reveals the the top google searches of the past year. that's right after this. [ laughter ]

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remember, walgreens has a great assortment of little somethings, and we're always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out. see you on your lunch break. swing by walgreens for lindt lindor truffles, hallmark cards, and more. plus most stores are open 'til midnight. here at the corner of happy and healthy. and irresistible aroma of nescafe clasico stir what's inside of you. ♪ [ engine revving ] [ tires screech ] ♪ [ male announcer ] that was bold. real bold. ♪ for realsies, ryan is a total hottie mchotterson. totesies.

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we're back at 7:49 with what you are most curious about in 2013. tamron is in the orange room with the guy who knows the answers. >> with us again, daniel siebert who is a google technologist. so this is the 13th annual list

of things that captured our attention. >> lots of things popped out. we'll get to some. i really geek out about this list myself. there are so many cool things. >> let's geek out together then. we'll start with the top global a trending searches. and the list, number one -- >> number one, nelson mandela who died recently. paul walker at number two from "fast and furious" series. the iphone 5s. always searches around new technologies. co cory monday teeth. and the shy ral shake. >> what does that say about us some from man legal today to the iphone 5? >> it's the spirit of the time, just a mix of what we're interested in. >> so another fun list is what

if blah, blah, blah. on the list, number one --sf bl. on the list, number one -- blah. on the list, number one -- >> you might look up what is twerking. of course you would find the miliary cyrus craze. what is ricin. >> and two reasons it might be on the list. >> it was sent to lawmakers and also referenced in "breaking bad". >> so you have a combo of real life and tv life. and next up, doma. >> and of course part of the same-sex marriage debate. >> and number four, molly. intriguing. a lot of parents may have googled that after hearing it in songs and wondering what was happening in the lives of young people. >> it's a type of ecstasy that may have other drug compounds that make dangerous. >> and gluten. >> is it harmful to me.

anyway, this is one of my favorite lists. >> so now that twerking was the number one on the list, can we officially make it stop? we all now know what it means. back to you. >> "today" viewers know what twerking is. i'm guilty of early on googling what is the origin of twerking. i wanted to know like where it really came from. >> pre-historic times. >> tamron, thanks very much. coming up on trending case closed, new evidence that it could be time to stop wasting your money on multivit people don't have to think about where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions--

it matters. ♪ [ laughter ] ♪ [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their family's delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. ♪

thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas! from our[ bell rings ]rs. [ man ] take five! hey, joyce! [ grunts ] you really seem to be dragging your a-- [ donkey brays ] mid morning slump. [ donkey snorts ] that's why i started drinking this new lipton natural energy tea. come on! it's naturally has more caffeine and theanine than regular lipton. here. you'll thank me. mmmm... tastes amazing, right? i feel better already. [ donkey brays ] [ man ] two minutes! tea time. [ female announcer ] for a little oomph, try new lipton natural energy tea. [ donkey brays ]

this is a breaking news update from nbc bay area news. good morning. 7:55, laura garcia-cannon. crews are battling a scrap metal fire at the sims metal management facility. it's a 25-foot-high pile of appliances that exploded, sparking the flames. right now, no shelter in place. but authorities say it's a good idea to stay inside if you can, and keep your windows closed. this is the second fire at this plant in just five weeks. crews are starting to make some progress in putting out the flames. they actually hope to have it controlled within a few hours. the fbi on a lookout for a man they're dubbing the bad beard bandit. this man has robbed at least five banks in northern california, including one in sunnyvale the last eight weeks. each time he's wearing a fake beard like the one you see in these surveillance pictures. want to check the forecast now, meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning, laura. it temperatures are running pretty mild this morning. in fact, close to 50 degrees.

in san francisco in the north bay and east bay right now, peninsula at 41. same for the south bay. getting this afternoon, temperatures climb nicely. about 10 degrees above average in some cities, especially morgan hill, where we are expecting low 70s for today. mid to upper 60s along the peninsula. mid 60s in san francisco. temperatures are going to be comfortable in the north bay. upper 60s for you. east bay and tri valley, upper 60s. hard to beat that, eight days away from christmas. and happy to report we have better air quality. the caveat, cooler temperatures, as well. here's mike inouye an your morning drive. >> looking at an easier drive, because we are just over a week away from christmas. looking at north 101, we do have a slow down here. there's a crash just past allan rock avenue, causing some slowing, in the center divide. another crash over here, north 280, winchester, to the shoulder. but slow out of downtown. northbound 880, slowing the last few minutes towards high street. back to you. >> thank you it for joining us.

more local news in half an hour.

sfwlits's 8:00 on today. coming up, a very vice presidential christmas. a holiday photo causing a stir in washington. plus is exercise a better cure than some medicines? a healthy outlook could be a workout away. and jewels worn by some of the most famous women in the world part of the largest collection ever assembled in one place. today tuesday, december 17, 2013. >> we're from georgia! >> i want to be the fifth host of the "today" show. >> we love matt lauer.

>> all the way from south bend, indiana. >> merry christmas from california. >> merry christmas from alabama. ♪ >> and pentatonix taking us into our 8:00 hour this morning. we'll hear a lot more from them coming up. >> good morning, i'm a van thsa guthrie alongside matt lauer. >> and we can add ashley from chicago who is joining us right now on facetime. and there you go, ashley, can you see us? isn't that cool? ashley's sister is here in the crowd. she just made her national television debut. >> so cool. lots to look forward to this morning. b bye, ashley. we'll head over to natalie and get a check on the top stories of the morning. >> good morning once again.

a major clash is taking shape over the government surveillance program that collects and saves data on every phone call made in the united states. the phone spying was revealed by edward snowden and on monday, a federal judge ruled that it is most likely unconstitutional. however, he put a hold on his own ruling so the government can appeal. civil liberties groups are suing to stop the program, arguing the government needs some evidence of wrongdoing before it starts harvesting all of that personal data. the senate has confirmed jeh johnson has the new secretary of homeland security. johnson will be the first african-american to hold that key position. he takes over from janet napolitano who left to become the president of the university of california system. the victim of a deadly carjacking at a new jersey shopping mall may have been trying to protect his wife when he was shot. police say the 30-year-old attorney was confronted by at least two men in the mall

parking garage sunday night. he reportedly refused to hand over the keys to his 2012 range rover because his wife was already inside the vehicle. she was not injured. police recovered the abandoned suv monday, but have not made any arrests. hot, dry and windy conditions are hampering efforts to control a wildfire in the big sur area. the fire has destroyed at least 20 buildings, including the home of the big sur fire chief who was busy protecting other people's property. a frightening close call was caught on camera this weekend when a woman backed her cause through a hardware store window in massachusetts. she came to a stop after hitting several christmas tree displays. nobody was hurt. the drivered told police she was backing up to load heavy bag of icemelt into her trunk but hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes. >> the fda is proposing a new rule that would force the makers of antibacterial seasons to prove their products are safe

and effective. the agency says the soaps do not appear to ahead any germ killing power.effective. the agency says the soaps do not appear to ahead any germ killing power. and some ingredients may carry health risks. the proposed rule does not apply to hand sanitizers or soaps used in hospitals abo. never hurts to have justin timberlake as your wing man when you're ready to pop the question. he invited fans josh and kim on stage for their big moment. enbetter, timberlake then tweeted out the video monday to his 29 million followers with the caption, and then this happened in louisville. and she said yes of course. it is 8:04. and time for the weather and al. >> narrator: today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. and we have all sorts of nice folks here. this young man, a future farmer

of america. where is your farm? >> i don't actually live on a farm, but my ag teacher is in bellwood. >> but you want to be on a fall. thanks so much. and look at this cutie back here. who is this? when is her birthday? >> december 21. >> happy birthday. we'll show you on the radar we have a lot of activity out there. boston, massachusetts, hasn't started yet. parsippany, light snow. rest of the country as this system makes its way up, our pick city happens to be chicago, illinois. nbc 5. snow today. by thursday, 36 and cloudy. rest of your afternoon temperatures, look at those cold temperatures from the teens and 20s great lakes all the way into new england. 30s in the rockies. warming up down in the south today.

we'll have a gorgeous day. 79 in miami today. 63 in san francisco. look for snow showers awa >> thursday and friday much better conditions. and her sister is still on facetime. >> finally lady, have you ever heard you lose half your body heat through your head? what is with the no hat look? you've got to get a hat. >> fashion before comfort.

up next on trending, is there a right number of gifts to give your children at christmas? >> that's a good story. and then at 8:16, a first time filmmaker behind a powerful new film on body image. and a live performance from one of the most popular vocal groups in the word. pentatonix. but first, these messages. i'm so happy to be marrying your mom. you know that, right? uh-huh. i know this hasn't always been easy for you. and i'm really happy that you're in my life too. ♪ it's just like yours, mom! [ jane ] behind every open heart is a story. tell yours with my open hearts collection at kay jewelers, the number one jewelry store in america. there are millions of reasons to give one, but the message is always the same. keep your heart open... and love will always find its way in. thank you. thank you. ♪ every kiss begins with kay [ chicken caws ] [ male announcer ] when your favorite food starts a fight, fight back fast with tums.

heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact and goes to work in seconds. ♪ tum, tum tum tum tums! ♪ clean up the bows and the ribbons and tags. ♪ ♪ whoever's first is the first to play, ♪ ♪ with the good things that we got today. ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday. ♪ through 12 blizzards blowing ♪ 6 snowballs flying ♪ 5 packages addressed by toddlers ♪ ♪ that's a q ♪ 4 lightning bolts ♪ 3 creepy gnomes ♪ 2 angry geese ♪ and a giant blow-up snowman ♪ that kind of freaks me out [ beep ] [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service. priority mail flat rate is more reliable than ever. and with improved tracking up to 11 scans, you can even watch us get it there. and look for our limited edition holiday stamps.

[ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. everything has to be just right. perfection is in the details. ♪ pillsbury cookie dough. make the holidays pop!

so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but after one day's use, dishcloths can redeposit millions of germs. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel. look! a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth, as this black light reveals. it's durable, cloth-like and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to bounty duratowel. the durable, cloth-like picker-upper. it's all your favorites and a whole lot more, like a 20-piece chicken mcnuggets --

just 5 bucks. more choices than ever before. that's the dollar menu and more. ♪ ♪ thank you grandma for the dolls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ i'm ninja kicking through the halls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ mom's posting pictures on your wall. ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday. we're back at 8:11. it's time for this morning's edition of what's trending today. here's a question for the group. raise your hand if you take a multivitamin or some kind of a supplement. >> sometimes. >> okay. that's unanimous. well, if you're about to take a multivitamin this morning, you'll want to hear this first story. a new study is questioning how effective they really are. in a strong conclusion, doctors and some health experts wrote, quote, the message is simple. most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death.

their use is not justified. and they should be avoided. they added enough is enough. nancy snyderman is here. nancy, that's a strongly worded conclusion. >> this is the don't shoot the messenger segment. you all have very expensive urine, obviously, because taking these things the doctors say you don't need. the reality is these are called supplements for reasons. they're meant to supplement the foods you eat. a lot of people take the pills thinking that's the nutrition you're going to get. some in the higher doses can be toxic. so basically if they found out that taking a multivitamin every day did not prevent heart disease, did not make men's brains work better. so using vitamins for long-term chronic illnesses, it's a waste of money. >> it seems to take it a step further. it doesn't say, oh, they're not good for you. it says avoid them. >> this is the strongest statement i've ever seen from a medical group and they're basically saying, not good for you. won't help you. could hurt you, waste of your

money, forget it. >> what do you do instead? >> just eat food. eat food. it's everything you've talked about for a long time. eat good food. and you don't need to do this. now, in nations where there really isn't -- people are impoverished and don't have food, then you can make a case for supplementing diets. but in this country the only exception is folic acid for women expecting kids. >> my pediatrician always recommends vitamins. >> well, kids can be picky. i think kids are the exemption. >> interesting. >> all right. >> nancy. >> all right. thank you. before we show you the next photo, it was taken at a christmas party, posted to facebook by amy parnes in washington. so there it is. and this has gotten to be a tad on the viral side. everybody's looking thinking he's getting a little close. they're having a good time.

by the way, that's our "meet the press" researcher there. >> by the way, that's the vice president. and dr. jill biden. >> a lot of people getting a kick out of that picture. >> he's a gregarious guy, didn't seem that inappropriate to me. but i don't know what the moment was there. >> hey, when i was there, he did the same thing to me. i don't think it's that big of a deal. >> you have a bromance with him, though. >> do you find it -- ladies, would you have found it inappropriate? >> no, i think he's a very engaging, sweet person. >> well, you know him. but there are moments i've taken pictures and if a guy hugs you too low on the waist. as a woman you cringe, that's a little low. but i think we know or believe we know his heart. an arm reach. >> she has a big smile on her face, so. well, at the christmas season, it's a hectic time in your house, here's an idea to help bring a little peace. many parents are doing a three-gift christmas for their kids. that means just three presents for each child. one mother told today.com she

asked her kids to come up with three gifts, one they want, one they need and one they'll read. and the idea is inspired by the story of jesus receiving three gifts from the wise men. i love this idea. because kids after the first and second gifts, they're not really caring what else they get there. >> we do it. i don't know if it's three. sometimes it's two gifts. i think it's a great idea. >> that's what i was supposed to hear. >> you've done this? >> people who need the vitamins. >> no. >> what am i here for? >> you do this three gift. >> when our kids were little, we went to colorado all the time for christmas. and one of the best things anybody ever told me was a young woman i met there had also young children. she said, kathie, if you want to make it manageable, joyful and more about the season and the reason for the season, give your kids three gifts like baby jesus got. he got gold, frankincense and

myrr. and we did it growing up. and the interesting thing is this year at thanksgiving, they both finally said, we don't need presents anymore, mom. let's just be together. and i went -- did anybody get that on video? my children are perfect. but, so, you know, i think because we kept it manageable, it's different. and you start to appreciate god's gift to the world and appreciate one another even if you don't think their god's gift. >> we actually ask you about this on today.com. how many presents will each of your children get this year? 39% said between four and eight gifts. 34% said three presents or less. and whopping 13% said more than 12. >> wow. some generous parents. >> like the duggar family, that's a lot of gifts. >> that's what i think, stocking stuffers may add to the 12.

>> sometimes it's nice to give the kids they then have to give to someone else. donate. >> like a little brother. >> back to the parents. now don't you hate it when folks are talking loudly on their cell phones in public? here's what he did. he goes to the airport, decides to see what happens as he just started crashing their conversation. >> i was hoping it would look good. >> yeah. >> yeah, yeah. it's great to get the free food. >> are you answering what i'm saying? >> no, i'm on the phone with somebody. i don't mean to be rude. >> yeah. i think arriving in terminal three. >> okay. so you could just text me with the terminal. >> yeah. great, i'll text you later. >> what was that? >> i just said i was on the phone with somebody, the guy next to me asked me if i was talking to the guy -- he was talking about me on the phone or something. >> yeah. i don't know either.

>> that is great. >> isn't that awesome? >> somebody is not going to think it's funny. >> it's all fun and games until -- >> that's what's trending today. now to a short film that's earning high marks. its creators are just 13 years old. here's nbc's andrea canning with the story. >> reporter: when they joined the film club at the aspen academy in the denver area, their first assignment was simple, create a public service announcement. >> we wanted to do something a little bit more unique, so we chose eating disorders. >> walk me through your story. >> despite having no personal experience with eating disorders, the girls agreed on a vision for the film and got a surprising reaction when their teacher took his first look at their story board. >> he got a little bit teary eyed. >> it took me back to when my own daughter mindy was suffering

from an eating disorder. >> 20 years old, marcus' daughter mindy was the same age as cameron and olivia when she started struggling with her body image, trying to lose weight to keep pace with other girls in her dance classes. >> we would talk until we were blue in the face. no, you're beautiful. you're not fat. >> when mindy went on a 91-day stretch without eating any solid foods, her parents staged an intervention to get her into rehab. today, mindy is a dance instructor, teaching her students not only how to use their bodies but also how to appreciate them. >> i really believe young women have a struggle with believing they are beautiful. >> that is the struggle cameron and olivia set out to portray in their film called "you are beautiful." the story follows a girl named abby and her constant struggle with food, her body image and eventually her health. with almost no dialogue, just

carefully chosen images, the film reveals the secret world of eating disorders. >> when you see abby looking sideways into the mirror, i remember seeing mindy doing that and say, you know, i'm too fat. >> i think when the girls see you are beautiful, they will realize you are not alone. >> reporter: after the film debuted at school, the president of aspen academy saw an immediate impact on campus. students and parents coming forward to share their own struggles with eating disorders. >> the film helped everyone to be able to say, here's what it looks like, here's what it sounds like, here's what it feels like. and then to create a conversation around it. >> reporter: cameron and olivia are already hard at work on their next film project. it won't be a public service announcement, but the goals remain the same. >> i feel like i'm really helping the world just become a better place.

>> i never thought that i could make this much difference. so it's really amazing. >> two young film makers with a camera. >> yeah, that's good. >> reporter: giving others a chance to see their own reflection in a whole new light. for "today," andrea canning, nbc news, new york. >> we should mention, if you want to see the film "you are beautiful," it's on our website today.com. we want to take a turn now and head to paris and the largest collection of jewelry that has ever been displayed. nbc's michelle kosinski had the pleasure of checking it out. >> reporter: diamonds, so many diamonds. a collection that makes your head spin as well as the tiara on it. >> i think it's fascinating for people because it's quite magical. >> this collection by cartier is the largest ever assembled. not just jaw-dropingly huge

creations, the biggest made for a dude, better to be seen and admired from your elephant. but also historic kate middleton's wedding tiara. the queen's favorite broach, grace kelly's engagement ring, for the outdoors woman, snake, crocodiles, who couldn't use a jade letter opener, a gold umbrella handle, a diamond-encrusted comb for the best hair days. >> reporter: how do you secure something like this? this must be like the most locked down location in paris right now. >> it is. but as security, it's safe, you're safe, if jewelry's safe. >> reporter: i should empty my pockets now? >> yeah, relax. >> reporter: i won't get away with it, will i? >> reporter: with reason, last year we saw the biggest jewel heist ever in cannes. very calmly nabbed more than

$100 million worth of precious gems. had time to grab another bag before walking away on to the busy street. >> do you think it was an inside job? >> i would be surprised if not. >> reporter: why? >> reporter: just this year, 40 jewelry robberies around paris alone. and thieves tend to be more thuggish than in the past. >> diamonds. only thing in the world you can't resist. >> reporter: hey, that's grace kelly, and here's her jewelry. security has had to get creative. spray being used in paris and u.s. synthetic dna, engineered to glow. look at the difference between my hand that wasn't sprayed and the one that was. stays on you for months, traceable right back to where it was sprayed from. jewelers willing to do what they can. >> it's a priceless collection. it will never be perceivable to replace any of those creations.

>> reporter: to protect what has been a bright, shiny, far too easy target. for "today," nbc news, paris. >> i want to get one of those magic lights to shine on you and see if you're guilty. >> yeah. >> i'm amazed what they do with cubic zirconia these days. >> all kidding aside, beautiful. usually over the top jewelry is gaudy, those are pretty pieces. >> i like the jade letter opener. >> christmas is coming. coming up, do you want to feel better? how about this, why the best possible medicine could be right under your nose. we're talking about exercise. a loft people do it. but did you realize it can actually replace a lot of other medicines you could be taking? >> he's calling it the exercise cure, better than any medicine. it's free and everyone can do it. >> first, your local news.

good morning to you. i'm laura garcia cannon. president obama will meet with top tech executives at the white house today. they'll discuss concerns with the nsa's spying program. progress made to fix health care.gov and ways to help boost the economy. the group includes apple ceo tim cook, google's eric schmidt, and yahoo's marissa meyer. let's check that morning commute here in the bay area. how are we looking, mike? >> we got a lot of slowing now southbound 101 at palo alto. there's a crash on the northbound side. still distractions. both directions. i move the camera, and can you see the haze and the low clouds. better news. look at the map here. we have we had the closures that has reopened. that means the folks who wanted to head over, that's business

park over there. they are allowed through the area, but we are already heard from at least one business closed through the day that passed by that same e-mailings facility where the fire continues. the bulk of san mateo and dumbarton bridge, slow 101. they're looking really good. traditionally slow in mountain view, and it jams up around highway 5 where all the roads converge. that's the slowdown. here's the bay bridge. not a problem, laura. >> where is everyone out there? another local news update coming up in half hour. have a great morning. [ female announcer ] here's to a whole world

of happier holidays. time to enchant, delight and amaze. safeway will help you gather everyone 'round. a smoked, shank half ham is only 99 cents a pound. with starbucks at $6.99, serve coffee everyone savors. top it off with coffee-mate... just $2.79 for all kinds of flavors. turns out this season less is really so much more. so make your holiday merrier than ever before. safeway. ingredients for life.

♪ angels we have heard on high 8:30, tuesday, december 17, 2013. the vocal group pentatonix collecting toys. they have two albums in the billboard top ten and they will sing for us in just a little

while. >> also ahead, the 12 days of christmas is in full swing. we have two deals today to talk about. >> and then the best medicine, why your key to feeling better could be get something exercise. >> first i want to say hello to the latest contestant to leave nbc's biggest loser. good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> i have to tell you, this is amazing. you started at 358 pounds. how much did you end up losing? >> to date i've lost 135 pounds. >> that's amazing. you are a completely different person. and as we all know, it's tough enough losing it. how do you keep it off? >> i just make sure to work out three times a day. i kind of indicator to my work schedule and keep with the same nutritional plan that i learned on the show. >> so bob harper is your trainer. what kind of support are you still getting? >> bob has been great.

he really has been a great support system for me. he's been a role model. he's helped me with my own personal shows on the show and after the show. >> and there is a $100,000 at home winner. how do you like your chances? >> i definite will ly i think a chance. i'm very competitive. >> well, good luck. you look fantastic. catch bigge ergest loser tonigh 8:00 followed by the season finale of "the voice". let's check your weather. we're looking today at again snow here in the northeast. we expect to see -- you can see already we're looking in kansas city, they have a nice day out. not too bad. temperatures getting up into the mid-40s. and a clipper moving across the northeast. plenty of sunshine for you in to florida. 79 in miami. hey, we're not going to be too far away from miami right here in the bay area. 72 degrees is the high today in

morgan hill. right around 70 in santa cruz. taking a live look at what you can make out of the oakland skyline. a lot of haze out there. this is our tenth consecutive spare the air day. we're going to see a lot of improvement when it comes to air quality getting the next couple of days. temperatures right now in the upper 40s. we're going to hit the mid 60s to upper 70s. as we head throughout the day, low 70s, and so another unseasonably mild day. tomorrow temperatures tumble. and that is your latest weather. >> now to our special holiday 12 days of christmas. more bargains for your last minute gifts. >> we have the daily dull. we have ornament number 7 represents 7 and number 8. our first deal is these beautiful handmade plates. he works out of a studio in new york. you can also put plate hangers on them and hang them on the wall. they are 70% off.

he never discounts. he's only in stores like neiman marcus. so usually they start at around $78, but you can get them for $23.40. >> go for today.com if you want that deal. >> second today we have these beautiful necklaces, they are known for their glass shape clover. and the necklaces are sterling silver. we grabbed two special models today wearing them. we have nancy on her 67th birthday. and then we also have brianna who is freezing her you know what off from georgia and she's wearings longer version. there are three different lengths. they start at about $197. you can get them for as little as $49. >> wow. >> so another 70% discount. today.com to get the codes and shop away. only good for 24 hours. >> so get online. nancy, happy birthday. hope you get to keep the

necklace. now over to matt. >> narrator: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. the popular acapella group pentatonix burst on the scene back in 2011. they won the season of singoff and have released two albums each day booing in the top ten. pentatonix, guy, good morning to all of you.booing in the top te. pentatonix, guy, good morning to all of you. li let's start with the name. it means -- >> it comes from the five note scale and there are five of us. >> we've been listening to you rehearse a little bit. you can believe the ride you've been on over the last couple years? two years ago nobody knew who you were. and now you have these two albums i just mentioned in the

top ten on billboard's top 200. what has it been like for you? >> it's been a the crathe crazi any ever. it's been nonstop. but we're all living out our dream for sure. >> you're about to go on tour. looking forward to that? >> absolutely. >> and what will you sing? >> hey mama. >> okay. ladies and gentlemen. pentaton pentatonix. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[ applause ] >> pentatonix. thank you, guy, very much. and ladies. good luck on tour. and you can catch "the sing-off" tomorrow night here on nbc. up next, the exercise cure, a pre-drug that can treat anything that ails you. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

they say laughter is the best medicine, but in reality, when it comes to treating everything in diabetes to depression it just might be exercise that is the best medicine. the and you had authorize of the new book the exercise cure, a doctor's all natural prescription for better health and longer life is with us. good to see you. we all know exercise is good for us, but you're taking the argument a step further. >> that's right. everybody knows exercise is a good thing to do. the idea of the exercise cure is to take the science of exercise and really teach people this is a medicine. and to add structures that start with looking at things like the brain and all the way down the body, what is the science of exercise and how you at home, however old you are, set up an exercise program for yourself. >> and you're not making the case that the exercise is a cure-all. for example, if you need to be on a certain medicine, give it up and just go jogging. >> that's right. but we spend more than $350 billion in the united states on

prescription medicines. we can reduce our costs of these -- money we're spending and make people healthier by using exercise as medicine. >> one of the things you do is focus on real life examples and we have one this morning. david who was struggling with diabetes and exercise really helped him. let's take a look. >> hi name is david, and i was diagnosed with diabetes in my 30s. i didn't know what diabetes was. and i was given a blood glucose meter, inside lynn and had to rebuild my life. he would test my blood sugar 11 times a day.lynn and had to rebuild my life. he would test my blood sugar 11 times a day. my doctor said one of the most important things i could do is exercise. by exercising, i'm pulling the sugar out of my blood. i swim three times a week. i'll be in the gym, do interval work on a treadmill, do the stair master. i know i'm taking care of my body and long term i know i'll be there for my family. >> this is amazing. because of that exercise, he

needs less insulin. >> that's right. he's using exercise as medicine to reduce the amount of insulin he's taking. and diabetes are treated better with exercise. so the key points for david, he needs less insulin. number two, he's just much better able to control the chronic diseases that he has, in this case less diabetic complications. and the key point is it's not only diabetes. heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, we have great data on the use of exercise. >> we're talking about physical ailments, but there is also a wonderful aspect, it really can improve the mood. we have another of your patients who talks about how it helped with her depression. >> my name is elane. i elaine. i was devastated after my twin sister and husband died. my sister was always very outgoing. and my husband was an extraordinary man. suddenly i'm by myself.

has given me a mental quality. when i come to the gym, i work with the leg presses, the kettle bells, and this is what gets me through. i'm a better person. who is that woman? >> who is that woman. 80 years old and running marathons. >> he's an incredible example. she's 80 years old and i think some of the most important information in my book on exercise and the brain, the key is exercise is a medicine. it works for depression, anxiety, sleep problems. different than the other medicines people take that all have significant side effects, exercise has none and that's why it's a great medicine to take. >> a lot of people will say i'm sold, but they should probably consult their doctor especially before stopping any other

medicines. >> that's correct. i want people to do exercise at home, but your doctor is part of the equation. if you for example have high blood pressure or a heart problem or depression, you need to talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program and how you're going to take less of the medicines you might be on and use exercise as your medicine. >> a thought-provoking book. thank you so much. coming up next, jane pauly is here, the story of two men seeing the world as they help millions to see again. their remarkable story. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

jane pauley has been working with aarp which has produced and sponsored a series of reports for us. an ja and jane is here again this morning. >> teenagers when they met at vocational school in montana, rich and john, have a lot of

shared history. raised on ranches, served in vietnam, and both retired united airlines flight mechanics. which was just the beginning of the sorry of two lives reimagined. >> reporter: a dc 10 arrives in central africa. john and rich go right to work. setting up a hospital. with wings. >> there are millions of people on the earth that are blind that don't have to be blind. a 15 minute surgery can cure them. so we need to train the doctors. and that's what we do. >> reporter: it's a nonprofit serving 92 countries. a 30 year partnership between medicine and aviation. >> this here is one of the first

dc 10s ever built. >> reporter: a one of a kind flying eye hospital is getting an annual checkup in indianapolis. the passenger compartment becomes a classroom where doctors and nurses watch and learn while a surgical procedure is live-streamed from the o.r.. >> what i need to do is to put these under -- >> reporter: it's a teaching hospital. john and rich, flight mechanics, make sure it all works. >> john and i grew up on a ranch. something broke, you had to fix it. we learned that when we were eight years old. you had to be a little creative sometimes. >> who is the boss? >> richard. >> reporter: rich has seniority. the last 12 year, he's been to 63 countries. >> what was it that had called to you about this job? >> the adventure. it's exciting to be scared and going out and wandering all over

the world is a little scary. >> reporter: john got the call from rich. >> we've been friends forever and i just thought he would like it. i didn't positithink he would c though. >> you were retired. >> right. >> reporter: john's retirement home, 13 acres with a panoramic view. >> how deeply in your comfort zone were you? >> i'd say too deep. just found myself saying yes. yes. yes. yes. >> the next thing i knew, i was on an airplane heading for uganda. >> how old were you? >> well, that was five years ago and i just turned 69. and i'm still here. >> reporter: it's hard work. and not easy to get. >> a lot of people want to do this. but most of them can't. >> why not? >> people that haven't retired, they have a job. they can come out for a week, but not for a year. so pretty much you're stuck with old for example gis that don't have anything else to do. >> could you keep doing this in your 70s? >> i have an aunt that is 105

right now. >> it's not hard physical work. it is mental work. it's a puzzle. i love puzzles. how do we fix this. >> you guys know a dc 10 probably well enough to take it apart and put it back together again in. >> without a doubt. >> reporter: two old friends seeing the world. and looking at retirement differently. >> it's time do something that you want to do. >> i think it's the opportunity to help people. if you get the opportunity to help somebody that needs something, i think that's a blessing. >> you can see? >> yes. >> unlike most of the staff who are volunteers, rich and john are on salary but if they were paid by the miles, they would both be rich. the reality check, this job could be hard on family ties. they will be spending christmas with the flying eye hospital in the philippines. matt, they have performed more

than 23 million surgeries in 92 countries. >> i loved when you asked them how far in your confident zone were you and he said i think too far. which was a great lesson for a lot of us. jane, thank you very much. and we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

will sie is joining us

thousand. remember when this happened yesterday? >> here we go. ♪ >> beautiful. with the way you move your arm, it's like -- >> good job. >> i didn't expect to be so moved by the performance. but i was. >> here we go. >> i like how you made it look like you were almost going to fall. >> we thought we did enough to meddle. the judges didn't agree. but we will be back mark my

words. >> you c >> can you skate backwards? >> goif she's pulling. >> we'll break d good morning. 8:56. plenty of sunnyside lawsuits are in federal court today some response to the city's new gun control law. they recently passed measure c to ban magazines holding more than ten rounds, and it requires off duty police officers and hunters to pass -- let's check the forecast. >> good morning.

it's not smog clouding up this shot over san francisco. it's actually smog that came with high and mid-level clouds. throughout the day today, not surprising to hear it's another spare the air day. actually, our tenth consecutive. we'll climb to the upper 40s where we are in most cities right now into the 70s in places like santa cruz, and mid 60s for today.

. >> narrator: from nbc news, this is today's take with al roker, natalie morales and willie geist live from studio 1a at rockefeller plaza. >> it's tuesday, december 17, 2013. i'm willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales. snowing just a little bit and we're not alone. >> actually from yesterday we brought the accumulations down. ♪ >> i love this song especially when al is singing it. >> up in new england, it will be

a little heavier because a secondary system will come and provide a little more energy. so their evening rush will be a mess up in boston and points to the north. >> so a pause right here? >> we may get a little more, but nothing too terrible here. >> and we're not even to winter yet. >> saturday. this is actually -- across the country, this is our sixth winter storm. >> and it has a name. >> right. falco. >> i like that system of naming the storms. >> good '80s band, amadeus. >> and tons of cancellations. >> already 282 cancellations. so check your air carrier. >> if you're traveling today, you know what to do by now hopefully. >> it's coming early. >> it's a great day being out in the cold to be on the ice here

at the rock center. >> getting ready for the winter olympics. >> sure. >> and since willie has now cleared the ice, so you're safe to go out. >> it's trending on google right now. your duet, your skating duet. >> i suspected it would. >> and they rated you a 6. >> wow. >> a totally scientific poll. >> we thought we should just go over a couple of moves with you up close. so let's start off from the very beginning. let's start with the spin, what we call the spin move here. so take a look. you show good form. tara has great form. i'm slowing it down here. i like the arm movement. you show real commitment to what you're doing.

>> you have a telestrator? >> good-bye the way you two are in sync. >> at least for three frames. >> and take note of willie's face. what's going on there? >> i kind of hide. >> she's gone around three times. >> we like that one. good job there . >> she told me swing my arm out and it would all happen, but it didn't. >> you at least made it a full turn, which is good. now, there is the near fall. shall we relive this one again? she's got her thing down. what happened? it was up there. >> i think we've locked up. >> wait a minute. oh, we only had the one. but i was just --

>> you remember when we did the grand canyon event with nik wallen wallenda, he said if you're a good high wire act, you do a fake flip at the end to create the danger, but really you're always in control. i was going for the fake fall. >> you know what is fantastic, we have these on the ipad. we don't have them in the control room. so we can't -- >> right. we can watch them. trust us. >> they're great. so we wanted to give you -- >> out of what is it? >> out of six. so technical creativity, overall. >> okay. creativity. >> generous judges over here. wow. >> music to chariots of fire. ♪ >> don't overthink it here, guys. >> yeah, only an hour show. >> first of all for me technically, you stayed up.

so for that, i give you a six. >> thank you. >> creativity -- >> wow. you're a nice judge. >> creativity, you created an aura of says penuspense, will h up. and overall, i give you you props for getting up there with tara. i'm giving you a six. >> six six six. good luck somewhere i'm sure. >> unlike nelly negativity over here. >> i was being realistic. >> realistic? >> for the technical, i give you a four. i appreciate that you were close but not quite perfect. which is good. so for the creativity, i'm giving you -- i changed. i'm giving you a 5.5. >> what can i work on? >> with the creativity, i think you could have figured out moments would you could have added -- she was doing a lot of the skating around you.

at one point you did do a cha-cha move. i wanted to see more. >> you're thinking "dancing with the stars". >> i wanted to see more of you letting loose and living in that moment. >> that would be the no heat. >> so overall, i give you a 4.5. >> and the good thing is we drop the lowest score. >> there you go. >> by the way, tara lipinski was so cool. generous, receptive, forgiving. she's the best. she'll be with us in sochi. >> and full credit to you. you learned that routine in about half an hour before the show. >> at 8:35, yes. >> and you almost forgot to pull her under the leg. like wait, where did she go? >> she was going through always slow. she had an ez pass. >> i proposed going through the front where she would have been

backwards and she said, no, head to ice, no. but thank you to tara lipinski. she'll be in sochi. >> and first family photo is fantastic. >> first family celebrating the holidays, 32nd annual christmas in washington concert on sunday. look at in photograph with children past and present, patients at the children's national medical center. and look at the child on the right. stealing the show. even with the first lady and the president, there has to be one kid making a face about that. >> our kids are always making faces in their photos. >> this is last year's card actually. we tried to get george who was three at the time, that was as close to a smile as we could get with young george. i will say he did much better this year. we all deal with this. >> i actually have now just

started taking photos from the year and putting them together. because getting them to pose is -- >> i like the candids bernie way. you're like, oh, got you. >> we use this hd this because lo george looked like a freak. >> a freak? >> the face. he's a good man. >> now he's walking back from freak. >> he's in school right now hopefully. >> nobody will see this. nobody will tell her. >> this isn't going out. we're fine. did you see this story about performance reviews? >> yes. >> "wall street journal" asking why limit year he said progress report to the workplace. refers to several couples who have their open version of a yearly performance review. so it sounds weird, but it amounts to sitting down with your spouse and saying how did we do this year, what can we do better. >> if you start rating each other on technical skills,

krae creativity and overall performance -- >> what technical skills? >> you walked into that. don't blame us anymore. >> i'm tired of taking the blame. it's dark natalie. every now and then she pops up. you just don't know when. >> keeping it interesting. >> you're like the sick little version of elf on the shelf. you just show up, say something and then leave. and then the nice natalie comes back. >> and you make it sound like we put up to it. >> but if you're judging on this, then you have issues. >> i love when your voice goes up one-half octave. dogs are barking. >> why don't you bail her out and check out the map. >> yeah, i think so. okay. so here is the deal. we're talking about this -- you can actually see where the snow line is already setting up and it's already pushing into new

england. so boston, so far you're okay. still have a decent amount of sunshine. parsippany on the back side of this thing still seeing light snow, wet roads, no big problems. here we go, we start pushing through into the noontime hour. snow starts making its way into new england, upstate new york, leaves new york city and long island. as we get into the evening hour, rush hour coming home boston, going to be a little heavier. you'll have problems. and as we make our way up into new england, it continues in to early wednesday morning. snowfall amounts generally about 6 to 9 inches -- i should say 3 to 6 inches upstate new york and new england, 9:10 on a tuesday. the rapid warmup is on. temperatures already climbing into the low 50s in san francisco and up in the north bay, but you can see the same sky over all the various microclimates, and that's a hazy one. there's another spare the air day. likely to get out of that pattern as we head through tomorrow. an area of low pressure headed

our way. for today if you want to hit the beach, do so comfortably in santa cruz. 3:00 p.m. out there. nice day shaping up. eight cases away from christmas. otherwise, mid 60s across the board today. and that is your latest weather. >> i'm still mourning it didn't work on the second part. >> did well on the first. >> i would give you a four. >> i give you less. >> coming up next, time to show your baby-sitter, your postal worker, your dog groomer just how much you appreciate them. so how much should you give some it can be awkward. we'll help with you holiday tipping right after this. gglossophobia, is the fear of public speaking. ♪ the only thing we have to fear is... fear itself.

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eight days until christmas. time to start doling out the tips. >> how much should you give the

folks who do the hair or maintain the lawn? >> thomas is here with the answers. good morning. i know you'll take us through some of the different situations we find ourselves in this time of year, but you say there are three rules. >> when this doubt, cash is king. nobody is going to say they don't need the money. this time of year especially. number two, don't just give the cash, give it in an actual card with a message. so you want to thank the person for what you're doing for you all year long. and the final thing is you don't want to go bankrupt because you're giving so many gratuities out. so it's regionally dependent. everybody tips what they can. so you should never feel obligated or guilty if you can't tip somebody, but we have the the primary people in your life you want to remember in some way this year. we'll play a little quiz. each of you have cards. on the cards is an amount that corresponds to one of the

professions in front of us here. i'll go down the line and each of you will hold up the card that you think applies to the profession that we've got. >> each for one? >> that's right, only one card applies to each one. so we'll start out this corresponds to the nanny or baby-sitter. >> i think nanny and baby-sitter are very different in parts, but i think a baby-sitter, i think i'm going for a one day's pay. >> yeah, one day's pay. >> i can't find the card. >> i'll give you credit for that one, al. are you correct, one day's pay is absolutely right. for the nanny, you want to give a week's pay. but definitely this is the person who helps you out when you're in a time crunch and gift and card from the child is always a nice touch. here we have your hairstylist. the person who makes you look good all year long. the blowouts, the great color. how much do we tip the hairstylist? >> cost of one visit. >> same. >> one visit?

>> yeah. >> that is absolutely correct. and don't forget the shampooer. if you have a consistent shampooer every time, give that person a little bit of money in an envelope, as well. sometimes even a gift card is a really nice gift. >> lawn care, right? how about dog walk. >> his bowl is empty, but how much do we give the person who is grooming the dog? >> one session. >> you guys are aces. >> we do a lot of tipping in new york. >> the one thing with the dog groomer, you want to make sure you don't give them a dog themed item. they all say we have enough of that. we don't need that. the landscaper. and this includes the person who is doing the snow removal, as well, throughout the year. >> $20 to $50. >> absolutely correct. you want the driveway to be clear especially at the holidays, so make sure you remember them. here we have the letter carrier and the newspaper delivery person. but for the letter carrier, do

what do we do? >> can you tip the u.s. postal service? >> regulations are no money can be exchanged. in fact not even a gift card. however, no letter carrier will turn away the money. so they will all say, no, no, i don't accept, but they all love it. if you want to just do the right thing by the regulations, you're going to do -- >> i'll do $10 to $30. >> i would do more, but these are the cards we have. >> so you have it right there with the gift of $20 or less. that is the officially correct. and with the newspaper deliverly person, $10 to $20 also in an envelope with a nice little message. >> that left me with one card. >> sanitation person, $10 to $30 per person. >> mine comes in the middle of the night, so i can't do that. >> what kind of garbage is that? >> roker, nice.

so i guess you could tape it to the curb? >> some people -- in new york city it's a little different. >> have you ever tipped your garbage man? >> we have when they're coming at the time that i'm leaving. >> if you want to really make noise, don't leave anything. >> thomas, thanks. coming up next, things you need to know before you leave your house thoris morning. >> and do you know what this woman is thinking? we'll tell you how to read their body language. >> i think she looked pissed off at you, [ woman ] gorgeous grains at your service. eat right, not less. [ woman ] hi, this looks interesting! would you like to try some hot cereal? [ women ] sure! [ female announcer ] introducing special k nourish hot cereal. special k? wow! wow! [ female announcer ] made with superfoods... i can definitely taste the quinoa. i can't believe that's less than 200 calories.

[ female announcer ] ...to help you truly shine. this is a way to be good to me. [ female announcer ] nurturing yourself. what will you gain when you lose? also available in nourish nutrition bars in the diet & nutrition aisle. [ whistling wind ] don't worry, santa will find us. ♪ [ female announcer ] this christmas, light santa's way with the hallmark santa signal ornament. only available at hallmark gold crown stores.

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i'm here to get a camry. oh, camry is reliable and really fun to drive. sounds like i hit the jackpot again. again? [ man ] hey honey. i got you this mochaccino and on the way i rescued this puppy. mm. [ male announcer ] right now during toyotathon, get 0% apr financing for 60 months on a 2014 camry. for more great deals, visit toyota.com. toyotathon is on! ♪ toyota. let's go places. ♪ my wish for the world ♪ that peace will find its way ♪ fill the air with joyful noise ♪ ♪ ring the bells and raise your voice ♪ ♪ let there be peace on earth

♪ let there be peace on earth [ female announcer ] inspired by the best feelings of the season. glade. sc johnson. a family company. taking a look at the headlines, the gigantic jackpot for tonight's mega millions drawing could get even bigger. the $586 million prize is the fourth largest in u.s. history. but that number could grow even higher by tonight's drawing. lottery officials say if there is no winner by next tuesday, we could be looking at a billion dollar jackpot. more people are hitting the roads this holiday season than ever before. aaa projects that nearly 30% of americans will be traveling 50 miles or more from home between december 21 and new year's day. more than 90% of those travelers will be driving. air travel is also expected to be down, but not by much.

many retailers are cracking down on rushes. but not all are. there is a list of the stores with the most generous return policies. these favorites have no time limit on most items. and near the to which the list, anthropology, costco, jcpenney and nordstrom just to name a few. there are some exceptions like for electronics or furniture. and regifting, once a hush-hush way to be thrifty now is an accepted holiday tradition. 73% of those surveyed by american express say it is perfectly okay to regift, however only about one-third admit that they actually do recycle presents. if you are one of them, etiquette experts say the item should be in its original packaging and never opened or tested. instragram has released aist life the most popular places its app is used. topping the list, the mall in bangkok. it coincides with a boom of

smartphone sale. number two times square. and number three, ♪ [ male announcer ] even well-planned holidays can wind up at the corner of "stockings are stuffed" and "quick -- duck!" luckily, walgreens is always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out for extra stocking stuffers... or anything else you might suddenly need. stop by walgreens anytime for hershey's kisses chocolates, gift cards, and more. plus most stores are open 'til midnight. here at the corner of happy and healthy. [ male announcer ] when you feel good, no one is immune. emergen-c has more vitamin c than 10 oranges plus other antioxidants and electrolytes to help you come down with a serious case of healthy. emergen-c. making healthy contagious. guys... [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls, with cinnabon cinnamon, are an irresistible sunday morning idea.

nothing calls them to the table faster. make breakfast pop! good morning. 9:26. i'm terry mcsweeney. people on the peninsula are being warned to keep their doors and windows closed as crews battle a fire at a scrap metal yard in redwood city. flames broke out after the metal management facility right along the bay, a 25 foot high pile of appliances exploded sparking the flames. right now there is no shelter in place, but authorities say it's a good idea to stay inside if you are keep the windows closed. this is the second fire at this plant in just five weeks. hundreds of firefighters are battling an out of control wildfire sur. so far at least 550 acres have burned near highway 1. before 100 people evacuated. 5% contained.

crews are trying to figure out how to clean up a mess caused by a san francisco home that crashed down a hill. it happened last night in the win peaks neighborhood. a neighbor told us the home had been under construction for about a month. no one was hurt. we'll take a break, have traffic and weather after this.

>> welcome back. temperatures are really starting to warm up nicely. we're headed to the upper 60s in places like san jose. 69 fwreez for us. east bay, 67 degrees. yeah, it is really hazy out there all across the board. make sure that you keep that in mind if it's someone that suffers from respiratory issues or asthma. you can see why. you can vaguely make up a skyline here in san jose. hard to make it out through all that thick haze. unseasonably warm for today. getting into tomorrow cleaner air temps tumble with an area of low pressure coming through. then by thursday fierce wind develops across the bay area. we'll start to warm up getting into the weekend. your seven-day forecast at the bottom of your screen. let's check your drive.

>> on top of the screen, bottom, looking at 880 southbound coming down towards mission boulevard to fremont. big slowdown, but it actually had almost stopped for a couple of seconds earlier. no crashes in the area until you get to 237 which is about another half mile down there. we to have one clearing from the roadway. we'll look at the maps when you see that. other than that, you do have slowing northbound route from 101 at 880 to mountain view. an area crash and a second one over -- look at the slowdown. even krooping back to 287 westbound. back to you. >> all right, mooib. thanks very much. another local news update for you in half hour.

♪ welcome back to "today" on a tuesday morning, december 17, 2013. eight days away from christmas. people staying warm outside. i'm willie along with al and natalie. a reason we're playing a little timberlake right now. his album took the to which spot in itunes's album of the year. so that's album of the year. >> right behind that, beyonce, the new album she just released is already number two album of the year. the one without any publicity or free marketing. >> out like three days ago. >> song of the year, one of your

favorites. ♪ $20 in my pocket >> go ahead. >> oh, yeah. ♪ >> i love that song. ♪ i'll wear your granddad's clothes ♪ >> performance of the year, i'm thinking miley probably takes that one. right? well, it certainly had people talking. >> top iphone app? candy crush. everybody plays in. >> my kids love it. >> i read somewhere they make like a i million dollars a day candy crush. >> really? sgl >> incredible. >> that is easy money crushing

candy. all right, mr. roker, he crushes the weather. >> i'm popping it tags. i don't even know what that means. but let's show you what's going on. so we have this went flwind flo going on, talking about the fires out at big sur. above normal temperatures, low humidity. smoke.at big sur. above normal temperatures, low humidity. smoke. and it's been very dry in california. check this out, we're talking about san francisco for the year, they are more than ten inches below where they should be for rainfall. and as we move along and head on into las vegas, look at that, 15 inches below normal. in fact the year, if they don't get some rain, california will be on track for having their driest year ever in the history since they have been kee well, we're actually tracking a little bit of rainfall as we head through late wednesday into thursday. we're not going to see much here in the bay area. we will see enough wind to

purify our air quality, which is the main weather story we're focused in on for today. 46 in the east bay. you can hardly make out all these buildings in oak willed. now, temperatures are going to climb nicely from the 40s into the upper 60s for most bay area cities as we get into this afternoon. that's good news. it's going to be a nice mild day. then temperatures tumble as we head through tomorrow, so if you wanted to hit the beach, that weather will be at santa cruz. 70 degrees. and that your latest weather. p. >> wouldn't our lives be so much easier if we knew exactly what our spouses or bosses were really thinking? >> you can if you know how to read the signs and here to show us is a former secret service agent and cosmo contributor. like that combo. before we get into specific tips, you say these things work across the board no matter who you're investigating. >> yes. so like for example right now, you're both sitting, actually leaning in, you're facing me, your body gestures tell me you're interested and that

you're engaging me. a lot of times even something like crossing your legs, if you cross your leg away from someone, if i were sitting this way, maybe i wouldn't really like you. kind of a barrier. but if you like someone and you see them having your legs crossed toward you, it means they like you. so you can catch something as small as that. >> do we look suspicious in any way? >> no. >> so let's go through tips. you say listen more, say less. just observe. >> sometimes people don't know when to shut up. and people love speaking about themselves. they love to tell their own stories. but you're missing the picture. you want to listen to someone, you want to be an active listener. so that means listening to what they say and also watching what their body says. and that's how you know when somebody is conveying something to you and you can really get the truth instead of you trying to sit there and say what am i going to say now. >> because you're so busy thinking about what the next question should be. >> exactly. you're thinking what am i going

to respond, and so you lose the whole message. >> you also say perfect your poker face. >> yes. poker face is exactly that. did you ever see those guys that play poker with the hats and sunglasses? why. so you can't read what they're thinking. you should do that when you speak to people. maybe somebody is saying something you don't like and what happens, our facial expressions give us away. the rolling of the eyes, right? and it will slip. or do one ever these or maybe like this. these types of positive churs send the message that i'm not interested or i don't like what you're saying and the problem is what? then they start to filter information. so you're not getting the truth. they're sensing that something is off and they're thinking let me just say a little bit or maybe you'll shut the person down completely and they will change topics. >> another one is to trust the voice in your head. which means different things to different people. trust your own i thinstincts basically.

>> right. ask what do you think about this rather than listening to ourselves. and that's the key thing. trust your instincts. when you meet someone, within the first five minutes, you know if you like that person or not. don't you? you have annealling. you're like i like this person or, you know, i think i could do without this individual in my life. listen to that voice. it's telling you -- it's usually right on. >> trust your gut. >> trust your gut. we tune it out and we says says things and we don't really follow our gut instincts. >> you also say pay attention.s things and we don't really follow our gut instincts. >> you also say pay attention. kind of like be in the moment. if you're checking your phone, obviously you're not paying attention to the phone. >> right. are they taking out their iphone? how rude is that. they're taking out their chipho, picking their lint, fixing their hair, looking around. hel hello, i'm right here! that's what hears. you accepted tsend the message everything else is more important than you are.

it's a turn off. >> i'm glad we passed your test test. >> you can did. you leaned in and engaged. >> what did you say? oh, i'm sorry, that was the voice in my head. >> thanks so much. happy holidays. coming up next, first responders rushing into help first responders and their kids. a story to pull your first responders and their kids. a story to pull your she should be braiding her hair. not losing it. he should be battling video villains. not cancer cells. they should be living life. not fighting for it. at st. jude children's research hospital, we're fighting for kids who aren't as lucky as yours. st. jude's research labs may not be in your community. but our discoveries are. our research has changed how the world trea leukemia, brain tumors and sickle cell disease. and no family ever pays st. jude. for anything.

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this morning on hope to it, heros helping heros. >> first responders are flown for rushing right in to an this morning on hope to it, heros helping heros. >> first responders are flown for rushing right in to an emergency to help others, but when they're faced with a crisis, they're often the last to ask for help. >> a former firefighter starts an organization called wish givers in an effort to help others. >> reporter: this is actually to honor a police lieutenant and his youngest son, jake, who couldn't be there. >> his wife is with jake at the hospital right now. >> reporter: while mark works everyday to prevent crime, jake is battling a rare cancer. >> it's emergency room visits in the middle of the night, it's chemotherapy and the side effects that accompany it. you're on 24/7. you basically live your life minute to minute. >> reporter: this fundraiser for

jake's medical expenses has been put together by an organization called wish givers. they focus on first responders around the country who have critically sick children. so far they have helped at least 30 families providing money and support for children like brendan, a boston area firefighter's son who is fighting leukemia. and a wish trip to new york city for sabrina, the daughter of a police officer in pennsylvania. >> they have do compartmentalize because they're trained to not feel so you can do your job. and how do you compartmentalize when it's your own child? >> reporter: the wish giver's co-founder knows the challenge of balancing a high-stress job as a first responder with a sick child. he's a former new york city fireman. his son, dustin, battled leukemia. >> we ended up spending an average of 100 days a year in

children's hospital philadelphia for 4 1/2 years. these children go through painful procedures. it was just -- it was devastating. >> reporter: at age 7, dustin lost his fight with cancer. p.j. vowing to honor dustin's memory by helping police, firefighters and military family so is they don't have to feel alone. >> we're trained to save lives and protect lives. and the one life that you want to save, you're helpless. and it's crippling. the feeling is crippling. >> reporter: in addition to raising money for the families of first responder, they also collect toys and arts supplies to bring to hospitals for all kids. this delivery of goodies is headed to the same children's hospital in philadelphia where p.j.'s son, dustin, was treated. >> i really miss him on a day like today. >> reporter: it's p.j.'s first time back at the hospital since dustin's death. >> i'm going to let one balloon outside for dustin. i love you, little boy.

>> reporter: with the memory of a life taken too soon, the group hopes to help bring joy to america's heroes, big and small. >> now, this is something that i think is gonna make you smile. >> thank you. >> you're very welcome. i'm a new york city fireman. it seems like you're stronger than i am. >> no. >> yes, you are. you have more courage than anybody in this place. >> rocks you back on your feet when you see that, but you realize the strength of all of these folks including these kids. >> such a brotherhood among first responders. it's beautiful to see it come together like this. >> hard when you see big guys like that start to get emotional. >> our thoughts and prayers go out to the lieutenant's family and his son, jake, as they continue to undergo cancer treatments. find out more on today.com. jane: and here comes penguin!

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as an up i don't knonion. they have lots of layers and you'll need lots of layers to survive. layers basically trap heat in between each layer and they keep the heat circulating versus one layer which your skin will get wet and then game is over. the first layer is your base layer. you will put this on, this is your fleece. your base layer's job is to keep your skin nice and dry. you don't want your skin to get wet. so you want to be super soft. a fleece like this that you're putting on, really comfortable, only $10. so this stuff does not cost a lot of money. next up, this is going to keep you warm. this is your insulating layer. and the job is basically to insulate especially your core. you want to keep that nice and dry. >> we need to get him some help. >> there we go. you'll zip that up.

and then of course you want to keep everything super snug and dry. so this is your outer layer, your protective layer. and the job is to really keep everything this is from lands end. 600 fill. and this will prevent any snow there getting on to your skin. >> and you have your snow boots on already. >> you want a good pair of wool socks. it can hold up to 80% of its heat when it's wet. and then of course you cannot forget every other area, so put on your scarf, you want to keep your head really warm. this is a great trapper hat. may i? >> thank you. >> and the snow reflects off of the ice. so you need goggles. >> you look like you belong in an ll bean catalog. >> natalie, you'll start with

your base layer. >> here's how you do it for tv. >> andalie has to get into her ski pants. and then of course the coat. we're out of time. >> i'll speed it up. >> did y >> do you want some help? >> where are your boots? what is taking so long? >> come on, pick it up. you're not zipped up there. >> and of course these are great so you can still text with them, #orange room, right?

>> you're standing in the snow in bare feet. >> i can't even zip this thing up because it's so small. >> but you look adorable. there you go. >> nice recovery. >> i can't breathe. it's too hot. i'm like the kid in christmas story. >> slow but steady wins the race. >> there you go. >> by the way all the information is on today.com. if you really want this look, go to the website. wouldn't it be nice if there was a wireless company

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which books have you brought with you? >> and what are you donating? >> 200,000 bilingual books to the toy drive this year. >> and you say not just a toy. why a book? >> kids have a lot of opportunities to get a toy in their serialcereal and there isl shortage of age appropriate books. so when you can get one for free, that's a pretty good deal. >> do you know how to read already and you're only 4? wow. >> he was reading jump in the group room. >> that's fantastic. >> thanks to everybody at

good morning. 9:56. i'm terry mcsweeney. we're awaiting results from a series of tests to see if a 13-year-old girl is showing any signs of life. she was declared brain dead

after going into oakland to have her tonsils removed. she looked healthy, and then she went into cardiac arrest. her family says it is told it is now a coroner's case. the fbi is on the lookout for a man they've dubbed the bad beard bandit. they say this man has robbed at least five banks in northern california, including one in sunnyveil over the last eight weeks. each time he is wearing a very fake beard, like the one in the surveillance pictures. right now we'll take a break and go over to kristina loren and see what's going on weather-wise. >> it is so hazy out there. it's almost like you want to take a cloth to your windshield when you are driving around because it is really thick. this is our tenth cob sective spare the air day. we're looking towards much healthier levels of pollution as we head throughout tomorrow. that's the good news. temperatures are going to be comfortable yet again. ramping up into the 70s and the south bay. we'll be in the mid 60s. today along the peninsula and in san francisco. upper 60s for the east bay. tri-valley same for you. then things start to change.

the same system will drop our temperatures like a rock. getting into wednesday and thursday. we'll fall into the upper 50s to low 60s. the good news is if you like the warmer weather, we're going to keep that coming for you both saturday and sunday. temperatures climbing into the upper 60s. we'll check your drive. here's mike. >> more of that haze kind of want to wipe it away from your air, but we can't. smooth drive right here westbound. we're looking at toward the peninsula side where 92 and 101 do slow a bit towards the interchange. on the map you'll see the southbound side slow. there's a crash headed out to the shoulder, and northbound 101 slow to mountain view. yet more crashes around lawrence expressway and another around shoreline. we've had a series making it slow through sunnyvale and san jose, that's okay. back to you. >> all right, . thanks very much. mother local news update in half hour. [ female announcer ] here's to a whole world

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♪ >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybod it's december 17th, a good day around here. >> uh-huh. >> we have broadway people on, very solid television people as well. the very talented megan hilty is with us. >> love her. >> and giada's in the kitchen. >> it's a good kay with finger foods. i would prefer that won't you, hoda?

>> what? >> everything is passed around. >> i would, too. i'd rather not sit down and have a huge meal. >> you can do your escape anyway. >> houdini. >> yes, hoda houdini. i know you guys have been checking your mailboxes lately and christmas cards are come. it's christmastime and the cards are coming and the photos with people and their children are coming. and their animals. >> and the animals. >> and the long newsletters. we have a question because it's that time of year, do you guys like getting those holiday produced card 80. >> the mass-produced? >> or do you like the bragging cards, the ones that have the info that the families -- we saw one that down of our producers had that we don't want to reveal, but oh, my god. >> yeah, i don't know. nobody has a year like that where everything is just

fabulous. >> yeah. >> i wish everybody did, yeah. >> it makes people feel a little crumby, i think. >> plus, this whole facebook world that we live in. i've got to talk about me. everything that's happened to me, everything good. i understand why people like to keep in touch. that's a wonderful thing. here's a thing i don't understand, if you get 20 of those, no one has time to read all of them. i skim them because i want to see highlights. i'm one of those that put out a card this year, have a blessed christmas, the giffords. it's craziness. i don't want to add more stress to an already stressful situation. if you're thinking of someone, you've gone to the expense. did you send out cards? >> i don't. i will give cards to certain people but i don't send them out. i always feel terrible after christmas when you have all of those beautiful photographs, you they feel like pictures even though they're cards, and i have a lot of trouble tossing them

because i feel bad. i feel like they're a picture. >> you know what surprised me when she came home from college, she wondered where's the christmas cards? she wanted to look at all of them. >> go to the website and let us know if you think the brags cards have gotten out of hands with cards. >> kind of like the parties, the parties for the 2-year-old where you got the pony and the clown and the band. >> i found one that said something like teresa's turning tutu, they had a ballerina performing because she was turning tutu. >> so cute. >> the family from raleigh, north carolina decided to do something different. they did a video card that's getting a lot of buzz. take a look. >> yeah, it's holder 2013 in review video christmas card part

two now for lola 2013 was supposed to be the head she now has a medal hacking over her bed she looked like she was having fun. she can count to 100 in chinese if you want to pay attention to lola's room get ready for a rainbow room ♪ around chairs turning 4 safe to say he wears superhero shirts every day ♪ is he smart in school kind of hard to tell ♪ ♪ child number three but i can't i just had a vasectomy ♪ >> that's so good. >> yeah, that's adorable. we all enjoyed it. what about if you got 100 of those and you had to watch 100 of those. >> that's our local affiliate wn in t bc in raleigh.

>> i can't see us doing a christmas card. that is adorable. miley cyrus is opening up about her breakup. you have been wondering? >> i haven't. >> no. but for those fascinated by it, she's saying i was so scared to be alone. she claims that she loved him. liam hemsworth, but now that she's single she can actually be happy. here's her quote. she said i got engaged at 19. i definitely wouldn't change being engaged. here's her quote. it was so fun wearing a fat rock for a few years. now i can actually be happy. i can wait for a moment of silence. >> i don't understand what she's saying do you? >> well, i guess, maybe the fun of being engaged is a moment. >> and not the seriousness about it? >> yeah. >> what did she say about her

future? >> on the future. i don't ever want to have to need someone again where you feel like without them you can't be yourself. >> i don't understand that either. >> we don't get it. >> no. i think they were smart to break up, you know. they were too young. >> they were too young. >> and we never hear from him, you know. >> i wonder what he's thinking watching all the twerking and the weird stuff. >> interview is the one that he ultimately gets, maybe he's a classy guy that he doesn't do it. >> sarah berrelis. she went to a concert, and he asked sara before if he could sing with her. there's this great song. you guys know it it's called

"brave." sara brought him up on the stage. let's take a look. this is joshua. and joshua has had some health issues this year. and joshua has been the bravest of brave, aren't you? do you want to say hello. >> hi, everyone! >> hi! >> josh, show them your t-shirt. josh is wearing a t-shirt that says -- what does it say, josh? it says? >> you got to be brave. ♪ say what you want to say and let the words fall out honestly ♪ ♪ i wanna to see you be brave ♪ say what you wanna say and let the words fall out honestly ♪ i wanna hear you be brave . >> i'm sorry, but he's in tune. >> that's amazing.

pretty darn close. >> 4 years old. >> anyway, "brave" was his personal anthem. >> such a song. she and the pope, persons of the year. >> love, love, love that. >> she's a great lady. "the voice" was on last night, you guys. they're down for the last three. this is a big day for us because this is the day we choose who will win. all right. so we're going to listen to the three. there's jackie from team christina, will and chris ann from team adam. we'll pick who we like. let's take a watch. ♪ ♪ i will always love you ♪ i will sacrifice

♪ it's not worth crying for ♪ love i don't wanna hurt anymore i must tell you ♪ ♪ alrighty. >> okay. >> america votes tonight, right? >> it is going to be revealed tonight in the show. >> tonight's the night. >> so each of us have written down who we think should win. >> yes. >> and a very, very trusted person here. >> girard. >> okay.

girard. >> i'm going to write your name on it. >> what is jerry not available? >> we're putting them in a secret -- girard -- where are you going to put them, honey, what are you going to do with them? >> i'm going to sit on them. >> that will work. that will work. >> in your office tomorrow. great. thank you. okay. here's a question for you, does your man look at other women? >> well they're hard to miss sometimes. we're going to find out what his behavior really means when our guys tell all, tell all. >> straight from her wedding reception last night. >> i guess another one we weren't invited to. >> i guess another one we we[ hosmer ] i kinda knew their reaction would be a little like, you know, "what are you thinking?" oh, i had a knot in my chest. i didn't really want her to go but...i knew she could do it. i felt like there were bigger and better things for me to do. [ mom ] she took what she was doing seriously.

[ hosmer ] my self-confidence just went through the roof. [ dad ] it was awesome to see her transform from a girl, in a small town, to a soldier. [ male announcer ] you made them strong. we'll make them army strong. talk to your son or daughter about joining the army. find out how at goarmy.com/parents. talk to your son or daughter about joining the army. samsung galaxy tab 3. nabi 2. great choices, guys! pretty high tech, huh? and buying these tablets with your walmart credit card is faster than warp speed. you guys are gonna be like the family of the future. man the future's gonna be so cool. everybody has jet pack tennis shoes. own the season. get the hottest tablets for the whole family. and now, you can save $25 when you open and spend $75 today with your new walmart credit card account. offer valid through 12/31/13. apply today. subject to credit approval. walmart.

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hilty. >> now, she's starring sean hayes in the sitcom "sean saved the world." >> what happened last night? >> it was very exciting. >> a bunch of us went for drinks. >> and we saw the neighbor's door had been robbednd at lobby door kicked in. >> i was so freaked out, i -- >> and first i grabbed a bottle of champagne. >> then we thought we were in the middle of an attack. whoo, whoo -- >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> i knew something was up, hoda. >> when? >> i did a teeny thing on "smashed" with megan, what, a year ago, and she never got off the phone -- >> it was like jekyll and hyde. i was always on the phone. >> you got married a couple months ago -- >> we did a reception tour

because we kind of ran away to vegas and only invited our immediate family. >> i think that's so smart. it takes all the pressure off. >> it's like a wedding case topper. beautiful. >> did an elvis impersonator marry you? >> if nobody was available, we would go there. >> or wonderful husband brian is here. >> he is. >> you got to be kind of wacky, we're looking at your holiday card. >> we already have a baby -- >> they got the adorable -- >> this card is it what is it the ugly sweater awkward christmas photos. >> we couldn't pick one, so we put all of them on there. >> no newsletter? >> no news. >> are you loving being in l.a. now? it's a huge cultural change to move from new york city doing "smashed" to a sitcom life in the valley out there? >> it's so great, ehave my

weekends free and my nights thing. this whole sitcom thing is awesome. >> why in the earth have you not sang a song yet on that show? >> what are we waiting for? >> i'm kind of grateful that we haven't. it's really nice to do something completely different. everybody knows me as the snotty character on "smashed." everybody sings, though. >> at what point did you know you were wild about brian? we know you love sean, but brian, when did you know? >> it was pretty soon after we met. >> you met at cute? >> yes, where ch is where we had the rereception. >> you got a whole pile of gifts here because you asked people to bring toys, is that right? >> yeah, we have everything we need. people were insisting on bringing something.

we were actually watching your show, we're like, they're collecting gifts. >> that so great. all gone for the toy drive. >> there's a whole lot more you've given away, right? >> tons of stuff. it's really for the theater community. they came out last night and they got excited about doing this. >> people can still give, if you're watching and you're a huge fan of megan hilty, who isn't, come on down to the plaza and bring your toys. >> come on over. we want to welcome you. >> hi. >> thank you. >> cheers. >> everybody gets that when they come here. >> did you guys ever sing together? >> we do sing. >> we sing all the time. >> a couple of bars together, i want to hear it, sing, please? >> please. >> please. ♪ what does the fox say >> we have that stuck in our head all day. will you ever do a show

together, do you think? >> yeah, a tour. yeah. hopefully. >> congratulations. merry christmas. >> congratulations. "sean saves the world" returns january 2nd right here on nbc. do you need something quick for your next party? giada has all the finger foods. >> i love that. >> find out what y we're tasting togetherness

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kids if you can't get enough of him you can catch him on the hallmark channel. >> of course, you are. >> of course, you are! >> and for his career. >> lastly the divorced host of "happy hour" on "playboy's" radio -- >> what! >> bob dade. >> let's go to the first question. >> hi, i'm stephanie. and my question is, when a man tells you that he loves you depending on the scenario, does he really mean he loves you? >> oh! >> well, you said depending on the scenario. is the scenario i'm putting $5 in your g-string because the answer is no! otherwise, to ask, did you say it first, they say, i love you -- i love you, too. >> oh. >> but, if he says it unprovoked, then he means it.

if you ask first -- >> during a passionate moment? >> no he loves something. >> during passion, it does not count. >> it doesn't come right before but. >> yeah. >> it comes up, i love you. >> let me tell you don't believe anything a man says during the heat of passion. i have given away a house. >> or get him to say meaningful things to you, like i will wash dishes, i will take out the trash. >> here's a question from joy, viewer e-mail. why do some men think they work harder than their wives when all they do is go to work, when the wife goes to work, takes the kids places for fun, cleans the house, et cetera, et cetera? >> well, that can happen if you allow him to feel like he's

doing more than you. but also don't sit up there and do all of those things and never let him know that you want him to do those things. >> if he's going to work, by the way, he's on facebook for three hours of the day -- it's different than having four kids. >> all i'm going to say, we are better p.r. people than you, that's all there is to it. my wife and i had this same conversation the other day. i say i can't help it if you're not smart enough to actually tout what you do. i put it on a business card. >> i got the rest of the day until it's time to pick up my son. all the things that the lady does, i'm doing it until my wife gets home from work. >> you see that right there, touted it. >> see? >> guys, stick around. we got more questions.

plus, giada cooks up christmas treats. finger foods. i love that. (applause) music: jingle bells (applause) shop your way members can ring in the holidays with joe boxer. kmart. get in. get more christmas. from the big screen to small screens near and far twizzlerize your entertainment every day with twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

[ bell rings ] [ man ] take five! hey, joyce! [ grunts ] you really seem to be dragging your a-- [ donkey brays ] mid morning slump. [ donkey snorts ] that's why i started drinking this new lipton natural energy tea. come on! it's naturally has more caffeine and theanine than regular lipton. here. you'll thank me. mmmm... tastes amazing, right? i feel better already. [ donkey brays ] [ man ] two minutes! tea time. [ female announcer ] for a little oomph, try new lipton natural energy tea. good morning. it's 10:26. i'm terry mcsweeney. people on the peninsula are being warned to keep their doors and windows closed as crews battle a fire at a scrap metal yard in redwood city. flames broke out early this

morning at the sims metal management facility on seaport boulevard right along the bay. a 25-foot high pile of appliances exploded sparking the flames. right now there is no shelter in place, but authorities say it's a good idea to stay inside if you can and keep the windows closed. this is the second fire at the same plant in just five weeks. hundreds of firefighters are battling an out of control wildfire in big sur. so far at least 550 acres have burned near highway 1. at least 15 homes are destroyed, and about 100 people are evacuated. it is just 5%

>> welcome back. good tuesday morning. i'm christina loren. hazy skies continue over san jose. it's our tenth consecutive spare the air day. happy to report areas of low pressure will come through tonight, and that will bring about a much better round of air quality. starting tomorrow likely not to be pairing the air as we fwet into your wednesday. thursday and friday looking even better when it comes to your air quality. temperatures are going to drop off, but we're looking towards moderate levels of air pollution, and you should be able to burn with the clean conscience without any restrictions getting into the late portion of the week. let's find out how we're doing on your morning drive. hi, mike. >> we're looking at the bay bridge toll plaza. at 9:00 -- or 8:00 the metering lights are turned off. 9:00 i should say. they weren't even on for three hours this morning. nice easy flow north 85 to 101 where we have good slowing. folks are diverting to 237 because they have to get around a crash that's north of there.

that's the only slowing. >> mike, thanks very much. we'll have much more local news coming up in a half hour at 11:00. see you then. ♪ ♪ macho man we're back more on booze day tuesday where the guys tell all. that's what it. >> we've got kyle, rick, and chuck, we got the single and lonely guy bob. what's next. we're going across the street. >> hi, i'm brooke, i am just wondering if i should ask my boyfriend what he wants for christmas or if i should surprise him? >> ask him for sure. >> what are you going to surprise him with? >> if you ask for suggestions, you are going to hit it out of the park. >> you say you want a sweater and your girlfriend gives you a sweater? >> first of all, i never want a sweater. >> okay. >> i just say, i think it's a

big deal, if you tell people what you want, kind of suggest hints, then they can surprise. >> you find out how he feels about it, say, excuse me, do you want a surprise or would you like to tell me? >> what do you think? >> you find out how a holiday is. >> you surprise -- i tried to surprise my wife with shoes one time, i could see it on her face, oh, these are amazing. >> yeah. >> that's how much you think you like that person. i could surprise my wife with shoes because i know where to go to get the shoes she would like, oh, my god, because that's the gay man in me trying desperately to get out. >> i can't believe you're going to say gay man in me. >> oh! >> okay. all right. >> all right. now, next question from a viewer. dina says, my husband is always commenting on other women and

their looks every time someone attractive comes on tv. he constantly has to tell me that he thinks she's hot or, et cetera. am i wrong for being upset? >> next time you see a ryan gosling movie and sit there and fake an orgasm in front of your husband and see if that bothers him. >> always play stupid. if she says, she's cute, you say, i hardly noticed her. >> i wish she was here, he may suffer from something i call dumb -- it's like towerettes. and it happens to some men. >> can you tell i'm a divorced

guy. that's a mistake i never make. i think the one thing you got to remember where your bread is buttered who you're with and hue love. megan fox likes great after 14 hours of makeup. >> why are you referring to your wife where your bread is buttered? >> question from across the street. go ahead. >> hi, my name is deborah, my question is, leaving a guy a long paragraph text, why did he respond with a short answer like okay. >> you have used up all the words and letters that should have been used. >> a long paragraph, the first thing that happens is the drop in your -- oh, what is this, what did i do? what did i do wrong? >> why did i do that? >> yep. cool. >> you know why? because he did not read it. that is why. >> here's the truth. >> and i'm going to be honest. seven words or less.

>> it's been 15 years from me. i still get these long paragraph text. i read it like the newspaper, if i can't get it from the headlines, you're messed up. you done messed up. >> a relationship -- >> it has nothing to do with this relationship. >> anytime i can fall asleep reading your text, it's too long. >> guys, thank you so much. good to see you. >> this is a good group. >> thanks, everybody, merry christmas, happy everything. >> if you guys have a question for the guys go to hit that "connect" button. a performance by an a cappella group. they're terrific. >> hot in the kitchen and the

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recipe. >> for everybody on the list from the fajita to the vegetarian. >> and congratulations on the best-seller. she's still on the list. >> hoda asked me yesterday, i have your book, i thought, finally. when i entertain during the holidays, i want people to feel like they can come and go, they don't have to be there at a certain time. the first is the cocktail. kathie would say how beautiful this is. i'm looking for something light. >> not as caloric. >> not as cal lororicaloric. >> cheers. >> i'm going to get started on finger foods. these are dates stuffed with hot

sausage wrapped in bacon. all the men earlier where like, oh, my goodness. anyhow, you take a date, you can try it. tear a paring knife and take the pit out. i was going to cut this in half. why don't you cut this in half for me, hoda? then you take a half a piece of bacon and wrap it like this. >> you can use bacon, you can stuff it with anything you wanted too. >> okay. >> you put it in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. look how beautiful they are. >> they are. >> that's a small bite, isn't it? >> i don't know, let me see,

it's a two-biter. i guess i'm the only one eating. >> oh, no, i'll try it. >> you don't have to. >> okay. next for the vegetarian in your life -- >> oh, my god. >> i'm sorry, what's better than sweet and savory and smoky from bacon. >> this is unbelievable. >> one next. >> i'm pacing myself. >> small portions. >> a vegetable power. tower. vegetarian in your life. you take a slice of country bread. you cut a circle like this with a cookie cutter. i brush both sides and grill them for a few minutes to get a nice warm. hoda. >> yep. >> you can put it together. >> okay. >> what i do, i take these japanese eggplants -- have you guys worked with these before? >> not those. >> you cut them. >> look at the size.

>> they're perfect, you're right. >> you brush them with olive oil, look, she's making a tower. >> goat cheese with lemon zest. you make towers and put a little toothpick. and look how pretty those are. >> adorable. >> now, is that a one-biter. >> this might be a little -- you got to brpress them down. two bites. >> be careful of the toothpick, though. >> last but not least, for the person in your life who's looking to be a little bit -- you know, watching their diet for the holidays, sweet potato chips and kale chips in the oven. 450 degrees for about ten minutes. >> it's crazy. >> for people who are vegans or have dietary restrictions. >> unbelievable. >> hoda, you've got to try this. >> i will. do you need a little music to get you in the spirit? a holiday performance like you've never heard before.

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so you can coax out great flavor effortlessly. hillshire farm beacuse it's worth doing right. ♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells ♪ ♪ all seem to say throw care away ♪ ♪ from everywhere, filling the air ♪ [ female announcer ] chex party mix. easy 15-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like caramel chocolate drizzles. happier holidays. chex party mix. happier holidays. a cuas bargain bleach. gives you twice as many loads that's twice as many white shirts! that's twice as many white socks! and twice as many white gloves! clorox. one cup. twice as many loads. you know, "what are you thinking?" oh, i had a knot in my chest. i didn't really want her to go but...i knew she could do it. i felt like there were bigger and better things for me to do. [ mom ] she took what she was doing seriously. [ hosmer ] my self-confidence just went through the roof. [ dad ] it was awesome to see her transform from a girl, in a small town, to a soldier. [ male announcer ] you made them strong.

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♪ they burst on to the scene just two years ago wins the first season of the nbc competition the singoff. >> now they can't get enough of the sensation. they sold out the tour. nearly 250 youtube views. and the album pt billboard's top ten. >> christine maldonado. >> missy graze and kevin alucia.

>> wow. >> you know what's great about you guys, you weren't even a group, you guys formed because of the show "the saingoff." how did you get together? >> we found them on youtube. >> you found them on youtube? >> kevin we found on youtube. he was a cello beat boxing video. >> are you guys surprised at the fame, sold out concerts? >> yeah. >> it's been great. >> are you guys watching the show to sing off of now? >> it's crazy. there's good groups. >> and is pitch perfect your favorite movie? >> anyway, you guys are going to sing angels we have heard on high, right? >> yeah. >> here they are.

♪ ahah ah ah ♪ angels we have heard on high singing sweetly ever mountains in reply echoing their joyous name ♪ gloria gloria gloria in excelous dio ♪ ♪ da da da da da da da da da da da da da da ♪

♪ shepherds jubilee with your joyous strength ♪ ♪ gloria gloria gloria in escelcius dio ♪ gloria gloria gloria ♪ christ the lord the newborn king ♪ ♪ gloria gloria gloria

♪ gloria gloria gloria ♪ la da da da da da da ♪ gloria angels we have heard ♪ angels we have heard on high ♪ angels we have heard oh da da da da ♪ angels we have heard on high angels we have heard on high angels we have heard on high ♪ ♪ in excelsis deo >> yeah, oh!

>> that was awesome. pentatonics. >> merry christmas to you. >> we'll be back with a special guest. >> yes, first, this is "today" on [ female announcer ] here's to a whole world

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here at the "today" show, we're so lucky to have the opportunity to give those to less fortunate for the annual toy drive going or for 20 years now. >> that's so right. helping us today is is jose pereyra. he's here with donation from your generous company. >> hello. >> this is the power brush. it removes plaque up to 100% more than a manual toothbrush. it helps to put the wow in your smile. what better time with the

holidays. i just saw the spot with the awesome food. >> giada. >> this is the absolutely best time to invest. >> what are you guys giving away, how much? >> this year, we're donating $25,000 to the toy drive and we're also sending the message about a healthy smile. >> that kind of stuff gets overlooked. usually kids want toys. >> my kids are getting this. don't watch, kids. really, it's more the parents notice the difference. >> start saving on your dental checkups, too. >> exactly. and the dentists goring to notice the difference. >> thank you so much. >> it wraps up this friday, if you'd like to donation go to klb hoda.com and hit the connect. >> tomorrow, justin long stops by. >> and gifts for the guy in your life. >> we'll have a great tomorrow. >> guess what tomorrow is? >> wednesday.

>> yes. >> like i didn' good morning nelly! woah.

hey! have you ever tried honey nut cheerios? love 'em. neat! now you on the other hand... you need some help. why? look atchya. what is that? you mean my honey wand? [ shouting ] [ splat ] come on. matter of fact. [ rustling ] shirt. shoes. shades. ah! wow! now that voice... my voice? [ auto-tuned ] what's wrong with my voice? yeah man, bee got swag! be happy! be healthy! that's gotta go too. ♪ hey! must be the honey! [ sparkle ] sweet.

>> right now at 11:00 for the second time in as many months crews battle a fire at a metal recycling yard on the peninsula with smoke billowing into the skies. the company is now responding to safety concerns. sflirchlts plus, one final set of tests done on a young girl now brain dead after a routine surgery. the move the family just made about whether to keep her on life support. then ironic development about a house that slid down a san francisco hillside. the surprised owner of that home. nbc bay area news starts right now. good morning to you. thank you for joining us. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm terry mcsweeney. crews have controlled a fire burning all morning long at sims metal management in redwood