now. i-580 at oakland flashing. eastbound you want to take it easy. >> thanks so much. good morning, breaking n good morning, breaking news, help now literally on the horizon for dozens of passengers trapped on a ship in ice at the bottom of the world. power to the people. one full week without electricity for tens of thousands from the midwest to maine. when will their misery end? feeding frenzy. we'll tell you where dozens of swimmers were attacked and injured by a huge school of piranhas. and show him the money. one lawmakers big demand to u.p.s. for failing to deliver packages by christmas. today, friday, december 27th, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news,

this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm willie geist in for matt along side natalie morales and dylan dreyer. our lead story this morning, despite everything you saw there, savannah guthrie turns 29 years old. happy birthday savannah, again. >> thank you so much. turned 29, oh, 13 years ago i think. >> 29 and holding. >> natalie just mentioned i'm the oldest person sitting at this table. >> by six months. >> you're right on my trail. >> meanwhile, willie has the gift that keeps on giving. willie has the stomach flu this morning. >> i do. >> a lot of leaning in all directions this morning. >> we have the bucket and the purel right here. >> i would watch the full show

this morning. there's no telling what's going to happen. let's get to today's top story. the effort to rescue dozens of people stranded on a ship to antarctica. they have been there since tuesday and the first ice breaking vessel could be there today. martin fletcher is following that story from london. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, they're stuck in 6 to 9 feet of ice which is gripping the ship tight. the team leader told me that help is just on the horizon, at last. the best christmas present. the research ship could be free soon as long as the wind doesn't pick up and this is the windiest place on earth. it's so far away you can't see it on camera but the dot across the packed ice is the snow dragon, the chinese ice breaker. there's a lot of relief and happy faces. it's been a rough couple of days for the 52 scientists and volunteers and 20 crew. >> you can see we're in a blizzard at the moment.

the vessel hasn't moved in the last two days. >> reporter: they have been taking measurements probing 400 meters to the seabed. all went well until fast floeing ice trapped them. christmas eve the captain sent a distress signal. three ice breakers sent out to help. a french one couldn't get through and an australian one is two days away. he couldn't help thinking of the famous explorer whose ship was crushed 100 years ago leading to the great escape. the long trek by crew across the antarctic. it's lonely out there but there's company and this morning the chinese rescue ship isn't nar and that far away. >> what's that? >> the ice breaker. >> brilliant. >> reporter: they tweeted the chinese ship was finally at heavy going. so it's a race to free the ship

before the weather gets bad again. at least there's enough food on board for two weeks. >> good sight with the penguins waddling about. martin fletcher, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> they are in good spirits. by the way, a new blanket at snow in maine is hampering efforts to restore power from last weekend's massive ice storm. it's an uphill fight for crews in michigan as well. nbc's kevin tibbles is covering this for us in east lansing this morning. what's the situation there? >> well, hey, savannah. it's warmed up to 30 degrees here in beautiful east lancing this morning. but for more than 100,000 people like those that live in this house behind me here that had a tree covered in ice come down through it, it's mighty cold comfort. with temperatures in the 30s, cold air and the threat of snow, many families without power are leaving home and seeking warmth in shelters like this one. >> it is a little frustrating

but it's definitely a lot better than being at home. >> reporter: for those that chose to stay home, safety is a real concern as people try to keep warm at any cost. >> carbon monoxide is something we're always so afraid of with these events. >> reporter: nanette miller says to only use emergency generators outside, away from doors and windows. after six days without power and heat, the temperature inside danziger home is a frigid 44 degrees. on christmas morning, they lit a fire to keep warm. >> we just all were in our coats opening christmas gifts and trying to make it the same we do every year. >> reporter: but this year was different. the family shuttled between home and a hotel they checked into a few days ago for warmth. >> it's been a nontraditional christmas for sure. >> reporter: with the holiday

come and gone the family drives back and forth hoping they'll pull up to a home with power. >> it's a little frustrating when you come back, no, not us. >> reporter: power crews from michigan to maine working around the clock in hopes of getting people back into their homes. but some may have to wait until saturday for the lights to come back on. the power crews are working around the clock trying to get the heat back on for customers. if the heat does come back on by the weekend, we are finding out there is another cold snap on the way. >> rough days there. thank you very much. meanwhile, natalie is following a deadly attack overnight in lebanon. >> that's right. a powerful bombing in beruit. it targeted a key figure in the assad administration.

we're following developments in cairo. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, the explosion happened after 9:30 a.m. local time. several members of a political party that opposes president assad in neighboring syria. this explosion killed the former finance minister. mow mohammed chatra. he was also lebanon's ambassador to the united states in the late 90s. very well respected individual and a former member of the imf. that has a lot of officials and citizens concerned that the violence in syria is going to spill over into neighboring lebanon at a level that country has not seen for years, natalie. >> thank you ayman. an attack this morning in afghanistan killed three nato service members. they were attacked while traveling in a convoy in kabul. the taliban is claiming responsibility. millions of americans are bracing for tomorrow when their federal unemployment benefits

are set to run out. the president has been pushing to get these benefits extended. we have peter alexander with the latest. >> reporter: yeah. if a deal comes together the president says he will sign it. about 1.3 million american recipients face a delay in their checks at best. this is part of a federal aid program for the long-term unemployed that was set up during the great recession. the benefits average about $300 a week. supporters of an extension of this say it would hurt the economy to get rid of it. opponents say it would force people back to work. there's a bipartisan deal in the works in the senate that would be for a three month extension that would help buy time to find places to cover the cost, what republicans want, $25 billion a year. 1.3 million people effected now and 1.9 million more over the next six months. >> peter alexander in hawaii, thank you. meantime after the government shutdown, two new budget bills

are finally law this morning. on thursday the president signed a bipartisan budget bill that eases spending cuts and a defense bill that eases up on sexual assaults in the military. they'll no longer be able to overturn jury convictions for sexual assault. a driver was trapped in his car after he drove off a 300 foot cliff in palos estates. firefighters battled to get the driver out. they were able to free him and get him air lifted to harbor ucla medical center. he is in critical condition. investigators are trying to find out why a small plane crashed in fresno, california in front of a yard. the pilot and 9-year-old boy on the plane were killed. no one on the ground was hurt. a man is an custody in phoenix after a security breach at sky harbor airport. the man climbed a fence and seen on a camera running on the tarmac after a plane had landed there. he was taken into custody after hitting the plane with his hand.

police say the suspect may had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs. you're up to date. back to you guys. not a smart thing to do. >> and slapping the plane, i don't think will hurt it. >> dylan, what's shaking in the weather department this morning? >> well, it's been quiet for most of the week but we do have a bigger storm system through texas. it's a rainstorm and it's going to stay a rainstorm for much of the areas up and down the east coast despite it's cold out there right now. you can see heavy rain in the corpus christi area and that's going to move into houston. but looking at the future cast here of this moving east ward. you can see by saturday afternoon, heavier rain starts to fill in across the southeast. it makes it's way through the mid-atlantic by sunday morning and sunday evening into sunday night mostly rain across southern new england but snow through central and northern new england including maine where they don't need anymore snow. as for rainfall totals we'll see a good amount of rain fill in

across the carolinas through the weekend. perhaps as much as 3 inches of rain. but through parts of new england, in boston it's rain but to the north and west of the city we're looking for several inches of accumulating snow. that's a look at the weather across the country. your local forecast is coming up in 30 seconds. it's not the "fumbling around with rotating categories" card. it's not the "getting blindsided by limits" card. it's the no-game-playing, no-earning-limit-having, deep-bomb-throwing, give-me-the-ball-and-i'll-take- it-to-the-house, cash back card. this is the quicksilver cash card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. so let me ask you... what's in your wallet? 7:11. happy friday morning to you. i'm meteorologist christina loren. temperatures are chilly out there to start. we have a nice unseasonably warm

day. 39 degrees now in san jose. look at this spectacular sunrise coming in. just gorgeous out there. a lot of haze making that beautiful sun rise visible. what i can tell you is it's a spare the air day. better air quality getting into the weekend. and that's your latest forecast. >> thanks a lot. the wait is slowly coming to an end for thousands of people that failed to get their christmas packages in time. u.p.s. expects to finally clear its backlog of late deliveries today. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in atlanta with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: willie, good morning. u.p.s. says they will issue refunds to some customers but not all. this as it's drivers prepare for another long day on the road. for many u.p.s. customers christmas has finally arrived. >> we got the package. >> it was almost 9:00 last night when the mayo family got the delivery they had been waiting for. a christmas gift for their

15-year-old son. >> i bought the item on december 16th. so i felt sure that i would receive it in time. >> reporter: across the country, more small victories. >> there you go. have a good holiday. >> reporter: better late than never. some deciding to pick up their late presents at shipping centers. >> after christmas miracle. >> reporter: u.p.s. apologized repeatedly but the company won't say how many packages are still delayed. only assuring customers that it's making every effort to get packages to their destination as quickly as possible. fed ex is now downplaying it's delays calling them isolated incidents. >> they should have recognized this year online was going to get a growth and surge in the last two weeks of the holiday. >> reporter: angry customers are still bashing u.p.s. on social media. one writing i will never use u.p.s. again, never.

others identifying themselves as employees are defending the company. i know that all of us worked our tails off. drivers working 14 to 16 hour days. >> i'm upset. i guess in a way it tells me i need to maybe start shopping a little earlier. >> reporter: now one u.s. senator is demanding that u.p.s. is refunding customers. they are refunding customers, only for air and international service, but not ground. the company said for several years it has not guaranteed ground shipments in the busy weeks before christmas. gabe, thank you very much. we move on to a terrifying scene at a beach in argentina. >> yeah, this is a terrifying story. one minute swimmers were cooling off in a river in argentina and y were being viciously attacked by a school of piranhas. a school of fish injured more than 70 sun bathers seeking relief from the sweltering heat in a small town in argentina. among the beach goers were seven

children who lost parts of their fingers and toes. a local lifeguard director says people were swimming in the river near rosario argentina when some were complaining about bite marks on their hands and feet. according to witnesses, many swimmers ran while some parents courageously charged into the water to rescue their children. the likely culprit was a school of a large type of piranha with sharp teeth. pound-for-pound their bite can be more powerful than a great white shark and stronger than alligators. while piranhas normal in south america, an attack of this magnitude is rare. the unusually warm 100 degree temperatures may have been to blame for attracting the dangerous fish. the heat was so oppressive that despite the scare, swimmers returned to the beach soon after the attacks.

>> amazing that people got right back into the river after the attacks were over. >> oh my gosh, that is terrifying. >> feeding frenzy. >> that's crazy. it's happened again, a computer hiccup lowers airline tickets so much that some customers thought there must be a catch. nbc's kerry sanders is standing by at the delta airlines terminal in ft. lauderdale, florida. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it was just a glitch or maybe somebody in the delta airlines i.t. department wanted to keep the holiday weekend going and give a few more of santa's presents but passengers were able to book tickets at unheard of prices. delta airlines called their holiday message the cheer card. >> ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts. >> reporter: but the real cheer were from those that hit on the unplanned price drop at delta airlines. customers surfed between 9:30 a.m. eastern and noon found

santa still delivering presents. >> i got new york to puerto rico for $77 round trip. that's amazing. >> reporter: usual price for that trip, $308. jason herbert snagged a round trip new york to vegas for $81. usually it's $741. >> i was in complete shock. i was like, oh my god. wow. for me to get it for $81. merry christmas for me. >> reporter: it took minutes for folks to boast on twitter and the rush was on. keeley wood posted christmas miracle alert. just bought a round trip 60 for $46. me too, raleigh to philly for $35. i spoke with a rep on the phone and she said if you purchase them they'll honor the prices. amy saw tickets from indianapolis to honolulu for only $70. first class, $88. that's a $3,396 ticket.

she writes i feel like i won the lottery, committed grand larceny. just three months ago, another a similar glitch hit united airlines website. united honored every ticket and delta says it will now too. jamie who works at travelzoo calls her trip to puerto rico a baby moon. last big trip before giving birth. >> it made for a lovely postchristmas gift for us. >> reporter: delta will not say how many tickets it sold. call me suspicious but at first i thought it might be a marketing campaign but delta assures me this was a costly unplanned mistake. >> it would be an expensive self-marketing campaign. >> it would be. >> have you ever loved a computer glitch so much. >> we were playing how much for first class to honolulu? $88. >> $88. >> that's amazing. >> let's check in with tamron in

the orange room this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning. so this is my last orange room hit of 2013. oh, please, i'll be back. listen, though, i figured i would show you something i believe you will never ever see again in your life on this particular planet. here we go. it is a tweet from snoop dogg. yes, that snoop dogg and it says boss life, me and john kerry at the white house. snoop dogg sent out a video instagram. take a look. now, they're chatting it up. i can't understand what snoop was saying but look we all understand that. the pound sign between secretary of state john kerry and snoop dogg, well, snoop lion. i have to get that right, willie. and here's the best part.

john kerry then retweets snoop dogg between us we sold 30 million, jk. that's his official signal. so snoop dogg and john kerry. yeah. yeah. i guess that's dr. dre. >> is that snoop? >> i don't recognize. >> okay. cool. >> just a couple -- oh, no. >> don't do that. >> came this close. this close. but i don't think it's illegal. >> no but only when natalie does it. >> single me out. >> all right. coming up. >> how much would you pay to go to the super bowl? why tickets for the big game here in the new york area already fetching near record prices. >> are your holiday gift cards burning a hole in your pocket? where to find the bargains including hdtvs for 50% off. but first this is "today" on nbc. including hdtvs for 50% off. but first this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, one family's incredible find, a bald eagle struggling in the woods. what they did to help save the american icon. >> and ask yourself this question, if you could have any celebrity in the world as your next door neighbor, who would it be? >> who wouldn't you want. >> for shizzle, natalie. >> oh. >> first your local news and weather. mine was earned orbiting the moon in 1971.

afghanistan in 2009. on the u.s.s. saratoga in 1982. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. too small. too soft. too tasty.

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it's a 2-week plan to start losing weight right away. join for free. weight watchers online. log into your new beginning today. >> a very good friday morning to you. 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. surrounding the 13-year-old teenager on life support, family of the oakland teenager on life support, they want to move the girl out of children's hospital oakland. jahi mcmath's family say they asked the hospital to perform surgery so a feeding tube can be inserted. but the hospital said no. the family attorney says he will ask an outside doctor to help and the case may end up back in court. the family is not releasing the name of the new facility at this point. doctors say the girl is brain dead. she has been on a ventilator for weeks. the court order mandating

children's hospital to keep her on a ventilator expires on monday at 5:00 p.m. a suspect wanted in connection with a homicide is in jail. police arrested ernesto rodriguez. they found him near the crime scene. authorities say the female victim was dead. the victim had a restraining order against rodriguez. >> i want to check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. happy friday. temperatures this morning are in the 40s, a couple 30s out there. 35 degrees in napa. 32 san martin. oakland at 40 and san jose 39. spectacular sunrise to show you this morning. part of the reason why it's so pretty is because it is a spare the air day. we've got the thick layer of haze around the bay area. temperatures today are going to be comfortable. an area of low pressure on the way that will clear out the air quality. so 71 in morgan hill, 64 red wood shores and 65 in san francisco, mid to upper 60s all

across the bay area for your getaway friday. if you are going to be headed out and about not a lot to show you in terms of traffic right now. no major stackups across the bay area. we gave mike the day off. you might have the day off. a lot of people do. lighter than normal traffic. a couple thing, watch out for an incident an accident reported northbound 85 on the ramp to 87 in san jose. travel cautiously. we're looking pretty good. laura, back to you. >> thanks for pulling double duty.

welcome to china. we have exhausted our amount of chinese. we can move on. [ speaking chinese ] >> that is? >> hello everyone. >> oh, hello everyone. >> back now at 7:30. one of the precious moments from brian gumbel and jane pauley's time together here on "today." their trip to the great wall of china and lots of things to look back on. we'll do a lot of that on monday because brian and jane will be back in the hot seat. they'll cohost with matt all day monday. it's his birthday monday and matt, if you're watching, if you could wear some of your '80s newscaster outfits to commemorate the occasion. >> proof the hair back.

>> we love having a laugh. i'm going on vacation next week. >> how cool is that going to be monday? >> amazing. so fun. >> online people are so pumped. >> it's so exciting. that's a first, maybe, or maybe i'm making that up. >> no, i think so. >> it's the anniversary. so i guess this is the first time. >> that could be great. check that out monday morning. first, here's what's making headlines today. an ice breaker in sight of a russian ship caught in thick ice in antarctica. it was on a research trip when 74 people on board got stuck. u.p.s. is planning on delivering the rest of christmas packages by the end of this day. it plans to refund air and international customers. 70 swimmers looking for relief from argentina were attacked by a school of piranha.

the attacks are not uncommon but this one was exceptional. coming up, love this story, what do you do when you can't get your loved one on the phone? well, one grandmother actually turned to twitter to reach her grandson and ended up at a job in one of california's hottest tech companies. she's quite a character. >> we're on twitter. we chat on twitter. >> wow, a close relationship. let's begin this half hour with the first super bowl to be played outdoors in cold weather. it will be held at metlife stadium across the river here in new jersey. if you want tickets, be prepared to dig deep, really, really deep.3 c1 nbc's ron mott is here. how bad are the tickets going to be? >> hey, guys. good morning. what i would give to be sitting here on the super bowl in this

seat right here. we won't know for a few week who is the teams are but already demand for this chair and the 78,000 other chairs in this stadium is sky high. it isn't called the super bowl for nothing. everything comes super sized. a-list stars, international media, security almost as tight as a presidential inauguration and, especially, those coveted tickets. >> the thing about the super bowl is that it's the biggest game in america's biggest sport. >> reporter: tickets are likely to fetch the cost of a decent used car or even a luxury vacation while face value of the most expensive ticket to the game is expected around $2,600, reality is they're already going for far more on the resale market and what's driving prices up way past the nose bleed section into record territory? you guessed it. location, location, location. new york city and wall street are first for the big game. >> it's all speculation. it's hype. it's people saying this is new york city. look how many corporations are

based here. the super bowl is a corporate event. those companies will pay for tickets. >> and pay dearly. super bowl packages start at $5,600. start and just in case you're wondering, that's per person. >> pricing for super bowl is always driven by two factors. one is the city it's played in. and the second is the teams that are playing in the event. >> reporter: the cheapest ticket on stubhub about $3,200. getting to this super bowl will be different than others too and bargain for $5. >> best way to get around is mass transit. >> reporter: what's called the first mass transit super bowl ever will have an estimated 12,000 people arriving by train and another 35,000 arriving by bus. >> act like a local and take mass transit. >> reporter: then there's the x factor, weather. >> one thing if you know the nfl they're vigilant in controlling every aspect of the super bowl. when you look at the weather, that's one thing that the league cannot control. >> reporter: snow and bitter cold are real possibilities and

if it's really bad out, like recent games in philadelphia and baltimore, for instance, the nfl has floated the idea of moving the game to another day. super bowl saturday. or how does super bowl monday night sound? now, it's pretty cold out here this morning. we still have five weeks to go until the game. >> it's 30 degrees out here. the nfl doesn't sell directly to the general public. you'll have to find a ticket resaler. but if you don't go through the official online ticket exchange, buyer beware. back to you. >> ron, if i were you, at though prices, i would just hide in a broom closet and wait until the super bowl. >> exactly. >> ron, thank you so much. there's so much hand ringing about having the game outside. it's going to be great. it's going to be cool. >> there will be snow. >> maybe i'll get sent out there

and covering the news. >> we'll all be covering. will be a major news story. what's going on outside right now? >> it's actually pretty warm in most area of the country, above average although it doesn't really feel like it around here but we're going to see temperatures today get about 15 degrees above average in areas like omaha at 52 degrees, oklahoma city 8 degrees above average at 57. 49 degrees in st. louis. now, this warm air is going to try to move eastward but swaps it out for cold air. kansas city drops to22 by sunday. zero in minneapolis and then it continues to move east ward. lexington about 33 by monday. chicago topping out at only 10 degrees. that's arctic air going to move in behind this cold front here. we're going to see rain in southern texas today across the 7:36. happy friday to you. temperatures not too cold out there. it's a little on the chilly side in the north bay.

30 degrees. 46 san francisco. east bay 37. 39 degrees in the south bay to kick off the day. another unseasonably mild afternoon shaping up. temperatures in the upper 60s across the bay area. it's a spare the air day. you'll notice clouds increasing throughout the afternoon. an area of low pressure comes through. mostly cloudy skies by 3:00 p.m. and better air quality for saturday through monday. we're already talking about it. sunday night is football night in america. the eagles taking on the cowboys for the nfc east championship game. does the weather even matter? it's a dome game but outside it's partly cloudy and cold. so we are ready for that game. savannah, the phillies, what do you think? oh i was so close to not messing it up. the eagles. >> somewhere al roker is brushing away a tear because you

did that so well. >> i had big shoes to fill. >> a lot of pressure on you. >> it's a big game in your house. mike feldman and the eagles. >> he'll bewaring the whole thing and i'll have to whisper and tiptoe around. 50% off a new flat screen tv. 60% off fitness equipment. while the best deals of the holiday season could be this weekend. and james franco on the meaning of the selfie after being called out today about the selfie by someone we know. >> who did that? >> but first these messages. ♪ [ male announcer ] what kind of energy is so abundant, it can help provide the power for all this? natural gas. ♪ more than ever before, america's electricity is generated by it. exxonmobil uses advanced visualization and drilling technologies to produce natural gas... powering our lives... while reducing emissions by up to 60%. energy lives here. ♪

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and the big take away number here is $2 billion. we're talking about gift cards a little bit. that's how much gift card people are not going to be spending on their gift cards and that amount is expected to go up. so, yes. we need to go out there and get people to start spending and these deals are definitely going to be better than what we saw black friday. >> potential a second surge for retailers as they get to the end of the season. >> what they're expecting. >> let's start with high end television. where the deals? >> high end televisions, you saw a lot of those deals black friday but as you get into the end of december and into january you'll see a potentially increase of about 50% off these tvs and we're talking about 42 inches, 47 inches and the name brand tvs that you want. so i was telling everyone to just wait until the end of december and january to get those deals. >> all right. a lot of us this time of year decide to put down the shortbread and pick up the barbell. fitness equipment is good prices right now.

>> right. 15 to 60% off. no wonder everyone wants to, new year, new you get in shape. you'll see not just fitness equipment but also gym memberships, barbells, treadmills. if you're willing to go out there and wait until after the end of the year, you can see a 60% discount on that. >> i was surprised to see winter apparel on your list. we have a few months of hard winter in front of us. >> right. what retailers want to do is they're starting to prepare for spring and summer. people are going on vacations. some of that winter apparel is going to be discounted. up to 80%. if you're still in the market for sweaters or a jacket, heavy jeans, you can potentially get 80% off. >> what about electronics? a lot of people like to spend their gift cards on those things. >> who wouldn't want to? there's a big show, i guess, like a -- >> consumer electronics show. >> exactly. that happens in las vegas every year and that's when the big

technology comes out. the iphone, the hand helds. when the new technology comes out, that's when you see the old technology go on discount. so expect to see about 20 to 60% off there. >> you have something to tell us that i think is really interesting and a lot of people probably haven't heard it. there's kind of a magic number when retailers put something on sale. under that number you're not getting bargain but if it's over that number, now you're starting to see real savings. what's the magic number? >> the magic number is 30% off. retailers buy items so they're making money. they buy it at a certain price and increase the price so they're making money back. when they start discounting it, that starts eating at the price they originally upped the price on if that makes any sense. at 30% off you're getting a discount. anything above that it's a major discount and at 70% off the retail is breaking even and anything above that they're losing out. >> which means you may be winning out.

>> exactly. the consumer is winning and retailer might be losing. >> thank you so much. coming up an unforgettable encounter. one family's mission to save a sick bald eagle. and what was your favorite "today" show event of the year? that right after this. [ female announcer ] when you're serious about fighting wrinkles, turn to roc® retinol correxion®. one week, fine lines appear to fade. one month, deep wrinkles look smoother. after one year, skin looks ageless. high performance skincare™ only from roc®. take skincare to the next level with new roc® multi correxion® 5 in 1, proven to hydrate dryness, illuminate dullness, lift sagging, diminish the look of dark spots, and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. high performance skincare™ only from roc®.

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we shared a lot of unforgettable moments here on "today" in 2013 but which one is at the top of the list? tamron putting out the call over in the orange room. what have you got? >> i'm putting out the call, willie. it has been an incredible year. so many moments and we have, guys, a list of some of our top gifts or gifs. graphic interchange format. it's for all the techies out

there. first up, zach galifianakis surprising natalie with a video bomb while she was at the news desk and how could we forget matt as pamela anderson. >> we're trying to forget. >> burned in my mind. next up, remember the puppy party? that was so awesome. never forget it and i still smell from it. and willie, willie, willie. al and willie. the kiss heard around the world. the bromance that continues. carson my buddy who holds down the orange room. it was a throwback thursday and we were talking about our favorite toys as children but his jet fighter attacked natalie's barbie doll. the typical boy he is and last but not least -- savannah. i didn't put this one on there but a little slip and fall during your interview with jimmy fallon. >> i thought you were going to say so many slips and falls. >> no. so we're asking you to go to

today.com and let us know your pick for the best gif, graphic interchange format. i like saying it because i sound so nerdy. there you go. >> good one. >> we don't want to -- a man dressed up as pamela anderson. >> i know. >> it's hard to top that. >> how do you beat it? i don't know that you do. coming up on trending, they laughed, they cried. priceless reactions from adults that got puppies for christmas. then what's taking the lives of bald eagles out west? one family's brush with the american icon. and we put my dog to the test after your local news. can actually repair and protect sensitive teeth. exposed dentin can cause pain in some people's teeth... and as long as they brush twice a day, every day, then they can expect to continually have that reparative layer of protection against sensitivity.

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good friday morning to you. 7:55. i'm laura garcia-cannon. polling stations will be open to give ac transit union workers a chance to approve or reject a contract. negotiators reached a tentative deal friday. members of the transit union local 192 will vote. they have been negotiating since march and voted down two previous deals. union members threaten to strike in october but the governor issued a 60-day cooling off period that expired sunday night. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. the time is 7:56. temperatures out there are climbing nicely. it's cold enough for a winter coat though even with only 9 hours of daylight now that we are in winter, highs today are going to end up in the upper 60s. look at this trend. 69 degrees for today in san jose. saturday we lose a little warmth as an area of low pressure comes through the bay area.

the good news is this will provide better air quality so we're looking much better in that department. watching the drive this morning, we give mike the day off. watch out. debris on the highway. this is i-80 westbound near solano avenue in richmond. we're looking pretty light across the board. lots of green out there. show you the bay bridge toll plaza. you can count the cars at this hour. so really light. a lot of people on vacation. maybe you're headed out and about. heavier than normal traffic as we progress throughout the day. and the holiday shoppers head out. >> head to the mall. thank you. pretty light traffic as she mentioned. we're going to keep checking the forecast and the morning commute. she's pulling double duty. i'll have another local news update for you in about a half hour. we hope to see you then. taking live looks outside, this beautiful friday morning.

it's 8:00, coming up on today, it was the word of the year, so what's the true meaning of the selfie? the one and only james franco helps us explain. plus a rescue mission to save an american treasure. >> within seconds you could tell it was a bald eagle. the white head, the big yellow beak. one family's amazing find in the utah wilderness. and old dog, new tricks. how natalie's pup learned a set of new moves and what we can learn from that. today, friday, december 27th, 2013. >> happy friday. >> happy birthday. happy birthday savannah. >> happy birthday to savannah

and me. >> just married. >> happy holidays. >> we're here at the "today" show celebrating our baby moon. >> happy birthday, dad. >> morning. just said hi to everybody. i'll show you what i was just talking about actually. come over here, john. is this a hat or is this a hat? that's the leading technology in head warmth. where are you from? >> north dakota. that's how you know what kind of hat to wear on a day like this. welcome back to today. i'm savannah guthrie along side willie geist in for matt and dylan in for al and tamron hall. >> people waited to have their children on this day. the same birthday as savannah. today's my golden birthday. >> 27.

>> yeah. >> happy birthday to you. >> flowers. >> oh, that's so nice. >> thank you so much. >> she'll be out here all morning accepting praise. >> thank you very much. >> let's begin this half hour way check of the morning's top stories from natalie. she's inside. >> good morning, once again. 20,000 new customers are out of power in maine now and in michigan it's been a week without power for some folks and more snow is expected. kevin is in chilling east lancing michigan. good morning. >> it's balmy today. it's gone up to 30 degrees. this house here has been damaged by the ice storm. good news for the homeowner. there's a workman over there trying to hook up their power today. a lot of the power is starting to come on here in lancing which is good news. bad news is almost 100,000 people across this country are still in the dark from michigan to maine. they're talking about snow in maine today and they're also

talking about another deep freeze just over the horizon. so a lot of people who have been living in their homes when the temperatures have gotten down into the 30s, they are going to have to get the power back on before this thing gets cold again, natalie. >> yeah, kevin, stay warm there. thank you. a powerful bomb rocked beruit this morning killing a government official. five people died and more than 70 were injured. the target of the attack was a close advisor to lebanon's prime minister. factions take sides in the civil war in neighboring syria. police in louisiana are trying to sort out a deadly shooting rampage. police say a 38-year-old man appears to have killed his wife and gone after two other families including his former inlaws and a former employer before killing himself. four people are dead including the shooter and three people are

wounded. the suspect in the los angeles airport shooting is pleading not guilty. the 23-year-old was arraigned thursday. he's accused of murdering a tsa screener and wounded three other people in a shooting at l.a.x. last month. nearly 40 people are reported dead and 60,000 left homeless after 10 days of heavy rains in southeastern brazil. some can't remember devastation like this. roads are washed out and homes burr rid in mud. people are desperate for food, water and medicine. among the many things that will change on january 1st, here's one to remember. that day is the deadline for production to stop for 40 watt and 60 watt light bulbs. after that they'll start disappearing from stores. the government began phasing out 75 and 100 watt bulbs over the last year or so. they expect the phase out of more popular 60 and 40 watt

bulbs to have a much bigger impact on consumers. time for a lot of us to start changing our light bulbs. let's go back outside. >> all right, natalie, thank you very much. dylan, what's the weather looking like. >> we have so many birthdays. this is the best way to celebrate a birthday. >> we are looking at -- these two girls here, they came in for the first time to new york city and you came in with flair. where are you from? >> auburn, alabama. >> what do you think of new york? >> it's cold. >> cold. much colder than alabama. i can vouch for that. we're going to see warmer temperatures in other parts of the country. in chicago it's going to be a descent day. fairly clear skies. partly cloudy by this afternoon with a 63 degree high. 6:00 it drops down to 32. your pick city of the day, headed further south to dallas where it will be 60 degrees as we start off the weekend and then it drops down to 45 and stays cold as we start off next week. today it is mostly quite across most of the country. lake effect snow up near

syracuse and steadier rain moving in to southern texas. that's going to be a bigger storm system that moves into the and that is your latest forecast. back to you guys. >> thanks a lot. they are making me stand over here. you get a little sick and they want distance. >> no, we love you. love you. >> coming up next on trending, would you like to live next to

jimmy fallon? >> yes. >> how about kimye? the best and worst celebrity neighbors. >> then how a 75-year-old grandmother used twitter to become one up and coming tech company's most trusted as advisesor. we'll introduce you t to @grannyny. >> and can she wor ♪ i feel like dancing

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we're back at 8:11. time for what's trending today. do you guys remember bambi? >> yeah. >> remember thumper? if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all? >> okay. >> on the internet the rule is if you don't have anything kind to say, go to the comments section. they can be so nasty and are often anonymous. the huffington post is employing

moderators to weed out these comments. you can not be anonymous on youtube and websites like popular science banned comments all together. question is how do you balance, certainly free speech. but the ability to say what you want to say and not have to give up your privacy with, i don't know, good decorum. >> you can say whatever you want, but own it. >> exactly. >> that's like the person that's driving next to you who is angry and gives you a gesture. no, stop and talk to me if there's an issue. >> you say things on the internet that you would never say in real life. >> people change the way they are when they post knowing their identity is hidden. >> if you would say it to your neighbor and look somebody in the eye then say it but most of the come mments wouldn't say th

>> don't hide behind t dot squared. >> she's been exposed. james franco, our friend that's been on the show many times has a bit of a bone to pick with you. >> no. >> yes and he's doing it in the pages of the new york times. public feud here. there's an essay to be published in the paper this weekend. selfies are something new to me but as i have been become increasingly addicted to instagram i have been accused of posting too many of them. i was called out on the "today" show. what is james franco talking about exactly? >> now, i have been looking at you on social media, you're a big guy on instagram. a lot of selfies. >> oh. i mean, i don't want to post those things. i just look at the number of likes. if i put on a book or something i like i get this number and if i just put a stupid selfie it's like ten times. when i try and get attention for

something else i'll put a selfie but then in the thing i'll put go see this movie or something. >> in the essay franco defends the selfie saying it's a way for people to show case their true self-s. i'm turned off when i look at an account and don't see any selfies because i want to know whom i'm dealing with. savannah guthrie, what say you. >> first of all, i was not calling out james franco. i was observing that he posted a lot of selfies. he's the best.a good author as . the rest i'll just express in a selfie. >> a birthday selfie. >> get more likes with selfies. i can put out peace on earth and you get one like and you do a duck face and it's all over. >> when she puts that duck face on everybody wants to see it. >> nasty comments. terrible. >> all right. here's a question for you. what stars would you like to have as a neighbor? well, the real estate website

zillow has a new website out ranking the most and least desirable neighbors. first is jennifer lawrence and then miranda and blake shelton and then jimmy fallon. wouldn't you love to have them next door. >> are they the people you peek out the window and say what's going on at that house. there's people who perhaps would make the neighborhood decrease in value. >> oh, wow. >> justin bieber and miley cyrus. >> yeah. >> they didn't like him speeding down the street. also i would love to live next to this family, the honey boo boo family. we would be like bffs and no surprise to some people. kim kardashian and kanye west. who would you like to have -- i would like to live maybe next to kim but i'd be afraid kanye

would say get off my lawn. >> a lot of paparazzi in the street. >> yeah. >> anybody got ideas who they want to live next to? >> james franco. >> you and franco. >> well, my fiancee is in the studio, i can just say if eric bana moved next door -- he's a babe. >> look at him through your binoculars. >> while mike's watching the eagles game. >> no shirt on. >> what about you guys? >> martha stewart would be great. think of the fresh vegetables over the fence. martha, martha, martha. >> until she gets the restraining order on you? >> tom hanks. i would love to hang out with tom hanks every morning. >> yeah. you know, i actually kind of like not having celebrities around. fine with that.

>> that's good. >> i just want to be alone. >> it's my turf. stay away. >> and our next topic, i always thought you weren't supposed to give pets for holidays but take a look at this. this is christmas morning and some people found that santa left a puppy under their tree and the huffington post gathered some of the best reactions not from kids but from adults of all people and they found that the joy is enough to reduce a grown man to tears. >> oh. >> oh. >> oh my god. >> aw. >> if you actually watch all of these, there's a whole list of them. it brings you to tears. it's so sweet to watch. >> now the comment section on that story has got all the

likes. >> you know now you have to start that account. >> i'm opening the account right now. >> i'll call james franco on you. >> you know what's always trending around here? savannah guthrie. it's her birthday day and you reached such a milestone that our good friend willard scott, which i think is nice, right on the smuckers jar. >> look at that. >> adorable. >> i'm 42 chronologically but i'm still emotionally 14. >> perfect. aren't we all? >> working for you. we actually have some gifts we got you. this is a big year. >> big, big year. >> but there is a certain wedding to come. and the groom himself. >> james franco was unavailable. >> or eric bana. >> okay. >> if you get cold feet. >> what is that. >> socks. the red socks right there. now we also got you some books

on planning a wedding. >> you guys are underway. >> it's happening this year. 2014. >> yes. it is. >> and we know strawberry cheesecake is your favorite. >> i love it. >> mike is getting a little handsy. can you see that. >> oh, my. >> take it down a notch. >> where did you find that cake topper? >> well, we know that savannah wants to do a lot more cooking in the new year. and no kitchen is complete for savannah without a fire extinguisher. >> thanks guys. >> and savannah i got you one last thing to remember this year by. [ music playing ]

>> we love that song. >> and you guys didn't even rehearse. >> that was before we went on the air this summer. somebody put it on and somehow i knew every word. >> the intensity you brought to tell the truth. that's the best gift anyone can get. and seeing mike this morning. >> i love you too. >> mike feldman. our own james franco. thank you so much. >> better. >> thank you. happy birthday. we love you. i'd give you a hug. that is what's trending today. now to an issue facing an american treasure, the bald eagle. a mysterious illness that already killed more than a dozen of them but as miguel almaguer explains scientists are hoping for answers thanks to one family's dramatic rescue in utah. >> reporter: what began as a family hike through utah's rugged backcountry suddenly turned into a rescue. the bald eagle, one of our country's most majestic creatures was spotted in trouble by taylor and his father-in-law

bob carter. >> within seconds you can tell it's a bald eagle. the white head, the big yell ow beak. it was immediate and it clearly couldn't fly. >> reporter: using his g go pro camera he recorded the experience. they delicated wrapped the bird with it's six foot wingspan and razor sharp beak driving him to safety. >> how is he doing? >> he's nervous. >> reporter: keeping the eagle calm at home until wildlife experts arrived. >> then it became our friend and we took it home and watched football. >> reporter: the eagle was brought here, to the wildlife rehabilitation center where it joined three other sick balanced eagles. >> we don't have all the pieces of the puzzle together yet. so this could be the end of it or this could be the tip of the iceberg. we don't know. >> reporter: it's alarming. so far this month, 16 balancd eagles died from the same

illness. blood work from the birds discovered in this region have been sent to a lab for testing. those results could be back in days or weeks and could be the first clue into solving this mystery. bald eagles are no longer a endangered species but are still protected. >> it's a symbol of our country. it's just what america stands for so to see one hurt or injured, that's not what you want to see. >> reporter: but tonight in utah, something is killing this majestic creature and now the race against time to save them. miguel almaguer, nbc news, bountiful, utah. >> just a beautiful anna, too. >> that amazing footage too. >> i thought that a majestic bird like that would have this amazing powerful -- but it's a tweet. >> how was that again? >> that's okay. it's is the perfect segway

actually. we want to tell you about a company created by the founder of twitter. square, best known for the little white box that allows smartphone and tablet users to charge credit cards is one of san francisco's hottest work for -- tech companies. but one employee is this hipster check. she is 75-year-old known as brian's grandma. how did she become the honorary granny of square? she was trying to plan a big family trip to the grand canyon but she couldn't reach brian fsh weeks. he just wasn't returning her calls. how do you get ahold of a young techy? well, by twitter of course. >> i sent a tweet to brian at

square. so it went b call me. and one of his coworkers came in on a saturday and copied it and put it in a company e-mail and said brian call your grandmother. and another guy went up to the window pounding on it and said you call your grandma. >> reporter: suddenly everyone at square was following granny. she was such a celebrity that when she visited she couldn't get two feet without being stopped for a hug. >> i'm doing good adam. >> reporter: and she loved it. >> in my mind i'm 22. >> reporter: what's more, granny also became something of a consultant testing their new cash by e-mail products and even suggesting new hires like miguel gonzalez. >> she would tweet me and say you're going to do it. you're going to break into the tech world. she was my biggest promoter by far. >> reporter: it caught the eye of the wall street journal and

lead to a page one profile on her. today she has more than 900 followers on twitter and spends each morning checking in with her new friends. >> who is that? >> reporter: this is this wonderful reporter. this beautiful reporter that's very highly intelligent. >> you must be talking about savannah guthrie. >> reporter: -- >> no but she follows me. >> reporter: and on the off chance that brian starts ignoring his calls again -- >> you were outed as a terrible grandson. >> no, he is a wonderful grandson. just busy. >> reporter: a company thriving with the tlc of a tech savvy granny. today, katie tur, nbc news san francisco. >> i love her. >> take granny to work day. >> 2013 orange room contest, today show granny. >> granny party in the orange room. >> i love it. >> coming up, a daunting task

for a trainer that says she can teach any dog to do tricks. can she work her magic on eye good morning to you. 8:26. i'm laura garcia cannon. a man who was reportedly tree times the legal drinking limit was arrested after crashing his car with his 4-year-old daughter riding inside. that crash happened on northbound highway 101 north of shy low road near santa rosa. rodriguez re wr es was driving 70 miles per hour when he made a sudden turn and lost control and crashed into a tree. the story doesn't end there. chp says the man then got himself and his daughter out of the car and took off running. witnesses managed to stop him, took the girl from his arms. the chps the girl was wearing a seat belt, but was not in a child safety seat. they were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

valejjo police say -- 20-year-old james brisker allegedly shot a 22-year-old man several times on december 8th. he was arrested monday after police found stolen property from the vallejo and fairfield areas in his car. he is now being charged with attempted murder. we're going to have another local news update for you in half hour or so. hope you get a chance to enjoy your friday morning. thanks for joining us.

8:30 now on this friday morning. it is the 27th of december, 2013. we want to give some love to our crowd out here on the plaza. we're bringing up the rear. we're coming, we're coming. places everybody. places. good morning everybody. thank you for the sign. >> nice. >> good morning. mice to have you along with us this morning. >> should we pull back the curtain?

you just did that tease in a resolving door. inside a revolving door. it was remarkable. >> you were pushing on it. >> it was incredible. >> coming up natalie, we'll spend quality time with your dog zara. >> not quite sure how she is going to perform. a trainer says any dog can learn new tricks. we'll show you what she can do. give you pointers if you want to teach your dog to perform on command as well. >> fantastic. earlier we asked you to vote for your favorite today show gift of the year to remind you of the voices again, photo bombing natalie, matt's halloween costume reveal. the puppy party in the orange room. al and willie's romantic gif and carson with his toys and savannah with fallon. >> none of us knows. i'm just supposed to say role the video tape of the winner. >> oh, yeah. >> it had to be.

it had to be. >> there's no other. >> it's fun and frightening all wrapped up in one. >> that's one handsome woman, isn't it? >> he's got some legs. that's for sure. >> what's strange is he still wears that bathing suit from time to time. >> and it's this cold out. >> he may have kept those somewhere. >> oh. >> well, matt, congratulations. thank you at home for voting. dylan, let's get a check of the weather. >> weather looks all right. most of the country will stay dry. we'll see heavier rain that's going to move into the southeast by tomorrow and then make its way up the east coast as we head into sunday. also snow showers moving in behind an arctic front across the northern plains. but there you see on sunday, even though it's so chilly right now, we'll see some of the warmer air work in with this storm. it's rain through the mid-atlantic and eventually up into southern new england but we'll see some snow in central and northern new england. people are still without power and really cold air is going to start working

for your forecast any time you can always check it out on weather.com. >> all right, dylan, thanks a lot. now to our countdown to sochi, it's now 41 days until olympic competition begins. all eyes on a new event this year. women's ski jumping. big air. it used to belong to the boys but at the 2014 winter games, women ski jumping will make its olympic debut. hoping to bring home the gold

for team usa, lindsey van, a fierce competitor and driving force behind women's ski jumping being included in the olympics. >> in ski jumping i don't have any fear. i've been doing it so long it's more of an excitement. >> and sarah hendrickson, just 19 years old and a world champion. she started jumping at age 7 after watching her brother participate in the sport. >> i could potentially be one of the first women jumpers to go to the olympics and represent the u.s. that's crazy but it's an amazing feeling. >> overall, it will be a big year for women. 1300 females are set to compete in sochi. a long way from the first winter games in 1924 in france where only about a dozen women participated. man, that ski jumping. >> those women are fearless. >> the u.s. trials for this are on sunday. lindsey van will compete but

sarah hendrickson is still recovering and hopes for a special appointment to team usa. the competition gets underway february 6th right here on nbc. coming up next, maria shriver on a remarkable program giving women a chance to compete in the tech world and how to train your dog to learn new tricks. we'll see what we can teach natalie's dog. but first, this is "today" on nbc. good girl.

in you to launch the space shuttle or build a video game? think again. maria shriver is here with a story of a great group of women. good morning. >> good morning, savannah, thank you. women out number men on college campuses and many are primary

breadwinners at home but when it comes to the tech world, the numbers aren't as encouraging. with that in mind, a small but growing group are encouraging women and girls to change that. >> i believe that computers are actually the next best resource we have next to the human mind. they make us really powerful. >> reporter: it's estimated that by the year 2020 there will be 1. 4 million software jobs available in the united states. if the numbers are right, only 20% of those jobs are expected to be filled with women making up less than half of that group. >> there's sort of this perception and i would say it's definitely a misperception that if you like working with machines or you like working with computers you couldn't possibly like people. what i found in my professional career is the people that like people and think about human problems first actually make the best computer programmers. >> reporter: she is a computer programmer with two businesses

under her belt, each that motivates others, especially women, to learn about software developmt. >> i'm a 45-year-old woman. my kids are going out of the house. i have to reinvent myself. why should i think coding? >> well, one big reason would be just the financial flexibility you get from having computer skills or having programming skills and another great thing about programming is that you can really do it from anywhere. so let's reset. >> oh my god. i coded. >> yes. >> so you're actually saying that this could be a really good job for women who also need to parent, workout of the home. and it's actually something that you can make a living at and a good living at? >> absolutely. >> reporter: only nine states recognize a computer science class toward high school graduation. to combat the lack of in school education, extracurricular programs are popping up targeting teens and tweens

specifically. >> we still live in a culture that pushes young girls into make up and, you know, other things instead of this. >> . . nonprofit that aims to educate and inspire high school girls about the computing world. it's goal, teach 1 million girls to code by 2020. >> you need to understand technology. you have to have the skill set. >> reporter: for 8 weeks 160 high school girls across 8 classrooms are immersed in all things digital. working out of classrooms within companies like intel. these girls are exposed to a world that otherwise seems out of reach. test. present ideas to facebook. >> so anyone that has an interest in a class or a subject would be able to learn.

>> this is a completely awesome idea. >> reporter: opportunities most engineers dream of. >> the biggest thing i learned so far from this program is to have confidence. >> i believe it's really important to fight the ster stereotypes and show that girls are just as good. >> those girls are our ambassadors. they have already started teaching young girls in their family. in their churches, in their communities how to computer program. >> i would encourage everyone to learn how to code because it does change the way you think in a really great way and it also just helps you feel empowered. >> well, feeling empowered is something i believe every woman and man should feel and as one of the young girls said in there, she said it makes me feel self-confident. that's something that helps women all the way through life. >> even you were smiling when you coded. >> it's hard, though. i'm not that savvy. these girls are so inspiring.

you can do it. you just have to try. >> it's incredibly inspirational. next month we get the next shriver report which i think of the state of the union for women. what can we look forward to? >> thank you. it's really interesting but we'll learn that one in three working women in this country are financially insecure and struggling and they need to begin to invest in themselves first and foremost because they will be providers and not provided for in the near future. >> maria shriver and savannah with a very cool program. coming up next, the author of the best dog tricks on the planet teaches natalie's dog some new skills. but first, this is "today" on nbc. nice work.

back now at 8:44. have you always wished your dog could do tricks but you're not sure how to teach them? she helped launch david

letterman's stupid pet tricks segment is here to help. >> and she is out with a new book called the best dog tricks on the planet. we asked her to work with my dog to see what she could teach her. good morning. >> good morning. how are you this morning. >> she's doing well so far. >> i'm like a nervous stage mom up here. hold it together. >> she says her prayers. >> look at that. >> she has become very spiritual in the last three weeks since you have been working with her. >> if you're at home watching, you want to teach your dog a couple of tricks, what's the rule of thumb to get started? >> the best thing to do is keep it simple and keep it fun. find what your dog likes to do. zara loves to sit high. so i taught her to sit high and hold it there. some dogs like to shake their paw. they're good at that. you pick things they like to do. golden retrievers love to crawl and zara is one of them. you just start working on them. >> we're not talking about obedience. these are tricks. two separate things. >> obedience, you stop the dog

from doing something wrong. with trick training what you do is you find what the dog likes to do. if they do something that you don't want them to do, instead of correcting them, you're going to give it a command and tell them to do it on command. >> she is about three years old. pound dog as you know. she was here on the show and i adopted her. she was at the humane society. lot of treats and lots of phrase which is so important when it comes to training dogs. >> absolutely. you want to make it light and fun. she has started to do these things without the treat toos but this morning she wants the bacon. >> what for your initial impressions? did you think you had your hands full here? >> no, she is an easy dog and sweet and mild mannered. she likes to work. >> you taught her a couple of things. >> run us through what you got.

>> bang, bang. good girl. okay, come on. >> dramatic. >> she is dramatic. she's a great actress. perfect for tv. >> natalie, have you seen her do any of this stuff? >> no, but remember the psa we did and zara was in it. i have seen a couple of the tricks. >> good girl. >> but she is doing really well. >> she is doing great. >> she doesn't seem distracted by natalie either. they usually see their owner and come running. >> she was a little distracted by me this morning. >> she is very excited today. >> crawl, crawl, crawl. >> she's got that one down. she is working hard for those treats. >> can natalie pull these off at home or would you have to be there as a professional. >> no, we can show natalie how to do it. she can teach her to put paws up and this starts -- this helps

the dog stabilize themselves for the sit high command and then you put the treat down here as a lure. that's for the say your prayers. you want her to have both paws up. good girl. so you place the paws back up. good girl. >> see it seems like you build a foundation one trick sort of leads to the next. there's a little bit of a pattern so it makes it easier for them. >> for example, she wasn't jumping through the hoop initially. i had her walk through the hoop and overtime i would bring the hoop higher and higher and as she got better and better i'd put her further and further away so she can do it at a great distance and it's a better job. >> she mastered the basics. >> she did. how about it for zara and you more importantly. >> it has all the crazy tricks in there. >> answering the phones. find the keys. sort the laundry. >> i was hoping for the laundry sorting. that's what i wanted.

>> what? you're a genius. you have to check out the book called the best dog tricks on the planet. great to see you. >> thank you. >> it's been so much fun working with you. >> thank you. i appreciate it. >> we're going upstairs to the kitchen to learn how to cook up a classic italian new years eve dinner. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

today's kitchen is brought to you by macy's. >> back now at 8:50 with today's kitchen. we're getting ready for new years eve. it's that time with a traditional italian feast. she's the owner of a restaurant and wine bar here in new york city. good to see you. >> thank you. >> happy holidays to you. this is a good way to go for new years. big italian feast. >> yes, italians are very superstitious. there's many dishes we have to make sure we eat for good luck and prosperity. >> you eat them at odd times of the morning. >> it starts at the stroke of midnight and continues all the way to 4:00 a.m. >> eating late into the night. >> yeah. >> so it's a very fatty pork sausage from italy and we pair it with lentils and they represent coins. and it represents the richness

of the new year. so make sure it's very fatty. >> tough to find it? it's not in a regular grocery store is it? >> it might be but you can use sweet italian sausage if you have to. what we do first is poke holes in the center. >> what does that do? >> drains the fat while it's cooking. we'll place it into simmering water and that will cook about two hours. >> about two hours? >> yes. and in the meantime we sauteed panchetta and onions and olive oils. and we'll put in our lentils and we'll add rosemary and sage. and then we're going to pour some lukewarm water. >> that smells incredible. >> and we're going to let it simmer for about an hour. that's the finished product. >> so you slice it up and just put it over the lentils. >> that's the opening course. there's a lot from there.

>> at 2:00 a.m. after dancing and singing and drinking you get the munchies. it's important that you put a lot of garlic into this because this will ward off the evil spirits during the new year. >> really? >> you put some parsely, a little bit more olive oil. >> will you actually do this on new years eve? will you be up eating until 5:00 in the morning. >> yes, i will. >> you throw down at your house. >> yeah. it's important you get all of your italian vitamins. we'll do it and plate it. >> what kind of pasta? >> this is a square spaghetti. if you'd like to take a bite you can. >> i'd love it. >> as the night goes on, at 4:00 a.m. in the morning you're craving sweets. >> there's more. >> yes there is. so we're going to go over here and it's honey fried dough balls and this is to bring sweetness in the new year. >> those are beautiful.

>> these are deep fried and sprinkled with honey and put sprinkles on top and you eat them. we traditionally make them on christmas but eat the left overs on new years eve for good luck. >> there's a nice winding down about 4:00 in the morning. >> it is and at the end you want sweet wine. this is a hot wine with cinnamon, honey, oranges and lemon. >> hi. >> did you all hear about this feast? once at midnight and then at 2:00 and then at 4:00. >> we live for the feast. >> you're not going to be up at 4:00. you go to bed at 10:00. >> i know. >> very important too is that you have to make sure you wear red underwear for good luck. >> oh, really? >> oh. >> you're wearing them now? >> i am. >> it has to be brand new. >> brand new red underwear? >> yeah. >> we have to go shopping. >> this is amazing. >> poor willie doesn't feel

well. >> i'm going to eat it tomorrow. in fact, if i could stay up until 5:00 a.m. i would eat everything. happy new year. thank you so much. >> coming up, wait until you see what kanye west got kim kardashian for christmas. it's epic. >> this is epic. it's really good.

good morning. it is 8:56. i'm taefr mcsweeney. today is yet another spare the air day. the fifth in a row in the 20th so far this winter season. it's compared to ten winter spare the air days all of last year. this is a live look outside right now in san jose where air quality is expected to be the worst in the bay area. let's check weather. >> it's a little better at the coast and along the peninsula,

terry. good friday morning to you. we made it to the end of the week. look at these numbers. so, yeah, the good news and the bad news. we get these beautiful temperatures. unfortunately, we get a hazy sky along with that big ridge of high pressure, but as we head throughout the afternoon, mostly cloudy conditions on the way. and as a result attorney general will climb into the are upper 60s. better air quaty tomorrow and sunday.

from nbc news, this is today's take with al roker, natalie morales, and willie geist. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to today on this friday morning, december 27th, 2013. big crowd outside on this christmas week here in new york city. i'm willie geist along with natalie morales. al has the morning off. >> how are you doing my friend? i'm building my barricade because somebody's not feeling too well. >> you know one of those things that comes out of nowhere. >> comes from the kids usually. >> definitely from the kids. >> you have been not good. >> not good but i'm good right now and nobody wants to hear about it. let's move right along, shall we? this ups story is getting better today. >> they expect to finally make all the deliveries by today.

>> but unfortunately for a lot of people that's two daytoo late. >> right. >> meanwhile, employees that shared their thoughts on facebook dealt with nasty online reaction. on their facebook page one said i'm a driver and got off at 10:10 last night. 60 hour weeks i'm tired, mother nature, a booming economy and no one visiting malls anymore cause this no reason for anyone to be mad. merry christmas. >> a lot of the drivers are sounding off. i don't think a lot of people are blaming the drivers. >> i hope not. >> i hope not. they're not to blame for this. this is a backlog. people last minute getting those gifts out and, i think as ups and fed ex both said it stressed their system. they weren't anticipating that would be so backlogged like this. >> i hope people aren't taking it out on the drivers. it's like yelling at the gate agent because your flight is late. they have no control over that. but some are getting reaction. a guy responded saying i bet your family's christmas wasn't ruined. 60 hours cry me a river --

>> that's horrible. that's not nice. everybody is working hard to get those packages to you and, you know what, the christmas spirit is to not be all about the presents and the gifts. it's easy to say that. especially if you're trying to have that gift under the tree for your kids. but it's, you know, i think hopefully we can move on past this. we learned from it. >> i understand the frustration completely. you have any toys that didn't make it but it does start to found a little bit like a whiny first world problem. my holiday gifts didn't arrive on the magical ups sleigh. >> you can understand if you're the parent that has the big gift coming and it didn't make it. >> absolutely. >> better news if you're trying to fly delta yesterday, there was a computer glitch that meant delta airlines tickets were sold at ridiculously low prices. on thursday, yesterday between

9:30 a.m. and noon eastern time. a couple of examples here, new york to puerto rico sold for $77. >> amazing. round trip new york to vegas sold for $81. that's usually, especially this time of year, about $741. >> this is amazing. >> but i love this. first class indianapolis to honolulu sold for only $88. that's a $3,396 ticket. first class. >> first class for $88. >> that woman said i feel like i won the lottery or committed grand larceny. >> in october this happened to united. united honored every ticket. in a similar statement delta said delta will honor any fares purchased at the incorrect price. they have to. >> that's the way you have to handle it. that's good pr for them. how many people are going to be logging on, is there anyway there could be another glitch on some other airline somewhere. >> maybe they're having a night sitting down with the people that run theirs.

hair websites. >> delta said if you were thinking you were the cynic, maybe this was a pr stunt, it is not. it was an expensive glitch on their part. but some are definitely benefitting this morning as they're on their way to honolulu. >> you won. you got lucky that day. >> we have not seen this yet. >> we haven't seen this. >> so this is going to be our first reaction. apparently kim kardashian got a great new christmas present from kanye and she is showing off this new leather handbag. now, i am told, as you see there in the close up it is customized with a nude painting by famous contemporary artist george condo. are we blurring things out? >> we blurred a lot. >> we blurred a handbag. >> what is going on on that handbag. >> oh my heavens. >> it looked like some fun by the fireplace. i don't know. there's a lot of naked people on that handbag. >> what's the angry guy in the middle doing?

yikes. she put it on instagram and said #one of one and christmas present from my yeezy. >> she calls him yeezy? >> that's what he calls himself. >> we don't know the cost of that handbag. it's something that most of us cannot afford and never would afford. >> that ain't going to happen. nice work. >> you can't take that around everywhere. >> not a practical bag. >> no, kids everywhere. what is that? >> it's bad for pick up at school, isn't it? >> don't do that. >> i love this next story, dallas cowboys called on a former player, got him out of retirement to play this weekend. quarterback tony romo got banged up last week. kitna played for the cowboys from 2009 to 2012 and then returned to his hometown of tacoma, washington, and became a high school math teacher and coached their football team.

but when romo got the injury, he texted his coach and said he would be happy to help the team sunday against the philadelphia eagles. he will be the back up and he is donating his game day paycheck, $55,000. >> they make that in one game? >> one game. >> to lincoln high school, the school where he is teaching. good for him. >> that's great. good story. >> i hope he gets to play. i hope he gets some clutch play in there. >> he may. >> great story. >> he's a heartbeat away from getting in there. >> we did find them. yesterday we were showing you the vintage viral video of a little boy and girl who go nuts after receiving a nintendo 64 for christmas. that video was 1998. take a look again. >> nintendo 64. oh my gosh. thank you.

oh, my gosh! thank you! >> i think they're excited. >> yes. yes. yes. >> all right. >> so we played that yesterday. >> we said we wanted to find out where these children are and what they're doing now. well, we found them. a lot of you helped us out in finding them. they're brandon and rachel, now 24 and 21. still ecstatic but not over a nintendo 64. >> not in the jammies. >> they called the main desk of the "today" show yesterday. the main desk. had heard we had been talking about it and they said that the nintendo is long gone. their dad sold it on ebay in 2006. >> wow. >> short run. >> well, no, i think from '96 that's not bad. >> they live in new york now. >> he is a freelance film maker and she studies photography. that's fantastic.

>> very cool. >> always nice to find people who had that past. >> we could watch that video all day. >> do an hour of that video on a loop. >> that's kids christmas morning. not quite that ecstatic. >> your special is on tonight. >> it's tonight. what we wasted our year on, tonight, 9:00, 8:00 central on nbc. a really fun look back at the year that fascinated us, made us angry, confused us, stunned us. >> we wasted a lot of time on these stories. >> we did. >> here's a clip that willie and the panel discussed as we were talking about earlier today, the art of the selfie. >> i have to confess, again, i don't like to brag too much but i learned from the master. i took a selfie this year. this is an actual photograph of me and our dear friend kim k. >> wow. >> yes. >> you're part of the problem, willie. >> how about that? i have to tell you i said let's take a picture and she said i'll do it. >> she only takes her own

selfie. >> she has her angle and she knows it. >> they're so funny. >> i can't wait to see it. >> 9:00, 8:00 central called what we wasted our year on. >> you won't be wasting your time on this one hour of television. >> it's the things we enjoyed wasting our year on. >> absolutely. guilty pleasures you could say. >> let's get a check of the weather from dylan dreyer this morning. >> good morning. we're focusing on rain down near southern texas. rain moving into the houston area. this is going to be our storm system for the weekend. first in the southeast and then eventually in the noas >> first in the southeast and then ethwe'll in the northeast, but for tomorrow you can see it is going to start to move into the new orleans area. alabama and by the time we go through sunday morning it's right through the mid-atlantic and by sunday night it starts to move up into new england. most of southern new england will stay as rain but central and northern new england, that's where we will see snow. unfortunately for so many power the still out in maine because of the ice storm. unfortunately this isn't going to be a welcomed snow event for that area.

you can see we're looking at about 2 to 3 inches of rain, especially across parts of eastern north carolina. but a closer look at where we're going to see the rain, snow line, it's outside of boston with 3 to 6 inches of snow. not that much snow up across maine but a couple of inches is still too much when the power is out. that's a look at the weather across the country. now here as a peek out your window. 9:10. definitely not talking about snow here in beautiful california. the bay area will be gorgeous today. temperatures already climbing into the 40s and 50s. you're at 51 in san francisco. still in the 30s in the north bay. everywhere slated to hit the upper 60s by the end of the day. nice and comfortable out there. above average. do want to point out we do have rough seas in the forecast for today. at least through this afternoon. 64 to 69 degrees. comfortable conditions on the beach, but, yeah, rough surf. don't turn your back to the eegs e ocean for today. and that's your latest

forecast. willie and natalie. >> thanks a lot. coming up next, it's been a spectacular year of performances, celebrity tweets and box office blockbusters. your ticket to hollywood, year end review edition, right after this. hollywood, year end review edition, right after this. "all new dirt snuggler!" the dirt snuggler gently removes dirt while polishing the floor at the same time. why would you want to treat dirt "gently"? this isn't cleaning and polishing is it? no. but we both know what does.

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it's been the year of kim and kanye and miley and of course the incredible mrs. carter, beyonce. >> and here with celebrity tweets and biggest blog busters of 2013 is joe, editor of "billboard magazine." >> good morning. >> let's talk about our stand outs here and start out with beyonce and what an incredible year she had. everything is going her way starting off with the super bowl performance. >> an amazing year. started off with the super bowl performance. she launched the world tour. it's the 8th biggest tour of the year with over 100 million in ticket sales but everybody was asking where's her new record. she just played the super bowl. she is out on tour. where's the new album and here's the thing it remained a secret until the very last minute. just a few weeks ago it appeared on itunes out of the blue. sold at a premium price for $15.99. video and songs. nobody does this.

sold over 600,000 in three days. it's number one for the second week on the billboard 200 this week. >> you have to be beyonce level super star to pull that off. >> i think so. this was a game changer. nobody's ever done this in the record industry before. of course she is married to jay-z. this is a power couple. >> no publicity is good publicity when you're beyonce. >> power couples, kim and kanye. >> you know kim a lot better than the rest of us. you have been photographed with her. >> yeah. >> kim and kanye emerged as a power couple this year. the best couple name, kimye. it just sounds so happy and exciting. kanye declared the two of them the biggest power couple in the fashion industry. if they wear clothes those clothes sell. i'm not so sure but certainly they are a power couple. he released a great album this year and kim went on doing whatever it is she does and i'm

not sure exactly what that is but it's very well covered. >> whatever it is she does is working. >> and lastly, another duo, miley and the foam finger. >> miley and the foam finger. miley has done so many provocative things this year it threatened to overshadow the good music she was putting out and this time on the mtv video music awards she found new uses for a giant foam finger. and of course this was the performance that caused parents all over to america to ask their children what is twerking and immediately to say please do not twerk. >> right. >> a new one out today, adore you today. >> the adore you song and video. people are raising an eyebrow at that video but actually the song is really good. >> okay. let's close the book on the foam finger. right here and now. let's move on to tweets of the year. one came from lea michelle who wrote thank you all for helping through this time with your enormous love and support. cory will forever be in my heart.

wrote thank you all for helping through this time with your enormous love and support. cory will forever be in my heart. >> that's the most retweeted tweet of the year. over 400,000 times. >> another tweet retweeted almost 400,000 times came from paul walker's official account confirming his death. >> what we're seeing here is that news is important on twitter and celebrities important on twitter and when the two combine as they do in these two tweets it causes a huge volume of attention and retweeting. >> the box office, the biggest movie of the year, first ironman 3, four months in theaters. >> four months in theaters, over $400 million. and here's the thing, hunger game catching fire with just over 5 weeks in the theaters has $370 million. it will pass it soon. all are sequels or animated features. if you want to know what will be

big next year just look at what was big this year and the year before. >> all right and then photo of the year, and of course they have gotten a lot of press. we're talking about prince william and kate and their new baby prince george. this was a photo. >> it's an adorable photo. it's so casual. they look like real people. kate beautiful but also looks like a woman who has just given birth instead of a celebrity that's shed the baby weight in 20 minutes. and most of us just had to look at this photo but one of us got a little closer. >> oh. >> yes. >> there she is. >> up close and personal. in fact, i'm god parent to the child. >> you are. >> no. >> very big responsibility. >> i love that picture because it shows you the crush of media and i'm glad i was wearing a bright colored dress because you can find me. >> there you go. >> thank you. >> coming up next, i'll get you caught up on all the news you need to start your weekend. >> plus the golden sisters. celebrity hook ups, break ups, they're going to break it all down. the biggest moments in pop

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taking a look at the headlines, early indications are it was a merry christmas for retailers.

according to mastercard advisors, spending polls report holiday sales were up more than 2% this year even though there were fewer shopping days from thanksgiving to christmas. some retailers called this holiday season the most competitive one since 2008 with many cutting prices to lure the customers in. amazon said it had a good holiday season. a record setting one for its prime membership. the company signed up more than 1 million new prime customers for the third week of december. for $29 a year they get free two-day shipping on items. >> more than 1 million americans can lose their benefits starting tomorrow. they expire on saturday. bipartisan senate deal could extend the payments but fiscal conservatives in the house won't support the extension without budget cuts to pay for them. come january 1st, a big change that is a deadline day for production to stop for 40 watt and 60 watt light bulbs.

after that they'll start disappearing from store shelves. the government began phasing out 75 and 100 watt bulbs over the past year or so. the 40 and 60 watt bulbs are more popular and the phase out will have a much bigger impact. if you feel overly tired, who doesn't? researchers say it may not be because of how long you sleep but rather when you sleep. scientists say there is a difference between the time we are forced to wake up and our opt mat biological wake up time. don't we know this? they call it social jet lag. when social obligations determine when we speak instead of natural light patterns. willie and i suffer from social jet lag. >> and dozens in argentina are recovering after finding out beaches and piranhas are not a good mix. 70 people were hurt when bitten by piranhas. despite the scare, swimmers actually went back into the water soon after the attacks. that's unbelievable to me that

they get right back in there. >> that's horrifying. [ bell rings ] [ man ] take five! hey, joyce! you really seem to be dragging your a-- [ donkey brays, snorts ] mid morning slump. that's why i started drinking this new lipton natural energy tea. it naturally has more caffeine and theanine. mmmm... i feel better already. [ female announcer ] new lipton natural energy tea. i'my body doesn't work the way it used to. past my prime? i'm a victim of a slowing metabolism? i don't think so. great grains protein blend. protein from natural ingredients like seeds and nuts. it helps support a healthy metabolism.

great grains protein blend. sdmrooits 9:26. i'm terry mcsweeney. the oakland teenager on life support, jahi mcmath. her family wants to move her out of hospital oakland. they say they've found another facility willing to care for jahi. they asked the hospital to perform surgery so a feeding tube can be inserted if she were to be moved to the new facility. the hospital said no. a family attorney said it's going to ask an outside doctor to help, and the case may end up back in court. >> the judge did not authorize or order my surgical procedure or transfer to another facility.

children's hospital does not believe performing surgical procedures on the body of a deceased person is an appropriate medical practice. >> mcmath's family is not naming the new facility. doctors say jahi is brain dead. she's been on the ventilator following complication from having her tonsels removed. the order mandating oakland to keep her on a ventilator expires monday. cracking down on unsafe drivers. patrols will be stationed throughout the city until 4:00 tomorrow morning. looking for drunk drivers. the increased enforcement and dui checkpoints will continue into the new year. we'll have a break and come back with weather and traffic.

welcome back. look at these temperatures all over the place. 40 in oakland. here at 36, meanwhile, in santa rosa, and 43 degrees in napa. now, one of the reasons why santa rosa is so chilly at this hour is because you're getting limited sunshine. we have a weak disturbance moving through. you can see all these clouds starting to move into the bay

area. this is good news when it comes to our air quality. we're going to see enough wind and enough moisture come through if you head through the next 48 hours to see a lot of improvement, and we're still going to hold to the comfortable temperatures. 68 degrees on the way to the east bay today. 69 degrees in the south bay. this is where you're going to find the worst air quality. everywhere getting a lot of improvement as of tomorrow. you can see from our camera here in san bruno, a little bit of a shake to it, and that's good news. that means those winds are picking up as we speak. overall looking pretty good. throughout the weekend, just a touch cooler. hope you have a great day. back to you, terry. >> christina, thank you. local news update for you in half hour.

welcome to today on this friday morning, it's december 27th, 2013. awesome crowd outside with us today. i'm willie geist along with natalie. al has the morning off. we have to show you our favorite piece of video of the day. during a party this month for the kennedy center honorees john kerry and snoop dog met. >> snoop lion? >> snoop lion? >> i don't know. he changed it. take a look. >> i like the fist pound. >> i think they're talking about the crisis in syria,

international affairs, something major. >> i think they're talking about how much drama there is in the lbc. don't you think? >> snoop tweeted, boss life. we and john kerry at the white house. she said no cloud of smoke around snoop. >> that's a good thing. that's a good thing. >> they were out in the rose garden afterward. >> let's check the weather with dylan. >> no video of that. but we were looking at descent weather for most areas as we head into the weekend which is so close. but we do have a couple of lighter snow showers, especially through the northern plains and upper midwest but it's down across the southeast. that's where most of the activity will be this weekend. especially on saturday. but by sunday it's going to work it's way up into the mid-atlantic by sunday morning as rain. we're not going to see the cold air stick around with this storm

system. it's going to turn into a rain event for most of southern new england. in boston you could see a wintry mix by sunday night before it changes over to rain but it's mainly central and northern new england where we'll see any snow out of this whole system. it's a rain event but rainy weekend up and down the east coast. the rest of the country, it's going to cool off quite a bit. the arctic express moving back in by sunday. temperatures will drop down to around zero in minneapolis for a high. that's about 25 degrees below average. it's going 9:32. kwood friday morning to you. you made it to the weekend. want to show you what's happening. we have a weak disturbance coming through. clouds will increase steadily throughout the day today. already noticing that, in fact, on many of your live cameras you can see it's mostly cloudy out there. we're starting to see a little bit of a bounce here on our san francisco camera as the winds pick up. nonetheless, it will still be nice and mild. we're going to get better air quality out of that system as we head to this upcoming weekend.

in fact, starting saturday into sunday, even on monday we'll see much better air quality across the bay area. willy and natalie. that is your latest forecast. willie and natalie. >> thank you. they have unique opinions on pretty much everything. they're not afraid to share them which is why they've become tv and internet sensations. we love these ladies. >> we do. the fun loving seniors known as the golden sisters. they have a new special with the pop moments of 2013 and they have words of wisdom for justin bieber. >> what advice would you give to justin bieber. >> be careful not to get anybody pregnant. use protection. >> you got to be nice. every time we see you on tv, you have an angry look. you're angry with everybody around you and don't pie in a bucket. that was not nice. >> oh, mary, mary. >> welcome back. good to see you ladies. >> good morning. >> you look amazing this morning.

>> you look great. >> thank you. >> we could all take a page for you all dressing for the holidays. let's talk about justin bieber because there's confusion about whether he's thinking about retiring or not. he tweeted christmas eve he's going to retire but then he tweeted his fans i'm never leaving you but he hinted he wanted to lay low for a little bit. do you think he should? >> i think he should keep working. i'm 75 and i'm still working and i have a business. you have to have something to do. you can't just retire. >> i think she's going to work until 75, though. >> he should be a fiphilantropi. >> he has the money to do it. >> what is that? >> he should be happy but he doesn't look happy. >> i agree. >> he should keep doing what he's doing but only doing it right because he's doing it wrong. >> not retiring. don't worry about that. big celebrity break ups this

year. i know you were broken hearted. khloe and lamar broke up. >> that was terrible. she really loved him. you could tell she was in love with him. i'm sorry that happened. >> i hope they get back together but then you don't know. >> what about michael douglas and catherine zeta jones. >> i don't think they'll get back together. >> you don't think so? >> well he made her look bad by saying he got cancer from her. >> he never said that. >> the way he said it. >> i am so thrilled that rhea perlman and danny davito got back together n. 1976 we did their hair. >> their hair? he doesn't have a lot of hair. >> he had enough to cut around his ears buch. but they're a marvelous couple. >> we're talking about celebrity hook ups this year.

i understand one of you have a big celebrity crush on woody allen. >> the two of them. >> both of you. >> i love his work. >> right. >> i love his work. i love his sense of humor and he's got a lot of money. >> he's smart, he's funny and he's rich. i love him. >> that's all you need in a man. >> no, no. not at all. as far as, you know -- he's nothing to look at. >> so what. >> and they're saying he's sexy. that's crazy. >> you're the straight shooter of the bunch. >> i mean for them to say the sexiest man alive, that's crazy. >> he's sexy to me. >> maybe he's not sexy but he's very smart. >> what does that mean? >> do you have celebrity crushes? >> who. >> i have a few. i love jack nicholson. >> i like mel brooks too. that's good. >> oh my god. he's as old as me. >> she has a certain taste in men. >> so you like younger men?

>> well, i've been married 62 years and that's it. >> you're done. >> let's talk about celebrity babies. the royal baby first of all. the biggest baby of the year. >> so cute. >> the kardashians and kanye baby. >> northie is a beautiful baby but so is prince phillip -- prince george. >> yeah, i know. look at how adorable. look at those big brown eyes. >> she's beautiful. absolutely beautiful. >> and she was taking care of the baby. >> yeah, she's looking great. >> ladies, happy new year to you. great to have you here. i know you're going to have a wonderful 2014 as well. >> good to see you ladies. >> golden sisters 2013 countdown, best pop culture moments aired tonight on the oprah winfrey network, own. >> and we'll help you throw a bash to remember with elegant food and pretty cool d

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because you can't beat zero heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. not now, buddy. yea, it's a mini-van. but it's got the sports package. dad! not now, buddy. okay! and surprisingly... (sniffs) it's not mine. no. um. for life's bleachable moments. [ bell rings ] [ man ] take five! you really seem to be dragging your a-- [ donkey brays, snorts ] mid morning slump. that's why i started drinking this new lipton natural energy tea. it naturally has more caffeine and theanine. mmmm... i feel better already. [ female announcer ] new lipton natural energy tea.

♪ maybe i'm wrong ♪ ♪ and nobody ever says goodbye ♪ ♪ if the party is at your house this new years eve and you haven't quite recovered from the hustle and bustle of christmas we'll help make your party

planning a little easier. >> kimberly has last minute ideas that are affordable and elegant. she is the editor for southern living magazine. >> thank you. >> this is an incredible table. what to do here? >> we kept it all simple. you came off a hectic time and you can still entertain and make something really beautiful and it's easy at the same time. >> looks like you're repurposing christmas left overs here. >> right. we imposed a color scheme of blus and purposinblues and purp branches from the backyard and added twinkle lights from christmas and added ornaments from the tree but in blues in different colors. we got rid of the red and green a little while. >> anything tiffany blue is different. >> you're watching today. you dressed for the party. >> i love what you did with the detail around the glasses there. >> thank you. i'm going to show you how to make that but have to point out

the place cards. we took corks and put a split in them and easy. >> yeah. >> we have really simple and festive place cards. >> looks great. >> we just took aqua ribbon and where the seam is we added embellishments from the craft store. it's a special finishing touch, right? >> just stick on there. >> tell me about the pedestal here. >> it always looks better on a buffet if you give a little bit of height. you have different heights all the time. we bought scrapbook paper to match our color scheme but you can use left over paper. we cut it to the shape of a vase and flipped it upside down. super easy and festive and matches your color scheme. for the candles, also very simple. it's a little bit of water. you can do this any time of year. we add in a drop of blue and i'm

getting it all over my fingers. if you only do it halfway first and then you pour the rest of the water in, then it will stir all on its own. >> nice. >> is that a special kind of candle to float in there? >> a floating candle. >> there you go. >> amazing. >> easy. >> so this idea i love. for the end of the year, your wish list looking ahead a little bit. >> absolutely. there's a little wish box you can make. we hung them on the back of each of the chair. we spray painted them with the glitter paint and we stuck little letters on them with little adhesive dots. we hung them on the back of each chair and everyone can put their wishes or resolutions or whatever they have. >> exactly. >> and you reached your wishes. >> along with taking that home they can take home a bag of black eyed peas. in the south we think they bring prosperity so you can give them these on the 31st and they can make them the next day. >> this looks amazing.

made with black eyed peas. we call it dixie caviar. how is it? >> delicious. >> it's good, right? >> we have a cheesecake bar here. so you can get them pick their own cheesecake. you can make it or you can buy store bought and add caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, cherry. a little nut medley. >> we're coming to new years at your place. >> thank you. >> the recipes by the way are at today.com. coming up next, a year of wild and wacky sports moments when we go year end spanning the world after this. >> y well i drove grandpa to his speed dating this week,

so i should probably get the last roll... yeah but i practiced my bassoon. [ mom ] and i listened. [ brother ] i can do this. [ imitates robot ] everyone deserves ooey, gooey, pillsbury cinnamon rolls. make the weekend pop. at the time i just thought "the toothpaste i'm using i like. it's just not handling the sensitivity." the dentist recommended sensodyne. it continued to have all the other things that i wanted in a toothpaste but additionally, i don't have sensitivity to the cold anymore. to share with family. [ woman 2 ] to carry on traditions. [ woman 3 ] to come together even when we're apart. [ male announcer ] in stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and more, swanson makes holiday dishes delicious. gravy and more, me too.

of all the things that happen on your tables, what's up karen? disinfecting should be one of them. clorox disinfecting wipes. what does that first spoonful taste likok. honey bunches of oats. ching! mmmm! mmmm! mmmm! wow! it's the oats. honey. yeah. honey bunches of oats. this is a great cereal. wake it up with olay regenerist. formulated with a skin energizing complex, it penetrates 10 layers of the skin's surface, because energized skin is younger looking skin. ♪ is younger looking skin. using stilts to take down the lights? not good. going to the kmart winter sales event? good. get up to 60% off winter apparel, and shop your way members get 10% back in points. kmart. get in. get more. it's deliciously dark, just before dawn.

it's welcoming the sunrise with a taste of vanilla biscotti. with folgers gourmet selections, you can enjoy a variety of roasts and flavors from one perfectly brewed k-cup or a freshly brewed carafe. ♪ turn any day gourmet with folgers gourmet selections. ♪ it's been a year of wild, wacky and sometimes hilarious sports moments and our good friend is back to take us through them. >> well, 2013 did feature champions like the boston red sox and the baltimore ravens but

what were truly the top sports stories? let's go spanning the year. [ music playing ] >> unbelievable. >> on your mark, get set. let's start with the catch of the year. this is in altoona and it was a perfect catch by the cup holder. you don't see that every day. play ball. in the philippines, how is this for free throw technique. come on. off the backboard. cheerleader that's how you do it. >> nice. >> and in maryland, he wins the game. sure. flip it over your head. >> our oops of the year. the guys mopping up the floor in toronto. here comes the pass. look out. in iowa, leave the ipad home next time and jonathan villar of

houston. and to quote in tnatalie one of best slides in the anals of sports history. you made it. deer got on the track in pennsylvania. >> bambi has the lead. here comes rudolph on the outside. >> rudolph was very disappointed. >> in argentina the dog scores the goal. the dog is to the right of the goal. in maryland it's bailey singing hail to the redskins ♪ hail to the redskins >> sort of, right? our rules of the year, can the coach get an assist? >> elsewhere, you can use one arm for push ups but how about now arms. wait a second. >> that's crazy. >> our biggest fan of 2013 in

kansas city. >> oh. >> our umpire of the year in northern california. >> whoop there it is. whoop there it is. >> we like that guy. this is the biggest take down of 2013. >> oh, no. >> yeah. >> oh. >> and does enthusiasm help you win the arm wrestling championsh championship? [ screaming ] >> no, she lost. next time. don't interview a biker when he is cramping up. >> get out of here. >> and try to do the postgame show when the little kid in the background isn't dropping trow. and here's our play by play of the year when manny ramirez hits the homer in taiwan. you just have to read along.

>> that's creative, right? >> creative play by play. >> that was the quote of the year. >> that was the quote of the year. >> you can use me any time. >> thanks. >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. >> so good. >> happy new years.

erica hill is here with a preview of what's coming up on weekend today. >> nice to see you. this weekend as we look ahead to 2014 we're checking in with the experts to get everybody's take on what you can expect in the new year and what you should pay attention to. we're talking everything from your health to your diet to your money. so just quick tips from good friends of the "today" show like giada is weighing in, dr. nancy. so, you know, money. >> bringing out the big guns. >> any resolutions?

>> i haven't gotten that far yet? >> i think to do more to be present in the moment. that's kind of mine too. i'm right there with you. >> wasn't that yours last year too? >> how did it workout for you? >> and the year before and the year before. i still haven't mastered the resolution. >> if you don't succeed try, try again. >> that's my philosophy always. >> all right. >> you willie, nothing? >> i can't think of anything. i'm going to get better today, how about that? that's my first resolution. >> yeah. >> we'll see you tomorrow. >> thank you. >> coming up kathie lee and hoda get the guys point of view from the relationship expert. but first, your local news and

everything is sold and $1 million will be donated to those in need. this is also the last year it will be at at&t. next year it moves to the new l he evi stayed wrum. kickoff 6:30. tickets can be purchased on-line at fight hunger bowl.com. former raider and 49ers defensive back namdi is retiring from the nfl. he will retire as an oakland raider and is expected to make it official at a news conference later today. he played 11 years in the nfl. he was with the 49ers as of just ae few months ago. he was selected 31st overall by oakland back in 2003. sflimplts. today is yet another spare the air day, the 20th so far this winter season. that's compared to just ten winter spare the air days all of last year. we'll have a look outside in san jose where air quality is expected to be the worst. let's check in with christina loren and see what's going on elsewhere. >> hey, good morning to you. good news is, terry, we have an area of low pressure coming through right now. it's actually limiting your

temperatures up in the north bay. you've got limited sunshine up there, but what's going to happen is our air quality is going to get the cleansing it needs. we shouldn't be sparing the air as of tomorrow. it's still chilly out there. as we head throughout the day today, you are going to see mostly clear skies turn into a mostly cloudy sky. especially by about 2:00, 3:00 p.m. expecting mostly cloudy conditions for the entire bay area. as that weak disturbance comes through. all it's going to do is kick up a little bit of wind and also drop our temperatures a touch getting into this weekend, but, still, we're talking about above average readings for today. as we head throughout tonight, clouds will continue to increase, and then for tomorrow a little patchy fog, cleaner air quality by sunday. mild looking good for any travellers heading back after the holidays. back to you. wouldn't it be nice if there was a wireless company

that put you on their gift list? well say hello to aio! at aio wireless you can get an android smartphone free with activation. free android phone?!?! yes please. plus, aio has a reliable nationwide network and no annual contracts. it's like the presents just keep coming! a wireless company that puts me at the top of their list? i'm in! stop by your neighborhood aio store or visit aiowireless.com. aio, a new way to wireless.

it's try day friday, december 27th and we still have the christmas spirit, don't we, hoda? >> we certainly do, and we're going to find out what's on your man's mind. matthew hussey is here. >> he is a doll. plus, barbara corcoran is dressed like yellow bird today. she's going to brighten up your day. she is in the brightest, yellowest outfit you've ever seen in your life. talk about curb appeal. anyway, you send in your photos and we're going to tell you how to make your house more appealing if you're trying to sell it. >> all right, so a lot of you

guys are on vacation on the christmas weeks, and here's the big question for a lot of folks -- do you unplug all the way with your cell phone and things like that while you're on vacation? [ ringing ] or are you constantly plugged in? because you know, a lot of companies do expect you to -- [ ringing ] [ laughter ] >> that's how annoying -- >> that's how annoying it is. >> okay, so, a lot of companies do expect you to have your phone at the ready at all times. >> it depends on your job. >> and if you're specifically on vacation? >> well, in the news business, you know -- >> yeah, there is no vacation from the news. >> but what do you -- >> there is for us! >> thankfully. [ ringing ] >> you know what, my mother! tell her stop it. >> i get a little panicky when i hear someone else's phone ring. do you get like that? like is that my phone? whose is that? >> well, now everyone has a different ring. i miss "papa can you hear me?" i miss my flip phone, i'll be

honest. when barbra streisand sings "papa, can you hear me?" then i knew it was my phone, but that could have been jerry's. >> i know. [ ringing ] >> there's gerard's! >> what about social media, twitter? because now you're on twitter. >> i'm on twitter. >> you're focusing on twitter. so, when you're enjoying time off, do you look at twitter? >> i don't think of that as work. >> no, but it's being disengaged from where you are. >> i don't know. this will be the first vacation coming up in a little bit that i've been a tweeter. >> uh huh. >> and so, we'll see. i thought i would dislike all this social stuff and i'm starting to enjoy twitter, some of the interaction that you don't get to have with your friends and fans out there, so i'm liking it. people who are rude, i just, you know, but the others, i'm really enjoying them. >> i think there is something with twitter. when i'm on vacation, i do check in probably a few times a day. i don't hold it. have you ever seen people on vacation, like they're on the beach and everyone's looking down, honestly, at their phone. so, that means whatever's on your phone is more interesting

than where you are, you know? >> people come to dinner and put it right there by their plate. >> i've done that before. i try not to, but i catch myself. >> the only calls i will take is from one of my children because they're in california, and you know, it's a long ways and i'm always aware that they might be calling, so whatever. anyway, we did a survey. >> yeah, they do say that people who are constantly on their phones -- [ ringing ] >> that's how annoying technician. >> it is. >> if you are on your phone, that means you are less happy. >> were they on their phones? >> they were? okay. so, phone addicts have higher anxiety levels -- >> yeah. >> and they feel like they have an obligation to always stay in touch. i've got to check in, social media, facebook, oh, my god, somebody tweeted me, back and forth. >> why? is that insecurity or how much of it is necessity? >> it's not necessity, no. >> most of it is not necessity. i think you're lonely people. honestly, i mean, it's really bad when you would rather look at a piece of machinery than --

>> i want to point something out -- >> we've got four women over there. >> let me tell you what they're trying to attempt to manufacture. joanne is trying to get the people outside to get off their phones! >> they were on their phones. >> they were, and now they're not. >> you're busted. you're busted. >> where is she? you're right, she's tweeting! right there! her. you. you. [ ringing ] >> no, honestly, i look forward to getting away -- >> disengaging, yeah. >> when people think, oh, they're on vacation, i'll wait to call them, wait to the new year. you know when i hated the holidays? when i was a young actress and singer starting out in hollywood in the 1800s, because hollywood just goes dark over the holidays. >> yeah. >> and if you're looking to get a job or trying to go on auditions, it's just closed down. those are the two longest weeks of your life at times like that. >> isn't that funny? >> yeah. now i can't wait to get away,

but -- yeah, a lot of people out there are looking for work. so, we're thinking about you this holiday, guys. >> for those of you guys on the road, a lot of people driving this weekend, some of you will have music in your car. now -- >> hoda will. >> can music be a driving distraction? we know that texting's terrible and all that stuff, but yet another study found out that people who play their favorite music -- >> yes. >> okay, and it was fast paced, received more traffic violations than people who listened to -- >> imagine that. >> -- background music, or better yet, bore snore, no music at all. >> i'm a news junkie, so i always have it on the news. >> in the car, too? >> well, i don't take long car rides, hoda. >> okay, so, the safest kind of driving music was an easy blend of light rock and jazz. >> soft rock and light jazz, yeah. >> okay, here's your song. this is kathie's driving song. ♪ top of the world looking down on creation and the only

explanation i can find ♪ >> yeah, you guys know what i'm -- ♪ your love put me on the top of the world ♪ >> i do love that song. i love that song. >> okay, now that's music. [ beeping ] >> okay, this is a song that will put you in a good mood. ready? >> yeah. >> crank it up. ♪ baby you're a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise ♪ >> that's a good one. >> florida georgia line. it's not ten seconds. >> because you had ihoda yesterday! ♪ look a hell of a lot better with you up in it, baby you a song ♪ ♪ you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise ♪ ♪ top of the world looking down on creation ♪ >> all right, all right -- ♪ on top of the world looking down on creation and the only explanation i can find ♪ >> oh, i miss the carpenters!

>> all right, so, we have something new for you on our tryday friday. thank you. >> this one don't want you to drive and do. guess what this is. >> guess. >> canned wine. >> can you believe it? okay. >> hoda's so happy. >> this is such a great thing. i was just thinking at like festivals and fairs when they sell beer and stuff like that, but you can't get wine. well, now -- >> you can. >> underwood, the union wine company -- >> carrie underwood. no, i'm kidding. >> no, it's not carrie. they released underwood's wine in a can. mine's a pinot. >> pinot gri and hoda has a pinot noir. it matches your dress. it's good. >> okay. >> on sale march 2014. it's around $5 each. >> do we try it out of the can? >> out of the can. >> okay, let's do it like they do. okay. ♪ i'm on the top of the world looking down on creation ♪ >> no drinking and driving! >> no driving! i'm walking. ♪ and the only explanation i can

find ♪ >> i'm on the treadmill! i'm on the elliptical! [ laughter ] i'm doing sit-ups! this is not bad. >> you know what? you'd think out of a can it wouldn't be that tasty -- >> but it's nice and chilled. that's what i like. >> $5 each, unionwinecompany.com. some say this is the -- i know. this is the beerification of wine. >> the beerification. nothing's changed. is this going to be your new year's resolution? >> again? >> yeah, should be a little neater? >> probably. >> i made one this year. we'll talk about it later, coming up. >> all right. >> i never make them because nobody can keep them. >> you always say you never make them. >> you know what the key to it is? i've already started it, so by the new year's, i'm already in the groove. >> then it's not a resolution. >> yes, xs. >> what is your "friday funny"? [ laughter ] >> i like it when it's loud. >> this is from facebook fan charlotte scott. i want to thank her very, very much. a man was standing behind an older woman at a soda machine. she puts in a dollar, pushes the

button and out comes a soda. does it again. again, she puts in a third dollar, pushes the button and out comes a soda. now the drinks are falling out of the machine, so the man behind her finally asks, what are you doing? and she turns and goes, "i'm winning!" [ laughter ] ♪ i'm on the top of the world looking down on creation and the only explanation ♪ >> good one. >> i like this! >> i like this one a lot. >> thank you, the carpenters. >> it's time for our "johnson's baby of the week," as we celebrate new moms with additions to their families. our first baby of the week is amaya joann mayes, born in colorado springs, colorado. her parents say they love that you can see a dimple in her right cheek when she smiles. >> now to bradley beau lynch from irvin, california, he weighs 8 pounds, 8 ounces and his mom says he's already a good

sleeper but is always hungry. that's a good thing. >> our final johnson's baby of the week is daniel lor, born in madison, wisconsin, on november 1st. his mom says he's a happy baby and even laughs in his sleep. >> so sweet! congratulations to all of our sweet babies. and if you want a chance for your baby to appear in our "today's johnson's baby of the week," go to our website and hit the "connect" button. >> are you chained to your desk -- >> and do you like it? just kidding. [ laughter ] that's when i should have had the music! but anywhere. ♪ i'm on the top of the world >> i'm going to milk until -- ♪ milk it, baby. we'll help you find the right balance of something so you can enjoy life a little bit more, right after this. we're out of control! ♪ since you've been around i'm nathan and i quit smoking with chantix. when my son was born, i remember, you know, picking him up and holding him against me.

it wasn't just about me anymore. i had to quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. chantix didn't have nicotine in it, and that was important to me. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop chantix and see your doctor right away, as some could be life threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, or if you develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. i had to quit smoking to keep up with this guy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. i had to quit smoking to keep up with this guy. christmas may be over but walmart's bring in the new year with our super savings celebration. save up to 50% on holiday decor.

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♪ is work all-consuming that it keeps you up thinking all night thinking of what you need to to? >> women are grappling with the issue like sarah jessica parker. >> i do the list in bed at night. emily's birthday theme, pirates or popstars? things to buy, pork chops, oh, jedda's birthday party. jedda, boy or girl? play date with emily, that kid that doesn't fight.

refill washer fluid in the car. wait a minute, shouldn't that be on richard's list? who am i kidding, richard doesn't have a list. >> that is so true. here to help you manage it all are alison yarrow, contributor with "cosmopolitan" magazine and a favorite of ours, and psychologist gadale atkins. >> hello! alison used to work here, now she's on tv! >> now she's making it in the big world, just like mary tyler moore. so exciting! >> this is one of those things, we're on e-mail 24/7, and we think we're doing the right thing, but in effect, i mean, the essence here is we're really not more plugged in all the time, are we? >> it's true. 24/7 is the new 9:00 to 5:00. and whether you work in a hospital or from your couch or you're raising kids, you're working all the time. and if you're not working, you're on call. >> or you're sleeping. >> or you're sleeping. >> not enough. >> yeah, and not enough. >> what kind of an effect -- >> what impact does that have on women? >> it has a negative impact, because what happens is we

always think there's more to do, like the list, and we are not giving ourselves a chance to recover. what we're doing is we're on, on, on, and we're really stressed out. we're stressing our brain and our body and there's a negative impact, unless we take a break, and this can be little breaks, but we have to take a break to recover. >> so, what happens? do we end up taking it out on the people around us, right, when we're irritable then or impatient? even young people who have all the energy in the world, at some point lose their energy. >> it's true. and the best thing that you really can do is you can work as a professional athlete as an example, right? so, you can sort of train and train and train and sprint and sprint, and then you get tired and you end up treating people like crap. so, instead of doing that, you should work in recovery and then you should -- and that's just the way to go. >> women, we're always trying hard. we feel like we have to do more. >> always letting somebody down. >> and be more, yeah. and i think sometimes there are things they say women fall into traps, we fall into, and one of them is, especially at work, we overexplain. i find myself doing this. >> yes. >> you're like, i can't come, and here's why and you give 15

reasons, or you give them too much. and guys don't typically do that, do they? >> they don't do that, and what happens is you leave yourself open for judgment, because someone else is going to say, oh, well, if you're taking off time to do that, then how come you're doing that? and we feel like we have to defend ourselves, and really we don't. most of the time, we don't need an explanation. we just have to feel comfortable -- >> right. what should we say? >> we should say we're not available. >> not available or i'm free from 5 to:00 to 8:00 on tuesday. other times, i'm not available. >> that sometimes doesn't work if you have a boss that expects you to be attached to your blackberry or iphone the whole time. >> you have to manage up. you have to sort of manage those expectations and say this is when i'm available and this is when i'm not available so that they don't freak out when they can't reach you. >> right. >> the other thing is you're much more productive when you really have your limits and you really know when you are the most productive, because other people will see that your work is not as great because you may be dozing off, you may be doing this, but when you're there, you are fully present, and that's what we often, we women don't

remind ourselves that we are fully present when we are there. when we're not, we're the only ones who know. >> happy people, it seems to me. >> of course. >> and balanced people. >> you have a great article in "cosmo," but thank you both for joining us. >> and congratulations to you. >> thank you. all righty, what's on your man's mind? matthew hussey has the answer. >> and bobbie's here with great products to raise your spirits, right after this. mom: good luck, sweetie! i love you! girl: i love you too. cow: (tearing up) go get em' gracie! girl: bye!

cow: they grow up so fast baby: (giggles) cow: my bad. girl: would you like some tea? cow: yes please. girl: o.k. cow: (sniffling) i miss her so much already. get on skype at recess! mom: we're fine. we're fine. cow: ahhhhh vo: make us part of your family. look for nutritious dairy brands with the real california seals. mom: she's going to be done at noon. cow: (yells) noon! ahhhhhh christmas may be over but walmart's bring in the new year with our super savings celebration. save up to 50% on holiday decor. and select toys. a 32-pack of niagara water only $2.88. and that's only 9 cents a bottle. breakfest rollback's simply orange juice and johnsonville original breakfast links. we got huggies big pack's on rollback. yes we do. monster headphones. monster savings. that's my jam. it's the super savings celebration going on right now at your local walmart.

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♪ it is time for "bobbie's buzz"! new year's eve is just around the corner, a great time to relax, reflect and party. >> "today's style" editor and author bobbie thomas is here with ways to boost your spirits on the big night. >> hey! >> hey, bobbie. we're very excited about what you've brought us. what have you got? >> well, it's a party, so let's start. the shots. this is a replacement for the basement sensation. do you remember spin the bottle? >> yes. we played that here. >> in the caveman days we played that. >> when you spin it, one of you has to drink that. >> we can't drink that! >> really, this is just a fun game. it's only 10 bucks. you can find it -- >> that's cute. cute. >> it's a good way to get the party started. next, i'm obsessed. >> what? >> these wine plate clips don't look like a big deal, however -- >> oh. >> have you ever had to choose between your food or your drink? >> at a cocktail party. >> oh, my goodness. this is the most amazing thing ever. they come in all the colors --

>> then you know you have a problem. >> no, because i want to eat, and i want the cupcake, so, okay. >> funny. >> those are great, by the way. >> next is, if you're going to be outside for new year's or you're tailgating -- >> this is genius! >> these will hold your brewski or your canned wine -- >> that's bad. >> wait, here's the best part, they're mittens -- ♪ we're on the top of the world ♪ never mind! okay. >> they're mittens and cozies. they keep the beverage cool while you're warm. >> that is amazing. finally something we want for christmas! >> we want them. okay, so, this is tapabunga and they'll reseal your wine liquid-tight. you can store them on the side and also you can personalize these. >> oh. >> because it's so hard to get the cork back in anymore! you know why? they're using cheaper corks. >> is that what's going on? i wondered. >> last but not least, if you're nice, you can carry to your

guests the wine badle. >> isn't that cool? >> so much easier than putting them on a tray. >> or at the end if they're naughty, you can spank them. just kidding. >> bad girl. >> wine paddles. >> you should have shown us all this before christmas, hello! >> no, because it's new year's. >> all right, okay. we love you, b.t. happy new year, baby. >> all right. you sent us photos of your house. wait until you see what barbara corcoran has done to boost their curb appeal. >> we'll have a battle or two, a little feisty today. and are you having trouble with your man? matthew hussey is here with some of the answers to your nagging problems with guys in your life. that's after your local news. >> i like when hussey's here. before you settle for another ordinary mattress, isn't it time you discovered the sleep number bed? the bed clinically proven to relieve back pain and improve sleep quality. and right now, it's our lowest prices of the season. save $300 to $800 on our newest innovations. plus, for one week only, special financing

until january 2016. only at a sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699.99. sleep number. comfort individualized. [ female announcer ] at 100 calories, not all food choices add up. some are giant. some not so giant. when managing your weight, bigger is always better. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant ♪ ho ho ho christmas may be over but walmart's bring in the new year with our super savings celebration. save up to 50% on holiday decor. and select toys. a 32-pack of niagara water only $2.88. and that's only 9 cents a bottle. breakfest rollback's simply orange juice and johnsonville original breakfast links.

we got huggies big pack's on rollback. yes we do. monster headphones. monster savings. that's my jam. it's the super savings celebration going on right now at your local walmart. >> good morning. 10:26. i'm terry mcsweeney. right now police in the peninsula are searching for the gunman that shot two men overnight. palo alto officers say two men in their 20s were shot near garden street. both men were taken to the

hospital where they are in stable condition. no arrests have been made. motives still unknown. sfwlimplts today ac transit union workers have the hands to vote on a tentative contract. negotiators reached a tentative deal last friday. they've been negotiating since march. union members already voted down two previous deals and threatened to strike in october, but governor jerry brown issued a 60-day cooling off period. that expired last sunday. we'll have a look at weather and traffic after the break.

welcome back now.

happy friday to you. final friday of 2013. temperatures today are going to be comfortable. we're going to reach into the per 60s. 65 degrees in the north bay. you're going to cloud up pretty early on in the north bay. by about 2:00 p.m. mostly cloudy conditions here. then as we head between 2:00 and 4:00, those clouds will reach to the south bay, but not before we hit about 69 degrees today. comfortable conditions. the reason for the cooler weather, as we head throughout today, tomorrow, and sunday is an area of low pressure. this is going to come in,uf]#s p our atmosphere, and give us better air quality, but looking really comfortable for both of your weekend days. the air quality is slated to improve starting tomorrow. it's a spare the air day for today. our fifth consecutive day. getting into saturday, sunday, and monday with that area of low pressure coming through, we'll be back in the moderate range, and you can likely burn that firewood legally. back to you. >> and coming up in 30 minutes on nbc bay area news at 11:00 another twist in an oh bay family's fight to keep a girl declared brain dead on life support where the hospital is

calling the family's latest request inappropriate. more on all of the day's top stories coming up at 11:00. hope to see you at 11:00. ♪ we're back with more of this tryday friday with "today" and the other view with relationship advice just in time for new year's eve. >> and back to answer all your questions is the very wise relationship expert -- >> beyond his years. >> -- and the host of i heart radio, matthew hussey. >> matthew hussey. we like to say that. let's say it again. matthew hussey. >> matthew hussey. okay, now, we have a woman waiting with a question, jessie -- >> with bated breath. >> yes. okay, go ahead, jess. >> hey, hoda, hey, kathie lee, hey, matt. what is the best way to ask a guy if he sees the relationship going anywhere without sounding too pushy? >> okay. good question. >> okay, so, it's not easy, firstly, to ask him if it's going anywhere without sounding pushy. firstly, here's what you say.

>> what? >> you say firstly, i would love to give more to this relationship and i know i can, but personally, i don't know if you're in this the same way i am, i don't know if you see where this is going and ask him that. you make it clear that it's okay if it's not going anywhere. look, if it's not going anywhere, that's fine. >> but you'd like to know. >> i should know so i know at what level i should be investing in this thing. you're not going to invest just because you like him, you're doing it because there's something mutual there. does that make sense? >> yes, it does. >> all the best. >> and make sure, by the way, that you set your boundaries, that there are certain things you might want to give in a relationship that you don't give outside of a relationship. oh, and one little thing you can throw in. say to him, by the way, one of the reasons i'm asking is because i get offers and other guys ask me out and i want to know what to say to them. >> oh, that's a good one. >> sneaky. all the women love that. >> look at jessie's christmas tree. >> it's beautiful, jesse. merry christmas. >> thanks, jessie. >> it's a little late, but happy, happy holidays. >> all right. >> whatever.

>> all right, jamie has a question and it's this -- every year, we throw a new year's party, which i enjoy more than my husband. the bulk of the work ends up on me. >> of course it does! >> how on earth do i get him to pitch in? >> oh. >> i mean, just from the question, doesn't it sound like what she's really saying -- that's code for i want the party and he doesn't at all. like, he really doesn't want it each year. >> yeah. >> i think, firstly, there's two ways of answering this. one is to say ruthlessly, look, it's kind of your thing that you want, so you do it, right? i'm sure there are things in the year that he wants for him that you don't really pitch in on because you don't really want to do it. >> yes. >> the other way of looking at it is you saying, okay, look, there are lots of things that i help you out in the year with because they're important to you, and that's why i pitch in. it would be important to me for you to pitch in here. i would love if you would help me out with this. >> yeah, that be good. >> not in an accusatory sense. >> right, and it helps if you could do nice favors for him after the party, as well.

>> when you're dead tired at night. >> absolutely when you're dead tired. that's when it means something. [ laughter ] >> okay. >> okay, here's marissa. i've been in a relationship for four years. we discuss marriage, but it always ends up in an argument. i see a red flag right there. so, i have really given up on the idea, which makes me unhappy. how can i talk to my boyfriend without him starting an argument, especially since he's caused me to be afraid of any future plans together, but we're currently looking to buy a home. >> oh, good grief! >> yeah, i know, right? i don't think she wants the answer to this. >> no. how many red flags went up for you there? >> well, because she's talking -- she doesn't say we just argue, she says we discuss ed it and we argue. so, she already knows. she's already asking him his views on marriage. >> right. >> but she's still going down this road with the guy. clearly -- i would ask her, is it more important for you to get married or be with this guy? given that she said she's unhappy with the situation -- >> right, yeah. >> -- it seems to me that marriage is more important for her. >> right. >> so, i would not sit there hoping that this guy's going to

change. >> no. >> i certainly wouldn't be buying a house with him. >> no. >> i'd go, i'd say to him, look, i need to rethink things. take power back, right? i need to rethink this whole situation. and then i'd be going and looking elsewhere. she should go and flirt with the guy at the office who just got a promotion. >> people who have never been married before sometimes don't realize how miserable you can be if you're married to the wrong person. >> and look, marriage isn't going to fix the situation for them. >> no, it's not going to fix a bad relationship. thank you, matt. >> thank you. >> you're so welcome. >> happy new year. >> to submit a question, hoda? >> they should go to klgandhoda.com, hit the connect button to fire away. now, you want to know how to make better food choices on new year's eve? play our "beat it or eat it" with madelyn fernstrom to find out. plus, we'll show you what changes we made to these homes to give them curb appeal. we didn't make them, barbara corcoran did, coming up right after this.

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♪ is your home in need of a little curb appeal? >> "today real estate" contributor barbara corcoran has simple ways to make it the envy of your block. >> well, here you are again. you are dressed in yellow, as promised. >> i told you she'd wake you up. >> let's start off with alison's home, one of the viewers who sent in her picture. it's kind of plain. tell us what was wrong and what you did to it. >> well, this looks like a house that is dried up and lonely, to my way of thinking, okay? >> yeah. >> it says keep away, don't come in. the first thing that's needed is the grass. the grass has got to be green. what a difference that makes. >> yeah. >> clean up the driveway. of course, we opened the shades and windows so it looks like it beckoned you in, and that huge cactus looks enormous and expensive, but it's about 350 bucks installed. [ everyone talking at once ] >> i love that. you've got to live in a place where it grows, obviously. this is for arizona. >> it is an arizona home and it looks beautiful. >> all right. much better. >> okay. let's go to south florida. this is sue's home and she needs to freshen this up, obviously.

>> whenever i see in a warm climate a pale blue house with palm trees, i say an old lady lives that, and that's always bad for a look of a house. we had to totally change the color to make it more modern, make it pop a little bit more. we freshened up the shutters, the doorway. then we put in some bushes at the base and we moved the mailbox off to the left. there's no rule in america that says the mailbox needs to be smack in the middle of the lawn, yet people do it all the time. what a difference with that already pretty house. it got prettier. >> how much did it cost? >> that was the easiest redo. a fresh can of paint is the easiest. about $450, depending how cheap you are. >> she does say it like it is. >> no bs. all right, so, jordan in kansas city, missouri. this is her house with the pumpkins. >> this is a house that to me looks like it may be falling on hard times, but one thing for sure is they have a pumpkin sale on. all the clutter on the stairs is never a good idea. we simply cleaned it up. this probably wouldn't be my

first choice for color, almost looks dreary, but what it needs to do is marry. this is an illustration of painting up siding edging so the roof lines marry, when here before they looked all disjointed. >> by the way, the red door changed the whole look. >> it says, hey, come on in, we're happy here. and we're not selling pumpkins. >> okay, and also inexpensive, too, that redo, yeah? >> of course it is. we don't spend a lot on the redos, because people don't want to put a lot money in, but they want it looking fine. >> they want to get it out, for sure. >> nancy is in new york state. this one looks cluttery on the sides there. >> when i looked at this, i thought the house itself was screaming "help me, help me! i'm getting swallowed by the driveway!" because it's all driveway. great for basketball, but not for the look. i would have actually made the driveway as thin as the garage door. we clean up, get rid of the clutter. >> almost like the stuff to the right was clutter. >> this is a cleanliness project. this is the cheapest thing in the world to do. i would have made that coloration a little bit softer

than that blue -- >> yeah, it's a little bright. >> it's a little too bright and doesn't transfer well on the screen so much, but what that does is at least it looks neat and welcoming and it's a cheap do. and that fence on the right-hand side makes all that clutter go away. >> i think that's -- >> wait, come on, no response? >> well, you were so rude! you thought i was rude last time, so i'm just letting -- >> did you like these? >> no! >> she didn't like any of them. >> i liked a couple of them, i didn't like them all. if you'd like my opinion, i'll give it back. >> honest stay back, this is terrible! >> all right, barbara. get ready to play "eat it or beat it." >> things are going to get messy, i have a feeling, after this. ♪ over a thousand styles, hundreds of fits, dozens of washes, and one very happy you. sears has the brands you love.

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♪ all righty, it's time for a special sort of new year's eve version of "beat it or eat it." >> here to quiz us on which

foods are healthier while we pound the ones that are not is diet and nutrition editor madelyn fernstrom. hey, madelyn. >> hey! >> what are the rules of the game again? >> i'm going to explain these foods and then you're going to beat the one that has higher calories -- >> okay. >> the one you want to limit. >> okay. >> let's start with some appetizers. which one of these do you need to beat because it has more calories? is it four pigs in blankets or three boneless fried chicken wings? >> oh, i love those. >> no, you need to beat the chicken. that's wrong. >> that looks good. >> that trumps everything. 370 for the chicken and 240 for the pigs in blankets. >> these are great. >> it is. good choice. >> and you can eat it with mustard. >> condiments too. now we're going to compare -- >> protect the eggs. >> don't beat the eggs. >> one whole deviled eggs and six shrimp. eat the one with the highest calories. >> it's got to be this. it's got to be this. i'm sorry. >> oh! >> i had to. >> i knew it, because one whole

deviled egg, 75 each, 150, and six shrimp only 60 calories, so stick with the shrimp. >> that's all i can eat when i go to alabama, shrimp with cocktail sauce. >> all right some hot appetizers. how about three stuffed mushrooms -- >> i love them! >> -- or three bacon wrapped daits. which one should you beat because it has more calories? the stuffed mushrooms or the bacon-wrapped dates? >> they're stuffed with cheese? >> cheese and spinach. which one has more calories? >> i'll take that one. >> and you would be right! >> yay! >> love these. >> these are great. these are actually about 100 calories for one of these. >> 100? >> okay, and about 60 for one of these. so, you're really doing well. >> most the mushroom. >> that's good. >> so, we're going to go to the favorites, crackers and cheese or some spinach and artichoke dip. which should you beat because the fat and calories are higher?

>> i would bet a lot it's that. >> i would say this one, but i'm going to save it because i'm really hungry today. >> well, kathie lee and her pretend beating would be right. >> really? >> because -- >> that dip has a lot of mayonnaise -- >> mayonnaise and cheese -- >> what about the crackers? >> they're okay, but just a little bit of cheese, but watch these creamy dips. these are really big. >> save that for you, hoda. >> okay. >> let's move on to some dessert. >> careful what you do here. >> which one do you beat because it has the highest calories per serving? is it three mini cream puffs or a brownie? which one do you beat because it's got more calories? >> oh, wait -- >> three cream puffs or a brownie? >> i'm going to go with the brownie! >> and you would be right! you would beat the brownie. these are really great things, about 135 calories for three and this is about 350 calories. >> wow! >> 350 for that? >> yes. and so, because you're both good sports and we're just a little past christmas on the 27th, look what we have here. >> what is it?

>> we have one for each. >> oh, thank you! >> thank you! >> you're welcome. >> happy new years. >> love our madelyn. all right, jenny levinson is here with super foods to keep you warm and healthy. we love her. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ mix it once, mix it twice all right, it is time for "today's kitchen," and there's nothing like hot soup to keep you warm in the wintertime. >> jenny levinson, aka, super jenny! >> super jenny. >> is here with quick and simple recipes that don't only taste good, but could also help boost your immune system as the winter germs try to get the best of you, and this is the time. >> hi! >> this is the time. hi, jenny. >> this is absolutely the time. >> chicken noodle is the go, to. >> penicillin. >> absolutely. there is no better communal soup to boost your immune system than

chicken soup. it's easy to digest, full of vitamins and minute vallez and homemade you want. >> what is is about the homemade? >> you want to make your broth because you don't want sodium, liquid from the bone, everything in that. we'll add a little bite if you're feeling under the weather. >> sure. >> the next soup one of my favorites. this is a shitake meso broth. >> god bless you. >> so, first you start with your aromatics and saute ginger and scallions, high in antibacterial, antifungal. and this is a really cool thing. this is called cambu, and it's a seaweed. so, we're going to put it in our broth, and this has tons of vitamins and minerals in it. >> where would you get that? >> at any grocery store. you leave it in there for about ten minutes -- >> take it out. >> you take it out. then if you want to help me throw everything else in there, kathie lee. we've got meso. it's a little salty smelling. >> oh, wow.

>> we have meso, shitake mushrooms, high in vitamin "k," vitamin "c." >> what is this? >> these bonito flakes, which is shaved tuna. you can get this in the chinese, japanese grocery stores is the best place to get them. you simmer that up and you have this immunity booster broth that is delicious. and you're going to have to taste this. then i added tofu at the end. >> of course you did. >> and a little scallions. of course, because you want that little bit of protein. you want to taste that one. >> thank you. >> okay. >> it's going to make you shed any ailment. let me get out of way so you can taste it. >> you like that. it does have its own salt, doesn't it? you didn't add any salt at all. >> didn't add any salt, you can taste the mushrooms. >> it's got everything you need if you're not feeling so well. let's try one more, a moroccan-based soup. we'll start with our onions sauteed. we've got onions, garlic, ginger and preserved lemon. >> okay. >> this is a great moroccan-style broth.

and you saute that up, and then you're going to add to it. we've got tomatoes full of vitamin "c," chick peas and lentils. >> i love chick peas. >> very high in protein. i was like, are those both -- >> we'll find out soon. >> some lentils. >> raw lentils? you throw them in? >> yep. >> then the broth -- sort of cover. >> pinch of salt, might want a little pepper. >> okay. >> and how about putting that vegetable broth over it? >> oh. >> and that brings up to a boil, then simmer it for about 45 minutes. >> okay. >> then i added two secret ingredients. we've got harisa, which is a great condiment with peppers and lemon, and then a cinnamon stick, which is great. >> that's crazy! >> it's an anti-inflammatory. >> let's try it. >> shall we? >> dig in. >> and a little garnish. >> okay. >> then you put a little verm khellie in it, you zhuszh it with your blender. >> we love you. go to klgandhoda.com for all of

the recipes. >> next week, actor john leguizamo and a performance by michelle of "the voice." >> all right, we'll see you. >> bye. enjoy your celebrations and such. bye, everybody. ♪ and the only explanation i can find ♪ ♪

right now at 11:00, three days and counting. the family of jahi mcmath moves to keep their daughter on a ventilator. what their attorney said this morning. plus, ac transit workers cast their ballots in hopes of avoiding a strike that would leave thousands without a ride. >> and an about-face. target says thieves did get millions of its customers' pin numbers. why officials still say not to worry. good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia cannon in for peggy bunker. >> i'm terry mcsweeney. the clock is ticking for the family of jahi mcmath. before time runs out, jahi's family wants to move her to a new long-term care facility, but