good morning. tough week ahead. the president gets ready for another round of the health care battle among controversy and a new overnight resignation. you have to move on. former kidnap victim shawn hornbeck reaches out to help jaycee dugard recover from her 18-year ordeal. the advice only he can give. airborne. a lifr launches his suv skyward right into the upper floor of a house. he's not hurt but he's in a lot of trouble. today, sunday september 6th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolfe. fortunately no one was in that house. >> police suspect the driver was flaing high in more ways than one. >> we'll find out how on earth this happened in just a few minutes. also coming up, while unemployment rate is at a 26-year high, there are actually some glimmers of home. some parts of the economy are hiring right now. we'll tell you where the jobs are and how to get them and apparently you don't necessarily have to go through extensive retraining or even go back to school to get some of these good jobs. speaking of the economy, it turns out the tough times haven't spared anybody. not even our loveable friends on "sesame street." coming up, we'll talk to elmo about how his family is coping with hard times. nice to have you in the house. >> thank you, mr. lester.

>> hi, mr. elmo. this is the most exciting thing i've done all morning. >> we look forward to talking to you later on and hearing your story. he says okay. >> entertaining all morning. later, wait until you see who is headed to tattoo parlors these days. not exactly who you might expect. >> a lot on tap this hour. let's start with the president and when the president gets back to work this yeweek, he'll have lot on his plate. damage control after a sudden white house resignation and a full-court press on holt care reform. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president does return from camp david today ending his vacation but it does end on a sour note. van jones resigned overnight after it became known that before joining the administration he signed a petition put forward by those who believe that the government had a hand in 9/11. he also made comments comparing george w. bush to a drug addict.

this as president obama heads into a week that could define the future of his health care reform plan. after a rough august that saw supporters outshouted in the debate over health care, the question now is whether the president will be outvoted this fall in congress. >> thank you! >> reporter: now he plans to double down on what has been a weak hand using his bully pulpit to try to rally support. >> the president of the united states! >> reporter: with a prime time address on wednesday to a joint session of congress and the nation. after a summer of infighting, allies say the time has come for the president to clearly lay out his plan. >> how we're going to pay for this. why ultimately it will bring down cost. those kinds of specifics are exactly how you'll do those things. >> reporter: democrats are divided over the so-called public option for health insurance. liberals insist it's essential. on thursday telling the president in a letter, we cannot vote for anything less.

but others have balked and now even backers of a public plan say it may be time to compromise. >> it's wrong for people to say i won't vote for this but -- i think that's lacking the flexibility that we need right now. >> reporter: as polls show slipping support for both the president and his plan for reform, republicans aren't letting up. >> it's complicated. it's convoluted and it's quite simply not going to work. >> reporter: and now another presidential speech is sparking controversy. this one to school children. >> thank you. >> reporter: a tuesday address live on c-span and the internet. the white house says it's meant to stress the importance of staying and succeeding in school but opponents accuse the president of promoting a cult of personality. >> there's no reason for obama to be speaking during school hours because what you're supposed to do in school is learning. people have gotten so used to the public schools being little propaganda factories. >> reporter: now some school districts are refusing to screen

t stream the speech live in classrooms. the president's opponents have med headway this summer and won't let up this fall. >> there are a lot of things that obama has done that small government conservatives are going to feel is a real afont. >> reporter: that white house adviser van jones says he's a victim of a vicious smear campaign from the right but he says he's resigning because he doesn't want to draw attention from the fights to come this fall with other legislation. >> for more on this we're joined by david gregory, moderator of "meet the press." let's talk about van jones. he apparently did sign this letter. he has resigned. it opens up the fact that there are at least two dozen special advisers to the president who did not go through a typical vetting process. does that open up this white house for more trouble ahead potentially? >> i don't know necessarily. obviously when you have somebody who has made the kind of inflammatory statements that van

jones had signing that kind of petition that's so beyond the pale, it's going to create a real backlash. in this case it even overshadowed the work he was doing on environmental policies, something very important to the administration. >> let's talk about something else important to the administration. this speech the president will make to school kids. it has become controversial as we heard in mike's report. there's one school district that sent out a letter saying they will delay the speech. this pro active approach to viewing the presidential speech should not be interpreted as a slight to our president or the judgment of our staff members. interesting word they use. slight. is this a personal or political affront to the president? >> one thing it reveals is that in all of the political back and forth and our debates in this country right now, there's a loss of respect for the institution of the presidency. there are prior presidents, a republican in fact, who gave a similar address to school children. the notion that this president

was going to be issuing some kind of a political speech or message to students by talking about personal responsibility and staying in school seems a bit off the mark. certainly wrong in terms of what some of the things that he's accused of wanting to say. but now this is also being caught up in the bureaucracy of political schools where they'll review this beforehand trying to field the parental concerns. obviously this one got away from the white house. perhaps students will be the poorer for it. >> while we're focused on the president's speech on health care, it looks like there is perhaps another health care proposal being worked up. other senators may be working up something. could there be the beginnings of a deal before the president takes the podium? >> it's not clear. there are certainly some talk about compromise. my information is that senator baucus has been given a deadline of wednesday before the president speaks as well as negotiations with senator olympia snow.

the only republican the white house is negotiating with. she, too, has been given a deadline of wednesday in terms of getting on board or not. the white house will be in a position where they effectively rig write something working with allies on capitol hill and forge a compromise to lower the cost of the bill or cover fewer people but still try to pass a moderate plan. >> now here's jenna. >> more on the incredible ordeal of jaycee dugard who was kidnapped at age 11 and held for 18 years. now as she tries to re-enter her former life she's getting words of advice from a young man who can understand her turmoil better than most. >> reporter: even though she's been reunited with her family and is said to be doing well, the ordeal jaycee dugard endured in this backyard for 18 long years will undoubtedly haunt her

forever but those who share this nightmare say they are wounds that can heal. you may remember shawn hornbeck. a missouri boy kidnapped in 2002 and forced to live with his captor for more than four years. in an interview with "people" magazine, hornbeck predicts that dugard will survive just like i did. you have to look toward the future and tell yourself it will be better than the past. shawn hornbeck's parents say finding a normal life after torment is possible. >> he's like any other 18-year-old kid in the midwest. you would never know that he had been through the experience he has if you didn't know personally what he had been through. >> reporter: re-entry is not easy. shawn says he felt guilty at first that he didn't try to escape his kidnapper. he believes that jaycee is probably going through the same thing. you're brainwashed. it's as simple as that he explained. shawn's mother says it's crucial

that those in jaycee's life understand her. >> reassure her that this is their fault and they're not damaged goods. >> reporter: from the sounds of it, that's exactly what's happening. >> not only have we laughed and cried together but we spent time sitting quietly taking pleasure in each other's company. >> reporter: the difference between these two cases is that jaycee's imprisonment lasted far longer than shawn's and she was forced to bear two children to her alleged captor and raise them herself. phillip garrido is expected back in court with his wife again next week while somewhere jaycee and her two daughters try to adjust to brightness of their new lives after spending so much of their old ones in the dark. it's now ten minutes after the hour. time for a check of the rest of the morning headlines. >> we'll turn it over to jeff rossen at the news desk. >> we're going to begin in the

philippines where a dramatic rescue is under way. more than 60 people are missing and american troops stationed in the area are assisting if rescue efforts. some passengers have already been rescued able to escape as the ferry was sinking. firefighters in california making some progress this morning battling those wildfires north of los angeles. they're now 49% contained. in fact, officials say the fire is no longer posing a threat to l.a. but investigators are still trying to solve the history of so started the fires. two firefighters were killed. more than 70 homes destroyed. overnight the opposite problem near l.a. too much water filling the streets of studio city. that's a suburb. major water main break forced homeowners to evacuate in the middle of the night. thousands of gallons of water flooded ventura boulevard causing cars to be swept away. emergency workers still don't

know why the 64-inch main cracked in the first place. in georgia yesterday, funerals for seven of the eight relatives killed inside their home last weekend. police have arrested another relative, 22-year-old guy heinze jr. for the killings. he's been charged with eight counts of first-degree murder. his 16-year-old brother is speaking out saying heinze did not commit the crimes. >> there's no way one person could go in and assault nine people and come out untouched. my brother doesn't have a scratch or mark on him. >> the lone survivor of the attack, a 3-year-old boy, remains in critical condition this morning. to the largest outbreak of swine flu on a college campus. 2,000 students at washington state university are now sick. officials say it appears to be a massive outbreak of the virus. students have reported sore throats, muscle acts and fevers as high as 104. it doesn't get much worse than this. take a look. you're asleep. picture it.

an suv crashes into your home. it happened on long island, new york. the scene looks like a movie set but this is very real. the car flew so fast over a speed bump it went airborne and smashed into the second floor of this house and pictures are amazing. amazingly, the homeowner is okay. the 20-year-old driver and his passenger are okay. police have charged the driver with dwi. can you believe it? it doesn't get much worse than this really. the homeowner just put the house up for sale on friday. if you want beachfront property near the hamptons, i got a

>> right now, the sun is shining. 67 here on t.v. hill. off to the southwest, clouds and a few sprinkles around charlottesville, richmond and roanoke. nothing major. hanging out with some sun. we'll be picking up clouds >> here's jenna. >> janice, thanks. looking for a job? there's hope. we'll tell you who is hiring right now. about which pain reliever ions is right for your body.

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just place the shade on the wooden base to turn on the light and fill your room with a light, fresh scent and with shades you can change to suit your mood and complement your style each shade safely brightens any room with a soft flickering light and a stylish design new febreze flameless luminaries part of the new febreze home collection amid last week's tough economic news that unemployment has climbed to 9.7%, the highest rate in 26 years, there's a silver lining. some sectors added jobs. where are those jobs right now? rosemary hafner has answers. good morning. this is a good news/bad news situation. bad news 14.9 million americans still out of work. good news, companies are laying off fewer employees. is this a trend that we'll start seeing now? >> we're hopeful. we're definitely encouraged.

obviously the unemployment numbers came in higher than we wanted. economists say that may get worse before it gets better but very important to look month over month job losses declining at a good pace. that's hopeful news for the future. >> let's break it down. 52,000 jobs added in education and health services. that's a pretty hopeful sign. >> it is. this is a dynamic that confuses people the most. you have construction. you have manufacturing construction loss 1.4 million jobs since the start of the recession. job loss numbers month to month getting smaller and smaller. the other end of the spectrum you have health care and education glimmers of hope there. health care added 544,000 jobs. there's definitely that need to have as our population ages more health care workers, more workers going back to school to get their skills marketable. there is long-term potential here. >> let's get into that more. there's an article in "usa today" saying the hottest jobs

from now until 2016 will be in health care, education, information technology, and clean energy. for these particular jobs, a, do you need a college degree and what are the salaries we're looking at? >> you don't need a college degree. you have skills that can be transferred into opportunities. we're looking at home health aides a fast growing area of the sector. state by state licensing is different but there are a lot of jobs in which you need certification, maybe it's a short-term on the job training scenario, those are averaging $27,000 a year. >> that's not bad. let's sit and bask in this moment here. women for the first time are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce. first time in our nation's history. let's appreciate the moment. moment is over. what does this mean for us as a society that mwomen are approaching men in the workforce? >> if you look at the major industries taking the brunt of

the job loss, engineering typically male dominated, but clearly the traditional roles are shifting. we have more double income families that are needed to get by. we've got a lot of women that are the sole bread winner. we don't see that returning to where it was before the recession. >> thank you so much. good information. have a great rest of your holiday weekend. for more advice that may come in handy later in the broadcast, we'll talk about elmo and a financial editor about how the economic downturn is affecting life on "sesame street." it's an important topic. we'll get to that in just a few minutes. we'll be right back. suffering i did not e from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy nose and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection,

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>> we've got this guy. elmo. we'll also talk about tattoos for people over 50. every day special. fancy feast introduces an entirely new way to celebrate any moment. fancy feast appetizers. simple high quality ingredients like wild alaskan salmon, white meat chicken, or seabass and shrimp in a delicate broth, prepared without by-products or fillers. new fancy feast appetizers.

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we're back on this sunday morning, september 6th, 2009. wishing you a happy labor day weekend to those spending the morning with us. happy labor day weekend to those spending the morning with us. i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. still to come in this half hour, nobody is immune from these tough economic times. nobody. >> not even our friends at "sesame street." they have an upcoming prim tieie special. we'll find out why elmo is feeling the impact of hard times. elmo will have advice on how to cope together. >> i have to tell you that even

when i was watching "sesame street" back when i was 6 years old, i wasn't nearly excited about the characters as i am about elmo now as a 30 something year old. >> fun to have him stop by with an important story to tell. >> we'll talk about the big green eyes monster which is jealousy. women and men react to jealousy very differently. we'll talk about that. who is on the phone? who is it? seriously -- hi, jerry. we're on live television. call back or put the phone on vibrate that would be great. lester is going to say hi. nice to have you watching, jerry. your timing is awful i got to tell you. who are you? >> sandy. >> she wants to talk to you. any way, if you are at a certain age thinking about doing something a little out of character like getting a tattoo, four not alone. more and more people over the age of 50 are getting inked for

the first time. coming up, we'll meet a woman who shocked her family when she announced she was getting -- shocked elmo, too, and her family when she announced she would get her first tattoo and her first muppet bite. we'll talk to her and her daughter in just a few minutes. >> do you have a tattoo? >> no. >> that would be better than that. we'll also talk bestselling author pat conway. all that coming

>> when we're not here, you can always check out your weather on weather.com or weather channel on cable. here's jenna and lester. a tough year economically. almost everyone has felt the recession's impact, one special group, kids, may not understand exactly what's happening. >> a new "sesame street" prime time special is meant to help families cope and communicate during tough times. here's to tell us about it, jean chatzky and a special furry guest. we're so happy to have elmo join us this morning. good morning to both of you. >> i'm going start color wise.

i'll start with elmo first if you don't mind. how are you? >> hi, miss jenna. this is the first time elmo got to meet you. >> it's been a tough year for you. your mom lost her job. how has it been for you to handle that? has it been hard? >> it's just different. you know, elmo's dad only had a job and his mom -- elmo's mom lost hers. you know what elmo had to do is go to the amusement park which cost money, we just go have a good time. and also instead of going to the movies we stay home and watch a dvd. >> love it. >> elmo, you thought it was just your family going through this and then you met other families and discovered their stories. was that helpful? >> elmo liked talking to kids and everyone found something to be happy about. >> that's great. jean, let me ask you.

what does this special do for families who are struggling and even not struggling? how does it impact them? >> going through a tough time in your family, the kids know that something is up. families need a script. a way to tell their kids what's happening without completely scaring them. and so we worked with four different families in the special going through different sorts of tough times and elmo's family and providing parents with tools they need to have those conversations. >> i know elmo learned big lessons. you thought this was your fault at one point? >> elmo understands and elmo learned that elmo can't have everything that elmo wants. you have to save money to get what you really need. >> it's a big lesson in the difference between wants and needs, which is something that i think we have forgotten over the last ten years. >> the whole idea this is not just for kids, this special. it's for the whole family to come to this kind of understanding. >> that's why it is on 8:00 across the country on wednesday

night on pbs stations. >> the whole idea is this came on so quickly for a lot of people. elmo thought he was alone. if other families realize they're not alone, it takes some of the stigma away. >> hopefully this will encourage people to really talk about it. once you open your mouth and start having this conversation, you realize that you know a lot of people in this situation. >> elmo, you feel better about things now that you learned about this? >> elmo feels better. elmo's mommy got a new job. >> really? >> at a tattoo parlor. >> we are happy for her. she did get a new job. >> that's great. business is booming in the tattoo world. that's awesome. jean chatzky, elmo, thank you so much for coming by. we're glad things are looking up. >> thank you. >> come back any time. >> you can catch "families stand together" on wednesday at 8:00

p.m. on pbs. we'll talk about elmo's mom's new job. meet a mom sporting new ink and find out what her kids think about it after these messages. going urgently... waking up to go... it's time to do what lots of guys everywhere have already done-- go see your doctor, because those could be urinary symptoms due to bph, an enlarged prostate. and for many men, prescription flomax reduces their urinary symptoms due to bph in one week. one week. only your doctor can tell if you have bph, not a more serious condition like prostate cancer. avoid driving or hazardous tasks for 12 hours after your first dose or increase in dose, as a sudden drop in blood pressure may occur, rarely resulting in fainting. if considering cataract surgery, tell your eye surgeon you've taken flomax. common side effects are runny nose, dizziness and decrease in semen. millions of men have been prescribed flomax. maybe it's time to see your doctor and ask if flomax is right for you. and call 877-4-flomax

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green eyed monster but when it comes to men and women, who is more likely to be the jealous time. >> i think men get more jealous. >> i don't know. >> there are constantly beautiful women walking around. >> i think women get jealous when their boyfriends have other friends that are female. >> making a comment about another guy while i'm right there. >> i'm a guy so i'll say girls are more jealous. >> i'm way more jealous. >> i don't get jealous. >> there are guys that go crazy. >> women take the cake with jealousy. >> jealousy and a relationship don't mix. that's the bottom line. oil and water. >> i think everybody is jealous. are women and men that different when it comes to jealousy? here to sort it all out, psychotherapist robby ludwig. we're about to get into it.

fasten your seat belts. it is very easy to be jealous these days because even if you don't see what's happening in front of you, everything is online. you want to know anything about your ex or ex's friends, you have access to everything. >> too much information. i have patients that will get obsessed with a person and look on their page and just really feel badly about themselves. so you can make yourself jealous even without another person trying to make you jealous just by being threatened by -- >> it's taken out of context. socie so many pictures with girls and he's cheating and what not. bottom line is jealousy only exists if the person you're worried about is better looking than you are it's like sexual harassment in the office. it's only harassment if the girl or guy is ugly. >> it's about status and power being taken away. >> isn't that a self-esteem issue? >> not always. sometimes it is. if you don't feel booed about

yourself you could be threatened by anybody taking away your partner. there are certain partners that like to make their partners jealous because it helps them feel secure. there are couples that like -- >> people insecure that when you're jealous of me all the time. >> who is the more jealous gender? think before you speak. >> you're asking a lot. i think women are more jealous. hold on. the criteria is much more difficult. you're too this and not enough this and that. guys, are you alpha male or not? is the guy standing next to your girlfriend, bigger, stronger, more alpha than you are -- >> i disagree. i think men and womenequal ly jealous. if their man is paying attention to another woman, that can be enough to get them to feel

jealous. for men it's more sexual. it's more primal for men. >> you don't want anybody touching your girl. >> jealousy ever a good thing? >> it means you're really interested in your partner. jealousy is not love. it means that you care about being connected to your partner and you recognize their value in the world. >> keeps it healthy. keeps you from taking them for granted a little bit. women like to feel like their man is a little bit jealous because it shows that he cares. >> a little bit. once you cross that line it becomes very hard to deal with. >> i'm jealous of you all the time. >> let's just recap. we, not so jealous. that gender, very jealous? just want to make sure. >> who boils the rabbits? not guys. >> on that note -- >> high fiction.

>> thank you so much. and now here's lester. >> can't we all just get along? jenna, thanks. an estimated 40 million americans have at least one tattoo. while it is no longer taboo for young people to get a little ink, more and more of their baby boomer parents are joining in. >> do you want just the words? >> i don't think so. >> richard is about to cross something off his bucket list. >> there are a of things a lot of people do as they get older. want to try all kinds of different things. i'm going start here. >> here is actually his back. the what is a tattoo. his first. >> you are a natural. you may be covered after this. >> about 20% of adults between the ages of 40 and 64 reported having one or more tattoos.

>> i was 40 when i got my first one. >> some inside the tattoo industry show a greater interest. >> people in the middle age having them all of the time now. >> originally i kind of thought a tattoo was a little bit tacky and then i started seeing more and more and i thought, okay, that's nice. that one is nice. and i thought, i want one. >> judy dunn got her tattoo this past year much to the displeasure of her husband, jay. >> why does it have to be on your wrist? there's lots of places to hide -- i mean to stick this, if it's for your personal amusement. >> and her daughter -- >> we just finished dessert and my mom says i have an announcement to make.

i'm getting a at th ing ting a can talk me out of it. >> she decided to use her shock value as an idea for a book. >> as a daughter i was horrified. as a writer i thought sent down from a pink cloud. >> friday jones just opened new york city's studio inside this salon noticed a more diverse cliental. >> we're baby boomers and generation x. definitely more professionals and more white collars than ever before. >> amazing that it doesn't hurt. >> and for boomers like richard, a word of caution. some say body art can be addicting. >> once you get one, why not get a second one. i get a third. sometimes it's hard to stop. >> it's hilarious. it's great. absolutely great. >> joining us author of the new book "why is my mother getting a

tattoo" along with her mother, judy dunn. it's on your wrist here. you gave the artist a picture and that's what you came up with. are you happy with it? >> very happy with it. thank you. >> you tell the story of being at the table and your mom drops this bomb. you're horrified. the rest of your family was horrified and tried to talk her out of it, right? >> when she made the announcement, we all froze. nobody could move for a few minutes. and then we felt we had more influence on this woman that we actually did. even my father failed. i tried all kinds of arguments. she made up her mind. >> the thing you said at the moment is no one will talk me out of it. you understood this would happenfhappe happen. >> absolutely. they were horrified. >> what were you thinking? i'm talking to her like i would my kids. >> that's exactly what they said. >> it's a fair question.

>> i don't know why i wanted it. i just wanted it. it makes me happy. i look at it and i smile. >> so there is this idea of a book. you do research and you find out there's a lot of americans over 50 like your mom who are into this. what's going on? >> it just seems to be -- there's a couple reasons. one is that people retire and they figure now is my time to go crazy. i'm free from the corporate world. and then i have seen -- they definitely do different things that other people wouldn't do like baby boomers like to get -- women like to get pictures of their grandchildren on their arms which is good unless you have a million grandchildren. >> you say going crazy. one of the points of your book is it's not going crazy because a lot of people in general are getting tattoos. a lot of the stigma is gone. >> when i come up from the subway and on the stairs there are cabs in front of me and it's

an art gallery. everybody has a tattoo. definitely the taboo has lifted. over 50 is still -- my mother gets a lot of reaction. >> what's it like when you go into a restaurant and someone sees your wrist. >> it really is a conversation starter. they will ask is that real or is that one of those stickons? the next question they ask is did it hurt? >> did it? >> it was annoying more than it hurt. it did not bring tears to my eyes. it's like if you took your fingernail and kind of scratched. >> before we close i want to make sure we're not talking about a double standard here. you do not have a tattoo? >> no. >> look at that look. are you crazy for asking that question. you haven't even thought about it? >> she's the first person in our family. my mother. to get a tattoo. >> if my mother tells me that, i

don't know what i'll do. >> my daughter could argue grandma has one. >> my mother would say don't judge. good for you. >> it would be very nice if your daughter had a little tattooi, little heart, that said i love gram. she'll >> she'll go with that. thank you so much. still ahead, bestselling author pat conroy. first, these messages. we're helping teachers. (announcer) 20 upc labels mean 20 free books for your classroom. or, sunnyd will donate ten cents per label, up to three hundred thousand dollars, to the kids in need foundation. make classrooms sunnier for kids. learn more about the book spree at sunnyd.com. team up with sunnyd.

from classics to a dark masterpiece, pat conroy is known for secrecy and pain. he heads back to familiar territory. recently he invited us into his south carolina home to do what he does best, tell a story.

the setting is charleston. >> i want to tell how that city affected me when i was a child. when i was an adult. and now that i'm an old man. how that city has kept its hold on me. it's a magical, wonderful place. >> they call it the low country of south carolina. pat conroy is famous for taking readers there in his stories and many have waited 14 years for a return visit. >> i feel badly that i do not type and that i still write by hand. it makes it slow. >> conroy's latest novel is not just a love letter to the historic city but follows the life of character leo king through three decades. dealing with the aids crisis in san francisco and hurricane

hugo. many families are familiar with his epic style of writing, they may be surprised to hear that the father is a good guy. >> i've seen him. it moves me when i see a dad, you know, embrace the child. take the child. >> all of conroy's books have a tone to them of an autobiogra y autobiography. his work is filled with characters that are very real and very personal for him. >> my father drove me nuts when he was alive. he went crazy when "the great santini" came out. dad, sorry i hurt your feel bugs nothing i wrote makes up for my ruined childhood that you put me through. finally they make a movie and the happiest i ever saw my father is at the night of the

academy awards and he runs into my apartment in atlanta and screams out, "son, you and i were nominated for academy a wards last night. your mother didn't get squat." generally the narrator is some form of me. i'm old enough to realize that every character in the book is some form of me. the women, the boys, the girls, everyone is a reflection in some way. >> one week after its release, it was number one on the "new york times" bestselling list. >> they have to define themselves about what it means. i always love that phrase. the people who don't like "south of broad" call it s.o.b. >> it's that sense of humor that draws you into pat conroy's books. his southern hospitality makes you want to stay but honesty and

gift for words makes read eggs begging for more. >> i want to be remembered for writing passionately, tru truthfully, i didn't shy away from hard subjects. i did not flinch when they came to me. >> and we'll be right back after these messages. i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. you weren't always my favorite day. with all the pet hair in the air, i'd spend class preoccupied, bothered by itchy eyes. but now i have new zyrtec® itchy eye drops. it works fast, with just one drop,

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time for a check of what's coming up on "meet the press." we're joined again by moderator, david gregory. >> president obama will detail his health care plan before congress this week. this morning we'll talk exclusively to the man behind the president's message, senior adviser david axelrod. >> we'll see you then. thanks very much. >> that will do it for us on this sunday morning. janice huff, jeff rossen and of course elmo.

>> miss jenna, something is wrong with your voice. >> coming up. stephanie roll knows blake is taking your questions sewn so far