good evening and happy 4th of july. this should have been one of the busiest years in the gulf right now but the disaster on the gulf is keeping some tourists away, whether it's washing up on the beaches or not. now we're hearing that tar balls could start turning up on beaches in the florida keys by the ends of summer. this weekend, lisa jackson, epa chief, visits the gulf coast to monitor the agency's response to the crisis. allen is down there and he's standing by. you got a bird's eye view of the disaster earlier. what did you see? >> exactly, don. we saw that some of the island's off the coast of louisiana and mississippi are now surrounded by a light sheen of oil. the winds are supposed to turn to the south tomorrow and the coast guard fears that more oil is headed towards those islands, particularly the islands off of louisiana. further out, in the gulf, you see ribbons and ribbons of brown oil sitting there and right at the gusher, huge puddles, brown puddles. and the frustrating part is, there's virtually nothing that the government has been able to do about all this since wednesday. the wave heights, they've been too high. well over four feet and that's too high to do any skimming. we were on board with paul zumcoff, rear admiral in charge of the clean-up operations and he shiered his frustration with us. >> we do take it personally. it's portrayed as mission failure any time oil washes ashore. not just with this spill but with any spill. and certainly, the damage it does to the environment. so that's the frustrating part. >> the admiral said the weather you cannot defeat, don? >> allan, what other resources are there if any at all? >> they have a lot of resources on the way. the admiral told us first of all, over the next two weeks he'll have 300 additional skimmers coming on. 550 skimmers already are in the gulf, ready to get back to work, as soon as the waves calm down. also, they are testing the coast guard is testing a supertanker to see if the supertanker can actually do skimming. and they're going to be using barges. there's a barge that's going to be connected to 1500 feet of boom and then two skimmers will be airporting off the barge. so they are trying to use any resource possible. they need more skimmers and they need to pick up the oil off the water, get it tucked away and cleaned up. don? >> thank you, allan. some beaches in the gulf leak eerily deserted like those those in pensacola. the oily mess is coating the stand way faster than clean-up crews can mop it up. as john tells us, some are writing the summer off as a total loss. >> reporter: clean-up crews pore over pensacola's beaches. oil stains and tar balls cover what was just a few weeks ago, pristine, white sand. front loaders literally dump pensacola's economy into waiting trucks. virtually empty beaches are under what the county health department is called "oil impact notice" warning people to stay out of the water and off the oil-stained sand indefinitely. >> does it worry you that the closure of these beaches might not just be for days? it could be weeks? if not longer? >> yeah. we've lost this summer. summer of 2010 is gone for pensacola beach the way i see it. our season is from memorial day to labor day. we're here the week before july 4th and nobody is here. >> disgusting with anger, and for councilman, larry johnson, this show of clean-up force is too little, too late. day after day, the tides shift to the sand and much of the tar and oil is buried before the crews get to it. the oil appears beneath the surface like the rings of a tree that tell its age. >> john, this has been covered up from the night before. how much inches down is this? >> four or five inches down rer pensacola is home to greg hall and diana stephens. >> this kills me and my soul that the gulf of mexico is being destroyed. >> reporter: every day they walk the beach taking pictures. i reporters for cnn, they document what they see. not pretty. greg puts his hands in the water. when he takes them out, tar. diana holds a clean fish tank filter. not for long. >> this is it. just holding it in for a few seconds, you can see you get tar balls. this is the sheen, the foamy orange stuff you see out in the surf. >> reporter: nearly every day more oil washes ashore, blanking with it waves of overwhelming frustration felt by most people here. >> you can't get everything. it's kind of like cleaning the beach with a toothpick. it's an impossible task. >> reporter: and impossible task with no end in sight. cnn, pensacola, florida. let's go overseas. vice president joe biden and his unusual holiday destination this weekend. it is baghdad. biden arrived today with his wife, jill. he says he's optimistic that rooirk politicians set aside their differences and form a government soon. it's been four months since the iraqi voters went to the polls and some iraqis worry the insurgents will exploit the power vacuum to strike. the u.s. is scheduled to end its time there. some would stay behind to train and hunt. in afghanistan, general david petraeus wastes no time getting down to business. he's already met with afghan president, hamid karzai. and at a 4th of july ceremony, he spoke to civilian and military leaders. his message was simple. the way forward depends on working together. >> i'm reminded that this is an effort in which we must achieve unity of effort and common purpose. civilian and military, afghan and international. we are part of one team with one mission. in this important endeavor, cooperation is not optional. this is a tough mission. there is nothing easy about it. >> petraeus is replacing general stanley mcchrystal in afghanistan. mcchrystal's remarks in a "rolling stone" article led to new rules from the pentagon guiding the military's action with reporters. republican national committee chairman, michael steele spends his holiday weekend on damage control. he's calling gop lawmakers and party officials to explain some controversial remarks he made about the war in afghanistan. it is led to calls for his resignation from well-known conservatives like liz cheney and weekly standard editor, william crystal. here's what he said to a fundraiser on thursday in connecticut. >> keep in mind again, this is a war of obama's choosing. this is not something the united states actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in. >> would you say that was part of what steel said at a fundraiser there. of course, the afghanistan war started under president bush after 9/11 with a lot of public support at the time. it would take a 2/3 vote in the rnc to get rid of him. president obama is renewing his call for congress to pass an immigration reform bill. he reached out to republican this is week saying a bipartisan solution is the only way forward. the president also criticized arizona's new immigration law and the state's governor pushed right back. >> it's not just that the law arizona passed is divisive. it has fanned the flames of an already-contentious debate. laws like arizona's put hiej pressures on local law enforcement tone force rules that are enenforceable. today we have more boots on the ground near the southwest border than at any time in our history. let me repeat that. we have more boots on the ground on the southwest border than at any time in our history. >> and i say, to the president of the united states, do your job! secure our borders. as for me, i'm not surrendering. i'll continue to do everything in my power to protect this state. no apologies, no quitting, no retreat. and i'll fell you something else. we're not going to pick up the tab either. and straight ahead here on cnn, a look at the oil spill that you haven't seen from bp or the government. >> at 23 miles out, we encountered the heaviest sheens yet. some of it looks as if a child had sprayed silly string all over the surface but there's nothing silly about these strings of oil that float on the gulf of mexico today. >> i'll talk with environmentalist who says he has pictures bp doesn't want you to see. don't just sit there, be part of our conversation. go to cnn on facebook. i want to hear from you. here's your nametag, sir... annnd for you. gecko: uh... no i'll be ok, thanks. woman: but how will people know who you are? gecko: uh... you mean "the gecko"? woman: here lemme help you. gecko: really it's... really it's fine, (laughs) yeeaahhhh. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. man: be kind to your eyes with transitions lenses. transitions adapt to changing light so you see your whole day comfortably and conveniently while protecting your eyes from the sun. ask your eyecare professional which transitions lenses are right for you. woman: discover the protection, comfort and convenience of transitions lenses for the entire family at transitions.com/walmart or visit a walmart vision center today. we invited bp executives to come on the program tonight and they said "no." >> we've got to live with this for the rest of our lives. right now i want to show you some video of the gulf oil spill shot by an environmentalist. and he says he ignored directives not to fly over this area. it's an area where clean-up crews are working and large amounts of oil are visible right on top of the water. let me play for you a portion of what he shot and then i want you to listen to how he carbon dioxides the ecological disaster he's witnessing. >> from the size of these fires it seems as though we're not only trying to kill everything in the gulf of mexico, but everything that flies over it as well. this toxic environment can't be good for the birds that fly over the gulf. and certainly, nothing can live in these rainbows of death that cover the entire horizon. then we found this guy. a sperm well, swimming in the oil had just breached. along his back, we could see red crude on his back as if he was bested for broiling. then this pod of codolphins. some were raising their head looking at the fires wondering, why is my world burning down around me? why would humans do this to me? as we approach chandelier island, i want surprised to see patching of oil along the beach. given the difficulty in putting boom out and making it stay along these islands, it's going to be impossible to try to keep the oil out. i shutter to think what is going to happen. all the oil flown over will be alongside this. the marshes and all the boom you see now will be piled up on the shore covered with oil. >> and the man's voice you heard, jeanne whaten joins us from gulf shores, alabama. my first question to you, do you think that we, as americans, that we're underestimating this spill? >> yeah, i think it's been underestimated from the very beginning. we were told by our inlet keep her alaska, whatever they were telling us, multiply it by five and that's been pretty much the case all along. >> why do you think this is happening? why is it being underestimated? >> well, nobody ever wants to fully accept responsibility for a major disaster like this. the more it's downplayed, the less of an immediate yeah hit or statement that the company has to clean up later. >> so, listen, you were -- you said that you disobeyed orders not to flow over that area. why do you think those orders -- did you get in trouble for that, first of all? >> well, let me explain something. we didn't disobey any orders to fly over there. we didn't defy anybody. what we did, though, is we exercised our right and we filed a flight plan with the federal aviation administration to go out there and do what we did. bp doesn't control the airspace. the federal aviation administration does that. i represent a group here on the coast, "save our gulf" a conglomeration of seven programs that will be impacted by this. and we need to know what's going on in our watersheds. we need this information. >> but can be there was a no-fly rule over that and you said you exercises that and i understand that and i'm not fighting you on that. why do you think they have this no-fly zone or no-fly area there over the area, especially where the explosion happened? >> well i don't think they want the american people to know just how bad this is. this is much worse, if you've flown out there and seen this, it is much worse than you can get in a two-second sound byte on any of the for-profit media stations. this is huge and people need to know that. they need to acknowledge that this is, by far, the largest disaster we've ever had to face and the transparency is absolutely necessary for us to o to inform the public. defying us the right to go out there -- the water keepers in particular, the "save our gulf" group that's working, so hard to help our community, we need this information. we should not be denied the right to the kind of documentation that i've been able to do, simply by standing up for my rights. >> were you surprised by what you found? you were not looking to find anything. you just went up to -- eye just went up there out of curiosity to take a look. just to see. were you surprised by what you found? >> yeah, i was extremely surprised. the "save our gulf" group called me here to help document this thing so we went out the first light to see what it looked like. we were not anticipating find k any criminal acts. that's not what we're about. we're not trying to put blame. we're trying to document what's going on. when i realized the scope and magnitude of this, i was shocked beyond belief and for the first time in ni environmental career, i actually used the word "hopeless." it is hopeless to think we can stop this from coming onshore and decimating our community. >> mr. wathen, we thank you very much. obviously everything is related. good to see there's some people on the beach behind you. probably not as many people that would have been down there barring this disaster. we thank you for your reporting here on cnn. take care of yourself. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. a judge says three accused russian spies are a danger to the community and order them held without bail. what about their kids? >> when you're a spy the focus of your life is to be a spy. to accomplish the operation. to accomplish your objectives. when you're a parent, you're supposed to take care of your kids. you're supposed to put them first in your lives and a spy can't do that. >> plus, the manhunt is over. an accuse cop killer in tampa. for my arthritis, i use capzasin quick relief gel. [ male announcer ] starts working on contact and at the nerve level to block pain for hours. capzasin. takes the pain out of arthritis. a look now at your top stories. thousands attended the funeral today for two police officers in tampa, florida. they were shot to death tuesday during an early-morning traffic stop. the murders triggered an intense manhunt that ended yesterday when suspect donte morris surrendered to tampa police. they called him a cold-blooded killer adding, thank god he's behind bars. >> a russian supply craft that overshot the international space station will make a second docking attempt tomorrow afternoon. the unmanned space ship failed to dock on friday flying two miles past the space shuttle. nasa says the six astronauts and cosmonauts on board were never in danger. the ship is carrying supplies including, food, water, oxygen and scientific equipment. a bizarre twist in the russian spy ring investigation. the four russian couples accused of working deep cover had seven children among them. our brian todd tells us, they could be left in limbo as the investigation unfolds. >> reporter: emerging from what authorities say was a deep-cover operation, three accused russian spies appear in federal court. the judge calls each a danger to the community and a flight risk. orders them held without bail. they include a married calm, patricia mills and michael zatolli one who have separate lawyers and don't make eye contact with each other in court. mills' face showing signs of strain. authorities say she's trying to get their two children, ages 1 and 3, sent to russia to be with her relatives. there are at least seven children among four married couple in this spy operation. children struggling with not only sudden separation from their parents -- but also, the accusation that their parents were not who they said they were. the government's complaint says illegals, spies who don't have diplomatic cover. sometimes they work under the guise of married couples and will often have children together to further deepen an illegal's legend. a asked this child protection advocate about that. >> the children might question if their parents were ever even married. whether their parents felt an emotional bond with each other they could be spies set up to do all of this. how bizarre is that? >> i don't have any precedent on which to base an opinion so i think that it is certainly something that i've not experienced before. but -- and i can't imagine any of kids in this situation are going to feel good about this situation. >> the kids may not have known their parents' names until now. the prosecutors say the suspect, patricia mills had a different name and her apparent husband, he gave his real name. i spoke about that balancing act with eric o'neal, a former fbi operative who helped to catch russia's mole. how hard is it to be a spy when you have kids of any age? >> it has to be incredibly difficult. when you're a spy the focus of your life is to be awe spy. to accomplish the operation. to accomplish your objectives. when you're a parent, you're supposed to take care of your kids. you're supposed to put them first in your life. and a spy can't do that. >> experts say despite the bizarre nature of the case, the children of all of the suspects will very likely be handed over to whomever the parents choose for guardianship, unless there's evidence of abuse on the part of the parents. brian todd, cnn. >> these are recognized holidays but there could be a change in new york city. a group wants the schools to recognize muslim holidays. it can happen anytime. an everyday moment can turn romantic at a moment's notice. and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven, low-dose tablet you take every day, so you can be ready anytime the moment's right for you and your partner. tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. don't drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed back ache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. ask your doctor if cialis for daily use is right for you. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, go to cialis.com. in the big apple where i am there's a culture clash going on in the classrooms. a group is pushing for new york city schools to recognize muslim holidays but the mayor, michael bloomberg already shot the idea down. >> everybody would like to be recognized but the truth of the matter is, we need more school days, not less and i've said this a number of times, we're not going to add any more days. our kids need more education, not less. >> so however, supporters of muslim school holidays are not giving up. the author of this post, on our cnn's "belief" blog he's among them. he's a muslim chaplain for new york city police department and he joins us live in new york. good to have you here. you heard the mayor. he has a point. he said the kieds need to be in school but people of other religions whose faith aren't part of the school calendar. why recognize the muslim religion? >> i think it has to do with the reasonableness of our request. most definitely other communities can come forth and put in for such a request, but the elements part of our coalition's request make it more reasonable and something that wouldn't be that impactful to the current school calendar. in addition, the sheer numbers of muslim students exist in the new york city public school system make it a little bit more necessary for this request to be fielded. >> he's saying that kids need more education and not less. how many days are we talking about here in. >> we had a study conducted through nyu's school of laws, one of their clinics. and they projected in the next 12 years there would be an impact on five days in total. our calendar is lunar and it goes back about 11 days earlier. >> is there a compromise, before we get into this, could there be a compromise? not every christian celebrates every christian holiday. you don't get it off for school. a week for easter. two weeks for christmas, but not every christian holiday. is there a compromise for the biggest holiday or maybe the holidays you consider more important in your religion? >> i mean, the two holidays being requested or our two major holidays. one is at the end of the month of fasting, ramadan. and the another one comes at the end of our annual pilgrimage. these two days are pretty much it that we have. >> so you're only asking for two days. you said five days over time. but two days in the beginning. so what do you think, does it have anything to do with perception about the muslim religion or a misconception about the muslim religion? because there was the synagogue right down near 9/11 that there were protests about. do you think that has nick to do with it -- excuse me, the mosque. do you think that has anything to do with it? >> i think it's understandable right now that a broader american society has a certain misconception about islam and that probably factors into this decision slightly. i think a lot of the response to what's been taking place with this coalition equates the islam that we're looking to define here as something that's not from this country. what we're looking to do is establish an islam that's uniquely american. one that's not defined based off of a country 500 miles away or something 500 years in the past. i think that's a process that needs to really be embraced. >> but how easy will it be to get muslims to -- muslims can be very traditional about their religion as can catholics and baptists and what have you. can you get muslims to be more modern, at least, in their approach to religion? >> i think so. i think that definition has the most definitely has to be rooted in something authentic but at the same time, takes into consideration what's normative in the so see we're situated in. >> is it partially your own fault, about not getting these holidays? is it partially your own fault that you don't have enough political clout right now in order to do this? >> if you look at islam and the united states, our communities were established as very highly ethno centric communities. we're feeling the repercussions of that now. most definitely, we have to own up to some of the things that we had decided to do in the past. i think it makes perfect sense that a lot of these organizations and institutions don't have policy in place that are necessarily sensitive to the needs of muslims in this country because muslims haven't been around that long in a way that they should have been. >> and now more are aware for a reason, that many people in this country might take offense to celebrating holidays. so that's your dilemma and that's what you're going to have to overcome. thank you for joining us here on cnn. best of luck. most people probably think texting is a teen or preteen problem. what if it's really the parents who are the real offenders. and a one-on-one with janet jackson. she headlines the essence music festival this weekend and opens up about the gulf oil disaster. >> i tried to really focus on something positive, something good. good things always come out of tragedy. a reputation for unsurpassed quality and industry-leading customer service, even more so. which is why it must be earned. every day. every mile. with every driver. we've earned ours by relentlessly asking one simple question... how can we make it even better tomorrow? 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[ male announcer ] starts working on contact and at the nerve level to block pain for hours. capzasin. takes the pain out of arthritis. disaster battered new orleans is back in the headlines tonight but for reasons of celebration. the essence music festival is bringing life to the city this weekend showcasing performers how say they need to be a part of it. that includes janet jackson. hln anchor, richelle carey sat down with miss jackson herself, miss carey sat down. people were there to talk about the gulf oil disaster, right? >> reporter: absolutely. people here realize they have to be connected to what's happening in the community and what the people in this community are dealing with. the continued recovery from katrina and now what has happened the oil spill. the administrator of the epa, lisa jackson was here for a town hall and other organizations were here trying to raise awareness of what's going on. "essence" has always been more than music. it's about being connected to your community. and janet jackson, she's connected to the community. she says there's a very specific reason that she chose to perform at essence this year. she's acutely aware of what is happening in the news. here some of my conversation with her. we're here at the "essence music festival." what brought you to the festival this year? why this year? >> they've asked me for a while to be a part of the festival. and my schedule never permitted it. and they asked me to be a part of it again this year. and once again, my schedule actually really doesn't permit me to do so, but i wanted to do it. and knowing that it was going to be in new orleans and how special it would be. >> people here cannot catch a break for years. there's katrina, then there's the gulf oil, not really a spill, a gusher, out there in the gulf of mexico. talk about your reaction to that when you realized what was happening. and how you see people along the gulf coast processing it. >> when i originally heard about it, i thought it was horrible. but then when i actual lip saw that it was over a month and it was still ongoing, that's what really tripped me out. i could not that. but i tried to really focus on something positive. something good. good things always come out of tragedy and what good could come out of this and i actually -- came from cnn how there was a guy that created this boat and he goes right into the water and he takes the wildlife out of the water and he cleans them, right right on his boat and releases them back into the wild. >> what does that say about the people who live along the gulf coast? the people of new orleans? >> they are strong. they come together. they pull together in times of need. you see that with katrina as well. so it's a special place, very special. >> reporter: so as you can see, don, janet jackson is busy as she is, finds time to watch what's happening in the world and watch what's happening in this community and she had a reason that she felt like this was the year for her to make it to the essence music flags value. >> and as you and i talked and we were texting about us, i saw janet jackson and the family last week in glendale for the one-year anniversary. and she wasn't there last year probably she was filming a movie and then her brother died right before the essence music festival -- i think it was going on. how is she handling it this time? it's been a year. the get a chance to ask her that? >> she did open up about a lot of things. she talked about love and showbiz and kids but she did not feel comfortable, understandably, talking about her brother's passing but i'll tell you this. after almost two hours on stage last night, the end of the concert, don, you look up on the screen and there's a huge picture of michael and janet as children, right there on the screen. it moved some people in the crowd to tears. it lookslike janet was crying. it is clear that her brother is part of who she is. it is so clear. >> yeah. and we texted after this when i saw her i said, janet, come over and talk and she said, it's hard right now. i can't, maybe some other time. so it's still right there. >> she was on that stage crying. >> thank you, richelle. great interview, okay? >> you bet. you just heard from his sister. you can hear from the brothers of michael jackson during my special report tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern. "michael jackson, the final days" reveals events leading up to his death one year ago. here's your top stories. in the gulf, crews are testing a ship being called the world's largest oil skimmer called a whale. the taiwanese company that owns it is waiting for permission to join the clean-up effort but there may be bad news for the florida keys. a new report says tar balls could start washing up there by the end of summer. the up in top general in afghanistan is offering tough love to afghan leaders. david petraeus spoke at a ceremony marking the 4th of july holiday and told afghan leaders that cooperation is not optional and your success is our success, he said. the general arrived in afghanistan on friday and now, must persuade skeptical afghans the u.s. can win the war in their country. and officially, secretary of state hillary clinton toured the schindler factory museum in poland but personally, she says, her demanding schedule won't curtail planning her daughter, chelsea's wedding, calling that her most important task. still, she admits balancing her public and private life is stressful. chelsea coastline will marry, the son of two former members of congress, on july 31st. tomorrow is big nathan's 4th of jiel hotdog eating contest. what does it feel like to have 38 hotdogs in your stomach? up next, we talk to two top-ranked competitive eaters. one who calls herself "the blaek widow." there she is right next to me. hi, black widow sclaem so forget the world cup. forget wimbledon. the real sports competition is tomorrow. nathan's hotdog eating contest is at noon. it it it's gorge fest. these and these people are seriously, seriously driven. major league eating. yes, that's the official organization. it ranked pete. and he says his name is pete "pretty boy" divicos. he's number 20. sonia thomas known as "the black widow" is ranked number five. thank you both. sonia? >> thanks for having us. >> you have the women's record of 41 hotdogs in ten minutes. you're like -- what do you weigh? 100 pounds? >> around 100 pounds. >> 100 pounds? so where does it go, your hair? >> no, my body. but i run out so quickly from the work and exercise. >> so you should see her. she's tiny. and you say your stomach expands and you can expand your stomach. >> i drink a lot of liquid with my meals, yeah. >> and so for hotdogs do you hold a record? >> i have a female world record. >> you're personal best is 41? >> 41 hotdogs in ten minutes. >> that's the female wrld record? >> that's correct. >> pretty boy, what about you? >> how you doing? >> you're ranked number 20. how much do you weigh? you're a big guy. >> i'm about 205. i think the camera addsbility 20 pounds. i'm 6'1", 205. >> that's not that big. what happens? how do you get all of these hotdogs in your stomach all this, some people say, not that it's -- how do you get it in your stomach? >> it's mind over stomach matter. like any professional athlete. go out there with tunnel vision and tenacity and push through the pain. it fits. there's room. you just got to find it. >> so, pretty boy, what happens after the competition? i've seen people during the competition actually get sick. i don't know if you saw the video that went viral last year of the guy who, you know, threw up while he was eating trying to -- what happens to you afterwards? >> well, you know, throwing up, he probably wasn't a professional like sonia and i but, usually, whether eating one hotdog or 100, you'll feel a little queazy. it's like having thanksgiving dinner a matter of ten minutes as opposed to four hours. but as long as you have your pepto, a which we all carry in our bags afterwards. >> it is. >> it's just funny because the black widow has hers here sitting on the anchor desk. there it is right there. and it's a trade secret. i'll ask you, sonya, black widow, why? >> why for what? >> why do it? >> why do it? it's fun and i like the competition not for only eating, everything. competition and prize and money, too. it's good for your life, too. everything is entertainment, too, is kind of a sport. >> you say how much money? >> sometimes like a prize of money if we win, some winner gets $5,000 or $6,000, $10,000. some traveling, too. >> the most you've made in a year? >> i don't know -- about $10,000 so far this year. >> you can't live on $10,000 a year. >> my real job is i'm a fast food restaurant manager. >> you're going to need this, too, just for that. listen -- they should be paying us for this. listen, why? why do you do it? >> i'm like sonya. she is and has been one of the sport's greatest. so making an income off competitive eating is not truly an option. my three passions in life are three things, food, travel and competition. and professional eating, major league eating allows me to combine all three of them. i've built great friendships. last year i was asked to go to guantanamo bay, cuba, for like a uso tour to give back to the troops. i get a lot more out of it. it's not a financial thing. i'm a sales manager for a company privately owned out of massachusetts. for the most part, me, i just love the game. i'm not a golfer. i'm not a softball player. i love to eat and i love food. >> what's the most money you've made from doing this? >> i might have won, i believe, $150 once in pigskin so that's where i cash out. >> that's it, really? >> that's it. i just love it. i'm not for the money. i'm for the love of the game. >> i want to get this name right. kobayashi, what do you think about the controversy? he says he won't show up because major league eating won't let him compete in other contests. do you think he'll be a no-show? what do you make of this controversy? >> you know, i thought it was somewhat publicity filled in the beginning. i really don't think he's going to show. it's really too bad. kobayashi is definitely -- i wouldn't say a pioneer of the sport but six years straight he won our super bowl, the nathan's favorite, which is occurring tomorrow at high noon on espn. he's amazing. he's great. i wouldn't want to go out this way. i think it's imperative he shows up. it makes for a better competition. the joey and kobayashi rivalry is amazing. everyone loves that. even as a competitor myself, i'm as big a fan as i am an eater. i hope he shows up and doesn't stink. that's my opinion. >> okay. >> sonya might have the same opinion. >> you're competing tomorrow, right? >> yep. high noon. >> and what do you predict you're going to do? >> my goal is 30 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes. my record is 29. i like to do better than i did last time. sonya is probably going for 40-something. >> okay. and you, what are you going for? what do you predict? >> i'm going to try to do about 50, but i'm happy with 45. >> she's so modest. >> you guys are awesome. i could sit here and talk to you -- we should have brought some -- can we get some chips out of the vending machine to see how much they can eat before the competition tomorrow? no? >> we already did it on the way up. >> thanks, pretty boy. >> thank you. >> thank you, black widow. >> thank you very much. >> that was fun. >> thank you for having us. >> we really appreciate it. maybe we'll have the winner back if one of these guys win. it's steve martin like you've never seen him before. i want to you take a look at this. ♪ actor, comedian, now musician. coming up, martin talks about a side of himself we haven't seen on the big screen. my joints ache so bad, i wake up in pain every day. i want to know why. i want to know why my hair is falling out. how did this happen? how did this happen? a little pain in my knee. that's how it started. that's how it started, this rash on my face. now it's like my body is attacking me. i want answers. announcer: when you don't have the right answers, it may be time to ask your doctor the right question. could i have lupus? to say steve martin is a man of many talents, well, that would be an understatement. he's a comedian, an actor and a writer. then there's a skill you may not know about. he plays a mean banjo. he sat down -- we sat down with steve martin at the arts festival where he played with the steep canyon rangers. ♪ >> i've loved the banjo for a long time ever since i was a teenager. i grew up in orange county, california, and there was a lot of folk music in those days. and they played the banjo in a very different way than i played it now or than i actually played it. played more of a folk music way. it was -- ♪ like that. but another style called free fingers played by earl scruggs and that was the true bluegrass sound and that's what i really -- when i really got seriously interested when i heard that sound. ♪ bluegrass music was defined in the '40s, '50s, and '60s really but like being an impressionist painter today. you just can't do it. you have to change in subtle ways and it can adhere to tradition but people will always be interpret iing it. there's a lot of young bands who are redefining bluegrass and still sticking to the orange five or six instruments that define them. ♪