second one out, qnexa. they say it's for people who are obese. it's supposed to make you full and supposed to make you drop 6% to 9% of your body weight. >> yes. >> so it suppresses your appetite and -- >> makes you feel full already. >> you still have to diet and exercise. the thing i have with all those pills is, i don't stop eating because i'm full. you just eat because that's what you do. i mean -- >> i had a dog like that once. chablis. >> do you see what i have to deal with, all four of you? >> the other dogs finish -- >> why are we talking about dogs? we're talking about people dieting and why they eat. >> but most people stop when they're full. >> no, they don't. most people don't stop when they're full. most people eat the rest of the potato chip bag because it's there. >> we'd love to hear from you. apparently we have 340,000 that talk to us on facebook. >> yes, we do. we've got to beat the first hour's. they're up to a million. >> the "today" show has a million facebook likes. there's a big foam thumb that everyone is passing around. we don't have as many in our own little hour. >> we don't understand that. we have rabid fans. >> we have 340,000 and we need to jack it up. so get on it. >> so doctors are raising concerns about this drug, which we typically hear, like it can raise heart rates in some cases. dr. oz, who is so adorable, says the magic bullet is not out there. the old-fashioned way is the best way, earn it. for morbidly obese people, it gives hope. >> we're happy for them. good news about bruce springsteen. he's back in business. he was playing in hyde park with sir paul mccartney and because it was 10:00 at night and so late, they decided to pull the plug because the concert went on beyond the time it should. well, bruce springsteen got the last word. he went to dublin, he brought his own amplifiers. >> generator. >> whatever. plugged them in. and he picked up where he left off with "twist and shout." so he sang. and he talked. >> what's he doing now? >> this is very unusual, what we're seeing, the generator. then he played "i fought the law and the law won." anyway, he played 31 songs for 3 hours and 21 minutes. >> and i'm sure he made a lot of people very, very happy. i was out -- what's the word? >> gallivanting? >> no, no. i asked you guys about it. i always think of the person at that time that's not at the concert having a hard time with the noise. apparently you all are unbelievably selfish and don't care about yourself. >> if you live near hyde park, there will be events there and noise and music. that's where you chose to live. by the park, by the venue. >> that's interesting you are saying that now. let's talk about the other subject we went around and around. the lady -- we'll talk about tom cruise in a second, guys. the lady that became the ceo of yahoo!. >> her name is marissa mayer. here's the deal. she was actually given the ceo title when she was pregnant. so everyone is lauding really yahoo! for saying they didn't say, she's pregnant, we're not sure, should we give her the title, she'll be gone for a period of time. good for them, they gave her the job. >> she earned it. she's a brilliant woman. >> but sometimes the pregnancy can put a wrinkle in your career path. >> of course. >> but what she said she was going to do was take three weeks maternity leave and kind of work through it at home. that's raised some concerns among some people. they feel like, geez, if the boss is only taking three weeks, what happens when i get pregnant. will she expect me to take such a short maternity leave? is this the standard she's setting by being the boss? >> that's when it started. that's when the games began. >> we all started arguing. >> not arguing. i've had two children and i was working full time at the time. i came back five weeks with each baby. but i was blessed to be able to bring my children with me. i know that. christine and i and the baby left connecticut at 6:30 every morning and it worked out very very well for us. however, this is where i tie it back to what you were saying. they chose to live at hyde park. you know, when you have a child -- and feminism, i thought looking back because i was there when it started -- is about choices. we should respect one another's choices. if this lady -- first of all, yahoo! is having a lot of trouble. they need this lady. she's there to save this company. if people are worried about whether they can take their full maternity leave, they may not have a job either perhaps. who knows what would happen. but she knows her job is to come in and save that company. or at least turn that around. she also knows she wants to be a good mom. i feel for her. you're always torn. >> if you are a ceo, you can get help and have a nanny. if you are a mom who works in an office who has a restricted amount of maternity leave and have to race back and don't get the bonding thing, i get why it's controversial. >> you have both sides. >> there was something in "time" magazine that said -- >> 35%. >> here it is. the u.s. equal employment opportunity commission said pregnant related charges were up 35%. some people come back from maternity leave and losing their job or getting demoted. >> they're not supposed to according to law. it says you are guaranteed three months basically, 12 weeks, unpaid maternity leave, guaranteed your job is there when you get back. >> right. but that doesn't always happen. or it's changed or it's evolved. >> how about we just enforce the laws we already have. can't imagine what a nirvana that would be. we'd love to know how you all feel about that. maybe i'm wrong all over again. >> you've only been wrong a couple of times on this show. >> you make choices in life and then you've got to live with the choices you make. okay? >> i think so. >> it's called growing up and maturing, hodi. i'm not lying, remember that? >> let's talk about tom cruise and suri. >> i'm not lying, remember that? >> they say if you lie up and look, i say down and left. >> i don't trust anybody that does this when you're talking to them. >> tom cruise arrived in new york yesterday. we hadn't seen him since the divorce. we saw him with suri for the first time, scooping her up at the greenwich hotel. >> can you imagine, going through so much and you'd like to just have a quiet moment with your daughter. apparently he had five minutes picking her up. apparently they will will have sort of one of those -- it's not a nanny but a person who is the buffer zone between both parents so they don't end up having any meetings personally. it's sad, but somebody -- according to tmz, a source says he's sad about the divorce but not bitter. who is this person? >> how do they know whether he's bitter or sad, probably both things. >> it's tmz, come on. >> you guys have all read obits in the papers. there was an interesting obituary, a 59-year-old guy named val paterson wrote his own and put it in his local paper in utah and his beloved wife and decides to come clean about all the things he had done and decided to write it out. >> he knew he was going to die of throat cancer. >> number one, he wasn't a phd. >> he doesn't even know what phd stands for. >> there was a paperwork issue at his college that said, you have a phd, okay, so he kept it. >> he also said disneyland can now take him off the banned for life list. >> as it turns out i am the guy who stole the safe from the motor view drive inn back in june 1971. i could have left that unsaid but i wanted to get it off my chest. now, to that really mean park ranger after all, it was me that rolled those rocks into your geyser and ruined it. i did notice a few years later you did get old faithful working again. my regret is i felt invincible when i was young and smoked cigarettes when i knew they were bad for me. >> now, to make it worse, i have robbed my beloved maryjane of a decade or more of the two of us growing old together. i feel such the thief now for stealing so much from her. >> don't you love his final advice. he says, if you want to live forever, then don't stop breathing like i did. i bet that guy was fun. let's write our own obituary. i don't trust that to anybody. >> this is interesting, guys. "marie claire" magazine has different editions for people on the planet. there's one in south africa. on the cover, kate middleton appears -- she looks like a cover girl, looks like she sporting an outfit designed by a south african designer. >> although we've never seen her in quite that ubermodel pose, have we? >> they shopped her head on to another body. they weren't deceptive. on the front of it, it says she is wearing a south african designer dress with the headline, kate middleton's new royal icon wears south african's local designs with an asterisk. at the very bottom in a tiny, tiny asterisk. >> a little tiny asterisk, the editor says in tiny print, of course, she doesn't but she should. that's not really her and she's not really wearing the outfit. >> was it a violation of her privacy in a sense, or do you think it was very clever because everybody was talking about it and they just got a whole bunch of publicity for free on nbc news. >> i think it's deceived. you pick up the magazine in the airport and buy it and then you read below. that would bother me. >> don't dupe hodi. by the wie, we do have a very nice olympic book for children. it's called the ring force book. it's released in accordance with the olympics, for kids 8-12. >> by brian brown. >> and it's $6.98. and what is it about? >> it's currently on sale at barnes & noble. be a good aunt and read it to your nieces. >> by the way, my mom is babysitting for the first time two of my nieces alone. two girls. my mom is tweeting pictures. >> the woman is in control. >> there they are! i can't believe you got that picture up. my mom just took a picture. this is the two of them. she had never done it together but there they are. >> they're just having a great adjustment now, right? >> they are. they are. >> it was hard for her. she comes from ethiopia, doesn't speak -- >> ella, so excited. >> she is beautiful! coming up, the most anticipated movie of the summer. >> gotham's commissioner gordon, aka gary oldman is here. going to talk about batman's new adventure, got four stars in all the newspapers this morning. it's a hot, hot movie. we'll be with him right after this. that's great. melons!!! oh yeah!! well that was uncalled for. uhh...mr. gallagher. incoming!!! it's wasteful. you know jimmy. folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. how happy, ronny? happier than gallagher at a farmers' market. get happy. get geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. hey, i got a leak ! yoo hoo ! wait a minute, come back ! um, miss ? up here! right. like 85% of us, you have hard water stains and that cleaner's not gonna cut it. truth is, you need something powerful. you need lime-a-way. it's 4 times more effective at removing limescale than the leading bathroom cleaner. because lime-a-way is specially formulated to conquer hard water stains. for lime, calcium and rust... lime-a-way is a must. so the production of twix was divided between two separate factories. left twix factory cascades caramel and chocolate onto cookie, while right twix factory flows caramel and chocolate onto cookie. today they share nothing, but a wrapper and a driveway. try both and pick a side. another cup of coffee? today they share nothing, but a wrapper and a driveway. how long is this one going to last? forty-five minutes? an hour? well... listen. 5-hour energy lasts a whole lot of hours. take one in the afternoon, and you'll feel alert and energized 'til the cows come home. it's packed with b-vitamins and nutrients to make it last. so what's it going to be, partner? 5-hour energy. wise choice. 5-hour energy. hours and hours of energy. already sold out in many theaters across the country. director christopher nolan's final installment of the batman trilogy which doesn't open until friday is arguably the most anticipated film of the whole summer. >> it is called "the dark knight rises" and it brings back christian bale as batman and gary oldman as commissioner gordon. and although crime is down in gotham, it hasn't been an easy few years. >> something you want to ask me, officer blake? >> it's about that night, this night, eight years ago. the last confirmed sighting of the batman, murders those people, takes down two s.w.a.t. teams and breaks a man's neck and then just vanishes. >> i'm not hearing the question, son. >> don't you want to know who he was? >> i know exactly who he was. he was the batman. >> of course, you do. >> then it gets really good after that. >> juicy! >> great to see you. >> how are you? >> you look a lot better in person. we don't want to give away any secrets. we've all been sworn so to secrecy. but you don't fare so well in this movie. >> no, i don't. i thought, i look old in this movie. >> you were keeping a secret, weren't you, in the movie? >> yes, i did. >> can you give a little of that? >> yes. no, i have a secret. well esh well, it's a secret to the people of gotham. in the last one, we know how it ended, and so i know what really went down with den and the batman. >> the aaron eckhart character. >> right. >> so i was sort of compromised and forced into a position to essentially lie to the people of gotham. >> imagine that. >> imagine a commissioner or politician lying to the people, yes. >> imagine that. >> it's a real stretch. >> you have some new characters in there. anne hathaway plays a great cat woman. >> she is sensational. >> i think this could be career changing for anne. she'll be offered a different kind of roles. >> i have to admit when i first heard the casting, i didn't see it. but oh, my gosh, she's riveting in every scene she's in. except for the ones you're in and you steal it then. >> they pay you to say that. >> this is a high action film. there is a lot of it. a little different than the previous ones. >> yeah. i mean, it's interesting with chris because he likes to do a lot of effects that are in camera. so he would rather use real vehicles and stuntmen rather than digital effects. and i think there's an immediacy to this one. you really -- you feel that you're up there, you know, with those airplanes because the airplanes are really in the sky. >> so did you shoot a lot of it on location here in new york? we see a lot of what looks like new york in the final version. was this done on a sound stage somewhere or was it done here? >> some sound stage and quite a bit here and los angeles and pittsburgh. >> i was reading it was actually fun on the set. although it's a very intense movie. >> you had a hard time with this. >> i did. some of the scenes are tough to watch. >> hodi doesn't like torture. >> neither do i. >> on the set, a lot of singing with anne hathaway. >> you break into show tunes, i heard? >> we were in an underpass in downtown l.a. and we couldn't really get back to the trailer. and there's a lot of hardware in the movie, as you know, and they have to kind of reposition it and move it around, and there's just long delays between the shooting. >> so what were you singing? >> "guys and dolls." >> of course you were. >> can you give us a little? which one? >> well, anne was adelaide, of course. and i figured gordon would sound something like this, he would have a bravado. >> yes. ♪ i've never been in love before ♪ >> do a little "so sue me." ♪ so sue me sue me i love you >> the movie is unbelievable it's just going to clean up. you got a multi-picture deal. gary oldman. "the dark knight rises" opens nationwide this friday. sara is back with things that make you go, what the what? plus, who is the most googled celebrity? we'll let you know, but first these messages. have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. [ gasps ] think again. try charmin ultra strong for a clean with fewer pieces left behind. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable so it holds up better for a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. charmin ultra strong. begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. ♪ freeze frame it's that time of the week when we take a look at things that make you stop and say, what the what? >> sara's here to share the top picks from the photos you sent us. >> the first photo comes from tony. it comes with good news. the detail man guarantees i won't leave wax in your cracks. >> that is just -- >> personally, i appreciate that. >> i appreciate that as well. that's one thing i've never experienced. >> and anna submitted this crazy photo. isn't it a little early to teach them to drop and give me twenty? >> oh, my gosh. >> little aden was trying to crawl and got stuck in that position. >> that's the cutest thing ever, downward dog. >> that's adorable. look at his little chubby toes holding up his weight. >> look at the little rolls of chubs holding up his knees. >> the proportion of strength at that point, he's doing a lot there. >> he will play batman in the 100th installment of the movie eventually. >> the next one is from ralph samples. employees must use toilet paper before returning to work. was that an issue before? >> that is so nasty. >> nothing about washing your hands. >> no, not washing your hands. just use toilet paper. how did they even discover that problem. >> pee limit, 25 miles an hour. can you even gauge that? >> did they scrape off the letters? >> they've fallen off. i like that. >> it's nice to remind people. >> i mean, there is a limit for everybody. >> if you're doing that at 50 miles an hour, somebody gets hurt. >> finally, diane davis submitted this photo. pizzeria and bakery now open, still serving japanese, in case you were wondering. because this is a diverse restaurant. >> all righty then. >> you know what i've got to say? actually, i was into it this time. >> oh, kath! welcome back to the team. >> try to control yourself. >> submit your photos to klg&hoda.com. what are you googling right now? we will tell you who you're googling. and you'll be looking like a beach babe. >> hoda knows. if you like bargain hunting, we'll tell you where to get the best deals on absolutely everything. you have to wait a minute or so. we have some local news coming up. [dumbfounded] well, we... doesn't last long does it? listen. 5-hour energy lasts a whole lot of hours. so you can get a lot done without refills. it's packed with b-vitamins and nutrients to make it last. so don't just stand there holding your lattes, boys. make your move. we'll take the 5-hour energy. smart move. 5-hour energy. hours and hours of energy. [ wife ] a beached whale! lawn clippings! a mattress. a sausage link. mermaid. honey!? driftwood. come on, you gotta help us out here a little. [ male announcer ] febreze eliminates odors and leaves carpets fresh. ♪ [ male announcer ] febreze. eliminates odors and leaves carpets fresh. ♪ switch from cascade to finish dishwasher detergent. that's about 150,000 a month, over 2 million people so far. with finish quantum you get incredibly clean, sparkling dishes without having to rinse them first. now see for yourself why millions have switched to finish. join the finish revolution. and now you can try finish quantum for free. visit us on facebook. >> we are back now on this winesday wednesday. time to play our game called "who knew." we are asking questions about the place everyone goes to find answers, that is google. kathie lee is right across the street at the nbc experience store. she's handing out 100 bucks to those who get the questions right and for those who don't, they get a kathie lee cd. who doesn't want that. daniel is with me, google's technologist. what is that? >> i get to do cool stuff with google. >> straight across the street to kath. >> look at this beautiful mom and daughter from florida. it will be kirsten's eighth birthday on friday. which celebrity has been the most popular so far this year on google? chris brown, katie holmes, beyonce or tom cruise. >> this year -- [ bell dings ] >> she hasn't said it yet! >> i would say katie. >> now, you can do it. >> katie holmes. >> probably not a big surprise to folks. tom cruise and she have been in the news lately. some other out there definitely, beyonce, tom cruise absolutely. >> she's hot for this minute. definitely for sure. back across to kath. >> from houston, texas. what is the most popular youtube video of all time? "baby," "charlie bit my finger," "david after dentist" or "coney 2012." >> i think it's b, "charlie bit my finger." >> i thought you were going to say bieber. no. she's going to love my album. it's totally appropriate for her age. >> just tell us. it's not "charlie bit my finger, " it's "baby" by justin bieber. but what is "charlie bit my finger"? >> a powerful video. very cute. hysteric al stuff. a boy whose brother bites his finger. that bieber video, it stuck in my head. i did not watch it before doing the research. >> there it is. ♪ >> it is in the cajillions. >> very nice tall gentleman from columbus. which of the following olympic athletes gathered the highest amount of queries on google search leading up to the summer games? chris paul, kobe bryant, shawn johnson or lebron james. >> as a miami heat fan, i would say lebron james. >> you are right. >> lebron is getting the most queries on google. >> a slam-dunk. lebron getting a lot of attention with the miami heat win but also with the summer olympics coming up. interestingly, shawn johnson is up there, even though she's not competing in the olympics. but people are just curious about her. there's been ads featuring her lately. and she'll be there, right? >> i hope so. she is very beloved. >> a lovely lady visiting from salt lake city. what is this hottest vacation destination of the summer so far on google search? puerto rico, los angeles, orlando or miami? >> i don't know. the hottest is new york. >> that's not the question. you got it wrong then. >> sorry. we think so, but that's not the answer. go ahead. >> the correct answer is not new york. it is orlando. >> which may surprise some folks but they're often looking for summer vacation deals and different packages, disney world, of course. we're even seeing people choosing it as a honeymoon location. >> they're going to disney for their honeymoon? >> they're going to orlando and maybe fold in disney world, i don't know. >> sounds romantic. back across to kath. >> from cokokomo. >> like the beach boys song. >> that's right. what u.s. city have americans searched for the most on google earth this year, honolulu, las vegas, new york city or san francisco? >> new york city. >> he said that with no hesitation. >> he was right. >> google earth. this is a hot spot. >> that's right. what's really cool about new york city if you check it out on google earth, you can see the 3d buildings there, it really is an immersive experience. >> i think it's crazy how it takes you down to the street level and you can see the cars parked. >> crazy. >> back to kath. >> visiting from wisconsin, ever since 2003, how many unique searches has google answered? 65 million, 1.5 billion, 450 billion or 920 trillion? >> 450 billion. >> wow. was that a guess? >> yes. >> well, she guessed right. >> i'm so impressed. >> 450 billion. that's a lot. >> 450 billion unique searches. people do billions of soifrp s every day. that's just for unique queries in the last nine years or so and still going. amazing. >> thanks for coming to see us. we appreciate it. how to get those beach goddess waves without hitting the beach. it's all about the hair, right after this. so what i'm saying is, people like options. when you take geico, you can call them anytime you feel like saving money. it don't matter, day or night. use your computer, yo smartphone, your tablet, whatever. the point is, you have options. oh, how convenient. hey. crab cakes, what are you looking at? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. it's time for "today's" style. how to get that sexy summer hair. it's usually about fighting back that frizz. >> you know a thing or two about that, don't you, hoda woman. >> not nice. >> you can get a few easy tips from nick arrojo of arrojo studio. he has some help. how are you? >> terrific. >> our first model has kind of thick hair. you wouldn't know by looking at her. >> she has a lot of hair. >> you're trying to get a wave into that. what's the best way to do it? >> she actually has quite a bit of curl in her hair and we want to get it flatter with a straightening iron. we actually push in the bend and press the bend. so we heat the bend because the heat is actually going to change the texture. >> fascinating. >> you see how flat that wave is. not a big one. >> oh, don't hold it too long. >> it's okay. it has protection in there. we protected the hair. you can see the steam, the product. >> what product are you using? >> you can get products that will protect the hair. >> like what? >> like a thermal protector. that's what they're called. >> i need specifics. >> thermal protectors protect your hair and stop it from burning and protect you from the sun. >> do you just spray it with hairspray to keep it where you like it? >> once you've prepped it with a little bit of holding spray, then you press it, protection, then you press it and make the magic. >> it takes time. >> it takes a bit of time to do. >> what about the back? >> you have to pull it forward like this. if you're doing it yourself, you will actually be working it around. you hold the piece down, push. but this is to flatten the hair down. >> you get better at it. >> yes, you do get better at it. >> thank you very much. >> so she had a lot of hair, but this one has super super fine hair. it's very different. this one, we only use a rod, a hot rod. >> a hot rod. >> what we do is this is a little bit easier, we will put some movement in here. you place, you place, you twist, you place, you twist. you create that curl. this is a little bit easier, this will put a little more volume. >> sometimes it's easy to burn the tips of your finger. >> most of these come with a glove. but seeing that i'm a pro, i didn't wear the glove. >> arrojo the pro. >> you get that curl. >> just so people know, there's no little -- what is that? >> the clip. >> this is the thing. even if you wanted to put a bend in somewhere. the key to this look for sure is keeping everything nice and flat. nice and smooth because it's not big this way, it's cascading down. >> did you prep her hair, too? >> yes, we prepped it. you have to prep it. also, we used a texture spray. we used a texture spray, an aerosol texture spray. it can be a dry shampoo, too. that actually building bulk in the hair. >> builds bulk. >> thank you, arrojo. >> makes it thicker and a little fuller. >> where are you from, nick? >> from manchester, england. >> what's alecia got going on? >> this is a permanent texture change. that's what this is. >> what are you doing? >> she has naturally very very straight hair. >> oh, my gosh. those are awesome! >> this is how we set it. >> when it's wet? >> we apply the lotion. now she has these permanent waves. >> it looks fantastic! >> when we started out, she had bone-straight hair. this is the newest way. remember in the good old days we used to perm? >> that doesn't hurt your hair at all. that is gorgeous. >> doesn't hurt. we have different lotions now. this creates movement. she had bone-straight hair when we met her. this is permanently done. >> you did this side already? >> we didn't put these in. we only put these in to show you. in the good old days they used to perm with small rods. >> yes. it was nasty. >> now we're using a soft tool to create the waves and movement. if you're looking to save some money, we will tell you what to buy right now. >> that looks really great. hi, i'm meteorologist kim cunningham. it's time to look at the next seven days. we're watching thunderstorms once again from the midwest all the way into the deep south, and we could see a few isolated severe storms with that. over the next couple of days we'll start to decrease that threat in some areas, but i'll tell you what the heat is coming back for some. 103 in kansas city, no major changes for you. 101 in billings, 80 in seattle. the nooesrtheast, here's the tooldown, 87 in new york, in the 90s in d.c., humidity levels coming down. watching the storms on friday all the way from new york to the emerald coast. no major changes, a stormy weekend for some of us. the heat, central plains, area of high pressure right over us. that's why we're going to see those temperatures in the triple digits in some areas. the southeast, boy, we're going to get some good rains the next couple of days. this is not totally bad because we're in that drought. 77 in new york city, can you handle it? 72 in seattle. and really the big story this week is going to be the south getting a lot of that good rain towards the weekend. 95 in chicago, here comes that heat. it's a short-lived break, 99 in chicago on monday, kansas city 101, billings 97. then tuesday's forecast, dry in the plains so with high pressure over us, we won't get the rain we need in this area. we continue to see it in the south, mid-atlantic, the northeast 90s, new york city, in the southwest the monsoon returning a little bit with some showers and storms. phoenix 102, seattle at 75, san francisco at 69. but once again the central u.s. staying hot. that pattern is not going to change here in the next week. monday through friday, "wake up with al" and stephanie. they'll get you that forecast to get you through your day. when a carpet is clean and fresh, it's irresistible. experience this in your home with resolve deep clean powder. its moist powder penetrates deep, removing three times more dirt than vacuuming alone while also neutralizing odors at their source. it's a clean you can see, smell, and really enjoy. resolve deep clean powder. don't just vacuum clean, resolve clean. mike's being healthy and chewing like a man. introducing one-a-day vitacraves for men! it's a gummy multivitamin... with more vitamin b, to convert food to energy, and help mike do manly things, like wrestle bears and take out the garbage. new one-a-day vitacraves for men. it's time for "today's consumer" and how to find a good bargain. the summer is full of deals to be had. but timing is everything. >> so here with the scoop on what to buy right now is kim lankford, a contributing editor to "kiplinger's personal finance" magazine. hi, kim. >> hi, thanks for having me. >> it is that time people are looking for a great deal. often, you don't know the right way to go about finding a good deal, do you? >> that's exactly right. actually, this time of year while everyone is at the beach and thinking about vacation, that's when the stores are really offering some great deals to try to get you in there. >> just get the traffic going. >> exactly. so if you work ahead of time, a few weeks before everyone comes back and doing all that back-to-school shopping you can get some really good deals. >> you always hear about christmas in july and people are buying stuff -- >> last week we were talking about how great that was. >> everyone doing their christmas shopping now. is that a good idea? >> well, you can get some things earlier. some of these christmas in july deals and black friday july deals, a little bit of them are gimmicky. not as good deals as you would get in november during the real black friday. but you can get some really good deals now, especially as the end of the seasons wind up, especially on furniture and clothing, back-to-school things. >> that makes sense. >> those are exactly right this time of year. >> so you just look for discounts, right sales. >> delaware is a great spot. >> also the sales tax-free days. >> that is coming up. 17 states this year are offering sales tax-free days. usually they're the beginning of august. getting started in your school shopping. they usually have a real specific list of what you can get sales tax free, like school items, some clothing. and some states even let you get a computer sales tax free. but there's a few catches. you need to be very careful. sometimes, especially for clothing, it has to be items $100 or less. so it can add up to be several hundred dollars but you don't want to go over the hundred because then you'll have to pay the taxes. >> what are some of these promo codes that a lot of department stores have? >> this is where the websites are wonderful. they will help you find some of these promo codes that add an additional amount off. in addition to some of these sales like lord taylor right now has a promo code, if you put "final" in, you get 20% off in addition to the sales they have. >> that really adds up. pretty soon they will pay you to take stuff away from them. it's unbelievable. also, if you're ordering patio furniture and that type of thing, get them to deliver it for free, right? >> that's exactly right. macy's has a deal you can get a percentage off, 15% off and they'll deliver it free if it's $999 or more. >> because that really adds up. >> it does. >> it does, especially for something large like that. blooming da inin bloomingdales has right now, if you order online, not only do you get up to 75% off -- they're having a great sale. >> you're kidding me! >> i know. it's worth look at. then if you order online, you get free shipping, too. a great time. >> and gym memberships, we can't talk about it. people expect you to do it in january, don't, do it now. sex, romance, drama. but enough about hoda. all the makings of a great summer read. >> but first, this is "today" on nbc. r cup of coffee? how long is this one going to last? forty-five minutes? an hour? well... listen. 5-hour energy lasts a whole lot of hours. take one in the afternoon, and you'll feel alert and energized 'til the cows come home. it's packed with b-vitamins and nutrients to make it last. so what's it going to be, partner? 5-hour energy. wise choice. 5-hour energy. hours and hours of energy. [ marcy ] it's like memory foam. [ female announcer ] the only pad made from a revolutionary material. [ erina ] it totally fits to your body. [ female announcer ] it's incredible protection, you'll barely feel it. always infinity. tell us what you think. have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. it's time for "today's sizzling summer reads." today's is described as romantic, sharp edged and delicious. again, enough about hoda woman. >> we're talking about "imperfect bliss," the third novel from mtv comedy writer, sarah halesville. >> and the hits keep on coming! >> i don't pump out babies, i pump out books. >> and you do it beautifully. >> this is based on a made-up reality show about a virgin. am i right? >> are there still any of those out there besides my daughter? >> there are women over the age of 13 who are. we're living in such a crazy and absurd world, thinking, what's next, the only thing they haven't done a woman selecting someone on national tv a certified version but she's not really teaching abstinence, in a push-up bra. >> this is an idea for a reality show that never of really made it out. >> there was an outcry. we do have a taste level somewhere. >> you thought it was coming out and you wanted to beat it. >> right. i did. it's also a take on "pride and prejudice,". before, it was 25 men in a ballroom vying for the attentions of a woman. now it's 25 beefcakes in a hot tub vying for the attention of a young woman. >> do you know how many germs are in that hot tub? >> i think if jane austin were alive today, she would be writing about these reality shows. her books are about the search for truth. >> do you watch these reality shows? >> here's my secret confession. when "the bachelor" was first coming on, i said, it's the fall of western civilization. my husband said, oh, here she goes again. he said, yes, dear. two weeks later, i was hooked. >> what happened? >> i was, like, shh, trista is about to pick her guy. >> did you watch this one with emily? >> i'm tuning in on sunday because it's going to be very exciting. we're living in the time of picking your husband through -- >> it would be a great beach read, this book, the kind you fly right through? >> absolutely. >> are there real lessons in there? >> there are real lessons because it is about trying to find the marriage of true minds or money. >> or bodies. >> although bodies are a good thing. >> in the evening, mr. right now. >> that will disappear pretty quickly if you don't have the two minds. >> the heroine bliss is a divorced woman and living back ats at home. her mother is a royalist all about the younger sister being on this show. this is a book about picking yourself up when life has knocked you down on your derriere. ♪ start all over again >> good to see you again. congratulations. tomorrow we have our ambush makeovers and the