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Firsthand Horror of Hurricane Katrina; South Asia Tsunami: One Year Later; Letters to Santa

Aired December 23, 2005 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNARD JACKLEY, KATRINA VICTIM: A lot of people's treasures floating down the stream here now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The firsthand horror of homes destroyed. It's a home video you don't want to miss, straight ahead on LIVE FROM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Because the conditions here in Iraq have evolved favorably, we've made a decision to reduce our brigades from 17 to 15 and to increase some of our assistants to the training and equipping and -- of the Iraqi security forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: A bombshell, but pre-holiday, post-Iraq election promise from Donald Rumsfeld. On a yuletide visit to Fallujah today, the defense secretary announced a drawdown of U.S. forces in the first few months, from 2006 from 17 combat brigades, as you just heard, to 15. That will mean more than 7,000 soldiers who've been expecting to go to Iraq really won't, barring unforeseen events. And overall U.S. troop strength will draw below the so-called base level of 138,000 that existed for most of 2005.

President Bush has committed the administration to a gradual troop withdrawal from Iraq, as Iraqi forces become more capable of fighting the insurgents by themselves. Thirty-six years ago, President Richard Nixon proposed a similar policy in Vietnam. It was called "Vietnamization."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): In 1969, public support for the war in Vietnam was dwindling. President Nixon was looking for a way to limit U.S. involvement while still avoiding defeat. In November of 1969, he announced a new policy called Vietnamization.

The plan was to gradually withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam while building up the South Vietnamese army, so it could stand up to the North by itself. Mr. Nixon says he would not announce a timetable for what he called obvious reasons, but he declared, quote, "as South Vietnamese forces become stronger, the rate of American withdrawal can become greater," unquote.

Troop levels, which had had peaked at 540,000 in 1968, fell to 160,000 in 1971. The last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam in March of 1973.

For a time, the South seemed to be holding its own, but, late in 1974, the North Vietnamese launched a new offensive. As the last Americans in Vietnam scrambled aboard helicopters to get out, the South Vietnamese government surrendered in April 1975.

Despite the outcome of the war, some people say Vietnamization was not a failure. Former Defense Secretary Melvin Laird, the architect of it, says that the plan called for the U.S. to continue supporting the South Vietnamese government in other ways.

Laird says it was the failure of Congress to follow through on the plan, not a failure of Vietnamization itself, that led to the fall of South Vietnam. He says that, far from being a failure, Vietnamization is a lesson the United States can apply to Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, in the years after the fall of the South Vietnamese government, the United States gradually improved its relationship with the Hanoi government that replaced it. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the normalization of U.S.-Vietnamese diplomatic relations.

Bourbon Street is back in business, once again open all night. Just in time for Christmas revelers, New Orleans is lifting its curfew for neighborhoods west of the Industrial Canal for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. That includes the French Quarter and the city's Lakeview neighborhood near Lake Pontchartrain. Those areas just east of the canal, though, like the Lower Ninth Ward, are still off-limits between midnight and 6:00 a.m.

The thousands of people who survived Hurricane Katrina's rampage will never, ever forget those first terrifying moments when it became clear this was more than a wicked storm. One survivor kept a video diary of his nightmare, seen first on CNN's "SITUATION ROOM."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACKLEY: This is the downstairs. I'm boarded up. It's the day before the big show. Everything looking good. Water supposed to get up to that high. I don't think so.

Well, the old wind's blowing pretty good. I'll take some more movies of the -- when it comes in. Maybe I'll get on TV. Everything looking pretty good now. I think we'll be all right.

I think -- here it comes. We just had a gust of about 100 miles an hour just a little while ago. I got plenty of waterfront property. Better start selling it.

I've had enough out of you there, whatever your name -- Katrina, or whatever the hell your name is. The whole downstairs is underwater. My truck's right down there someplace underwater. I might have to go to the roof.

There goes my truck. Yes, we're going to have a lot of good stuff floating by here. Oh, there goes the house. It's gone. Man, alive, everything in it, unbelievable. That's where she was right there. Man, there's some kind of heater or something.

Man, there's Ray's refrigerator. His whole house is gone, too, man. (INAUDIBLE) Where's all this stuff coming from?

All up and down the road here, devastation. There's me, I got about another two feet before I'm going onto the top floor, two-story house. I don't believe it. There goes a boat. There goes another one. That poor guy just built that house over there. He's going down.

I can't believe all this stuff. Look at that mess. Whoa, baby. That's all -- look at that, oh, got a tidal wave coming. Never thought I'd die this way. Maybe that old tree will float over here and get me. Man alive, look at all the garbage.

Here comes another one. Uh-oh, here comes a big one. Can you see that? Coming at me. Uh-oh, I hear the bottom of the floor pounding when them waves hit. Liable to lift this thing right off the foundation. Man, it's just getting worse. It ain't getting no better. The refrigerator.

You think them insurance guys will understand when I show them this picture, if I'm alive? I can feel the floor shaking. This whole house is going to have to come down, I guess.

Here it comes up the front door. It broke the front door. I don't know if you can all see that. It's up to the top.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And there's even more to see of Kennard Jackley's amazing video. Just go to CNN.com/pipeline, our new live online video subscription service, and check it out. Our own Susan Roesgen recently met up with Kennard Jackley, the homeowner behind that camera.

Susan, quite a character. How is he now? What's he doing?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, he is one lovable old coot, Kennard Jackley. He's 65 years old. He was a merchant marine for 30 years, so he told me he thought he'd seen everything on the high seas.

And in high school, he told me that he was voted most likely to wind up alone on an island. And really, his house was an island surrounded by Lake Pontchartrain.

He's fine now. His wife evacuated to Dallas before the storm. She said she tried to get him to evacuate but he was too stubborn and so he stayed. And now their house has got quite a bit of damage. Only the second floor is still habitable. The bottom floor was just wiped out.

PHILLIPS: So did he end up going up on his roof or was he -- did he stay on the second level?

ROESGEN: He stayed on the second level. His escape plan was going to be through the roof, but it never got higher than the floor on the second level. It got about nine feet above his foundation and started, as you saw, to sort of lapping over the floor. But then the water went down after about a day.

And you remember, Kyra, in the beginning of that tape, he was really talking to his insurance company. He set out to make this home video so that he could document all of his possessions for the insurance company in case he wanted to file a claim.

Well, he did file a claim. He says the insurance company is only willing to pay $14,000. He says the repairs are going to take a lot more than that. So he is now selling DVDs of that home video, his big adventure, to try to raise money to pay for the repairs.

PHILLIPS: Are people buying the video?

ROESGEN: Yes, they are. People are stopping by his house. It's mostly word-of-mouth. He's selling the first hour at $20, the most exciting hour at $20, and the second hour, which you didn't see there, which is when he takes off his shirt and he starts cooking some pork chops on the grill because he had to get rid of the meat that was going to go bad in his fridge.

He is like a young Ernest Hemingway. I love that guy. And he's a real survivor. I told Wolf Blitzer last night, you know, next time there's a hurricane, he's the guy I want to be with, because he's going to be OK.

PHILLIPS: He's a piece of work. I'd want to be with him, too. Well, a lot of people still waiting for their insurance checks, right, and not only waiting for their insurance checks, but how's the mail in New Orleans?

ROESGEN: Well, I got your Christmas card, Kyra, but we're not getting a whole lot else, I'm afraid. The main post office here in New Orleans flooded right after the hurricane. And now some people are only getting a trickle of mail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROESGEN (voice-over): Like the rest of the country, New Orleanians are busy sending out last-minute cards and packages. But while the mail goes out, some people are finding very little coming in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That means there's no mail. OK, no mail.

ROESGEN: Paul Weggener (ph) hasn't had any mail in almost four months. His house was flooded, just like New Orleans' main post office.

(on-screen): If you want to see where the real problem is, this is it, the heating and air conditioning vents that allowed 14 million gallons of water to get in.

(voice-over): The main post office used to handle 7 to 8 million items every day. Now, while it's cleaned and repaired, other branches are busier than ever and postal workers are struggling to get the mail out. But in some neighborhoods, you're more likely to see Bigfoot than a mailman.

TONY RUDA, POSTMASTER: If you would normally get one, two, three pieces a day, that may be one piece a day, that may be one piece every other day, that may be two pieces every three days.

ROESGEN: Postmaster Tony Ruda says the main post office won't be open again until the spring. In the meantime, a lot of people will be waiting to see what they've been missing.

DEBRA GEIGER, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: I got a September issue of "Time" magazine last week. So that's, like, three months late, so -- and that's the only magazine that I've gotten. Not being critical, but where is the mail?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROESGEN: That's the big question. Tony Ruda, the district manager for the postal service here in Louisiana, told me that 110,000 homes, Kyra, 110,000 homes are not getting any home delivery at all because those are basically in neighborhoods that are now abandoned.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, I remember New Orleans during the holidays. It was always beautiful, a lot of decorations, lights. What's the feeling, Susie? You've been there for so many years. I mean, are people trying to get in the spirit and decorate around the city?

ROESGEN: You know, I think we're like the Whos down in Whoville, Kyra. It's not going to be a normal Christmas. There isn't much of the normal pomp and circumstance. But there are some really touching scenes. You see some people decorating their trailers, putting lights up when they don't have much of a home left. And so I think, you know, this is going to be a very special Christmas, quiet Christmas, quieter than normal here in New Orleans.

PHILLIPS: Susan Roesgen, always great to talk to you. Have a great holiday, Susie.

ROESGEN: Hey, Merry Christmas, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thanks.

Well, let the good times roll in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Imperial Palace, with a new name and a new look, is up and running again four months after Hurricane Katrina crashed ashore. The storm flattened or heavily damaged all the casinos that once contributed $500,000 a day to the state's coffers. The Imperial, now called IP Hotel and Casino, is the first to get its roulette wheel spinning again.

Well, it's hard to believe it's been almost exactly a year since the devastating tsunami hit Indonesia. We're going to check in on how some of the worst-hit communities are doing. LIVE FROM has all the news you want this afternoon. Stay with us. We got it for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The day after Christmas is a holiday for many people, a time of reflection for others. The holiday marks one year -- or Monday, rather, marks one year since a powerful earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that wiped out entire villages in South Asia. We'll never forget it. And neither will CNN's Atika Schubert as she revisits one of the most devastated areas still struggling to recover.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Aceh is a broken land. More than 130,000 dead, more than 30,000 still missing, and half-a-million homeless. More than $7 billion has been pledged to rebuild its shores. One year on, is the Indonesian province finally on the road to recovery?

(on-screen): This is Aceh's biggest reconstruction project, rebuilding more than 250 kilometers, or about 155 miles, of road washed out to sea by the tsunami. It will become the link between rural areas and markets in the city, but it could take years to complete. We traveled down here to talk to communities alongside the road and ask them how the reconstruction process is really going.

(voice-over): Construction has yet to start. For the moment, the two-lane road is sometimes paved, sometimes not. More than 100 bridges need to be replaced. Building crews struggle to get through in the monsoon season. Ships deposited inland by the tsunami rust on the roadside.

Tent villages are common, as are homes coddled together from tsunami scrap wood. In one such village, we find Zacarias (ph). The tsunami swept away his home, his parents, his wife, and two young daughters. He calls them his pocket family.

"I only have photos left," he says. "I keep them in my pocket and carry them wherever I go."

This has been his home for a year now, sleeping in a bed salvaged from the wood of destroyed homes. He says new houses will be built nearby, but he doesn't know when.

"If you ask me, I think it's taking far too long," he says. "I'd like to say I'll be moving into a new house this month, like they told me, but I'd be lying. I also can't say that they are not building us homes because they say they are."

There are many houses under construction, just not enough. More than 100,000 are needed, only 20,000 have been built. Fewer than 20 percent of those displaced are in permanent homes. The rest remain in flimsy temporary shelters. Aid officials say the situation is improving, but more work needs to be done.

ERIC MORRIS, UNITED NATIONS: Maybe a few months ago, the common question from the tsunami survivors is: Where is my home? That's still the basic question. But now you're getting the same question: What can I do to take care of my family?

SCHUBERT: This road was also an economic lifeline for communities here. In this village, more than half were killed, mostly women and children. The husbands and older brothers left behind are eager to work and forget their losses, but the broken road cannot provide jobs anymore.

"It takes all afternoon just to get into the city to look for work now, not including the money for transportation," Zacarias says. "With a home and some start-up money, I'd be just as happy to learn to become a fisherman."

Even fishermen have newly donated boats but only rusty salvaged engines to work with. Life in Aceh seems to consist of living off of the scraps the tsunami left behind.

"I look for tsunami scrap all day because I can't sit still," Zacarias says. "I have no family, so I go into the fields looking for wood to build a house and try to remember my wife and children." For Zacarias, like so many others, the road to recovery is far too long.

Atika Schubert, CNN, on Aceh's west coast road.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, as you can see, much remains to be done a year after the tsunami. Lynn Fritz with the nonprofit Fritz Institute has seen the struggles for himself, talking to victims about the help that they received and what they still need. He joins us now live from San Francisco.

And we should point out, Lynn, you shared with us some photos that depict quite graphically the harsh realities of recovery. You took a lot of shots. Why don't we start talking, first of all, about just the shelter and the fact that so many people are still living in tents, right?

LYNN FRITZ, FRITZ INSTITUTE: That is absolutely correct. I think your former segment showed that pretty clearly from Banda Aceh, but it's quite the same in India and in Sri Lanka, in different villages. But, by and large, the vast majority of people that were impacted by the tsunami are in temporary shelters, in camps, tin, tar- paper type of camps or shelters, very little sanitation, no area for security or for storage. That is the absolute reality across the tsunami front.

PHILLIPS: And you and I have been talking about this since the beginning of the year. You've made so many trips over there, conducted so many interviews in different languages just to talk about the aid, did it get there, how was it distributed. You see people living like this still, and you think of all the money, a lot of it coming from the United States, to help these people. Was the aid distributed the way it should have been distributed?

FRITZ: You'll have to sort of parse this into a little different levels, Kyra. The original aid, I would call the survival aid, that came into basically sustain the families -- that's food, medical equipment, medical attention, and the rest -- did flood in. Disease was not an issue, thanks to the quick response of the humanitarian community and the military in that area, as well as local governments. So there was a vast incursion of very, very good work that eliminated some of the worst conditions and unnecessary deaths.

The next question, though, is: What happens now after the 60 days now a year later? And as, again, as your clip indicated, two or three very concerning things.

One is, you know, housing is in wretched condition. People are seeing day to day the reminders of the tsunami because they're in temporary shelters.

Perhaps even more alarming on the optimism side, or the lack of same, is that people's income -- our survey, which was over 300 villages, thousands of people were surveyed in their native languages, indicate that the vast majority of people are at 50 percent or lower of their original income. So the optimism that would churn a different sort of set of thoughts on this is omnipresent and, I think, cumulative.

PHILLIPS: What about livelihood, the fishing industry? Has it recovered?

FRITZ: Absolutely not. There was about a three-month hiatus, of course, while boats were being fixed and repaired. And there was an enormous reaction from the world to get new boats, but that was a three-month hiatus.

Once the fishermen were on the water, the market absolutely almost disappeared. It went down over 90 percent because of fear of fish that had eaten people, and the market disappeared tragically.

Now, one year later, fishermen by and large are fishing at maybe 50 or 60 percent of their normal amount of fishing, due to the fact of fear of another tsunami. So they're fishing more on just low tides, so their productivity has really been impaired.

And all of the other communities around the fishing, I think, as your tape depicted as well, are suffering because these are all support for basic fishing communities which were hit most emphatically during the tsunami.

PHILLIPS: Well, you just got back from this conference in India last week. What were, let's say, two of the main things that were discussed about what to do now, what to do with aid money that's still available, with volunteers that are still there, and the people that continue to suffer?

FRITZ: The findings were very clear and discussed between government officials, local officials, NGOs, international NGOs, that are got together at our conference to understand what to do next and what lessons learned. To that end, one of the tragic things is, you have to understand, on large disasters like this, the first responders are survivors. They're the only ones that are there for the first 48 hours.

And the lesson learned, Kyra, amongst anything else is local preparation, even the most rudimentary form, can really eliminate and avoid tragic loss of life, injuries, et cetera. That's the biggest lesson.

The second one, as I said, when you get into longer term aid, a good deal of money has not been spent, not because the governments or the humanitarian organizations aren't trying to be more effective, but, in India alone, there's been like a hundred-year drought -- not a hundred-year drought -- for the most rainy cyclone area or experiences over the last 50 years have come within the last 30 or 60 days in Tamilnadu. And, as a result, a good deal of the infrastructure that was put up has been washed away.

So is there a lot to do? Absolutely. Has the money been spent? It has not. Am I encouraged that there will be increased improvements? Absolutely. But it's going to take years, not months.

PHILLIPS: My final question, you know, your entire life you've been an extremely successful businessman. And you've put that aside now and you focus on your institute and humanitarian work.

Why do you care about these people? Why are you doing this? And why do you spend your time going back and forth trying to figure out what went wrong and how to make it better?

FRITZ: In the end, disasters, as I think everybody in the world is now seeing, are not one-off issues now that are somebody else's problems or they won't occur or affect the rest of the world. Disasters will continue on an unabated fashion.

This is a social issue of significance, Kyra. This is a human issue of great significance. Just the economic implications of disasters and how they're attended are immense.

And I really do believe -- my feeling is -- it's a moral imperative, you know, for the world to be aware of it, the world to organize, to prepare better. I think this is a civil responsibility. And I'm delighted, actually honored, to have taken some of the measures I have, and we're just really beginning.

PHILLIPS: Lynn Fritz, it's been a pleasure to interview you. Thank you so much for your time today.

FRITZ: Thank you so much. And best wishes to you and your viewers for this season, as well. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

Well, tune in tonight for more inspirational stories of hope and recovery. ANDERSON COOPER 360 takes you back to tsunami-ravaged South Asia. That's tonight, 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're getting word of an incident at Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. This videotape just brought into us via our affiliate, WSVN. A Continental connection plane, Flight Number 9288, it was on its way from Key West to Ft. Lauderdale. It had some problems extending its nose gear. It had to land with the nose gear up.

No one is hurt, we're told. There were 16 passengers. And we'll keep updated on the situation of that aircraft. Don't know if everyone's gotten out of that plane or not, but we're following it for you.

We also have some new video to show you right now. An unmanned Russian cargo craft, it docked with the International Space Station just a short time ago. It's carrying a cargo of holiday cheer. Nearly three tons of supplies on board, including gifts, chocolate and red holiday hats for the two crew members, Russian Valery Tokarev and American William McCarthur.

We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And here we go. It's almost time for the round-the- world journey for the world's most famous elf. If it all goes as planned, the sleigh departs tomorrow from above the Arctic Circle. But as Richard Quest reports now from Finland, the home address of Santa Claus is still a topic of mystery, not to mention debate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Send a letter to Santa and this is probably where it ends up. Finnish Lapland, the start of the Arctic Circle where there are more wild reindeer than people.

At this time of the year, 30,000 letters arrive every day at the post office. Sorting these letters from all over the world is a Herculean task for the post office workers -- sorry, the elves. For those letters that ask questions about Santa's life, there's a reply with a special postmark. For those that just ask for gifts, well, they get filed.

These children write about their lives, their friends, their pets. They send lots and lots of drawings. They send photographs. It's a wonderful way of communicating and it's a wonderful way of, you know, getting the feel, you know, what's happening there and how they feel and all. It really is nice. QUEST (on camera): To Santa Lapland. This is from ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that was the Adam (ph).

QUEST (voice-over): Opening Santa's mail is a journey around the globe. Other countries send them here even if they are just addressed to the North Pole. The Finns believe all this proves Santa is theirs. Other countries don't agree. In a dispute worthy of the United Nations, Greenland, Iceland, Sweden and others all claim Santa really lives with them. Thin ice, says Finland.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They can claim it, but we've got him here on the Arctic Circle, every single day of the year. So if you want to visit Santa, you can come to Rovenaemi and find him here 365 days per year.

QUEST (on camera): With such a volume of mail, Santa it seems is no myth. And it doesn't really matter which country claims him as theirs, with so many letters from around the world, Santa is the happy spirit of globalization.

Richard Quest, CNN, at the Arctic Circle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Got to love Richard Quest.

Well, with the big day so close at hand, Santa Claus may have a lot on his mind, but he probably isn't worried. Under various names and traditions, he's pulled off Christmas for hundreds of years. Here's a quick look at history.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Most historians trace Santa Claus' roots back to Saint Nicholas. He was a fourth century Catholic bishop in the area that is today known as Turkey. Saint Nick was famous for his generous gifts to the poor and later became the patron saint of children.

Santa Claus also owes some of his traits to the British Father Christmas, dating back to at least the 1600s. He certainly got a white beard and he looks pretty jolly, but he's wearing green. Most historians say it was the Dutch that first brought the tradition to America. They call him Sinterklaas, based on the figure of Saint Nicholas. He leaves gifts in children's shoes on December 5th, the night before the saint's birthday.

Believe it or not, it wasn't until the late-19th century when Santa Claus started appearing as we know him today, a plump, jolly old elf in a red suit, visiting on Christmas Eve.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, if you haven't finished your shopping yet, there isn't much time. If you're planning a last-minute trip to the shopping mall, you're going to have lots of company.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim is in Skokie, Illinois, just outside Chicago. How is it, Keith?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's getting busier all the time. You can see there's increased traffic here from the last live shot that we did about an hour ago, Kyra. This is the Westfield Old Orchard Mall in Skokie and they are expected to get 75,000 folks here tomorrow, and the doors close at 6:00.

I'm going to head right now into one of the specialty shops. And as I head in, I'm going to mention one of the hot and not so hot toys -- excuse me -- that are going on this weekend. See, I've got a lot of traffic on my way in. And those hot and cold toys. Hot are Dora the Explorer and Furby; very electronic, interactive toys. And surprisingly, not so hot is Barbie and Bratz dolls.

And having said that, I'm going to take off my coat and scarf and kick off my shoes -- thank you very much -- and demonstrate some of the adult toys with Don Arnotto (ph). Hi, Don.

DON ARNOTTO (ph), STORE MANAGER: Hi, how are you? Welcome to Brookstone.

OPPENHEIM: He's the store manager here. I'm going to throw my shows out of the way. And Don, I'm going to take a seat and demonstrate what this adult toy -- well, it's not exactly a toy, but it's certainly a product.

ARNOTTO: It definitely is. One of our most popular massage items for the holiday season.

OPPENHEIM: This is ISqueeze (ph)?

ARNOTTO: ISqueeze Pomoson (ph).

OPPENHEIM: All right, where do I turn it on?

ARNOTTO: You hit the button on the middle.

OPPENHEIM: In the middle, OK.

ARNOTTO: And the one closest to you.

OPPENHEIM: And so this -- well, you describe what it's doing and I'll just experience it.

ARNOTTO: What it's doing is it stimulates the blood flow in the bottom of the feet. And then with their your calves, it's massaging your calves, working that blood throughout your body. It's one of the best things for circulation on the market right now.

OPPENHEIM: Show me what's behind my head.

ARNOTTO: Right behind me, our Shiatsu pillow. Let me turn that on. Right now it's massaging the back of his neck -- again, releasing tension and relaxing you.

OPPENHEIM: I'm going to just move on to another product as we take a look outside, Don. I'm going to turn this thing off.

ARNOTTO: All right.

OPPENHEIM: And get to one more item that we might have time for. This is called the Uzap (ph)?

ARNOTTO: Our Uzap. This is the newest item for Brookstone.

OPPENHEIM: What's it supposed to do?

ARNOTTO: This actually energizes your muscles anywhere from your stomach to your seat to your thighs.

OPPENHEIM: Put it on. Let's see it.

ARNOTTO: (INAUDIBLE), put it right across you there.

OPPENHEIM: But since I already have a perfect physique, I really don't need to buy this.

ARNOTTO: Exactly, there you go.

OPPENHEIM: OK, how do you turn it on?

ARNOTTO: Let me get that right here for you.

OPPENHEIM: How much does this cost?

ARNOTTO: This right now is our newest item. It's $200.

OPPENHEIM: I can feel the flab going away. Isn't going someone going to be insulted by getting one of these?

ARNOTTO: Nope, it's got -- it's great for your muscles, it tightens your muscles. You get that great physique you're talking about.

OPPENHEIM: I got to go. But, oh, point out before we go here that they're expecting for this season that sales are going to increase 6 percent overall. That's through the end of January, Kyra. And one of the areas that's supposed to be doing pretty well is high- end stores just like the one I'm in right now.

PHILLIPS: I just wonder if the photographer could just pan down for a minute. I just want to see that around your waist there.

OPPENHEIM: All right. Bring it down. Go ahead. Let's turn it on and say good-bye. No, leave it on. There you go. There's my jiggle.

PHILLIPS: Outstanding. Thank you, Keith. Oh, Keith, you're such a trooper.

Well, if the holiday season has you a bit stressed out or down and out, get ready to be lifted up.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: That's author and comedian Anita Renfroe with her salute to the underwire. She's going to have some uplifting advice for making it through Christmas, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well Christmas is just two days, and if you are a lot the most of us well there are a million things that you still have to do to get ready between last minute shopping, finishing costumes for the Christmas pageant and, you know, picking Aunt Martha up at the airport. You may find yourself muttering about more than just stocking stuffers. So who are you going to turn to for help? How about this woman?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANITA RENFROE, COMEDIAN: You know, I was reading about osteoporosis and how you're supposed to do weight bearing exercise to stop osteoporosis. If you're a big girl just walking around is your weight bearing exercise.

For a purse schizophrenic, this is basic black.

I can't be the only mom who has given their child just a little bit more cough syrup than they needed hoping they would nap.

Is there anybody in a 12-step recovery program right now for eBay?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, that's Atlanta comedian Anita Renfroe. And she has written a timely new book, "The Purse-Driven Christmas." She has some advice on surviving the holidays. And she's here to share some of it.

So how did you become such an expert on everything, on life?

RENFROE: Yes, really.

PHILLIPS: Life issues.

RENFROE: That's part of the actual occupational hazard of being a comedian because you think you're an expert on everything. Actually some publishers took a gamble that I might know a little bit about something and put in it a book.

The first book was "A Purse-Driven Life," and it was comedy for chicks. And so this is the holiday follow-up. We figured there was enough craziness during the holiday season for everyone to laugh at, especially women. If you mix estrogen and holidays, you get a little craziness.

PHILLIPS: Chaos.

RENFROE: Plenty, plenty to talk about right there.

PHILLIPS: Speaking of chaos, what's up with your boys in tutus? I wanted to ask you about this picture.

RENFROE: We did have that picture posted on the web site to make my almost grown men children look -- yes, there they are practicing to be what I like to refer to their father as a redneck metrosexual. These are men who are straight, not afraid to shoot the squirrels off the deck but definitely into exfoliating and decorating. So I am raising good men.

PHILLIPS: And are your men and your daughter constantly saying mom, you're driving us crazy, you're embarrassing, please, just be normal one day?

RENFROE: It is impossible to be normal. But actually they're ultimately mortified and happy that I do this unless I am talking about them, in which case they are like, shut up already, shut up already mom. Enough already.

But, no, they're great kids. And a source of a lot of fodder for the stage. I can tell you that.

PHILLIPS: Well, speaking of lots of fodder. We really want to get down to business with you. Because we wanted to find out if you maybe had a way that, you know, you could decrease the stress in our lives right now during the holiday season.

We were flipping through, you know, your most recent book. You've got a number of very good tips. Actually, a list of things that you have...

RENFROE: Oh, I do have several. I do have several.

PHILLIPS: And we picked a few.

RENFROE: OK.

PHILLIPS: Re-gift without the guilt. How exactly do you do that, Anita?

RENFROE: Well, when I wrote this book a year ago I had no idea that re-gifting was going to be the hot button topic of the year other than the strike. But who knew that re-gifting was going to be huge?

But actually, what I think of re-gifting is it's the highest form of recycling. So really it's like trying to find a good home for puppies. You don't want them going to just any home. So when people give you a gift and it's obvious they have missed. You know, they love you, but they didn't know anything about your lifestyle. At that moment, here's my tip, you can shift the compliment from the gift to the giver.

PHILLIPS: And how do you do that? RENFROE: You say, oh, you are so thoughtful. Thank you for thinking of me. That's true. You appreciate the thought, but just not the gift.

PHILLIPS: Right.

RENFROE: You don't appreciate that. So at that moment, when you in your spirit know this gift belongs with someone else, I know the perfect home for this gift, I think, then you are totally free to re- gift.

You have to do two things. You have to rewrap it yourself because you have to have some personal investment in the giving of the gift.

PHILLIPS: Right, an effort.

RENFROE: Right.

And then you have to make sure that you give it outside of your area code or zip code. Like if you live in Atlanta, you can re-gift to New York.

PHILLIPS: So it can't be to like your mother next door or your favorite neighbor?

RENFROE: No, it has to go away so that it won't eventually make it back to the original giver and then you're caught. So, yes, I say, get out of your zip code, and you're fine.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's recognize some seasonal phobias. One that you have, indecisophobia.

RENFROE: Indecisophobia that is when you are in the throws of trying to decide if you want a gift or not to buy for a certain person. And in the moments while you're trying to make the decision, someone snatches the last one. So you don't want that to happen. It's the fear that the last one will go away.

So I say, indecisophobia can be overcome by actually just putting it in your cart while you're thinking about it.

PHILLIPS: So perfect.

RENFROE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Just take it and move on.

RENFROE: Take it and move along. That's right.

PHILLIPS: All right. Check.

RENFROE: Got it.

PHILLIPS: Phonophobia. RENFROE: This is one that comes with new technology, as we all get new trios or palms or phone for the new year. And what you are faced with is the idea that you may have to redo your whole address and phone list into the new piece of technology. So you want the new technology, you just don't want to have to deal with the aftermath of entering everything over and over again.

PHILLIPS: Oh yes. It is painful.

RENFROE: It is. It is terrible.

So some people just have phonophobia, and don't want to enter that at all.

PHILLIPS: Check. Pedopainophobia.

RENFROE: Yes, this is the fear that pair of shoes that looks so great hanging up there on the rack when you put them on your feet you won't be able to stay in them longer than the party. So you want the take a second pair in your purse with you.

PHILLIPS: OK. What about men?

RENFROE: God bless them. All their shoes feel good. Because they work so bad.

PHILLIPS: They don't have to worry about a darn thing.

RENFROE: Yes, men, hello? Excuse me. That's why I say Christmas is so easy for men. They have none of these phobias. They don't really affect them at all.

PHILLIPS: Visanegaphobia.

RENFROE: Visanegaphobia.

PHILLIPS: We could all go for this one.

RENFROE: This is one where actually you're standing in line and you may have just swiped your card. And it is the ten seconds of terror while you're waiting for the approval code to come back. Because you never know whether or not you've gone over your limit because you've been shopping so much.

So at this point, you are trying not to make eye contact with the little clerk. So you're looking up and down, up and down, while you're in the midst of visanegophobia.

PHILLIPS: How do you deal with that?

RENFROE: Actually just call them and get them to raise your limit.

PHILLIPS: OK. Pyrexaphobia.

RENFROE: Which sounds like a fear of fire, but it's not. It is actually the fear that you are never going to get your favorite Pyrex dish back if you take to it to the community Christmas potluck dinner. So that explains why across the country there are all these horrible little things of masking tape, masking tape goobers, on the bottom.

PHILLIPS: Anita's dish.

RENFROE: Please return.

PHILLIPS: Don't touch.

RENFROE: Yes, with our like social security number because women love their Pyrex more than diamonds. It's a well known fact.

PHILLIPS: Really?

RENFROE: Oh yes.

PHILLIPS: Yes, you can get bling or you can get Pyrex for a chick. It's all the same. It's the same.

PHILLIPS: All right. Know your inner crafter and whether you should keep it in.

RENFROE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Did you ever let your inner crafter out and then you thought, that should have remained in the box?

RENFROE: I did. Yes, it's the season where we're all inexplicably drawn to JoAnn's and Michael's craft shops, but most of us should push that urge aside because we're not very good at it. And when you give the gift to someone, it's a homemade gift, if they do that whole 360 degree turn with that little long smile on trying to figure out what it is...

PHILLIPS: What is it?

RENFROE: Your inner crafter should have stayed in.

Now I used to try to make biscotti for people before it was so popular. You know, because now it's at every Starbucks across the country.

PHILLIPS: Oh yes, it's the hottest thing. You dip it in your tea, your coffee, your cocoa, right?

RENFROE: In the beginning of the 80's nobody knew what biscotti was. So I was way ahead of my time, and I would make it for people and they just thought that I was a bad cook, and I dried all the cookies out. So be careful with your inner crafter and know when you should keep it in.

PHILLIPS: All right. And with all the beautiful humor in your book, you do get a little mushy at the end. OK. The final chapter, we must be present to win.

RENFROE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: And here comes that whole purse driven slash purpose driven moment, right?

RENFROE: It's true. It's true. Yes. I do believe that no matter what you think you're getting for people that could be meaningful or express your love for them, the most important gift that you can give is yourself. The fact that you are there in present to witness their life and there to love them and there to care for them.

So if you are one of the people feeling all the pressure this season about what can I get for that person that can show them how much I love and appreciate them actually, you are the present. You must be. And then you'll win.

PHILLIPS: You always tell your husband that, right?

RENFROE: I do, except bring me more stuff in boxes. You be the present, wear the bow, but I love bling.

PHILLIPS: The whole family's here, of course.

Anita Renfroe, how much fun was this?

Thank you so much.

RENFROE: My pleasure.

PHILLIPS: Well, Anita's new book is called "Purse-Driven Christmas," and hey, maybe it'll show up in your stocking Sunday morning. It's pretty darn funny.

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PHILLIPS: Time now to check in with my favorite, my hero, my mentor, Wolf Blitzer standing by in Washington to tell us what's up in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much, Kyra. The feelings are mutual.

We're following lots of news, including this developing story. Why has the U.S. government been monitoring predominantly Muslim sites across the country? More questions about another government surveillance program being conducted without warrants.

An innocent man wrongly executed? There are no DNA tests that could prove the case. We're watching this story as well.

And a CNN original, Robert Novak. He will appear today in "THE SITUATION ROOM," his last appearance on CNN. A wide ranging interview --his career, questions about that CIA leak investigation, lots more. My special conversation with Bob Novak.

Lots more, Kyra, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

PHILLIPS: Look forward to it. Thanks, Wolf.

We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.

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PHILLIPS: Well, hope is fading for Toga, the baby penguin stolen from a British zoo last weekend. Veterinarians estimated the 3-month- old bird could last only five days without being fed by its mom. Most of the U.K. has been wrapped up in this story. Thousands of dollars in reward money has been offered. Even the Royal Navy was on alert to keep an eye out for a caller claiming to have dumped Toga in a harbor.

Well, this is one of those stories that we're not quite sure about. Australia's environment ministry released a picture of a footprint recently. Take a look at that. It's one of 457 footprints found in the last couple of years in Mungo National Park. Well, a report says archaeologists think the prints were made between 19,000 and 23,000 years ago. The environment minister says that they've got children running between the tracks of the parents, even kids running in circles while parents went in straight lines.

Well, some of the prints look pretty big. So at least, you know, on the wags here at LIVE FROM we asked whether the late wrestler and actor Andre the Giant had ever been in that part of New South Wales. After all, at seven feet and 500 pounds, he'd leave a pretty big footprint, wouldn't you think?

We're back for the closing bell after a quick break.

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