- The National Retail Federation is estimating that this year's holiday pet gift sales will increase 4.1% to $586 billion. That's down from last year's growth of 5.6%

- Terrell Owens is begging the LA Clippers for a tryout. He is 39.

- Brooke Mueller is back in rehab. She wants Denise Richards to care for her kids

- New census figures show that 176,632 people in England and Wales identify themselves as Jedi Knights, making it the most popular faith in the "Other Religions" category on the census and the seventh most popular faith overall.

- ESPN is planning to limit their coverage of Tim Tebow

- Today is 12-12-12. In Las Vegas, MGM Resorts spokeswoman Yvette Monet says most of the six casino wedding chapels the company has along the strip are close to fully booked. Many believe getting married on 12-12-12 will bring them good luck.

- Top Gun will be released in 3D in select Imax theaters on February 8th

- Jenna Bush Hager is pregnant with her first child

Kate Middleton Nurse Tragedy Update: On Friday, Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse, who was prank-called by two Aussie DJs about Kate Middleton's condition, killed herself. 2Day FM is donating $500,000 to the Saldanha family. 2Day FM also canceled their $12,000 holiday party. A company spokesperson says, ''Cancellation of the party was entirely out of respect for the nurse, Jacintha Saldanha, and her family. This is not a time for celebration at the radio station.''

Goodbye Yellow Brick Mold: The last shipment of Twinkies were sent to Jewel-Osco supermarkets in Chicago yesterday. Only 20,000 boxes remain. They will sell for regular retail face value ($3.59 for a box of 10) until supplies run out, with no per customer limit. Americans are driving to Canada to get Twinkies and other Hostess brands. A rep for Saputo Inc says, “It’s totally separate… We own the rights in Canada so what’s happening in the U.S. doesn’t affect us.”

Rockin Around the Xmas Trees: Cindy Johnson's Chelsea, Michigan home is decorated with 177 Christmas trees. She owns 3,734 Hallmark ornaments and 5,000 generic ornaments. A rare 1982 Hallmark Frosty Friends ornament is Cindy's favorite. Her smallest tree is 6 inches tall.

Got Milk: Sacramento's Sutter Medical Center is holding an emergency breast milk donation drive because of a shortage of breast milk. A center rep says, “There is a shortage of breast milk from donors, and our hospital is one of the top purchasers of breast milk in the area. Our care can be compromised if there isn’t enough, so we’re pleading for more.'' According to the Breastfeeding Coalition of Greater Sacramento, just three ounces of breast milk is enough to feed a premature infant 9 times.

Mario Lopez's wife, Courtney, posted a picture of him decorating their Christmas tree while wearing red man panties. Their daughter is helping him.

Jessica Simpson's father, Joe, allegedly wanted an open marriage. A source tells the National Enquirer, “Joe knew his changing lifestyle was now no secret, but he didn’t want to face the public scrutiny of having a divorce bring out all the private details. He told Tina, ‘We can still live as man and wife...just go our separate ways. Tina hit the roof! She’s unleashed her lawyers in what’s bound to be a nasty divorce because Joe’s trying to deny her any money.''

10 Healthiest States

10. Rhode Island 2011 Rank: 13 Change: +3 Strengths: High immunization coverage Ready availability of primary care physicians Challenges: High prevalence of binge drinking Many poor mental & physical health days per month High rate of preventable hospitalizations

9. Maine 2011 Rank: 10 Change: +1 Strengths: Low violent crime rate Low rate of uninsured population Low prevalence of low birthweight Challenges: High prevalence of smoking High rate of cancer deaths Moderate prevalence of obesity

8. New Jersey 2011 Rank: 17 Change: +9 Strengths: High rate of high school graduation Low prevalence of smoking Low prevalence of obesity Challenges: Higher prevalence of sedentary lifestyle than most other states High rate of uninsured population High rate of preventable hospitalizations

7. Utah 2011 Rank: 5 Change: –2 Strengths: Low prevalences of smoking & binge drinking Low prevalences of sedentary lifestyle, obesity, & diabetes Low rate of cancer deaths Challenges: Limited availability of primary care physicians High geographic disparity within the state Higher incidence of infectious disease than other states

6. Connecticut 2011 Rank: 4 Change: –2 Strengths: Low prevalence of smoking Low incidence of infectious disease Low rate of uninsured population High immunization coverage Challenges: Moderate high school graduation rate Moderate levels of air pollution

5. Minnesota 2011 Rank: 6 Change: +1 Strengths: Low rates of premature death and deaths from cardiovascular disease Low prevalences of sedentary lifestyle & diabetes High rate of high school graduation Challenges: High incidence of infectious disease Low per capita public health funding High prevalence of binge drinking

4. Massachusetts 2011 Rank: 7 Change: +3 Strengths: Low rate of uninsured population Low occupational fatalities rate Low prevalence of obesity Ready availability of primary care physicians Challenges: High prevalence of binge drinking High rate of preventable hospitalizations

3. New Hampshire 2011 Rank: 2 Change: –1 Strengths: Low percentage of children in poverty Low violent crime rate Low infant mortality rate High rate of high school graduation Challenges: Low per capita public health funding Moderate prevalence of binge drinking

2. Hawaii 2011 Rank: 3 Change: +1 Strengths: Low prevalence of obesity Low prevalence of smoking Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Challenges: High prevalence of binge drinking Low high school graduation rate High prevalence of low birthweight

1. Vermont 2011 Rank: 1 Change: no change Strengths: High rate of high school graduation Low incidence of infectious disease Low prevalence of low birthweight Low rate of uninsured population Challenges: Moderate prevalence of binge drinking Higher rate of cancer deaths than most other states

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates ...

A new study by the Hull Cough Clinic reveals that chocolate may help beat colds and coughs. Professor Alyn Morice says, ''About 300 people with a persistent cough are taking part in a clinical trial where they are being given the naturally occurring chemical theobromine, derived from the raw ingredient of chocolate, twice a day for 14 days. Early indicators are that 60% of patients experience some measure of relief. Although eating chocolate on a daily basis may have other unwanted effects, including weight gain and so on.''

Time Is Money

A new survey by Timex reveals that only 3% of people do their Christmas shopping on Christmas Day. Other findings:

- more than 60% are willing to wait in line 10 minutes or more to buy a gift

- more than half of kids (51%) will wake up before 7AM on Christmas Day to get their presents

Man Boob Tube

A new study by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center reveals that a television in the bedroom raises a child's risk for obesity. 369 children, ages 5 to 18, underwent body scans to determine the amount of fat mass they had. Children with a TV in their bedroom were about twice as likely to have high levels of fat mass compared with those without a TV in their room. Kids with a TV in their room were also more likely to have a large waist and high levels of fat in the bloodstream. 70% of kids have a TV in the bedroom, with one-third being overweight or obese

Season's Beatings: The Abbotsford, Canada police plan to send holiday cards to gangsters, drug dealers and prolific offenders. The cards feature an image of Santa clad in tactical gear with the greeting, "Which list will you be on next year?" Constable Ian MacDonald says, "The front of the card is a bit provocative, but it's designed that way so people will read on and maybe reflect on the decisions they've made in the past. Each card includes a helpline number that crooks looking for change can call. The calls would be returned on a case-by-case basis and would typically be confidential.''

The Dumbest People Of 2012 from trutv.com

Amanda Bynes Bynes was on her way to becoming a respected actress in Hollywood when she made a few really bad choices. One of those being that she asked Barack Obama to fire the cop who arrested her for allegedly driving drunk -- in a tweet. The president did not respond to Bynes' tweet.

General David Petraeus Dumb political sex scandals are nothing new but General David Patraeus isn't just some politician who Tweeted his junk to a sorority girl. He's the guy who had a covert actions under the sheets with an opportunistic tell-all author while running the CIA.

Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn Rayburn blamed the unions for the death of the Twinkie while he pocketed $125k a month (not including his bonus). Way to blame a union worker when you're using $100 bills to wipe away your tears.

Jose Canseco Jose Canseco tweeted in April that global warming could have saved the Titanic. Maybe he should leave global warming to the scientists and focus on rescuing his sinking reputation.

NFL Replacement Refs Quite possibly the biggest sports disaster of 2012 were the NFL replacement refs. As one NFL replacement referee put it, "There's no gray in this job!" And from looks of all the botched calls they made, there weren't any rules either.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Commissioner Gary Bettman makes the list by presiding over the third NHL work stoppage in two decades. He probably would have had his teeth knocked out by angry hockey fans if they weren't conveniently distracted by the Bikini Hockey League.

Donald Trump With his continued "birtherism" rhetoric, Donald Trump made it on our Dumbest People list yet again this year. Congrats Don! Maybe 2013 is the lucky year you declare bankruptcy for the fifth time.

Karl Rove Tricking the "one percent" into giving you millions of dollars is an achievement worthy of any conman's praise. But when Fox News calls you on your BS in front of millions of viewers on election night, it may be time to grab your cash and get out when the getting is good.

Patricia Krentcil a/k/a "Tanning Mom" Krentcil gained notoriety after the New Jersey resident allegedly brought her 6-year-old daughter inside a tanning booth. You know things you're dumb when even Jersey reality star Snooki weighs in against your behavior. She claims to be done with tanning and is now a very healthy shade of burnt sienna.

Todd Akin Republican senate candidate Todd Akin didn't believe in abortions in the case of rape claiming that "legitimate rape" victims rarely get pregnant. Fortunately, voters in Missouri shut down his political career.

Chris Brown The only person who has a worse reputation with women than the Republican Party is Chris Brown. He certainly didn't improve his image after his brief twitter spat with comedian Jenny Johnson. Brown shut down his Twitter account shortly afterwards, which was probably the smartest thing he's done all year.

Adam Carolla Back in June, Adam Carolla was quoted saying that women aren't funny. Was this a desperate way to get attention for his book or his actual dumb belief? The world may never know and certainly will never care.

Justin Theroux allegedly spends $1,100 on jeans so he'll look good next to Jennifer Aniston. A source tells the National Enquirer, “Justin loves clothes. And he knows that when you’re standing next to Jen Aniston, you have to look really cool. So he buys Balmain, which ain’t cheap! Sure it’s an astounding price to pay for jeans, but hey – he’s marrying Jennifer Aniston!”

Russell Crowe has been spending time with Billy Joel's ex, Katie Lee. A NY Post source spotted them at a Manhattan hotel. “They seemed to be in an intense flirtatious conversation. They looked really into each other.''

Hotheads Alec Baldwin and Shia LaBeouf are going to star in the Broadway play Orphans about two brothers living in a Philly row house. Shia will kidnap the wealthy Baldwin in order to support his damaged brother.

construction on Michael Jordan's $12 million Jupiter, Florida home is almost complete. It features a cigar-friendly home theater, 11 bedrooms, a pool house and a two-story guard house.

Taylor Swift is obsessed with love. She says, “I think about love all the time. I have done since I was able to comprehend what love was, I daydream about it all the time. There was a relationship that was an extreme let-down, one that was a betrayal, one where I got cheated on, one where I had my self confidence chipped away piece by piece … But even after your heart explodes into a million pieces and you’re thinking, ‘Why did this have to happen?’ You make eye contact with someone across the room and it clicks – and bang, you’re in love again.”

Taylor Swift and Harry Styles bonded over board games. A source tells Look magazine, "They have loads in common and talk about music endlessly - Harry thinks Taylor's music is brilliant and has been asking for song writing tips. Plus, they both love scrabble! As soon as Harry found out Taylor was single again, he went after her. Dating has always been a bit of a cat and mouse game with him and he's never really had a girl say no to him before," the source continued. "When Taylor started dating Conor so soon after their dates, I think it made Harry realize how much he likes her. Both he and Taylor are very easy going people and they have incredible chemistry."

Pink hired two personal trainers after giving birth. She says, ''I used to eat entire buckets of chicken wings and once I ate an entire cheesecake in one sitting. But eight weeks after giving birth I started targeting specific areas with Jillian and Jeanette - they really kicked my ass. I need that! They’re both amazing, and their bodies were all the inspiration I needed to get into shape.''

Kelly Clarkson and Jewel have re-recorded Foolish Games. Kelly says, "This was actually supposed to be my week off, but I heard that she asked me to sing Foolish Games with her and I was like, 'Who cares about a week off when I can sing with Jewel?' I was very, very excited to be able to come and record with her. It's one of my favorite songs ever, so I'm pretty nervous about it - she sounds pretty bada**."

Jewel says, "I think it's neat. "I got signed when I was 17, and I never thought my career would go as far as it did. I really idolized John Prine, Tom Waits, that sort of [artist]. I hoped that would be my lot -- I'd get to have a fan base and make records and tour. I never dreamed it would get to the highs it had. And when it did I was quite concerned about longevity, and I've always tried to make decisions that hopefully would create a good, strong fan base that was really loyal. And that's what's happened, so I feel really blessed."

Nick Cannon says he and Mariah Carey make love to her music.

Beyonce is getting $4 million to play a New Year's Eve show in Vegas at the Wynn. Jay-Z is playing Brooklyn.

2013 Rock Hall of Fame Inductees

Randy Newman
Rush
Heart
rap group Public Enemy
Donna Summer
bluesman Albert King
Quincy Jones

QUIKKIES COURTESY OF SHEETHAPPENS.