- The Christmas tree that will adorn New York's Rockefeller Center survived Superstorm Sandy

- The "Jersey Shore's" Vinny is getting his own MTV talk show called "The Show with Vinny."

- Papa John's is being sued for sending 500,000 unsolicited text messages to cell phones. Papa John's faces potential damages of more than $250 million. The plaintiffs may each potentially receive $500 or more in damages for each text message.

- A "MacGyver" movie is in the works

- Paula Abdul will perform on Dancing With the Stars next week

Talking Turkey: PETA is offering free tombstones emblazoned with the words: “Here Lies the Corpse of a Tortured Bird” for kids to place in their Thanksgiving turkey. PETA spokeswoman Marta Holmberg says, “Kids love animals, and once they realize that turkeys feel pain and fear just as dogs and cats do, they want to switch out those drumsticks for Tofurky. This Thanksgiving, families can give turkeys something to be thankful for by choosing delicious vegan meals. More than 45 million turkeys are killed in the U.S. for Thanksgiving dinners. In nature, turkeys are protective and loving parents as well as spirited explorers who can climb trees and run as fast as 25 miles per hour. But most turkeys slated to be killed for food are crammed into filthy warehouses, where disease, smothering, and heart attacks are common.''

Bieber Fever: Laurie Gjenashaj lost everything in Hurricane Sandy except her eight Justin Bieber concert tickets. She says, “We’ve had these tickets from when they first got on sale — they were in the kitchen. When the water came up, everything was submerged.” Her eBay seller gave her new copies of her tickets.

Elmo Allegations: The voice of Tickle Me Elmo, Kevin Clash, has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Street to defend himself against allegations he had sex with a 16-year-old boy.

** UPDATE **

A source tells the Sun Times, ''In fact, unless things suddenly move in Kevin’s direction right away, and he is proven to be a victim of an ugly smear — rather than an adult sexual predator of a minor — he is finished in the world of children’s entertainment.''

A second source says, ''This whole incident may be traced to a possible “lovers’ quarrel … something that turned very ugly and possibly may have involved a demand for money from Kevin in order to make this whole thing go away.”

TMZ claims Clash once Emailed his accuser the following message: "I'm sorry that I keep talking about sex with you, its driving me insane. I want you to know that I love you and I will never hurt you. I'm here to protect you and make sure your dreams come true. I'll have my assistant book a ticket for you to come to NY and we can talk about this in person."

** OVERNIGHT UPDATE **

The man, who accused Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having sex with him when he was a teenage boy, has recanted his story.

"Sesame Street" says, "We are happy that Kevin can move on from this unfortunate episode."

Clash has also released a statement saying, "I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further."

Bravissimo: Bella Italia is the Forks, Washington Italian restaurant where Twilight stars Bella and Edward had their first date. The two dined on mushroom ravioli. Bella Italia has served over 5,000 orders of the ravioli since the original Twilight film was released. Nightline did a special on the restaurant. Breaking Dawn Part 2 opens Friday

Twilight fans Bev and Steve Hart changed their names to Bella and Edward Cullen. Bella says, “We’re crazy about the characters and we’ve warned our friends we are no longer Steve and Bev. We sit down two or three times a week and watch the films because that’s how good that are.”

Today is Operation Room Nurse Day.

Is Your Wingman/Wingwoman In Your Way from match.com

Five reasons why good friends can sometimes make bad “wingers”...

1. They feel obligated to make chivalrous chit-chat on your behalf and end up shifting the target’s attention in the wrong direction.

2. Their own insecurity drives them to try and “win” every perceived competition… even if they lose your friendship in the process.

3. They’re addicted to being in the social spotlight.

4. Some people have trouble choosing their own romantic partners, so they aren’t helpful in scoping prospects for you, either.

5. You’re hunting for a date, but your friend’s a natural-born poacher.

5 Ways To Soothe A Sore Throat from health.com

Anti-Inflammatories One of the most effective treatments for sore throat is probably already in your medicine cabinet: an over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as Advil or Aleve. These medicines are combination pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, so they'll make you feel better and they'll also reduce some of the swelling associated with a sore throat.

Saltwater Gargle Several studies have found that gargling several times a day with warm salt water can reduce swelling in the throat and loosen mucus, helping to flush out irritants or bacteria. Doctors generally recommend dissolving half a teaspoon of salt in one cup of water. If the salty taste is too unpleasant for you, try adding a small amount of honey to sweeten the mixture slightly. (Just remember to spit the water out after gargling, rather than swallowing!)

Lozenges and Sprays Sucking on cough drops stimulates saliva production, which can help keep your throat moist. But many varieties are no more effective than hard candies. For an added benefit, choose brands with a cooling or numbing ingredient, like menthol or eucalyptus. Over-the-counter sprays like Chloraseptic produce an effect similar to cooling lozenges. They won't cure your sore throat or help you fight off the underlying cold, but they may help dull the pain temporarily. Chloraseptic's active ingredient, phenol, is a local antiseptic that also has antibacterial properties,

Cough Syrup Even if you don't have a cough (yet), over-the-counter cough syrups can help ease soreness. Like drops and sprays, they coat the throat and provide temporary pain relief. If you're headed to work, be sure to choose a non-drowsy formula. But if you're having trouble sleeping due to a sore throat, a nighttime formula like NyQuil (which contains a pain reliever and an antihistamine) or Robitussin AC (guaifenesin and codeine) can relieve pain and help you get some shuteye.

Fluids Staying hydrated is very important, especially when you're sick and your throat is irritated or inflamed. You should be drinking enough fluid so that your urine is light yellow or clear. This keeps your mucous membranes moist and better able to combat bacteria and irritants like allergens, and makes your body better able to fight back against other cold symptoms. What you drink is up to you. Water always works (ice cubes, too!), but you can also change it up with something slightly sugary, like a watered-down fruit juice, or something salty, like chicken broth.

Dogs And Dating

According to a survey by Klooff, a mobile app that allows users to create profiles for their pets, the leading dog breeds that make women more attractive to men are:

1. Golden Retriever

2. Labrador Retriever

3. Chihuahua

4. Poodle

5. Beagle

The survey found the leading dog breeds that make men more attractive to women are:

1. German Shepherd

2. Golden Retriever

3. Labrador Retriever

4. Siberian Husky

5. French Bulldog

Some of the survey's findings about women and their dogs are:

A woman who owns a Chihuahua is viewed as dumber than a woman who has any other breed.

A woman who owns a Golden Retriever is believed to be better girlfriend material than a woman who has a Chihuahua.

A woman who owns a Chihuahua is considered to be five times more likely to be better material for a "one-night stand" than a woman who has a Golden Retriever.

A woman who owns a Poodle also is viewed as more likely to be just a "one-night stand" than a woman who has any other breed.

A woman who owns a Poodle or Chihuahua is considered twice as likely to be "high maintenance" compared to a woman who has a Siberian Husky.

A woman who owns a Chihuahuas is viewed as "probably hot" more so than a woman who has any other breed.

Holiday Smells

A new survey by Febreeze reveals that 54% of people like smells that remind them of the holidays, even if they are deemed "unpleasant." Other findings:

- 65% of respondents said that the scent of freshly baked goodies took them down memory lane, but interestingly 1 in 10 said that the smell of an attic or storage room also conjured up the sentimental holiday memories.

- 43% of people say the smell of wrapping paper reminds them of the holidays

- 60% of women say freshly fallen snow reminds them of the holiday season

Sick Day

A new survey by Staples reveals that 80% of people have come to work when they are sick. In a typical year, the flu virus is responsible for approximately 70 million missed workdays and an estimated $10 billion in lost office productivity

Robert Pattinson didn't act like a diva at the premiere of Breaking Dawn Part 2. A source tells Hollywoodlife.com, “While Taylor and Kristen didn’t take pictures with all the fans who camped out since Thursday, Rob made sure to greet, take pictures and sign autographs with every single fan. He left nobody out at all. He was great with the fans. Kristen and Taylor signed a ton, but towards the end they snuck by plenty to get in the theater but Rob stayed for everyone! The carpet was supposed to end at 7 and Rob didn’t get in until at least 8:40.''

Katy Perry allegedly hid under a table after Russell Brand walked into the same restaurant she was at. A source tells the Sun, “As soon as Katy saw Russell she hid under the table. When he was directed to one far away she emerged. John Mayer threw some money on the table and they headed to the back door and their waiting car. Russell didn’t seem to see a thing but everyone in the restaurant saw what happened.”

Glee star Lea Michelle can't cook. She says, ''I love to cook so much. Maybe I think I might be better than I am because I cooked something for my boyfriend Cory Monteith the other day and I don't think he really liked it. I made him a little breakfast of my version of an Italian Croque Madame, but I think the eggs were off and not cooked. It wasn't very good, but he was a good sport! I've always a wanted to have a cooking show because I love to cook and to eat. Because I'm Italian and we curse all the time when we talk, I just don't think it would last. I'd be like, 'This pasta's just so bleeping good - I just can't stop eating it!'''

Glee star Lea Michelle had a spray tanning disaster. She says, "I had gotten a spray tan which is this new thing (for me) because I decided the sun is bad. You can't wash it off for like eight hours or something. You're supposed to wear loose clothes and it has to be black - I put my feet up to take a nice little lunch break (in the recording studio), and one of the managers had their dog, and the dog jumped on my lap. I was like, 'Oh, it's so cute!' and the dog peed all over me, which wouldn't have been so bad, I wiped it off. But because I didn't wipe off the spray tan yet, it left pee streaks all over my legs. For days, I had these zebra-stripes pee marks on my leg!"

Kate Gosselin is funding her own reality show pilot. A source tells the Huff Post, “I know three different cable networks that have passed on making a pilot with Kate. Kate and her children are a known TV quantity -- it's an easy yes or no.”

Ke$ha is creating a fake fur line. She says, ''I don't condemn people for their choices but my own personal choice is that if prefer to wear fake fur. I'm actually working on my own fake fur line. There are so many options that are very real-feeling and looking that aren't harming the animal, so it's a no-brainer for me.''

Rihanna wants a man, who takes charge. She tells GQ, ''I like to feel like a woman. I have to be in control in every other aspect of my life, so I feel like in a relationship, I wanted to be able to take a step back and have somebody else take the lead. I could absolutely be dominant, but in general, I'd rather... How do I say this in, like, a non-X rated version? 'Love makes you go places you probably wouldn't ever go, had it not been for love. But I think everybody still has their limits.''

Justin Bieber allegedly tried to hook up with several Victoria's Secret models during his fashion show performance. A source tells TMZ, “They’ve broken up a bunch of times before and this is just another blip.''

** UPDATE **

A source tells RADAR Online, ''After the infamous Victoria’s Secret tweet ”Selena was pissed and immediately texted Justin, which caused the friend to delete the tweet. But not before Selena retweeted the photo of Justin and the Victoria’s Secret model with the caption ‘…’ which she later deleted. When they originally started dating, Justin was a boy entertaining young girls, and now he’s a man surrounded by Victoria’s Secret models, and Selena doesn’t like that.”

A source tells Hollywoodlife.com, “Justin and Selena have broken up a bunch. But they’re basically back together. Justin just likes to party and Selena gets upset. There’s a lot of jealously but it’s typical for their age. They fight all the time, this time it’s just been blown way out of proportion.”

A source tells Showbiz Spy, “It’s been so difficult to watch this unfold over the past year or so. Selena has shed so many tears over Justin. She’s tried to split up with him so many times but they have always ended up back together. It’s out in the open now and that is one of the toughest parts, so that means there’s more chance it will be permanent this time. But we expect Justin to try to win her back – and he tends to get what he wants.”

Chris Brown and Rihanna may elope. A source tells Heat magazine, "Rihanna has been telling her friends that she's on the verge of eloping. They've started talking about marriage and she hopes Chris is going to pop the question any day now. When he does, she's not planning to waste any time with an engagement either. Even with all the drama they've been through, she has always imagined them having babies and living happily ever after. Chris hasn't formally proposed yet, but they've talked many times about their future together and getting married. Some people even think they could marry secretly in Europe."

Taylor Swift only wears her dresses once. She says, “Whether it’s a summertime dress that makes me feel carefree, an evening cocktail dress that makes me feel fancy, or a vintage dress that makes me feel like a ’50s housewife—which I enjoy feeling like, for some reason—I just really like dresses. Because I’m in a predicament where I can’t wear a dress twice or else it’s pointed out in magazines, so unfortunately I have to shop for dresses all the time.''

Steven Tyler allegedly ended his engagement to preserve his sobriety. A source tells the National Enquirer, “Both Steven and Erin have long wrestled with addictions to drugs and alcohol. They’re both clean and sober for the time being, but Steven’s not taking any chances with temptation. They’ve been co-dependent in the past, and he’s worried that if she slips so will he. He has Aerosmith tour dates running throughout November and mid-December and he doesn’t want any distractions. And the band told him he had to choose between them and Erin. Right now, he’s chosen his group. But Steven still adores Erin and hopes that they can get back together down the road.”

QUIKKIES COURTESY OF SHEETHAPPENS.