Britain's Queen Elizabeth celebrated her birthday with a credit crunch-friendly meal. The monarch - who turned 83 on Tuesday - shunned her usual lavish Buckingham Palace party in favor of an informal dinner at her son Prince Edward's house to show her subjects she understands the ongoing financial hardship the country is suffering.

A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "The queen was determined to keep this very low key by royal standards. There were just 18 in total and several didn't even drink."

Miley Cyrus has been praised for adopting a chicken. The singer-and-actress has been honored with a Compassionate Citizen Award by peta2 - the youth division of animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) - after taking home the bird from the set of "Hannah Montana: The Movie" because she "thought the bird was adorable and needed saving."

The 16-year-old star also convinced her mother Trish to take on the care of several other chickens.

After paying for a 10-piece, a local woman called 911 three times after being told the McDonald's was out of Chicken Nuggets. The McMeltdown occurred last week at a McDonald's in Fort Pierce. Latreasa L. Goodman received a notice to appear on a misuse of 911 charge, according to a police report.

"This is an emergency," Goodman maintained to police. "If I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one."

After hitting KFC since 2003 with the way the fast food chain slaughters its chicken, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will include again in its target McDonalds.

The bone of contention is which method is the more humane way to slaughter chicken - using an electric jolt or gassing them? PETA maintains the gas causes less suffering to the fowl.

While thousands of dogs and cats are being given up by pet owners across the U.S. as times become harder, chickens are gaining popularity as household pets in some U.S. cities.

The rising popularity of the feathered creature is due to the chicken's ability to provide eggs, pest control, fertilizer and eventually meat. To address zoning regulations, homeowners are working to amend local laws in areas like Fort Collins, CO, Bloomington, IN and Brainerd, MN.