Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

Pet cockatoo's cries bring police

TRENTON, N.J., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Police in a New Jersey city responding to a call of a woman screaming discovered that the noise was coming from a pet cockatoo.

Passersby thought the sounds coming from a house in Trenton were those of someone screaming in terror and thought that they heard the words "Help me," WCAU-TV in Philadelphia reported.

Police officers had difficulty getting into the house, which was also home to a large German shepherd. Once inside, they found a talking bird named Luna.

Luna's owners face no charges.

Family gets $19,370 cell phone bill

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- An Oregon family racked up a $19,370 cell phone bill in international charges, they said.

The Terry family's 200-page AT&T cell phone bill mostly lists fees for sending e-mail messages and photos, which are otherwise covered in their unlimited plan, KPTV of Portland, Ore., reported Thursday.

But because a laptop using an AirCard was used in Canada to send e-mails back home, fees began to add up.

AT&T says the AirCard allows users to connect to e-mail, the Internet and business applications while traveling, but international use is not included in the Terry's cell-phone plan.

They said they asked an AT&T employee about the service before their son left the country. They said they were not warned about international fees.

"(We) have a bill that runs normally $250 to $300 for our cell phones," Dave Terry said. "When AT&T saw the numbers getting over $1,000, I would think it's their responsibility to inform us that something was amiss because that card could have been stolen."

Police: Man ignited sleeping man's pants

GODFREY, Ill., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A Godfrey, Ill., man has been arrested after he allegedly lit a sleeping man's pants on fire, causing second and third degree burns, authorities said.

Madison County Sheriff's Department Capt. Brad Wells said Joseph Hornsey, 21, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery after he allegedly used a cigarette lighter to ignite frayed strings on the 20-year-old victim's pants, The Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat reported. Wells was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail.

The victim, whose name was not released, had been drinking alcohol and was camping out in Hornsey's backyard at the time of the incident, Wells said.

"The victim was able to put the fire out on his pants and fell back asleep," Wells said.

He said the victim awoke Sunday morning to find he had suffered burns from his blazing trousers and was taken to a St. Louis hospital for treatment.

Flying Elvi are rock and roll aerial stars

SANTA FE, N.M., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The Flying Elvi, it seems, is still getting work following its breakthrough appearance 16 years ago in "Honeymoon in Vegas."

The parachuting group that dresses like rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley, ahs had one booking after another ever since sharing the screen with Nicolas Cage in the 1992 comedy that co-starred Sarah Jessica Parker, Flying Elvi member Rich Brooks told the Albuquerque Journal.

"The movie came out and then people wanted Flying Elvi," Brooks said.

The group's performances now include a sighting above Santa Fe, N.M., where the group jumped from a plane and glided to the ground as part of the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino's grand opening.

The Journal said Wednesday's event offered a bit of Las Vegas glamour with the jumpsuit-clad Elvi along with more traditional New Mexico fare in the form of pueblo dancers and Beau the white buffalo.