Australian news reports the return of an 87-year-old man to his home after he beat off an intruder with a shoe. Local reports say semi-retired horse trainer Johnny Oswin was attacked by a man who threatend him with a metal bar at his home in Mt Eliza, south of Melbourne. Oswin was able to fight him off suffering only minor cuts and bruises to his head and arms.

The demise of one of Woody Woodpecker's long-lost relatives has apparently been exaggerated. After sixty years, scientists have re-discovered the ivory-billed woodpecker in rural eastern Arkansas. Experts considered the bird extinct, but now several sightings including a video are reported in a protected forest area. It's the first confirmed sighting of the big, dramatic looking bird since 1944. It is said to be shy and prefer deep woodland areas in the southeast part of the country. Researchers in the journal Science say, "The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), long suspected to be extinct, has been rediscovered in the 'Big Woods' region of eastern Arkansas. Visual encounters during 2004 and 2005, and analysis of a video clip from April 2004, confirm the existence of at least one male. " Scientists also confirm hearing drumming sounds produced by the bird. Audubon Society ornithologist Frank Gill calls it a major discovery, "This is huge. Just huge. It is kind of like finding Elvis. " Scientists thought the ivory-billed woodpecker was one of six species to become extinct since the late 19th century. Experts say the bird's lifespan is about 15 years, which suggests a breeding habitat somewhere. Gill says, "There has got to be a pretty serious lineage. It's got to be more than a few. " He says "It's just the most exciting report in my lifetime. I think we will move . . . to make this a globally important bird wildlife area. "

Residents of Dork Street feel unpopular. "I had a resume kicked back because someone thought I was kidding," said Dork Street homeowner, Mario Saucedo. He has lived on the suburban street about a dozen miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles for eight years. Ester Avetisian, who moved there 18 years ago, said she might have thought twice if there had been a sign in those days marking the road tucked into what is still a semi-rural section of town where people keep goats and chickens in their back yards. "I didn't know the name until my husband and I were signing mortgage papers. I was pretty shocked when I found out. " Still, most residents have learned how to deal with the jokes. "It's pretty funny," said Clyde Parra, who has lived on Dork Street for eight years. "When I go to cash a check at the store, people ask me if I'm a dork. " Officials say there is no record at City Hall explaining how the street got its odd name, but residents believe it was named after someone called Dork. It first appeared on a Los Angeles County tract map in 1936. "It's obviously historic, and it seems like streets named for last names are the norm in that area," city spokesman Bob Spencer said.

Some people take suggestions for baby names, why not your own? 31-year old Matthew Jean Rouse's middle name came from his late grandfather, a man he didn't really get along with. So he is auctioning off his naming rights on E-bay! Rouse is taking bids on the right to choose his new middle name, whatever it might be. The top offer as of early Monday is $2,175, with the "Buy It Now" price at $8,000. Of course, there is the distinct possibility he could get a pretty usual and possibly distasteful name. His wife Corinna says, "If he wants to walk around with 'Fool' as his middle name, that's his problem. If someone changes his name to 'Poophead,' he may decide it's a little more important than he thought. " Rouse's older brother, Bill, put in a bid of $1,500 in an effort to make Matthew keep the family name of his grandfather, but the bid kept rising. Whatever the final choice is, Rouse promises to use the moniker "whenever plausible and not hide it. "

Many Americans are so tired and sleepy that they are going without sex, making mistakes at work and having problems in their marriages and relationships. The poll by the National Sleep Foundation discovered that 75 percents of adults have sleep related problems. Most however belienve that they have a sleep problem and ignore it. "Half of the country sleeps pretty well -- the other half has problems," Foundation chief executive Richard Gulula stated. The survey of more than 1,500 adults found 87 percent usually watched TV in the hour before going to bed, 47 percent usually had sex and 64 percent read. Richard Gelula said in the statement. Nearly 25% of those in a relationship said they had sex less often or had lost interest in sex because they are too sleepy. Of those surveyed, 60 percent of drivers admitted to having driven drowsy in the past year and 4 percent said they had an accident or near-accident because they were sleepy while driving. 77 percent complained that their partner has a sleep-related problem, usually snoring. A third of people who described themselves as poor sleepers said their relationships were affected because they are too sleepy, compared to 8 percent of good sleepers