Passing shadows

* Bali global warming conference news

* An alleged criminal has a bad day on the mean streets of Brisbane

* How much are you worth?

* This canine is loving the automatic dog wash

* Ode to the baby-boomers.

Priorities

(*)

Festival of the Dull

Today is Australia's federal budget day.

Instead of complaining, why not get into the spirit of this with some dull activities of your own? Here are some modest suggestions:

* Take part in safe activities at the Dull Men's Club and read the Dull Men's FAQ

* Buy the cap or a roundabout calendar

* Find out what Michelle Grattan thinks

* Read up on canned food shelf lives

* Kevin Rudd's collected speeches outline what he is doing locally, regionally, nationally, internationally and globally for the past, present and future - for ourselves, our children and our children's children. Go on, read all you like.

Animals Against Conservative Policies: Part I

Technology and communications

Welcome to the wonderful world of Hairy-mail - the world's first web-based back hair messaging system.

UPDATE: Welcome SDA-ers. Feel free to have a look around, and make yourselves comfortable.

Free Willy II - the Belly Up Years

Complete with a soundtrack by Michael Jackson, the family movie, Free Willy was an inspiring tale about a captive killer whale making his way to freedom.

The star of the show was an orca called Keiko, and the movie inspired a $14 million project to set him free. So what happened to Keiko?

‘Keiko’s release to the wild was not successful, since though physically unrestricted and free to leave, he kept returning to his caretakers for food and company...’

Keiko had an unsuccessful migration from Iceland to Norway in 2002, seeking out regular human company, and a year later apparently died of pneumonia at the age of around 26.

Further details here, however, if the comments underneath this youtube clip are to be believed, Keiko finished up on a Norwegian barbecue.

Ellis PWNed

or whatever the latest happening internet expression is...

Check out Frollicking Mole's comment over here (at 11.36 am) and - why not - join in some of the fun.

More from Frollicker at Tizonas.

Bhutan table tennis update

Disappointingly, two students representing Bhutan for the first time at the World Table Tennis Championship in Japan came back without any medals.

Frankly, these results are no surprise and the Bhutanese need to have a long, hard look at themselves.

Ad wars - Australia vs UK

A few weeks ago, the Gruen Transfer asked some Australian advertising agencies to come up with a television advertisement to convince the IOC to bring the Olympic Games back to Sydney. This was the result.

Now Theo has dug up what appears to be an attempt to hit back.

(BTW: At the risk of being a wet blanket, Theo's ad is just a little loose with the facts - although Kevin's People Smuggling Assistance Scheme looks likely to be far more deadly to people attempting to visit Australia this year.)

UPDATE: Graeme in comments sets me straight.