rickeyre.com

"Australia's hatred of the Indian mynah bird ignited this week, with local councils drawing up plans for community cullings to combat the pest."

As Australia mourns the passing of Bud Tingwell - who has, indeed, been granted a state funeral next Wednesday - let us cast our minds back to the 1953 war drama "The Desert Rats", in which Tingwell played a minor role. Field Marshall Rommel was played in the same film by James Mason. Today, May 15, is the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Hearing the news in the past hour of the death of Bud Tingwell from prostate cancer at the age of 86 is a bit like feeling that part of Australia's heart and soul has just passed away. A great, lovely, Australian.

With King Canute Rudd's decision to hold back global warming for one year because of the GFC, Al Jazeera English reports on the pitfalls facing Australia's renewable energy industry.

He is the shock selection in England's First Test squad to face the West Indies next week. Durham quickie Graham Onions has been named in the twelve, and is almost certain to make his England debut after a false start on the 2006 ODI tour of Pakistan. Today's Newcastle Herald (New South Wales, not Northumberland) is right on the ball in giving credit where it's due for Onions' success.

Remember Hajnal Ban?

In the "smash or crash" mentality of the mutant strain of Twenty20 called the Indian Premier League, I was curious to see how many scoring shots in the current IPL have been worth three runs.

Was this another of those dark moments in history that they don't want you to know about? I could hardly believe it when I read the following news item in my daily email from Radio Australia:

"Concern over re-opening compensation case for 1927 Solomons massacre