diff --git a/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css b/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css
index eca1dc6064..1f3807d33c 100644
--- a/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css
+++ b/wp-admin/css/colors-fresh.css
@@ -507,25 +507,32 @@ body.press-this .ui-tabs-selected a:hover {
 }
 
 #adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li a span.update-plugins {
-	background-image: url(../images/comment-stalk-fresh.gif);
-}
-
-#adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod span,
-#adminmenu li a span.update-plugins span,
-#sidemenu li a span.update-plugins span,
+#adminmenu li a span.update-plugins,
+#sidemenu li a span.update-plugins,
 #rightnow .reallynow,
 #plugin-information .action-button {
 	background-color: #d54e21;
 	color: #fff;
 }
 
-#adminmenu li a:hover #awaiting-mod span,
-#adminmenu li a:hover span.update-plugins span,
-#sidemenu li a:hover span.update-plugins span {
+#adminmenu li a:hover #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu li a:hover span.update-plugins,
+#sidemenu li a:hover span.update-plugins {
 	background-color: #264761;
 }
 
+#adminmenu li.current a #awaiting-mod,
+#adminmenu li.current a span.update-plugins,
+#adminmenu li.wp-has-current-submenu span.update-plugins {
+	background-color: #ddd;
+	color: #000;
+	text-shadow: none;
+	-moz-box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px -1px 0px;
+	-khtml-box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px -1px 0px;
+	-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px -1px 0px;
+	box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px -1px 0px;
+}
+
 div#media-upload-header {
 	background-color: #f9f9f9;
 	border-bottom-color: #dfdfdf;
diff --git a/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css b/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
index 82e61bd0ac..d330f3d0aa 100644
--- a/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
+++ b/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ div.postbox div.inside {
 	margin-bottom: 0;
 }
 
+#dashboard_recent_comments .inside {
+	margin-top: 0;
+}
+
+#dashboard_recent_comments .comment-meta .approve {
+	font-style: italic;
+	font-family: "Lucida Sans", "Lucida Grande", "Bitstream Vera Sans", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;
+	font-size: 10px;
+}
+
 #the-comment-list {
 	position: relative;
 }
diff --git a/wp-admin/wp-admin.css b/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
index 3f50a9aae3..f8f23f4cae 100644
--- a/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
+++ b/wp-admin/wp-admin.css
@@ -1111,12 +1111,24 @@ a#view-site-link {
 #adminmenu a span.update-plugins,
 #sidemenu li a span.update-plugins {
 	position: absolute;
-	margin-top: 0.2em;
-	font-size: 0.7em;
-	background-repeat: no-repeat;
-	background-position: 0 bottom;
-	height: 0.9em;
-	width: 1em;
+	font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
+	font-size: 9px;
+	margin-top: 2px;
+	margin-left: 2px;
+	-moz-border-radius: 7px;
+	-khtml-border-radius: 7px;
+	-webkit-border-radius: 7px;
+	border-radius: 7px;
+}
+
+#adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod span,
+#adminmenu li a span.update-plugins span,
+#sidemenu li a span.update-plugins span {
+	float: left;
+	display: block;
+	height: 1.6em;
+	line-height: 1.6em;
+	padding: 0 0.7em;
 }
 
 #adminmenu li span.count-0,
@@ -1126,6 +1138,7 @@ a#view-site-link {
 
 .post-com-count-wrapper {
 	min-width: 22px;
+	font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
 }
 
 .post-com-count {
@@ -1140,15 +1153,17 @@ a#view-site-link {
 }
 
 .post-com-count span {
-	height: 1.3em;
-	line-height: 1.2em;
-	padding: 0 0.5em;
+	height: 1.7em;
+	line-height: 1.7em;
+	padding: 0 0.4em;
+	min-width: 13px;
 	display: inline-block;
 	cursor: pointer;
-	-moz-border-radius: 3px;
-	-khtml-border-radius: 3px;
-	-webkit-border-radius: 3px;
-	border-radius: 3px;
+	-moz-border-radius: 5px;
+	-khtml-border-radius: 5px;
+	-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
+	border-radius: 5px;
+	font-size: 9px;
 }
 
 strong .post-com-count {
@@ -1159,27 +1174,6 @@ strong .post-com-count {
 	background-position: center -3px;
 }
 
-#adminmenu li a:hover #awaiting-mod,
-#adminmenu li a:hover span.update-plugins,
-#sidemenu li a:hover span.update-plugins {
-	background-position: -80px bottom;
-}
-
-#adminmenu li a #awaiting-mod span,
-#adminmenu li a span.update-plugins span,
-#sidemenu li a span.update-plugins span {
-	top: -0.8em;
-	right: 0;
-	position: absolute;
-	display: block;
-	height: 1.3em;
-	line-height: 1.3em;
-	padding: 0 0.6em;
-	-moz-border-radius: 3px;
-	-khtml-border-radius: 3px;
-	-webkit-border-radius: 3px;
-	border-radius: 3px;
-}
 /* end menu stuff */
 
 /* Admin Footer */