This story in the New York Times outlines a curious new compilation album called “Favorite Recorded Scream”. the record is exactly what it says it is: an audio catalog of scream snippets — each a few seconds long — chosen by employees at various record stores in Manhattan. It’s the sort of idea that seems [...]

Last Thursday night, I was able to get along to Avid Reader bookshop in Brisbane to hear Malalai Joya speak at a launch of her new book – Raising My Voice.  Ms Joya is often described as the bravest woman in Afghanistan. Being a women’s rights activist under the Taliban would certainly take some guts. [...]

Kevin Rudd has been coming in for a bit of flack for inserting turgid, bureaucratic language into his speeches.  Given all the – somewhat overblown in my view – fuss about plagiarism by politicians, perhaps he feels it is safer for him to write his own speeches rather than relies on words provided by others. [...]