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 like a great idea once you’ve heard of it; the key thing being to think of the idea in the first place (and doing the work of pulling it all together)

Great idea or not, it certainly raises some very obvious problems in terms of copyright. But if you’re in the mood to just listen to one scream after another, niceties about copyright are probably the last think you’ll be worried about.

I first heard of her in 2005 and saw her speak at an International Women’s Day function in 2007. I am somewhat surprised she is still alive. She is certainly still speaking as strongly as ever.

I haven’t had a chance to read her book yet, but her speech last week covered much of the same points raised in the interview she did on the 7:30 Report.

I strongly believe that no nation can donate liberation to another nation. This is the responsibility of our own people to fight for their rights to achieve values like democracy and women’s rights, human rights in our country. It’s a prolonged struggled, it’s a risky struggle full of hardships and challenges but I trust in my people. In the history of my country.

I am not qualified to assess whether her call for a full military withdrawal to enable her country to find its own way to democracy is the best path for the people of Afghanistan.  But sadly, whatever path is taken over the next few years in that country, it seems certain she is right that it will be a struggle full of hardships and challenges.

This more extensive interview, from the International Museum of Women website, with Malalai Joya in California last year provides more detail of her views.

She will be making a number of appearances in Adelaide this coming Tuesday and Wednesday.

I was reading through the transcript of a speech Mr Rudd gave recently at the Ethnic Business Awards in Sydney, which I thought wasn’t too bad.  I was especially struck by the words about multiculturalism which he used to close his speech.  I have heard some questions raised about whether or not the new government is genuinely committed to multiculturalism, so it was good to read his positive words on the topic for that reason alone. But I also thought the words he chose were quite eloquent.

Of course, as the PM acknowledged, they were not his own words, but rather those of Joseph Assaf, a migrant from Lebanon who has written a book called “In Someone Else’s Shoes”.  Perhaps it shows the benefits of using other peoples’ words after all.  In any case, like the PM, I also think they are eloquent words.

“Multiculturalism is not a passing fancy. It is not a hobby. It is not a Government policy. It is not a nice thing to do or a marketing opportunity.

“Equally, diversity is not a choice. It is not an option. It is not a public relations exercise or an employee relations program. In Australia diversity is a fact of life and multiculturalism is a way of life. May it ever be so.”

I haven’t read the book yet, but from the things I’ve read about it, it looks like a thought-provoking read.