New York Times: (select): We'd like to send an autumn valentine to Bob Herbert for the latest salvo in his crusade to awaken the news media to the "permanent world war" against women. When any male Times Op-Ed columnist lends his voice to the millions of women's-rights activists around the world, it's worth an Internet smooch.

New York Times, again: The Girls Gone Wild phenomenon seems to have reached the Middle East -- the Times reports on the post-Ramadan tradition of young women in Beirut prowling the streets, drinking too much and, yes, dancing on top of bars during a time when many men return from their jobs abroad to visit Lebanon.

Feministing: Curtsies to the gals for spreading the word on The RX Zone, an interactive game created by the Planned Planned Parenthood of Illinois that allows you to experience some of the obstacles of getting E.C. Some antichoice groups have called the game bigoted, because it portrays them as Neanderthals. But hey, if the animal fur fits...

Reuters: Calls for understanding, not prison time, came from Africa today, as Ethiopians debated the justice of the verdict against Khalid Adem, the Atlanta-area resident who was sentenced yesterday to ten years in prison for cutting off his two year-old-daughter's clitoris with a pair of scissors. Last week, Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi commented on the practice, highlighting how slow the process of change can be: "If a whole community is involved in this practice, you cannot jail an entire community. You have to change the mindset, and that takes time," he said.