Because there is more to life than being knocked up...

...even if it's not what I'm focused on right now. Just some links...

• When Gender Changes The Negotiation - a worthwhile look at the ways that men and women negotiate job benefits and salaries differently, and how work environments can contribute to or minimize conditions that lead to this sort of self-selected gender inequality.
  
• The Permanent Energy Crisis - Hampshire College professor Michale T. Klare on the enduring nature of the problems we face. No huge surprises, but a succinct and well-put summary of the issues.
  
• Political Books - Polarized Readers - a graphic analysis of the 2004 purchases of the top 100 political books on Amazon.com. Fascinating look at balkanization at work, with nice links to other related analyses.
  
• Frames That Bother Me - Bias and perspective on the idea of "free speech." Not sure this is entirely in line with my own vague ideas on the topic, but an interesting perspective on the American spin on the cartoon riots nonetheless.
  
• Women's Empowerment: Measuring the Global Gender Gap. A World Economic Forum report that has some interesting reality checks - the US ranked only 17th overall, when compared with other countries on a variety of criteria, including economic participation, economic opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment, and health and well-being. The whole report is interesting reading.