Reason Morning Links: Big Drop in World Trade, Spain Threatens the Euro, Congress Vs. OSHA

• Last year saw biggest drop in global trade since WWII.
• NY Times publishes allegations that New York Gov. David Paterson pressured woman to drop domestic abuses charges against one of his top aides.
• Spain's economic slump may kill the Euro.
• Obama may drop plans for stand-alone consumer protection agency as part of financial system reform package.
• More than 70 percent of Congressional offices violate OSHA regulations.

Comments

[Solanum]

Her tears, they sustain me with their yumminess.

A young mother who falsely cried rape, sending an innocent man to prison for nearly four years, will experience firsthand what he suffered -- she'll spend one to three years behind bars for perjury.

Feministing's insight on this story:

Link

[Joe M]

Oh come on. I'm sure he would've raped someone sooner or later, so this really was for the best.

At least, that's my guess at what their insight might be.

[SugarFree]

That was certainly the logic displayed during the Duke case.

[no logic]

How was he convicted without physical evidence?

[Marshall Gill]

How was he convicted without physical evidence?

I have a friend who just pleaded no contest to "sexual assault" in Texas. Apparently, they have a "single witness" "law" which means that you can be tried based upon her claims alone, no physical evidence required. My friend faced 2 to 20 and just didn't have the guts to risk being convicted by an idiot jury. I think I would have taken justice in my own hands if I were him, but he is nicer than I.

[no logic]

He should have fought it but I know it can be expensive.

[Crass feminist parody]

He had a penis, didn't he?

[Crass misogonist parody]

they are sluts

[dbcooper]

Speaking of which, the Duke accuser is now up for attempted murder.

[RCTL]

Come on DB, that woman is a sad case.

[mr simple]

Hilarious link.

[Bergholt Stuttley Johnson]

From the article:

Gonzalez, 27, had recanted her story last year after new DNA evidence proved she'd been lying and a priest to whom she'd confessed urged her to come clean.

Right. I am sure both those things were equally responsible for her recanting.

[no logic]

Ok wise guy, why did she recant?

[2010 Voter]

"We are talking about serious hazards that have plagued congressional offices for years."

Those hazards are nothing compared to what the offices are facing in November.

[Nick]

The serious hazards are that Congressholes keep showing up for work.

[Johnny Longtorso]

Climategate: Seven Hard Questions from the Case Study of the Fall of Enron (will the AAAS panel consider them?)

Rob Bradley: Climategate from an Enron Perspective
...There was an extremely interesting blog post a few days ago by Rob Bradley, an old friend of North from Enron days ? where North had been Bradley's climate consultant ? in which Bradley asked North very pointed questions in which he compared the present behavior of climate scientists to Climategate to their shared experience (as innocent parties not in the know) through the gradual revelation of Enron problems....

...In the first post, I observed ironically that there was a "consensus" in 2000 that Enron was the best-managed company in the US, seizing that honor from GE. Money managers and analysts are not stupid people ? the intriguing question for me was (and this sort of question interested me before I was interested in climate) is how could so many smart analysts get it wrong? And at what point did it change from "shame on you" to "shame on me" i.e. at what point could an alert analyst have spotted inconsistencies and problems? And what were early warning bells? ..

[P Brooks]

America can still out-compete other nations in the world marketplace, but only if the government and U.S. businesses move ahead with a unified agenda, President Barack Benito Obama says.

He urged more cooperation between government and business to achieve a balance between federal intervention and corporations run amok. As Obama put it, "It's not about being anti-business or pro-government; it's about being pro-growth and pro-jobs."

"And don't forget to make your totally voluntary campaign contribution before you leave."

[JW]

"He urged more cooperation collusion between government and business to achieve a balance between corporations and federal intervention run amok."

Fixed!

[Joe M]

Oh, a really excellent book everyone should read, and which seems more appropriate and topical than when it came out eight years ago, is Brink Lindsey's Against the Dead Hand. It's how the last time we had blossoming globalization, at the turn of the LAST century, socialism destroyed it. We're facing that danger again.

[Hacha Cha]

fuck OSHA

[P Brooks]

That was certainly the logic displayed during the Duke case.

Frat boys are always and everywhere rapists.

[SugarFree]

Beer pong is the symbolic and repeated rape of plastic cups by frat boys' enraged gonads.

[Dagny T.]

And flip-cup, however, requires a deft touch. But may alo signify latent homoeroticism.

[SugarFree]

And why does it have to "Three-man"? Are they so insecure? Must they constantly reinforce the patriarchy?

[Anne Page]

And the lacrosse stick is a phallic symbol of white male privilege that functions to violently capture and claim the feminine (sphere). So lacrosse players are rapists regardless of the so-called 'facts' or 'objective reality' so beloved by the white capitalist hegemon.

[Maverick]

I have have just returned from a spiritual journey and spoke of many things with my 'Injun' ancestors. They asked to point out that the 'red man' invented lacrosse. And they made totems to satisfy their phallic symbology cravings.

[Anne Page]

I'll ask you to refrain from sharing historical 'facts' and stick with the correct narrative, please.

[Option none]

"We never pressured her, at least what I was advised; we never pressured her not to press charges," said Mr. Corbitt, whom the governor appointed. "We just gave her options." Wow.

[Pro Libertate]

Don Corelone: "We never pressured Jack Woltz, at least what I was advised. We never pressured him to put Johnny in his next film. We just gave him options."

[Option none]

I was thinking the Sopranos. Women don't quote The Godfather.

[P Brooks]

Capitol officials attribute the increase in compliance to several factors, including the heightened awareness of how members of Congress want to be perceived by voters in their districts.

"Many members are not only concerned with the safety of their employees and visitors, but they also want to send a message to employers and employees in their states and districts that Congress will live by the laws that apply to employers in the private sector and the executive branch," said Eveleth.

The Office of Compliance also noted the role that education outreach efforts have played in increasing office awareness ? such as walk-through faux inspections, which point out OSHA violations to staffers, as conducted by the Architect of the Capitol's (AoC) office, the office of the chief administrative officer, and the Office of the Superintendent.

"Faux inspections" you say? And when a real inspection turns up violations, who pays the millions of dollars in fines?

[Fist of Etiquette]

More than 70 percent of Congressional offices violate OSHA regulations.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 70 percent more than enough in either chamber to enact legislation exempting Congress from OSHA regs?

[Isaac Bartram]

Actually, I always understood that Congress had exempted itself from OSHA regs along with a whole lot of federal labor laws that us little people must follow.

Perhaps I was wrong.

[SugarFree]

You can now follow the depraved adventures of Steve Smith via Twitter. He's the first Sasquatch on Twitter, but surely not the last.

[Dagny T.]

Excellent. But exactly how dangerous would it be to follow Steve Smith?

[Johnny Longtorso]

He tracks your IP address.

[SugarFree]

Just stay downwind of him.

[Dagny T.]

*rimshot* He'll be here all week, folks.

(I would not recommend saying "rim-" anything around Steve Smith.)

[robc]

None at all. The danger is if he is following you.

[Solanum]

Only a fool would attempt to track Steve Smith. Even the rugged, hypermasculine bear Mantracker would loathe to do so.

[Johnny Longtorso]

Conan O'Brien is new to Twitter too. Coincidence? I think not. 🙂

http://twitter.com/ConanOBrien

[kinnath]

I routing for Spain to totally fuck the Euro.

[G]

I have absolutely no beef in this, but why would you say such a thing ?

Besides schadenfreude and some good old all-American Euro-bashing.

[JW]

Are there other reasons?

[kinnath]

I admit that it's nice to not have to carry around a bag with a bunch of different currencies when travelling to Europe.

But the EU has always been more fantasy than reality. There is no way that a single currency is going to wipe out a thousand years or so of national identity politics.

Plus, I am so fucking tired of "progressives" lecturing me on how great things are in Europe. Watching the Euro melt down will be more than a little bit satisfying.

[G]

Well, as it happens, I am an EU citizen.

While it is certainly true that the Euro was driven by politics first and economic considerations second, it certainly has helped drive up trade.

I for one would not like it to go away. What I would really like is seeing the EU go back to what it was originally supposed to be - just a common market.

[kinnath]

The EU has done many nice things. Crosing borders without hassles; one currency instead of a dozen; etc.

Whatever animosity I have for the EU is really directed at American progressives that hold up the EU as the "one way" for us all to follow while neglecting the many serious problems that still exist.

[Isaac Bartram]

The crossing borders without hassles predates the EU, I believe. It goes back to the sixties, IIANM.

[kinnath]

There was a dramatic change in the hassels of flying within the EU between 1994 and 2000.

[Johnny Longtorso]

routing?

[kinnath]

oops

[Rhywun]

oups

[kinnath]

+1

[Kippers]

Appeals court gives new life to local 'zombie' suit
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Wednesday released a ruling in favor of a group of zombies who say they were wrongfully arrested while protesting consumerism during the 2006 Aquatennial.

http://www.startribune.com/loc....._Yyc:aUUsA

[SugarFree]

Way to go Missiisoppi... Misisippi... Missasippy... aw, fuck it.

75% of students at Ole Miss vote for Admiral Ackbar to be the new school mascot.

[Adm Ackbar]

"Aih say, suh, it's a traap!"

[Lamar]

+1

[robc]

Its a Tarp jokes at baseball rain delays will be even funnier at Ole Miss.

[Naga Sadow]

They aren't allowed to have Colonel Rebel anymore. So they want Admiral Akbar, Leader of the Rebel Alliance, as the new mascot. Really it's just a fuck you to the ones who wanted it changed.

"Your defensive line can't repel a running back of that magnitude!"

[The Art-P.O.G.]

"Your defensive line can't repel a running back of that magnitude!"

Well done.

[Vermont Gun Owner]

"Concentrate all your firepower on those superstar receivers."

[GoNavy]

Spain's economic slump may kill the Euro.

The wisdom of the Brits to stay out of the Euro seems vindicated.

[GoNavy]

I bet my Danish cousins vote no on joining the Euro too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark_and_the_euro

[Joe M]

This is big news. Where's Ron Bailey?

Power Plant in a Box

[Warty]

Step 1: cut a hole in a box.

[T]

Waiting until the cost drops drastically, I would imagine. This is not particularly earthshattering.

[BeesInTheBrain]

When you can't just fire the bad teachers, just fire them all.