Briefs and boxers

BBC News:

Israel and Jewish groups have protested after South Africa's cabinet approved regulations to label goods made in Israeli settlements as being from the Occupied Palestinian Territories....

South African government spokesman Jimmy Manyi told reporters: "This is in line with South Africa's stance that recognises the 1948 borders delineated by the United Nations and does not recognise occupied territories beyond these borders as being part of the state of Israel."

So they're now claiming not just that the settlements are legal, but that they're actually somehow in Israel? Or is it a new trick in international law to say they're "in the West Bank, but not of it"? Maybe we should just think of each settlement as a great big Israeli embassy complex, or shmir of extraterritoriality. But if they were diplomatic missions, wouldn't they have to engage with the Arabs living around there in some way other than burning their olive trees and knocking down their houses?

From  http://www.boxer-dogs.net/

Krugman:

But seriously, it appears that a push for a return to the gold standard — the Golden Fetters that played such a large role in propagating the Great Depression — is going to be part of the Republican platform.

Hahahahaha!

If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.

And this time I really mean it! Just pray Obama doesn't come back with a compromise proposal like going back to the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.

From Wikipedia.

Talking Points Memo on Todd Akin, the Missouri representative who discovered God's special birth control service for rape victims:

Todd Akin’s campaign advised Democrats on Thursday that their best hope of beating him would be to demand Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) step down as a candidate.

His comments came after pollster Rasmussen released a survey showing him trailing McCaskill 48 percent to 38 percent in Missouri’s Senate race, a stunning implosion, if accurate, given that he led all polls before his “legitimate rape” remarks led GOP leaders to disown his campaign. Akin’s campaign, however, believes the poll is encouraging news.

“The fact that Claire McCaskill is only polling at 48 percent after 72 hours of constant negative attacks on Todd Akin shows just how weak she is.”

 Because it's very rare for people to vote against God's candidate, see? The Lord just kind of stiffens up their fingers.

Cool boxer. From  DogObediences.