Friday Links (23-Oct-09)

From the last fortnight:

• The British Chiropractor’s Association screwed-up majorly in their ludicrous libel suit against Simon Singh. They publish a comment that could itself be construed as libellous under the same crazy laws they’re using to sew Singh.
• Brilliant video: the Satan’s-a-dick theory of fossils.
• The most unintentionally funny post ever: Unquestioning Obedience – A Jewish Ideal
• A nice piece on the classic Talmudic tale of Rabbi Eliezer and the oven*
• A great poem summarizing the case Polanski’s defenders make.
• A new proof for the existence of God! Sorta.
• Tracie Harris kicks ass as usual with two great posts about indoctrination and Bible codes.
• Luisiana judge refuses to marry interracial couple, saying “I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way. . . I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.”

*Here’s a quick summary: Rabbi Eliezer disagrees with the ruling of the majority of rabbis regarding the purity of a certain oven. God agrees with R. Eliezer and tells the rabbis this much. The rabbis counter that rulings in Jewish law aren’t affected by miracles or revelation. God says laughing “my children have defeated me”. A great milestone since logic (even though it’s pre-scientific Talmudic logic) has been crowned supreme over revelation.