THE RELIGION WAR

began reading a new one. (no, it's not a scary spiritual/Christian book. it's by scott adams, author of the Dilbert cartoons. so it's a gas!) it's a relatively short read but i was exhausted, so i didn't finish it last night. i think this caused some dreams that i now can't remember. as part of the prologue, the author briefly comments on the first book, god's debris, and that some people get amnesia just after reading the book, 'aggressively arguing' that there were no new ideas in the book. actually, i got amnesia not b/c i didn't think there were new ideas, but b/c it was written in the manner of the socratic method, so i tried to keep up and focus so hard i kept losing it. i can't handle very many scenarios in my head at one time. i'd have to write all my arguments down, w/c i didn't do while reading.

anyway, this sequel has a plot and the idea-laden sentences are more spaced out, so more easily digestible. i'm enjoying it. there's this really funny line about a frenchman on a plane. and so much more. i laughed out loud a few times. the author masterfully weaves together psychology (including organizational! the bit about self-managed groups!!!! whoopee! that was SO cool and funny!), physics, religion, sociology, mathematics, etc, etc. so much for such a little book.

ps
the chapter on MENSA was priceless!

pps
i know just to whom i'll give this book as a gift. hope they haven't already read it, the dilbert fan.

update: 3/29/05
that book gave me dreams. i remember i also dreamt i fell victim to credit card/identity theft.

it seems i live in my dreams these days. walking a straight line by day and drawing squigglies in the dark.

i'm not quite sure how i feel about how the story ended. i don't know about the pantheistic slant, and that's giving it more definition that it's claiming, even. there's something so sanitized and inadequate about the theory. sad to think it, but the 'moral' of the story is like a bejeweled finger eagerly pointing at a sewer. this battle between the good speck and the bad speck that causes chaos...eh. i disagree that the bad speck is exactly the same as the good speck but just fighting for space. people value originality, right? that would make the bad speck a poor imitator, at best, and a fraud for sure, wouldn't it?

ah well, to cheer myself up, i think i'll read mark or luke or matthew. still haven't read those guys. i have to say, i was surprised to realize that john was the most loved, and he seemed so harsh and almost intolerant. perhaps it is his passion misunderstood. dunno.