I am known for odd hobbies and interests, and for a long while, I have been very fascinated with all forms of syncretism, specifically carribbean syncretism.

For various private reasons I am exposed to quite a bit of information about social anthropology, and I usually find the descriptions of odd rites in various societies very amusing and enlightening.

For example, any diagram of multi-family cross-cousin-marriage in some african societies just brings out the graph theory nerd in me, and serious scientific texts debating the difference between endo- and exocannibalism (eat your own tribe vs. eat the other tribe) are a fun diversion from reading dry stuff all day.

Yet I was unprepared for reading about the "Cargo Cult" today. And thinking about it, the sheer fact that a cargo cult developed in Melanesia makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Read it. It's worth it.