THAT’S A BIG BUDDHA

Incidentally, here’s what I was doing last Friday before the typhoon arrived: cavorting about the world’s reputedly largest outdoor bronze seated Buddha statue, which just happens to be on Lantau, the island where I live.



I wasn’t loafing, no. It was part of a company outing to celebrate recent successes and reinforce team-building, etc. We do these sometimes.

We made a stop at Tai O (a fishing village famous for salted fish and shrimp paste, which is what’s in that blue bucket there) for a seafood lunch before heading to Po Lin Monastery where the Tian Tan Buddha is located. I’ve been there before, but it was a good seven years ago. Since then they’ve added some touristy things like Ngong Ping Village (with accompanying cable car) and the Wisdom Path (those wood columns there, which have passages from the Heart Sutra carved on them in Chinese calligraphy).

It was a strenuous afternoon – I climbed to the top of the hill where the Wisdom Path is for a good shot, then I walked up all 268 steps to the top of the Buddha, all whilst temperatures were hitting 35ºC. Luckily they sell cold drinks and ice cream at the top. And the view is worth the walk.

Ngong Ping Village, not so much. It’s meant to look old-school Chinese, but the 7-11 and Starbucks kind of ruin the effect. So I left out those pics.

The cable car was also interesting, as we took a “crystal cabin” (i.e. a cable car with a glass bottom). So you can see how far down you’ll fall if this happens.

PRODUCTION NOTE: If the pictures seem like they have a bit of a blue tint, that’s because they do. I’ve no idea why. White balance issues?

Running up that hill,

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BATTLEBORG CENTAUR BARBIE®

[Via BoingBoing]

Partly metal, partly real,,

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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF MOON LANDING HOAXES

ITEM: If you’ve not seen it already, Mythbusters has done a special on Moon Landing Conspiracy Theories, debunking some of the “evidence” typically presented by conspiracy theorists that the moon landings were faked, such as the breeze blowing the flag, the footprints and the studio lighting.

Watch Adam and Jamie summarize their findings on CNN with a thoroughly annoying host.

Clavius.org – which spends lots of time debunking moon landing hoax theories and was a consultant for that episode – has some additional perspective here.

CONCLUSION: Mythbusters is law. You are crime.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love conspiracy theories. I find them entertaining. So I have to say I’m impressed that the moon-landing hoax has lasted as long as it has.

Which is why, 40 years from now, there will still be people who believe Obama is a foreigner no matter how many birth certificates prove otherwise.

I am talking to YOU, Lou Dobbs.

My personal favorite NASA conspiracy is the one by Richard Hoagland, who claims that NASA is an occult organization who did put people on the moon, but the footage you’ve seen is faked because the REAL mission was to cover up evidence that an alien civilization once lived there before the Russians found out.

Good one, Richard.

Busted,

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