Talkin' Shit About A Pretty Sunset

After climbing barefoot (it's enforced) up hundreds of stairs in 90 degree temperature to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda I shall henceforth refer to it as "Shwedy Balls Pagoda".

Sure, it's a beautiful temple and all that---pictures below---but I'd like to take a moment and reiterate my undiscriminating disgust for religion of any kind, occidental or oriental.

How did it come that people in the west give Buddhism a free pass? Maybe because they don't believe in gods. Here's one of many reasons to have no time or respect for Buddhism: MONKS.

In a country as poor as Myanmar, becoming a goddamn mendicant is despicable. It should be a moral emergency that maroon-robed lazy asses get to hang around cool temples all day getting handouts from the poor who break rocks on the highway for 16 hours seven days in a row. Monks contribute nothing to society. Asceticism is wasted energy that makes me angry.

The Shwedy Balls Pagoda from afar. It's over 320 feet high:


When the candles come out, the religious mumbo-jumbo is soon to follow:


The Shwedy Balls, from under the flame: