Posts tagged as China
Pictures Confusey
Are these satellite photos of the Gobi Desert "proof that China is planning an attack on Washington, D.C."? Sure, why the hell not.
America Apparently All Out Of Options
Can Will.i.am Bring China and America Closer Together? Sure, why the hell not.
Chinese Prison Labor Includes Online Gaming
"As a prisoner at the Jixi labour camp, Liu Dali would slog through tough days breaking rocks and digging trenches in the open cast coalmines of north-east China. By night, he would slay demons, battle goblins and cast spells. Liu says he was one of scores of prisoners forced to play online games to build up credits that prison guards would then trade for real money. The 54-year-old, a former prison guard who was jailed for three years in 2004 for 'illegally petitioning' the central government about corruption in his hometown, reckons the operation was even more lucrative than the physical labour that prisoners were also forced to do."
Bloomberg in Hong Kong
There's a funny little profile of New York City's mayor in the February Esquire, though it's not online. So, in it, Mike Bloomberg goes to Hong Kong, and he takes along Jon Liu, the comptroller, and Esquire is all like, why did he invite you, and Jon Liu's all, "I'm sure he has his reasons." Heh. So over there what they do is, the transit system owns rights to land around the train station, so they build malls around the stations, in conjunction with private developers, and this pays for a good chunk of the excellent transit system. And of course Bloomberg loves this. "In America, the ultimate capitalist system, government is getting in the way of everything," Bloomberg says over there. Funny stuff!
China v. America Explained
This is actually a fairly decent summary of the issues involved in the current currency spat between the United States and China, so if you want to learn more about that subject go ahead and watch. Do be warned, though, that it feels a little racist. Against everybody.
Obese Bear Will Act Friendly If You Buy Her A Drink
After being kicked out of the circus for gaining too much weight, a performing bear named Tian Tian has found a second career posing for pictures with patrons at a zoo in Shandong, China. "When she first arrived at the zoo and tourists began to request pictures, officials decided to turn her into a full-time 'picture bear'. She soon began to adopt special poses for photographs by putting on a casual look and leaning on a fence. In return, she stares at tourists' food until they give it to her. She has become particularly fond of beer." Yeah, that's gonna end well.
"Chinese Fire Drill" Joke Avoided
How was your commute? "A massive traffic jam in north China that stretches for dozens of miles and hit its 10-day mark on Tuesday stems from road construction in Beijing that won't be finished until the middle of next month, an official said.... Some drivers have been stuck in the jam for five days, China Central Television reported Tuesday. But Zhang said he wasn't sure when the situation along the Beijing-Zhangjiakou highway would return to normal."
The Benches That Bruise Butts
"We have to make sure the facilities are shared out evenly and this seems like a fair way to stop people grabbing a bench at dawn and staying there all day." READ MORE
Chinese Official Red-Faced Over Mistaken Beating
"This incident is a total misunderstanding. Our police officers never realized that they beat the wife of a senior leader. A strong wave of fists rained down on her for more than 16 minutes." READ MORE
Notes from an FX Trader: On Genius, Idiocy and the Merely Intelligent
"An intelligent person will only make money from other intelligent people. But a true genius will make a fortune off all kinds of idiots." -Dr. Frederick C. Evering READ MORE
