The Atlantic’s Tribute To Tiananmen ’89

Tiananmen 1
The Atlantic has posted 50 beautiful photos on its website in a series called "Tiananmen Square, Then and Now," that should more than justify the five minutes it takes to look at them. I've posted five more of my favorites after the jump, but there really isn't a bad shot in the bunch. You might have seen many of them in the Boston Globe's "The Big Picture" in 2009 to commemorate 20 years since the military crackdown at Tiananmen, but they're worth seeing again. Cogs in something turning... they were all childs of God. Read more »

Man Wins Five-Year Lease On BMW, Suffers Slings And Arrows Of Global Times

Make... it... stop.
Everyone enjoys an old-fashioned physical endurance challenge for the sake of a material prize… right? Not like this though, BMW. Not like this. There are two parts about this story, from Chengdu Business Daily via Global Times, that get me: Song Changjiang, 27, finally won the right to use a BMW car valued at 278,000 yuan... Read more » Read more »

A June 4 Story: The Shanghai Stock Exchange Is Messin’ With The Politburo

Shanghai Stock Market
By RFH Confounding even the most grounded of numerologists, the movements on today’s Shanghai Stock Exchange have caused a minor stir. The index opened at: Open: 2,346.98 Day Range: 2,308.23 – 2,348.20 Year To Date: +4.96% Previous Close: 2,373.44 52-Week Range: 2,132.63 – 2,826.96 1-Year: -15.38% That’s 2,346.98 as in 23 years since 4/6, which... Read more » Read more »

Pharmaceutical Company In Jiangxi Thinks Collecting The Urine Of Schoolboys Is Normal

Urine
Image via Reddit (unrelated to story) Remember Royston Chan’s story for Reuters about eggs soaked in the urine of “virgin boys”? I have yet to be able to eat a marinated egg since reading that story without gagging. I’m not going to be able to take any urokinase, either (not that I ever would), after reading... Read more » Read more »

The Tease Is Over: Here Is Coldplay And Rihanna’s “Princess Of China” Video

Directed by Adria Petty and Alan Bibby and filmed in March, the long-awaited video to Coldplay’s “Princess of China” off its recent Mylo Xyloto album, featuring Rihanna, was leaked on Saturday ahead of its official release later today. It features a heavy dose of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon imagery, plus thousand-hand Guanyin. (Thanks to Alicia for the embed... Read more » Read more »

Jerry-Rigged Tractor Thingymajig Rolls To Its Own Beat

Jerry-Rigged Tractor Thingymajig Rolls To Its Own Beat featured image
Migrant workers in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province have upped a bar previously set by Sofa Car Man and Homemade Soapbox Derby for Most Unexpectedly Innovative in China. The question: how does one transport an electricity pole from Point A to B without spending the few extra bucks to hire a truck? Answer: Attach the motor of a tractor to one end of said pole, then lay it across a modified three-wheel wagonbed that seats ten people. A cop who saw this said no one had seen anything like it before. You know why? Cause this is China, and it's damn innovative when it wants to be. Read more »