There's Corruption in China (again), Business as Usual!

Well, the Prairie State Exams are here again. But since I'm a Junior, this means I have to take the ACT as the first day's test...yikes! Other than that, everything for the most part is fine and dandy at home. But I'm more interested in what's going abroad. 

Just in the past few days Song Lin, the chairman of China Resources, one of China's biggest state conglomerates, was caught in corruption charges. Last year he directed one of China Resources' sub companies to buy a mine for 1.6 billion dollars, even though it had been closed since 2010. Naturally this caused some accusations of corruption - possibly diverting the funds. However, it wasn't until recently that Wang Wenzhi, a reporter for the newspaper Economic Information Daily, posted a picture of Song in bed with another woman. This proof backed Wang's claims that Song was engaged in extramarital affairs and led the anticorruption branch of the government to fully investigate Song. According to the anticorruption branch of the government, Song's mistress was helping him divert much of the purchase funds into offshore accounts and concealed investments. So now millions and millions off dollars have just been lost, damaging one of China's most powerful companies, and once again cementing the stereotype that China has rampant corruption. 

I have to say that as a former citizen, I'm just shaking my head in disbelief. Come on guys! Why do we have to wait until the fecal matter hits the oscillating device to take action? This doesn't really help anyone. Especially the world economy. The Chinese market is definitely going to be affected...it just remains to be seen how badly this will cause a chain reaction with the rest of the global economy. After all, China just finished trying to reassure the world that it's slower growth rate was nothing to worry about, then this happens. SMH...


Something Happy for the Week: Physically forcing yourself to smile, or hugging someone will biologically trigger your brain to release endorphins and make you feel happier! 

Something Random: Do you have the mentality of a Psychopath?

1. Your family and friends are tied to the train tracks. The only way to save them is to hit a lever which will divert the train onto another track. However, there is a random stranger tied to it. Will you do it? Yes/No

2. Your family and friends are tied to the train tracks. The only way to save them is to push a stranger on a cliff on the tracks in front of them. The train will grind the stranger into bits, killing him/her in a terrible way, but it'll brake the engine and allow the train's emergency brakes to kick in and stop it before it hurts your family/friends. Will you push the stranger?





Regardless of whether you said yes to the first question, the second one is the real test. The basic premise is that normal people with morals would hesitate at the second question, as it involves you being the actual killer, instead of simply hitting a lever. So if you immediately said yes, you might just be a psychopath. 

Then again, if this really is accurate, then one of my friends at my lunch table is a psychopath.   Uh-oh.