You know it's a dire situation when public officials are being called out to swim in their own polluted river. A local Chinese entrepreneur, pissed off at the lack of attention being given to dirty river, has challenged the local environmental official to a 20-minute swim in it for $32,000. According to the entrepreneur, a rubber shoe factory has been dumping waste into the river for some time and the cancer rate in the area is exceptionally high.

We aren't sure what's worse: a river so polluted it's taking a bribe to clean up or the fact that an official will actually take this bribe? Then again, it is China and if the Yangtze River is any indication, there are more pressing issues to address.