And How About A Side of Anger Management to Go With Your Drink?

I know it's kind of the thing these days to be concerned about North Korea and Iraq and Iran and all, but I have to say, lately China is actually starting to worry me a bit. Or maybe a lot.

I mean, first there was the recent and rather alarming rise in the popularity of voodoo dolls, of all things. Then I stumbled across this little blurb in the August 18 issue of The Week:

A new bar in China allows patrons to blow off steam by physically assaulting the staff. The Rising Sun Anger Release Bar in Nanjing employs 20 heavily muscled waiters whom customers are free to punch and scream at with no fear of retaliation. Should beating up a waiter fail to relieve a ustomer's anger and tension, counselors are on hand to dispense life advice.

Well, it is definitely a fascinating idea for happy hour: "Hey, let's head down to Rising Sun and yell at the waiters! Then we'll get a drink and have some counselling. It'll be fun!" But it does beg the question: why are people so angry in China? And how high is the turnover at the Rising Sun Anger Release Bar, anyway? (By the way, I think that's an awesome name for a bar.)

I wonder if Rising Sun waiters would come to the bar on THEIR days off, and yell at the other waiters, and beat them up, in order to blow off their rage at being yelled at and beaten by customers? Vicious cycle, anyone? (Which would be an awesome name for a drink at the Rising Sun Anger Release Bar.)

And what the heck are these advice-dispensing counselors supposed to do? I mean, doesn't most "life advice" include concepts like, "Don't hit people or lose your temper"? Are they anger management counselors? Because that would be pretty funny. Talk about conflicts of interest.