BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

the following article is one that had me alternately shaking my head in utter disbelief and laughing out loud in the sheer ridiculousness (is there even such a word? but it's too apt not to use!) of the situation:

Millionaires Only at Shanghai Matchmaking Party

Agence France-Presse
Last updated 12:49pm (Mla time) 11/14/2006

SHANGHAI -- Shanghai, China's wealthiest and most dazzling city, plans to add to its reputation this weekend with a millionaire party aimed at hooking up rich men with beautiful women, state press said Tuesday.

Men wishing to participate must have assets worth at least two million yuan ($250,000), and women must be pretty and desirable, the China Daily quoted the event's organizer, Xu Tianli, as saying.

More than 20 men have signed up to take part in the event and half possess assets worth more than 200 million yuan ($25 million), according to Xu, owner of matchmaking website for the rich www.915915.com.cn.

"They have all come here in search of a serious relationship," Xu said.

A 34-year-old millionaire taking part in the event, who gave his surname as Sun, said he was hoping to find the woman of his dreams at the party, to be held on a cruise vessel on the Huangpu River.

"I often find pretty women on the street, but many of the women I meet in person are not the kind to win husbands," said Sun, a logistics business owner worth more than $500,000. "Appearance is most important to me."

Xu has so far selected 30 women out of 1,000 applicants to take part in the cruise.

"Only those who were attractive in every category can take part in this event," insisted Xu.

Some millionaire women will also join, but Xu said they were looking for men "richer and more successful than they are".