Scott

NFL is running ads on the subway, *trying* to get an exhibition game here, and organizing flag football leagues in an apparent attempt to get Chinese people interested (wanting to cash in on the NBA's immense popularity), but shouldn't putting a ball in the hands of the people be step 1?

Virtually all American footballs are MADE in China, so where can I buy one in Beijing before they put it on the boat?

While living in China for a year, I accidentally bought over 100 (presumably) pirated DVDs for 6 RMB (less than $1) each.

I would like to take them home with me, but if there's any chance of a problem, I'll just ditch them here. I keep them in a normal-looking CD sleeve case, without packaging. They look like legit DVDs except for the Chinese and horrible English translations.

I can play them on my computer, and I have a compact DVD player I can transport, so that's not a problem. Does anyone know what the possible implications could be if U.S. Customs had a problem with them? What would be the likelihood of getting stopped for them? Any chance of pleading ingorance and simply having them confiscated without some stiff punishment?

These would be solely for personal use, of course.

It is well-documented history that Zoroastrianism pre-dates Christianity by several thousand years, and that it introduced the ideas of:

God and Satan

Heaven and Hell

a savior

a savior born of a virgin

a second coming

judgement day

resurrection

Do Christians dispute history or have their own explanation? Are most Christians simply unaware of the origins of their religion, or do they chose ignorance over knowledge?

China has steadily increased its total medal count in the last three Olympics, and in 2004 they were only a couple medals off the USA. Some experts predict that the homefield advantage could push China over the top.

What do you think?