If you ever find yourself in mainland China and fully jetlagged (you know, wide awake at 3 a.m.), there’s a fun game you can play. It’s called – “What Websites have the Chinese Government Censored?” It’s an interesting game. Especially when you see just how much of the World Wide Web isn’t allowed for viewing in one of the largest countries in the world that holds north of one billion of the planet’s people.

Here’s a quick list I found of forbidden sites:

Facebook (all social network sites for that matter: MySpace, Twitter, you get the idea)

YouTube – no funny home videos of people doin’ stupid stuff!?!?

Most of CNN (and any other US based news outlet)

Most of ESPN – this is where I fell apart really

You get the idea. Perhaps this is why it might seem like the music they listen to in the mainland sounds about 2 decades old. I know the '80s are back and everything, but it seems that China might just now be hitting the decade.

A quick scan through the TV stations in my hotel room and it looks like Color Me Badd is teaching classes for the current generation there. Even the Chinese version of MTV was showing what appeared to be a '80s marathon until I realized all the songs were current “hits.” YIKES! Granted all the songs were in Chinese and I couldn’t understand a word, but by the sound of their voice and how the “pop” stars were dressed, you’d think it was karaoke night at the local watering hole. Not good times.

Makes you wonder what would happen if they got a dose of current music. Or if they could even handle it. But there are some positives from having most of the current music of the world kept from you. They have no clue who Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers or Lady Ga(g) Ga(g) is. Now that’s censorship I can get behind.