Random bit of Thursday

I've been having a heck of a month trying to remember all that I've been thinking of--I think lack of sleep is the reason for it. Anywho.

I read about Dairy Queen going to open about 100 stores in China. My question is...for those who always complain about the US sending jobs overseas, I wonder whether they are for or against this.

Have you ever realized how similar to Christianity Buddhism is? We were sitting in discussion for Early Japanese History chatting about what Buddhism was doing in year 1100 or so. Let's just say that I was quietly giggling to myself about belief in mappo (the decline of humanity/end of days), the formation of various sects of Buddhism with similar but different core beliefs on sin and enlightenment (read: salvation) (including campaigning that only through belief in their sect would save the soul from the mappo), and how one of the most important Bodhisattva promised in life that  he would not go on to nirvana without knowing that all the humans are saved. Then there was the whole fact that at this time there was a focus on getting Buddhism to the masses, not just to the aristocracy.