Wiki-surfing

Wikipedia has grown to be one of my favorite websites. Next to Google, I think it's one of the most useful tools on the web. Hardly a day goes by, it seems, when I don't look up multiple things on Wikipedia. I haven't yet found a topic that didn't have at least a short article written about it.

Wikipedia can also be dangerous, however. I've found that when I look something up, I rarely stay just on that one article's page. Every Wikipedia page contains numerous links in the text to articles on other, related topics. I often see another link that looks interesting, click on it, read that page, click on a link to yet another article, and so on. Sometimes it can eat up a lot of one's time, and sometimes the trail of links can get pretty long. By the end of my Wiki-surfing (when I finally force myself to get back to work), I'll often be on a topic that has nothing to do with what I originally came to look up.

Here's a recent example. I heard about a particular dog breed, the Tosa, and decided to look it up. That to the following string: Tosa-->Sumo-->Yokozuna-->Onogawa Kisaburo-->Jujutsu-->Karate-->Syngman Rhee-->Cold War.

From dogs to the Cold War, by way of Japanese culture. Weird. And I've had even longer and stranger Wiki-surfing chains.

When I'm tempted to complain...

...that my apartment is too small, I need to remember that it could be worse. Thanks be to God for the (relatively) palatial space that Andrea and I have.

(HT: Randa)

Entertainment of the Day

If you're in the mood for some entertaining reading, check out the Amazon customer reviews for a gallon of milk. I'm not kidding.

The Gifts of God for the People of God

You scored as Calvin. You are John Calvin. You have a Nestorian Christology and separate the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus. You believe only those who have faith are united to Christ, who is present spiritually, yet you call this "Real." Calvin 88% Zwingli 69% Luther 50% Catholic 13% Unitarian 0% Eucharistic theology created with QuizFarm.com

I don't know about Nestorian Christology--in fact I reject attempts to separate (rather than distinguish) Jesus' humanity and divinity. I have found Calvin's commentary on the Lord's Supper helpful, though.

Broken

This has got to be one of the greatest sites ever: This Is Broken

Visually Speaking

This is my blog's source code, rendered graphically. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it looks pretty cool. Get your own here.

Christianity and Films

My friend Thomas, an aspiring filmmaker and one of the most creative men I know, often posts on a Christian approach to film and art over at his blog, Trinity Station. Examples here, here, and here. He always has good things to say (or at least interesting links).

Also of interest on this topic, and what prompted me to do this post, are a couple of episodes of the White Horse Inn radio show where the hosts interview Brian Godawa, a Reformed Christian screenwriter who did the film To End All Wars. Their conversation with Brian focuses mainly on how to engage with and interpret films as a Christian on a more substantive level than simply counting how many times the F-word occur in them. The interview is well worth your time, and can be found here and here. Godawa also appears to have a movie blog over at the Chalcedon Foundation's website, which I just discovered and haven't yet had time to browse much.

I may have posted this before, but it's worth doing again. Check out the Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism. It's a hoot.

John Piper, Thug Style

John Piper, Alistair Begg, and others get into the hip-hop scene. I'm gonna see if I can get Mark to do his next sermon to some beats. 2 Corinthians 8, anyone?

TL4L!

T4G Blog

I don't often plug others's blogs (I let my blogroll in the sidebar do that for me), but here's one you must see: the Together for the Gospel Blog. Mark Dever, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, and Lig Duncan, all blogging together. Great stuff. Hanging out with any one of these men is quite an experience (well, I haven't met Lig yet), but get two or more of them in a room together, and buckle your seatbelts! Read this blog, and it'll be almost like spending time with them.

Honestly, I'm just amused by the fact that Mark Dever--who doesn't even own a cell phone--is now blogging.

Politics

You are a Social Moderate (41% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (70% permissive) You are best described as a: Republican Link: The Politics Test

Where do YOU come down?