# Somewhat Wholesome Ways to Waste Time?



## Athaleyah (Mar 19, 2009)

Could anyone suggest some good entertaining websites? I know about most of the good Reformed theological websites and do spend time there, but they aren't too amusing or diverting. So when you need a break from serious things online, where do you go?


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## turmeric (Mar 19, 2009)

Get some old Dorothy Sayers mysteries - can't hurt!


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## OPC'n (Mar 19, 2009)

Into my own head!


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## LawrenceU (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't recreate online. I recreate best wielding a fly rod, waking behind my dog with my 16 ga. SxS in hand, swinging on the porch with my wife and daughter, reading a good book, and the like.


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## Ex Nihilo (Mar 19, 2009)

I like to take typing tests, if I really have time to waste, which is rare.


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## LawrenceU (Mar 19, 2009)

Ex Nihilo said:


> I like to take typing tests, if I really have time to waste, which is rare.



That's just weird. But, then I knew a fellow in high school who spent every spare minute in the typing room on a Selectric. He became the Student Body Pres.


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## Ex Nihilo (Mar 19, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> Ex Nihilo said:
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> > I like to take typing tests, if I really have time to waste, which is rare.
> ...



Indeed, it is, but it isn't any weirder than playing video games. It's just simpler.


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## Athaleyah (Mar 19, 2009)

Ex Nihilo said:


> LawrenceU said:
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> > Ex Nihilo said:
> ...



And usually, but not always, less violent. My husband manages to find typing test games that are blowing up zombies and similar things by typing the words over their heads.


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## LawrenceU (Mar 19, 2009)

Ex Nihilo said:


> LawrenceU said:
> 
> 
> > Ex Nihilo said:
> ...



I heartily agree! And, it has redeeming value usable in the real world. Unlike video games.

Aside, I know a man who is about to throw his Wi in the trash. It is ruining his golf swing. Hee hee heee.


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## Scottish Lass (Mar 19, 2009)

At least one of these was posted here before:
The eyeballing game spatial estimations
Make-a-Flake - A snowflake maker by Barkley Interactive While the snow may have passed, this is a fun website to destress with!
I'm also on FaceBook and I have a favorite application there--MyFarm.


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## VictorBravo (Mar 19, 2009)

I've always been taken by a phrase from Thoreau, pagan transcendentalist though he was:

"as if you could kill time without damaging eternity."

That being said, there are many wholesame ways to _use_ time in a manner that is not a waste, but is not focused on productivity either.

Like the items Lawrence mentioned, I'd add simply sipping a cup of coffee with your wife or husband, playing or singing music, croquet in the yard, cartwheels with your kids, etc.

Creation is so remarkable and overwhelming. Enjoying it, even on the humblest level, is time not wasted.

Having said all that, I'll add that even in doing a particular project with a particular goal, I find I can fall into "time wasters" that are pleasurable and edifying even if they seem to be unproductive in the strict sense.

One example: I really wanted a good telescope so I could take a picture of Trapezium in Orion. I don't know why, but I really wanted to overcome the challenge of capturing those faint stars in the backyard of a medium sized light-polluted city. But I didn't want to spend the $1000 plus dollars to do it.

So, first I read books on telescope making. Then I started grinding a mirror, then I needed instruments to measure the accuracy of the mirror, so I read up on how to build them. Then I realized I needed a clock drive to move it but I didn't want to spend a lot of money buying one--so I studied circuits and induction motors and stepper motors and built something. But I needed a particular fitting that I couldn't find, so I decided to cast one out of aluminum--requiring study and construction of a small foundry and learning sand casting technique.

And so forth. That particular project continues, and I've only gotten a marginal photo of the stars of Trapezium. From a cost-benefit standpoint, I put in enough hours to buy probably 30 really good telescopes, but I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun nor would I have learned nearly as much general knowledge about our world.

BTW, the same thing happened with most of my other so-called hobbies, be it boatbuilding, clavichord making, horticulture, whatever. If only I had another 3 or 4 lifetimes, then I could really get something done!


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## SolaScriptura (Mar 19, 2009)

When my mind needs to calm down I do something like play with my kids, do lawn work, go running, have "mommy and daddy time" with my wife (heh heh heh), or something like that.


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## LawrenceU (Mar 19, 2009)

Vic, you are my kind of guy.


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## SolaScriptura (Mar 19, 2009)

victorbravo said:


> One example: I really wanted a good telescope so I could take a picture of Trapezium in Orion.



I really want a good telescope... but it is so that I can spy on my neighbors.


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## sastark (Mar 19, 2009)

I haven't been to the site in a long, long time, but I remember HomeStarRunner.com being a fun, clean site. Lots of great ways to pass the time online.


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## Skyler (Mar 19, 2009)

The official Dilbert website with Scott Adams' color comic strips, animation, mashups and more!

I'm an engineering student, so I can laugh at engineers. 

Also in my spare time, I disassemble/reassemble various electronic gadgets, and sometimes write (not very good) fiction.


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## smhbbag (Mar 19, 2009)

video.google.com - thousands of awesome, free documentaries on any subject you want...old history channel episodes being my favorite.


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## Athaleyah (Mar 19, 2009)

victorbravo said:


> I've always been taken by a phrase from Thoreau, pagan transcendentalist though he was:
> 
> "as if you could kill time without damaging eternity."



I have had a good mindset in the past. Something along the lines of trying to make the way I spend my time matter in eternity. My problem is that I just have so much time it drives me crazy. I am greatly limited in what I can do because of illness. In the past sometimes I have managed to spend 10-12 hours a day immersed in the Bible and edifying books. But I've found that I can't keep this up. I wish I could.

So while I wait for the ability to spend so much time usefully to return, I look for other things to do. Mostly I read (good and useless things), spend time with my husband (when he's not at school or studying), cook, and spend time online. I don't know if its right, but I feel like any time I spend alone not reading the Bible, reading theology books, or doing something that I think will edify me (such as the PuritanBoard) is wasting time. And with some problems I've had lately, it feels like all I do is waste time. So that was why I asked for ways to waste more time. I'm not so much looking to waste time, as for something to fill the massive amounts of time I have, when I'm not able to focus on the things that I would like to.

Sorry for the longwinded explanation. Just wanted to say that my goal wasn't really to waste lots of time online, just to find out if there was anything entertaining online that I could be doing sometimes that wasn't negative in some way. But from most of the responses, there is no secret super-fun exciting edifying place to go that I just didn't know about. Thanks for taking the time to answer!


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## WaywardNowHome (Mar 19, 2009)

One activity that I used to knock all the time is Sudoku. Then two days ago I temporarily lost internet access so I tried my hand at it... now I'm addicted.


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## nicnap (Mar 19, 2009)

Reformed Forum Shorter Catechism

Reformed Forum Larger Catechism


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## Marrow Man (Mar 19, 2009)

How about created an endless series of popularity threads on the PB?


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## Athaleyah (Mar 19, 2009)

Marrow Man said:


> How about created an endless series of popularity threads on the PB?



I would if I could think of a category I could win.  Strangest, maybe.


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## py3ak (Mar 19, 2009)

There are many sites that have entertaining games. Of course there is our arcade on here, or you could try miniclip.com as well. I like Canyon Defender.


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## JOwen (Mar 19, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> I don't recreate online. I recreate best wielding a fly rod, waking behind my dog with my 16 ga. SxS in hand, swinging on the porch with my wife and daughter, reading a good book, and the like.



We would get along famously! Today was my second oldest son's b-day, and what did he want to do? Fly tie and skeet shooting. We are avid fly fishing people in this home. I have a 12/20 ga. SxS, and a great fly rod. Come to Alberta in October and we can hunt Ruffed Grouse on our way to the North Ram river.


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## LadyFlynt (Mar 19, 2009)

When I really need to beat out some frustration:
Yeti Sports Bloody Penguin Toss

When I actually have some patience:
Orisinal.com - Winterbells

Or for fun, I can go chase my goat in the pen down.

-----Added 3/19/2009 at 07:30:01 EST-----

Yeti Sports Flamingo Drive


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## Athaleyah (Mar 19, 2009)

LadyFlynt said:


> Or for fun, I can go chase my goat in the pen down.



Maybe I need a goat. Or some chickens. Chickens that lay brown eggs.

I remember one of the only episodes of Martha Stewart I have seen, she was going out to her chicken coop and telling how she has many different types of chickens so that she can get many different beautiful colors of eggs to display in her kitchen. First I was surprised that she would have a chicken coop... and then I was surprised that anyone would gather a bunch of chickens based on which had the prettiest eggs. The whole thing was kind of surreal.


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