Tom Faranda

In Southern Darfur, Signs of Another Massacre – New York Times NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct. 16 — African Union and United Nations officials are looking into reports of a new massacre in Darfur, in which witnesses said Sudanese government troops and their allied militias had killed more than 30 civilians, slitting the throats of several men … Read more

Lt. Michael Murphy, raised on Long Island Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor – Los Angeles Times Ambushed by insurgents, Murphy’s four-man SEAL team engaged in a fierce firefight and was in danger of being overrun. Although he was wounded, Murphy risked his life to save fellow SEALs and then maneuvered into an open … Read more

Because the "Perky Redhead" decided to let Stephen Colbert write it. A Mock Columnist, Amok – New York Times He was sneering that Times columns make good “kindling.” He was ranting that after you throw away the paper, “it takes over a hundred years for the lies to biodegrade.” He was observing, approvingly, that “Dick … Read more

The "Great Siege", is the Siege of Malta in 1565, as the Turkish Ottoman Empire tried to expand further into the Mediterranean and up to Italy. The Ottomans had already conquered most of Eastern Europe. The book, by a British historian named Ernle Bradford, is great! But unfortunately extremely difficult to get. It’s not stocked … Read more

This is interesting – and amusing. It’s short, so read the whole thing, not just my excerpt! The Death of Blogs | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction As weblogs proliferated earlier this decade, Andy Warhol’s famous aphorism was modified to read, "In the future, everyone will be famous to 15 people." Now … Read more

After a lifetime of illness, at the age of 47. He died suddenly and quickly. But with his medical history, it was not a surprise. As my brother Jim said at the time “He lead a noble life.” For more about my brother, go here Tom Faranda’s Folly: Paul Faranda, 1958-2005  and here Tom Faranda’s … Read more

Sort of. A great editorial. Other People’s Politics OpinionJournal – Featured Article … it’s always other people’s influence that’s a threat to democracy. DailyKos’s misadventure was resolved with a Federal Election Commission ruling that allowed it (quite properly) to escape the rules it wants foisted on everybody else. And we certainly defend the Times’s right … Read more

Mark Gabriel, my brother Phil and his wife Ann’s fourth child (third son) was baptized this past Sunday. Here are some photos of the clan. Mark and Godmother Lisa Tom, Jim and Philip Grandma, and Phil, with the Godfather Jim and his wife Melissa sitting behind… Ann and her Aunt Maria to her right Brigid … Read more

The author is former director of development research at the World Bank and advisor to the British government’s Commission on Africa. A really interesting interview. TCS Daily – The Bottom Billion No More? Schulz: As bad as things are for the bottom billion, you believe it’s possible that the statistics we have to describe what … Read more

It’s very difficult to get yourself excommunicated from the Catholic Church, but here’s a group that managed it! Excommunicated « Charlotte was Both In a judgment delivered to the group on Monday, and announced yesterday, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ruled that the ordinations of six priests in the Army of Mary … Read more