Tom Faranda's Folly

Category: Uncategorized

  • Visitors from England

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    Tom Faranda
    in

    When we were in England last summer, we stayed with Mick Paine, Jan, and their two daughters, Heidi and Zoey. Heidi is the young lady in the very middle of the picture next to Joe. Mick was our good friend when we lived in Jamaica – we both taught at the same school.  And despite his communist, atheist,…

  • A sad story about a good priest

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    Tom Faranda
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    From the Washington Post a couple of days ago. Fr. Kelly, taken by a bizarre accident. An interesting man with an interesting background before becoming a priest. Excerpt below, hit the link for the whole feature. Grief for 'the Flying Priest' | LoudounExtra.com | The Washington Post Michael C. Kelly, the pastor at St. Francis…

  • What Jim Bowie’s mother said, after she was told of his death at the Alamo

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    Tom Faranda
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    I found this quote the other day, and checked around online – it seems to be accurate. "I'll wage they found no bullets in his back." — Jim Bowie's mother after hearing of his death at the Alamo.

  • A philanthropy lesson

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    Tom Faranda
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    A week ago the Wall Street Journal had a column/interview with Bill Simon, the son of William Simon, the investment banker and philanthropist who was treasury secretary under Nixon and Ford. William Simon was very successful and a big supporter of charities. his son Bill is co-chair of the Foundation his father established. Interview: Bill Simon,…

  • My second annual New Year’s interview with myself

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    Tom Faranda
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    Just like last year A New Year's interview with myself, I'm starting the year with an interview with myself. I have to face it, this is because of my great love of self … That's me on the right, Mom on left, at Christmas   Q. Tom you recently saw, Dr. Zelenetz, your lymphoma oncologist ……

  • Latest Read: Quick Study

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    Tom Faranda
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    OK! This is the new "Murder 101 Mystery", the third following the career of Alison Bergeron. Alison is a wisecracking English Professor at a small Catholic college in the Bronx, with a view of the Hudson. Sounds suspiciously like Mt. St. Vincent's. That in fact is where the author Maggie Barbieri, who goes to my Church, and who I commiserate with, went…

  • More on the President’s reading list

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    Tom Faranda
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    As is inevitable, pundits have started to criticize the column Karl Rove wrote a few days ago, about George Bush's wide-ranging reading habits. The reading habits of President Bush Here's one from the Washington Post's Richard Cohen. And it's awfully odd. Richard Cohen – George W. Bush as an Avid Reader – washingtonpost.com In what…

  • The reading habits of President Bush

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    Tom Faranda
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    The past couple of weeks I've been reflecting on the fact that I've gotten away from reading enough good books, instead reading lots and lots of newspaper articles, magazine articles, features posted on blogs, that sort of thing.  And in my head I've been saying I'll do a better job of reading books of substance next…

  • Chinchilla “wilding”

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    Tom Faranda
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    As posted here a few days ago Newcomer to Farandaville, we now have a second Chinchilla. Brigid and Joe and Tim decided to introduce the two year old Gloria, to the newcomer, whose name now seems to be Dusty Snowball (Tim insists on the Snowball part) by putting Gloria in the cage with Dusty. This is…

  • Christmas Day ’08

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    Tom Faranda
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    Actually Christmas Eve and Christmas. I was the lector and Tim an altar server at the 10PM Christmas Eve Mass, and after we returned home, we opened the gifts from Brigid’s relatives in England and Australia. That has become our custom in recent years – overseas gifts on Christmas Eve and everything else Christmas morning.…