Tom Faranda's Folly

Category: Uncategorized

  • The Sublime Tim Faranda

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    Tom Faranda
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    Tim our fourth grader got two deficiencies at the midpoint in this marking period, in social studies and religion. Slightly odd subjects to be deficient in, but there you go. Today he came home with a religion test, where he’d gotten a 66. It was on the Ten Commandments. Here’s one of the questions, and…

  • Sign on back of a septic tank truck

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    Tom Faranda
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  • Chinchilla follies

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    Tom Faranda
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    Gloria the chinchilla continues to be a big hit around here. And why not? Small, fuzzy, lovable, and (for a rodent) pretty smart. Compared to our guinea pig Trinity, Gloria is a rocket scientist. And Joe is absolutely NUTS over her. Takes her out, carries her around, let’s her run loose in the back room…

  • Spectacular rugby score

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    Tom Faranda
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    A couple of days ago I mentioned this big rugby match – with interesting historic and social implications – to be played between Ireland and England.Tom Faranda’s Folly: Rugby: England v. Ireland, and with an historic twist Ireland won the match and here is a marvelous try (like a touchdown in football) from the match.…

  • Latest Read: The Complete Walker IV

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    Tom Faranda
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    This is the fourth edition of a book which first came out in 1968, which I read probably around 1970, and which as the name implies is all about walking. Or more accurately about hiking, backpacking and camping in all sorts of environments and situations. The author is a colorful character named Colin Fletcher, although…

  • Lent

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    Tom Faranda
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    Lent began a little early this year, with Ash Wednesday last Wednesday. So we are five days into it. I am making a conscious effort to make a "good" Lent. One thing I am going to do is try and use the Magnificat prayer book on a very regular basis, with the hope that this…

  • Rugby: England v. Ireland, and with an historic twist

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    Tom Faranda
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    Today the BIG match in the European Six Nations Championship will be England playing Ireland at a venue called Croke Park. And for more reasons then it just being an important International rugby match. This is the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and rugby is not normally played there. However Ireland’s rugby ground is…

  • Bald Eagles on Elmore Ave.

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    Tom Faranda
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    For awhile we have been spotting bald eagles in our neighborhood (only 35 miles north of Manhattan). About four months ago an eagle sat up in a (big) tree in the back of our neighbor’s yard across the street (UPDATE: Brigid says it was more like two years ago, and there were two of them,…

  • The NY Times can’t figure out why Venezuela’s economy is going into the toilet

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    Tom Faranda
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    Amazing. Here Chavez takes the advice of the NYT and look what happens (The link to the NY Times will only bring you to the story for free, for one week. After that you’ll have to join TimesSelect [$50/yr. – some people actually pay it] to read it. The Times believes in a market economy…

  • Health and domestic scene

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    Tom Faranda
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    Feeling much better six days into the antibiotic regimen – cough is almost gone. And went to the gym yesterday and today. Did 20 minutes on the bike, stretched and lifted weights yesterday – felt pretty good. Today rode the bike for 28 minutes and then struggled on the ellyptical machine for 14 minutes. Really…