Welcome to Brian Farenell's home page
Welcome to Brian Farenell's home page
Welcome to Brian Farenell's website. I'm a 28 year old who grew up and still lives in Glens Falls, in upstate New York. I attended Clarkson University from 1991-95 where I attained my bachelor's degree in mathematics. I also spent two years as a US Peace Corps volunteer in the West African republic of Guinea, where I was a secondary school math teacher. To read a little bit more of my biography, Click here. Below is more on some of my interests.
Pour la version française de cette page, cliquer ici
BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS
I have been involved with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization since 1997, as well as for a year in 1990-91. My little brother is named Josh. To go to the national BBBS site: click here
FRIENDS OF GUINEA
I am also involved with an organization called Friends of Guinea, with whom I serve as advocacy director. It's an organization for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers from Guinea, current volunteers and their parents and anybody else interested in Guinea. To read more about Peace Corps-Guinea and Friends of Guinea, click here.
WRITING AND READING
I enjoy writing plays, short stories and essaies. I'm also working on a couple of novels. I like to comment on and discuss domestic social issues and international affairs, particularly as it relates to the developing world. To read some of my essaies, click here.
**Latest addition**: On Why Anti-Globalization Anarchists Are Anti-Progressive, 10 November '01.
SOCCER
My favorite sport is soccer, or football as most of the rest of the world calls it. My preferred position is goalkeeper, although I can play defense if necessary. I follow the US national team quite closely. I also support the national teams of Italy, since that's where my family is from, and of Guinea, as you might expect.
My favorite club is AS Roma of Italy's Serie A, followed by Leicester City of England's 1st Division. I also follow the French club FC Metz and New England of the US' Major League Soccer.
I also maintain a page on African soccer. My alma mater Clarkson University's men's soccer team was NCAA Division III national semifinalists in 1993. Their official website can be found at: http://www.clarkson.edu/athletics/soccerm/.
ICE HOCKEY
My other favorite sport to watch is ice hockey. My teams are the: Boston Bruins, 4-time Stanley Cup winners in the NHL, Adirondack Icehawks, defending Northeast Division champions of the United Hockey League and Clarkson University, who have the all-time highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I history. Note: clicking on the above links will take you to the official web sites of the said teams.
SHORTWAVE RADIO
While living in Guinea, the shortwave radio was my primary link to the rest of the world. Even after my return to the US, I still to shortwave for news, current affairs and features. I have a fairly low opinion of most segments of the American broadcast media establishment so shortwave is my link to quality journalism.
Among the shortwave stations I listen to are: Radio Netherlands' English service, Radio Canada International and Radio France Internationale.
Other international broadcasters of note are: The BBC World Service, Germany's , The Voice of America and Radio Australia.
I should point out that one of the only decent news' broadcasters in this country is: National Public Radio. NPR has a wonderful affiliate in my area based out of Albany; it is WAMC, who runs circles around most other NPR affiliates.
AFRICA
I am a close follower of African politics and affairs. A few good websites (in English) on African news are: BBC news: Africa section and allafrica.com.
HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
Radio Netherlands' English Service maintains a number of pages based on documentaries they've aired.
-The weight of refugees in Guinea
-Sierra Leone and war's aftermath
-AIDS in Zimbabwe
-Street children in Ghana
-Street children in Morocco
-Child soldiers in Liberia
-After the genocide in Rwanda
Check out The Hunger Site where, with the click of a mouse, you can donate someone else's money toward hunger relief. It also has sister sites devoted to issues like landmines, juvenile AIDS, etc.
PICTURES
A picture of me in Guinea
Glens Falls' Crandall Park in February
Crandall Park in April
Click here to see a picture of me at Giants' Stadium in New Jersey, or here to a picture of the baseball field in Glens Falls, or otherwise here to see images from my Fall 1998 return visit to Guinea.
Thanks for dropping by my site. If you have any comments, suggestions or criticisms, please drop me an email. I'd like to know that people are actually looking at these pages and what they think. Thanks and best wishes.
Pour la version française de cette page, cliquer ici
Page updated: 27 May '02, 0850 EST
# of visitors since 11 April '99:
Email: saabrian@yahoo.com
