Tom Purcell stories, Page 10

The numbers are sobering, but we can do something about them. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report says nearly 6,200 veterans took their own lives in 2017 — and more than 6,000 took their lives every year from 2008 to 2017. “In 2017, the...

Everything is offensive now — even Halloween. In Sandy Springs, Ga., a fellow’s humorous display featured a pumpkin man mooning the street. “His pants are halfway down, showing his backside which is made up of pumpkins,” reports CBS12.com. Neighbors complained to their homeowner’s association that the display was offensive, so...

I’m on the fence about this, if you want the truth. You see, more school districts are banning childhood games that were staples when I was growing up in the 1970s. Some say dodgeball, kickball, keep-away, tug-of-war, Red Rover and other games are teaching children the wrong lessons. This past...

My sister Kris kicked the tar out of Frankie Leper. It happened in 1972 after Leper, a notorious neighborhood bully, busted up my handmade go-kart, then shoved me into the mud. Sure, Leper was a big kid. But as he stood over me, taunting me, Kris tackled him and pounded...

The trade wars are hitting me where it hurts. One of my few respites from these rough-and-tumble times is to sit by an autumn bonfire with good friends, a Leaf and Bean cigar and some fine Scotch whisky. But, reports a Forbes columnist, the U.S. government announced last week a...

Autumn has arrived. I can’t think of a better time to put priorities back in order. You see, a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln study finds that “the current U.S. political climate is literally making Americans physically sick, damaging friendships, and driving many people ‘crazy,’ ” according to studyfinds.org. Among the...

Tom Hanks is right: We should be allowed to start off our days feeling good. Hanks stars as Fred “Mister” Rogers in the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” opening Nov. 22. At a press conference after its world premiere at a film festival in Toronto, reports Deadline, Hanks...

Some presidential candidates, past and present, sure have cursed up a storm. The Washington Examiner notes Julián Castro said the “BS” word on HBO, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan called on Republicans to “get their ‘s-word’ together,” Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard used the “b-word” to describe President Trump, and New York...

When my retired professor friend told me about it, my alarm bells went off. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, three academics founded a cross-disciplinary, peer- reviewed journal to encourage scholars to present contentious arguments. Though anyone should welcome The Journal of Controversial Ideas, here’s what alarms me: It will...

An invasion from outer space might do America some good. And maybe one’s coming? In June, Politico reported a top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee sought details from the Navy about pilots reporting an “unidentified aerial phenomenon” that appeared to defy the laws of physics and aerodynamics. The...

“Sometimes I worry that if I ever can retire and do get Social Security payments, they’ll be a lot less than what I’ve been promised,” I said to my CPA, Louie the Number Cruncher. “There is some reason to worry, Tommy. According to the Social Security trustees’ latest report, the...

Here’s some great news: The American entrepreneur is flourishing again. From 1980 until 2017, “the number of new startups formed each year … plummeted by half — from almost 15% of all business 35 years ago to barely 8%,” according to Forbes contributor David Pridham. Just a few years ago,...

“I can’t take it anymore! My social media friends are driving me batty!” “Ah, yes, you speak of a recent Pew Research Center survey that found ‘46% of adult social media users say they feel worn out by political posts and discussions they see on social media’ — a share...

Twelve years ago, when I first visited the Little Sisters of the Poor (LSP) retirement home in Pittsburgh, I was overcome with peace and calm. I went there to write about a retiree, Gorman Johnston, and his dog, Abner. I wanted to get the interview over with quickly on that...

A phone scammer made a mistake when he called my mother. The young male caller pretended to be her grandson. He said he’d been arrested for fishing on an Indian reservation — unaware he was breaking the law — and needed bail money so a judge wouldn’t throw him in...

We could use a hearty dose of Robert Fulghum about now. Our political discourse is at a fever pitch. Our allegedly esteemed elected leaders are carrying on like unruly children — shouting and pouting and becoming increasingly strident with their political opponents. If they wish to carry on like children,...

Despite the accusations, I deny that I carry a man purse. According to the New York Post, the man purse, or “murse,” is the “new must-have accessory taking over designers’ spring 2020 men’s runways.” Murse designs include “cross-body satchels, fanny packs, top-handle totes and compact clutches” — whatever the heck...

It’s never too late for a good belly laugh. July 1 was, unofficially, International Joke Day. The origins of the day are unclear, but whoever started it was on to something — because our country sure could use a good belly laugh about now. Which reminds me of the man...

Why do I want more Americans to buy homes? Because misery loves company. The Wall Street Journal reports most American renters believe homeownership is financially out of their reach — only 24% say it’s “extremely likely that they would ever own a home, 11 percentage points lower than four years...

Here’s the worst part: He had every opportunity to choose life. Last week, 21-year-old Mustafa Mousab Alowemer was arrested for allegedly plotting to bomb a small Christian church on Pittsburgh’s North Side. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, his motivation was to support the cause of ISIS. And he...

Breaking news: Federal spending is out of control. I’m kidding, of course. Spending, deficits and debt have been out of control for years. It’s just that last week we broke yet another record. For the first time in our nation’s history, federal spending topped $3 trillion in a fiscal year’s...

My dad turns 86 next month. He never thought he’d live so long — or see as many Father’s Days as he has — because his parents both died far too young. A stroke claimed his mother when she was 69 — the same night Pittsburgh Pirates great Roberto Clemente’s...

America’s declining birthrate has given me pause. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of babies born in the United States in 2018 was the lowest in 32 years, continuing what NBC News calls “a decades-long trend toward fewer and fewer babies being born each year.”...

Like most people, I didn’t think much about my Social Security number — until I got a bizarre call from a total stranger. “Hello?” I answered suspiciously, because I saw “restricted” on my smartphone screen. “Hello, Tom.” “Who is this? What do you want?” “Who I am isn’t important. I...

With your military service complete, you’re eager to return home and get on with life in the private sector. Surely, in a booming economy, you’ll have your pick of jobs? Your training is extensive, after all — the U.S. military’s technology training and educational advancement is among the world’s very...