Tom Purcell
"Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” is on April 25th, and I think we should try something different this year: Let's take our daughters and sons to grandma's...
“It wasn't my fault the car in front of me hit me. �� “How could the car in front of you hit you? Yet the cops wrote me up for texting while driving!..
Wise and witty thoughts are the only things that bring me any solace during tax-filing season — thoughts, such as these: “The best way to teach your kids about taxes is by eating 30% of their ice cream. The taxidermist takes only your skin...
My 13-year-old goddaughter still can’t understand how telephone busy signals used to work...
A growing number of Americans think the American Dream is out of reach, but I think they are wrong. Half of the poll’s respondents believed that America’s economic and political systems are “stacked against people like me...
Piglet! Like millions of Americans, I’ve been poking into my heritage using ancestry sites, such as FamilySearch. That’s how I learned that “Purcell” is an occupational name of Norman origin for "swineherd...
President Biden recently sent an email to 153,000 student-loan borrowers reminding them to vote for him this autumn...
When I read about the “silent book club” trend, it filled me with instant calm and hope...
With all the changes modern life is bringing us, here’s one that makes me sad: romance is dying. – Americans are less likely to have sex than at any point since 1989...
I’m in hiding again, as I always am this time of the year. I’m easy prey for the young, highly skilled sales ladies who will no doubt one day run our companies and government organizations with tremendous cunning and skill...
You had a great 100-year run, AM radio, and your demise is breaking my heart. Why?..
Full Archive
- 04/15/2024 Take our daughters and sons to grandma’s
- 04/08/2024 A good month to prevent distracted driving
- 04/01/2024 Insights from great minds on Taxes
- 03/25/2024 Message for my digital goddaughter
- 03/19/2024 Still living the American dream
- 03/12/2024 Missing my Irish ancestors
- 03/04/2024 No brainer
- 02/26/2024 Will forgiving college debt win or lose votes?
- 02/19/2024 Reading more books is good for America
- 02/13/2024 The loveless state of modern romance
- 02/06/2024 Shaming Girl Scout cookies
- 01/30/2024 The sad future of AM radio
- 01/23/2024 When fun is against the law
- 01/16/2024 Our over-coddled kids
- 01/09/2024 Making the best of the common cold
- 01/02/2024 The urgency to become cyber-secure in 2024
- 12/26/2023 A win-win New Year’s resolution
- 12/19/2023 Restoring Christmas joy
- 12/12/2023 Let’s make America profane again
- 12/04/2023 How to restore the gift of giving
- 11/28/2023 Tips for Out of Control Tipping
- 11/21/2023 The delicious history of pumpkin pie
- 11/14/2023 Footing our growing debt service bill
- 11/06/2023 Exposing ‘Bootgate’
- 10/31/2023 A stylish way to improve men’s health and wellbeing
- 10/24/2023 The dying art of Halloween costume humor
- 10/17/2023 Hoping for a happier Autumn
- 10/10/2023 We need a rebirth of empathy
- 10/03/2023 The President’s dogs that bite people
- 09/26/2023 Love and honesty will get us through
- 09/19/2023 Dressing Up for Senate success
- 09/12/2023 NFL bets on greed
- 09/07/2023 Thurber’s Tail: How to survive your sharp-toothed puppy
- 09/05/2023 Jimmy Buffett was a super-spreader of happiness
- 08/29/2023 A smaller home is a happy home
- 08/25/2023 Dogs and cats also facing tough times
- 08/14/2023 Paying attention pays off
- 08/07/2023 The Feds fail to see the light
- 08/02/2023 To aliens, human wisdom Is unbelievable
- 07/24/2023 A/C hasn’t only made life cooler
- 07/18/2023 The lost freedom of bike hikes
- 07/11/2023 The American dream is a life without debt
- 07/06/2023 Dodging increasing crime rates
- 06/30/2023 Puppy’s dad saved by the potty bell
- 06/27/2023 A collaborative way to celebrate July Fourth
- 06/20/2023 Good luck paying Uncle Sam’s debt
- 06/13/2023 Father’s Day: Lucky to be my father’s son
- 06/05/2023 A personal salute to Flag Day
- 05/29/2023 Americans rediscover the summer picnic
- 05/23/2023 A day to honor our war dead
- 05/15/2023 Curing our loneliness epidemic
- 05/09/2023 A good day to celebrate an extraordinary mother
- 05/02/2023 The incredible life of bees
- 04/25/2023 A taxing ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’
- 04/20/2023 Thurber’s Tail: Play it safe on National Lost Dog Awareness Day
- 04/18/2023 What we need this Earth Day is more green thumbs
- 04/10/2023 Will’s wit soothes a taxing time
- 04/04/2023 Hey, Medicare, I’m counting on you
- 03/28/2023 Dumbing America down — digitally?
- 03/20/2023 Let’s get our kids behind the wheel
- 03/14/2023 Wishing you St. Patrick’s Day laughter
- 03/07/2023 Still time to save us from daylight saving time
- 02/28/2023 Hey, ChatGPT, don’t quit your day aob
- 02/21/2023 Rooting for Senator Fetterman
- 02/14/2023 The mistruths of politics
- 02/07/2023 How to write a romance story
- 01/31/2023 Grateful for National Freedom Day
- 01/24/2023 Grateful for Punxsutawney’s silly fun
- 01/18/2023 Thurber’s Tail: Answers to questions about your pets
- 01/17/2023 Stove debate a real gas
- 01/10/2023 Laughing your way to happiness
- 01/02/2023 The shameful return of earmarks
- 12/27/2022 Best 2023 resolution? Get a pet.
- 12/19/2022 Hope is all we have
- 12/12/2022 Decking the malls with nostalgia
- Thurber’s Tail: Inspirational quotes about dogs
- 12/06/2022 Truth is, we like to be lied to
- 11/30/2022 Thurber’s Tail: Can our puppies change our hearts and our world?
- 11/29/2022 The gift of Christmas cheer
- 11/22/2022 Digging the return to vinyl
- 11/21/2022 Thurber’s Tail: How my dog brought joy to my elderly dad
- 11/15/2022 Giving thanks
- 11/14/2022 Thurber’s Tail: Can Dogs Talk?
- 11/08/2022 Laughs to ease your election pain
- 11/07/2022 Thurber’s Tail: How NOT to Name a Puppy!
- 11/01/2022 Pre-election stress disorder
- 10/31/2022 Thurber’s Tail: How Dogs Make Us Laugh
- 10/26/2022 Thurber’s Tail: Halloween Safety Tips for Pets
- 10/25/2022 Halloween is for kids, isn’t it?
- 10/17/2022 Rooting for my baseball heroes
- 10/11/2022 Our wild debt party is over
- 10/03/2022 Hung up on rudeness
- 09/27/2022 Hey, Congress, stop fiddling with our clocks
- 09/20/2022 An extension of tax grief
- 09/13/2022 Thank you for being mannerly
- 09/05/2022 Health care confusion
- 08/29/2022 The elephant in the college classroom
- 08/22/2022 When it comes to boys, schools are flunking
- 08/15/2022 End-of-life challenges in modern times
- 08/09/2022 On Winning the Lottery
- 08/01/2022 The keys to living well
- 07/25/2022 The value of overbearing fathers
- 07/19/2022 Teens not working doesn’t work for America
- 07/12/2022 Drive-in theater rebirth here to stay
- 07/05/2022 The Need to vacate this summer
- 06/27/2022 Why we oooh and aaah on the Fourth of July
- 06/20/2022 Summer bike hikes a relic of the past
- 06/13/2022 What My Father Wants Most
- 06/07/2022 Learning to Enjoy Life’s Real Agitations
- 05/29/2022 Growing up in a world of childhood worries
- 05/24/2022 A bear of a stock market
- 05/17/2022 Enjoy the prom while you can, kids
- 05/09/2022 Fatherly inspiration key to learning the art of grace
- 05/02/2022 Let’s unleash the entrepreneur
- 04/26/2022 More focused than ever at 60!
- 04/19/2022 Taxes always on my mind
- 04/12/2022 Learning to appreciate the regular flu
- 04/04/2022 We must fix the nursing shortage
- 03/29/2022 What Is a woman?
- 03/21/2022 How commoners can cope with inflation
- 03/14/2022 A world in need of Irish wit and wisdom
- 03/08/2022 Old family photos bring new perspective
- 03/01/2022 Ukraine’s Hero in Chief
- 02/21/2022 Four-day workweek? I wish.
- 02/14/2022 Social Insecurity
- 02/08/2022 The Scandalous Silence about China
- 02/01/2022 Thin mints should be our next government ban
- 01/25/2022 Beating Inflation Is Laughable
- 01/18/2022 It’s time to cancel ‘snow days’
- 01/10/2022 Reshaping America’s Battle of the Bulge
- 01/04/2022 We’ve Got Our Eyes on You, 2022!
- 12/27/2021 Hail to Our Everyday Local Heroes
- 12/20/2021 The AOC’s of Student Loan Debt
- 12/13/2021 The Merry Return of Christmas Cards
- 12/06/2021 The Best Christmas Gift is Time
- 11/29/2021 Just Say No To Unaffordable Spending
- 11/22/2021 A Tradition To Be Thankful For
- 11/16/2021 Give Thanks for Our Blessings, Big and Small
- 11/08/2021 Never Forget Our Vets
- 11/01/2021 A Good Month to Grow a Beard
- 10/25/2021 Memories of a Non-Political Halloween
- 10/18/2021 Shouldn’t America Be Happier?
- 10/11/2021 The Pitfalls of Daylight Savings Time
- 10/04/2021 The Rise and Fall of the Shopping Mall
- 09/27/2021 Is It Autumn for America?
- 09/20/2021 Let Them Eat Kix
- 09/13/2021 Save Water, Shower with a Bureaucrat?
- 09/07/2021 A Revival of Horse Sense?
- 08/30/2021 Praise Be to the Family Potato Salad
- 08/23/2021 Service Dogs Heal the Trauma of War
- 08/16/2021 Three Cheers for Us ‘Middles’
- 08/09/2021 Pets Can Help Solve Our National Empathy Shortage
- 08/02/2021 America Needs a Beach Vacation
- 07/27/2021 Striking up Some Ratings for the Olympics
- 07/19/2021 Car Buying Experience Hurt by the Dying Art of Haggling
- 07/13/2021 RVing Trend Good for Civility
- 07/06/2021 Thank For the Wonderful Days, Jack
- 06/28/2021 Civics Lessons for the Fourth
- 06/21/2021 Learning Summer Job Dignity for $1 an Hour
- 06/14/2021 My Dad Taught Me How
- 06/08/2021 The Dying Art of Conversation
- 06/02/2021 The End of the Handshake?
- 05/30/2021 Saving Our Elders from the Dirty Rotten Scammers
- 05/25/2021 My Beef With Beef
- 05/17/2021 Fighting Off Cyberscammers
- 05/10/2021 Why Adults Should Play in the Woods
- 05/03/2021 A Mother’s Comfort
- 04/26/2021 A Hunger for Normalcy
- 04/19/2021 The High Price of a Modest Roof
- 04/13/2021 The Value of Organized Religion to a Representative Republic
- 04/05/2021 Baseball Strikes Out on Politics
- 03/29/2021 In D.C., Politics Springs Eternal
- 03/22/2021 Never Save for a Rainy Day! By Tom Purcell
- 03/16/2021 Needed This St. Patrick’s Day – Ronald Reagan’s Spirit
- 03/08/2021 Looney Times
- 03/01/2021 Believe It or Not, Money Isn’t the Key to Happiness
- 02/22/2021 The Puppy Solution
- 02/15/2021 Biden, Social Security, My Retirement and the Wealthy
- 02/08/2021 Simpler Taxes Long Promised, Never Delivered
- 02/01/2021 Sledding, Snowmen, Snowballs Needed on Capitol Grounds
- Lighten Up, Critics, It’s Groundhog Day
- 01/25/2021 Resisting Girl Scout Cookies’ Temptations Harder than Ever
- 01/19/2021 What America Needs is a Hearty Laugh
- 01/11/2021 Disgraceful Discourse Ours to Correct
- 01/04/2021 Companion Animals Bringing More Joy Than Ever
- 12/29/2020 Longing for Authenticity, Even If Its Fake
- 12/21/2020 Hoping for a White Christmas This Year
- 12/15/2020 Viruses and Responses Differ. Human Nature Doesn’t.
- 12/07/2020 COVID Grinch Can’t Steal Our Christmas
- 12/01/2020 Finding the Good in Our Grief with Charlie Brown
- 11/23/2020 Thankful Despite Cancellation of Family Feast
- 11/16/2020 COVID-19 Obscures How Great 2020 Really Was
- 11/09/2020 America 2020: A Good Time for a Nice, Long Sleep
- 11/02/2020 However this Election Turns Out, You’ll Still Have Your Vote and Voice
- 10/26/2020 Traditional Halloween Fun Pales in Face of 2020 Reality
- 10/19/2020 You Know Politics Stinks When Stink Bugs Are an Escape
- 10/12/2020 The Fate of Gig Workers Could Turn on Ballot Question
- 10/05/2020 It’s Healthy to Laugh in COVID-19’s Face this Halloween
- 09/28/2020 Served Lemons by Coronavirus, Entrepreneurs Make Lemonade
- 09/21/2020 Autumn’s Beauty Can Restore The Better Angels of Our Nature
- 09/14/2020 Change Voting Age to 16? Try 80!
- 09/08/2020 Coronavirus, Divisive Politics Have Autumn Optimism in Short Supply
- 08/31/2020 Census 2020: Accurate Count Essential
- 08/24/2020 Join COVID-19 Homebuying Rush, Develop Common Sense
- 08/17/2020 The Vanishing Art of Empathy
- 08/10/2020 The Longer We’re Isolated, the Less Productive We Get
- 08/03/2020 America Means Freedom To Them
- 07/27/2020 Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine
- 07/20/2020 Perpetual Anger No Help Amid Pandemic
- 07/13/2020 Amid Pandemic, Take Pen in Hand
- 07/06/2020 A Cool Idea Whose Time Has Come Again
- 06/29/2020 We Grow Wiser By Giving Ourselves To The Elderly
- 06/22/2020 Kids, Pedal Those Pandemic Blues Away
- 06/15/2020 The Blessings Of Having A Stubborn Father
- 06/08/2020 ’30 Days a Black Man’ Offers Insights into Current Challenges
- 06/01/2020 One Disruptive Hand Ruins Work Made Light By Many
- 05/22/2020 Pandemic Restrictions Highlight Blessings We Take for Granted
- 05/18/2020 Drive-in Theaters Poised to Profit from Pandemic
- 05/11/2020 Ill-timed Invasion of the Murder Hornets
- 05/04/2020 Lessons on Homeschooling
- 04/27/2020 Little Sisters of the Poor Meet Pandemic with Grace, Humility
- 04/20/2020 Spouting Off: How the EPA Made It Harder To Mow My Lawn
- 04/13/2020 Work-from-Home Productivity Has Come a Long Way Since 1918
- 03/30/2020 Pandemic Threatens Prine’s Life When We Need His Art Most
- 03/23/2020 Amid Pandemic, Cyber Scams a Growing Threat
- 03/16/2020 Learning from My Aunt’s Polio Experience
- 03/09/2020 Just When We Need It, Irish Wit, Wisdom Abound
- 03/02/2020 The 2020 Presidential Race: No Laughing Matter
- 02/24/2020 Kids Have to Make Names for Themselves
- 02/17/2020 Bringing Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Americans Together Again
- 02/10/2020 How to Renew the Dying Art of Romance? Ask Our Elders
- 02/03/2020 The D.C. Disorder That’s Sadder than SAD
- 01/27/2020 Clarity’s Cost: The $5 Million Comma
- 01/20/2020 Family Landlines Better than Smartphones for Teens
- 01/13/2020 George Washington’s Ignored Example
- 01/06/2020 A Cut Above: Update Hairstyle, Update Outlook
- 12/30/2019 Don’t Take Cyber Scammers’ Bait in 2020
- 12/23/2019 Amid Such a Clatter, Here’s What Really Should Matter
- 12/16/2019 Why Christmas Nostalgia Is Good for Us
- 12/09/2019 Let It Snow
- 12/02/2019 OK, Tail-End Boomer
- 11/25/2019 The Best Christmas Gifts Don’t Come from Stores
- 11/18/2019 America, Let’s Talk This Thanksgiving… After the Mashed Potatoes Fly!
- 11/11/2019 Driving An ‘Underwater’ Car Is No Fun
- 11/04/2019 This Nov. 11, Help Stem Tide of Veteran Suicides
- 10/28/2019 Halloween Costumes: Free Expression vs. Offense
- 10/21/2019 Red Rover, Red Rover Are Childhood Games Over?
- 10/15/2019 Today’s Bullies Are Online, But So Is Help For Them and Their Victims
- 10/07/2019 No Escape from Trade Wars’ Effects
- 09/16/2019 Our Cursed 2020 Campaign: ‘F-bombs’ Away!
In the tradition of Art Buchwald, Mike Royko, Lewis Grizzard and Dave Barry, Tom Purcell's column is sometimes wry, sometimes poignant, but always original and compelling.
Whether the subject is politics, culture, life’s foibles or, in a new weekly feature, pet advice he’s learning from his beloved Labrador, Thurber, Purcell will always put a smile on your face.
Tom Purcell, creator of the infotainment site ThurbersTail.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. Email him at [email protected].
Column Archive
- 04/15/2024 Take our daughters and sons to grandma’s
- 04/08/2024 A good month to prevent distracted driving
- 04/01/2024 Insights from great minds on Taxes
- 03/25/2024 Message for my digital goddaughter
- 03/19/2024 Still living the American dream
- 03/12/2024 Missing my Irish ancestors
- 03/04/2024 No brainer
- 02/26/2024 Will forgiving college debt win or lose votes?
- 02/19/2024 Reading more books is good for America
- 02/13/2024 The loveless state of modern romance
- 02/06/2024 Shaming Girl Scout cookies
- 01/30/2024 The sad future of AM radio
- 01/23/2024 When fun is against the law
- 01/16/2024 Our over-coddled kids
- 01/09/2024 Making the best of the common cold
- 01/02/2024 The urgency to become cyber-secure in 2024
- 12/26/2023 A win-win New Year’s resolution
- 12/19/2023 Restoring Christmas joy
- 12/12/2023 Let’s make America profane again
- 12/04/2023 How to restore the gift of giving