By Tom Purcell “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain but death and taxes.” That quote is often attributed to Ben Franklin or Mark Twain, but whoever said it, no truer words have ever been spoken. I filed my annual income tax extension on April 18, 2022, the last day of this year I was ab...

by Rich Manieri S ometimes, I catch myself, as I explain to 19 and 20-year-olds what life was like before Al Gore invented the Internet. “In my day, if you wanted to read an old newspaper, you had to walk over to the library.” I actually said this. I’ve never said, “I had to walk a mile and a half i...

By   John L. Micek V ictoria Schiano’s son, Cole, is five-and-a-half. And he’s enduring what no kid his age should ever be asked to endure. He has mitochondrial disease, lives with a central line to his heart, and has a feeding tube connected to his stomach and his intestines. He also needs constant...

By Tom Purcell F inally, people have found something to agree about. Last week, economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci penned an op-ed for Bloomberg News in which she offers tips on how people who earn less than $289,000 a year can cope with inflation. Her piece got quite a negative Twitter reaction...

By Peter Funt N athaniel Adams Coles was 15 when he dropped out of Wendell Phillips Academy in Chicago to pursue a career in music. Three years later, in 1937, he managed to sell his first song, a catchy tune called “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” for fifty dollars. Coles died of cancer in 1965, but ...

By Tom Purcell M y mother and father keep our old photos in their hall closet in a sturdy old Pabst Blue Ribbon box. Sifting through old photos is a glorious experience — one, we now know, that relieves aches and pains by calming the brain, according to a recent study. The last time I looked through...

By Joe Guzzardi D isgusted and indignant fans have a message for near-universally detested MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, the league's billionaire owners, and its pampered, overpaid players – Take your overpriced tickets, tasteless hot dogs, and warm, flat beer and stuff them. The commissioner, owner...

By Tom Purcell T heir bravery inspires. As I sit safely in the cozy office in my home writing this column, the people of Ukraine are greeting Putin’s massive military invasion with incredible defiance and courage. Their president, Volodymyr Zelensky, reportedly rejected an offer to evacuate to safet...

by Peter Funt Five years ago a sports injury forced me to wear a light brace on my knee. Within a few months the joint was fine, yet to this day I continue to wear a brace on both knees when on the field. I feel there is prophylactic value, but also a sense of comfort and security. Perhaps that help...

by Dr. James L. Snyder Driving home from an appointment across town, my wife and I encountered some crazy driver weaving in and out on the road in front of us. The fact that there was not an accident was somewhat surprising. “What,” The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage exclaimed, “is wrong with pe...