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Paul Sassone
Paul Sassone is a long-time columnist for Pioneer Press and a winner of a first-place award for opinion column writing from the Local Media Association. …
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This year, try giving Dad the time of day
Father’s Day can seem an afterthought, coming as it does only a month after Mother’s Day. Traditionally, nurturing has been considered the province of mothers. Fathers got jobs and earned the family’s bread. But times, and roles, have changed.
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Not nice to fool with mother’s nature
“Sumer is Icumen In,” as the medieval English sing. And when summer is in, the question all kids have, medieval or not, is: “Why do I have to wait an hour after eating before going swimming?” The short answer is: Because your mother said so.
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If you can read this, read something else
I’ve already started seeing recommendations for summer reading. Most of the recommendations are for books I wouldn’t read if I were paid by the word. But that’s OK. People should read what they want to read. OK, people should read what I want them to read, but legally they don’t have to.
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Why such a rush to raise speed limit?
It doesn’t matter. That would be a normal first reaction to the news that Illinois may raise the speed limit on highways to 70 mph.
Beer marketers should get a grip
Budweiser will introduce a bowtie-shaped beer can in May. I’ll concede it’s trendy and maybe eye-catching. But have you, or anyone you know, ever complained that a can of beer is too hard to hold?
Famous John eats like average Joe
I haven’t encountered many celebrities in my life. But, I am proud to announce that this column today will give you some hot celebrity news. Ready?
Movie saddled with expectations
Don’t pre-judge. People tell me that. Perhaps because I often have an opinion about, say, a movie before I’ve seen it. But it’s hard not to be squeamish about the upcoming film, “The Lone Ranger.”
Pondering the limits of protection
I care about the safety of children. Yet I question the proposal put forth by Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka and the accompanying bill in the Illinois Legislature sponsored by State Rep. Jack Franks (D-63rd) that would prohibit public and private schools from being used as polling places.
No Oscar? Join the incredible cast of folks who didn’t win
I live backwards. Take the Oscars, for instance. They’ve been over for a while. But I’m just catching up to the Oscar-nominated films. What most people do is see the movies nominated before the Oscars are awarded. I see the Oscar-nominated films on DVD after the awards are handed out.
Daylight time really cleans his clock
Daylight savings time is here. It started March 10. I hope you are all happy. The U.S. Department of Transportation says you are. It has a poll to prove it. Americans like that there is more light in the evening. And daylight savings time is …
We’re all in Congress together
There are many things that divide Americans. But congressional districts shouldn’t be one of them. Yet here we have, once again, candidates for a congressional seat complaining about outsiders.
So, are all jobs created equal?
Dear Governor: I am a job creator. I have been reading for a while in the Wall Street Journal how job creators should have their taxes lowered. With lowered taxes, job creators would then hire more people and the economy would be saved. So, let …
Car-repair fear is the wheel deal
My car needed an oil change, so I took it in. I always get the oil changed promptly. I had a car once I didn’t and, well, that’s a story only Edgar Allan Poe could write. So, I take my car in regularly now. But …
No, Virginia, there’s no Saturday delivery
I reached out to Fred Gailey for comment. (By the way, “reached out” is one of the new loaded phrases TV reporters use. They say they reached out to Person X, but that Person X did not respond. This makes it seem as if the …
Appealing to our animal instincts
I could just open the front door and wait for it to happen. Though that’s no guarantee it would. And while it might not happen to me, it did happen to a friend of mine. Maybe I’d better start at the beginning and explain. Since …
We see red, stores see green
Christmas is over. So what are we to spend our money on? But wait, over there on the horizon. That big, red heart. It’s Valentine’s Day, coming into view to help us boost the economy.
‘Rules of the Road’ offers a funny read
It was called “1,001 Jokes,” or maybe it was “Jokes For All Occasions.” I don’t remember, exactly. It did have one of those gray covers libraries glued on books after the original covers had worn out. I would check out that book for two weeks, …
Businesses should keep messages to themselves
I probably should have been annoyed by this sooner. What I was, and am, annoyed about this time is Starbucks ordering its employees to write political messages on the cups of coffee customers purchase.
No need for tiered handicap parking
Who can argue with Illinois’ new disabled parking law? I can, of course. The new law creates a two-tier parking system for disabled drivers: severely disabled and less severely disabled.
Turning an optimistic eye toward 2013 ...
Fiscal cliffs. Mass murder. War. Unemployment. End-of-the-world scares. Glad to see the last of 2012. But will 2013 be any better? We approach the new year warily. After all, it has the number 13 in it.
