“Reading a Book is Like Life:
You Live it One Page at a Time.” (Ron Yates)
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About Ronald E. Yates
Author, former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, and Dean & Professor Emeritus of the College of Media at the University of Illinois, his acclaimed works are now available through this site.
The Latest From My Blog
Nanny State California’s Reckless Rules & Misguided Prohibitions
There was a time when living in Southern California was about as close to living in an earthly paradise as an American could get. The weather is magnificent, with 302 days of sunshine per year compared to the national U.S. average of 205. Here in Southern California, you can swim …
White House Orders News Media to Attack Republican Impeachment Effort
Have you wondered how low America’s once mostly trustworthy news media have sunk or how they have become a willing tool of the Democrat party? Look no further than a memo that was issued to the media by the White House earlier this week. It contains the media’s marching orders. …
The Climate Change Hoax & its Deceptive Apocalyptic Prophecies
Are the apocalyptic predictions about the impact of climate change a hoax? Yes, say a growing number of internationally recognized scientists and professionals experienced in climate science and related fields. Most recently, Nobel Prize laureate John Clauser challenged prevailing climate models, which he says have ignored a key variable—one that …
Using the Scientific Method to Disprove the Idiocy of the Woke Left
You learn a lot of things in high school and college—some of which are worth remembering. In my case, one of the things worth remembering was something called “The Scientific Method.” I am no scientist, far from it. But you don’t have to be a scientist to understand and use …
A Dog’s Dinner of Cogitations & Reflections: Vol. II
During the course of a week, a lot of information and hearsay finds its way to my desk, either from The Internet or via snail mail. It often merely sits there on my computer or on my desk until I delete it or send it into the “round file.” Normally, …
Snow White and the Seven Fantastical Beings?
Today, I am turning my blog over to fellow Substack columnist Erin Geary. I was going to post something about the new Snow White monstrosity The Walt Disney Company is planning on releasing soon, but when I read Erin’s commentary below, I decided she has said it better than I …
A Dog’s Dinner of Cogitations & Reflections
During the course of a week, a lot of information and hearsay finds its way to my desk, either from The Internet or via snail mail. It often merely sits there on my computer or on my desk until I delete it or send it into the “round file.” Normally, …
Once Upon a Time in America . . . .
Once upon a time, America was a great place to live. That America is gone. In its place is a squalid, immoral, and lawless land that seems devoid of common sense. We live in the Age of Stupid, where the world has been turned upside down. Think about it. America …
America 2023 Explained by Hans Christian Andersen
Sometimes the most complicated issues can be explained by the simplest of fables. Take the following commentary I received from a friend. The author of the commentary is fellow Substack columnist Judd Garrett, who once was a running back and director of pro scouting for the Dallas Cowboys. Garrett also …
Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing: Annotated
At least once every year I find it useful to take a look at the late Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing. It is sage advice from a master. Every writer should read these rules and remember them. I’m doing my part by posting them here for your edification and …
They are Our Children, Not the Government’s
The following is a letter I sent to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. My letter was in response to a weekly newsletter Bonta sends to Californians. In his letter, he argued that children have the right to feel safe, respected, and protected while at school. I couldn’t agree more. Then …
Small Town Life and Values: The Latest Target of the Woke Mob
Having grown up in two small Kansas towns, I guess I should be distraught and maybe remorseful. Why? Because when an award-winning Country-Western singer writes a song about life and values in America’s ubiquitous small towns and is immediately attacked and canceled, he must have done something wrong, right? Wrong! …
