Ronald E. Yates's Blog, page 100

Prognostications for 2017

Predicting what will happen in the New Year is ordinarily a futile exercise, but in President-Elect Donald Trump’s case, there are a couple of prognostications that will, without a doubt, come to pass. First, Trump will be officially inaugurated on January 20—notwithstanding those ludicrous ballot recounts, yowling Democrats, the Russians, and campus “safe places” satiated ... Read more...

In Defense of (Gasp!) White Men

MTV released a video on Monday containing New Year’s resolutions for white men to consider in 2017 and social media customers were quick to condemn the video as “racist” and “pathetic.” For good reason. It is racist, and it is pathetic. In an open entreaty to that ubiquitous liberal malady known as “white guilt, ” ... Read more...

Does a Trump Presidency Mean Hope is Dead?

Last week in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama said that with the Obama’s moving out of the White House and the Trumps moving in, America is a nation where hope is lost. “We feel the difference now,” Michelle Obama said, referring to Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton. “Now we know what not ... Read more...

A “Deplorable” Goes Public

(Note: This is a substantially revised and highly personalized version of an email I recently received from a like-minded American Deplorable. I hope you will find it thought-provoking). I used to think I was just a regular guy, but . . . I was born a white male, which means, whether I like it or not, ... Read more...

Writer’s Block: Some Advice & Antidotes

Anybody who writes, whether amateur or professional, at one time or another, will suffer from the dreaded condition known as WRITER’S BLOCK. It is an unavoidable component of the writing life. Many writers have devised distinctive remedies for this constipation of the brain. They range from running as far away as possible their computers (or ... Read more...

#RRBC WRITER’S CONFERENCE AND BOOK EXPO

Check out the Rave Reviews Book Club annual Writer’s Conference and Book Expo beginning Thursday, Dec. 1, at 1 p.m. PST and running through Saturday, Dec. 3. Use the link to access the conference and expo’s Welcome Page where you will find a vast menu of virtual events and sessions for readers and authors. Sessions include topics ... Read more...

America’s Petulant Post Election Tantrums

It is amazing, no, it is actually depressing and disquieting, that there are people in our country who cannot abide those who have opinions or positions that are in opposition to theirs. These people are typically found on the left flank of the political spectrum and are more commonly known as “leftists and liberals.” If ... Read more...

Happy Veterans Day to My Fellow Vets

Just a quick shout out to all of my fellow veterans who put on the uniform of this country and served. I joined the U.S. Army and spent almost four years on active duty with the Army Security Agency (ASA). It was probably the best thing I ever did. It taught me about leadership, self-discipline, ... Read more...

Book Tour: “The Courage of a Samurai”

Today, I am delighted to coordinate with BeachBoundBooks on a Blog Tour for Lori Tsugawa Whaley, author of “The Courage of a Samurai: Seven Sword-Sharp Principles for Success.” The tour will run until November 25, 2016. This book attracted my attention immediately because I spent almost 10 years as the Chicago Tribune’s Chief Asia correspondent ... Read more...

A Letter to the Editor

Yesterday, I, along with thousands of other subscribers to the The Guardian, one of the U.K.’s most famous and respected newspapers, received a hand-wringing letter from Lee Glendinning, the editor of its U.S. edition. In it she suggested that Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton has put the United States on the brink of calamity. ... Read more...