IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury It’s a parental directive virtually all of us have lodged in our minds dating back to childhood days when our memories started to take root. “Look both directions,” they implored, emphasizing dangers posed by passing cars. Often, they’d throw additional dangers at intersections, thus providing more dreadful statistics that made us even more fearful of

IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Push Americans into a corner, and they’ll either start painting or enliven the crunched space with creative juices soon to spill over. Superintendents and other school “brass” have greatly expanded committees planning commencement ceremonies, realizing that “same old” plans employed historically since the earth started cooling are “no more.” For many reasons–some understandable,

IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury “No one is an idol to his valet.” historian/writer Thomas Carlyle so contended two centuries ago. In one case dating back 60-plus years, Carlyle would have been “dead wrong” about a couple of Brownwood High School athletes. Lawrence Elkins –the “idol”–re-wrote dozens of records in four sports, dazzled at Baylor in football and