IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury As might be expected, my Uncle Mort thought he had heard every birthday-related joke in the book. At his 107th party a few weeks ago, he got a real birthday surprise. They rolled out three large gifts. When he tore away the wrapping on the first one, there was a birthday cake adorned by
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By DANNY MINTON My day had been going great when I drove into the bank drive-in. There were six lanes open with two cars in each. As I drove up, one car went on through, so I pulled behind the single car. Fifteen minutes later I was still sitting in the same spot. All the other lanes had fulfilled the
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By LORETTA FULTON Growing up, Austin Channing Brown was curious about her first name. Her mother told her that “Austin” was her grandmother’s maiden name. Not satisfied, Brown pushed her mom, wanting to know why her mother chose the name, not just family history. Her mother’s answer hit with the force of a sledgehammer. The name was selected from a
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By LORETTA FULTON People who love scholarly lectures are in for a treat, with three coming up within the next few days. One speaker, Jason Byassee, will do double duty, speaking at the Festival of Faith at First Central Presbyterian Church and during the 2019 Summit at Abilene Christian University. Hardin-Simmons University also will hold its annual Cornerstone Lecture Series
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By JIM NICHOLS One of the things humans just seem to do naturally is to compare our behavior to that of animals. We are good at this anthropomorphic trick—saying, “Look how that animal is acting just like a human.” Kevin McGowan, an ornithologist at Cornell University, suggests this is backward reasoning. “Thinking of animals like people is misleading and unhelpful
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By LORETTA FULTON Jimmy Dorrell isn’t sure whether his father-in-law ever forgave him. Not long after his marriage, Dorrell and his wife, Janet, sold their house and bought airline tickets so they could travel the world for six months. But, as it turned out, that trip proved to be much more than a sight-seeing excursion. The couple saw magnificent cathdrals
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By LORETTA FULTON Members of Abilene’s Temple Mizpah are gearing up for several events to be held during the High Holy Days, which begin with Rosh Hashanah and end with Yom Kippur. Cantor Monica J. O’Desky, who lives in Crowley, will be in Abilene for all services. A catered Rosh Hashanah lunch will be served at the temple, 849 Chestnut
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