THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury It shouldn’t happen to a dog, nor to a rodeo clown. Such an unlikely opening sentence warrants further explanation, which I trust in the next 650 words or so will shed more light than bolts across the sky in an April thunderstorm. Content of this message has been approved by both my rescue dog,

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury It wasn’t something he expected to find in his rural mail box. However, my Uncle Mort opened the envelope joyously; it was from his great nephew.  He thought immediately about his kin’s spread deep in Arkansas. In the envelope was a fancy invitation equal to any he’d ever seen for weddings or graduation

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Advertising signs  come and go, but few remain over the long haul. In the mid-20th century, for example, Burma-Shave limericks nailed to fence posts along highways, greatly outnumbered what we call billboards today.  Birthed in the minds of two brothers who finally convinced their dad–who introduced Burma-Shave as a product more convenient and effective

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Maybe folks started listening for “goofs” when radio became a luxury during the Great Depression. (Until then, I suppose they occurred most often in simple, face-to-face communication, or maybe with megaphones.)  For the longest time, Harry von Zell’s alleged foul-up–purportedly heard from sea to shining sea when radio was yet young–has to be among

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Allen Saunders , an obscure Canadian cartoonist, is cited for an inscription in his 1956 “Mary Worth” comic strip. No doubt it had local impact, but much more the next year when repeated in the Reader’s Digest .  “Life is what happen to us while we’re making other plans” has been quoted often.  Sometimes, though, it simply

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Until 1955, before Elvis Presley got a sniff of stardom, he was on the brink of greatness. Months later, his name was “marqueed” in capital letters nationwide. A 20 year-old credited with making rock-and-roll music a national phenomenon, he could not have known how short “brinks” sometimes can be. About six months after crowding

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury When my Uncle Mort draws a bead on topics, he redefines “random.” He’s as likely to converse about frogs “belly-bouncing” into his favorite fishing hole as he is about whether there’s life in distant galaxies. Recently, he targeted a favorite snack, Graham Crackers. How’s that for random? His latest query may justify placement at

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The story goes that a long-ago West Texas man–beloved in his community–talked incessantly about Fort Worth, his favorite city, even though he’d never been there.  He usually referred to it as “Cowtown” or “Where the West Begins.” (The former nickname was introduced by cattle barons in the 1860s; the latter description started in 1923.

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury About two months ago–after more than 23 years of writing weekly columns–I took my leave. (OK, maybe it’s my “weakly” assembly of words masquerading as columns might be more accurate.) Whatever, I’m back.  Perhaps a few of my pieces have been tolerable, some meriting smiles that gave way to laughter, and –on rarest occasions–a