THE IDLE AMERICAN THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Readers with long memories yearn for more clean, creative humor. Sadly, folks in the first half of their lives are clueless about the golden years of radio. It featured 30-minute comedy shows with multiple thigh-slapping moments via radio. The late Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding teamed up for the Bob and Ray

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury It’s no  longer likely that many sons and daughters will enter their parents’ professions.  There are exceptions, of course. Seventy-six-year-old Harold Barton is one, son of the late Sonny Barton, who opened his downtown Fort Worth business in 1949, then re-located Barton’s Garage in 1963 to its current location.  It could hardly be more obscure–1615

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Persons claiming to have the same mental faculties and physical capabilities that they had a half-century ago probably fib about other things, too. Some formerly judged such jokers to be guilty of committing “terminological inexactitudes,” a term far kinder than “bald-faced liars!”  Most readers  identify with old age and have heard the oft-told jokes about

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Too much is expected of us–we folks of a certain age–whether man or woman.  Society yawns as we strive to avoid violent foul-ups in the fast lane; we weep, choking on the dust of the younger set, some of whom are eager to push us toward side roads.  Sometimes, side roads can be found.

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Whoops! I almost used the age-old idiom about never saying never. First in print back in the 14 th century, it was featured in 2020 as background music for the popular movie, The Karate Kid. It is familiar to the masses, and that’s well and good for most of us. But not all.  Brian Janak, my

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury They are missed, these two men who didn’t try to make us love each other, but at the very least, made us tolerant of each other during their professional lives. Perhaps unknowingly, their gentle humor fostered tolerance. What they said was helpful–seldom painful–helping us to relax a bit, even when upended by life’s

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury On occasion, I’ve been in the presence of the rich and/or famous. Usually, though, I am lost among hundreds–maybe thousands–turning out for political rallies or tent shows. At one, I blathered excitedly upon winning a box of Cracker Jacks! (Better to remain silent and let others think you an idiot than to speak and

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Whether we bow in reverence to statistics or grow nauseous dealing with the barrage of numbers dealt with daily, most of us value “peace and goodwill” wherever we can find it. Foundational to both is Christian commitment for guidance on life’s highway.  The beginning of baseball brings conversations about statistics to the fore. Later

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Media–both print and electronic–have slathered us with minute details of Arlington’s Grand Prix. Surely their “slatherers” are either bent or broken for putting undue strain on us who are feigning interest when we’d sooner watch paint dry. After all, if we want to see cars zoom past–by day or by night–all we need do