THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury We are among the dwindling few who still answer the doorbell when it chimes between sunup and sunset. (If we don’t hear it, we can rely 100% on our new rescue dog, Archie, to “bark” an alert.) Oh, it’s not quite that simple. First, we use the peephole to see who is seeking entry.

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Every now and again, someone comes up with suggestions for additions to the list of what to do when there’s nothing to do. As often as not, such “yawn fodder” winds up to fill holes–gaping or otherwise–just before newspapers go to press. I have another thought concerning an item that should be forever deleted from

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Texas’ prime grilling season is only weeks away. I await in the shadow of a conundrum, not knowing whether to mark off calendar days with giddy anticipation or be “gloomed” like Charlie Brown stumbling away from another setback. There’s a certain limpness accompanying the unknown. That’s how I remember a sudden desire at age

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury In our mind’s eye, most of us old-timers recall taking on life in slow motion when contrasted with today’s starts, stops and swerves now endured by the masses by day and by night. If identified with a fable, we were the turtles, and jet-setters of today are the hares. Or so it seems. In bygone

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury It’s an old joke from the 1990s, pulled from the files each time the Super Bowl rolls around. Late Congressman Charles Stenholm, a distinguished Christian statesman from Ericksdahl (near Stamford) popularized the yarn in Texas, claiming that it originated in Washington, D.C. It was during more civil times, when Republicans and Democrats not only talked

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury In a perfect world, coaches, parents and participants would rightly refer to sports aspirants as “student athletes.” Today, however, this often is not the case. For many–in both high school and college–reference to “student athletes” is an oxymoron, as far apart as the east is from the west.  The best coaches–at all levels–first are teachers

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury My friend Rex Tackett, as community-minded as anyone I’ve ever known, is admired for always taking the high road, and–when necessary–the high wire as well. He takes life on with cheer, always confident of sunrise tomorrow, no matter how many clouds–dark as they may be–fluff up the sky today. He and his wife, Mariann, are

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Several years ago, a wise guy–or perhaps a wise gal–sent an email that latched on and won’t let go. It read: “In your column today, I discovered several dozen well-chosen words.” Oh, that it could have been left at that, without a second sentence: “Unfortunately, they were intermingled among 600 that weren’t.” Ouch! Such could

   THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury When this weekly piece first saw the light of day in February 2003, I promised to share stories worthy of belly laughs–or at least chuckles. I also vowed to offer occasional gems of wisdom. I wanted these “gems” to be worthy of comparison to the precious pearls of Majorca. Sadly, most more nearly resemble costume