IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury It is a simple request, embodied in a one-syllable, five-letter word. Yet, it is potentially sobering, whether perused by an individual, or considered by an entire nation, or even the world. Whoever penned it likely had no clue that its message should be implemented beyond the walls of Chick-fil-A to a world spinning
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury This would be a terrible time for the meek to inherit the earth. However, it would be a sobering time to acknowledge that TV revenue to major university football programs has greatly changed views on what intercollegiate athletics are supposed to be. It would be great if our nation were swept by a
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury At neither occasion is humor expected, but when it’s an added bonus, the comments eliciting laughter are the ones most remembered. Current examples were separated by some 50 miles and 74 years. Both were in churches–at a memorial service in Farmers Branch and at a parent-child dedication in Burleson. There were many smiles–and some
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury OK, I admit it. My memory of clever ads and lots of other stuff dates back to the early years of World War II. One I recall simply won’t dislodge. It promoted what the world has long described as being “an adult beverage.” I’ll not call it by name. For all I know, the
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury We called prized possessions “gen-u-wine” back in the day. That’s not the correct spelling, of course, but when the word fell from our lips, we emphasized each syllable to make sure hearers clearly understood that our claims were 100 percent true. “Genuine” back then was about as far away from “fake” as the east
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury When the prospect of military service popped up, I didn’t know the National Guard from a cattle guard. Generally speaking, that’s still the case, despite my having “served” in the Texas Army National Guard for nine years, not too long after muskets had been cast aside in favor of more effective firearms. More
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Ever come across a situation–however minor–that activates curiosity? Responding to minutia I often uncovered in youthful years, my old mother often said, “It don’t amount to a hill of beans.” Such moments, insignificant as they may have been, are like puppy love. They matter to puppies, and to us as well, particularly when they
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Ray Hildebrand, who wrote and sang “Hey, Paula” with college classmate Jill Jackson in 1963, admits to being “older than dirt,” but quickly adds that he’s still “kicking up dust,” despite entering his 80th year a few weeks hence. In fact, he’s “on track” to exceed the longevity of another “Ray”– this one named
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury We’ve longbeen led to believe that we “can’t know the players without a program.” However, it’s generally agreed that they are needed for sports purists who want to identify all of the players, from the “stars to the scrubs.” At the State Fair of Texas in Dallas–where they feature three football games annually
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Spirit Of Abilene 