IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury The youngster, maybe 6-7 years of age, is on one of those “select” league baseball teams that may play four games or more on a single weekend during most months of the year. Sometimes, they fly commercially to tournaments, but so far, I haven’t heard of any teams chartering planes. But that’ll be
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury My Uncle Mort, a dedicated “frog gigger” during most of the 20th century and all the years so far in this one, claims to have made the best possible use of “Indian Summer.” “It was the shortest season ever, limited to a few hours on November 24,” he mused. “I’m glad I didn’t waste it
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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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