IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury We’ve heard about the chances of being hit by lightning, winning the lottery or scoring a hole-in-one on the golf course, but nothing about the probability of two distinguished educators meeting up at a rodeo. Dr. Ronny Collins, former school superintendent at Wellington, Jacksboro, Snyder and Mineral Wells, was a rodeo clown to
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury In wildest dreams, it never occurred to me that one day I’d write a piece referencing three bigger-than-life personalities. This day, I am. Two of the three are valued friends whose names are well known in Texas, and the third I’ve never met. There’s nothing gained by keeping readers in suspense (as if I
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury The news that cursive handwriting is returning to elementary school curricula is being roundly applauded, perhaps equal to ovations that welcomed Dolly back to Broadway. Some of us thought cursive instruction had been “written off” in recent years, replaced by fingers fleeting across tiny keyboards on iPhones, iPads and such. No one is more
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury It was bound to happen, and finally, it did. I overheard the words “artificial intelligence” and “fake news” mentioned in the same sentence. Maybe we need more “real thing” topics. Coca-Cola sold gazillions of its products with its “real thing” claim years ago. During our youth, we placed great trust in mass media news,
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury A commonpractice when decision-makers arrive in Washington, D. C., is to check common sense at the door. There’s daily evidence of “bonehead” decisions that make us wonder about competencies. The other day, President Trump hit replay when citizens came unstuck with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ announcement that the federal government would no longer
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Many Texans–and no doubt some abiding outside our borders–have used the expression for years: “He’ll do to ride the river with.” We give little thought to its origin, but typically it is used to convey highest praise for others in whom we have confidence–whether we’re fording a river, or even if we don’t
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury They met in college at a time of comparative innocence. Father Knows Best was the rage on TV; Ken and Barbie weren’t yet a couple. The TV show and the famous dolls–one might suggest–were bookends for a real life romance that began 65 years ago on the campus of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. A 1953 graduate
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury If a union organizer at a convention of robots urges “them” to unite, the rep might learn that “they” already have. Or, so it could appear. So far, robots generally have made us smile, releasing us from performing mundane chores. Now, however, they’re being utilized to “do the dirty work.” I shall opt out
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THE IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury One was nationally renowned, known for the spoken word–the other, for words written down. The former was radio newsman Paul Harvey; the latter–as eloquent in print as Harvey was on the airways–was William Arthur Ward. They were genuine to the core. During these days when too much is called “fake news,” these
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Spirit Of Abilene 