IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The words “wash and wear” exploded in the 1950’s, thanks to the introduction of treated cotton and synthetics that meant clothing could be worn straight from the washing machine. Ironing board sales plummeted, and housewives singing “Wash Day Blues” gave way to “Happy Days are Here Again.” Never in our dreams–up to and including wildest–did
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Mike Wilson, editor of the Dallas Morning News since 2015, has resigned the position, and the almost six-year tenure probably has seemed much longer. He was charged with what likely is an inevitability, that of converting most delivery of news from “the printed page” to digital transmission. Somehow, he has maintained excellence in both. There’s no
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury At the time of year when parents, children and teachers were committing to take on a new school year, our son-in-law Bryan Choate and our grandchildren Ben, 19, and Brittin, 16, were dealing with the sudden death of Julie (Mrs. Bryan) Choate. Bryan’s wife and the children’s mother, she died of a pulmonary embolism at
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The day’s twilight came with September at its best. My wife urged me to take Sailor, our rescue dog, on a walk around the block. So away we went, thankful for a cool breeze, gorgeous sunset and sidewalks. We chanced to walk alongside a next-block neighbor who posed a random-as-it-gets question: “Do you remember anything
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury When someone suggests that life is difficult, there’s the temptation to ask, “Compared to what?” Actors dating back to Shakespeare have cited another comparison concerning the difficulty of making audiences laugh. They’ve said it thusly: “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.” Within a specific current context, Fletcher’s Corny Dog Pop-Up Stands are offering “bargains”
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury It quickly became the perfect storm, powerful enough to make strong men cry. The same goes for strong women, too, but Kim Peacock, president of GNS Foods in Arlington, is doing her best to keep her family-owned specialty premium nut company afloat despite “blows to the bow” that might cause others to jump ship. Consider this:
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Few emotional swings reach from the highest high to lowest low in a period of 60 hours. My wife Brenda and I celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary on August 12. Three days later, our oldest daughter, Julie Choate, succumbed to a pulmonary embolism. In a two-hour period, efforts to revive her failed; her airlift to
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Wedged in my mind’s recesses are these eight simple words: “If you can make it there, go back.” They’re easy enough to understand, but application is a whole ‘nuther thing. These words captioned a cartoon a while back. It was drawn to warn folks relocating to New York City. Though probably not intended, the cartoon
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury They tried ever so hard to make Major League Baseball’s opening day seem as normal as possible, for the radio listener or TV viewer anyway. Globe Life Field in Arlington–the $1.2 billion enclosed structure barely completed for the scheduled home opener in March–languished for almost four months. When it finally opened, fans were denied admission.
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