THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury My ancient Uncle Mort is not one to speak negatively of neighbors, unless they live at least three cattleguards away. He recently “spilled the beans” on a neighbor who lives so deep in the thicket that no one passes his house going to town. The old guy admitted to Mort recently that he had made

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Enough already. The eclipse of April 8 has been smothered with coverage by both mass and social media. Americans–some who flail at things that go “bump” in the night–yearned  for even more darkness! They carved out time from busy schedules and squeezed funds from their budgets to make their way to a slice of the

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The name “Blackwood” has been as closely linked to Southern Gospel Music as ham and eggs to diners, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to TV, and Tarzan and Jane to jungle movies. The family has endeared itself to a grateful nation for their renditions of gospel music for some 125 years. It began when

THE IDLE AMERICAN THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Texas A&M University–a major educational institution respected throughout the world–emerged unscathed from a litany of “Aggie jokes” that were shared for decades, though not so much now. They were, of course–exactly that–jokes. Actually, they likely enhanced a storied heritage, but they made some Aggies M-A-D. My Uncle Mort’s keen eye on

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Hills are greening up, fiddlers are tuning up, and visitors from around the globe are showing up as the entertainment mecca of Branson, Misssouri, gears up for a record-breaking season in the beloved Ozarks. It’s a magical place known for musical excellence where God is honored–and where there are so many fiddlers–it’s difficult to predict

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury To most mortals–mere or otherwise–the thought of jumping rope 30,660,000 times causes hair to stand on end, eyes to crossand regimens to crumble. Not so to a preacher man named Van Minter, whose morning routine is vital to each day. He has kept this commitment for almost 12,800 days, having begun his 36th year on “leap

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