THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury As the old year ended, so did the lives of two one-of-a-kind icons, one in the world of sports and the other in theology. They died four days apart, 85-year-old John Madden in California, and almost 101-year-old Dr. John W. (Jack) MacGorman in Fort Worth. (Dr. MacGorman was born on the day after Christmas

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Creative minds at Young and Rubicon—a recognized advertising agency in New York City— have introduced jingles, catch words (as well as “catch phrases”) and slogans that have withstood the test of time And there are few tests any tougher than time. Well, I committed a king-size “boo-boo” in a recent column that warrants review. I

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Oh, that the inimitable Will Rogers were alive today. The need for his disarming smile and positive spirit helped Americans survive the Great Depression. He’d go a long way today in bringing people together as mounting challenges blot out our better acts and kinder nature. Even Will might not know where to start. An introductory

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury A dozen years before “Sir” was added to his name, Winston Churchill motivated Britons with his unforgettable “never give in” speech. It lifted spirits for freedom as World War II raged and frequently is quoted even now, 70 years later. His message was to “never give in, never give in, never, never, never–in nothing great

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Inept searches for humor–often with strong potential to be hurtful–have caused me to row my little fishing boat away from what formerly was a favorite news source, WFAA-TV (Dallas/Fort Worth). It was once a mighty ship in the raging waters generally called “mainstream media.” Call it overreaction–and it may well be–but I am weary of

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury There will be those who insist that I have received my just desserts. However, I choose to believe that I have been favored by unbelievably good fortune despite a fall from my church platform. Thankfully, heartbeats and breathing were restored countless times. This occurred during the October 24 Sunday morning traditional service at Burleson First

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Alexander William Kinglake is a name snuggled deeply inside of all-knowing Google. He was a 19th century lawyer who gave up his legal practice to become an author, best known for a single proverb: “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” It is believed that Kinglake’s intent was to help

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury During almost two decades of writing weekly accounts of humorous and/or unlikely occurrences, I’ve never come across anything quite so bizarre as the subject of this week’s epistle. It is a legal case in progress, as the wheels of justice necessarily turn slowly. Otherwise, the folks at Alta Mesa Church of Christ in Fort Worth