Cleburne Times-Review, Cleburne, TX Opinion

Don Newbury: Maxed-out excesses for Tennessean sports star

2012-02-10T08:57:13-06:00

To be sure, excesses — like the poor — are with us always. Though the scent may grow faint at times among life’s many aromas, it has always been there, dating back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve chowed down on fruit from the wrong tree.

Don Newbury: A lament for linemen of all makes and models

2012-02-03T10:52:30-06:00

No, this isn’t about Super Bowl “grunt” players “duking it out” in the football trenches. I’m referencing Glen Campbell, who is crooning around the country on his well-earned “farewell tour” to cap off a career spanning 50-plus years.

Don Newbury: Uncle Mort and a sixth sense about double whammies

2012-01-27T11:44:22-06:00

My Uncle Mort claims to have a sixth sense that warns of upcoming “whammies.” As long as they arrive in single file, he can handle ’em with grace — dodging, hiding or meeting head-on.

Don Newbury: Din in the den jiggles the Richter scale

2012-01-20T09:46:24-06:00

Our grandkids shred Christmas wrapping paper in seconds, joking about their dexterity in “baring gifts.” Soon, though, they squirm with “indoor-itis.” Crowded into our den, they are ready to put aside month-long warnings about “Santa Claus watching them.” Their deportment grades plunge, ranging from “gremlin to grinch.” (Grades typically peg to the right of the latter than to the left of the former.)

Don Newbury: Is David Hatala an accomplice for Cupid?

2012-01-13T10:54:15-06:00

David Hatala claims no kinship to Cupid, but as operator of a fondue restaurant where proposals of marriage are common, he’s a willing accomplice upon request.

Don Newbury: Half-time kicks off with musings with Mort

2011-12-30T08:31:27-06:00

Surely he uses cue cards when he phones during bowl game intermissions, touching topics all over the conversation map in record time. Verbal responses lengthen calls, so I simply smile, nod or frown, relying on assorted expressions of bewilderment.

Don Newbury: Holiday decorators attempt to ‘keep up with the Joneses’

2011-12-23T08:14:10-06:00

There’s much to appreciate about friendly competition. This said, an addendum is in order — all’s fair not only in love and war, but in Christmas decorating as well. In the latter category, however, we should forgive otherwise normal people who, at Yuletide, cast judgment aside in favor of reckless abandon.

Don Newbury: A scruffy scarf meant to last for the ages

2011-12-16T08:31:00-06:00

No one ever asked the little old man about his scruffy scarf. Oh, it was noticed, usually by uppity passers-by. They’d giggle about its unquestioned homemade construction, guessing it may have been plucked by someone with limited vision from the 25-cent barrel at the thrift store.

Don Newbury: Galveston Island: A tribute to visionaries

2011-12-09T09:23:38-06:00

As islands go, it’s a small one — 32 miles long and 2.5 at its widest point — but thanks to the grit and determination of visionaries who dug in 109 years ago, it’s still on maps.

TCU’s switch to Big 12 renews old rivals, quotes

2011-10-21T17:49:14-05:00

Surely clever T-shirt messages will pop up any day now. They’ll flow from creative juices of Texas Christian University students whose athletic teams have been members of four different athletic conferences over the past dozen years.