The Keystone pipeline has become an issue that now dominates criticism of the President by  pleading how important the pipeline  is to the economic future of Louisiana. My reaction? Hogwash! The issue will not mean diddlysquat to the Bayou State. No new jobs will be created and not a dime of economic development. Read my...Read More

Tuesday, July 5th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana KEYSTONE PIPELINE-LOUISIANA’S ECONOMIC SAVIOR? The approval of the Keystone pipeline is back in the news as petroleum interests and members of the Louisiana congressional delegation are calling on the President to get this project moving forward. So is building the pipeline the huge job creator and the economic...Read More

I’m excited to tell you about a new podcast that is taking off this week with my cohost Rannah Gray. For years, Rannah and I broadcast a nationally syndicated radio program that you could listen to right here on this site.  We have started a new podcast called Dateline Louisiana, where we discuss the various...Read More

Fifty years ago this month, the Watergate break-in took place in Washington. It seemed like a minor event at the time, but the whole political mess continued to  unwind  and led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Like most of the rest of the country, I was an avid observer of the whole process....Read More

Monday, June 27th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WATERGATE, LOUISIANA, AND RICHARD NIXON! This month marks the 50-year anniversary of the Watergate break-in.  Those of us who remember we’re often mesmerized by the full press coverage the event produced. I was commuting to Baton Rouge each day in 1972 as a delegate to the constitutional convention....Read More

One of the important issues missing from the whole gun debate is the violence that takes place at the movies, on TV and in video games.  Yet we see time and time again the fist kind of violence influences potential mass murderers. Check out daughter Campbell Brown’s article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal...Read More

All things considered, Jupiter seems like a pretty scary place. More than 300 times bigger than Earth (and twice the size of all the rest of our solar system’s planets combined), the King of Planets has double the strength of our gravity and an exceptionally dense, dry atmosphere. And you know that Big Red Dot on...Read More

Kudos to my colleague John Whitehead for his  continuing to stand up for our freedoms. He writes  regular columns on his website The Rutherford Institute. Here’s what he insightfully says this week: “In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught.”””Hunter S. Thompson “The groundwork has been laid for a new...Read More

The recent legislative session at the state capital of Louisiana provided an excellent chance for legislators to deal directly with the nation’s highest automobile  insurance rates. There were a number of positive suggestions that were offered to legislators. But with all was said and done, nothing of any consequence happened. So policyholders in the state...Read More

June 20th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana INSURANCE REFORM FALLS FLAT!  Remember your ancient history of how Nero fiddled as Rome burned?  Boy does that apply to the Louisiana legislature.  Now we are talking about the state that has far and away the highest insurance rates in the nation. Yet in the recent legislative session, insurance...Read More

How about my two good-looking and quite athletic grandsons, Eli and Asher Senor? In New York City for Asher’s bar mitzvah. And watching these two guys play lots of great tennisRead More

So what do you choose? Exercise or reading a good book. I say you can do both. I’m at my local health club 5 to 6 days a week, and always bring a book along. If it’s time to ride on my recumbent bike, I can both ride and read. My rule of thumb is...Read More

All across America, the voting process is under siege.  And much of the criticism is directed at secretaries of state who are the top election officials in most states.  A number of groups, many tied to the past president, say there is widespread voter fraud, and the whole system needs to be revamped. So is...Read More

June 13th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ELECTION FRAUD A CAMPAIGN ISSUE! Undertaking the job of Secretary of State used to be fairly routine.  I should know as I held this elected post in Louisiana for eight years during the 1980s.  I even served as president of the National Secretary of State Association, where then was...Read More

Two of Louisiana’s most colorful governors certainly are Edwin Edwards and John McKeithen.  They were political allies when McKeithen  was governor and Edwards served as a congressman from southwest Louisiana. Then Edwards was elected, and the relationship between them became strained. I was a first hand observer to the highs and lows of their relationship,...Read More

Monday, June 6th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana EWE AND JOHN MCKEITHEN- A STRAINED RELATIONSHIP! A bit of political history in this week’s column. Edwin Edwards had succeeded John McKeithen as governor, but the two them did not maintain much of a relationship during Edwards’ first term in the governor’s office.  McKeithen had actively supported Edwards...Read More

May 30th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THOUGHTS AFTER TEXAS KILLINGS!  If you have small children or grandchildren, it’s difficult to process how a deranged assassin could slaughter such innocent youngsters. Yet it has become a regular happening all over America. After each shooting, we hear cries of “not this, not ever again.”  But what’s happening...Read More

Sad to say, but another week- another school shooting. It seems like these deranged killers are popping up way too often. And the police response in Uvalde, Texas has been absolutely appalling. Domestic terrorism in America continues to rise. What if anything that we do about it? I express my thoughts about the terrible shooting...Read More

A nice evening visiting with my friend Charlie Cole overlooking the Mississippi River. Charlie has been working for a number of years on his wonderful project of restoring Como plantation outside of Saint Francisville as a wonderful getaway. The Como Plantation Retreat has been in the works for several years””a vision that has transformed this...Read More

Monday, May 23rd, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  HONORS POUR IN FOR JERRY LEE LEWIS! Louisiana rockabilly Jerry Lee Lewis has just been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.  He has already been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, so the honors keep pouring in for this Louisiana musical icon.  Let...Read More

This week, I want to tell you all about me and the Killer. Well, not that kind of killer. I’m talking about one of the great country music and rock ‘n roll singers of all time. He’s from my hometown in Ferriday, Louisiana and he was just inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame....Read More

  So how long will he wait? In Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”, a revolutionary creation, the symbolic Godot never comes. Will he show up for this guy?  Some say Godot represents death, unless the only thing that comes.  Hummmmm!  I don’t know about that. But I did like the play.Read More

Randy Weaver has passed away.  Three decades ago, he was entrapped by an ATF agent.  Federal agents subsequently killed his son and wife. The Justice Department denied that anyone’s rights were violated but still paid a multi-million dollar settlement for the Weaver family’s wrongful death lawsuit.  Federal abuses at Ruby Ridge, the subsequent FBI coverup,...Read More

What’s going on in my home state of Louisiana and across the nation? A crime wave of violence from coast to coast. Political leaders in both parties who  scream for attention, but offer few solutions. We as Americans deserve better. Much better! I take on the thorny subject in my new column now posted. Where...Read More

Monday, May 16th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT’S GOING ON IN LOUISIANA AND ALL OF AMERICA?  Remember the song a few years back? “How low can you go? Cause I wanna know. How low can you go?”  Well apparently, as a state and a nation, we still have lower to go. The Wall Street Journal...Read More

I would be remiss not to comment on the passing of my longtime friend Mickey Gilley. He was one of my first clients when I started my law practice in the small town of Ferriday in Northeast Louisiana. Mickey was a  country music star whose Texas nightclub served as the inspiration for the 1980 film Urban...Read More

I’m sure you recognize actor James Cromwell. He’s played major character actors in any number of movies. In the popular series the crown, he played Prince Philip and did an excellent job. Well now he’s created a really sticky situation.  Incensed by the “senseless upcharge” at Starbucks for nondairy milk, the “Succession” and “Babe” actor...Read More

Monday, 9th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GETTING OLDER AIN’T ALL THAT BAD! I woke up from this strange dream last night. I got out of bed, looked in the new mirror and saw the face of a rather interesting old guy who just turned 82. Eighty-Two?  And then it dawned on me.  It wasn’t a...Read More

Well like it or not, I’m moving on up. I’m talking about age. Eighty two years old this week. In the past, I would have assumed that this is really old. Not so says me. Yes, a lot of water has pasted under the bridge, but I’m convinced I still have a good ways to...Read More

Mega country music singing star Garth Brooks is certainly a national treasure. But it’s hard to top the thousands of fans that packed LSU tiger stadium this past Saturday night. It was a Garth Brooks weekend with diehard fans traveling from hundreds of miles just to see the king of country music. He wasn’t always...Read More

Monday, May 2nd, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GARTH BROOKS WOWS THEM IN TIGER STADIUM! Oh if you could have been last Saturday night in Tiger Stadium packed with a crowd of over 102,000 fans, all to hear super country music star Garth Brooks.  It couldn’t get any bigger than this.   And the crowd’s greatest response,...Read More

Did you know that some so-called celebrities go ahead and hire a book stylist? A book is recommended to carry around and let people think you are a real intellectual and regular reader. Hey I’ve got a good idea. Just sit down and read a book!Read More

  Now look all you guys and gals. Ain’t nobody messin’ with me. You can see below, I got friends. Remember “The Incredible Hulk” in the U.S. TV series that ran in the ’70s? Well,the Hulk came to Baton Rouge this week to hang out. With me-right? Well alright. He did open up a new health...Read More

It’s a simple fact with no disagreement. Violent crime is running rampant all over Louisiana. In fact, a number of the most violent crime ridden cities in America are right here in the Bayou state. So what can be done about it? Newspaper editorials and columns are calling for a new study commission. What? We...Read More

Monday, April 25th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  TIME TO ACT ON VIOLENT CRIME IN LOUISIANA! A mother’s wailing, tormented cry over the senseless killing of her three-year-old son cut through anyone’s sense of decency. “You killed my baby” sobbed the Baton Rouge mother just last week.  Her child was killed in his bed by a...Read More

Being from Louisiana, and having spent a good part of my life in New Orleans, I really love the street performers take their music seriously, and give awesome performances. Here is one of the best performers. Every Breath You Take – The Police | Karolina Protsenko & Daniele Vitale SaxRead More

As a book publisher, I look with the leery eyes when someone talks about banning books. Of course, there are books that are both inappropriate and disgusting. But often, these decisions about the importance of the book often are in the eye of the beholder. Let me give me just one example. One of the...Read More

Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is back on the political scene again. She is a candidate for the one congressional seat in Alaska. Over 50 candidates are qualified to run against Palin. So what do you think about this controversy and outspoken lady? I have my opinions. In fact, I almost...Read More

Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SARAH PALIN WOULD FIT IN WELL IN LOUISIANA! Former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is back in the news, announcing that she will be a candidate for Alaska’s single congressional seat. Fifty candidates have signed up to run, but with Palin’s national statue, one would think that she would...Read More

Sunrise church this Sunday Easter morning at the Flora-Bama service in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I’v been a regular down here on the Redneck Riviera for the past 56 years.Read More

Someone asked me what this was a picture of. I told them this was just a typical gas station down here in Louisiana.Read More

Monday, April 11th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LEADERSHIP NEEDED ON LOUISIANA PROPERTY INSURANCE Britain’s former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli was full of insight with his poignant anecdotes. He once summed up the political courage of one of his opponents by observing: “Our citizens are moving in the streets. And I must find out which way...Read More

The Louisiana legislature is under the gun during its current regular 2002 session, and for good reason. Policyholders who own property  are livid about the cost of insurance, and the way insurance companies are failing to adequately adjust claims. And it’s because property insurance is by far the most expensive in the entire country. And...Read More

Well, we here at The Lisburn Press hope you feel the same way about happiness. If you live down in the deepest of the deep southern states, you know we have so many productive authors, and so many good books to read. I hope you go to our website and look at all the new...Read More

Baird Dodge, principal second violin of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, performs “Over the Rainbow” in the courtyard of his residence, as tenants gather on the fire escapes to enjoy the music.What a thoughtful musical gift from a gifted musician.Read More

We want to let all you folks who come to The Lisburn Press site know the new feature we will be beginning in the next several weeks. We will host weekly interviews with a cross-section of writers, many who pen their work with The Lisburn Press. We will also host a cross section of other...Read More

In this week’s column, I take a look at the question of jut how important is Ukraine to the interest of the United States. Should we be actively engaged in this country over 6000 miles away from our borders? Probably so, but with caveats.  Why is Vladimir Putin  so intense on invading Ukraine?  It is...Read More

Monday, April 4th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HOW IMPORTANT IS UKRAINE TO AMERICA?  My home state of Louisiana is some 6000 miles away from Kyiv, Donbas, Crimea, and the Azov Sea.  Yet an overwhelming majority of Louisianians, along with most Americans, have no idea where these places are located.  For that matter, most of us...Read More

A special day at the Garden District bookstore in uptown New Orleans with a presentation by popular author Karen White. She has written over 30 books, and tells great stories about New Orleans, the French quarter and the south. It was a treat to visit with her at the bookstore. Pictured below shows my visiting...Read More

In this week’s column now posted, I write about the importance of America’s relationship with Ukraine, and how far America  should go in protecting this country some 6000 miles away. Pictured below are some of the political commentary showing this relationship. And I hope you will read my column listed above.        Read More

A warning for my readers. There is a new strain of Covid that is lurking through some parts of the world, that could be quite dangerous back here in the U.S. A lot of us have been lulled into thinking that our lives are back to normal, and we are not really affected by any...Read More

One of the most stunning multimedia art exhibits is the current van Gogh exhibit is traveling throughout America. Lucky for us, it should be in New Orleans soon. Van Gogh was troubled through most of his life, but was pure joy genius when it came to painting. He died broke, but his paintings today sell...Read More

Monday, March 28th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana KEEP YOUR COVID GUARD UP!  With a new strain of the Covid lurking, there are reports of a major uptick of infections this coming summer. If you are not that concerned, let me tell you how my Covid experience transpired. What happened to me was horrendous. I would...Read More

Louisiana legislators and insurance regulators are belly hoeing a host of new “catastrophic laws” to hold insurance companies more accountable. But just what are these proposals, and are they even necessary?  My new column raises questions about why the insurance department is not enforcing the laws that are already on the books.  Policyholders in the...Read More

Monday, March 21st, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LEGISLATIVE INSURANCE REFORM A DUD!  The headlines blared across newspapers and television stations last week.  “State insurance leaders join forces on Catastrophe Reform Legislative Package,” featured the Lake Charles American Press.  “An insurance reform package is working its way through the Louisiana Legislature, “publicized TV station WDSU in...Read More

This is not a photo from 1941. This is a photo from March 2022 in Ukraine with all the color taken out. Yes, a chilling reminder that history does repeat itself.Read More

The fighting gets worse in Ukraine. And whether Americans like it or not, we are directly affected. It just seems irresponsible for anyone in the U.S. to stand on the sidelines. So what can an individual do?  I list a number of opportunities to help in my second column I’ve written on Ukraine. Take a...Read More

Monday, March 14th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HOW TO STAND WITH UKRAINE! Following my column this past week on how Louisianans are affected by the current war in Ukraine, I was surprised at the number of responses I received asking just what the average citizen can or should do to help this besieged country.  This...Read More

We all know parents involved at the school their children and things are going right. Here’s an amusing take on parents complaining, even though their children miss school a great deal. Take a look.Read More

Gas at $4.45 in Baton Rouge. Here’s how I’m preparing.Read More

Countries across the world are expressing concern about what’s happening in Ukraine today. But are we as Americans and particularly here in Louisiana understand the economic and military toll this war will have right here at home?  There is going to be sacrifice regardless of how much America becomes involved. And this sacrifice could well...Read More

Monday, March 7th, 2022 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  DOES THE UKRAINIAN TRADEGY AFFECT US IN LOUISIANA?  When I bring up the subject of Ukraine with friends here in Louisiana, the response is more often than not some interest and a bit of concern, but that’s about all.  They don’t feel they are really affected.  So should...Read More

  The Ukrainian Library Association was supposed to be holding a conference this week, but something came up. Books, that define the culture of a nation, are always at risk when war breaks out. A note on the association’s Facebook page explains, “The insidious, brutal and bloody aggression of the Russian Federation prevented us from...Read More

Time sure does fly, don’t you agree?  From the Louisiana Senators who were elected in 1971, only four of us are living today. In the picture below, we were suited up for a basketball game against the House of Representatives. All four of us in the photo ran for governor of Louisiana. Pictured from left...Read More

I started out in Louisiana political life back in 1972. There sure have been a lot of the changes in our priorities, how we live, our moral values, and what we think is important. And it’s not all good. There’s been a proliferation of gambling in numerous forms, loosening of drug laws, and a whole...Read More