Louisiana is always looking for the quick fix. It was oil and gas some years back. Today it is casinos and other forms of gambling. And there are discussions in the legislature to increase more gambling options. Is more gambling the answer to improving Louisiana’s quality-of-life? Other states don’t think so. I write about the...Read More

Thursday, April 12th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DOWNSIDE OF CASINOS IN LOUISIANA! Several quick financial fixes are being discussed in the current session of the Legislature involving the expansion of gambling.  Here’s an interesting thought. Why is it that Louisiana and neighboring state Mississippi are always on the bottom of every national ranking involving virtually...Read More

Wow, what a busy weekend radio program we have scheduled. The FBI raiding the offices of the President’s lawyer? Whatever happened to attorney-client privilege? Eric Anderson, a retired member the US intelligence community, will join us to discuss. Have you filed your income taxes yet? Lydia Desnoyers, a CPA from for Miami, will give us...Read More

Border moment Herika Martinez / AFP / Getty Images According to Agence France-Presse, these photos taken yesterday show several men helping a border jumper to climb a 20-foot wall to cross to Sunland Park, N.M., from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. AFP reports: “With the help of three other men “” two to give him a boost...Read More

We are proud to announce that The Lisburn Press has just made available  a new novel called YELLOW JACK – This epic story begins in the 1800s down in New Orleans, following the 1853 yellow fever epidemic that killed nearly 9000 people. Greed precipitates a struggle between several families for absolute power. A fascinating novel based on...Read More

I guess for me the thrill is gone. I no longer get excited about March Madness. It’s more like March Sadness when you consider all the controversies facing college basketball today. Coaches and sports agents getting arrested, allegations of large payoffs to players and their families, athletes not even showing up for class and still...Read More

Thursday, April 5th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SADNESS OVER MARCH MADNESS! Let me begin right off by saying that I am a college basketball diehard through and through. Like most sports fans, I cheer on my favorite teams in a number of sports. But at the top of my list has always been college basketball. My...Read More

Our weekend radio show is close at hand, and we sure will have a lot to talk about. First, the sad state of college basketball, and implications for higher education. Then we will talk with Jeff Cohen who heads up the group called rootsaction.org, and we will discuss fake news that permeates the Internet. And should...Read More

Louisiana Senators Reunion! Old politicians never die, but they do get together once a year for a reunion.  My first elected office was to the Louisiana state senate back in 1971.  Former senators traditionally get together each May at the Louisianan state Capitol in Baton Rouge, and it’s nice to see old faces and renew...Read More

March 29th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana POLITICAL VISION NEEDED IN LOUISIANA! There were several gatherings at the state capitol in Baton Rouge last week.  Former legislators gathered for their annual reunion to catch up on old friendships and reminisce about past legislative accomplishments. And the few living delegates from the 1973 Louisiana Constitutional Convention were honored...Read More

We often hear about that “Vision Thing.”Â  Something that way too often our political leaders ignore or don’t have. That’s the problem down in Louisiana right now. Legislators and the Governors are struggling with a big budget deficit, and have a whole litany of problems to solve. But there always seems to be a crisis...Read More

We have a loaded show for this weekend, with a number of guests, and a long list of controversial topics. Obviously, gun control will be still on the front burner. Prof. Jerome Corsi, author of a new book called “Killing the Deep State” will join us to talk about practical responses to school shootings in...Read More

I hope you have a Happy Easter.  I’ll be hanging out with grandkids and family over in Perdido Key, Florida where we gather for a go0d time over the Easter weekend.  We will be attending Easter morning church services at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  See you next week.Read More

Among a long list of Louisiana heroes, is Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson from Lafayette. This week marks the 50th anniversary of an American slaughter called My Lie. American soldiers massacred innocent babies and old women by destroying their village and killing everyone there in cold blood. A helicopter pilot name Hugh Thompson witnessed the carnage...Read More

Our weekend radio program is shaping up the civil guess, and lots of interesting topics. I would be getting a trade war? Pres. Trump has issued huge new tariffs on many imported goods. We will talk with Kim Olson who is the 2018 Democratic Nominee for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. She will tell us what...Read More

Thursday, March 22nd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A LOUISIANA HERO STOPPED MY LAI MASSACRE!  Fifty years ago this weekend, the focus of the Vietnam War dramatically changed.  Many Americans were skeptical of why the war was necessary. There were scattered reports of American soldiers killing innocent civilians. But some would argue bad things can happen during...Read More

I hope you had an enjoyable St. Patrick’s Day. Depending on where you live, it’s a huge celebration. I was down in New Orleans for St. Patrick’s Day, and the Irish were everywhere. But it’s also different world out there. Traditionally, you give a lady on the parade route a rose, and she gives you...Read More

The power of words! This is a short story about the life of ingenius Thomas Edison and his heroic mother! This story illustrates what power lies in our words! In fact, what we say and confess happens to us in life! Take care of your children, remember this story every time when you want to...Read More

A new book on the New York Times bestselling list by mathematician and philosopher Nicholas Taleb concludes that politicians often fail because they generally have nothing at risk. There are no costs. They have no skin in the game. That is certainly true with the current Louisiana Legislature.  Letting the Bayou State grind to a halt...Read More

Thursday, March 15th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE NEEDS SKIN IN THE GAME! The Louisiana Legislature just completed a “do nothing” session that proved to be a stalemate towards solving the state’s financial crisis.  A new regular session has begun with few signs that anything substantive will come about.  By law, no new tax...Read More

Another weekend with a full agenda of issues and special guests on our Weekend Radio show. We will talk about why healthcare is so expensive in America with Seth Denson, president of GDP advisers.  (www.gdpadvisors.com).   Then it’s on the March Madness with the Sports Princess, Kate Delaney, talking about why basketball is so consuming right...Read More

My company, The Lisburn Press, has a new book out, and it’s a humdinger for you readers that love short stories. TROUBLESOME CREEK AND BEYOND – This perceptive collection of short stories have an Appalachian setting, with two of them occurring in the Caribbean. These fascinating tales deal with disparate subjects”“ winning the lottery, Vietnam and...Read More

Hey, it’s crawfish time down here in Louisiana. Our friends from outside the state don’t realize how these mudbugs take over our menus for the next several months. I’m planning a big crawfish boil, cooking up several hundred pounds, this weekend right after the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Baton Rouge. You all are welcome...Read More

The governor in Louisiana says the state is broke, and he legislature just completed a do nothing special session. Financially, a reasonable summation would be that the state is in economic chaos. What to do, what to do?  A good bit of the state revenue is constitutionally dedicated. Hey here’s an idea. Why not call...Read More

Thursday, March 8th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE CASE FOR A NEW LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION!  One million dollars down the drain to pay for a special session of the Louisiana legislature. And all for naught. The Governor is hollering that the financial sky is falling and the state is in dire fiscal straights. Legislators protest that...Read More

A full packed radio program the weekend. Shannon Walker, an Expert on PTSD, will explain just what this is and discuss the Shootings at a VA Home in California. Then Richard Hayes,Gun Law Expert, will discuss implications of the new Florida gun law signed by the Governor the weekend. And finally, Pamela Gail Johnson, who is a Workplace Culture Expert, will...Read More

You might be surprised to find out a north Louisiana redneck like me was the author of  legislation back in the 1970s to create a French speaking commission in Louisiana. It’s called CODOFIL,  and today has programs in schools to continue the french tradition in my home state.  Many older folks in south Louisiana still...Read More

Don’t underestimate the a abilities of our kids. Check out the acquired knowledge of a 6 year old who is allowed to meet an Etihad Airways’ pilot during his flight. You might be surprised as how knowledgeable this young man is. See below.Read More

Friday, March 2nd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SPRING FEVER AND BASEBALL! It’s springtime, my favorite time of year.  The weather warms up without a lot of humidity.  Flowers bloom at their very best. It’s the season of my birthday.  If you live in Louisiana, we witness music festivals galore, including Mardi Gras, JazzFest and a...Read More

America’s favorite pastime? Why it’s baseball of course. I’m seeing it all first hand spending the week done in Tampa Florida, watching any number of major league teams prepare for the season in spring training. It’s an annual ritual I make. And, much to the chagrin of many of my readers, I’m a big Yankees...Read More

We have a loaded show for this weekend, with a number of guests, and a long list of controversial topics. Obviously, gun control will be still on the front burner. Prof. Jerome Corsi, author of a new book called “Killing the Deep State” will join us to talk about practical responses to school shootings in...Read More

FIVE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE JIM BROWN WEBSITE AND THE  “COMMON SENSE” RADIO PROGRAM. 1)    Follow @JimBrownla on Twitter and share (tweet or retweet, as it’s known in Twitter-speak) likes to recent articles and videos on the Jim Brown site. 2)    Become a friend of Jim Brown on Facebook. If you are...Read More

We all have seen the national campaign that if you see something, say something”“ Right? And all of us would agree this is a very effective tool in reporting possible criminal activity. But those that see something and say something certainly expect that reliable information will be acted upon. Way too often, legitimate information slips through the...Read More

Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHY SAY SOMETHING IF NOTHING HAPPENS?  With an increasing number of mass shootings in recent months, we are urged by law enforcement officials to keep an eye out.  Report anything suspicious. “If you see something, say something” we are regularly told. The problem is, that in too many...Read More

I  think this week it’s important to elaborate a bit on my column now posted about the frustrations of so many people over their “seeing something” and “saying something,” but no action is taken when possible crimes are reported  Newspaper print  limitations require  that my columns are keep no longer than 700 words.  I just...Read More

Wow, do we have a full pack radio program should for this Sunday.Of course we’ll talk about guns in schools, how to protect all of our citizens, the total screw ups of the FBI and other law enforcemeat agencies, and much more. Look at the lineup below. Edwin Walker-Gun expert on law. Sora Vernikoff  –...Read More

Just about every state in the nation is chomping at the bits to land the new Amazon second headquarters location. And for good reason. It means some 50,000 new jobs, and a $5 billion dollar investment in the state with the new location ends up. But how much cost does a state have to pay...Read More

Thursday, February 15th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  LOUISIANA NOT IN THE RUNNING FOR AMAZON LOCATION! In the current competition to land a new Amazon second North American headquarters, Louisiana pulled out all stops.  It would have been quite a coup for a Louisiana location to land this big prize with some 50,000 new jobs to...Read More

A whole lot to talk about this weekend on our nationally syndicated radio program. Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (Just how great a president was he?), the success of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and we will talk with Lauren A. Wright, Ph.D.,  a political analyst and Lecturer in Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, about the growth of...Read More

On Valentine’s Day, you had two choices depending on what side of the political spectrum you were on.  Which one  would you choose?Read More

What a Mardi Gras season it was this year. The weather was perfect, the crowds were great, no serious crime problems. You can understand now why the New York Times named New Orleans as the number one “must see” destination in the world for 2018. The highlight for us was going to the Endymion Ball,...Read More

Daughter Campbell has been actively involved in making changes that Facebook is making to boost the quality of news content will help local publishers but significantly hurt some others. The resulting experiments, which are still ongoing, could ultimately cause some to re-consider working with the company altogether, said Campbell Brown, the company’s head of news partnerships. “If...Read More

Everybody loves a parade. Particularly if you live down here in my home state of Louisiana. Pres. Trump has stirred up a hornets nest over his suggestion that the country hold a National military parade one day each year, possibly on November 11. A good pick, because this year, November 11 is the 100th anniversary...Read More

February 9th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  NATIONAL MILITARY PARADE NEEDED! The president last week suggested that the nation establish a yearly military parade to honor the service and the sacrifice of the current military and our veterans.  He spoke of it as “a unifying moment for the country.” Almost immediately, the Trump naysayers jumped all...Read More

Wow!  We really have a full schedule with interesting guests coming up this weekend on the Common Sense Radio Show. What is Net Neutrality all about and who’ll be the winners and losers? Should the Internet be completely free? Tech expert Shelly Palmer will join us to discuss.  (ShellyPalmer.com).  And what to do about North...Read More

Hey Gang-It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans all this week. In fact parades and the overall Celebracion has been going on for the pass several weeks. It’s a special time of year, and if you’ve never made it to Mardi Gras, it should be at the top of your list.  Remember that the New York...Read More

So what’s up with all this controversy involving the FBI? Three different congressional investigations are going on, the FBI is in open warfare with the president, and allegations come out almost daily of missing emails, partisanship, and even “secret societies.” Shouldn’t our nation’s chief law enforcement department be above reproach, and not be involved in...Read More

Friday, February 2nd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana RESTORING FAITH IN THE FBI! It’s been a bad last few weeks for the nation’s top law enforcement agency.  First, an innocent hostage was shot and killed in a botched raid in Houston by an FBI shooter.  Then the television movie series “Waco” debuted and revisited the FBI...Read More

It’s Super Bowl weekend, and we have a jam packed lightly show plan for all of our listeners. Frankie Russo, Advertising expert will join us to discuss the best and worst Super Bowl ads.  Then we will talk with Kyle Longley about his new book on President Lyndon Johnson and the tumultuous year of 1968.  And...Read More

Skywatchers here in my hometown of Baton Rouge and around the world were treated to a rare Super Blue Blood Moon today (Jan. 31). While this was the first time in over 150 years that this particular type of eclipse has happened in the U.S., Americans can look forward to another “blood moon” eclipse coming on...Read More

Thursday, January 25th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA INSURANCE ENVIRONMENT GETS AN “F” Louisiana has one of the worst insurance regulatory environments in the nation. That is according to Washington-based conservative think tank R Street Institute in its 2017 Insurance Regulation Report Card just issued. And no, it’s not because of the trial lawyers or...Read More

A new report from a Washington, D.C. think tank gives Louisiana an “F” grade for its insurance regulatory environment. Florida, that has a much greater Hurricane damage exposure, gets a “B” ranking. What’s going on? Why is Louisiana at the bottom of the barrel when it comes insurance regulation? I have a good bit of...Read More

The FBI is under siege and we will discuss the ramifications.  Is the criticism justified?  How long will flue season last and what can you do to protect yourself? Julie Walkup is a Certified Geriatric Care Manager at . She can talk about this story and what her company is doing during this crisis. And...Read More

Marcia Ball raised the roof at the Red Dragon Listening Room last week in Baton Rouge. I’ve been a fan of Marcia’s music for over 40 years. That gal sure can play the boogie boogie piano. She is on a tour nationwide now, so they to catch her act.  You will be glad you did.Read More

Daughter Campbell, since January, has been Head of News Partnerships for Facebook, and says it was important to equip people with the tools make informed decisions on the type of content they share. Below are her recent comments to the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong.Read More

The Louisiana Governor and Legislature seem to be in free fall as they continue hollering that the fiscal sky is falling. The state is busted, and may have to shutdown many programs. But how serious is the financial problem, and how much is generally political hype? The state income keeps going up at a rapid...Read More

January 18th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HOW BAD IS STATE FISCAL MESS? The sky is falling, the sky is falling. At least the Louisiana fiscal sky is in a tailspin, or so says the Governor and a number of legislative leaders. The hue and cry is for one billion dollars in new taxes along with...Read More

Guest list for Sunday, Jan. 21st, 2018. 9:30 am – Professor Steve  Nemerovski ((political Dysfunction) 10:00 am – Prof. Allan Saxe    (Government Shut down) 10:30 am – Mike Rubin   (New legal thriller-“Cashed Out.“)Read More

Here’s a moving video to listen to in celebrating Martin Luther King’s anniversary. At Carnegie Hall, gospel singer Wintley Phipps delivers perhaps the most powerful rendition of  Amazing Grace . He says, “A lot of people don’t realize that just about all NegroSpirituals are written on the black notes of the piano. Slaves were not permitted to use the white...Read More

What a national championship football game last week! Alabama never led until the last second of overtime. So what does such a victory say about legendary coach Nick Saban? Many LSU fans don’t like him, saying he betrayed them. But he continues to win. So what’s the secret to his success? Take a look at...Read More

Thursday, January 11th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SABAN: THE BEST THERE EVER WAS! I don’t normally write a sports column, but a few words would seem appropriate after Alabama’s startling victory this past Monday night in the College Football Championship game. Simply put, love him or hate him, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is the best...Read More

Wow! What a weekend show we have lined up. We will talk about the President’s daily rants and controversial remarks. Those “s”¦y African countries”? How many people would agree with him. Also, actor Mark Wahlberg received 100 times more money to reshoot the movie “All the Money in the World” then did his co-star Michelle...Read More