Just weeks away from election day, and I’ll bet you’re seeing the candidates for president all over your state, right? Well, maybe not. You see, we have this thing called the Electoral College. And unless you live in a handful of swing states, your vote, for all practical purposes, is irrelevant. Want to know what...Read More

Radio schedule to be posted Friday Afternoon.Read More

So have you gone and visited your mountain recently? Everyone needs not to ignore their mountain.  I go visit mine as often as I can.  So you need to try and pay your mountain a visit soon.Read More

September 1st, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana PROPERTY INSURANCE RATES GOING UP? A local news reporter where I live posed the question this week as to whether insurance rates for property owners will begin to rise, following the recent South Louisiana flooding. My answer was simple. Of course they will go up. In fact, the cost...Read More

Remember the old axiom, “You never let a good crisis go to waste?” Well, there is certainly a crisis down in the Bayou State, and insurance companies that sell property insurance are licking their chops. There was little damage suffered by major insurance companies, because flooding was involved, land private insurance companies do not cover...Read More

We still are trudging our way through the flooding down here the deep South, but the weekend Common Sense Radio Show will carry-on. Of course we’ll do an update on presidential politics. Will Donald Trump’s new take on immigration make any difference for him? First up is David Stieler who was involved in a hit-and-run...Read More

Thursday, August 25th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NONSTOP TRAGEDIES IN LOUISIANA! An old out-of-state friend called to touch base, and asked, “how are y’all doing down there?” I told him we were hanging in there, in spite of what seems to be one confrontation and tragedy after another. Of course you have to be optimistic...Read More

So now the recovery begins down in the Bayou State. The rest of the nation has moved on, and most folks outside of Louisiana think that waters have all drifted away and life is back to normal. But we down here know different. Hundred thousand homes seriously impacted, and it will take months and years...Read More

Weekend radio is close at hand with a jam-packed show that includes a number of guests, updates from the presidential race, and recovery from the recent massive flood in the deep South. Our guests include Prof. Josh Blackman discussing his new book” Unraveled,“ about Obamacare, religious liberty, and executive power. (See more here). Then Washington...Read More

Many of our listeners and viewers around the country know we had problems down here in the Bayou State with all the heavy rains, but figure that life is gotten back to normal. That’s far from the case. Over 100,000 homes have been severely damaged, and there will be many folks who will be living...Read More

Thursday, August 18th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY IN LOUISIANA! “What has happened down here is the winds have changed Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain The river rose all day The river rose all night Louisiana, Louisiana They’re tryin’ to wash us away” Louisiana poet laureate...Read More

It started to rain in Baton Rouge and South Louisiana, and seemed to never stop. A downpour for 10 days straight. And then the flooding began. Now we are used to lots of rain and river flooding in this part of the country. But not a day in, day out deluge of water. The canals...Read More

Our Radio Weekend is just around the corner and we have so much to share with the rest of the nation. More bad luck in my part of the country. Police officers killed just a few weeks ago, and now torrential flooding has wiped out thousands of home in the Baton Rouge area. We will...Read More

At Carnegie Hall, gospel singer Wintley Phipps delivers perhaps the most powerful rendition of Amazing Grace ever recorded. He says, “A lot of people don’t realize that just about all Negro spirituals are written on the black notes of the piano. Probably the most famous on this slave scale was written by John Newton, who...Read More

August 11th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TRUMP OVER THE EDGE AGAIN? Whoooooa! He said what? If there were ever a poster child for continually sticking one’s foot in mouth, it would be Donald Trump. Rather than attack his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, Trump can’t seem to help himself by going rogue and making outrageous statements...Read More

So Donald Trump is at it again? He amazes many observers over his ability to keep stirring up controversy. But did he go too far this time around? Did Trump infer that his second amendment supporters could assassinate Hillary Clinton? Democrats and many in the press are convinced that’s what he both said and encouraged....Read More

We never have to look far for engaging topics on our weekend radio program. Can Donald Trump stumble some more? We will discuss. Then former president of Brandeis University Frederick Lawrence refutes different stories about college being a waste of money. Dr. Timothy Dailey will  talk about his new book, “Apocalypse Rising,” about so much...Read More

Sad to say that newspapers are in trouble. I like nothing more than to sit down with morning coffee and several daily newspapers each morning. I’m not sure how much longer this is going to last. Talk show host John Oliver’s 19-minute segment on the troubles facing journalism is below, and is a well-analyzed review...Read More

That’s right. The former grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan is alive and kicking in Louisiana as a candidate for the US Senate. If you recall, David Duke won a race to the Louisiana House of Representatives in the 1980s, and was in the runoff for Governor back in 1991. Republicans have disavowed him,...Read More

August 4th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HE’S BAAAACK – DAVID DUKE!  No matter how hard Louisiana tries, it just cannot shake entanglements with David Duke. Some would call it a noose. But whatever, Duke is back gaining a lot of press as a candidate for U. S. Senator, as 24 candidates vie for the distinction...Read More

On our close at hand weekend radio program, Jim will talk about the dramatic slide downwards in the polls by Donald Trump. And what’s going on with David Duke? Is he a serious candidate? Oxford scholar Chris Kutarna will discuss his new book, “Age of Discovery: Navigating he Risks and Rewards of Our New Renaissance.”...Read More

Thursday, July 28th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  FINAL FAREWELL DRAWS OFFICERS TO LOUISIANA FROM ALL OVER AMERICA! The turnout for a special funeral was a sight to see. Hundreds of motorcycles and police vehicles from all over the nation were lined up to honor a fallen hero in Baton Rouge. Police officer Montrell Jackson was...Read More

Americans do a great job of honoring those who serve us so well. There was no better example of this commitment to fallen heroes then the commemoration that took place in our Baton Rouge community this week. Thousands of people turned out for the farewell and Memorial of police officer Montrell Jackson, who was killed...Read More

And there’s so much to talk about as weekend radio is close at hand. Who did better, the Republican convention or the Democratic convention? Whatever candidate you are for, who gave the better speech; Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? We will have a panel to analyze. Then we will talk about the emerging human rights...Read More

Last week during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, the American Federation for Children hosted a dinner for about 250 attendees to focus on the transformative impact of school choice. The event featured Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and education reform advocate Campbell Brown, a former CNN anchor and co-founder and editor-in-chief at The 74 Million. (Also, my oldest...Read More

You can watch TV coverage of violence in America, but it really does not hit home like it does right in your own back yard. Last Sunday morning was surreal. Rumors spread all over the Baton Rouge community that killers were on the loose and killing police officers. Residents were told to stay inside and...Read More

July 21st, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THESE ARE TRYING TIMES IN BATON ROUGE!  Early Sunday mornings are a quiet time for me. I’m generally at a local coffee house in Baton Rouge looking over the morning papers for ideas to discuss on my mid-morning syndicated radio program. Several police officers dropped in for a coffee...Read More

Our weekend radio program will broadcast live from Jackson Square in the heart of the New Orleans French Quarter this weekend with a lively show planned. I’ll review the shootings and racial tension that has taken place in my hometown of Baton Rouge. Then author Seth Siegel will join us to discuss the nation’s water...Read More

Corporal Montrell Jackson, with the Baton Rouge police department, was one of the victims killed while on duty Sunday. He worked extra duty at night in my subdivision,and would drop by for water or a soft drink during a break. He always had a big smile and said he was working extra duty to help...Read More

It’s Convention time for both national political parties as Republicans kickoff this week in Cleveland, followed by the Democrats making an onslaught in Philadelphia the following week. If you’ve never been to a national political convention, it’s really quite the spectacle. And there will be heightened tensions this year because of all the controversies in...Read More

Thursday, July 14th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana FORTY-EIGHT YEARS OF POLITICAL CONVENTIONS  Some 4000 Republican delegates and party officials are converging in Cleveland this week, with Democrats heading for Philadelphia the following week. The old process of picking national candidates in the proverbial smoke filled room has gone by the wayside in favor of party...Read More

Weekend radio is close at hand and we have a full program of topics for our listeners. I’ll give updates and opinions on the racial tensions across the country. Police training expert Dr. Alex del Carmen will be our gest to discuss the need to rethink training tactics. We will talk about the coming political...Read More

I In all the confrontation and turmoil that has taken place in the past several weeks across the nation, one photograph has emerged from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a symbol of the civil unrest that has spread across the nation. The image, taken by Jonathan Bachman for Reuters, shows a woman, who has been identified...Read More

How should you advise your kids and family members if they get into a confrontation with police officers? Tempers can flare, shouting and threats are made, and the whole episode can quickly escalate and get completely out of had. A confrontation took place here in Baton Rouge as few days ago, and it a black...Read More

We really have a jam-packed program scheduled for this coming weekend on “The Common Sense” Radio Show. I’ll discuss the FBI’s actions in letting Hillary Clinton off the hook, and the national attention on my hometown of Baton Rouge over recent police shooting that has the attention of the nation. And my guest will be...Read More

A tense situation exists in my hometown of Baton Rouge. Two police officers confronted a black male who was selling CDs late at night outside a convenience store. The confrontation escalated, a fight broke out, the police officers apparently felt threatened as the fellow they were trying to subdue had a gun, and shoots were...Read More

July 8th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A KILLING IN BATON ROUGE! There is a perception around the country that high profile shootings are considered the norm in Louisiana. Nine police officers were killed in the line of duty last year, more than in any other state in the nation. New Orleans regularly heads the list...Read More

I hope you have read the many tributes that are being written about Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. He was a Holocaust survivor, and the world’s memory keeper for victims of Nazi persecution who used his moral authority to force attention on atrocities around the world. He died at 87 this week. For many...Read More

June 30th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  EDUCATIONAL REFORM IGNORED IN LOUISIANA!  With a major national election just a month away, the stakes continue to get higher.  A well-educated workforce is the key to pulling the country out of the present economic doldrums.  But in election contests nationwide, and particularly in my home state of Louisiana,...Read More

Do you think our educators will ever quit all the internal bickering, and focus more on our kids? There seems to be constant struggles with legislatures, school boards, Departments of Education and other so called educational oversight groups over turf battles as to who does what.   Too often, our kids become an afterthought. Check out...Read More

Weekend radio is on the horizon, and we have a lively program scheduled for our listeners this 4th of July weekend. We will, of course, talk about the “down in the dirt” campaigns by both presidential aspirants, and talk with former FBI agent Colleen Rowley about recent bumbling investigations in the U.S. dealing with terrorists...Read More

The Brexit British vote to leave the European Union produced some interesting headlines in newspapers across the world. You can listen to my video cast above and see that I don’t believe the calamities predicted and the economic chaos will be anything like the naysayers are predicting. Take a look at some of the dire...Read More

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA BEHIND ON INTERNET ACCESS! Newspapers are in trouble all across America.  A recent ax to fall is in New Orleans where The Times-Picayune has cut back to publishing three days a week. The reason is simple economics.  Since Katrina in 2005, The Times-Picayune daily circulation has dropped...Read More

Most of us take the Internet for granted. That is, if it is available and affordable for you. For millions of Americans, they are not on the web. Children are at a great disadvantage with homework if they can’t get on the web. So just how much a disconnect is there in America.? Check out...Read More

Radio lineup of guests will be posted Friday afternoon.Read More

Daughter Campbell is back in the news this week writing about the failure to seriously engage and support more girls in science, technology, engineering, and math classes. She says that the challenge for a just society is finding ways to remove systemic obstacles and erode cultural biases that devalue and limit opportunities for girls and women....Read More

It’s early summer when many of us turn our attention to—well either baseball or politics. It’s hard in the current sports and political climate to watch both in the evening. Would you rather watch Trump and Clinton go at it, or see if the Yankees can edge out a winning season? So what is it...Read More

Thursday, June 16th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LESSONS LEARNED: BASEBALL AND POLITICS!  Now that basketball is over, baseball season is in full swing. My college home team LSU just lost a heartbreaker that kept them from going to the college world series. I’m a die-hard Yankees fan and tune in to a number of their...Read More

Weekend radio is shaping up well with a variety of issues to discuss. Dr. Joe Alton joins us to discuss just what you should do if you are caught in a mass shooting. Timely after the Orlando tragedy. Then former Newsweek White House correspondent Clara Bingham will talk about how American life has changed in...Read More

Many readers who love Louisiana literature gathered this past weekend in St. Francisville, Louisiana to celebrate the live and works of novelist Walker Percy. He was, to me, a literary icon and many consider him to be America’s most significant Catholic writer. And he was passionate about Louisiana. So passionate that he took the time...Read More

Just a typical Saturday night hangin’ out with the original cast of Broadway’s Jersey Boys. After sharing the stage for over a thousand performances, Tony® Award winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony® Award nominee J. Robert Spencer decided to take their signature sound and chemistry on the road as The Midtown Men....Read More

Donald Trump's Wall | New Media Sketch Comedy | UPP Studios – watch more funny videosRead More

Thursday, June 9th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ARE PROSECUTORS ABOVE THE LAW IN LOUISIANA! Has prosecutorial misconduct become an epidemic in Louisiana? A number of national publications seem to think so. Nary a week goes by when there is not a story of some Louisiana prosecutor supposedly pursuing justice by breaking the law. Just this week, the...Read More

Let’s be blunt about this week’s column. The criminal justice system in America today has real problems. This is certainly the case in my home state of Louisiana. The New York Times blasted The Bayou State last week saying: “Nowhere is this situation worst then in Louisiana where prosecutors seem to believe they are unconstrained...Read More

A great show planned on weekend radio. Is tipping at restaurants becoming a thing of the past? We will talk with restaurant consultant Gina M. Lynn. (See more by Clicking Here.)Then Belldon Colme will talk about his book, “No One Ever Got Fat from Calories: The Real Truth Behind Weight Loss, Your Body, and Wellness.”...Read More

A reunion took place last week at a private luncheon held last week in the Rib Room, a former political haunt at he Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans.  The major Louisiana political  figures from the 70s gathered to reminisce and break bread.  And what an impressive group.  from left to right, former Kenner Mayor...Read More

No, Mr. Mayor “” we won’t shut up about your misrule of the schools! Daughter Campbell continues to stir up a hornet’s nest in taking on the Mayor of New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio challenged Compel and her charter schools: “˜They need to figure out when to give it a rest.” So declared the...Read More

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  ROLLING THE DICE ON HURRICANE SEASON! It’s the kickoff for hurricane season and forecasters are predicting 14 named storms with anywhere from 4 to 8 storms growing into major hurricanes. Here on the Gulf Coast, we certainly perk up when this time of year rolls around.  For years,...Read More

Early summer means preparing for hurricane season if you live along the Gulf Coast. Well actually, concerns are much broader now following Hurricane Sandy. All coasts have exposure. So what do we do? Just sit back and wait for an oncoming storm? Or is there some preparedness that can be undertaken in advance? Check out...Read More