Thursday, November 14th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana COMPARING CHRIS CHRISTIE AND BOBBY JINDAL! During the past month, a number of publications have profiled potential Republican candidates who could be major contenders for the 2016 presidential nomination.  After his lopsided re-election victory last week, New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie is leading all the major polls. ...Read More

   New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, after a resounding reelection victory, has in a short time become the Republican frontrunner to receive the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.  Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has been criss-crossing the nation for years trying to get some tractor for the same goal.  But in recent months, Jindal seems almost...Read More

The weekend “Common Sense” radio show is shaping up nicely, with a full list of topics to discuss. We are approaching the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and I’ll have my thoughts of what kind of a legacy did he leave. And for those who believe there was more than...Read More

Old friend Julia Reed joins me at the Louisiana Book Festival in my hometown of Baton Rouge over this weekend. Julia is a gem of a Southern writer, has written several books, written extensively for Vogue, The New York Times and numerous other national publications.  Her new book is called But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her...Read More

I’m a big basketball fan, and had the honor of being recruited by legendary North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith back in the late 50s (Yeah, I’m an old guy.) So I watch a lot of basketball at all levels, and maintain my front row seats at the LSU basketball games. Sometimes bad things happen....Read More

Thursday, November 7dth, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  INSURANCE ISSUES CAUSE HAVOC IN LOUISIANA! Has the final shoe dropped on Louisiana insurance policyholders who are seeing their insurance costs skyrocket, and who continue to pay the highest insurance costs in America?  Can it get any worse?  Well, I hate to tell ya, but yes it can,...Read More

Government red tape, outdated rules and regulations, and out right state federal bungling can sure make it difficult for the average citizen.   There can be no worse example than in my home state of Louisiana, particularly when it comes to insurance regulation.  The Bayou State has for years the highest across the board insurance rates...Read More

Well, if you listen to last week’s program, you found out quickly that we were having some audio problems and transmission difficulties to our set satellite location in Minneapolis Minnesota.  Try as we made, we just couldn’t get the audio working satisfactorily, and we had to put up a rerun from several months ago. My...Read More

 I was in Washington recently, and had the chance to visit with Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, who has for good reason, bristled at reports that the U.S. government spied on the company’s data centers, calling it potentially illegal. “It’s really outrageous that the National Security Agency was looking between the Google data centers, if that’s...Read More

I’ve always wanted to visit South America, and Venezuela is one of the countries on my list.  Beautiful mountains, great beaches, and some 600 islands make it one of the most attractive countries in the southern hemisphere.  Caracas, the largest city,  is known for being one of the most cosmopolitan and modern cities in South...Read More

A whole lot of talk up in the nation’s capital right now, but little been done.  Ideas that supposedly “make a difference” are being floated by both political parties both in Washington as well as statehouses across the country.  But too often, government has become too complicated for politicians to administer these ideas.  What’s the...Read More

Thursday, October 31, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  DYSFUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON! When I was a kid growing up, I was a dreamer. I would share with my father some off-the-wall idea that I was absolutely sure would become life changing.  Dad would offer advice, something he said he had picked up from Nolan Bushnell, the...Read More

The “Common Sense” weekend is here, and we have a lively show planned.  We will talk about points I made in this week’s column about how Democrats can’t seem to govern, and Republicans don’t want any part of governing.  So do we really need either party, both which have proven to be both incompetent, unresponsive...Read More

If you come to this site regularly, you know that I’m an unabashed music fan. I like it all from hard-core country to Opera. And from time to time, I post a variety of videos. Look at this week’s song on my jukebox. One my all-time favorites is Bobbie Short. I’ve heard him for years...Read More

Big Government Healthcare PSA – watch more funny videosRead More

Thursday, October 24th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF BILLY CANNON THE TOAST OF LSU There are certain things you don’t forget.  Where you were on 9/11, or when President John Kennedy was shot.  Down here in the Bayou State, add to those special dates Halloween night 54 years ago when Billy...Read More

If you lived down here in the Bayou State there are just some things you don’t forget.  How to make a good roux, how to dance the fais do do two step, and where you were on the Halloween night when LSU’s Billy Cannon make his football runback of the century against Ole’ Miss. The...Read More

  Radio program time is at hand, and we have a lively show in the works for this coming weekend.  We will talk about the approval rating of our lawmakers in Washington DC. Do you know that cockroaches, traffic jams, and colonoscopies, have a better positive rating then do members of Congress.  So who’s to...Read More

President Obama — Government Shutdown Speech (You're Welcome) – watch more funny videosRead More

Folks down here in the Bayou State just can’t get enough of the Cajun Prince, former Governor Edwin Edwards. Love him or hate him, he continues to fascinate the local populace. His new bride, Trina, is 34 years old, the Guv. is 86, and they just had a new baby. “˜Bout right! Now their new...Read More

 Fifty year ago, the FBI opened widespread murder investigations into what was left of the Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana.  The Klan had once held a significant presence statewide throughout the first half of the 20th century. But following the enactment of 1964 Civil Rights Act, the FBI was given the authority to crack down...Read More

Thursday, October17th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE KU KLUX KLAN IN LOUISIANA! Fifty years ago, the FBI opened widespread murder investigations into what was left of the Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana.  The Klan had once held a significant presence statewide throughout the first half of the 20th century. But following the enactment of 1964...Read More

The cartoon above says it petty well. We have a bumbling, dysfunctional federal government and congress whether the government is shut down or not. And you ask: “Whose fault is this meltdown?” The joke’s on us as Congress is still getting paid. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel summed it up pretty well on his late night TV...Read More

Daughter Campbell continues here efforts to get rid of New York teachers who are guilty of sexual misconduct in public schools.  Her latest article in the New York Post is getting a lot of attention in school districts across the country.  You can read her Post article by Clicking Here, and read a response to...Read More

Thursday, October 10th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  IN LOUISIANA, JUST TELL EM’ I LIED! The rancor and animosity of both political parties in Washington seem to be at an all-time high.  Both sides are calling their opponents “liars,” and there are reports of tension building to the point where fistfights have nearly broken out within...Read More

Vicious attacks come daily from each political party against the other in Washington DC.  Capitol observers say they can never remember a time when there was so much rancor, bitterness, and outright hatred. You regularly hear the President, the Democrats, the Republicans, all accusing each other of being liars.  In fact, even within party caucuses,...Read More

We are on the fast track for a lively weekend radio show just around the corner. Government shutdowns, political parties refusing to talk to one another, and incompetent Supreme Court that has just decided to go to work, all these issues will be discussed.  And we are the leader of the free world.  Other countries...Read More

Look, I certainly know that when you get a little older, you slow down a bit. But does life end at 40? Miley Cyrus thinks so. Take a look at her “off the wall” thoughts to Matt Lauer on the Today Show. And by the way, I can personally verify that she is dead wrong.Read More

Thursday, October 3rd, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  IS ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION IN WASHINGTON? I picked up my daily newspaper on the first day of October, and three stories dominated the news.  “The Government Shuts Down,” blared one headline.  We have been hearing about this possibility for months as Republicans and Democrats, alike, have dug in...Read More

Congress is in “shutdown mode,” but just what were they doing when they were supposedly paying attention? Or do they ever?  Sen. John McCain says: “The problem is that most members of Congress don’t pay attention to what’s going on.”  And you cannot find a better example of the way members of Congress bumble than...Read More

Radio weekend is close at hand, we certainly have a full agenda on the “Common Sense” radio program this Sunday.  We have picked up a number of new stations, so be sure and check your local listing and times in your part of the country.  We start off by talking about the current government shutdown,...Read More

Friday, September 27th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DUMB LAWS, CAESAR SALAD AND LA. LEGISLATURE! Football season gives pause in Louisiana for the rough and tumble politics ahead. 2014 brings another totally unpredictable Louisiana legislative session, and congressional elections highlighted by a highly contested U.S. Senator race.  Then the state jumps into what most political prognosticators...Read More

Let’s just call it like it is. We have a lot of really stupid laws on the books throughout this country. Every state has laws that make no sense, or a waste of time, costing taxpayers millions and millions of dollars to both implement and enforce.  Assaulting someone specifically with your teeth? How about prohibiting...Read More

Radio Show Time! Sunday is just around the corner, we are already preparing for a lively weekend radio program. We broadcast Sunday mornings from 9 AM until 11 AM. But on numerous stations across the country, our program is run at various times throughout the day. For example, herein my hometown of Baton Rouge, the...Read More

It’s nice for all of us to get together with friends from time to time. A number of my former colleagues from my Louisiana legislative days traversed to Lafayette for a luncheon at Don’s seafood this week. In two and a half hours, we solved about all the state’s problems, as you can well imagine....Read More

A&E: The Governors Wife from Larry’s Deli on Vimeo. Well, the country has  already been introduced to Louisiana’s Duck Dynasty. Now the A&E cable channel is featuring the fairy tale of the Alexandria, Louisiana woman who married the prince of Louisiana politics.  That’s right.  There is no doing away with cagy Ole’ Edwin Edwards. The new TV...Read More

Thursday, September 19th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  TWO CHEERS FOR THE FRENCH- ESPECIALLY IN LOUISIANA!  As President Obama is bluntly finding out, it can be lonely out on a limb when the rest of the world fails to respond to a call for help.  Despite the yeoman efforts of his administration, only a few other...Read More

Now that America’s once staunchest ally, Great Britain, has turned its back on giving its support to the U.S. direct intervention into Syria, is any county willing to stand toe to toe with America?  Not the Mexicans the Germans or even, pray tell, the Canadians?  Isn’t there any one who will come to the battle...Read More

Here comes the weekend, and we have a full agenda scheduled coving many of the key topics in the news worldwide. We will begin by talking about my recent hip replacement,  undertaken by Dr. Bryan Griffith.  What caused the necessity for such surgery and just how complicated is it?  You can find out more of...Read More

I’ll admit that I have always wanted to be a magician.  I understand that illusion can be created with mirrors, boxes with false bottoms, and light.  But I also like the lighter trick that all of us can do..  I came across this short clip of some basic, but fun magic.  And if you are...Read More

The Thai telecommunications conglomerate True is getting rave reviews worldwide for its latest spot, “Giving,” which tells the story of a man unexpectedly rewarded for a lifetime of good deeds he performed without expecting anything in return. TrueMove too says it “believes in the power of giving without expecting a return.” Watch this fresh and...Read More

Thursday, September 5th, 2013 New Orleans, Louisiana  ARE WE ALL FEDERAL CRIMINALS LIVING IN LOUISIANA? Congress is going “new law” crazy. In the nation’s capitol, hundreds of proposed new laws are being introduced every month, creating numerous new regulations and crimes.  And Louisiana congressional members are joining right in this push for more federal intrusion into...Read More

What gives in the nations’ capitol?  Why all these new laws being proposed? Congress today seems not to understand the difference between violation of a regulation and a crime.  There are a number of actions that are illegal but not criminal, and if criminal, then do not necessarily have to be federal crimes. Have we...Read More

  Radio weekend is close at hand, and we are preparing a lively “Common Sense” show for listeners coast to coast. Going to war in Syria will be a hot topic, and we will discuss the positives and negatives of the US war with Brian Mauro, a national security analyst.. He will join us for...Read More

My buddy Clint Eastwood may soon be handing out a fistful of dollars in his divorce settlement. Sadly, “Dirty Harry” and his much younger wife have separated after 17 years of marriage. I tried to tell Clint to be careful in marrying younger women. But old guys never pay attention. (Actually, I met Clint one...Read More

Remember Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, who was an NBA All Star and played shooting guard and small forward with the Houston Rockets? A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball’s fifty greatest players in professional basketball history. So I’m hangin’ out after a recent Baton...Read More

Thursday, August 29th,  2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OVERKILL ON VOTING RIGHTS ACT? These guys at the Justice Department, led by top cop Eric Holder, just don’t know when to quit.  The U.S. Supreme Court knocks them down and they get right back up, snubbing their noses at a final court decision, and starting...Read More

Is it reasonable to ask a voter to give proof of their identity?  Or is this too much of a burden in a democracy where the right to vote is sacrosanct?  All of us are regularly asked for the identification. When we cash a check, when we board an airplane, many times we use a...Read More

I’m an old Triathlon competitor from way back.  Not that I was all that good, but I enjoyed the swim, bike, run combination, and I competed in events around the South for a number of years.  And here’s some advice. Ironman contestants: in the future, please make sure to cross the finish line before celebrating...Read More

August 23nd, 2013 New York, New York  HOW BAD CAN LOUISIANA INSURANCE CLIMATE GET? In the movie Guys and Dolls, gambler Nathan Detroit (played by Frank Sinatra) says:  “How can it get any worse.  What more can you do to me?”Â  That’s what thousands of Louisiana property owners are saying about the state’s insurance climate...Read More

HOW BAD CAN LOUISIANA INSURANCE CLIMATE GET?  The cost of property insurance in Louisiana is skyrocketing, and rates have become unaffordable to many.  And if a property owner is able to scrape up the spiraling yearly premiums, their claims are often not being paid. Just last week, this column wrote about how projections of increasing...Read More

Radio weekend show time is here and we have a jam-packed agenda scheduled for the weekend.  How about my man Smokey Robinson?  He played to a sold out house at the L’auberge Resort here in Baton Rouge, and simply brought down the house with his easy listening, melodic old standers that all of us remember. ...Read More

Bill Kirchen came to Baton Rouge last week, and brought down the house at the Red Dragon Listening Room.  In 1967, Kirchen began his route to guitar stardom as a founding member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. The group recorded seven albums and established a reputation as one of the first bands...Read More

Thursday, August 15th, l29013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHAT TO DO ABOUT RISING FLOOD INSURANCE RATES? Property owners along the Gulf and East coasts are in a panic over projections of outrageous property flood insurance rates that, in some cases, could lead to increases of greater than 1000 per cent. Louisiana newspapers have reported proposed massive...Read More