Are you at all troubled by the new revelations that the federal government is monitoring virtually every aspect of your life?  Many people feel that it makes no difference for they “have nothing to hide.”Â  I wonder how many peasants felt that way over 300 years ago when King Richard’s Army regularly entered anyone’s home...Read More

Friday, June 14th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  IN OBAMA’S WORLD, WHO ARE THE BAD GUYS?  My regular morning coffee group gets to the nuts and bolts of what’s wrong with America each morning as we hash it all out over strong chicory and beignets.  Quite frankly, the nation would be better served if members of...Read More

It’s radio time on Sunday, and we have lined up a lively and informative program. Of course, we will kick off with all of the surveillance controversy that has dominated the news in recent weeks.  Just how invasive should the government be with your privacy?  That’s the focus of this week’s column and we will...Read More

June 14th, 2013Read More

Were you there when your daughter got her ears pierced? For my first daughter, I watched the whole procedure. No, not at the tattoo and piercing shop. On national TV. It’s been a few years ago. But below, you can watch my oldest daughter, Campbell, get a piercing when she hosted the weekend Today show...Read More

There is something quite startling that seems to be happening up in the nation’s capital. The newly elected, younger upstarts are making a major effort to taking control, particularly within the Republican Party. And you know what? That might not be just all that bad. Sen. Ted Cruz from Texas, and Sen. Rand Paul from...Read More

June 5th, 2013Read More

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013 Las Vegas, Nevada  WHY YOUNG VOTERS ARE DISENGAGED FROM POLITICS! Do young voters really care about who runs their local, state and federal government?  Whatever buzz inspired younger voters to support Barack Obama in 2008 has been severely diminished by the gridlock in Washington.  Voters under thirty (and the rest of...Read More

WHY YOUNG VOTERS ARE DISENGAGED FROM POLITICS!  So much cynicism by voters today.  Is it justified?  Yes, say younger voters.  And in large and growing numbers.  Whatever buzz inspired younger voters to support Barack Obama in 2008 has been severely diminished by the gridlock in Washington.  Voters under thirty (and the rest of us, for...Read More

The Radio Weekend is upon us, and we here on the “Common Sense Show” are working hard to get ready for a lively show.  We will begin our show by looking at some of the top news events of the week. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder, for example, told a legislative committee in Washington this week...Read More

Well as you regular readers of my site know, I rarely miss you show at the Red Dragon Listing Room here in my hometown of Baton Rouge. It’s a great venue for songwriters and singers from all over the country.  Kevin Welch came to Town last week, along with his son, Dustin.  They were both...Read More

In the Wizard of Oz, Auntie Em tells Dorothy, when a tornado approaches, to get to the storm cellar.  That was almost 80 years ago, yet very few Oklahomans have built storm cellars today. And tornadoes have never been more plentiful.  Should the federal government (i.e. us taxpayers) continue to pay for damage and clean...Read More

Thursday, May 30th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  TORNADO ALLEY-ADVICE FROM WIZARD OF OZ! In spite of all the turmoil and tragedy visited on the little town of Moore, Oklahoma last week, one fact stands out:  Every family with a storm cellar survived.  No one who went to underground protection was killed or even injured. For...Read More

Weekend “Common Sense” radio is fast approaching, and our staff is putting together a lively program that will cover a variety of issues.  Former United States Sen. and presidential candidate Bob Dole thinks the Republican Party should hang a sign on its door saying “closed for repairs.”Â  Dole has never been one to mince words,...Read More

May 30th, 2013Read More

Texas Senator Ted Cruz seems a bit off the wall to many voters, and is just their cup of tea.  Get it?  Cup of tea?  He’s a big Tea Party guy?  Oh well.  In any event, the Senator and I were certainly on the same page this past week, as he went to the floor...Read More

Hey, remember the rock group Herman’s Hermits? They were an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. Back then, they rivaled The Beatles and the Rolling Stones in popularity.  A few of there big hits included I’m into Something Good, Henry the eighth I am, Mrs. Brown You’ve got...Read More

2014 is shaping up to be a barnburner of an election year, with the control of the U.S. Senate at stake, which means continual paralysis for another two years against Obama administration. From time to time, I want to take a look at some of the major Senatorial races throughout America.  And, as you could...Read More

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WILL JINDAL AND LANDRIEU FACE-OFF IN SENATE RACE? Two seasoned political pros, who have lost a bit of their luster, may make the same big grab for political limelight in Washington. And what would be a surprise to many, they just might be racing against each other.  Incumbent...Read More

The weekend “Common Sense“ radio show is fast upon us, and boy, do we have a lot to cover. The President continues to undermine basic constitutional freedoms as criticism continues to grow over his handling of the Benghazi, the IRS, and now tapping of telephones by the Justice Department of a cross-section of news media. ...Read More

May 23rd, 2013Read More

Are you a country music fan like me?  Remember now, I’m from Northeast Louisiana. Home of the likes of Tim McGraw, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilly, George Jones, and a host of other country music stars.  And I always have enjoyed Travis Tritt, who normally puts on a Garth Brooks like show with a large...Read More

There was not much good news coming out of Oklahoma this week. But as is often the case in many tragedies, a light of hope can peek out from all the rubble. Take a look at this elderly Oklahoman who thought she had last her dog. A small reward compared to the devastation that took...Read More

May 16, 2013Read More

To many, the Obama Administration seems to be obsessed with undermining personal freedoms and spying on its citizens. Calls are coming from members of congress and a variety of outside conservative leaning groups for a special prosecutor to be named.  Personal freedoms are under attack and government snooping seems to be at an all time...Read More

The news media and number of politically connected organizations are outraged that the Obama administration for invading their privacy. And they have good reason to be. If there is any doubt about our liberty, our privacy and basic freedoms that could be under attack, the last few weeks show a real erosion of what we...Read More

Thursday, May 16th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  LATEST EROSION OF FREEDOMS NOTHING NEW! In the past week, the Washington establishment is in crisis mode over a series of revelations of government intrusions that would seem to go way over the line of what is constitutionally legal.  First, the Internal Revenue Service admitted it had targeted...Read More

Members of Congress of the nation’s capital seem almost obsessed with passing new criminal laws.  Are there that many crimes in the U.S?  And any of the federal crimes seem to be punitive, arbitrary and bewildering.  Harvard law professor William Stuntz puts it this way: “We are coming even closer to living in a country...Read More

If you have never had the chance to see comedian Kathy Griffin perform, you will have missed, well, quite an experience. She blew in to Baton Rouge last week, and yours truly had nice visit with America’s controversial and somewhat foul-mouthed sweetheart. Kathy is a two-time Emmy winner, NY Times bestselling author, fiver-time Grammy nominee,...Read More

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Does it bother you that you are getting a little older? As the years have passed, do you look back on the highs and lows of what you considered to be a productive life?  And would you really change anything if you had it to do all over again?  Hey, it’s my birthday this week,...Read More

We are ready for the radio weekend, with the top lineup of topics and guests.  This whole terrible Cleveland kidnapping offense gets murkier and murkier. Public officials and the press are having a day one one-upping each other in printing and sending out salacious new facts or alleged facts.  Psychologist Dr. Bart Rossi will join...Read More

Thursday, May 8th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE CHALLENGES AND CHARMS OF GETTING OLDER! I woke up earlier this week, followed my normal routine of walking the dogs, picking up the morning papers, pouring my large glass of orange juice half filled with water to dilute the sugar, checked my emails, walked out on the...Read More

Almost every weekend, the Red Dragon Listening Room has a great concert for those of us living in the Baton Rouge area. I’m a regular there, and owner Chris Maxwell just holds me a front row seat. I’m always surprised at the talent that comes through this part of the country. This past Saturday, I...Read More

May 9th, 2013Read More

Automobile Dealer and business magnate Gerry Lane reached the pinnacle of success in the South by building one of the largest automobile dealerships in the country.  He began from humble beginnings in the dustbowl of Oklahoma, and then went to California where he learned how to sell cars. And boy could he sell those vehicles. ...Read More

The Boston bombing caused so much damage, that it is really hard to comprehend. We have seen individual photos in the newspapers. But the attached below is chilling, heartbreaking, gut wrenching, and a horrible, terrible tragedy. Some of these photos are quite graphic, so caution should be used in showing them to young children. But...Read More

May 2nd, 2013Read More

BIG BANKS NEED STRONGER REGULATION  The Big Megabanks took taxpayers to the cleaners in 2008 accepting some $700 billion in federal funds and claiming they were way to big to fail.  But has anything really changed.  Nary a Wall Street Banker was convicted in the bailout fiasco, and many think the same old, same old...Read More

It’s radio weekend time, and we have a full and packed schedule of issues to talk about this weekend.  We will begin with a follow-up on the Boston Bomber killings and review new developments.  According to new sources, the FBI had been watching the killers for months.  So what happened and why the law enforcement...Read More

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana BIG BANKS WANT TO STAY TOO BIG TO FAIL! In the movie Wall Street, Michael Douglas’s character Gordon Gecko summed up the attitude of major U.S. banks quite well: “Greed is good.” And this certainly appears to be true, at least for the banks, because after all, the...Read More

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Educators and those interested in educational reform from all over the south converged in Baton Rouge last week for a major educational seminar.  Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was one of the headliners, along with daughter Campbell.  Her comments were hard hitting and she passionately gave her views of what is holding many states...Read More

As many of you who read this site know, I’m a big fan of the Red Dragon Listening Room here in my hometown of Baton Rouge. Musical entrepreneur Chris Maxwell really does a yeoman’s job of bringing in great musical acts with the likes of Rosanne Cash, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver,...Read More

THE BOMBER, MIRANDA AND THE CONSTITUTION!  The Boston Bomber looks about as guilty as you can get, yet some people are calling for him to be fully protected by his constitutional rights.  Constitutionals rights?  Isn’t it an open and shut case? Why does he deserve any protections? In fact, many others think a military court...Read More

Thursday, April 25th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE BOMBER, MIRANDA AND THE CONSTITUTION! Constitutional rights for the Boston bomber?  Are you kidding?  For days we watched the video footage of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev walking the streets of Boston with a backpack loaded with a homemade bomb.  A growing list of circumstantial evidence points to his guilt. ...Read More

April 25th, 2013Read More

So you are a woman feels it necessary to carry a gun, and in many parts this country, it just makes good common sense. Here’s the question? When do you keep your gun? Do you have to carry a purse wherever you go? Thee are some options’ that may work a lot better. Take a...Read More

Are you a jump roper? I have jump rope to stay in shape most of my life. I’ve slowed down a bit with bad knees, but I still try to use a rope whenever I can in my workouts.  But no matter how long most of us work to do it, we will never come...Read More

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HOW DO WE RESPOND TO MORE TERRORISM?  There are trade-offs when you live in a democracy. By the nature of an open government, the populace certainly will be more vulnerable than in a more restrictive form of government.  But none of us want such restrictions.  So as terrible as it may seem, we have to...Read More

Friday, April 19th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WILL MORE TERRORISM CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE? At the end of the Marathon on Monday, it was not just Boston that came under attack.  It was an attack on all of us.  American the vulnerable.  That, unfortunately, is part of the price we pay to live in an open,...Read More

What a news week. The terrible tragedy in Boston, the gun control debate in Washington, immigration reform on the front burner, many states are struggling to stay afloat financially, and deep concerns about terrorism all over America. We will cover all these topics on the “Common Sense” program. In this era of continuing constitutional challenges...Read More

Hey folks, you better keep your guard up when you go to McDonald’s. It can really be a rowdy place. I never thought it would get this rowdy. Man, if I see a couple ladies like this going after one another, along with the confrontations of those behind the counter being this defensive and with...Read More

April 12, 2013Read More

Is there something exquisitely special about New Orleans? Of course there is, and wherever you live in the country, you know it. That is, in the private sector.  Jazz, food, artists, writers, and creative young people moving in to the Crescent City in record numbers.  But, unfortunately, the city that care forgot has a criminal...Read More

Thursday, April 12th, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  NEW ORLEANS THE WORST CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN AMERICA! Is there something special about New Orleans?  Of course there is. The city that care forgot is unique in so many ways.  I could make a list that would go on for pages about the sui generis way of...Read More

Radio Show schedule and guests to be posted Friday.Read More

I’m a big Mary Gauthier fan.  And it’s not that she is from my hometown of Baton Rouge.  She’s a heck of a song writer, and the Louisiana native-turned-Nashville resident Gauthier (it’s French; pronounced Go-SHAY), whose songs have earned praise from Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, and been recorded by Jimmy Buffett, Blake Shelton and...Read More

My father-in law was quite a guy, and he quietly passed away this past weekend. He was called a Movie theater magnate. T.G. “Teddy” Solomon, who expanded a family theater empire to more than 600 theaters in eight states before introducing the megaplex concept to south Louisiana with his Palace theaters, was 93. “I’ve been...Read More

In America today, you pretty much have the right to live as you choose. Many things are bad for you, but it your choice to decide how much you want to eat, if you want to be a heavy drinker, or do you smoke, smoke, smoke that bond cigarette. Freedom of choice”¦Right! We all want...Read More

Thursday, April 4th, 2013 Pensacola, Florida SHOULD YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DIE? We pride ourselves as Americans in our lifestyle choices. The right to freedom of choice, protecting our individual assertion of free will, and deciding just how we want to live our lives. And yes, we have the right to excess. You can...Read More

The gun control debate seems to be narrowed to increasing background checks.  Today, daughter Campbell let loose in the Wall Street Journal and on MSNBCs Moring Joe, to take on the entertainment industry.  She criticizes the President for not strongly speaking out over the violence that permeates movies, TV shows and video games.  You can...Read More

April 4th, 2013Read More

The “Common Sense” radio weekend is fast approaching, and we have a solid lineup of guests and topics to cover. This week’s column talks about your right to die. This is a controversial subject, and assisted suicide is only available in four states in America. What do you think? Should you have that right? We’ll...Read More

So do you believe in Leprechauns?  Well, there’s a group of people in Mobile Alabama who think they have found one. I drive through mobile regularly to visit relatives, and to go to the beach. It’s nice with community. But Leprechauns?  I don’t know what’s worse, that people actually believe in that or that a...Read More

Well the luster is off the South Korean rapper who has the most watched video in youtue history. Psy, the South Korean rapper whose viral pop hit “Gangnam Style” has been viewed more than 900 million times on YouTube, participated in two anti-American performances about a decade ago, a story that finally trickled into English-language...Read More

It’s quite obvious that members of Congress have way too much time on their hands. If there were not a vast number of national critical issues to deal with, several senators have now become obsessed with a major national concern.  Would you believe ““ outlawing horsemeat.  That’s right! Let by Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu along...Read More