So much to cover this weekend on our radio show. Does Donald Trump have any chance at all? Election day just three weeks away. What will happen? We will talk about it. Then author Tevi Troy joins us to talk about his new book, “Shall We Wake the President.” And how about the continuing mess...Read More

Here’s the question. Should a state public television station that is supported by taxpayer’s dollars be allowed to let a private group of businessmen to decide whom to include or not include in televised debates for the US Senate? There are 24 candidates running in Louisiana. But only five will be allowed to debate on...Read More

Our weekend programming schedules up and running, and we’re all set free lively Radio show on Sunday. There’s a new movie out based on the popular Bill O’Reilly book, Killing Reagan. We will talk to Director Rod Lurie. Then we will discuss the importance of whistleblowers, which bring wrongdoing to light with Michael McCray, a...Read More

The Red Mass is a very special ceremony that takes place at the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans on Jackson Square on the first Monday of October. Judges and attorneys from over the state gather for the official opening of the Supreme Court and the legal year. The event is sponsored by the St....Read More

It’s really amazing how much of an out-of-control beast our healthcare system has become after decades and decades of running totally unchecked. A couple in Utah had a baby a few weeks ago, and the guy just posted a copy of their hospital bill on Reddit that showed a $39.35 charge for, quote, “skin to...Read More

Our flagship university down in the Bayou State is in big trouble. The problems with the football coach you say? Well, not really. It’s supposed to be about getting a decent education. And that’s where the Big problems are at LSU. New college rankings have been released, and the state’s top college has plummeted in...Read More

I used to be a beach bum, and loved to hang out with all the pretty young girls weekend after weekend.  We do that here down South.  But we all grow old, and i guess there has to be some limitations.  Check out my old buddy below, who puts growing old in perspective.Read More

Wow, talk about a dilemma for folks living down in the Bayou State. The first presidential debate will take place on Monday evening, September 28th. Obviously, this is important, and we will all be watching. But there’s a conflict. Our New Orleans Saints will be playing the very same time against arch-rival Atlanta Falcons. So...Read More

Great program scheduled for this weekend. North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Fox will discuss her book, “God in the House,” and the idea of legislating from a perspective of faith. Then Dr. John Michels will help me analyze why so many Americans have heart disease and are overweight. And finally, author Robert Martichenko will tell us...Read More

My son-in-law Dan Senor was roasted at the Plaza Hotel in New York City this week by a number of political luminaries all gathering to put down Dan, and all in good taste. It was quite an evening as he was roasted by Mitt Romney, Speaker of the house Paul Ryan, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton,...Read More

Can you believe it? Politics in Louisiana and most states is just no fun anymore. The politicians used to travel around the state holding rallies and riding in parades. Now it’s all money, money money, and stiff, uninteresting candidates. What happened? Check out my new column now posted. You can read it now by Clicking...Read More

We are preparing for weekend radio with a lively program planned. We will talk with a 9-11 survivor, New York Attorney Kevin Salter, who was at the World Trade Center to get his thoughts 15 years later. We will also talk about the debates. Should all candidates who poll above 5% be included? The public...Read More

Life can’t be all work and no play. My son, James and I did a little hiking up on Grandfather Mountain in the Blue Ridge mountain range a little south of Boone, North Carolina recently. With my hiking boots on, I was hangin’ in there for an old guy. Weather wasn’t bad either. In then...Read More

Weekend radio this Sunday will review what’s happened to our country post 9-11. The destruction happened 15 years ago this Sunday. Then airline consultant Ken Jenkins (www.jenkinsslic.com) will join me to discuss air safety and the new movie “Sully” with Tom Hanks. Daina Falk has a new book called: “The Hungry Fan’s Game Day Cookbook”,...Read More

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Weekend Radio Guest Schedule to be posted Thursday afternoon.  Read More

Just after Familiar Evil, by Louisiana author Rannah Gray, won the Gold Medal at the 20th Annual Independent Publishers Awards in Chicago, it was announced that the National Indie Excellence Awards has named Familiar Evil the BEST NEW NON-FICTION AND BEST TRUE CRIME BOOK FOR 2016. Familiar Evil was also featured in the New Title...Read More

I have always regretted not learning to fly. I had ample opportunity, but always seem to be too busy. I did learn how to land an airplane, because, when I was in public life, I was in private planes every week. So I learned enough to set the plane down, but little more. I love...Read More

It’s graduation time of year, with kids at many levels are attending graduation ceremonies. Do you remember who spoke at your graduation? Most readers do not. I decided, this week, to set out some advice to these new graduates who are hoping to lead a successful life. My thoughts are pretty simple. Take a look...Read More

Our “Common Sense” weekend radio program is fast approaching, and we have a lively show planned for our listeners across the nation. Colonel Tony Deane has written an intense first person account of the pivotal battle of the Iraq War, the Battle of Ramadi. His book tells quite a story and is available by Clicking...Read More

The battle over the “bathroom law” in North Carolina has reached fever pitch over the past few weeks.  The law aims to ban transgender folks from using the bathroom of the gender they identify with, but the state has gotten some major pushback from the Federal government and popular figures. Well, country music superstar Brad Paisley...Read More

My longtime friend and political colleague in Louisiana Bobby Freeman passed away this week. He was a young 82, but died after suffering from an inoperable aneurysm. Bobby served as Louisiana’s Lt. Governor wihen I was Secretary of State. We campaigned together back in the 1980s, and remained close friends to the end. Bobby and...Read More

Voters think their congressman is completely out of touch, and congress has a lower favorability rating than does polygamy. Members of congress rant and rave about the cesspool mentality in Washington, then jump right into the mix and make it a hot tub. What should congress do to regain some semblance of respect and voter...Read More

Weekend Radio Show Schedule to be posted Thursday afternoon.Read More

“Without question, to me, the issue is education,” says daughter Campbell Brown in the video above. “Two out of three eighth graders in this country cannot read or do math at grade level. We are not preparing our kids for what the future holds.” In the latest installment in a new weekly series from Slate,...Read More

Familiar Evil, by Louisiana author Rannah Gray and published by The Lisburn Press, has won top honors in the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards, or IPPY Awards, presented this year in Chicago. Familiar Evil was awarded the Gold Medal for first place in the True Crime category. The IPPY Awards are the world’s largest international...Read More

Are we supposed to be politically correct about everything we do? Some people think so. Well there are issues involving race, gays, transgenders, praying in public, and even who can or cannot bake a cake. Everything we do these days has a “politically correct” connotation attached to it. Have we gone to far in America,...Read More

Great news on the radio front. I am pleased to have a new station that will begin carrying the Jim Brown “Common Sense” program beginning this weekend. We will welcome listeners hearing our program on WBCR 1470am in Alcoa, TN. Alcoa is part of the greater Knoxville metropolitan area, so the station will give our...Read More

We have a jammed packed radio program scheduled for this weekend and we sure hope you can join us. Lawyer Jacquelyn Clark (www.cowlesthompson.com) will help us explain this whole transgender issue that has dominated the news. Do you like to sing but having voice problems? Voice coach Gary Catona will offer his expert advice. (www.garycatona.com)....Read More

You can see about every kind of outfit down in the New Orleans French Quarter. I often broadcast my weekend radio program overlooking Jackson Square. Following the death of Prince, purple was seen everywhere. I’m shown with some lovely Crescent City ladies on an afternoon stroll all in purple. I hope you can make a...Read More

Some crimes are so vicious that there would certainly seem to be hatred involved. But how do you tell? How do you get into someone’s head to figure out just what they are thinking? Do we need to have a “thought police?” Take a look at my new column now posted to see if you...Read More

We are ready to go for our weekend radio show. Time to make some common sense. We start off the program with Adm. Tom Church, to talk about his popular book, “Fixing Washington 2016.” See more by Clicking Here. Then Howard Eisenberg, who turned 90 this year, will discuss his career as an award-winning author,...Read More

There is really nothing like the sites and sounds you can hear in the French Quarter in the heart of New Orleans. Music is non-stop in Jackson Square. I can look out off my 3rd floor balcony and be entertained into the wee hours. I was out for a morning stroll last weekend, and came...Read More

Election Day less than six months away? Have you made your choice yet? Let’s be honest here. The race has come down to Clinton or Trump. That’s right. Unless you want to make a protest vote and cast a ballot for a third party candidate. So you are going to just have to hold your...Read More

Weekend radio is close at hand, and we’ve a full pack schedule plan for her listeners. Prof. David Reynolds will be one of our guests to discuss taking Andrew Jackson off the $20 bill. He has written over 15 books, including “Walking Giant: America in the Age of Jackson.“ We will also touch on the...Read More

A special video. Combining dance, art and theater, this visual dance act called “Another Kind Of Blue” brings something new and exciting to interpretive dance and video. Using a screen with projected imagery as their backdrop, Violet and Nino create the illusion of floating, flying and leaping from tall heights, when really they’re lying down....Read More

Can you just imagine how much former Louisiana Governor Huey Long would relish being alive today, and right in the mist of the presidential election? The Kingfish would no doubt show Donald Trump and Bernie sanders a few political tricks as to how to appeal to the masses, particularly those who are fed up with...Read More

Our weekend radio schedule is close at hand, and we have a lively program plan for our listeners. How about all these third-party candidates running for president? Why do they do it? Will have several potential candidates on the show. And how’s your health? American citizens seem to be getting less and less healthy. What’s...Read More

OK. OK. I know this is a political and radio show website, but hey. We have to have a little fun now and then. So what better way to loosen up a bit than to see a Ventriloquist with Live talking Dog ? Take a minute to watch below and get a laugh.Read More

I’ve ben a big fan of the Fred Eaglesmith traveling music show for years.  Fred is a Canadian, but comes  to my home town of Baton Rouge once or twice a year to play at the Re3d Dragon Listening Room.  I’m always in that number.  Take a listen to Fred and his band below.Read More

There is a big debate going on down in Louisiana, as well as other states in the country, about a requirement that all motorcycle enthusiasts must wear a helmet when they’re on a bike. Those who oppose wearing helmets carry the banner of “freedom of choice.” But just what does this mean? Freedom of choice...Read More

Radio guest schedule to be posted Friday morning.Read More

Sure if you’re bored, and have nothing better to do, you can take a look at my give-and-take with BayouBuzz publisher Steve Sabludowsky about the recent run in by Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski,  who was arrested for grabbing the arm of a news reporter at a  Trump rally.  Much ado  about nothing? I sure think...Read More

I love this confrontation between a young lady in a Starbucks, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Sure it’s funny, but the average voter just doesn’t have a way to express themselves to the political elite who run their lives anymore. It is s really amusing. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with taking on...Read More

Are foster children being protected in Louisiana? That’s the focus of a new book (published by The Lisburn Press) called Familiar Evil. It charges that children supposedly under state care are allowed to b be put in unfit homes where child abuse takes place. And with little or no monitoring by the state of Louisiana?...Read More

Our weekend radio program is shaping up well as the week progresses. What would Donald Trump do for and to our national economy? Are his ideas sound? We will discuss.   And how can small businesses compete with the big box stores? There are lots of ways. And finally, why is the national political system so...Read More

Poor ole’ Donald Trump. He says he got snookered down in Louisiana. Although he won the popular vote in the recent Republican presidential primary, the state party gave the majority of delegates to Senator Ted Cruz. Foul play hollered Trump, and for good reason. But is that just the way elections are handled down in...Read More

The sparks will certainly fly on our weekend “Common Sense“ radio program this weekend. Jim will discuss scandals involving several of the Final Four teams, including Jim’s alma mater North Carolina. And how about Hillary Clinton’s $600 hair cut, that brought traffic to a halt in midtown Manhattan? Then there are Donald Trump’s incendiary comments...Read More

My deal friend and former Senator Sonny Mouton passed away this week. Sonny took me under wing when I was a new Louisiana state senator back in 1971, and we have been close since then. He was a giant in Louisiana politics, and worked hard as a public problem solver. New governors, once elected, immediately...Read More

Look at the photo showing some people walking to reach the final objective, to live in a European country. On the photo, there are 7 men and 1 woman. Notice that the woman is bare feet, accompanied by 3 children, and of the 3, she is carrying 2. None of the men are helping her. It is because...Read More

As Liza Minnelli sang in the hit show Cabaret, “money makes the world go round.” It certainly does in politics, particularly here in my home state of Louisiana. Campaign dollars are the key factor in candidates getting elected, and in the buying of influence by lobbyists.  Politicians spend way too much time raising money. The...Read More

Easter weekend radio shows are often re-runs, but not the “Common Sense” program. We have a full agenda planned for our listeners. Pastor John Stahl helps us begin the show with an Easter message about a different perspective of the tomb where Jesus Christ was buried. See his website and new book at Twitter @JustJESUSThem.  Then,...Read More

Having gotten my start as a lawyer and a state senator in one of the most rural parts of America in Northeast Louisiana, and experienced the marvelous experience of attending a number of primarily African American churches, I learned that just about all Negro spirituals are written on the black notes of the piano. Probably...Read More

Does anyone like a quitter? I don’t. If you are a die-hard LSU fan, you might not like my new column about the administration at LSU quitting, both in sports and in academics. Of course, all of us fail from time to time. But quitting? It’s a reflection of giving up on striving for doing...Read More

Radio Program Schedule will be posted Thursday Afternoon.Read More

This whole story of why the FBI is insisting on compelling Apple to create an entirely new system to break into any iPhone is complicated, and difficult for many to understand. Comedian John Oliver does a pretty good job of putting this import problem into an understandable perspective. You can read my perspective by Clicking...Read More