Like most Americans, I’m concerned about domestic terrorism that’s been taking place throughout the country. It’s happening by groups on both the right and the left.  But I’m also concerned about the loss of our personal freedoms. The so-called Patriot Act is now allowing the government to spy on more and more Americans, and take...Read More

I always loved the crowd singing, with me joining in, a great song YMCA. It’s a song that gets the crowds going at sporting events, and any other type of large gathering. I get a little confused taking my arms to form out the letters, but I always enjoy trying. Here’s a group called the...Read More

Every yearly Mardi Gras weekend, I join a crowd of old friends, particularly a number of former elected officials. Governors, judges, other state wide officials and legislators all gather in the New Orleans French Quarter on one of the balconies shown to the left. A great gathering to renew all friendships. Unfortunately, because of the...Read More

I am an unabashed huge fan of Mardi Gras. I’ve been going to the annual Fat Tuesday, celebration for almost 60 years. And for those of you that haven’t followed the Mardi Gras tradition, it’s not just one day. It’s a whole season lasting over a month. The feeling of Mardi Gras is captured, in...Read More

There supposedly is about to be a major push by the Biden administration to put a civil rights activist, one Harriet Tubman, on the $20 bill. In doing so, Louisiana hero Andrew Jackson will be sent out to pasture. One of the knocks on Jackson by current critics is that he was a slaveholder. Well, so...Read More

If there was an ever a life full of laughter, gracious, caring and just to an all around good guy, it was my brother-in-law former state representative Steve Carter. Steve unfortunately passed away last week having contracted the Covid virus. He was a young 77 years old. Accolades from people all over the state have...Read More

My longtime friend of many years, former state Senate president Michael O’Keefe, passed away this past week. He was 89 years old. Mike was my mentor when I was elected to the Louisiana State Senate back in 1972. He put me on key committees, and looked after me as a young lawmaker in the early...Read More

The Keystone pipeline has become an issue  now President Joe Biden has canceled any further construction. The oil industry in Louisiana is pleading how important a Keystone pipeline is to the economic future of Louisiana. My reaction? Hogwash! The issue will not mean diddlysquat to the Bayou State. No new jobs will be created and...Read More

Here’s a great parody of Donald Trump’s final day in office.Late Show host James Corden arrives at work in a good mood knowing there’s only One Day More of monologue jokes with Donald Trump serving as President of the United States. Glad we are able to  laugh at this weird and unsettling ending.Read More

I always wanted to be a good fiddle player. Yes, I bought several fiddles, I have instructional books, and I even went over to Tom’s Fiddle and Bow,  a fiddle shop located in the small south Louisiana community of Arnaudville.  The trash I made, I just couldn’t learn the chords at my age. I wish...Read More

The FBI again is facing heavy criticism for their failure to adequately anticipate the violence that took place in Washington DC last week. Their local office in Virginia had expressed some ‘concerns,”  but the agency failed to assess and predict the level of the mayhem and violence that took place. Blunderings by the FBI are...Read More

If you’re a college football fan, it’s time to fess up and call it just like it is. There are some great coaches in college football, but hands-down, Alabama coach Nick Sabin is the best. Numero Uno.  His Crimson Tide team absolutely demolished Ohio State in this past Monday night’s national championship game.  Oh I...Read More

My law school roommate, Bill Weinberg who lives up in eastern Kentucky, has written a perceptive Op Ed article on the changing nature of US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. You will be fascinated to read that Bill’s wife Lois ran against McConnell some years back, and the Weinberg’s have certainly been critical of McConnell...Read More

For those of you who have read my new book, My Louisiana Odyssey, you know that I wrote about rock and roller Jerry Lee Lewis, who was my first client when I started practicing law up in the little town of Ferriday, Louisiana. Jerry lee is 85 now, and slowing down a bit, but still...Read More

Should trials in America be televised? Particularly when there is great public interest? This would seem to be a no brainer. Of course they should. But many courts, particularly in the federal system, do not allow cameras in the quart room. The Supreme Court of the United States specifically for bids and he said cameras....Read More

Hopefully, we all are kicking off the New Year on a positive note.  It’s an understatement to say that 2020 wasn’t much of a year for any of us. But I am hopeful, as I’m sure you are, of a much better prognosis for all of us in 2021. Do you make New Year’s resolutions?...Read More

I hope you’re ready for the many holiday events that will take place in the coming days. In this week’s column, I write about this special time of year. It begins at Thanksgiving when the pilgrims came to America and were looking for a second chance. Then on to Christmas, when we were given a...Read More

During this holiday season, we all know that lots of social drinking takes place. Often, it’s not responsible. Louisiana has as one of the highest percentages of drunk drivers and accidents involving drunk drivers in the nation. We pay through higher insurance rates. But we also pay in loss of lives in serious injury. What...Read More

OK, I’ll admit it. I’m a big pumpkin pie a guy. I can eat pumpkin pie all year long but I save it up for the holidays. Not the healthiest thing to eat, but it sure taste good. Here’s my group of pumpkins for the year. Good eating to take place.Read More

 Trying to set a password WINDOWS: Please enter your new password USER: cabbage WINDOWS: Sorry, the password must be more than 8 characters. USER: boiled cabbage WINDOWS: Sorry, the password must contain 1 numerical character. USER: 1 boiled cabbage WINDOWS: Sorry, the password cannot have blank spaces. USER: 50frickingboiledcabbages WINDOWS: Sorry, the password must contain at least one...Read More

You’ve heard of the domino effect haven’t you? Well it could be about to take place in Louisiana. With the retirement of New Orleans congressman Cedric Richmond, there’s an opportunity for a number of things to happen. Who else from Louisiana could be considered to receive an appointment by the president? Is our present Louisiana...Read More

My friend of many years Julia Reed passed away recently from cancer at the age of 59. She was certainly one of the most interesting, entertaining, and full of life people I ever met.  She was a marvelous writer of southern life, and her columns appeared in newspapers and magazines all over the nation. Julia...Read More

Celebrity Chef John Besh was in town for a special cooking event this week.  The Chef always calls me for a few cooking tips when he’s in town.  (Yeah, right!)Read More

We thought the election was over on November 3rd. But there’s a flurry of lawsuits challenging the results in a few key states. Voter fraud is being alleged, and many states are reviewing the way they run their elections. The good news is that down here in the Bayou State, things went pretty well. We...Read More

The video above gives a moving and poignant reminder of the horrors of war. But so few Americans rarely acknowledge those who serve in the military.I felt an obligation to continue the service to my country. Yes, I’m a patriot and I make no bones about it. I’m a past judge advocate for the American...Read More

As the presidential vote counting continues, there have been numerous accusations about vote fraud in a number of states throughout the country. Is voter fraud that rampant? Sure, there are occasional efforts for elections to be tainted, particularly in some of the more rural counties and parishes around the nation. And if you live in...Read More

We lost another really great Texas outlaw singer and songwriter this week. Billy Joe Shaver for years has been always one of my favorites. Any number of great singers recorded his music. The likes of Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash to list just a few.  Two of my favorite Billy Joe...Read More

Putting aside all the campaign advertising that’s going on constantly each day on TV, I’m having my fill of many of the ads related to insurance. Sure it’s the trial lawyers, but it’s also the goofy insurance ads. How about that guy with the ostrich who seems completely spaced out walking around in a daze?...Read More

I wanted to let my friends and family know that we lost  one of my favorite performers last week.  Jerry Jeff Walker passed away at 78 years old. You don’t know this but I was the President of the Louisiana chapter of the Jerry Jeff fan club.  Jerry Jeff was a Texas country outlaw singer who began his...Read More

With the election for president only a few days away, the negative campaigning doesn’t really educate us very much as to what important issues are facing our country today. If you had the chance, what questions would you put to do to  the major candidates running? The economy, obviously the virus, public safety, education, healthcare:...Read More

I’m a big Ray Stevens fan, and he has a great way of satirizing so many issues we face in this country today. Take a look at his new video, “The Quarantine Song.”Read More

The supreme court hearings taking place right now show a great division between Republicans and Democrats, reflected throughout the country. It used to be that picking supreme court judges was based on a strong legal background and scholarly accomplishments. Not so anymore. It all comes down to ideology. And these judges are now appointed for...Read More

I had planned on being up in Marksville Louisiana this week, speaking to the Louisiana State Retired Employees Association. I made the commitment to attend  over a year ago, and I was really looking forward to getting to know old friends again. I was a state employee up until 2002, and have enjoyed staying in...Read More

I suppose fall is my favorite time of year. Way too hot in the summertime, particularly down here in Louisiana. And we don’t get much of a winter. Our family has had a home up in the North Carolina mountains for many years. It’s really a treat this time of year to go up and...Read More

Mike Foster was quite a guy. The Louisiana governor did not fit the mold of those who seek the state’s highest office. He was a multimillionaire from Franklin Louisiana, a small town located down in Cajun country. He loved to fish, and I had the opportunity to hang out at his camp with him on...Read More

I hope you have registered to vote in this important coming election. Everybody has an opinion about voting for the president and many other candidates. I’m a JibJab fan, and the message is clear below. Go Vote!Read More

Even us old folks enjoy good music, and like to get out of the dance floor and kick up our heels. Here’s a great cross-section of friends joining in to dance and sing “Roll Out the Barrel,” one of my favorites.Read More

It seems like everyone we know are going to vote in the coming presidential election by mail- in ballot. Some experts say as many as 50% of all votes cast will be done this way. But then the problems begin. It could take weeks, or even longer to count all these ballots.  And are not...Read More

Hey you know what? I’m a product of the 50s. My high school days are some of the best memories of my life.  I went to high school in St. Louis Missouri, and the Ronnie Milsap video below pretty well sums up my great memories of the early part of my life. If you’re too...Read More

The President vetted a number of Court of Appeals judges in the process of filling a vacancy on the US Supreme Court created following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He announced from the beginning that his pick was going to be a woman. So naturally, the seven women on the fifth circuit Court...Read More

Special holidays like the Memorial Day always have, for good reason, a special acknowledgement of those military service men and women who have defended our country for so many years.  There are few veterans in congress today.  Most politicians reflect the comment of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who, when asked why he did to volunteer...Read More

Below is an excellent video on the perspective of millennials in our country today. There’s a great deal of talent, but also a sense of entitlement. Here is an excerpt of Simon Sinek, a commenter on today’s younger generation from an episode of Inside Quest. It is well worth a few minutes to review. And...Read More

OK, OK. I know The New York Times is not a popular publication down here in the deepest of the deep southern states. And boy did they get things riled up in a recent article on the editorial page saying that black athletes are being exploited at LSU. They went further to say that whenever...Read More

It was 19 years ago this week. A horrific scene glued by TV watchers all over the world, as two planes hit the World Trade Center in New York City. So many lives lost, and so many questions still on answered.  This event dramatically changed our lives, and brought a whole new wave of security...Read More

Louisiana has always lagged far behind other states in educational attainment. Now we just get some news from the state Board of Education. If your kids are going to learn virtually, they have to have access to the Internet.  So what’s new? This information has been obvious for a number of years. I wrote about...Read More

I have always been fascinated by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. He was known to transmute vibrant colors and great detailing of his everyday observations onto the canvas. The poor artist died with little money and during his lifetime, he managed to sell only one painting. Often referred to as the ‘Mad Artist,’ van...Read More

To mask or not to mask? That is the question.  Here’s a fun parody of whether or not to mask based on the hit Broadway Musical Hamilton.  Checkout what side you are on.Read More

Another cleanup begins as Hurricane Laura devastates the Gulf coastline and moves up through Louisiana.  Fifteen years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc and tore into the soul of New Orleans and south Louisiana.  It was one of the most trying times in the state’s history.  I look back at my personal experience with...Read More

As I have written before on this website, I wish I were a really good dancer. Looking back over these 80 years, I just wish I had danced a lot more.There are so many really good dancers today.Take a look at the video below to see the cast of Ghee do some really creative dancing....Read More

It’s always a treat hanging out with my buddy Tony Bennett. He looks great for being 94 years old. (Oh alright! You caught me. The photo was taken at Madame Tussaud’s wax museum in Las Vegas. We both look pretty good in wax, don’t we?)  Read More

If you live in Louisiana, you were bombarded with assurances by the insurance industry that new laws limiting the rights of policyholders would show a dramatic drop in the cost of automobile insurance. 25% by the end of this year. But guess what? It looks like you policyholders really got conned.  Now the insurance lobbyists...Read More

Are you getting tired of staying home and binge watching so much TV? All right, I know there’s a limited amount that you can do with a pandemic going on. And like you, I’ve watched any number of TV series and old movies. One of my favorites is about the outlaw Jesse James. You might...Read More

Sure, I pick up my iPhone regularly, and I am on social media a good bit. But how much is it affecting us? Social Media and technology can connect us, but it can also harm us. Take a look at today’s generation and their digital addiction. And see what did you think?Read More

Bourbon Street in the New Orleans French Quarter is still dead as a door nail.  Do you think it will ever come back?Read More

How about those little critters that seem to be taking over Louisiana and other coastal states? Nutria didn’t exist down here in deep South until the last 50 years. What to do? What to do? Are there any solutions?  Well, yes, if you want to be experimental. Did you know that these little varmints make...Read More

Here are some big news. We have a new podcast basis. My colleague Rannah Gray and I have started a podcast about the fascinating things one can find in our home state of Louisiana. And where to begin? Whether it is the food, the music, art, politics, you name it, Louisiana is often called the...Read More

Do you like to dance? I sure do. OK, I’m not very good at it. But everyone likes to think they have a little rhythm, and get out on the dance floor from time to time. Actually, I was pretty good back in high school. That’s why I like the movie, Footloose so much. Here’s...Read More

Money, money, money goes the song from the Broadway show Cabaret. And this should be an issue in Louisiana comes to electing state judges.  Insurance lobbyists push through legislation in the recent session of the Louisiana Legislature that limits rulings of judges when it comes to automobile injury cases. But if money is the problem,...Read More

What do you do when you’re in the middle of a pandemic, stuck at home, and bored to death? You read of course!  Book sales are at an all-time high throughout the country, as people have more free time. I write about the joy reading in this week’s column. And you’ll find some interesting facts...Read More

Chef Paul Prudhomme is a Louisiana national treasure. He put Louisiana on the map of culinary specialties to food buffs all over the world.  Chef Paul  died some years back, but his name and reputation has continued over the years at K Paul’s restaurant in New Orleans. Sadly, now it is closed for good. I...Read More

We hear so much about social distancing today. You would think it’s a brand new idea, and obviously quite necessary as we fight this pandemic. Well keeping your distance is not all that new. Take a look at this great Buster Keaton movie from 1920 as they are social distancing way back then.Read More

The Louisiana legislature just passed new laws that are supposed to reduce auto insurance rates. 25% reduction says the insurance commissioner. And before the end of the year. Realistic? Of course not. There’s a lot more to reducing insurance rates in the Bayou State than clamping down on people’s right to sue. I take a...Read More

Are we supposed to be politically correct in 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

As part of my pandemic defense, our family is up on the Blue Ridge Mountains south of Boone North Carolina for the summer. And look who I came across.  I’ve found a new hiking buddies. He’s lots of laughs.  And we are both keeping up common sense protections.Read More

Can any of us even remember life before the digital age? Things were so much simpler then. We were sitting down at family meals, spending lots of time reading, never looking down at iPhones, because they did not exist. Actually, one of the only benefits of the current pandemic is the fact that we have...Read More

We are living in uncertain times, with COVID-19, economic problems, and racial confrontations. But political life goes on, and both Democrats and Republicans are preparing for their national conventions. New Orleans was in the running for the Republican national convention up until a few weeks ago. In my new column, I talk about the last...Read More

I’ve seen a number of Broadway shows in my life, but at the top of my list has always been Les Miserables. The music is wonderful, and it’s a compelling story about the French revolution. If you’ve never seen the show, I would urge you to do so. Below is a shopping center flash mob...Read More

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has stirred up a real hornet’s nest of controversy over standing for the national anthem. He didn’t make a big deal about it. He just said in his opinion you should stand. Boy the criticism sure rained down on him. So what do you think?  Is it unpatriotic to...Read More

I’m cooking up a storm with fresh vegetables up in the North Carolina mountains. It was 38° this morning when I got up to start cooking. Who knows, I might put out a new addition of the famous “Jim Brown’s World-Famous Squirrel Stew and other Country Recipes.” Stay tuned.Read More

All over the nation, there are a wave of protests over what many feel is the continuing glorification of many events in our nation’s past. How far should we as a country go in  obliterating  monuments, images, writings, motion pictures, and other symbols that often memorialize individuals whose past actions are today politically incorrect?  I...Read More

Are you ready for this year’s Democratic and Republican national convention? Quite a change from years past. We’re not even sure at this stage whether the parties will even have a convention. I’ve had the opportunity of attending seven different national conventions, both democratic and Republican. Remember picking candidates in smoke-filled rooms? I do. I...Read More

When it comes to operating the congress in the nation’s capitol, one would think that we were still in the horse and buggy days.  Members of congress spend half their time flying back and forth from their home districts to Washington, D.C.  And often it’s for routine matters and non-controversial committee hearings.  We can do...Read More

This past weekend, Memorial Day weekend, we were to  pause and honor those who served and gave their lives for our nation. Relatives on both sides of my family served their country with honor and distinction. My Uncle had quite a navel military career.  In the final months of World War II, Commander Jack Gentry was...Read More

As terrible as the coronavirus is, life goes on, and there is a wave of comedy making fun of what we are going through in our daily lives.Here’s one of may parodies below:Read More

DOES LOUISIANA CARE ABOUT OLD PEOPLE? The Coronavirus has caused havoc in Louisiana and all over the U.S.  But the damage has been shouldered mostly by older people. So the question is-does Louisiana, and many other states, really care that much about our senior citizens?  I take a look at this troubling question in this...Read More

Check out below the Erie picture of looking down a deserted Bourbon Street in the downtown New Orleans French quarter. One of my very favorite restaurants is Galatoire’s, that you can see in the picture on the left. It’s hard to find a better meal anywhere in the world than you could get at Galatoire’s....Read More

THE NEW NORMAL IN OUR LIVES! I’ve just turned 80 years old, and who could have predicted what the world is going through now? Who could have ever imagined that our lives would so dramatically change by a virus that just a few months ago was dismissed by our leaders as a minor problem that really...Read More

I find a pleasant surprise now and then when older books that have been published by The Lisburn Press turn up. A friend of mine was checking out a flea market over theLafayette  area recently, and look what he found. My first book, printed back in 2005, is still making the rounds.  It’s not selling...Read More

Below are some of my personal thoughts and observations as I reach a new milestone-turning 80 years old. I also write about my thoughts about the past, present and future in my new column now posted. You can read it by Clicking Here or by going to the Red Flashing Box above.Read More

Well, at least all you readers have plenty of time for this now.  So many goo books to read.  Check out many of our new publications at www.thelisburnpress.com, or click on The Lisburn Press link on the right side of this page.Read More

On our front door is a drawing by 9 year old grandniece Yvie Hunt, thanking all the service workers and responders who are helping us daily get through this difficult time. Yvie is saying in her drawing that even we have to be isolated, we are not alone.Read More

I’ve been a John Prine fan for many years. Always wanted to see him in person. He died yesterday, but just take a listen to his ode to going to heaven. My kind of wish and my kind of dude.Read More

Each year on April 1st, I make it a habit of posting a funny April fool’s joke. Not this year. Sad to say it’s not April fool but April Cruel. Let’s all pray we get through this month safe and healthy.Read More

Do I look bored at home or what? I asked wife Gladys what will be the highlight of our day. She said “Let’s change the sheets.”Read More

My book tour, like so many other events, has come to a temporary end. We’ve canceled all the book signings that were set for March April and early May.  Here’s hoping but this terrible virus will be contained, and we will get back to our normal way of life in the not too distant future....Read More

An enjoyable evening speaking recently to the Country Classics Book Club in Zachery, Louisiana. Lots of interest in “My Louisiana Odyssey.” From left, pictured are Ginger Hughes, Ginger Parker, yours truly, Beryl Beier-hostess, & Donna Kline, president of Country Classics book club.Read More

  The Portfolio Club of Zachary met on March 4, 2020 for an authentic French luncheon at Maison Lacour in Baton Rouge. The guest speaker was  Jim Brown who spoke about his publishing company, Lisburn Press,  and his latest book, “My Louisiana Odyssey: A Memoir.” In the book, the author shares his journey of initially “discovering” Louisiana,...Read More

The Brown book tour took a break over the past 10 days to celebrate Mardi Gras, then head back east. As you can see, heavy snow falling in the Blue Ridge mountains, up in Linville, North Carolina. I’ll be returning and back on the tour next week (March 3rd) and will speak and sign My...Read More

It’s crawfish season here in the Bayou State, and a regular stop for me as a travel throughout South Louisiana is Crawfish Town USA in Henderson, La. Even has-been politicians like me still have their name on a chair. I was there this week to sit in my own chair and eat lots of boiled...Read More

Book presentations continue all this week with the following stops: February 18th-Rotary Club of East Ascension-7:00 am February 18th-Opelousas Rotary Club-noon February 19th-Bunkie Rotary Club-noon February 20th-Kiwanis Club of Acadiana-noon Then we will take a break for Mardi Gras. Below are photos of stops at the Denham Springs Rotary, and a private bookclub presentation in...Read More

It was a fun-filled day in Ville Platte, La. recently when I spoke to the Rotary Club there and re-newed a number of old friendships. Evangeline Parish always gave me a good vote in my six statewide races for public office. Below I’m pictured signing books with my longtime friend Judge John Saunders sitting by....Read More

The book signings continue all over Louisiana. This coming week, I’ll be speaking to the Ville Platte Rotary Club, The Luling Rotary Club and the Roundtable Club in New Orleans. Guest at  the Hammond Rotary Club recently. A good turn out at the Northshore Kiwanis Club in Mandeville. With Rotary President Rebecca Jacob a the...Read More

Three long time friends getting together to visit at Mike Anderson’s restaurant in Gonzales this week. That’s former state senate president Mike O’Keefe on the left and Governor Edwin Edwards. We old guys are all hangin’ in there The Governor is 92 and Mike is 88. I’m the kid in the group.Read More

    January 31st-Rotary Club of Liviingston-noon February 4th-Lafayette Kiwanis Club-noon February 6th-Ponchatula Rotary Club-noon February 11th-Ville Platte Rotary Club-noon February 12th-Luling Rotary Club-noon February 13th-New Orleans Roundtable Club-7:00 pm February 15th-La. Political Hall of Fame-7:00 pm February 18th-Opelousas Rotary Club-noon February 19th-Bunkie Rotary Club-noon February 20th-Kiwanis Club of Acadiana-noon  Read More

It was treat renewing old friendships at the Alexandria Rotary Club this week. Central Louisiana was my home for many years. I not only swapped many stories, but also sold a good number of copies of “My Louisiana Odyssey.” I’m pictured here with Professor Robert Wright from LSU in Alexandria (left) and old friend Ed...Read More

A pleasant visit to Vidalia (just across the Mississippi River from Natchez, Mississippi) to speak to the Concordia Parish Library Association about my new book, “My Louisiana Odyssey.” A number of students pictured here from the Vidalia High School were in attendance to learn a little Louisiana history. This week’s speaking schedule is listed below:...Read More

Speaking this past Thursday to the Ferriday Rotary Club up in my old hometown. Attorney Joey Booth is incoming Rotary Club president.  His dad, Judge Leo Boothe is a longtime friend.  Leo Young on my right helped me get started in Ferriday some 50 years ago.  It was a treat to see old friends and...Read More