I was at a book fair recently, hawking some of my Lisburn Press publications, and I was asked to comment on the nation’s immigration problem. One fellow apparently didn’t like my response. “Oh, I know all about you writers out there with your fancy English degrees.  You think you have a lot more common sense then us rednecks.”

New Orleans Chamber
On April 11, 2012 fellow New Orleans Chamber members Montgomery Barnett, LLP and The Original Italian Pie restaurant will host the premier monthly evening networking event, Chamber After 5, located at 3706 Prytania Street from 5:30pm-7: 30pm. Admission is free to all Chamber members and $10 for future members.

We’re No. 1 (In corruption)
Louisiana has received a No. 1 national ranking – unfortunately, it was for being the most corrupt state in the country.
Governing Magazine compiled U.S. Department of Justice data from 2001 to 2010 about the number of government officials found guilty of corruption while in office.
Louisiana had 384 convictions of public officials during that time span. That works out to 8.5 convictions per 100,000 people and 10.5 convictions per 10,000 government employees at the local, state, and federal levels.
Using the per capita yardstick, Louisiana came in first, edging out North Dakota, which had a rate of 8.2. They were followed by South Dakota (7.2), Alaska (6.8), and Kentucky (6.5).
In public corruption convictions per 10,000 government employees, Louisiana also came in first with its rating of 10.5 convictions. In second place was Kentucky (8.5), followed by South Dakota (7.5), Delaware (7.2), and Mississippi (7.1).

With new a new recall petition lodged against Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and education reform being debated at the capitol in Baton Rouge, there's also plenty of ideas and opinions making its way on the social media sites these days.

 Here are just a few of the most recent Facebook postings in which Jindal's education reform legislation is being hotly discussed:  

Teachers To Louisiana Taxpayers: This Birds For You…

thehayride.com

Here’s a note to folks who don’t like Gov. Bobby Jindal and are particularly miffed about his education reform package

     Most news organizations reported Sunday night's Jimmy Buffett concert on the New Orleans riverfront as part of the NCAA Final Four festivities. Buffett did the concert barefoot while he wore a "Free Sean Payton" T-shirt. He dedicated his first song to his friend and Saints head coach Payton: "Sitting Here in Limbo." In their rush to get this breaking news before the public, the local and national media mavens missed the bigger story. When Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band returned to the stage for an encore medley, a familiar face was introduced and then was dispatched to the bongos during a performance of  "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes." Right, it was the allegedly beleaguered Saints head coach groovin' and movin' to the island sounds that were occasionally interrupted by the "Who Dat" cheer.

Just as talk of future Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells coming out of retirement to temporarily assume coaching duties for the heavily sanctioned NFL franchise came to a halt when world leaked out of Airline Drive that former New Orleans Saints head coach Jim Mora will once again return to the Saints’ sideline.

According to ESPN, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and its general manager Mickey Loomis are expected to be in New York at NFL headquarters to exercise their appeals of their respective suspensions levied early in March.  The suspensions arose out of the bountygate scandal.

The appeal will proceed in front of the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell who some say is acting as the prosecutor and Judge and now appellate court judge in the Saints punishment process.

Without a first-round pick and a loss of this year's second-round draft pick (league discipline to to Bountygate) the New Orleans Saints won't be on the clock until the 89th over-all selection. Let's take a look at the prospects that could fit in in New Orleans as the club tries to make some upgrades to the defensive front seven.

Here's how National Football Post lists the Saints' prospects: