Call It Like I See It

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the reaction to the death of Hulk Hogan, particularly in light of how popular he was at his height of fame and how he remained in the public eye even after his popularity waned.  The guys also consider how the evolution of American culture can be seen through his public life and whether the kind of popularity Hogan had in the 1980s is even possible anymore.  ...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the theory that human languages evolved in order to facilitate gossiping, which was raised in the book, Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari, and consider the ways our modern societies may illustrate this theory and also how recent trends may work to undermine how humans have traditionally used gossip to their advantage.   Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss jury duty, how it fits into American civic life, and consider why so many Americans seem to dread serving on juries, even though jurors are granted so much power.   Jury duty is rare, but most Americans see it as part of good citizenship (Pew Research Center) Selected for jury duty? Here’s why this civic service is important (LaHood Law Group)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider what the Trump Administration’s efforts to gaslight the public on the Jeffrey Epstein files says about both Donald Trump and his MAGA followers, and discuss why Trump so far is having such a hard time getting his followers to fall in line on this issue.   Pam Bondi’s botched handling of the Epstein files (CNN) Republicans block effort to force release of Epst...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at some recent research that suggests marijuana use may be connected to some serious health problems, including life threatening cardiovascular issues, and consider whether this means that legalization efforts have been misguided or counterproductive.   Smoking weed and consuming THC-laced edibles linked to early heart disease, study finds (CNN) Cannabis U...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to Elon Musk’s talk of starting a new political party, the America Party, and consider the reasons why Musk cannot be taken seriously with something like this, and the reasons why Musk has to be taken seriously with something like this.  The guys also discuss how third parties have played a key role in many elections in American history and how extreme polarizat...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the recent comments from Superman director James Gunn about how he expects that his Superman movie will be offensive to some because it’s about kindness, particularly in light of the way many studios and creatives have kowtowed to criticism when it was received from certain sectors of the public.   James Gunn: Some people will take offence at my new Superman (...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to Zohran Mamdani's win in the Democratic Party’s New York City mayoral primary and the political frenzy that it sparked, which included attacks coming not just from members of the Republican Party but also members of Mamdani’s own Democratic Party.  The guys also discuss how Mamdani calling himself a Democratic Socialist may affect how he will be as much as his...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the increasing dominance of private equity in the US economy and what may be contributing to it, and also consider how some approaches that have commonly been favored by private equity, when deployed in more and more areas in the economy, may end up working against the interests of most stakeholders.   “We’ve Been Sold a Story That Isn’t Remotely True”:...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss Tunde’s recent business trip to Israel which had him on the ground in Israel when Israel and Iran began exchanging missile attacks.  The guys go through what it was like to be in a place when missiles can be seen and felt flying overhead and the perspective on life that you can get when you go to bed knowing missiles will be coming and you wake up on some days...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to Disney and Universal, two of the biggest players in Hollywood, going after the generative AI company Midjourney for copyright infringement and consider why they may be taking action now as well as how this move could influence the extent to which generative AI will be held to existing legal standards for copyright and beyond.   How the Disney-Midjourney Lawsu...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the debate about trans women participating in women’s sports that seems to pop up fairly regularly, and consider whether there are really two good faith sides to the debate and whether it is likely, or possible, that a consensus among reasonable people can be reached at some point in the future.   World Boxing Apologizes to Imane Khelif After Announcing...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at some of the more insightful life lessons illustrated by the boy, the Englishman, and the Alchemist himself, in Paulo Coelho’s international bestselling book, “The Alchemist.”   "The Alchemist" (paulocoelho.com)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider why President Trump has seemingly met some resistance coming from the right, and even from former allies like Elon Musk, in getting his so called “Big Beautiful Bill” through the Republican controlled Congress, especially since the Republican party has for a long time displayed an almost complete fealty to the President.   What is the Big Beautiful Bill and w...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the how the “future” was envisioned in the Back to the Future” movie trilogy, specifically “Back to the Future 2,”and discuss how present times match up with what was imagined in the 1989.   Are we living in Back to the Future? Scientists reveal what the cult film got right… and wrong (Daily Mail) One of the Most Iconic Sci-Fi Trilogies Began 40 Years A...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to reports about the extent to which South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace and her staff have been using things like bot armies, burner accounts and other social media techniques to boost her public profile and perception (and not just while campaigning but also while she has been in office), and consider whether her alleged approach is business as usual, an o...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to the super realistic Veo 3 AI video generator that was recently released by Google, and consider whether it’s time to start worrying about the capabilities of AI - and about what it may do to us.  The guys also discuss whether the nature of our culture will compel us to continue down this path, even if we know it will lead to ruin.   Google's Veo 3 AI video ge...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at recent trends in how NBA basketball is being played and consider the concepts like “pace and space” are giving younger teams a leg up on older teams, particularly because the NBA has historically been dominated by veteran teams, not young ones.  The guys also consider whether the NBA’s television broadcasts do a good enough job explaining the new things...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at a recent analysis from ISeeCars that suggests Tesla’s are the deadliest cars on the road based on the fatalities per mile driven, particularly in light of Gilbert Arenas’s claim that it was a steering wheel malfunction led to his son Alijah’s accident that resulted in Alijah being in a coma for days.   Gilbert Arenas Blames Son’s Car Accident On Tesla C...

Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman joins James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana to discuss his new book, “The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine” and how over the past few decades, a short term transactional approach to international relationships as opposed to a long term values based approach, has really sold American interests short.   Why...

In this special crossover event with Call It Like I See It podcast and the Disruption Now podcast, Rob Richardson joins James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana to take a look at what’s going on with the manosphere and consider why there is so much focus on masculinity in our culture.   The ‘Manosphere’? It’s Planet Earth. (New York Times) What is the Manosphere? A Parent’s Guide to Online Misogyny (Bright C...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the “Die With Zero” rule from hedge fund manager and best-selling author Bill Perkins, which has picked up some steam recently in wealth management and retirement circles, and consider why its goal idea of maximizing experiences lived requires some to overcome not just psychological hurdles but also evolutionary hurdles.   The 'Die With Zero' Rule of Re...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider whether American society needs GLP-1 drugs because of the way they work on people’s brains to help them eat less, particularly because the food industry in America apparently has gotten so good at formulating foods that work on people’s brains to make them eat more.  The guys also consider why so many people feel the need to hide their use of the drugs in lig...

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the recent trend that has some people abandoning the use of sunscreen based on claims that it is not necessary or actually could be bad for your health.   Most Sunscreen Isn't Bad For You and Using it Will Help Prevent Skin Cancer (Discover Magazine)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at a recent quote from Charles Koch and consider whether in the current moment, we are witnessing a shift in Americans values on things like free markets, and whether the chaos and conflict in our society may be the cause.  The guys illustrate the point through at a recent story about a potential executive order aimed at limiting name image and likeness (N...