Call It Like I See It

Call It Like I See It

By James Keys, Tunde OgunlanaSociety & CultureNewsScienceNews Commentary
Download on the App Store

Call It Like I See It episodes

  • Does Chaos and Conflict in Society Explain Some Americans’ Turn to a Political Strongman?

    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 (NIL) payments to athletes.

     

    In DC Speech, Charles Koch Speaks of ‘the Mess’ He Sees the Country In (Time)

    Report: President Trump considers executive order limiting NIL payments (ProFootballTalk)

     

    34 min
  • Are US Sports League Drafts Anti American Values?

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider why so many Americans so say the care about freedom and free markets embrace sports league drafts, which operate to take away players freedom to choose where to live and work and to negotiate a salary.

     

    Is the NFL Draft Illegal? (Sports Lawyers Association)

    20 min
  • Culture Series: “How Capitalism Works and How it Fails,” aka "Talking to My Daughter about the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism" a Book by Yanis Varoufakis

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at some of the more intriguing topics in Yanis Varoufakis’ book “Talking to My daughter About the Economy - A Brief History of Capitalism,” which is alternatively titled “How Capitalism Works and How it Fails.” This book, which was first published in 2013, details the rise of market societies and how things like money and the profit motive came to be, and also discusses the mechanics behind the rise of capitalism and how those mechanics have supercharged societies in some good ways and also some risky or unsustainable ways.

     

    Talking to My Daughter about the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism (yanisvaroufakis.eu)

     

    47 min
  • What’s Driving the American System Off a Cliff; also, the Spiky Age Curve for Adult Humans

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider the extent to which the framework of the United States government, as expressed in the Constitution, is falling, and how a failure to heed George Washington’s warning is driving it off the cliff (01:52).  The guys also react to the new research that suggests that adult humans don’t age linearly but rather have aging bursts in their mid-40s and early 60s (33:41).

     

    The Constitutional Crisis Is Here (The Atlantic)

    Trump says he would "love to" send American "homegrown criminals" to foreign prisons (CBS News)

    US Supreme Court halts deportation of detained Venezuelans (BBC)

    A quick break from football, for something more important (ProFootballTalk)

    Over 150 US university presidents sign letter decrying Trump administration (The Guardian)

    George Washington Farewell Address (National Constitution Center)

    U.S. attorney demands scientific journal explain how it ensures 'viewpoint diversity' (NBC News)

    Trump’s playbook is Viktor Orbán’s (Robert Reich Substack)

     

    Humans Age Rapidly at 44 and 60. Follow These Tips to Delay the Burst (Mens Health - Apple News Link)

    Why Aging Comes in Dramatic Waves in Our 40s and 60s (Scientific American)

     

    56 min
  • Could Spending at Brothels Predict When a Recession is Coming? also, the New Old Diet Trick that Can Save Your Metabolism

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider whether nontraditional economic measures like the brothels spending or beer sales may be able to tell us more about where the economy is going than the stock market (01:02).  The guys also look at some new research into a small diet tweak that could match the health and weight loss benefits of intermittent fasting (33:06).

     

    Sex Workers Already Predicted There's A Recession Coming — Here's How They Know (Huff Post)

     

    Simple diet hack is more effective than intermittent fasting diet, study claims (BBC Science Focus)

    Common artificial sweetener makes you three times hungrier than sugar (New Scientist)

     

    51 min
  • In the Face of a Measles Outbreak, will RFK Jr.’s Flip Flop on the Vaccine Help? also, Caffeine Consumption May Be Reaching Alarming, and Potentially Deadly, Levels

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the ongoing measles outbreak in the southwest United States and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s apparent about face on the importance of the measles vaccine (01:22).  The guys also consider whether the rise in caffeine consumption, whether through energy drinks or coffee and tea products, and the deaths that seem to be arising out of that, is something that society needs to take a closer look at (29:21).

     

    Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters (NPR)

    Trump begins mass layoffs at FDA, CDC, other US health agencies (Reuters)

    Colorado sues HHS, RFK Jr. over funding cuts as measles case hits (Axios)

     

    All That Caffeine You’re Drinking May Be Doing More Harm Than Good — Men’s Health (Apple News)

    'Workout Queen,' 28, Who Loved ‘the Buzz’ from Caffeinated Energy Drinks Has Heart Attack, Suffers Fatal Brain Damage (People)

     

    53 min
  • Culture Series: “The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium,” a Book by Martin Gurri

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss a few things that stood out in Martin Gurri’s 2014 book “The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium,” which looks at how digital technology has ushered into a new era of information access altered the power balance between the public and elite institutions in societies around the world.  The guys also consider the extent to which the perspective it offers still holds true over 10 years after its initial publication.

     

    The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium (Stripe Press)

    42 min
  • What’s Behind the Trend of Young Men Struggling with Romantic Relationships? also, Hitler Apologist Attitudes Popping Up on the Political Right

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to the numbers that suggest that young men are having a tough time holding down romantic relationships, at least relative to historic trends (01:16).  The guys also try to make sense of the rise in what look like apologist attitudes and conversations about Hitler and the Nazi’s we have seen recently coming from figures on the political right. (29:22).

     

    Why are young men so hopeless at dating? (Vox)

    Teens Are Forgoing a Classic Rite of Passage (The Atlantic)

     

    Antisemitism Rears Its Head on the Right, Too (WSJ)

    Yes, Musk repost misleadingly claimed 'Stalin, Mao and Hitler didn't murder millions of people' (Snopes)

    Elon Musk’s daughter says father’s rally gesture was ‘definitely a Nazi salute’ (The Guardian)

    This Has Got to Be the Most Hitler-Curious Administration in U.S. History (Slate)

     

    54 min
  • The Idea that Covid-19 Originated in a Lab Continues to Gain Credibility; also, Why Firing Low Performing Workers Fails to Boost Productivity

    James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the growing consensus that appears to be forming that the Covid-19 virus originated from scientific research and was accidentally released from a lab in Wuhan, China (01:25).  The guys also break down the overwhelming evidence that firing employees deemed as low performing doesn’t work boost overall productivity in workplaces, particularly in light of talk now in corporate America and in government about cutting workers and growing efficiency (26:24).

     

    German spy agency concluded COVID virus likely leaked from lab, papers say (Reuters)

     

    The surprising truth about low performers (Business Insider)

     

    50 min

About Call It Like I See It

From the publisher's feed

Call It Like I See It proves that news and social commentary does not have to be manipulative or sensationalist to be interesting, so join hosts James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana as they take a weekly…