Show Notes
What better way to observe May Day than to discuss another US bank failure? But before we get to the collapse of First Republic (Is this another case of "Get Woke, Go Broke" and what does it means for the future of ESG and "Stakeholder Capitalism?"), we talk about James’ adventures in the Far East, including a trip to a Muslim Thai restaurant in Malaysia where he had the best cup of tea he’s ever had.
Toby recounts his own adventures in the Far North - no, not that one - we're talking about Stoke-on-Trent, where he went on Saturday to see QPR’s final away game of the current football season. Speaking of football, what's the real motivation behind Ryan Reynolds’ and Rob McElhenney’s purchase of Wrexham Football Club?
In Culture Corner, James goes all anthropological on us. Really.
Opening sound this week is Jamie Dimon, the chairman and chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase, on this morning's conference call on the acquistion of First Republic Bank.
More from London Calling
In 1935 Cole Porter penned a tune called "Just One of Those Things" about a love affair "too hot not to cool down." And so it goes.
Everyone is a little miserable this week, fueled by the rainy summer England has had this year. Or maybe because we're all getting a little bit older. James "celebrated" #58 this past weekend and Toby isn't looking forward to #60 due this October.
This week James and Toby open the discussion with James’ recent gig in Dorset and the division in towns like Bridport and Totnes between the woke and the awake, particularly over traffic calming measures like LTNs, Ulez schemes and 15-minute cities.
It's hot in the Mediterranean and James and Toby discuss the recent forest fires in Greece and whether climate change or arsonists are to blame. This triggers an argument (From these two? Really?) about whether there are enough honest journalists left to expose such wrongdoing and that, in turn, leads to a heated discussion about whether the journalist Ross Clark is a genuine climate contrarian because concedes that the world has got a little bit warmer in the past 150 years.
"The best laid plans of mice and men," said Rabbie Burns, "often go awry." And so it is as Toby tells James about how his travel plans have gone over the past fortnight, even though he’s in Majorca with his wife and four children.