Skip to main content

A Brexit Soap Opera

Brian lives with long-term partner Eugene. But Brian is always grumbling, and one day they decide to split up.

Act 1: The breakup

Scene 1:
Brian: We need to talk.
Eugene: Uh oh, okay then.
Brian: You've changed and I'm not happy any more. I don't like living under your rules. You need to change...
Eugene: I'm not sure I can.
Brian: That's it, I'm walking out.
Scene 2:
Brian: I need to take control of my life. I'm leaving.
Eugene: Fine, just go.
Brian: I'll save so much money because I won't need to pay any household bills.
Eugene: You are an idiot.
Brian: I save so much time on paperwork.
Eugene: You are still an idiot.
Brian: I won't need to see your stupid friends any more.
Eugene: But my friends are great and really help us out.
Brian: I really mean it. I'm going.
Eugene: Well, what are you waiting for?
Act 2: The separation

Scene 1:
Brian: Before I go, I have a few demands.
Eugene: What? Just go away already.
Brian: Can I still live here?
Eugene: No, we split up.
Brian: Please, I've nowhere else to live.
Eugene: Fine, but you get a smaller room, my friends can come and go as they please, and you pay more rent.
Brian: No way.
Eugene: Fine, live somewhere else.
Brian: Fine. Bye.
Eugene: You owe me three thousand pounds.
Scene 2:
Brian: Erm, do you still have that room spare in your house?
Frances: Actually, no, I decided to use it for something.
Brian: Please?
Eugene: Ok, you can sleep on the couch. Higher rent though, and only for a few months.
Act 3: The reconciliation

Scene 1: 
Much later. Eugene bumps into Brian in town. 
Eugene: Wow Brian, you look so great these days. Is that a Porsche you're driving?
Brian: Jaguar actually. I only buy British.
Eugene: No, Indian. Listen, we really should go for a coffee some time...
Scene 2: 
Scene 1 was a dream, and Brian wakes up from his alcoholic stupor. He is looking the worse for wear after sleeping in the park for a year. 
Brian: I'm sorry I was so horrible to you. How could I have been so stupid? Erm, can we get back together?
Eugene: Eww, you stink.
Frances: No way.
Eugene: Fine, but from now on, only I decide the rules and you pay rent. You don't overrule me all the time. And we get properly married this time.
Brian: That's so great! I promise I'll never be mean to you ever again. I love EU.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Breaking the Article 50 Impasse

Andrew Tyrie overestimates the UK's control over when the UK government can invoke Article 50. As with much of the Brexit debate, hope and aspiration trump cold hard reality. The next few months will see a lot of work by the UK government setting up new departments and policy positions relating to the triggering of Article 50 and Britain's exit from the EU. This is a sensible and necessary delay. However this article by The Independent makes the case that the UK should delay invoking Article 50 until we establish an informal agreement with the EU on our exit terms. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-theresa-may-andrew-tyrie-must-manage-unrealistic-expectations-warns-tory-mp-a7220681.html This is very desirable from the UK's perspective, but flatly contradicts statements by the EU (including direct statements by Jean-Claude Juncker, Donald Tusk and Cecilia Malmström, as well as official EU policy) that no talks can happen prior to invoking Article 50...

Can information theory prove the existence of God?

I recently came across this website by Perry Marshall, which makes a really interesting proof of the existence of God. The argument is basically that DNA constitutes information (a code), yet all information that we know of is the product of a mind. Randomness cannot create information. Therefore, God exists. Lovely argument. Now let's pick some holes. 1) My first observation is that this argument is almost exactly the same as entropy. The argument is that DNA is a low entropy state. Yet randomness always increases entropy. Therefore DNA cannot be the product of random processes, therefore it must be the work of God (or Maxwell's Demon). However this argument is invalid because localised decreases in entropy are perfectly possible, and expected, even though the entropy of the system as a whole increases. Considering that the site claims to make use of information theory, it presumably is aware of information entropy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_entropy It fo...

When will the UK trigger Article 50?

Article 50 (A50) represents the point of no return, where the UK formally announces that it is withdrawing from the EU. The real point of no return was of course the referendum result, but A50 represents the next milestone in the Brexit process. Those calling for an early A50 argue that there is no benefit to delaying, as this just adds uncertainty and delays the entire process and inevitable recovery. They (mainly Leavers) don't want the referendum result annulled. Those who want to delay A50 say that we need time to prepare (not least, set up a new department for Brexit), and entertain the notion of pre-negotiations, as well as buying time to set up trade deals elsewhere in the world. The EU is very clear that there can be no exit negotiations until Article 50 has been triggered, and it looks very unwilling to compromise. The markets have taken the Brexit vote relatively calmly, and so far it's been very smooth going. This is because nothing has actually happened yet, and wo...