I don’t tend to  post a bunch here, and I’ve been crazy busy lately, so I feel a bit guilty that I’ve not had much time to blog.  So what’s up?

I have been completely dumbfounded by Brexit, and the demographic split that has shown up in the UK during this debate.  A while back a friend and co-worker had recommended a podcast for me to listen to – it’s called More or Less.  They had spent a few episodes prior to the vote going thru the various numbers and rhetoric on Brexit to help voters stay informed.  The second podcast I listen to is WNYC’s On the Media, which recently had an rebroadcast episode on Lies and politics. Highly recommend that you listen to these two podcasts to get a better understanding of how things like Brexit come to be.  Perhaps I live in the tech bubble so most of the people I know in the UK were on the side of stay.  However, recently I went to a local meetup, and we have a UK Ex-Pat who is a financial adviser.  He is of (or beyond) retirement age, and a big supporter of Brexit.  To be honest, his position floored me.  He certainly came down on the side of local control of borders and reduction of EU regulations.  However, after listening to the More or Less podcast and talking to others, I find that the regulation aspect, is a bit of a red herring, and the benefits of open borders in the EU, far out weigh the perceived threat.  

Speaking of open borders – social media.  Social Media have continued to drive open communications across geographical boundaries, while at the same time reinforcing echo chambers for many people.  In the past I’ve been a huge user of Twitter, but the amount of self promotion and marketing BS I get in Twitter, has caused me to get more and more of my social media fix via Facebook.  However, Facebook tends to cause a bit of an echo chamber for me. I get frustrated by the political rants of old friends who have drifted away from how I remembered them growing up.  I have unfriended many of them.  I get annoyed by family members who have diametrically different social views as mine, I mute some of them.  And ultiamately I end up going more and more narrow in the feed.  And when something does pop up in the feed that I don’t like, it becomes even easier to mute or unfriend.  What I find interesting about this, is I tend to feel like I am open minded, and respectful of other people’s opinions, but in practice when I don’t see it reciprocated I block / unfriend, etc.  So am I being narrow minded or am I protecting my sanity?