2010, Hockey, Sports, The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke

The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke: January 31, 2010

January 31st of 2010 was a big day for the Leafs. In one day, the Leafs traded 6 players for 4 players, completely changing the team and yes, perhaps, even the “culture.” Surely, this day played as big a part as any other day in Burke’s attempt to get rid of the players he associated …

Hockey, Sports, The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke

The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke – Prologue

I am an odd kind of Leafs fan; at this point I expect them to fail more than I expect them to succeed. I can’t look at any move they make in a completely positive light, and don’t believe they will win the Cup in my lifetime. And yet I watch (or listen) to as …

Philosophy, Society

What is reality?

Saying “reality is everything” is hardly helpful. In fact, it’s “obscurantist”: a position which, deliberately or not, actually lessens human knowledge. The reason for this is that in order to understand what you mean by reality is everything, we must first understand what you mean by “thing.” There’s no other option because “reality is everything” …

Philosophy, Politics, Society

Why is metaphysics dangerous in the hands of those who govern us?

Metaphysics, i.e the study of “things” outside of physical reality, is incredibly dangerous for politics. But first, why do we use metaphysics?

Politics, Society

A Brief Attempt at Elucidating my Political Views

A liberal form of government – i.e. a government which is restrained by an enforceable bill of individual rights and complementary “checks and balances” – is necessary to protect individuals from the great power of the state. This is true and will continue to be true as long as the “state” has more power than …

2010, Philosophy, Society

Why do you beleive that’s the only reality there is and why do you [think] that it is meaningless?

Dr. Johnson, when confronted with the argument that this reality isn’t the real one, said “I refute it thusly” and stubbed his toe. (Or was it that he banged his hand on the table?) This is enough for some of us. It isn’t enough for most. But all evidence – based on our own perceptions …

Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Society

Evolution of Riley’s Political Views

As a teenager, I was a statist, a borderline fascist. I may have believed in liberal ideas in theory – my grade 11 politics class group was the only group to propose a liberal constitution instead of a utopian one for a project – but I thought the government should draft the unemployed. I was …

Hockey, Sports, The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke

The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke: Leafs 2010-11 Preview

Hopefully I’m wrong, but I think the Leafs will again be a pretty weak team. At least the Oilers look like they won’t finish last again. Hoping against hope that Burke, Wilson et al. will be intelligent and let Kadri develop in the AHL this year (as if his presence alone will turn them into …

Politics, Society

Why don’t you believe in conspiracies?

First, I think we must distinguish between conspiracies in the legal sense, and conspiracy theories. Conspiracies are any time that two or more people get together to break a law. Conspiracy theories are “hidden hand” theories of history – around for ages in the case of the Illuminati for example, or newer theories, in the …

Politics, Society

Why is it so hard for some people to beleive that the people in charge don’t have their own agenda?

[Responding to the above question submitted to me using Formspring:] We can debate endlessly the meaning of “in charge” but I can’t agree with your first statement. Nobody is actually “in charge” in the sense that nobody has the power to do whatever they want. A cursory look at Obama’s struggles implementing his agenda is …

2010, Daily Log, Personal, Travel

Riley Goes to Gaspe, August, 2010

Friday August 6, 2010 Once again I feel like a foreigner in my own country. My inability / unwillingness to (re?) learn French makes me feel and act differently than I do in all other parts of Canada. I should just try to pass myself off as an American (which is only mostly a lie). …

2010, Politics, Society

2010 G20 in Toronto

Disclaimer: I didn’t know how to go about doing this. Maybe I’m paranoid (I certainly felt paranoid on Sunday…), but I worry that posting this will in someway have a negative affect on my career. I think there are many people in the governance and corporate worlds who – implicitly if not explicitly – feel …

2010, Hockey, Sports, The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke

The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke: 2010 Off-season Trade Rumours

So today there is a column in the Star today suggesting that Leafs are trying to trade for three players: Dan Hamhuis Patrick Sharp Nathan Horton

2010, Politics, Society

An Open Letter, I guess

Dear Mr. Crimmins I read your editorial in June 7th’s Hamilton Spectator with great interest. Your idea of dispensing with elections is compelling: it would save huge amounts of money, it would shorten campaigns and make them completely unpredictable (hopefully saving us from a situation like that of the US, where each campaign begins after …

2010, Hockey, Sports, The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke

The Campaign to Fire Brian Burke: What do the Leafs need to do to create a winning club?

I think first things first, someone needs to buy MLSE, because I don’t think a pension plan has any interest in championships.