A few weeks ago my friend & co-worker Joeseph Ottoo officially left the station where I am currently employed to go back to school. I met Joe about 2 years ago at BCIT where we both were enrolled in the Radio Broadcasting program. After graduating we both got hired at The Peak in Smithers, B.C..
Despite being alot older we got along pretty good. Our common bond being our love of sports. The picture above is Joe during his last broadcast of the afternoon sports talk segment on The Peak called, Five In The Box. The best and maybe the only good thing about Joe going back to school is that I now get to host Five In The Box during my morning show.
Joe left a big impression on the community of Smithers and I am not the only one who will miss his presence on and off the mic. I wish Joe the best of luck at Thompson River University the next two years and if you see him, ask how Arsenal did last weekend.
Muc B out.

I was a big fan of Charles Barkley as a player for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers from 1984 to 1992 until he was traded to Phoenix and then Houston. Perhaps only overshadowed on my list of favorite all time ballers by Michael Jordan who started the same year and simply became the best basketball player ever. I've always been a fan of Barkley's candor. My friend Joe sent me a link to this article. It's a great read. He truly tells it like it is. Refreshing and funny. Enjoy.

In the last few years I have often commented that football (soccer) is the best sport but hockey, is my favorite. Baseball would round out my three faves but another typically disappointing season by my Blue Jays and the incredible ineptness of league commissioner Bud Selig has made me care less and less every year. Selig's failure to properly address the steroid issue that plagues the history of MLB and all the players that come out in public to lie about what they have done after testing positive is disheartening. But come playoffs I'll probably be watching the annual (yawn) Yankees/Red Sox best of seven like everyone else. I am after all I am a fan of sport.
All that being said I have never been more excited about the start of a Premier League season and the 09-10 campaign started this morning. I'm watching Arsenal vs. Everton right now.
Having not followed the Premiership at all growing up I don't really have an allegiance to any particular team but I did grow attached to Manchester United when Canadian sports networks TSN & Spotsnet started to regularly broadcast Premier League & Champions League approximately ten years ago. United were shown regularly and had a season to remember in 1999, winning a treble.
The most intriguing stories this year have to be Manchester City spending hundreds of millions to be competitive. Will they be? How United will adjust to the loss of footballer of the year. Arsenal's loss of two regulars as they go with the kids and I'm interested in seeing how Aston Villa will do after a decent finish last year.
Brazilian midfielder, Denilson just scored for Arsenal to make it 1-0. Brilliant.
So let it roll, a new Premier league season. More interesting than ever for me and I guess I'm still with United. I hope someone tells Rooney that this is his year.

Jen and I went out to Haida Gwaii last weekend. It was beautiful. It was a bit of a journey (train, ferry & a car rental) and I'm almost embarrassed to tell people that we only went for about a day and a half but, like I said it was worth it.
Not really that different than other parts of British Columbia in terms of terrain and vegetation, Haida Gwaii is different in terms of the pristine condition of the nature. You also notice that there's not many people there as well.
I can't wait to go back and take in more than just Graham Island.
Check out the photos.