Thursday digest

- One of my favourite athletes of all time is about to retire. Jeremy Roenick is arguably one of the best ever to play the game of pro hockey and never win a Stanley Cup. He was certainly a character both on the ice and off.

I remember an exhibition skills contest he was part of during the 94-95 lockout at the Kitchener Aud where he really hammed it up, not to mention his disco routine he did as part of the LA Kings and the wig that he once wore during warmups with the Flyers . Interviews with him were classic, as is my buddy the Loadstone's story about he went to an Ottawa rip bar with Roenick and the rest of the Flyers' roster after meeting them outside the Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa while having a dart during a boring wedding for which he was some poor girl's date.

On top of all that, I spent considerable time in the mid-90s whipping my brother Brian's ass numerous times at Sega Genesis NHLPA hockey in our parents' basement with Roenick centering Christian Ruutu and Steve Larmer in front of Chris Chelios, Steve Smith and Eddie Belfour while giving him much big brotherly advice.

NHL hockey is far too vanilla and is losing a hell of a good one in JR. I hope he remains involved with the game in some capacity.

- Speaking of athletes, I hope that Barry Bonds gets to 754 home runs and some pitcher beans him right in the head, causing a career-ending injury and preventing that cheater from tying or beating Hank Aaron's record.

- Good for the Arctic Monkeys. Why should I care more about climate change, or any other cause, for that matter, just because the Red Hot Chili Peppers do?

- A couple of stories have emerged today which distinguish the elites in the United Kingdom from that of the rank and file. Alan Johnston, a BBC journalist held captive in Gaza for four months, was freed yesterday. Upon his release, he thanked terrorist organization Hamas and suggested that their presence in the Palestinian territories is positive because they help to impose "law and order". This is no doubt going to help Hamas' ongoing attempt to achieve credibility around the world so they can get more money from countries in the West with which to spread their sickening propaganda.

On the other hand, you have this guy. You know that saying, "I hate so-and-so so much that if they were on fire, I wouldn't even piss on them?" Well, he went one further.

- Continuing to distance himself from the foundations of smaller government, the concept of ten equal provinces and a genuine ear towards the membership of his party, the PM is too busy this summer to attend an annual summer barbecue in British Columbia, a tradition which goes back almost 25 years and involves nearly 2,000 activists and volunteers.

This is not the way to endear yourself to those who work their butts off for you come election time.