Sunday, April 30, 2006

Something is boggling The Hek's mind and it has to do with MSN. Could someone explain the difference between being "away" and being offline?

The Hek sees no difference at all.

Last night, I was online and for most of the night, almost all of my contacts who were online at the time were listed as "away." And I'm not talking about a few people; there was at least 20-30 people who did this. I don't get that. If you're not going to be at your computer and/or talking on MSN, why would you bother to sign in?

What does the "away" status tell us anyway? I don't have time to be at the computer but I'll still sign in so you know I'm there; even though you can't talk to me? If I choose not to be on MSN, I just don't sign in. In fact, I've rarely used the "away" status.

Busy, On The Phone, BRB; that makes sense. The "away" status when you think about it, is a complete contradiction.

In other news: The Hek has received yet another injunction. This time in regards to IGL.

And finally: Need a problem solved? Ask a ninja!

The Hek

Saturday, April 29, 2006

For the first time from the suburban wasteland, it's time for The Hek's Super Playlist. New Entries are in red.

1. Kennedy Killed the Hat - Buck 65
2. I bought some books - Black Boot Trio
3. Watching the Wheels - John Lennon
4. Vacation - The Go-Go's
5. Like a Prayer - Madonna
6. Night Swimming - REM
7. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
8. Ring, Ring - Abba
9. Call on Me - Eric Prydz
10. November Rain - Guns N Roses
11. Cruel Summer - Bannanarama
12. Hung up - Madonna
13. 463 - Buck 65
14. Judy is a Punk - The Ramones
15. The Laws have Changed - The New Pornographers
16. Portland, Oregon - Loretta Lynn feat. Jack White
17. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
18. The Card Cheat - The Clash
19. Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
20. Boys in the Bright White Sports Car - Trooper
21. Mandy - Barry Manilow
22. Let's Get Together - Al Green

The Hek

P.S. Find Robert Langdon

Friday, April 28, 2006

6:45 left in the third period. Game Four. Hurricanes are beating the Canadiens 3-2. This ain't over.

In the meantime, here is some Heku; that's haiku poetry in The Hek's world famous style.

Ignoring the law
Toyota takes the right of way
avoiding a near collision

The Hek

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Just when I thought the Habs might pull it off and beat the second best team in the Eastern Conference, Game 3 occurs. Not only does Montreal lose the game but Saku Koivu almost lost an eye. Now, Saku is out indefinitely. Not cool. But being the loyal Habs fan that I am, I still believe. The Hek is no Madame Cleo but, I can see the future. Montreal takes games four and five and moves on to the second round. They're led by Michael Ryder and Christobal Huet (aka, the Second Coming, part 3) with outstanding performances.

Disclaimer: Don't put your money down based on The Hek's predictions; they're sometimes wrong. Remember my World Series playoff predictions. I'm still sore from that.

I just sent an e-mail with my new address to everyone on my contact list. Lot of you guys have Hotmail which means that the e-mail may have gone the Junk mail section. Just so you know.

RIP Pat Marsden

The Hek

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

SYMPATICO'D!!!!

We're on the air. Live from Thornhill.

The Hek

Monday, April 24, 2006

Today is the beginning of "Turn-off TV" week. The Hek will be honoring this by watching TV.

Tonight is Game two of the Canadiens/Hurricanes series; 7pm on CBC. Then, at 11pm on Omni 1, it's the Bernie Mac Show which is one of the most hilarious shows I have seen. And who could not forget the Jerry Springer Show; midnight on Sun TV.

Come on, people. What idiot schedules a "no TV week" during the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

In other news, Josh from McGill Improv was in Toronto this past week. It was great to talk to him. Check out his world: Budman's Blog. (That might be the wrong link, though. Apologies if it is)

The Hek

Friday, April 14, 2006

Some reflections.

In August, 2002, I was a scrawny, 19-year-old kid who lived in a very sheltered world; the metropolis of Thornhill. I was a camp supervisor and I was longing for companionship.

Coming to Carleton was a big step for me. In the last four years, I learnt what independence really means. I learnt what it was like to do my own shopping, do my own laundry and make decisions without any outside influences. I discovered just how beautiful the nation's capital is. I also figured out what I want to do with my life. I even had some companionship here and there. There have been so many wonderful memories. I feel I have really grown up in the last four years and it all started that faithful August day in 2002 when I made the big step. What I mean by this is that when a chapter of your life ends, you begin the next chapter by taking the big step in a world that was completely different and has much more attributes then the one you recently left.

Pre-school to elementary school was a big step; elementary to high school was a big step; and, high school to university was a big step. So naturally, I should be making another big step from Carleton to the real world where I can finally start to make something of myself.

However, I'm returning as a not-so-scrawny -anymore, 23-year-old adult, to the same sheltered world. I'm still working as a camp supervisor. I'm currently still looking for a little companionship.

Instead of making a big step, I have gone in a full-circle.

I blew it.

The Hek

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Now this is what I call a good day.

It started with my final Thursday Blend and it was a blast. Noel and I haven't missed a beat and there was tons of funny stuff; for example:

Hek: Al Green is celebrating his birthday, today. And here's a little something from the birthday boy himself.

Noel: Ah, yes. Here comes some baby-making music. Oh yeah!

After some breakfast and a brief pit-stop at my room, I went back to CKCU to burn all my archived stuff to CD. I finished with two stellar CDs as well as a couple of copies for those who took part in election debate I produced and moderated in January. I got the office a little present; a nice big canister of Tim Horton's coffee mix. Not only did they like the gift but they also had one for me: a pair of really nice micro-headphones plus accessories. After a few hours, I said my good-byes and left. As I walked back home, I felt an immense sadness. I'm really going to miss CKCU. I think it was the only location where I never felt like I was out of place. Hopefully I will be able to return to it many times.

However, the sadness went away when I checked my mail to find another cheque from the CBC. They took all my remaining invoices and lumped it all into one nice cheque. This officially completes my current freelance work.

I decided to celebrate by heading to the book store. I have some money on my campus card and I have to use it up or else it will be lost forever. I bought a 1.5 inch binder, a Carleton U t-shirt, and Dan Brown's The Davinci Code. It will be interesting to see if the hype surrounding it is legit or exaggerated.

Finally, I just checked my mark and found that I have finished my Media, Wars and Conflicts class with an A.

Booyah,

The Hek

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Tune into the next Thursday Morning Special Blend.

This week, I'll be joined by a special guest co-host; former Special Blend host Noel Waghorn.


It's also a special show because it's my last Thursday Blend.........for now.
I have recently finished my University studies and will be moving back to my home in Toronto. I'm not sure what the future entails. This could be the last time I'm live on CKCU's airwaves! If it is, I would like to thank all those who have listened. It was an honour to do this show, and I will miss it very much. Thank you, CKCU, and THANK YOU CKCU LISTENERS!

The Thursday Blend will feature:

- Ottawa Sports Recap

- Volunteer Ottawa Placement of the Week

- Poem of the Day
- On this day in History
- The CKCU Entertainment listings and the Byetown Cinema listings
- Weather Updates and lots of great music
- At 8:00, stay tuned for "Hour Two" with Dave Yazbeck; following the BBC World Service News


Got a song request, sports team you'd like to see covered, poem, something really cool. Send me an e-mail to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca


Catch the Thurs. Blend: 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

What I need to get:

1. MD Player
2. A (free) copy of Adobe Audition/Cool Edit Pro that won't expire in 30 days.
3. Internet service that is not part of any "bundle."
4. A microphone
5. Instructions on how to set up podcasts
6. CD burner
7. A wife, a dog and a white picket fence

Wake up to the Thursday Morning Special Blend! 7-8am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Monday, April 10, 2006

The following post shall be entitled: Improv and Propaganda.

At exactly 1:39pm EST, The Hek handed in his last ever assignment and in the process completed his University career. Now, I wait for the marks and graduation in June. Meanwhile, to put it simply:

I AM DONE!!!

And it feels good too. Now for those who were wondering, my assignment was about the mass media's coverage of wars and conflicts. In order to prove my thesis (which was basically that the media throws objectivity out the window during War-time coverage), I needed some help from Noam Chomsky. I used two articles that he wrote as sources; 1988's Manufacturing Consent and, a 1992 article entitled "The Media and War. What War?"

To clarify, here are The Hek's thoughts on Noam Chomsky:

He's extreme and sometimes goes way off the deep end. I mean some of the stuff is really out in leftfield. Think about it. He called the 1991 Gulf War a terrorist attack by the United States. Now to me, both sides had casualties and fought each other; that sounds like a war to me and let's face it, shit happens. He's a bit outrageous with his claims. NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT. Chomsky's theories are debatable but he has built quite the following and has been quite successful and that, I think is pretty darn good. The only thing I hate is that for the last four years, I have had to interpret theories like his and by the time the last paper comes around, you're pretty much sick and tired of him. At least I can take solace that I don't have to worry about him anymore.

Now on to other things....

On Saturday, the folks and I that make up the Carleton Improv Association, put on our last show of the school year and it was fantastic! We packed Mike's Place and everyone had a great time. This was also a special show for me because it was my last show with the CIA. Before it started, I was a bit nervous that I would not have a good performance and that's how people would remember me. However, I am happy to report that the audience was laughing with me and not at me, most of the time.

This year for the CIA was extremely important. After the disasters we faced last year (i.e.: only six members, 12 audience members and getting screwed around by Carleton's Housing office), Noel and I wanted to make sure that the team was in excellent condition when it came time to take our leave (Noel was also great on Saturday as was the rest of the team). We had four goals: Bring in new members; Do more shows; Get back to Montreal; and, try to see if we had what it took to do shows at Mike's Place. Without a shadow of a doubt, I am happy to say we were successful on all four parts. Our rookies were some of the most talented people we have ever had on the team and it was also great to see veterans like Dave, Will and Owen stick with us. This year we did more shows then ever before including two great shows at Mike's Place. We also set up a great relationship with the wonderful people on the McGill Improv team. It is my hope that this relationship continues in the future.

I'm really going to miss the CIA. This may sound pathetic, but it was really the highlight of my weekend. There are so memories that have occurred over the last four years and I will always remember the respect and kindness of my teammates. It was through the CIA that I got to meet Noel who, was instrumental in getting me on the air at CKCU. I could write every single favorite moment but I would be here for awhile.

Instead I'd like to share a quote from Saturday's show. If any CIA members are reading this, feel free to add your favorite moments and quotes to the comment section.

During a game of "Life is Like." Suggestion: McDonald's

Will: Life is like McDonalds. It's where you lose your virginity in the bathroom at age fourteen.
The Hek: Life is like McDonald's. You go to the bathroom and there's some fourteen-year-old losing his virginity.

The Hek

Sunday, April 09, 2006

In the middle of page six of the last paper you have to write, it hits you: I really, really, really hate Noam Chomsky.

The Hek

Friday, April 07, 2006

Get ready for some hilarious fun!

The Carleton Improv Association (CIA) is performing another exciting and hysterical show.

It's also our last show for the 2005-06 season!

Come see the CIA Saturday April 8, 2006
7:30pm
Mike's Place - 2nd Floor University Centre
at Carleton University

FREE ADMISSION


Come watch the CIA perform games in the style of Whose Line is it Anyway?

It is an interactive show so come ready to shout out suggestions!

We hope to see you at the show

The Hek

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Writing a paper I just don't give a rat's ass about.

The Hek

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Catch the next Thursday Morning Special Blend!

The Thursday Blend will feature:

- Ottawa Sports Recap
- Volunteer Ottawa Placement of the Week
- Poem of the Day
- On this day in History
- The CKCU Entertainment listings and the Byetown Cinema listings
- Weather Updates and lots of great music
- At 8:00, stay tuned for "Hour Two" with Dave Yazbeck; following the BBC World Service News

Got a song request, sports team you'd like to see covered, poem, something really cool. Send me an e-mail to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca

Catch the Thurs. Blend: 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Today is the start of the baseball season. The Hek is very confident about the Blue Jays this year. Baseball is my favorite sport. To me, it's not just a spot but also an art from and a science.

Today, I also had the very last class of my University career.

Be sure to catch the Thurs. Blend! 7-8am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Monday, April 03, 2006

The Hek is pleased that his Wrestlemania predictions were all right on the money. Except for JBL vs. Benoit.

In other news, the Carleton residence cafeteria forgot how to cook food this evening. The chicken burgers were rubber, the potato pancake was gooey, and the rice was plastic. I may die tonight of food poisoning. If I do pass away, I want you to......know....that I...........YARRGGGHHH.

*falls to floor*

The Hek

Like a bird, on a wire

You are happy
I hate that

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Tonight is the biggest show of them all: Wrestlemania 22

Here now are The Hek's predictions:

Mickie James will beat Trish Stratus for the Women's title
JBL vs. Chris Benoit for the US title will end in a DQ
Carlito and Chris Masters will beat Kane and The Big Show for the RAW tag-titles
John Cena will beat HHH to retain the WWE Heavyweight title
Rey Mysterio will beat Kurt Angle and Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight title
Rob Van Dam will win "Money in The Bank"
Undertaker will beat Mark Henry
Bogeyman will beat Booker T and Sharmell
Edge will beat Mick Foley
Torrie Wilson will beat Candice Michelle
Shawn Micheals will beat Vince McMahon

Best match of the show: Mysterio vs. Angle vs. Orton
Worst match of the show: Wilson vs. Michelle

The Hek

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Good old Saturday night. Staying at home writing papers. At least, there's THE HEK'S SUPER PLAYLIST. As always, new entries are in red.

1. Kennedy Killed the Hat - Buck 65
2. I read some books - Black Boot Trio
3. Watching the Wheels - John Lennon
4. Vacation - The Go-Go's
5. Like a Prayer - Madonna
6. Night Swimming - REM
7. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
8. Ring, Ring - Abba
9. Call on Me - Eric Prydz
10. November Rain - Guns N Roses
11. Cruel Summer - Bannanarama
12. Hung up - Madonna
13. 463 - Buck 65
14. Judy is a Punk - The Ramones
15. The Laws have Changed - The New Pornographers

16. Portland, Oregon - Loretta Lynn feat. Jack White
17. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen

The Hek