Monday, April 30, 2007

A Message To Raptor Fans

Frustration is getting to everyone. The players and the fans.

Everyone needs to relax and re-evaluate the situation. The way I see it, THE RAPTORS ARE NOT DEAD YET! I still believe in them. The same way Red Sox fans believed in their team, when they were down 3-0 to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. There are those who are ready to give up on the Raptors. I refuse to wave the white flag.

I know it's a huge mountain, I know the Raptors were badly outplayed this weekend, I know they are down 3-1; but, WE CAN'T GIVE UP!

There will be a Game 5 and more then ever, the Raptors need their fans. The ACC needs to be louder then before. If you're going to the game, wear red, cheer on the Raptors until the final whistle (no matter what the score is), and most importantly, boo every single New Jersey player; not just Vince Carter.

The Raptors have to take it one game at a time. They are just as good as the Nets. They have defeated them before and hopefully, they will defeat them tomorrow.

It's gut-check time.

Let's go Raptors!

The Hek

*Always a slam dunk! The Audio Circus! Check out Episode 38*

Friday, April 27, 2007

Keep The Car Running

A performance by the Arcade Fire on Saturday Night Live. The New York City audience was excited to see them. This is a great example of the following AF has around the world.



The Hek

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Can't Get You Out Of My Head

Songs 63 and 64 have been stuck in my head for the last few days. That's just how great they are. As always, 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
23. Mickey - Toni Basil
24. Bodies - Drowning Pool
25. Folson Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
26. Bawitaba - Kid Rock
27. Losing Grip - Avril Lavigne
28. City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie
29. Pump it - Black Eye Peas
30. Lonely Old Eyes - Neko Case
31. Immigrant Song - Led Zepplin
32. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
33. Don't Walk Away Eileen - Sam Roberts
34. Bring the Noise - Public Enemy & Anthrax
35. Maneater - Nelly Furtado
36. Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves - Cher
37. My Immortal - Evanescense
38. Hips Don't Lie - Shakira
39. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns and Roses
40. Bad Habit - The Offspring
41. LDN - Lily Allen
42. Man I use to Be - K-OS
43. Lolipop - Aqua
44. Banquet - Bloc Party
45. The Sign - Ace of Base
46. Rise Above - Black Flag
47. Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band
48. Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Denver
49. Hello - Lionel Richie
50. River - Joni Mitchell
51. Romantic Rights - Death From Above 1979
52. Knock on Wood - Amy Stewart
53. My Heart Skips A Beat - Buck Owens
54. Levon - Elton John
55. Use It - The New Pornographers
56. The Boy In The Bubble - Paul Simon
57. Graceland - Paul Simon
58. Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac
59. Head Over Feet - Alanis Morrisette
60. Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash
61. Inside And Out - Feist
62. Crosseyed And Painless - Talking Heads
63. Give It To Me - Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
64. Intervention - Arcade Fire

The Hek

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Sam's The Man

Raptors' head coach Sam Mitchell was named the NBA's coach of the year yesterday. After guiding the Raps to their first Atlantic Division title, Mitchell is absolutely worthy of the award.

I've always enjoyed Mitchell's style. He's a stubborn SOB. However, you can't help but like the guy. He's never afraid to talk down to the media and unlike Toronto's previous coaches (O'Neil, Wilkens, Carter, Walker, and Malone), Mitchell's got character.

This year, he was able to take a team with many new faces and turn them into one of the most unselfish and cohesive units the NBA has ever seen. Mitchell deserves all the credit as well as GM Bryan Collangello.

Here's the irony:

In March, 2006, Sports Illustrated conducted a poll of 248 players, asking them who was the worst coach in the NBA. Mitchell topped the list with 15% of the vote. Goes to show you how circumstances can change in the blink of an eye.

Congrats Sam! Let's Go Raptors!

The Hek

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Playoff Predictions - Round 2

My round one predictions:

Eastern Conference

Buffalo over NY Islanders in 5
New Jersey over Tampa Bay in 6
Atlanta over NY Rangers in 7
Pittsburgh over Ottawa in 7

Western Conference

Detroit over Calgary in 6
Anaheim over Minnesota in 6
Vancouver over Dallas in 7
Nashville over San Jose in 7

What ended up happening:

Buffalo over NY Islanders in 5
New Jersey over Tampa Bay in 6
NY Rangers over Atlanta in 4
Ottawa over Pittsburgh in 5
Detroit over Calgary in 6
Anaheim over Minnesota in 5
Vancouver over Dallas in 7
San Jose over Nashville in 5

Not bad. 5 out of 8 (4 of those were bang on). The Penguins and Predators played well, but their opponents were better. The Thrashers were brutal. I'm glad I was wrong about the Sens.

On to the second round:

Western Conference

Detroit over San Jose in 6
Anaheim over Vancouver in 7

Eastern Conference

Buffalo over NY Rangers in 6
Ottawa over New Jersey in 6

The Sens have what it takes to beat New Jersey. The Devils looked weak against the Lightning. Ottawa must take advantage. The Sabers/Rangers will be a pretty good series. The Sharks and Canucks will put up a good fight, but their opponents will find ways to beat them.

The Hek

*Be sure to catch Episode 37 of the Audio Circus*

Monday, April 23, 2007

Now With 32% Wrath

A late post due to a storm in Toronto. The power was knocked out for a number of hours. Anyway......

Your Wrath Quotient: 32%

Sometimes you get really angry, but nothing out of the norm.
While you may wish someone harm, it's pretty unlikely that you'd actually do anything about it.


The Hek

*No Wrath Here! Episode 37 of the Audio Circus*

Friday, April 20, 2007

They Had Football Jerseys Back Then

Well, it's been quite the week. I thought I'd end it with a simple public service announcement.



The Hek

Thursday, April 19, 2007

NBA Playoff Predictions - Round One

Eastern Conference

Detroit over Orlando in 5
Cleavland over Washington in 6
Toronto over New Jersey in 7
Chicago over Miami in 7

Western Conference

Dallas over Golden State in 5
Phoenix over LA Lakers in 6
San Antonio over Denver in 6
Utah over Houston in 7

You know who I'm cheering for. I hope the Raptors embarrass Vince Carter and beat the Nets. If you're going to any of the playoff games at the Air Canada Centre, make sure to wear red. The sea of red shall make New Jersey tremble ;-)

The Hek

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

It's Always Game Time

For the last few years, the Blue Jays have used a marketing campaign, showing how the players are always ready to play, whether it's on the field or off it.

Out of all the advertisements, this one is my favourite. It features first baseman, Lyle Overbay, who in my opinion, is one of the most underrated players in baseball. However, that has nothing to do with the ad.



The Hek

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The Wrong Choice?

I was reading the National Post's coverage on Virgina Tech.

On page three (April 17), there was a collage of photographs from other school shootings. One particular photo was of a victim from École Polytechnique. She was sitting "slumped" in a chair, while an investigator gathers evidence. To be honest, I was very disturbed by the photo.

Not in the sense that I was looking at a dead body. Rather, I was disturbed in the sense that someone will look at the woman and recognize her, as either their daughter, relative, or close friend. They are going to have to relive the horror. Anyone who has ever had to identify a loved one in a morgue, will also have to relive the horror. That's a dreadful thing to experience and I feel the National Post made a bad decision by printing this photo.

I am fully aware that journalism is about providing all the necessary details. But sometimes, you have to break the rules if it's for a greater good. Everyone knows about the damage caused by these senseless acts. It doesn't need to be put out there bluntly. Out of respect for the woman's family, the National Post should not have printed this photo. They could have easily picked another photo that was less graphic but still conveys the trauma.

This is just my opinion. However, I am interested in your take on the photo. Did the National Post make the wrong choice?

The Hek

Episode 36 - Audio Circus

Monday, April 16, 2007

Shooting At Virginia Tech

The world can be a harsh place sometimes.

As someone who lived on a university campus for four years, I know just how tight a community such as that can be. I also know how issues of security are handled with positive and negative results.

What I want to know, as I'm sure everyone else wants to know, is how the gunman was able to go two hours without being "caught." My guess is that he was current or former student and knew the geography of the campus. Therefore, he knew where the best hiding spots would be. Of course, that is just my own form of speculation.

More importantly, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and their fellow students and administrators who were not injured.

The Hek

Audio Circus - Episode 36

Friday, April 13, 2007

Slapshot Meets The YRP Mascots

Here's a video I made featuring Slapshot The Bear. It was filmed during the York Regional Police Community Skate on March 14.

Yes, that's me in the bear costume.



CHEV Radio has begun uploading all their videos on Google Video. To watch them, head to Google Video and type "CHEV Radio" in the search box. Any video under two minutes, was done by yours truly.

The Hek

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Ok Go

Last month, YouTube honoured it's most popular videos. This video picked up one of the top awards. It features a band called "Ok Go" and was all done in one take.

Now that's just flat out talented.



The Hek

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Playoff Predictions - Round One

Eastern Conference

Buffalo over NY Islanders in 5
New Jersey over Tampa Bay in 6
Atlanta over NY Rangers in 7
Pittsburgh over Ottawa in 7

Western Conference

Detroit over Calgary in 6
Anaheim over Minnesota in 6
Vancouver over Dallas in 7
Nashville over San Jose in 7

My sincerest apologies to all Sens fans. I hope I'm wrong. It's just that the Penguins are a dangerous team. In a few years they'll be in the finals. This year, they will advance to the second round, but that's as far as they will go.

The Hek

*Be sure to catch Episode 35 of the Audio Circus*

Monday, April 09, 2007

My Bloody Weekend

Nothing like spending the weekend by watching people's heads being blown off.

I watched three films over the last few days. Each one containing some form of blood and guts.

On Friday, I watched Grindhouse. This was a fantastic film. Actually, it featured two fantastic films. Lots of gratuitous violence, so if you have a weak stomach, you might want to avoid the film.

Saturday's feature was Fast Food Nation. To be honest, I felt it was a rather bland film. You have three stories and not one of them has any form of closure. The political message is strong, but not powerful since I've heard it many times before. There's no gratuitous violence; however, there is a fair share of blood shed. One character loses his leg and a number of cows get slaughtered. Again, if you have a weak stomach, avoid this film at all costs.

Finally, I watched 300 on Sunday. It's a decent film, but the focus is on the cinematography instead of the actual story. In fact, you could easily guess what would happen in every scene.
There's a lot of blood, but it's not too vicious.

Bottom line: loved Grindhouse, could not care for FFN, enjoyed 300 but it's not going into my favourites' category.

The Hek

*Not so bloody, but still good: Episode 35 of the Audio Circus*

Friday, April 06, 2007

Go Habs Go!

It all comes down to this.

Tomorrow's Habs/Leafs game has major implications. Montreal is in the 8th and final playoff spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Toronto is in the 9th spot, one point behind the Canadiens. If the Habs get at least one point out of Saturday's match, they're in and the Leafs are out. If Toronto beats Montreal in regulation time, they take over the 8th spot and the Canadiens are out.

You know who I'm cheering for.

The Hek

PS: Toronto FC plays their first official game, this Saturday at 10pm against Chivas USA. Go TFC!

Thursday, April 05, 2007

The Three Part Secret

I was watching Maury Povich last week and saw this clip that was so horrible/funny.

"S" and "L" have been together for a number of years. They have known each other since Kindergarten. S and L want to get married and have a family; but before they do, S has to tell L about a secret he's been keeping from her. The secret comes in three parts.

Maury: Okay S, what is the first part of the secret?

S:
Well.....I've been cheating on L.

Audience:
Ohhhhhhh!

Maury:
What's the second part?

S:
Um......the person I've been having the affair with, is L's mother.

Audience:
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Maury:
How long have you been seeing L's mother?

S:
About three years.

Maury:
Alright, what's the third part?

S:
There's a possibility that I'm the father of L's little sister.

Audience:
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Maury:
Wow......when was the last time you slept with L's mother?

S:
This morning, just before the show.

Audience:

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!


In case you're wondering, L actually forgave S.

Scandalous. Absolutely, scandalous.

The Hek

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Take That, Peter Parker!

You Are Spider-Man

Quick and agile, you have killer instincts (literally).
And that kind of makes up for the whole creepy spider thing.


The Hek

*Be sure to catch Episode 34 of the Audio Circus*

Monday, April 02, 2007

So Many Events, Only One Space

A number of things have occurred over the last few days. To ensure full equality, I will say something for each occurrence:

- Happy Passover!

- For the first time in five years, the Raptors are going to the playoffs! They clinched a spot yesterday, after beating Charlotte. Now they set their sights on clinching their first division title. By the way, how great was Friday's match? MoPete.....circus shot.....GOOD!

- Baseball season has begun! The Jays won their opening match today. Needed some extra innings but, they got the job done.

- Wrestlemania 23 is in the books. Overall a good show. I'm happy about some of the results. Not too thrilled about others. Vince is bald, Trump got the Stone Cold Stunner, Cena made HBK tap out, and the Undertaker is 15-0 and the new World Heavyweight Champion.

- The OACT festival was fantastic! Congrats to everyone involved.

- I spent a rare Saturday night at home and I'm glad I did. Got to watch the Arcade Fire perform on SNL. Not only were they great but, the New York audience was really excited to see their performance. If I can find the video, I will post it.

- Juno Awards? Didn't watch. Sorry.

The Hek

*Always a great event: Episode 34 of the Audio Circus*