Because you love them, here are more photos of The Hek's trip to West Palm Beach!

Here we are in the Roadhouse Grille. Notice that this eating establishment serves drinks in Mason jars.

The Hek experiences a Finnish Sauna. The temperature went up to an average of 90'C. You thought your eyeballs were melting and your hair was on fire. No, the guy next to me is not naked. Dirty minds.

As you can see, we tired out Mark's grandparents.

This is a game called shuffleboard. It's a lot like curling. I had a blast playing it.

Here we are on the last day preparing to leave the sunshine state.

Here we are at Pearson in Toronto, standing in front of the cube display.

The Hek

Now that I have recovered from the latest Montreal trip, it's time for more photos of The Hek's trip to West Palm Beach!

On Feb. 21, we visited the Navy Seal museum; located in Fort Pierce, Florida.

During the Apollo program, Seals would practice with these capsule replicas. The Navy was responsible for retrieving capsules and astronauts after splashdown.

Fort Pierce was home to the first Navy Seal training centre.

GUNS! GUNS! GUNS!

These obstacles would be set up on the nearby beach. They were used to simulate a battleground.

MANATEE!!!!

This place attracts a lot of visitors....and Manatees.

The Hek

24 Hours spent in Montreal.
6 Hours of Improv performed.
5 hours spent on the road; Ottawa-Montreal and back.
0 hours of sleep.
1 extremely tired The Hek.

What a damn fine time!

More West Palm Beach photos, tomorrow.

The Hek

Back to photos of The Hek's trip to West Palm Beach.

Believe or not, this is part of someone's home.

Rumor has it that a relative of the Kennedy family lives here.

The Hek and Mark enjoy some ice cream.

The Ice Cream from the Ice Cream Club.

Mark's Grandparents

Standing in the middle of a strip mall across from Lake Worth Beach

Caught off guard while applying sunscreen.

Mark's grandfather in front of NAVY SEAL dune buggies.

The Hek

Taking a break from putting up photos. They'll be back tomorrow. In the mean time, be sure to catch the Thursday Morning Special Blend.

It's another 2.5 Hour Show!!!!!

I'll be airing an interview with a member of the Ministry of Energy as well as a report on Ottawa's North-South Light Rail Expansion project.

The Thursday Blend will also have the usual stuff. Also, I want to hear your Oscar picks. Particularly: Best Picture, Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress. Send your predictions to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca.

Tune in: Thursday, 7-9:30am EST, on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

So what do you do when you come home from a film class that featured Porky's and Animal House? Check out more photos of The Hek's trip to West Palm Beach!

The Hek and Mark stand in front of The Breakers Hotel front lawn.

Apparently, you're not allowed to step on the grass. If you do, you get shot.

Downtown West Palm Beach. Notice the palm trees.

This shot of the inter-coastal is great. And when you add The Hek, it's better then great.

That's not a tan. It's just bad lighting.

A shot of Worth Avenue.

Worth Avenue is home to some of the most trendy shops in WPB. It's the type of place Paris Hilton would go. The street actually had a lot of Paris lookalikes.

WPB is home to some of the most biggest mansions. The type that is inhabited by politicians, rock-stars, drug lords and Tony Soprano.

Don't forget to catch the Thursday Morning Special Blend; 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

And now, more photos from The Hek's trip to West Palm Beach!

Here we are about to hit the links. We almost t-boned another golf cart. The driver screamed "JESUS!" and we're pretty sure he had to change his pants as well.

This was the first time The Hek had actually golfed. I soon discovered that I am no Tiger Woods. I shot 52 over par the first time (Feb. 19) and 55 over par the second time (Feb 22).

The Hek and Mark watching the Daytona 500.

Just for the record: Mark despises NASCAR's Tony Stewart.

Mark's Grandmother. The home we stayed at is actually located in a suburb of WPB called Lantana.

Check out Mark's off-white tan!

The Breakers Hotel in WPB. What the Royal York is to Toronto and the Chateau Laurier is to Ottawa.

Apparently, the cheapest rate is $455/Night.

The Hek

Here it is! The moment you've all been waiting for: The Hek's pictures of West Palm Beach. And, there's a lot of them. 51 in fact. What I'm going to do is post eight pictures per day. If you'd like to see the entire set, I've put the entire album up on my facebook account.

Let's start off with one for the ladies: The Hek showing off his fantastic body with the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

Here is The Hek with his "Color of Money" pose.

Here's The Hek's roommate, Mark, doing his "Hustler" pose.

One of Mark's goals during the trip was to get a tan. Good luck, Mark.

The Hek and Mark chilling on the beach.

The Hek and Mark's Grandparents. Wonderful people.

Lake Worth Beach.

And finally, here's a shot of The Hek preparing for another trip to the beach. The tree behind me was actually chopped down later in the week.

The Hek

Hello world,

The Hek is back after some much needed RnR in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was a fantastic trip. Mark's grandparents treated us with such warmth and kindness. They fed us and took care of us in a way that was far from the point of what was expected. Wonderful people. Speaking about warmth, it was on average 27'C everyday. I got to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt in February. It was great to hang out at the beach. I got to touch the ocean. I also accidentally tasted a bit of it. Not good.

I'm not going to write about everything I did. But I did keep a travel log for anyone who is bold enough to read something I wrote by hand.

There are also pictures. I'm going to try to put those up here and on my facebook account for all to see.

PS: Hektar? That's a neat name. Is that the European form of Hector? And no, my name isn't Hek. It's actually part of my last name.

The Hek

The Hek is currently out of the country. He will return on February 24th.

The Hek

You've got to be kidding me: Don't do drugs.

The Hek would also like to congratulate Christian Cage on winning the NWA Heavyweight Championship last night. Somebody is finally recognizing the fact he is one of the most talented wrestlers in the business. He's a Canadian too. Here's a bootleg copy of him winning the match.

The Hek

The Hek is officially having a quarter-life crisis.

On April 7, 2006, I will hand in my last assignment and since I do not have any exams, I will officially complete my university studies.

My goal was to have a job and an apartment by the time I graduate and begin to live in Ottawa. The Nation's Capital was where my career as a wannabe radio DJ/journalist was going to start. However, acquiring a job for anything has been difficult. For one thing, I have not been able to search for any job because of my school workload. Also, when I do find a job, the employer wants you to start right away. I recall in November, this great opportunity to be a general reporter for the Ottawa Sun. Problem was, the job was to start in December and there was no way they would give me the job if I applied and asked to start in May. I'm unable to start right away. There is no way I could balance a 9-5 job and a full course load at the same time. I have two options:

Option one: Stay in Ottawa, get some sort of job, get an apartment, pay the bills, rent and the regular expenses and on top of that, search for a job in radio.

Option two: Go home to Thornhill, live with the parents (free room and board), convince them to get the internet, get a job (probably with the camps) and search for a job in radio.

I spoke to Mark about it and he brought up some valid points. He says that the negative feelings I have towards Thornhill are "in my head." If I go home, any money I make can be saved and not go to things such as rent and utilities. He also said I shouldn't limit myself by staying in Ottawa and only looking for a job there. Living in Thornhill is not a commitment. As soon as you find something in radio and if its out of town you will be able to make an easier move; the transition to the place out of town would go smoother if you leave from Thornhill rather then leave from Ottawa. Then, Mark's spiritual side hits me with this: you cannot rush or control your own fate. Everything that will happen to you, will happen on its own and take as much time as it needs. You have to be patient.

I have to admit, option two is not my favorite; but, it's the most logical. The main problem with going home is that I won't have a CKCU. I need a place to practice my craft. Granted there is CHRY (York) and CIUT (university of Toronto) but, I don't know if they would accept non-student volunteers the same way CKCU does. The commute to these stations would also be a pain in the ass. There is one thing I can take solace in. Recently my program director asked if I would become the volunteer assistant news editor. One of the reasons why I accepted was because my PD told me that I could go home to Thornhill and still do the job as all it entails, is receiving and e-mailing story ideas.

So this is my little crisis. I need a goddamn miracle.

The Hek

The Winter Olympics start today and I totally forgot about them. This is an example of life in Residence when your access to television is caught down. In the past, you couldn't go a half-hour on CBC or TSN without knowing that the Olympics were coming. There would always be a massive push two months before the event would begin. Since I don't have a television in my room and literally go to the TV lounge maybe twice a week, I've lost site of the fact that the games are about to begin.

In the meantime, the weekend has arrived and to get it started, here are two more videos from YouTube.com:

High School Fight

And, a video that was quite controversial; but the song is fantastic

The Hek

The Hek has found the greatest website.

YouTube.com

This website features tons and tons of video clips and it has EVERYTHING! Here are some of the clips I would like to share with you out there in internetland:

1993 Childhood Memory #1

1993 Childhood Memory #2

And, a video I'll file under "guilty pleasures" (It's such cheese, I love it)

I'll have some more tomorrow.

The Hek

The Thursday Morning Special Blend! Where we love to love.

Tomorrow, I'll have the sports recap, Volunteer Ottawa placement of the week, poem of the day and much more.

I'll also be re-airing an interview I did last week with the organizer of an event called Speak Silence which is connected to the organization, Journalists for Human Rights.

Tune in: Thursday, 7-8am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Today, The Hek viewed The Art of War. Originally, I had said that I was not looking forward to this film. However, my comments were based on the fact that I had confused The Art of War with a documentary called The Fog of War. I had no interest in watching a three hour film about some military adviser. Instead, I got to watch Wesley Snipes kick some ass. The only downer was that my class ended before the film. This means that I could not see the ending. It was right at the part where Snipes' character is battling his friend who he thought was dead but was actually working against him. What a gip. Hopefully, I'll see the end tomorrow.

Remember: Thursday Morning Special Blend: 7-8 (or 9:30)am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

As promised, IMPROV SUMMIT photos!

For a recap of the event check out Josh's Blog.



This was taken at 5:00am as we all prepare for bed.

Here's Kirsten and I enjoying some conversation. Claire is in the background.

The Hek and Owen present their "Don't mess with us" looks.

Here's the CIA before we hit the stage. Backrow (L-R): Noel, Chris, Will, Abigail, Claire, The Hek, Kirsten, Dave. Frontrow (L-R): Tim, Owen

The former hosts of the Wednesday Blend practice their comedic craft.

Thanks to the photographers.

The Hek

First off: I'm doing a fill in tomorrow; 8-9am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

Another Montreal trip has come and gone. And it keeps getting more fun, more weird, and more insane everytime...

A couple of quotes from the trip:

The Hek: What are the symptoms of cabin fever?

Owen: You're in a cabin.

Here's my favorite one: "Hek, you magnificent asshole." That one also came from Owen. However, I forget the context.

I have some pictures and I'm going to post them...............tomorrow.

The Hek

"You played Abba! You're going to hell for that."

- Ryan, host of CKCU's Whatever's Cool With Me, to The Hek.

Due to an accident at Carleton's Bronson Street entrance, Ryan was unable to make it in at 9:30am for his show. The Hek had to fill in for the first 15 minutes; playing Abba, Crash Kelly and Broken Social Scene.

Today was the fourth and final week where I would do a 2.5 hour show. It was fun but took a lot of work. It's hard to put together and focus on a show when you also have five courses. When I think about it, CBC Radio One's morning show is also 2.5 hours long. That has at least a dozen or so people who work on it. This means that I alone, do the work of 10-12 people. Not to freaking bad.

Time to add some more songs to The Hek's SUPER PLAYLIST!!!! Songs in red are the new entries.

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

In the meantime, the improv team and I are off to Montreal for the Improv Summit. Carleton vs. McGill vs. UQAM vs. Princeton. I'll have the eventful details on Sunday; if of course, I'm not in jail or something.

The Hek

Stylin' and Profilin'! The THURSDAY MORNING SPECIAL BLEND!!!!!

Tomorrow, will be the last 2.5 hour show as next week, the hour two host returns.

We'll have the sports recap, poem of the day, Volunteer Ottawa Placement of the week, Entertainment-Arts-Community calendar and the Metro News. I'll also have two interesting interviews.

At 8:30am - as part of our coverage of the Carleton University Students Association elections - I'll be speaking with a representative of the Garden Spot restaurant, who is running a referendum to increase their student levy.

The organization, Journalists For Human Rights is holding an event on Feb. 8-9 called Speak Silence. I will be speaking with a member from the Carleton chapter.

Finally, the Super Bowl is this Sunday and I want to hear your predictions. Who's going to win; Seattle or Pittsburgh? Send me your prediction to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca. You don't even have to like football. Just pick a team.

Tune in: 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Good god. 90 minutes I would like to have back.

I like chessy things. But this was way over the top. From the horrible one liners, to the plot holes. And explain to me how they tried to create Raccoon City out of Toronto. You can play a game called spot the Toronto landmarks. And what kind of a name is Raccoon City? Are you kidding me? Who writes this?

But, I digress.

Catch the Thursday Blend; 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

The Hek broke a fortune cookie and found not one, but five fortunes.

1. You have a yearning for perfection.
2. You have at your command, the wisdom of the ages.
3. Good news will be brought to you by mail (I did get a bank statement today).
4. Remember what you receive, not what you give.
5. You have a reputation for being straight-forward and honest.

What would have been really cool is if I got a fortune that read, "You shall make love to a beautiful woman." No dice.

The Hek

For your Sunday pleasure, The Hek presents: The battle of Snoop versus Led Zeppelin. Otherwise known as Led Snoopelin.

The Hek

The Hek and Mark are about the enter the gym. At the entrance, there is a sign that reads, "No animals or bicycles allowed inside."

Mark: Oh, no animals. Looks like you can't come in.

The Hek: There's nothing I can do about that. It's attached to my body.

Mark: You're DISGUSTING!!!!! Frig.

For those in the Ottawa area, come out to another free improv show featuring the Carleton Improv Association. Saturday, 7:30pm at Mike's Place; 2nd floor of the University Centre on the Carleton campus.

The Hek

The show went well. But, if there is one things I have learnt is that you should never do phone interviews with people on cell phones. Bad static, man. Land lines is the way to go.

And now, time to add some more songs to The Hek's SUPER PLAYLIST. The songs in red are the new entries. If you ever get a chance, you should definitely look them up.

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

The Hek

There's always fun on the THURSDAY MORNING SPECIAL BLEND!!!

Tomorrow, I'll have the usual stuff; as well as an interview with a member from the Marc Nelson Trio who will be performing for the Canadian athletes at the Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Listen: Thursday, 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Since when did everyone become so fatalistic.

A lot of people I have spoken with and a lot of blogs I have read, seem to believe that the world is going to end simply because Stephen Harper has become the Prime Minister. Now, I am not a supporter of any political party; I tend to look at things from an objective eye. I also believe in freedom of speech and respect everyone's opinion, whether I personally agree with it or not. I also believe that every argument deserves a retort. So, here is mine.

People! It's only a MINORITY government. These things only last for 2-3 years topps. Listen, the sun will come up tomorrow and so on. As Trudeau once noted, "Despite all its shams, it's still a beautiful world. Strive to be happy."

Catch the Thursday Blend! 7-9:30am on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Anyone who chose not to vote today, is dead to me.

As of now, you still have 90 minutes.

The Hek

I have no motivation whatsoever....

I finished my Pizza Minis and according to the box, The Hek is entitled to two free downloads of songs. So how come, the access code on the inside of the box is "invalid." My ass its invalid. Dammit, I want my two free songs.

The Hek

I want to introduce you to a pop culture artist:
Brandon Bird

He's the only man to make art out of Chuck Norris, Chris Walken, Law and Order and Edward Norton.

The Hek

Lesson for the day: Never joke with members of the Liberal Party.

After the show today, I went down to the fourth floor of the Unicentre. Students from the Liberals and the NDP set up tables to promote their respective candidates. Both tables have some cool stuff. The Liberal table had buttons with Paul Martin's face while the NDP table had some cool Jack Layton posters.

Now, I'm a collector. I've collected baseball cards, stamps, buttons, etc. I especially love to collect things that represent "moments in time." Therefore, it is no wonder that I would take buttons and posters; it didn't matter which party or whose face was on it.

At the Liberal table, I was speaking with someone who took part in the debate, last week. She told me that on Saturday she will be having breakfast with the Prime Minister, to which I said: "well I hope he picks up the tab for that." She laughed and I followed with another joke. "Actually, when I say he should pick up the tab, it probably means that we (meaning tax payers) will pick up the tab."

My Liberal friend immediately frowned and sternly told me that the breakfast was being funded by Liberal party donations. I was taken aback and told her I was just joking. However, the conversation got pretty awkward after that.

I went back up to CKCU to do some editing. When I left I decided I would go past the Liberal table again and wear the Martin button just so she wouldn't think I was a dick. However, when I returned, she was not there.

But her two friends were there. I smiled and told them that I keep the PM close to my heart as I was wearing the button on the left side of chest. The guy told me that my colour scheme was off. I asked him to explain to which the other girl said "well, what's with the poster in your hand," pointing to my Layton poster. I smirked and told them that I love to collect election material. They just frowned. It was at this point that I realized, it was a lost cause. I got out of there, took off my button and headed to the caf for some brunch.

To sum up: unless it's about the other parties, never joke with the Liberals.

The Hek

I hope you're ready for another exciting 2.5 hour THURSDAY MORNING SPECIAL BLEND!

Tomorrow's show will be the last before Monday's election. We'll hear a candidate interview from the either the Ottawa-Vanier riding or the Gatineau riding. Then, I'll be speaking with Larry Pegg, organizer of UdeVote; an event that takes place this Sunday from 4-8pm, at Babylon Night Club (317 Bank Street) which combines Indie Rock and the election. I will also be speaking with George Soule, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students on how the issue of post-secondary education is being handled during the campaign.

And don't forget the sports recap, poem of the day, Volunteer Ottawa placement of the week, Metro News, and entertainment/community/arts listings.

Be sure to also vote for the Thursday Blend Internet poll. This week's question: When will the next federal election occur:

A. In One Year
B. In Two Years
C. In Five Years

Vote by sending an e-mail to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca

Catch the show: Thursday, 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Need a good laugh? The Hek suggests Meatballs from 1979, staring Bill Murray.

Well my cold is starting to go away and all I have to say is Thank God. Being sick means I can't go to the gym. Of course this bugs me because, the gym has become my form of smoking; it's addicting.

Don't miss the next Thursday Blend. It's another 2.5 hour show. And of course, you can only hear it on CKCU 93.1 FM.

And be sure to vote for the Thursday Blend Internet Poll. This week, we're asking: When will the next Federal Election occur?

A. In One Year
B. In Two Years
C. In Five years (which means a majority comes out this current campaign)

Vote now by sending an e-mail to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca

The Hek

H'okay...

First off, I have a cold. I got this from either the Green Party representative at the debate, the ErinMarie (who was getting everyone sick and somehow, it got to me in Ottawa), or I've been making out with too many girls with colds.

But on to something more important......

In March, 2005, Mark and I came up with what I thought, was a crazy idea. We planned on going down to West Palm Beach, Florida for Reading Week, 2006. Mark happens to have grand parents who live there and they said we could come down. This meant free room and board and most of our meals would be cooked. I agreed to the trip thinking that it wouldn't really transpire. We were originally going to buy our tickets during this previous summer. However, when this did not occur, I was convinced it wasn't going to happen............until last night.

Mark's grandparents called and invited us down. Mark immediately said yes but the real question was, would I go with him. I had to make a snap decision and it was not an easy one to make.

I was reluctant to go for the following reasons:

1. I have a good number of assignments coming up after the break. Reading week would allow me to work on those and avoid any possible all-nighters.

2. I had the money for the trip. In fact I had enough left over from the summer that didn't go to my tuition. However, what was holding me back was that I wanted to use that money to help pay for an apartment in case I mange to stay in Ottawa. To me, there's necessary spending and unnecessary spending. Getting shelter is necessary; going on a trip is unnecessary.

3. I rarely go on these type of trips. It's just not my thing. I figure I'll probably travel for work. Sitting at home and relaxing is just as good of a vacation as opposed to going somewhere warm or Europe. Besides, I haven't been on an airplane since I was a baby and I don't have a passport (although I think my birth certificate would be sufficient enough).

4. Going on this trip would mean missing a couple Thursday Blends. Yes I know its petty; but, I'm addicted to it. Two weeks off means two weeks of not practicing my craft.

Despite these concerns, I decided to go.

My parents were surprisingly "gung-ho" about it. They thought it was a great idea. They're even letting me use their credit card to pay for the plane ticket since I don't have one. I feel extremely guilty about this. I told them I would pay them back but they acted like they're not going to let me do that. It's not fair. They shouldn't have to pay for this. They pay enough money as it is for my residence. They even said they'd help me out if I stay in Ottawa. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate their help and I would be a complete idiot for not taking "free money. " But I'm 22 years old, dammit! I should not have to rely on my parents all the time. I have to start making my own way through life or else, I won't survive.

So, I'm going to Florida............and feeling a little guilty about it.

Meanwhile, I'll hit the sand and walk past all the American college girls who will no doubt be throwing themselves at me.

The Hek

Not sure who to vote for? Then tune in for the CKCU - Charlatan Young Leaders Debate. Listen as members of the Carleton Young Liberals, Carleton New Democrats and Carleton Green Party discuss a number of issues. Unfortunately, the Carleton Young Conservatives were unable to provide a representative.

8:07am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

Today, The Hek cast his vote for the 2006 Federal Election. And The Hek voted for.........

Sorry, I'm taking that piece of information to the grave.

Be sure to catch the CKCU - Charlatan Young Leaders Debate. Monday, 8:07am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM.

BTW, I had a meatball sub with veggies and Noel said I was crazy and that no one does that. Is he right or wrong? Do people have veggies with their meatball subs?

The Hek

The following conversation took place between The Hek and his roommate...

Mark: Man, I hope the textbook for our Canadian television class comes in soon. The shipping service said it would be here by the weekend.

The Hek: Yeah, I'm actually going to head to the bookstore to see if they got the new shipment.

Mark: Hey listen, if you get the book and I don't, you'll let me borrow it over the weekend, right?
The Hek: Of course, man, always. Even if you ran out of underwear, I would lend you some.

Mark: That's disgusting!

The Hek: No it's not, I would make sure it's a clean pair I give you.

In other news, I moderated and recorded the CKCU - Charlatan Young Leaders Debate. Everyone showed up except for the Carleton Young Conservatives. They're loss I guess. The debate will air on Monday around 8:07am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM.

The Hek

The first two hours of the show went well. However, I'd like to have the last half hour back. I was suppose to interview a member of the Marxist-Lennist party of Canada over the phone. But the gentlemen, never called the interview line. Instead, I was forced to stall which is something I don't like to do. My program director once said, "Good radio is something made up along the way. Great radio is something that is scripted that was made to sound like it was made up along the way." I am a firm believer in this notion. When I stall, I basically just ramble about all sorts of things. I don't like it because when I ramble, I'm not exactly putting together sentences that flow and make sense. I also stumble on my words. That might be okay on a campus station; but it would sure not fly on stations like CFRA, CBC or, The Bear.

Instead of rambling I could have played an interview from the "ready to air" election file I created. But, the problem with that was that I didn't have time to preview the new files. I could have also played more music. But, I burned all my ads and therefore, didn't have time to cue CDs.

This is why I prefer to record my interviews. That way, I don't have to rely on other people too much and it prevents a guest dropping out at the last second. I do like the live interview but, it has it's limits. As I said, the guest might forget about showing up to the station. In terms of the phone, CKCU cannot afford the long distance. They simply have no plan and it would cost a fortune. If the guest lives in the Ottawa area, you can simply call them and then, not have to worry about them forgetting. However, for anyone outside of Ottawa; say in Gatineau or the Valley, they have to call us. Nine times out of ten, they'll remember to call. Five times out of ten, they're late and you're forced to stall. That's essentially what happened today. Of course, if this was CBC or CFRA the chance of them forgetting, would be quite slim.

So you can now understand why I'd like to have the last half hour back.

But enough about that. I have a big day tomorrow when I get to moderate the CKCU - Charlatan Young Leaders Debate. It's going to be recorded tomorrow and aired on Monday.

The Hek

Be sure to catch the THURSDAY BLEND. 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

2.5 HOUR SHOW!!!!

And be sure to vote on the THURSDAY BLEND INTERNET POLL. This week's question: Who came out the strongest from Monday's federal debate?

A. Paul Martin
B. Stephen Harper
C. Jack Layton
D. Gilles Duceppe

Vote now by sending an e-mail to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca

The Hek

So if you ever are looking for a film that is pure fluff, predictable, cheesy and downright disturbing, The Hek suggests David Cronenberg's Shivers (aka: The Parasite Murders). If I ever made a list of films that were so bad that they gain some form of artistic prestige (think Mystery Science Theatre 3000), this film would defiantly be on the list.

Be sure to catch the THURSDAY BLEND. 7-9:30am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

And be sure to vote on the THURSDAY BLEND INTERNET POLL.

This week's question: Who came out the strongest from Monday's federal debate?

A. Paul Martin
B. Stephen Harper
C. Jack Layton
D. Gilles Duceppe

Vote now by sending an e-mail to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca

The Hek

"I swear to god, if you chip off the new paint, I will re-castrate you."

- Noel Waghorn to The Hek as the two moved a Hutch/Corner Unit into Noel's apartment.

The Waghorns recently came into possession of a hutch. There was a large debate on this issue and in the end, Leslie and Noel agreed to take it. Noel gave me a call and requested my assistance in transporting said hutch. This was no easy ordeal. However, we managed. The hutch took up most of the space in the car forcing myself to sit with my back to the passenger seat while one hand holds on to the darn thing and the other, to the strap of a seat belt which would do nothing if an accident occurred. Don't get me wrong, it was fun. But if I never have to move another hutch in my life again, I will not loose sleep over it.

The Hek

Just got back from watching the film Munich with Eric Bana and Daniel Craig.

The Good: Munich was a very noble attempt at showing the real side of a violent world. Bana's character is a form of morality that gets lost in all the senseless bloodshed. A worthwhile film.

The Bad: Was a little too long. Some scenes didn't really need to be there.

The Ugly: The fact that when Mark, Tim and I arrived at the theatre, we were told that the only remaining seats were in the front row. I had to look up for the entire time. My neck is killing me and I feel like I'm about to puke (King Kong all over again).

In other news, I have recently joined this facebook.com. I'm getting quite addicted to it. Just for fun I typed my last name into the "global search." Turns out there's a Justin Rosenhek in Maine and Sergio Rosenhek in Houston.

The Hek

One of the courses that I am taking this term is called Contemporary Popular Canadian Cinema. It's a study of "popular" Canadian films. In order to be defined as popular, these would have to have won the Golden Reel award which is given to the highest grossing Canadian film every year. But remember, just because it was popular, doesn't mean its a great film. Here are some of the films I shall be viewing. The ones in blue are the films I'm looking forward to see. The ones in red are films that will no doubt make me cringe.

Meatballs
Porky's
Strange Brew
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
The Art of War
Les Boys
Jesus de Montreal
Ghostbusters

The Hek

Sometimes I feel like CKCU is a second home to me. Today furthers this notion.

It all started at 5:30am when my alarm went off. Usually, I switch from the alarm to the radio and listen to whatever is on as I get ready. But when I did this, the Mighty 93.1 was silent. Maybe it was my radio, I thought. So I turned the dial to 93.9 BOB FM; it was broadcasting. I then turned the dial to CBC Radio One at 91.5; it was broadcasting as well. This only meant one thing: DEAD AIR. The worse thing to ever occur in radio.

Dead air can mean one of two things. Either there is no one at the station; or, something happened to our antenna and the station was off the air. So I rushed off to see what was going on.
I arrived at CKCU around 6:20am. I got into the station but the door to the on-air studio was locked. This has happened to me before and the results weren't pretty the first time. I was not going to let that happen again. I ran around the Uni-centre looking for someone to get me in the station. Sure enough, I found a worker who had the proper keys. I entered the empty studio and put on a jazz CD while I got ready for my show. The show went off perfectly and I returned home thanking my lucky stars.

My program director already knew about the situation when I phoned her later that afternoon. Then she informed me that she needed a fill in from 4-6pm. Back to the station I went and loved every single minute of it. Joe from back home got to listen to CKCU for the first time. ErinMarie also tuned in. But the best was a caller who called me after I finished and said that he loved the music I selected and that I was doing a great job. He may have been the only one listening when I signed off but hell, if I can provide an escape to just one listener then it was all worth it.

The Hek

It's back.....

The THURSDAY MORNING SPECIAL BLEND!!!

Tomorrow, I'll have the sports recap, poem of the day, entertainment/Bytowne listings, more election coverage, and a brand new segment I like to call:

The THURSDAY BLEND INTERNET POLL.
This week's question is: Are New Year's Resolutions overrated?

A. Yes B. No

Cast your vote by sending an e-mail to thursday_blend@yahoo.ca

Catch the blend! Thursday, 7-8am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

The Hek has returned to Ottawa safe and sound. 2006 could be the most important year in The Hek's life. It will be in this year that his education will be complete. It will be this year when he begins to make his mark on the world. It will be this year when officially sheds the life he once had and pursues the life he has always strived for.

Boy, it's fun to be pompous sometimes.

In any case, I had a wonderful time these past two weeks. Some excellent relaxation and a chance to see those who I might not see for awhile. Before I left, the ErinMarie gave me a scarf she had made herself. It's definitely something you need here in the nation's capital. The neat thing about the scarf is that she somehow got it to smell like her. I don't know how she did that. It's like I have a Blue Meanie wrapped around my neck. Mr. Wood also provided a CD with some awesome tunes that will be very shortly added to The Hek's Super Playlist. Stay tuned for that.

In the mean time, my good friend Owen has finally posted some new entries on his blog. Be sure to check it out and read his new poem. It's straight from the mind of the Orleans O-risticrat. (That's a nickname best described as: work in progress)

The Hek

Where did the Blue Meanie go? Overhaul? Leaving things behind? I smell a Hek-vestigation :-)

The Hek

Huzzah! The one and only exam is completed.

Huzzah! More RAM installed. Compy works well. Runs like Greyhound. No longer like snail.

But, my MSN messenger still does not work. The error code I keep getting is 80048820. I called MSN tech support and they told me there's nothing they can do because Messenger is a program that you get off the internet. Nuts to them. Anybody had that code before?

I'm gonzo with an O and a Z

The Hek

Maybe its the studying...

I feel like I'm in a French New Wave film. I am an isolated character who goes through some extreme circumstances. Then everything goes back to normal and I'm still isolated. And in the end, I accept my isolation.

The Hek

It happened again...

I got involved with something and I said to myself "Be careful, don't get to involved. Don't allow your emotions to take part. It will hurt you in the end."

So I tried it and it seemed to go well, and I started thinking "Maybe this is legit. Maybe this is real. Maybe happy endings do exist."

But in the end, it ends the way it always does; with a whimper. It hurts everytime. You try to make something special and no matter what I do, it always fails. I've always tried be rational from beginning to end. But rational turns into emotional every fucking time. Barnum was right, a sucker is born every minute.

Sometimes you form grudges and other times, friendships. The ladder occurred this time and I will always take solace in that.

This is real life, people. This is reality. So, you become Fred Astaire. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. Then, you look at the world and yell:

FUCK THIS SHIT

The Hek

From 5:30am - 9:00pm, The Hek was on the go.

First I did the show and it went quite well. Then I went over to Noel's place to help him and his wife move into their brand new apartment. Myself, Abigail, Blake, Noel and Leslie spent nine hours moving tons and tons of stuff. It was actually a lot of fun because I was doing something that had nothing to do with school. I was doing something that had to do with real life. It was reality and I loved it.

I realized that its an exciting world out there with opportunity.......and The Hek is stuck and forced to finish his education. School holds me down. Thornhill holds me down. Parents hold me down. Psychotic drama holds me down.

I can't move back to Thornhill when I graduate. During the recent summer, I made this decision. This is me having fully taken control of my life.

I realize its a pipe dream. But I want to dream. And I want the dream to become reality.

Alright, I know that some of this doesn't make any sense. However, there is a lot of stuff going through my head. This is my way venting. This is my way of getting rid of the stuff in my head. I feel a whole lot better now.

Yikes, this is like something Roddy Piper typed up.

The Hek

Be sure to catch the next THURSDAY MORNING SPECIAL BLEND. The Hek is filling in for the hour two host which means:

2.5 HOUR SHOW!!!!!!

In the first hour, I will be speaking with Keith Fountain, Conservative candidate for the riding of Ottawa-Centre. Then in the next hour, I will be speaking with David Chernushenko; deputy leader of the Green Party and also running in the Ottawa-Centre riding.

I will also have the sports recap, Volunteer Ottawa, poem of the day, the entertainment and Byetowne listings, Arts and Community Listings and Ottawa Metro News.

Tune in: Thursday, 7:00 - 9:30 am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

The are many great things about having time off before your first and only exam. Today for example, I cleaned my room and watched some television. Unfortunately, I was unable to stomach an episode of Growing Pains. JFL: Gags was quite brilliant. Speaking of brilliant, The Hek highly recommends people watch Kenny vs. Spenny. There's a hilarious show.

the temperature drops
and the world begins to freeze
for now there is

silence


stillness


quiet


all except one low heart beat


The Hek

One of these things is not like the other.
One of these things just isn't the same.
Can you tell which thing is not like the other?
Now it's time to play our game.....

The Wrigley company - makers of Exrta, Excel, and Juicy Fruit gum - did a promotional campaign at Carleton last week. One of the things they were handing out were bookmarks that offered study and test-taking tips.

Here are four such tips. Can you guess which tip is not legitimate?

1. Take notes as you read to help process information.
2. Study during the time of day you work most efficiently.
3. Chew gum to improve focus and concentration
4. Study when its quiet and well-lit.

Vote now!

The Hek

YES! ALL ESSAYS AND FINAL PAPERS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED!!!! NO MORE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS! NO MORE RESEARCH!!!! HUZZAH!

YES! THE CARLETON IMPROV ASSOCIATION PERFORMED ANOTHER FANTASTIC NIGHT OF COMEDY!!! HUZZAH! THE HEK'S PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT WAS WHEN HE AND NOEL WAGHORN DID THE FRESH PRINCE/JAZZ GREETING (*SLAP HANDS* followed by "PHISSSH")!

My experiences using web messenger has taught me that I do not have enough RAM on my compy. Believe or not, The Hek only has 96 MBs of RAM. 70 of those MBs are used to run Windows XP. With the internet and web messenger running all memory is used up, making my compy extremely slow and non-efficient. When this happens, web messenger just signs me out. So, I could be talking to someone like Abigail, Noel or Mr. Wood and then get suddenly caught off. To make things worse, people will msn me and I will only get the message five minutes after it was sent.

Therefore, until I upgrade my memory. The Hek will be off MSN for awhile. I don't know how long this will take. I am hoping only for a couple of days. I might use MSN if I'm in a Carleton computer lab. In any case, if you need to get a hold of me. Send me a comment, e-mail or phone me up.

The Hek

Election coverage on the next THURSDAY MORNING SPECIAL BLEND!!!!

Tomorrow, I will be airing my interview with Richard Mahoney.

Richard is the Liberal candidate for the riding of Ottawa - Centre. We talk about student debt and how to get students out to vote.

Tune in: Thursday, 7-8am EST on CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

scholar enters the room
seeking true writings
obtains chicken scratch

THURS. BLEND = 7-8am EST = CKCU 93.1 FM

The Hek

HOLY CRAP!!! I'm watching this Global TV special on voter apathy and The Blue Meanie is in the audience!................Wait a second..........The Blue Meanie looks female..........and familiar.
Anyway.

I have had just too much work.

For those who are wondering, the MSN has not been properly working. I've been forced to use web messenger which has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. As soon as the workload eases up, I'm going to call the CCS network and ask for assistance.

Meanwhile, guess what I did on Saturday night? I went to research at the library. For some reason I do this once during the school year:

2002-03: Essay on Dieppe
2003-04: Essay on John Milton
2004-05: Essay on Harley Davidson advertising
2005-06: Essay on Martin Scorsese

I hate the library. It feels like a jail. I always tell people that I am making a conjugal visit whenever I need to get a book or information.

Finally, I'm adding another song to The Hek's SUPER PLAYIST: Madonna - Like a Prayer

End of transmission.

The Hek

We start off with the quote of the week. This one comes from a member of the Singing Grannies who was protesting the war on Iraq: "George Sr. should have pulled out sooner."

Lots of things have happened over the last few days. First off, The Hek is currently on 3.5 hours of sleep. I had to pull a late night in order to write a 12 page paper that was due today. 12 pages = 12 hours. Not fun at all. I'd like to say I'm finished, but I can't. Next week, I have two essays and a take home exam.

On Wednesday, The Hek and a person of interest, watched a really neat lecture about a Jewish filmmaker who made the Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman cartoons. It was fascinating. Some people have argued that these characters are actually Jewish, simply because they were characterized as outsiders. This was a popular sentiment felt by Jewish immigrants when they came to the United States. Best of all, we got to watch these old cartoons.

Finally, I will be coordinating CKCU's coverage of the federal election. My goal is interview as many candidates as I can and organize a debate involving Carleton's Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green clubs. I'm also going to try to interview at least one party leader. Maybe even, the Prime Minister.

The Hek