...BUT WHAT I REALLY LOVE... SHE MAKES ME LAUGH.

I dropped in to a comedy club in Toronto last night. I was appalled! Not at the quality of entertainment, but at he amount of money they wanted to charge so I could see it.

$5.00! Are you kidding me? I spend more than that at Tim Horton's every morning in preparation for my morning commute. I can guarantee that I got way more enjoyment from those 13 comics than I will from the 35,000 morons on the road this morning, each trying their hardest to make me late for my flight.

Where are our priorities? Each and every one of us has a biological need to laugh. Ask

someone what qualities a perfect mate should have. Almost all will include, "...makes me laugh". Only a few, very special people have the desire to give us that laughter.

Laughter reduces stress. It shortens the passage of time. (Just listen to a joke at the coffee machine in the morning and see how long it takes for the boss to step into the hallway with 'that' look.) It has been shown to have rejuvenating effects among the aged. Simply, we need it in our lives.

Not every comic that hits the local club scene is the next Chris Farley or Jim Carrey. It is unlikely we will see talent like that of Robin Williams again soon. But how do we know where the next great funny person is going to come from? So many that have the passion, just do not have the means to survive. I myself aspired to be an actor at one time. The need to put groceries in the fridge trumped that dream.

I get that everyone starts at the bottom and works their way up. I get that you cannot get rich in the mailroom. The next Steve Jobs is likely working in that mailroom, maybe in your building, and I'll bet he's making way more per week than most comics on the circuit today.

These are working people with real dreams and real bills. Even headliners are barely making a living wage. You love what they do for you but can't be bothered to pay them for their efforts. A bad movie is twice the price and studios make millions. Maybe we could step up and pay enough at the door to provide a living wage for the ones that care enough to want to make us laugh.

You pay $6.99/month for Netflix. Can you honestly say you get more than an hour and a half of solid entertainment every month? Ok, maybe two if you're ripping off US Netflix. Do you really feel good at the end of a viewing session? Last night, I left the club, ignored the line of cabs and walked 40 minutes back to my hotel.

It rained.

I didn't care.

I felt good about life and enjoyed my walk.