REFLECTION & REASON

I love a good Canadian success story...and I love to read inspiring biographies of those who started with a dream, and didn't quit until that dream was fulfilled. The biography of Canadian comedian Russell Peters, " Call Me Russell " (2010) fulfilled both of these interests, with an easy read and a familiar tale. I miss having a good laugh, sometimes. And not the every day chuckle, giggle with friends, or sitcom humour. I miss like real hearty, eyes-watering, can't-breathe type of laughter. The type that only a true comedian can give you. Russell Peters is one of the few comedians who has been able to provide that type of laughter for me over recent years, and I'm proud that he is one of "our own." Of course we have Trixx and Jay Martin , Jean Paul , and a few others in Toronto who are definitely consistently hilarious, and provide comforting familiarity as well. Then there are the American greats like Katt Williams and Kevin Hart, also kinda making...

The word " urban " is a sticky one. It's extremely general, has multiple definitions that mean multiple things in multiple instances...yet it still manages to define an entire culture, movement, and demographic. Yes, " urban " at it's core means "of the city"...however, over the years it has also come to specifically mean "emerging and developing in densely populated areas of large cities, esp those populated by people of African or Caribbean origin." Hip-hop culture or "black" culture used to have strong racial connotations...however, it's fair to say that while culture does play a huge part in the composition of an " urban " entity...the culture no longer specifies race or heritage. The culture is a movement of it's own, and is easily comprised of individuals from a variety of ethnicities. The " Urban Toronto Tales " are specifically about the urban/city culture of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and thos...

I haven't read a good Omar Tyree book in a while, so I was glad when I discovered a copy of " Pecking Order " (2008) at my local library. Two of his previous novels, " Just Say No " (2001) and " Diary of a Groupie " (2003) are easily amongst my favourite books of all times...this one also didn't disappoint. Overall, I found the book to be a bit too long. I loved the story, and was definitely interested in seeing what would happen to the overnight sensation, commoner-turned-celebrity promoter Ivan David...but I found that it took a long time to get to the end. Around 500 pages in length, " Pecking Order " is a story about a California accountant who is tired of being just a regular guy. He wants to be on the VIP list. He wants to side-step the lineup at the club. He wants to ball with the ballers and begins to yearn for recognition and status in the town of San Diego where he works and resides. After glimpsing the beautiful and intr...