Tell us one thing you learned in the past year. That when times get tough you have to still stand for what you believe in even more. If what you are doing is real and honest then time will help get over the spots of self-doubt.

Where are you right now, and why? I am currently in St. Paul, Minneapolis, U.S.A., waiting for a connector flight to do a show. People want our air system to be like the States, but when you have connector flights you start to love good old Canada’s way. A direct four-hour flight turns into a nine-hour episode of A&E Airline pretty quick. … have you been drinking, sir?

If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be? Somewhere warm with my family during the day and a great club at night slinging jokes.

Where do you live, and why? Toronto. TDOT. You have to live where the action is in this country, and that is Toronto. Of all the big cities I have lived in or spent considerable amount of time in, Toronto is the best city. I love it since it is so family-orientated and still has an edge at night if you look for it.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Somewhere in the country. Up north in Canada. Population 2,000 sounds good to me.

What’s the last good book you read? I am a pop-culture junkie, so I am reading tons all the time, so the last two books I read are Let Doom Loose: Black Sabbath by Martin Popoff, and I am still trying to get through A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

The last good movie … White Lights Black Rain. A documentary about the atomic bomb in World War Two on Japan. All I do is watch documentaries these days ’cause I find honesty in them that TV and traditional film is lacking. Sicko is also a very good movie that hits close to home. Both my sons (four years old and five months old) have had open-heart surgery, and if I lived in America I would have to rob banks to pay for it. Americans want things, but they don’t want to pay tax for them.

The last good CD … Crowded House, Time on Earth and anything by Belle & Sebastian.

What’s your favourite TV show? No question, Flight of the Conchords on HBO, tied with Durham County on TMN. One for the comedy, one for the drama.

Tell us about your last great meal. With friends at a Korean grill. The kinda place where you cook it yourself and you eat like a carnivore and then go home and wait for what happens three hours later. Do it and you will understand what happens to your body … not good.

What happens when you die? To quote a great philosopher in the ’80s: “You sleep when you’re dead.”

What do you think when you hear the word “Ottawa”? Rock town that is smarter then most towns when it comes to comedy. I filmed my DVD in Ottawa for a reason. You get what I do … most of the time.

What piece of comedy do you wish you’d written? The three jokes that Dane Cook ripped off Louis CK. Anything that Louis CK has done in the last five years is good with me in terms of standup.

If you weren’t a comedian, what would you be? Still a suit and tie monkey, making tons of money, like my business-day colleagues, bitching about everything. The only difference between me then and now is the money.

Describe your best moment on stage, to date. Last week in downtown Toronto I did a set that I knew would be a tough sell to any audience, and still got through the new 10-minute set. I know it doesn’t sound like much to the everyday person, but 10 new is pretty hard to throw in one sitting and do well. For most comics it is some big show or festival, but for me it is creating a new joke so I can replace it with a lame one I am sick of.

Your worst moment on stage: To some it would seem being assaulted on stage would be a low point, but to me it is when I feel like just a babysitter for crowds, or being disrespected. That is why I do not perform my comedy at colleges much anymore, cause there is a lack of respect in those venues. Even in comedy clubs these days there is a dumbing down that is going on. In the last year I have had the cops show up at shows … punched in the head … banned … you name it. Been a ride, that is for sure.

Were you a good kid, or a brat? I was a good kid who made everyone laugh to stop the bullies beating on me. I was funnier when I was 12 then I am now and you can quote me on that.

When will the Senators win the Cup? 2041.

What gadget or technology can you not live without? My laptop. That is where it ends for me … no Blackberry … no PDAs. Just the old-fashioned laptop to get work done when I am held over in airports.

Is “happiness” a state or an ideal? I think it is an ideal, and I think it is overrated, to be honest. Everyone thinks happiness is the end of the line, and I just think it is part of the journey. Some of the best stuff I have ever written comes from pain. My most creative is always the lowest point for me.

Global warming — fact or fiction? Watch the Canadian documentary called End Of Suburbia and you won’t worry about global warming as much as the end of oil. I still think global warming is a good cause for rock stars to chat about in the short term. I think it is very real and should be discussed, but in a world where we are overextending ourselves and want more and more, can we ever go back to small fries at McDonald’s again? Are we all ready to live simpler lives and let China and India have more?

What’s your guilty pleasure? ’80s metal … I don’t listen to it anymore but when I was 14 it was the world to me. To this day I could name all four White Lion records and band members, but I cannot remember if certain relatives are alive or dead. How sad is that?

What’s your favourite body part? Ears … without it you can’t hear jokes or beautiful music.