Roasting A Schmuck For A Good Cause

We see him on the sports pages, donning that Hawaiian shirt. We hear him over the airwaves talking Baltimore sports. He’s been around for 18 years and he knows his stuff. Sure that’s arguable, but at least he can challenge your way of thinking. And as a resident of Millersville, this Schmuck is thinking it’s payback time for the people “I skewer in my column and blog.”

Wednesday at the Baltimore Comedy Factory, Sun sports columnist, Peter Schmuck will be roasted by his peers. All of the proceeds will benefit the Cool Kids Campaign.

So why now? It’s not his birthday or an anniversary of any type. It’s just a chance for a good laugh. On Pete’s behalf.

“It wasn’t my idea, but I went along with it because it sounded like fun and it should be a nice chunk of change for Cool Kids,” Schmuck writes in an email. Having served on the Board of the Belanger-Federico Foundation, (Cool Kids Campaign is a part of that) to Schmuck it was a no-brainer who the beneficiary would be. Not to mention that Schmuck was friends with Orioles legendary shortstop, Mark Belanger, and he participates in their events regularly.

Schmuck has been around the roasting block before. Last year he participated in the Jim Hunter (Orioles broadcaster for MASN) roast saying it was “great fun.” Don’t think that Schmuck wi ll be going in empty- handed. Though he’s not prepared anything just yet, he will go in with some “jokes ready, then augment them with responses to the roasters.”

Set to take the stage is Mark Viviano, Roch Kubatko, Steve Davis, Bruce Cunningham, Stan the Fan Charles, Buddy Roogow, and comedians Bob Somerby, Pete Eibner and Alabama. Tickets are $25 and available through the Cool Kids Campaign office at 410-560-1770.

The mission of the Cool Kids Campaign is to provide kids with cancer a higher quality of life for themselves and their families while facing the challenges of cancer. For more information visit www.bfpf.org/cool-kids-campaign/index.shtml.

Burn After Reading: A Review Of The Latest Coen Brothers Film

After becoming the talk of Hollywood with their film masterpiece No Country For Old Men, Ethan and Joel Coen have become recognized by just about everyone these days. So when their new film, Burn After Reading, came out, everyone wondered if it would become another shining mark on the Coen brothers’ already impressive record, which includes such classics as Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou? Continue reading Burn After Reading: A Review Of The Latest Coen Brothers Film

Wasting Time: Jewels Of The Internet

When you actually work for a living one’s mind starts to wander. Sure, at first you’re focused and diligently plugging away at your job, but eventually everyone experiences the lull that hits after just a few months. It’s the same thing day in and day out. Repetition is beginning to kill you. So you start doing what pretty much everyone does nowadays: you turn to internet videos to get you through the day.

I recognize this, and therefore this is why each week I will select a video for your viewing pleasure. And I highly recommend you watch it at work. For the first week, I present you with two. The first one is a local commercial from Alabama by Sammy Stephens, who would love for you to visit his flea market… It’s just like a mini mall!

Now that you’ve seen that jewel of the internet, check out a video that makes the first one even better. It’s a comical remake of the mini mall rap. Hope you love it as much as I do.

Wow, it’s just amazing. I bet that’ll have everyone coming back for more! Until next week, you can find it on The Dagger. I’m talkin’ about The Dagger. It’s just like, it’s just like, it’s just like a news blog. Hey, hey!

Taking A Stab At The Dream

Ever since I was a youngin’ I’ve had a goofy attitude and a love for comedy. Now that I’m a grown up, nothing has changed. I have watched every season of Last Comic Standing on NBC and periodically go to Magooby’s Joke House in Carney to see live acts. With a little encouragement from my co-workers, I will be taking a big step into the comedy realm soon.

Thursday, July 31, I will attempt to take the stage at Magooby’s  to compete in an open mic night. The prize is a whopping $75 and an opening spot for a weekend act. But the prize for me will be seeing if stand-up comedy is something I can do. Will nerves eat me alive? Will I have a hard time coming up with material? I don’t know. But I’m willing to find out.

I have a feeling that if I can stand on a bright stage and talk coherently and make at least one person laugh, I will have one hell of a time. Screw the grand prize, I just want the satisfaction of knowing I can do it.

If anyone who reads this wants to come and see me sink or swim, show up at Magooby’s Joke House in Carney Thursday, July 31 for the 8 p.m. start time. Funny or not, I will be sweating on a stage.