One of the Greats
Being one of the funniest and most well respected standup comedians in the nation, it's no wonder Robert Schimmel was featured alongside fellow funnymen Bill Cobsy, Dennis Miller, George Carlin, Sam Kinison and many more on the new comedy compellation CD, Hey That's Funny!: Comedy's Greatest Hits. Now it's true that Schimmel is frank, funny and usually surrounded by controversy due to blue nature of his comedy, but it's not because he's excessively dirty. It's just that his comical musings tend to tread on darker subjects than most comedians would dare. However, this hasn't kept him from appearing on multiple HBO specials, one of which, Unprotected, is finally available on DVD. He's also got a new comedy album out, Resurrection, which is a fitting title considering he came out victorious in a fight against cancer.

CTOID - Robert Schimmel isn't the only celebrity in the family. His mother is the author of the fascinating book, To See You Again: A True Story of Love in a Time of War. After reading it, legendary director Steven Spielberg asked her and her husband over to dinner at his home. Robert, however, was not invited.

The Life and Times of Dan Grueter
When you're the youngest of eleven kids you're going to grow up either crazy or funny. Comedian Dan Grueter turned out to be both. Grueter has been described as a comedian who's more well rounded than a urinal mint. While we're not quite sure how this comparison applies in any context, we do know that Dan is one of our favorites (comedians, not urinal mints). Grueter's made multiple appearances on B&T albums over the years, sharing stories from his life. We've learned what it was like to sit through his never-ending Catholic wedding, how inept he is at interviewing for a job, and his alma-mater's love of college football.

He Worked With Linsay Lohan
Pete Lee may be relatively new to standup comedy, but he’s already proven that if you put him in a televised comedy competition, he'll finish toward the top. Twice he’s been entered in competitions on Comedy Central, and twice he’s come up just short of winning, but don't scoff, how high did you finish? Self described as an adorable, smart mouth with a 12th grade vocabulary, Lee is constantly pursuing acting work along with developing his blossoming standup career. He’s appeared in television commercials for McDonalds and Michelob and just recently released his first comedy CD “Gasmoney,” which was picked up by XM Satellite Radio. Pete also just wrapped filming on the new film A Prairie Home Companion :The Movie, which stars Lindsay Lohan, Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep.

From Wall Street to The Chuckle Hut
Paul Mercurio’s talent for comedy was first utilized by Jay Leno when he was hired to write monologues for The Tonight Show. However, unlike a lot of other comedians, Paul had a really good job before going into comedy. After graduating with a law degree from Georgetown Law School, Paul began working as a lawyer and investment banker on Wall Street. That's where Leno discovered Mercurio and encouraged him to give up the high pressure world of stocks and bonds for a life of brick-wall backdrops and heckling audiences. So far, the move has turned out to be a good one. Along with a promising standup career, Paul has become an Emmy Award winning writer for Comedy Central's The Daily Show and makes regular appearances on MSNBC and FOX News as a political satirist.

Proving That Sitcom Writers Can Be Funny
You may not see him on ABC's hit comedy show, Rodney, very often, but if you laugh while watching it, comedian Mark Gross is a big reason why. Along with being a talented writer, Gross is also an accomplished and brutally honest stand-up comedian. When he hits the stage you soon find out that when it comes to getting laughs, nothing is off limits, and no one is safe. Gross has been seen on the Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, and he was a long time writer for the late night talk show Politically Incorrect. Mark recently released his first live comedy album Meet Mark Gross, which is available through Capitol Records.

A Look at the NFL From the Inside
John Feinstein is one of the most celebrated and enjoyed sports writers of all time. There's very little in the world of sports that his books haven't covered, from the NBA to the PGA, Feinstein has written a bestseller on it. One uncharted territory though is the NFL, America's favorite and probably most secretive sport. In his new book, Next Man Up John was able to break down some of those walls by spending an entire season with the Baltimore Ravens. From the first days of training camp to the final play of the final game, John had unprecedented and unlimited access to all the inner-workings of an NFL franchise. If his past works are any indication (Season on the Brink, A Good Walk Spoiled, The Punch, Let Me Tell You a Story) this book will give readers a look at the near life-or-death drama of professional football as it's never been revealed before

Boogity Boogity Boogity
Darrell Waltrip, better known to racing fans as "Ol' DW," spent 29 years putting his life on the line racing cars around oval tracks. He recounts many of his favorite stories from his days on the NASCAR circuit in his new biography DW - A Lifetime Going Around in Circles. Since retiring from active racing, DW has remained a major part of the sport. The only difference is that instead of doing his work behind the wheel, he's now in the broadcast booth, working as an analyst for the FOX network. During his driving days, Waltrip was one of the most victorious weekend warriors in the history of NASCAR, winning at least one race each year from 1975-1989. He earned three Winston Cup trophies in his career and ranks third all-time in total victories, capturing a total of 84 checked flags. Along with his commentary duties, Darrell remains active in racing as a team owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

FACTOID - Darrell Waltrip was recently inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.