It's snowing, which means that you have the perfect excuse to skip drinks with those people that you've been avoiding, and do something you actually want to do, like play Mario Kart on your N64 emulator and, if you're like me, catch a comedy show! Follow me as I walk you through the Star Cup of Toronto's humourous offerings in This Week in Comedy.

MON FEB 11 / ALTdot COMEDY LOUNGE / RIVOLI / 332 QUEEN W / 9PM / $5

Your host for this week's stacked line-up at ALTdot is Graham Kay, who always makes me bang the table (that's how you show you like a performer in Scarborough). If he starts talking about what it was like when a girl called his house when he was a kid, put down your drinks. When Dave Merheje's name is called, again, put down your drinks. When Guy Montgomery's name is called, AGAIN, put down your drinks. Now, I know you probably haven't heard of him, but Guy's NEXT. When I say next, I'm talking about the next dude to get noticed on the Toronto scene. There are a lot of professional, touring comedians that will make you laugh, and more than a few that will make you applaud. However, there aren't that many that will make you double over with laughter. Somehow, ALTdot has gotten three of these kinds of comedians on the same show. Wowzers.

WED FEB 13 - SUN FEB 17 / BRYAN O'GORMAN / YUK YUK'S / 224 RICHMOND W / 8PM / $11-20

Bryan O'Gorman's one of my personal favourites. Not only does he have prepared material that kills, but he can also seamlessly improvise and work with a crowd no matter what the topic. While his presence onstage might lead you to believe he's your typical stoner, you'll soon realize that he's a well-read club comedian. This laid-back style puzzles amateur comedians. He's so laid back that you think, "I could do that." But it's not that easy. Bryan's gotten to that point where he's "...transcended technique so that the art becomes an 'artless art' growing out of the Unconscious" (Daisetsu Suzuki). What the casual observer doesn't see is that he's been honing his craft for over six years, and keeps his wit sharp by hosting a ton of shows and following current events.

THURS FEB 14 / I'M WITH CUPID / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM / $5

Danielle Meierhenry, one of Toronto's newest comedy producers, is celebrating Valentine's Day by presenting a show rife with tales of heartbreak and bad sex. Jy Harris will bring the noise and Diana Bailey the charm, but pay special attention to Jordan Foisy, who's been getting rave reviews from fellow comedians over the past few months.

FRI FEB 15 - SAT FEB 16 / NO KIDDING / THE LOT / 100 OSSINGTON / 15th - 8PM AND 10PM / 16th - 10PM / FREE

These shows are being produced for the TV show No Kidding, which means that the featured comics will be putting forth their best effort and most polished material. Now, sometimes that results in herky jerky performances, but given the experience of the cast involved, that shouldn't be a problem. The comedians featured in these tapings are as follows: Julia Hladkowicz, Casey Corbin, Evan Desmarais, Ryan Maglunob, Faisal Butt, Ben Miner, Martha O'Neill, Brian Aylward, and Amanda Day.

About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, walks you through the up's and down's (they're mostly downs, really) in my quest to become a killer comic in Toronto.