September 2008 Archives

Below is a wonderful short film called, "Manoj", made by Hari Kondabalu, about an up-and-coming Indian standup comic named Manoj. I posted this at my other site, but it's so good, I want as many people to see it as possible.

(Naked self-hype: I will be performing with Hari on October 18th, at an event called Laugh Out the Vote.)

MANOJ from Zia Mohajerjasbi on Vimeo.

People often tell me, "Sean, I love your writing. And somehow your standup comedy is even more entertaining than your blog. Would you ever consider lending your brilliance to a sketch comedy group?" Well, hypothetical Sean Keane, fan, the answer is yes. There's only two words you need to know: Frown and Land.

Frown Land, San Francisco's hottest sketch sensation, premieres "The Happiness Show", on Friday, October 10th, at the Dark Room. Showtime is 10 PM, and admission is $5. With its combination of sketch, theater, and short films, Frown Land is prepared to shake up the San Francisco comedy scene like an autistic child jiggling a snow globe.

"The Happiness Show" also features standup comedy from Alex Koll (Boomtime, SF Air Guitar Champion), Caitlin Gill (The Ladies Room), and Donny Divanian (Tennis coach).

Frown Land is comprised of veteran comedians Joey Devine (Your Name Here), Sean Keane (Heuristic Squelch Comedy Experience), and Kevin O'Shea (Blah Blah Blah). Above all, Frown Land is dedicated to making America smile.

GIBSON: And you didn't say to yourself, "Am I experienced enough? Am I ready? Do I know enough about international affairs? Do I -- will I feel comfortable enough on the national stage to do this?"

So I didn't blink then even when asked to run as his running mate.

Sarah Palin: not gonna blink. But what about her running mate, John McCain, an accused blink-a-holic? The man blinks like a cheap set of miniature Christmas lights. He's like Winken, Blinken, and Nod, rolled into one wrinkly, blinkly package. Cue up some Blink-182, crack open a Malcolm Gladwell book about intuition and count the blinks in these clips:

We already knew that John McCain was irascible, but I'm surprised to learn that even tiny invisible particles in the air severely irritate him.

Maybe Sarah Palin was indeed chosen to balance the ticket, but not because of gender or ideology. No, when you have a blinktastic maverick like McCain on the ticket, you need a clear-eyed, glasses-wearing, fervently anti-blink running mate. Because let's face it: between all his blinking, and the inevitable afternoon naps, there's got to be someone in the executive branch with their eyes open.

Many people have analyzed the speeches by Sarah Palin, Rudy Giuliani, and Mike Huckabee from last night at the Republican National Convention. Here at Zembla, we are focusing on more important matters: namely, the state-by-state roll call vote. Enjoy the real-time observations of the awkward, tedious, and anticlimactic action after the jump.

Gallo

The primary beer of Guatemala, Gallo beer labels peel off incredibly easily, as if they're affixed to the bottle with nothing more than the sweat from a worker's brow. What this means is that a Gallo beer is the Hindu untouchable of the beer world. Its existence is currently pretty bad, but there's a good chance it's going to come back around again - maybe this time as a Brazha.

It can't be a coincidence that Gallo is both crappy Guatemalan beer and crappy Californian wine. I've also bought both, when using cheapness as determinant.

Belikin

The primary beer of Belize, this tastes significantly better than Gallo - but it's still not great. You can get regular Belikin, Belikin Stout, and though I never personally saw it, there's also a Belikin Supreme. If you initially mishear the name, and you are a nerd like me, there's a moment where you have some Rime of the Ancient Mariner flashbacks. "Pelican beer? Well, I guess the Wedding Guest drank the blood of an albatross...and I AM pretty thirsty..."

Drinks of Caye Caulker

See exhaustive analysis at Sean Keane Comedy.

Rum Punch

A dangerous, dangerous drink, especially when you've been snorkeling for hours, and your only nourishment prior to drinking was a small fish sandwich and some saltines, and a snorkeling guide named Rasta Man is urging you to drink more, and refilling the pitcher every fifteen minutes. Beware.

Cubetazos

There is a tradition in the Keane family where anyone who visits Molly and Roberto in Guatemala must also drink buckets of beer (AKA, cubetazos) with them. In addition, they must pose for a photo wearing the empty cubetazo around their neck. But what happens when someone's head is too freakishly large for a cubetazo necklace?