Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Jerry Seinfeld & Michael Richards in some rusty jalopy.

I never really understood people who didn't like Seinfeld. The main complaint was always "I don't get the humor." What's there not to get? Kramer's wackiness, George's neuroses, Elaine's sheer force of being, and Jerry as the straight man for all of them to bounce off of.

Anyway, Seinfeld (the person, not the sitcom) has a new mini-series online called Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. The premise is, as you might expect, pretty simple: Jerry picks up one of his comedian buddies in a car that he's picked out especially for them, a vehicle that he feels most suits their personality and temperament. Then off they go for coffee, chatting and laughing all along the way.

Most of the shorts are 12 minutes or less, and they're hilarious. My favorites so far are Larry David (though I never really got into Curb Your Enthusiasm - maybe I should try again now? Dan and I are looking for something to marathon-watch this summer), Michael Richards (Kramer!), and Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks - who appear together because they are truly the best of friends (is there anything cuter than two old people who just adore each other? I think not).

It's basically the best thing ever if you've got 15 minutes to kill and enjoy watching extremely funny people who have perfected the art of just hanging out.

P.S. The second season starts tomorrow! Every Thursday at noon EST. Eeeps, can't wait!

Dialect Maps Prove that Americans Pretty Much Don't Agree on Anything

1.

Oh 'merica. You and your ways. You and your wildly varying, comically disparate regional differences.

Joshua Katz, a graduate student in statistics at North Carolina State University, created a series of maps based on American speech patterns that have apparently been all the rage on Facebook this past week (and I, also apparently, am not friends with people who are as excited about linguistics as I am because I had to go all the way over to Business Insider to get the deets on this Katz cat <-- you like what I did just there).

Dan and I literally spent an hour and a half testing each other to find out if we fit in with our local dialects - he with his Western New York upbringing polished by speech classes for his B.F.A. in Theater plus his years in Chicago, and me with my Bronx accent that turns talk to tawk, ball to bawl, and I'm sorry for your loss to Whaddyagonnadoaboutit.

Katz's maps (all 122 of them!) are truly fascinating, especially if you've spent time in multiple parts of the country. I'll never forget visiting Alabama and being absolutely perplexed by "might could." As in, "We might could go to the park this weekend." 

"We might should go to the park this weekend!"

(Translation: "Maybe we could go to the park this weekend." "Yes, let's!" End scene.)

The point is that you should absolutely go check out Katz's site. Take a look at a few of my favorites below (I've posted my answers in italics at the bottom - I'd love to hear yours, too!):

2.

3.

4.

My answers: 1. soda, 2. you guys, 3. hero, 4. I have no word for this critter. 

Adventure Travel: A Primer

A surfer rides the waves in Maui, November 1973.

What is adventure travel?

Adventure travel is rapidly growing in popularity. It involves traveling to remote areas that are far away from the tourist mainstream. However, it does not only refer to the journeys going to remote and exotic locations, but may also refer to the activities involved when traveling. Extreme sports and risky activities such as rock climbing, canoeing, rafting, mountain biking, and bungee jumping can certainly be part of adventure travels, even when not practiced at remote and exotic locations. In this sense adventure travel can refer to either the destination itself or the activities pursued.

Night scene, Portland OR, September 1973.

Exotic destinations

The opinions differ on what exactly is to be considered an exotic destination. It certainly does, to some extent, depend on the home country or region of the traveler. Within Europe, new eastern European destinations like Albania are slowly but steadily opening up to tourism and still offer an exotic holiday possibility inside Europe. For American travelers, the more inaccessible regions of South America are a popular destination for adventure travel. Countries like Chile, Bolivia, Peru, or the inland regions of Brazil guarantee for an exciting once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nonetheless, what is considered an exotic destination is always in the eye of the traveler. One of the great pleasures of traveling to such places is the organization of an individual travel route in regions far off the beaten path. Since in some places the transport options are quite limited, with buses or trains only leaving every few hours or even only once a day, keeping track of time with trusty Omega watches is fundamental to a successful trip. Often though, it's these little challenges that make traveling to exotic and remote destinations so exciting.

White water rafting the Snake River in Idaho, May 1973.

Things to Do

The other part of adventure tourism is more focused on activities. One of the most popular is scuba diving. Many of the most beautiful diving spots can be found in some of the world's most remote locations. Hence, this is an excellent opportunity to combine an adventurous activity with the visit of remote destinations. Other activities such as rock climbing, canoeing, rafting, mountain biking and bungee jumping are also becoming a growing part of the adventure travel industry.

(All photos courtesy of the United States National Archives. Article by Olivia Collette, a German freelance travel writer. Thanks for contributing to Of Revolt, Olivia!)