Happy Friday! Have a look at what we're reading, viewing, and gawking at on the internet.
An amazing thing happened on Wheel of Fortune this week, a Daly City resident guessed the bonus-round puzzle -- and there were only two letters up on the board. Even Pat Sajak was impressed; Vanna White was speechless -- as always. (ABC)
Love haunted houses? Well, the Winchester Mystery House is going to allow you to sleep over and drink beer. Count us in. (Boing Boing)
Ever wave back at someone only to realize they weren't waving at you? We've all been there. Check out these 41 awkward moments. (Buzzfeed)
Some great photos of San Francisco shot by locals. (Buzzfeed)
Oh, and some more beautiful photos of San Francisco. (Movoto)
You probably know Abby Martin as the RT America anchor who ended an episode of her show Breaking the Set a few weeks ago by stating her personal opposition towards the Russian militant occupation in Crimea. What you probably didn't know is that she's also an artist.
Born and raised in Pleasanton, Martin grew up in an artistic family, but didn't start to really experiment with art herself until she was out of high school. Inspired by nature, National Geographic photos, and artist Andy Goldsworthy (you know, the guy who makes really cool rock balancing formations in nature), Martin "started painting abstract, weird things," she said. "Art became my therapy. It's an amazing outlet."
First things first: Gordon Ramsay has had some work done. We always knew he was vain -- anyone who goes from being a soccer player to a Michelin-Starred chef has to be. But some magician has taken ten years off of his deeply-lined face and brow. They did a damn good job, too. He looks nothing like Kenny Rogers.
So now we embark on a new season of Hell's Kitchen, with "the usual band of idiots," to steal a line from Mad Magazine. Gordon seems to pick contestants who are the least likely to make it on Top Chef -- they are fat, ugly, and even smoke cigarettes, something no "real" chef would ever do, right? Yet this show has managed to give equal prizes to both men and women, something that other show can't say. When in doubt, the judges on Top Chef always lean towards the XYs. Not so for Hell's Kitchen, where you might be called a Muppet or a donkey and told to "fuck off out of here" nightly, but you have an even shot at winning.
But now here's what you all have been waiting for. My mother and I bond over Gordon Ramsay and watch all of his shows. She has just weighed via email from Minnesota on this new season:
While summer in San Francisco means a prolonged visit from Karl the Fog, early spring and early fall can be pretty warm (Hello 75 degree Saturday in March!), so here are some options for making s'mores and telling ghost stories without the car trip to Yosemite:
Angel Island
Beware of the dog-sized raccoons. Okay, maybe they're not that large, but everything sounds bigger in the dark. Arguably the camping locations with the best view in the Bay Area, they'll take some time to get to. Be prepared to hike to get to these scenic spots, the camp sites are a one to two-and-a-half mile jaunt from the ferry dock. You can board the ferry in S.F. or Tiburon (runs seven days a week during the summer months), and there are 10 sites that accommodate up to eight people, in addition to one group camp site that accommodates up to 20; the general sites are $30 a night, and the group site is $50. These camp sites are described as primitive, so if you definitely need a flush toilet, this isn't for you; more information can be found at reserveamerica.com.
