Quirky conversation starters for the weekend ahead. 

Reader Reactions to Bay Area Pronunciations and What We Got ‘Wrong’, SF Gate

Last month we brainstormed with the SFGate team and San Francisco Chronicle writers to create our first list of commonly mispronounced local words. We surveyed a few longtime residents and San Francisco natives working for the Chronicle to hone in on proper pronunciations.

The result was essentially a cheat sheet for Bay Area newbies, with tips on how to pronounce everything from Arguello to Gough Street. (Scroll down to see the original slideshow.) Judging from the post’s nearly 800 comments, we clearly struck a nerve with some of the more controversial words. We also got some things wrong, according to our readers.

Under The Volcano, Anthony Bourdain 

Americans love Mexican food. We love Mexican beverages. We love Mexican drugs.We love Mexican music, Mexican beaches, Mexican architecture, interior design, Mexican films.

So, why don’t we love Mexico?

Transbay Transit Center’s Future in Doubt After Deal Falls Apart, SF Gate

An agreement between San Francisco officials and downtown developers over a proposed tax district collapsed this week, throwing into jeopardy the future of the Transbay Transit Center, the extension of Caltrain downtown and the construction of half a dozen skyscrapers, including one that’s set to be the largest on the West Coast.

California: Paradise Burning,The New Yorker 

Since 2012, California has been suffering through a historically severe drought. For the farmers of the Central Valley, which is, as Dana Goodyear writes in this week’s issue, “the country’s fruit basket, salad bowl, and dairy case,” the future seems especially bleak. Wells have gone dry, orchards have been left to perish, and those who came to California to work the fields stand idle. Photographers Matt Black and Ed Kashi recently spent time with the farmers and shepherds of the Central Valley, documenting their ongoing struggles. 

Hello Ello, Goodbye Facebook: Social Media Network Without Ads Woos US Users, Firstpost 

A new social media website called Ello, which has been created by California-based artist and designer Paul Budnitz, is premised on the no advertisers policy. Ello is invite-only for now and according to this post on TheDailyDot is also attracting several members of the LGBT community. The website's homepage says the idea is to not treat the user as a product and to keep user data and privacy safe.