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BA of the Week: Karl the Fog

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Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit — probably not.

Wanna be a Broke-Ass of the Week? Holler at us here and we’ll send you the questionnaire.

San Francisco’s fog is as well known as its beauty and its bridges. Some people love the fog and some people hate it, but no matter how you feel about it, you just can’t escape that shit. Luckily SF’s fog has decided to come out and not only make incredibly witty comments but also tell us his name. That’s right folks, San Francisco’s fog is named Karl the Fog. You can find the aforementioned witticisms on Karl’s twitter account and you can see his lovely photos on instagram. Dude has a fuckload of instagram followers. Hand’s down, my favorite thing Karl has ever said was a response to something I tweeted about Fiona Apple. He said, “They used to call me Shadow Boxer in high school”. Think about it for a second. Fucking clever right? Read below for more of Karl the Fog’s clever answers.

Name: Karl the Fog

Age: Old enough to remember the Gold Rush. Funny how the idea of “striking it rich” never goes away.

Occupation: Similar to that Moldy Peaches song, I’m a “part time hover and a full time friend.”

What neighborhood do you live in?: I tend to float around to different neighborhoods, but I have an affinity for the Sunset and Richmond.

Best money saving tip: Store it all in the cloud.

What do you refuse to spend money on: Air conditioning.

Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: Someone convinced me to buy a copy of “A Walk in the Clouds.”

How’d that feel?: Disappointed that I had to listen to Keanu Reeves speak for two hours.

Favorite cheap eat: I rarely make it to the Mission, but when I do, you can find me eating tacos at La Taqueria.

Favorite dive bar: Mad Dog in the Fog. Not sure if it’s a dive bar, but it’s certainly my favorite.

Best deal you’ve ever gotten: Working in the summer and taking the fall off. Vacations are less crowded in October.

Favorite free thing to do: Start my day off with some exercise by seeing how quickly I can get from Ocean Beach to the Transamerica Pyramid. Or as some of you call it, “ruining my morning.”

If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy?: Don’t have much use for money, so I’d donate it to a light rail system along Geary. Anything to make it easier for people to come visit me at the Sutro Baths.

Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: I get the best views of the most stunning city in the country. It’s hard not to love my life.

Do you own my book?: I don’t own many possessions.

Best hangover cure: Bacon-wrapped hot dogs, reruns of “Arrested Development” and a blanket of me.

Are you a hipster?: I’m old and grey. I’m more likely to be confused with Mr. Fredricksen from “Up” than a hipster. But maybe looking weathered is the new hipster? #HipsterLogic

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Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is a travel writer, poet, TV host, activist, and general shit-stirrer. His website BrokeAssStuart.com is one of the most influential arts & culture sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and his freelance writing has been featured in Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, The Bold Italic, Geek.com and too many other outlets to remember. His weekly column, Broke-Ass City, appears every other Thursday in the San Francisco Examiner. Stuart’s writing has been translated into four languages. In 2011 Stuart created and hosted the travel show Young, Broke, and Beautiful on IFC and in 2015 he ran for Mayor of San Francisco and got nearly 20k votes.

He's been called "an Underground legend": SF Chronicle, "an SF cult hero":SF Bay Guardian, and "the chief of cheap": Time Out New York.