Messages

"Stop, take a breath and smile. " "What you do matters. Live with purpose. " "This is your life. Are you who you want to be?" "Yesterday does not define your today. " "Love is stronger than fear. " Who's behind some of these inspirational and hopeful messages found written in chalk on Chicago sidewalks? The local Chalk the Block movement has been popping up on sidewalks including Thorndale and Bryn Mawr avenues leading to 'L' stops for the past couple months thanks to the Community Christian Church in Edgewater.

The CW presented its 2013-14 TV schedule Thursday, adding five new dramas that keep to the network's focus on teens, heroes, vampires and the Amell family. The network previously announced “The Vampire Diaries” spinoff, “The Originals.” On Thursday it introduced “Reign,” the story of a teenage Mary, Queen of Scots, as well as “The Tomorrow People,” a super-hero story starring Robbie Amell, cousin of Stephen Amell, star of the CW's breakout show of the current season, “Arrow.” “Arrow” and “Tomorrow People” will air back-to-back on Wednesdays, which means...

Since when did celebrity cellphones become a hacker's parad ise? Both Olivia Munn and Christina Hendricks suffered security breaches this week, eonline.com reports, joining the ranks of other starlets who just can't seem to keep their phones private. Although photos are the most commonly leaked item, we thought up some totally crazy, totally fake text messages that might also have shocked the world. damoran@tribune.com | @redeyedana Miley Cyrus "Thx for the amazeballs Marley bday cake, gurlfriend!

To the men of Chicago: Stop texting women! I know, calling a girl sounds more terrifying than getting a prostate exam from Carrot Top. And for the half of you who aren't afraid but simply lazy, fine. But it's time for change. Today, I urge girls everywhere to embrace the hashtag #girlsagainsttexting. This is not a joke or a suggestion. This is an order. We as a gender must reclaim the power that technology has stolen from us. I want this hashtag trending until every man in Chicago realizes we no longer will put up with the communication equivalent of wearing a sweat suit to the airport.

I broke up with my long-term boyfriend recently, and am thinking about re-activating my OkCupid account soon. One thing I discovered in my last relationship is that I'm interested in exploring kinkier sex, as long as it's with someone I trust. My question is: How can I convey this on my profile? I feel like if I say it outright, I might attract a lot more skeezy guys or get explicit messages that I don't want. Should I mention it at all, or save the kink talk for when I meet men in person?

I've been seeing one of my friend's exes. She was a very close friend years ago, but our relationship has dwindled. They were broken up for two years before we got together, but my friend was totally in love with him when they were dating, he broke her heart, and it took her a very long time to get over him, even when she has had other boyfriends, she was still hung up on him. I thought it was just going to be a fling, so I didn't think...

Count me as a guy seriously bummed about Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos' ignominious exit from this year's NFL playoffs, but not for any football reason (although my opinion of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady shares a lot in common with how I view the pus-like fluid that accumulates in the chaffing fat rolls of hippopotamuses). No, I love Tebow and want him to succeed because he is one of those big, bold, brash, larger-than-life public figures who demonstrates so perfectly the utter vapidity and silliness of religion.

Chicago bike messengers say the job isn't all Hollywood hype - but it ain't easy either Charlie Rifenburg knows how it feels to be chased on a bike during a delivery. The 33-year-old courier from Bridgeport wasn't trying to escape some evil conspiracy likeJoseph Gordon-Levitt does in the upcoming big-budget flick "Premium Rush;" he was evading a ticked-off downtown driver. But Rifenburg and other two-wheeled warriors of the road surely could get themselves out of the kinds of jams depicted in the movie, which opens Friday.

Ever get one of those text messages from the guy or girl you're crushing on, and it drives you crazy trying to figure it out? Of course you have. In the interest of promoting a greater dating dialogue, RedEye asked two singles to help out each other - and the dating public at large. Dana Moran and Stephen Markley swapped nine text messages they've received from the opposite sex and volunteered to translate the subtext of the other person's texts on behalf of his or her gender. We've done this exercise once before, and we're doing it...

"CRASH!" "BOOM!" "THUNK!" Those sounds are more of the buildings in Chicago's majestic skyline being turned into kindling. Friends, I write this dispatch from the future. It's June 1, 2012, about 2 weeks after the NATO summit. Everything has changed, and not for the better. We were wrong about that NATO stuff, though. The super-excessive precautionary measures we took? They were a bigger flop than "Waterworld," Y2K, and Chicago's 2016 Olympic hopes combined. Nothing happened.

*** (out of four)   As judges and opposing attorneys flaunt their biases during frustrating courtroom proceedings, Rudy (Alan Cumming) exclaims, “Just because we are different does not make us bad parents.”   Rudy and his boyfriend, Paul (Garret Dillahunt), are trying to claim custody of Marco (Isaac Leyva), a teenager who happens to have Down syndrome and essentially as abandoned by his junkie mother (Jamie Anne Allman of “The Killing”). Inspired by a true story, the Chicago International Film Festival Audience Choice Award-winning “Any Day...

Ever get one of those text messages from the guy or girl you're crushing on, and it drives you crazy trying to figure it out? Of course you have. In the interest of promoting a greater dating dialogue, RedEye asked two singles to help out each other - and the dating public at large. Dana Moran and Stephen Markley swapped nine text messages they've received from the opposite sex and volunteered to translate the subtext of the other person's texts on behalf of his or her gender. We've done this exercise once before, and we're doing it again!

Have you ever wanted to track down your favorite celebrity and ask them to make a message for your voicemail or anwering machine? Plenty of geeks have done that at sci-fi conventions, and most of the time the celeb is very gracious. Of course that tends to annoy all the other folks who are waiting in line to get an autograph, and quite frankly, I think it's presumptious to ask the celeb to do something so above and beyond what is normally done. That is, unless they are trying to raise money for Autism Speaks , which is the case in this...

Ever get one of those text messages from the guy or girl you're crushing on, and it drives you crazy trying to figure it out? Of course you have. ; ) (Sorry, couldn't resist the cryptic emoticon.) In the interest of promoting a greater dating dialogue, RedEye asked two of our single columnists to help out each other - and the dating public at large. Jen Kim and Anthony Roberts swapped 10 text messages they've received from the opposite sex and volunteered to translate the subtext of the other person's texts on behalf of his or her gender.

Chicago bike messengers say the job isn't all Hollywood hype - but it ain't easy either Charlie Rifenburg knows how it feels to be chased on a bike during a delivery. The 33-year-old courier from Bridgeport wasn't trying to escape some evil conspiracy likeJoseph Gordon-Levitt does in the upcoming big-budget flick "Premium Rush;" he was evading a ticked-off downtown driver. But Rifenburg and other two-wheeled warriors of the road surely could get themselves out of the kinds of jams depicted in the movie, which opens Friday.

It's been more than 11 years, but Chicago Rush wide receiver Reggie Gray sees the same scene flash before his eyes every time he hears about another shooting during what has become an increasingly violent summer in Chicago. “Every weekend that it's hot out, you're hearing about so many homicides and so many people getting shot,” Gray said with a tinge of disappointment. “It brings back memories of my situation and my brother getting shot.” He sees another headline and suddenly he's standing in the window of his childhood...

To the men of Chicago: Stop texting women! I know, calling a girl sounds more terrifying than getting a prostate exam from Carrot Top. And for the half of you who aren't afraid but simply lazy, fine. But it's time for change. Today, I urge girls everywhere to embrace the hashtag #girlsagainsttexting. This is not a joke or a suggestion. This is an order. We as a gender must reclaim the power that technology has stolen from us. I want this hashtag trending until every man in Chicago realizes we no longer will put up with the communication equivalent of wearing a sweat suit to the airport.

Ever get one of those text messages from the guy or girl you're crushing on, and it drives you crazy trying to figure it out? Of course you have. ; ) (Sorry, couldn't resist the cryptic emoticon.) In the interest of promoting a greater dating dialogue, RedEye asked two of our single columnists to help out each other - and the dating public at large. Jen Kim and Anthony Roberts swapped 10 text messages they've received from the opposite sex and volunteered to translate the subtext of the other person's texts on behalf of his or her...

I have met this girl a couple times and I find her to be very cute. The last time I ran into the girl, I got tongue-tied and didn't want to make myself look dumb. Now I was thinking that I could go and search for her on Facebook and see if I can do introduce myself that way. What do you think? Or should I go about it in another way? - Lost and confused It's not the most direct route, but Facebook is a perfectly acceptable gateway to your crush's heart. I know because I've done it m'self a few times.

"CRASH!" "BOOM!" "THUNK!" Those sounds are more of the buildings in Chicago's majestic skyline being turned into kindling. Friends, I write this dispatch from the future. It's June 1, 2012, about 2 weeks after the NATO summit. Everything has changed, and not for the better. We were wrong about that NATO stuff, though. The super-excessive precautionary measures we took? They were a bigger flop than "Waterworld," Y2K, and Chicago's 2016 Olympic hopes combined. Nothing happened.