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“Hillary Clinton doesn't care if you see her without makeup.” That's a real MSNBC headline. About a politician. It's further proof that the media/public fixation on prominent female figures who dare to show their actual, unadorned faces has gone totally bonkers. Google “celebs without makeup” and find new features annually compiling facially naked celebs. Not, of course, in the interest of anything complimentary. A headline like “10 hottest celebrities without make-up” leads not to an appreciation of natural beauty  but the statement “See how hot celebrities become ugly without makeup” and a...

**1/2 (out of four) To an extent, any look behind the scenes of the adult film industry carries with it a certain level of judgment. You don't often see a documentary about finance that asks white-collar types, “So, how did you wind up in a place like this ordinary office building?” Obviously, acting in films whose names I can't print here involves a different routine than the usual 9-to-5. At the end of the day, though, it's both a cliche and a generally unrecognized fact that the men and, more lucratively, women with NSFW filmographies and typically...

Being punched in the face for an iPhone is not pleasant. Regrettably, I'm one of the growing number of victims who can say this from personal experience. A couple of weeks ago, I was mugged on a quiet afternoon in my cozy Old Irving Park neighborhood. I made the mistake of entering what I call The Smart Phone Zone - in which I tried to walk, listen to a podcast and tweet at the same time. Meanwhile, two large men in hoodies silently sprinted up to me from behind. Before I had a chance to turn around, one of them began punching me in the head and knocking me to the ground while the other kicked...

First and foremost, the people of Boston are in our thoughts and prayers for their courage during the events of the past couple of weeks. When any tragedy strikes, the bottom dwellers of society usually are the ones whose voices are heard the loudest. Here are eight types I've encountered. Colin the Comedian Overheard: "Sounds like the marathon was a blast this year. " I'll out myself first. When I read there was a blast heard near the finish line, I posted a snarky tweet about how marathoners couldn't hear it over the sound of them patting themselves on the back.

One of my favorite types of people are the ones who say they just "tell it like it is" when trying to explain why people don't like them. For the record, I haven't quite mastered the art of writing with sarcasm. So forgive me if you were turned off by the first sentence. On the flip side, if you agreed with the first sentence, I suppose you should forgive me for what you're about to read. I know plenty of people who tell it like it is and still are well-liked.Martin Luther King Jr.comes to mind.

It's a problem every self-styled Clark Griswold is going to face at some point when stringing up lights during the holiday season. "You have a light set of 100 and half of the set's out," said 22-year-old Glenview resident Brian Gusak. "A lot of people would think that you have to replace 50 bulbs, but realistically it takes one point of interruption to put a series of lights out because of the way they're wired. " The bells on bobtails ringing don't make spirits nearly as bright as the colorful decorative light displays illuminating our homes.

Enclave is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the most people wearing sunglasses in the dark. With the help of rapper Lil John, who will appear at the club for his third time in 10 months, will be there to help. The previous record is held by 424 people. We at RedEye thought of some other Chicago bars and restaurants who could attempt to break other world records. Most people wearing dark-rimmed glasses: The Whistler Most men wearing blue collared shirts: Chicago Cut Steakhouse Most...

And then there was one. For the past couple of months, Christina Bondra hasn't had to share the bathroom or the TV remote. She hasn't had to split the utility bill two or three ways. She hasn't had to ask a roommate to turn the Kelly Clarkson down. But she also hasn't had anyone to come home to. And that's the way she likes it. Bondra, 27, lives alone in a studio in the Gold Coast, which she called "a young and hip place to be. " It's also a far cry from her home at Michigan State: the sorority house with 10 other ladies.

It's been a difficult month if you enjoy Fanta or hate watching the Cubs lose. Last month in New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a ban on sodas larger than 16 ounces in restaurants and other select outlets. Meanwhile, the small town of Middleborough, Mass., earlier this month overwhelmingly passed a ban on cursing. Pending (unlikely) approval from the state's attorney general's office, police will be required to hand out $20 citations to people who say naughty words in public.

RedEye asked Chicago athletes for their thoughts on the relationship between sex and sports, and whether they abstain from sex before competing.   Danny Downes 26, UFC fighter Seeing that I'm a responsible Irish Catholic boy raised on the South Side of Chicago, I have no knowledge of such a conundrum. I am getting married [Aug. 4], though, so it may soon become an issue. From all the scientific evidence I have seen, the no sex before competition because "it will make your legs weak" is pure myth.

After Kate Napleton heard about the explosions at the Boston Marathon, all she could think was so many people had to be hurt. That's because she knows there always are hordes of people at the finish lines. She crossed the finish line at the Chicago Marathon in 2009 and plans to do so again this October. "Obviously what happened yesterday in Boston was horrific and terrible and you're sitting there thinking, 'I want to do something. What can I do?' " said Napleton, 27, of Old Town.

Despite what you might have heard, it's not impossible to be a vegan in Chicago. "It's much easier than most people think it is," said Annie Fosnacht, a 35-year-old Edgewater resident vying to be PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door. Fosnacht and fellow Sexiest Vegan contestant LaQuesha McClain say the city has any number of vegan-friendly restaurants including Lakeview's Chicago Diner, Lincoln Park's Urban Vegan and Native Foods Café in the Loop. "There are plenty of places here in Chicago where you can go that offer vegan food," McClain said.

2 for $30: En Hakkore 1840 N. Damen Ave. 773-772-9880 I'd love to see the word "fusion" retired from restaurant menus. It gives me unpleasant flashbacks to the late '90s, when suburban Brazilian-Japanese-American hybrids flung together ingredients with utter abandon, covered everything in soy sauce and called it a day. Fast-forward to the present day, and counter-service Bucktown restaurant En Hakkore has come around to redeem the...

Two weeks ago, a friend posted a link to my wall about a new mobile dating app called Tinder. Within an hour there were 20 comments under this link from "friends" convinced I would meet my future husband on this thing. I would have taken offense if three years earlier I hadn't declared that I had met my soul mate on Chatroulette. Seriously. Long story short: I tried it, and I am addicted. Here's how it works: You see a picture of a person who lives no more than 100 miles away and are prompted to press an "X" or a heart symbol.

"Oh, you were a part of me," sings Christopher Owens near the close of his solo debut, "Lysandre. " "That part of me is gone. " While it's clear Owens is singing about a girl, he could just as easily be singing about Girls, the much-loved indie-rock crew he unexpectedly dissolved late last year. In that sense, it's fitting that "Lysandre" often plays like a breakup record, packed with quieter, more introspective songs and delicate, almost fragile instrumentation. Owens, 33, even described the band's split the way some might describe the end of a...

Half-submerged Buddha head sculptures started popping up in five Chicago neighborhoods in the fall, and in 2013, the next phrase of the public art installation is set to turn even more communities on its head. Ten Thousand Ripples - a collaborative citywide project presented by Changing Worlds, an educational arts nonprofit organization - is intended to spark a public dialogue about peace and nonviolence and to create innovative solutions to address contemporary social issues. "The image of the Buddha growing out of the earth represents for me the spiritual...

After more than 90 years since its closure, the House of Glunz is wiping the dust off of The Glunz Tavern and re-opening for business. The tavern, located at 1202 N. Wells St., was originally founded in 1888 by Louis Glunz I and was a popular gather spot in the Old Town neighborhood before it closed just prior to the Prohibition. Barbara Glunz and her son, Christopher Donovan, both owners of the historic House of Glunz, said after giving it much thought for a long time, they decided to re-open the tavern.

*1/2 (out of four) To each their own and all, but the Chicago-made romantic comedy “Qwerty” possesses a pretty warped perception of behavior that could be regarded as charming. When Scrabble devotee Zoe (Dana Pupkin) calls her boyfriend Marty (Eric Hailey) at his DMV job, he answers the phone by saying, “What the [bleep] do you want?” This inspires only a giggle from Zoe, who first takes a shine to the guy when he stands on a department store table and screams, “You're better than your underwear!

It's a problem every self-styled Clark Griswold is going to face at some point when stringing up lights during the holiday season. "You have a light set of 100 and half of the set's out," said 22-year-old Glenview resident Brian Gusak. "A lot of people would think that you have to replace 50 bulbs, but realistically it takes one point of interruption to put a series of lights out because of the way they're wired. " The bells on bobtails ringing don't make spirits nearly as bright as the colorful decorative light displays illuminating our homes.

Headquarters beercade keeps tabs on what games its patrons would most like to see added to its lineup, and for the holidays, they're doing their best to make those wishes a digital reality. For Christmas, the Lakeview bar plans to throw an X-Men X-Mas, where it will unveil the bar's newest gaming addition, the multiplayer "X-Men" arcade game. The game was highly requested on the bar's in-house receipt, and everyone there will be able to participate in a tournament-style promotion all day Christmas Day. It will remain industry...