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BEVERLY HILLS—What do you tell your plump-lipped, chubby-cheeked daughter with curls down to her bum? Her peers are stick-thin and tight-lipped, boasting perfectly straight shoulder-length hair. They are the standard of beauty, she's not. You do the only thing you can for your distraught princess. You appease her, finding the best hair product to relax her nagging curls. You buy...

HOLLYWOOD—Self-discovery films are not at the highest on my radar; its kind of a portrait of real life that many of us have seen time and time again. The cross-country drama “Wild” starring Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon, is such a riveting piece of cinema, its difficult to take your eyes off of our protagonist. Reese stars as Cheryl Strayed, who...

SAN FRANCISCO—The 49ers have officially released embattled defensive end Ray McDonald. McDonald, a former third-round pick and defensive stalwart, has been a vital cog of the Niners defense since entering the league in 2007. Since then, the talented but troubled McDonald has had a history of run-ins with the law, including an August arrest at his San Jose home on...

HOLLYWOOD—I must say I was never a fan of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. I didn’t even care for the first installment of “The Hobbit” franchise, but its sequel, “The Desolation of Smaug” set the stage for a climatic finale I’d been eagerly waiting for. “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” is a resonating conclusion to the...

SAN FRANCISCO—Police are searching for an arsonist in a series of vehicle burnings in the city's Mission District that occurred on December 17, during the morning hours. The first target was a parked Jeep, reported ablaze at 4:10 a.m. on the western side of Dolores Park. About a half hour later, a second vehicle, parked two blocks north of the Jeep...

SAN FRANCISCO—Richard Pouncey, of San Francisco, was convicted of first-degree murder for the murder of 47-year-old Richard Sprague. Around midnight on February 19, 2012, Sprague left his wallet and phone at home while going out to buy a pack of cigarettes. Around 2:40 a.m., a witness reported hearing cries for help, then seeing a figure straddling another person with their hands...

SAN FRANCISCO—A man accused of setting fire to a Mercedes Benz parked inside an apartment complex has been acquitted of charges of burglary and arson based-upon tainted identification. Anthony Berajano, 48, did indeed visit the Rincon Hill complex near First and Harrison Streets on June 19, the day the luxury car was set ablaze. Berajano, who visited the building on...

SAN FRANCISCO—Though it will come as little consolation to 49ers fans, the NFL has confirmed that referee Ed Hochuli mistakingly called a roughing-the-passer penalty on San Francisco linebacker Nick Moody, extending a decisive fourth-quarter drive for rival Seattle. The call essentially gifted Seattle a two-possession lead, all but ending Sunday's game and eliminating San Francisco from playoff contention. Hochuli mistakingly believed...

SAN FRANCISCO—Police have arrested Cesar Castellanos, 36,  a homeless man for allegedly murdering another homeless man beneath the ramp of U.S. Highway 101 in the Mission District. Authorities received a request for a wellness check for a man lying beneath the overpass at 6:30 a.m. on December 15. Paramedics arrive at the overpass, near the intersection of Caesar Chavez and Portero,...

SAN FRANCISCO—A bank robber dressed as Santa Claus entered an establishment near the intersection of Sutter and Stockton, taking an undisclosed amount of cash before leaving the building unchallenged. The robbery suspect is described by police as a man in his 40s or 50s. He slipped a note to the teller at the Wells Fargo Bank demanding money, which the teller complied. There...