Lighter Than Arrogance

In the Lexicon of Clichés to describe characters accused of a despicable act, “He was once on a reality show” is the new “Neighbors say he was quiet and kept to himself.” Today the idea of a mad loner silently avoiding attention seems like a quaint throwback. In August, a VH1 dating-show contestant was charged with the murder of his ex-wife, then committed suicide

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11 die as bomb explodes in northwest Pakistan

A bomb detonated in the border city of Peshawar on Friday, killing at least 11 people one day after a series of deadly militant attacks rocked Pakistan. The optimism reflected what the company said was an across-the-board recovery in online advertising, with even the struggling financial services sector showing a return to growth.

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Woman throws mug at ‘Mona Lisa’

Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece the "Mona Lisa" was attacked with a mug earlier this month, but the world’s most famous painting — protected by thick glass — emerged with its enigmatic smile undimmed. French police say a woman “not in her senses” lobbed the mug at the 500-year-old painting, which hangs in the Louvre gallery in Paris.

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Rare Harry Potter book fetches $19,000 at auction

A first-edition Harry Potter book was sold for about $19,000, according to an auction house in Dallas, Texas. The soft-cover book was one of 200 copies printed and is a rarity compared with later editions of the popular series that were printed in the millions, the Heritage Auction Galleries said. The book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” includes an autograph from author J.K

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