Entertainment_Culture

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Evan Tate, Jessica Lange and Frances Conroy (from left) are part of the cast of "American Horror Story." The show's first season documented the travails of the Harmon family in a 1908 mansion known as the "Murder House" for all the bad things that happened there. (FX via Associated Press)

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Maryland center Alex Len flashed his dunking form during Midnight Madness festivities in October. Ruled ineligible for the first 10 games, Len will make his debut Wednesday against Albany. (Associated Press)

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"What a great way to get back on the horse. It was hard, but it was what it's supposed to be," actress Sandra Bullock said of her role in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." She plays a wife whose husband dies at the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11. Thomas Horn, in a scene with Miss Bullock, plays their son. (Warner Bros. Pictures via Associated Press)

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Director Stephen Daldry (left) talks to Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock on the set of "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." The film is based on a novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. (Warner Bros. Pictures via Associated Press)

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"He's sold me," said Dan Keith, 61, about Newt Gingrich. Mr. Keith and his wife, Pat, of Hamilton, Ohio, said they are convinced that Mr. Gingrich has the experience and savvy to be a strong candidate against President Obama. (Associated Press)

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Stephen Glass, a former writer for the New Republic who was caught fabricating articles in the late 1990s, is trying to become a lawyer. (Associated Press)

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An artist's rendering shows the twin Grail spacecraft mapping the lunar gravity field. The two probes are scheduled to enter orbit around the moon over New Year's weekend. (Associated Press)

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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder must decide whether to appoint an emergency manager to keep financially crippled Detroit from going under. (Associated Press)

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Pat Troy, owner of Ireland's Own restaurant and pub, remembers that President Reagan had corned beef and cabbage along with a beer when he visited the pub in 1988. Mr. Troy's book, "I Have a Story to Tell," is the product of decades of experiences as an Irish immigrant and businessman. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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Customers exit Pat Troy's Ireland's Own restaurant and pub, a local landmark for 31 years in Alexandria. The owner has written a book about his experiences and the famous people he's met, including President Reagan and aviator Charles A. Lindbergh. Mr. Troy also hosts "Pat Troy's Irish Radio Show" on Sunday mornings. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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Zana Marjanovic (left) and Boris Ler are caught up in the war in Bosnia in the film written and directed by Angelina Jolie titled "In the Land of Blood and Honey." (Film District via the Associated Press)

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"I've always tried to step outside my comfort zone. Sometimes that can be good and useful for hopeful things like this," said actress Angelina Jolie, who has written and directed her first film. (Associated Press)

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Writer-director Angelina Jolie works with the director of photography Dean Semler (center) during the filming of "In the Land of Blood and Honey." The film was a balancing act as Ms. Jolie sought to tell a story representing all sides in the Bosnian conflict. (Film District via the Associated Press)

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A young man shows off the Nike Air Jordan shoes he got for Christmas from his parents Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Danese Kenon)

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Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) dunks the ball as Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum, lower left, Devin Eubanks (3) and Derek Fisher, back right, watch during the first half in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

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"I've got faith in two things. I have faith in Christ, and I've got faith in me. Beyond that, I have faith in nothing else. I'll be standing somewhere," Fletcher said about his prospects of returning next season. (Andrew Harnik / The Washington Times)

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A final photograph of Kim Jong-il, released Saturday, shows North Korea's "Dear Leader" in a Pyongyang grocery store with a retinue that includes his son-successor, Kim Jong-un (right on the first step with two riders), Kim Jong-il's sister Kim Kyong-hui and her husband, Jang Song-thaek (two steps behind Kim Jong-un, in light jacket). (Associated Press)

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Jeremy Irvine stars as Albert, a young man who follows his beloved horse off to World War I, in "War Horse," a new drama that shows both the good and bad sides of Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. (Disney via Associated Press)

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Surrounded by lights, performers sing from high above the crowd during the 2011 Living Christmas Tree program "Christmas Is Relative" at the First Baptist Church of Alexandria on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011. The production features traditional and contemporary holiday music and a 25-foot Christmas tree filled with 100 singers and more than 50,000 synchronized lights. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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PIZZA PARLOR POLITICIAN: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican presidential contender, shakes hands with patrons while campaigning at Village Pizza in Newport, N.H. (Associated Press)