And if it's true that fame is changing, and celebrity is being democratized in the 21st century, maybe we all are going to one day wind up on a platform, standing high above a pool.

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It usually began with standing water: a tide pool or pond or salty shallow, wet enough to breed bacteria but not so wet as to wash them away.

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Ms. Abdul-Hakeem, standing beside the pool, was looking at a photo on her smartphone, the police officer said.

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