The Brooklyn lawn he photographed in 2010 is almost painfully funny.

WSJ: rom Lee Friedlander at Janet Borden Gallery

In the wake of the corporate scandals of the past year, the idea that trustworthiness and business success go hand in hand now appears almost painfully naive.

FORBES: A Virtuous Cycle

As for stinginess, my father was almost painfully parsimonious.

FORBES: Fathers and Sons

Some observations from a reporter's notebook analyse themselves, and are almost too painfully obvious to even print.

ECONOMIST: Journalism and its discontents in Moscow

After almost two years of painfully slow negotiations, and at the last minute, a deal was struck in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on May 5th between the Sudanese government and the largest rebel movement active in Sudan's vast western region of Darfur.

ECONOMIST: Darfur

Though it seems almost burlesque, for many Mexicans it is painfully close to historical truth.

ECONOMIST: A reprieve for a Mexican film

Striker Kenwyne Jones was forced off at half-time for Sunderland after injuring his wrist when painfully blocking a Gilberto shot and his replacement O'Donovan almost put his side level when play resumed.

BBC: Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal

The home side are top of the Czech league but have not played for almost two months due to a winter break and their lack of recent match practice was painfully apparent in the early stages.

BBC: Robbie Keane scores Tottenham's second goal