7 Months, 10 Days in Captivity

During our time as hostages, I tried to reason with our captors. I told them we were journalists who had come to hear the Taliban’s side of the story. I told them that I had recently married and that Tahir and Asad had nine young children between them. I wept, hoping it would create sympathy, and begged them to release us. All of my efforts proved pointless.

Published: Oct 17, 2009
Length: 18 minutes (4,677 words)

Wall Street’s Naked Swindle

A scheme to flood the market with counterfeit stocks helped kill Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers — and the feds have yet to bust the culprits

Source: Rolling Stone
Published: Apr 5, 2010
Length: 42 minutes (10,610 words)

Can Hulu Save Traditional TV?

This is the tale of Jason Kilar and a company called Hulu, costarring the heads of NBC and Fox, with guest appearances by Andy Samberg, Tina Fey, Jeff Bezos, and Walt Disney. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Source: Fast Company
Published: Dec 1, 2009
Length: 16 minutes (4,065 words)

1995 Interview with Steve Jobs

“The minute you understand objects, it’s all exactly the same. All software will be written using object oriented technology some day. You can argue about how long its going to take, who the winners and loosers are going to be, but I don’t think a rational person will debate its significance.”

Published: Apr 20, 1995
Length: 44 minutes (11,134 words)

There’s No Place Like Home

Fewer Americans are relocating than at any time since 1962. That’s good news for families, communities … and even the environment.

Published: Oct 9, 2009
Length: 12 minutes (3,194 words)

John Demjanjuk: The Last Nazi

Funny thing is, he was never a Nazi, nor Ivan the Terrible, nor even German. So why now is he standing trial in Munich as accessory to 27,900 Nazi murders?

Author: Scott Raab
Source: Esquire
Published: Nov 1, 2009
Length: 11 minutes (2,891 words)

A body larger than life

As a comic, Billi Gordon used his girth to get laughs. Now it’s imprisoning him, but he plans a breakout.

Author: Carla Hall
Published: Oct 14, 2009
Length: 8 minutes (2,177 words)

The Lost Generation

The continuing job crisis is hitting young people especially hard—damaging both their future and the economy

Author: Peter Coy
Source: Businessweek
Published: Oct 8, 2009
Length: 8 minutes (2,001 words)

Tent City USA

An in situ study was conducted of a tent city near downtown Fresno, California. The objective of the Study was to explore this unusual community of homeless people and learn something of its inhabitants. The Fresno location was chosen based on its size (the Study Area extends over several city blocks) and substantial population (approximately 300 individuals). The project methodology was simple: The Principal Researcher (PR) would set up a tent within the tent city and observe the inhabitants.

Source: GQ
Published: Oct 15, 2009
Length: 49 minutes (12,352 words)

Stanley McChrystal’s Long War

Success takes time, but how much time does Stanley McChrystal have? The war in Afghanistan is now in its ninth year. The Taliban, measured by the number of their attacks, are stronger than at any time since the Americans toppled their government at the end of 2001. American soldiers and Marines are dying at a faster rate than ever before. Polls in the United States show that opposition to the war is growing steadily.

Published: Oct 14, 2009
Length: 40 minutes (10,208 words)