Story Lab: December 27, 2009 - January 2, 2010

Pick of the Day: The man behind the produce

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey juggles apples in one of his stores on New York's Upper West Side. Photo by Richard Drew/ AP Profiles are all about peeling away the layers -- noting the nail-biting habit that betrays a...

By Theresa Vargas  | December 31, 2009; 8:03 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
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Unemployment Diaries: The reaction

Vanessa Ennouini, who wrote an unemployment diary, and her husband Mahfoud walk with their daughter Victoria outside their apartment complex. Photo by Michael Williamson/The Washington Post The email begins: I just read Margarita Damian's entry. I feel for her....

By Theresa Vargas  | December 30, 2009; 9:21 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Categories:  Diaries  
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Pick of the Day: Love letters in the classifieds

A couple in Tennessee hoping to buy an engagement ring holds hands. Photo by Michael Williamson/The Washington Post Maybe it’s the randomness. Or the rawness. But there is something about Craigslist’s “Missed Connections” that never disappoints. To look feels...

By Theresa Vargas  | December 30, 2009; 9:01 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
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Build-A-Story: Do you haggle?

Let's-strike-a-deal moments have always been popular at car dealerships, mattress stores and open houses, but recent data shows that deal making has spread to some unlikely places. BIGresearch asked more than 4,000 people where they haggle for a better...

By Michael S. Rosenwald  | December 29, 2009; 10:35 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (3)
Categories:  Build-A-Story  
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Zip Code Dispatches: Is your economy on the mend?

Economists have been saying that the recession that began in December 2007 with the subprime mortgage loan craziness and took a nosedive in the fall of 2008 is, technically at least, over. And though unemployment remains high, at 10 percent,...

By Brigid Schulte  | December 29, 2009; 9:29 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Categories:  Build-A-Story  
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Pick of the Day: The toll of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Awareness stamp. Photo courtesy of United States Postal Service I think most reporters would agree: The only thing more intimidating than an empty notebook is a towering pile of filled ones. From the scribbled notes that represent weeks...

By Theresa Vargas  | December 29, 2009; 8:05 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
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Working Mother: My life as a lightning rod

In the fall, as my son neared middle school, I wrote a story for The Washington Post's Outlook section about the plight many working mothers face once their children hit middle school age: the options for after-care are slim to...

By Brigid Schulte  | December 28, 2009; 9:31 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (3)
Categories:  The Blowback  
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Pick of the Day: Is that Santa slumped on your lawn?

An inflatable Santa Claus is seen toppled over and covered in snow in front of a home in Havertown, Pa., on Dec. 19. Photo by Jacqueline Larma/AP Good stories are ones that slip into your thoughts months or even...

By Theresa Vargas  | December 28, 2009; 8:30 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
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