Best Story Ever

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68. The Key Bridge Collapse

Apr 8, 2024

16:11

The Key Bridge collapse was tragic, and being originally from Maryland it hit close to home. The loss of life and the impact the collapse has on Baltimore leave us with so many questions: How did this happen? What went wrong? Who was responsible? However, when it comes to the bridge disaster, I think most of us are asking the wrong question.

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67. An Unwarranted Investment?

Nov 1, 2023

8:07

How do you say “Hebrew” in Hebrew? It’s an interesting question - and a lesson from what seemed to be a misguided investment in a declining industry highlights a lesson how to pursue value and meaning in a turbulent world.

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The Scabs

Oct 26, 2023

10:20

During these difficult times, a powerful lesson from an an improbable football team can give us inspiration and focus.

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Santa Anna's Leg

Feb 27, 2023

8:17

Antonio López de Santa Anna, of Alamo infamy, ruled Mexico at least 12 different times during the mid 19th Century. Famously, his prosthetic leg was captured by the US Army during the Mexican-American War. And you might not believe how he lost that leg in the first place.

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Belmont, MO, Cairo, IL, Fort Henry, TN

Jan 31, 2023

11:37

Belmont, MO, Cairo, IL, Fort Henry, TN Two things these cities have in common are (A) virtually no one has ever heard of them and (B) I visited these forlorn places with my family for the kids’ winter break. Now, you might ask: if (A) then why (B)?

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63. Slavery

Nov 22, 2022

11:09

My studies of American history lead me to believe that there was, very broadly speaking, a subtle shift in slaveholders’ attitudes between the generation of the Founding Fathers and the generation that followed them. The cause of that shift is profoundly relevant to us all.

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62. Becoming Great

Nov 15, 2022

8:47

We all want to be successful; we all want to be great. But how do we get there? A story from the meteoric rise of Wayne Gretzky - The Great One - teaches us what it takes.

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61. Richer Than Rockefeller

Nov 1, 2022

7:54

It is hard to comprehend John D Rockefeller’s wealth. Calculated for inflation, his peak net worth was $423 billion in today’s dollars or more than 3 percent of the United States’s GDP. But, as Paul McCartney has pointed out, there are things that money just can’t buy.

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60. Cockpits And Conflicts

Oct 25, 2022

10:04

Although many warnings sirens were going off in the cockpit, the pilot did not believe that they were in an emergency; the statistical probability that all of those things were going wrong at the same time was impossible. But he was wrong.

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59. Finding The Unabomber

Sep 6, 2022

9:55

Between 1978 and 1995, a series of 16 bombs were delivered throughout the country, killing 3 and injuring 23. The bombings were connected, but authorities could not even come close to identifying the bomber.

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58. The Gimli Glider

Aug 30, 2022

11:48

58. The Gimli Glider by Compelling Stories And Life's Lessons by Rabbi Nachum Meth

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Angels Soaring

Jul 13, 2022

8:59

Will grows up in the 80s. He is smart, athletic, and plans on going to Yale for college. He has a bright future ahead of him. But then, an injury derails his plans. How should he view his setback? How should all of us look at setbacks?

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56. Debunking Warren Buffet’s Inner Scorecard

Jun 7, 2022

11:03

The 1952 Republican National Convention would be a turning point in the career of Congressman Howard Buffet, father of Warren Buffet. It would also be another example for Warren of the “inner scorecard,” a flawed theory on human behavior.

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55. Kamel Amin Thaabet

May 17, 2022

8:44

Kamel Amin Thaabet was a wealthy Syrian business living in Argentina who liked to play things fast and loose. He used his wealth to built relationships with powerful and influential people. But he wasn’t who he said he was.

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54. Ararat: A Failed Plan For Persecuted Jews

Apr 26, 2022

8:52

Mordechai Noah was one of the first influential Jews in the United States, and in 1825 he decided to save all of the persecuted Jews around the world. He called it Ararat, and it was located right near Niagara Falls, and the story teaches us all about planning.

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53. The Hero You Never Heard Of

Mar 8, 2022

7:03

Elizabeth Everest was a simple woman, virtually anonymous in history. She never achieved any fame. She never had much money. She wasn’t a particularly accomplished person. She never married and didn’t have a family. However, if not for her, your life would probably not be the same; in fact the entire free world today would likely be a totally different place.

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52. Bill Buckner

Feb 24, 2022

12:21

52. Bill Buckner by Compelling Stories And Life's Lessons by Rabbi Nachum Meth

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51. Einstein’s Mistake

Jan 19, 2022

8:41

It is hard to overstate how brilliant Albert Einstein was. In 1905—within a span of just a few months—he produced four paper: each one of them on its own revolutionized the way scientists understood the universe. But his genius was not without flaw.

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50. The Unbelievable Doctor

Jan 4, 2022

6:16

William Rockefeller, born in the early 1800s, was a remarkable doctor - traveling across the midwest from town to town offering his medical services. The results of pills, potions, and remedies were unbelievable.

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49. Thanksgiving

Nov 23, 2021

7:04

In 1985, Mexico City was rocked by a devastating earthquake, leaving much of the city in ruins. The story of how an unlikely country from around the globe joined in the relief effort teaches us a powerful lesson in gratitude.

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48. What Was The War Of 1812 About?

Nov 16, 2021

9:31

The War Of 1812, like all wars, was costly: more than 2,00 soldiers were killed and thousands more were injured. Washington, DC, was burnt to the ground. And I believe that most people today don’t even know why the war was fought.

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A Time To Grow

Aug 24, 2021

4:58

A Time To Grow by Compelling Stories And Life's Lessons by Rabbi Nachum Meth

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47. Reckless With Rockets

Aug 11, 2021

8:12

An explosion at nuclear missile silo almost triggered an unimaginable catastrophe. What happened?

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46. Sandpipers

Aug 5, 2021

6:53

Sandpipers, Calidris alba, are remarkable little birds. I have had the opportunity to watch them over the last few years while vacationing in North Carolina, and have always been amazed by their eating habits.

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45. A Critical Look At Ben Franklin

May 25, 2021

9:17

Although Benjamin Franklin was one of then most accomplished Americans ever, he was estranged from his son William. The source of their rift is highlighted by a lesson the Torah teaches us about relationships.

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44. Dignity And Self Respect

Apr 28, 2021

10:11

Andy showed up drunk to an important event. Jim got into a fight with a friend and threatened to stab him. Lynn was vulgar in his actions and speech. We’ve all encountered inappropriate people who have poor conduct. But their behavior is not their biggest failure.

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43. Self-Sacrifice

Apr 8, 2021

9:22

Major General John Sedgwick was loyal and dedicated to his soldiers and country. So when he saw a gap in his artillery lines at the Battle of Spotsylvania, he bravely charged to the front to reposition his division. It was a terrible mistake.

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42. Two Mountaintops In Israel

Mar 7, 2021

6:20

In commemoration of the second Yahrzeit of my dad, Dr. Sheldon Meth. Two seemingly random events on two seemingly random mountaintops separated by a few miles and a few millennia dramatically changed the course of history.

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41. Wilmer McLean’s Houses

Mar 2, 2021

8:31

Wilmer McLean was a simple grocer living a quiet life in a quaint home in Manassas, VA. When his neighborhood took a turn for the worse and his house was vandalized, he decided to move farther south and bought a different quaint home. What happened next was no coincidence.

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40. Just Keep Swimming

Feb 17, 2021

8:21

Catalina Island is a beautiful island of of the coast of California, and in 1952 a young athlete attempted to swim its 26-mile channel. The story of her dramatic swim is an inspiring lesson in determination, perseverance, and personal growth.

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39. The Bonus Army: It’s Not About What You Say

Feb 2, 2021

12:07

In 1924, Congress passed the World War Compensation Act—a payment to soldiers who fought in the first World War. But then came the Great Depression and everything changed. An insight from the Torah explains one man’s success and another’s failure, and is a critical lesson for solving friction in our relationships.

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38. Don’t Take Success For Granted

Jan 26, 2021

11:04

A young man moved to the San Fransisco Bay area in the 1850s looking to get rich quick. It’s the gold rush, it’s a boomtown; what could go wrong? A lesson from one man’s failures becomes an insight for success.

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37. John Quincy Adams’s Greatest Accomplishment

Jan 5, 2021

10:12

37. John Quincy Adams’s Greatest Accomplishment John Quincy Adams was one of the most brilliant people to ever serve as president. He was also one of the most qualified. Yet, he would be the first to tell you that his presidency was a complete failure. But the story doesn’t end there.

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36. Ups And Downs

Dec 22, 2020

9:43

Mr. A lived a life of failure, personal tragedy and sorrow. Mr. B lived a life of success, personal victories, and happiness. Their lives go in very different directions. You know who they are; can you guess their identity? Here is a hint: it's a trick question.

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35. Rapid Revolutionary Redemption

Dec 17, 2020

6:10

By mid-summer of 1781, things looked pretty bad for General Washington’s army. Outmanned, outgunned, and without any real plan for victory, they were desperately close to destruction by the British.You know that the story ends well for Washington; but how did it happen?

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34. E Pluribus Unum

Nov 11, 2020

9:21

“Out of many, one” is the motto of the United States. But what if the country is splintered? What if the political divide is toxic? How can the country survive? A lesson from history and an insight from the Talmud gives hope.

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33. Anchors Aweigh

Nov 5, 2020

11:11

When making decisions about ambiguous situations, we hunt for clues; pieces of information that can help us formulate answers. Psychologists refer to these clues as anchors. An at-home experiment as well as a tragic story show that sometimes anchors do not work.

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32. The Shopping Cart

Oct 28, 2020

10:44

They are all around us. We use them all the time. They are handy devices that, barring the occasional jammed or squeaky wheel, we don’t think about much. Where did shopping carts come from? The story of their rise in popularity highlights a defining element of our very humanity.

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31. Appreciating The Formation Of The State Of Israel

Oct 21, 2020

11:00

In early 1948, Harry Truman was conflicted about supporting a future Jewish state. Although he was sympathetic towards the plight of European Jews, pressure from his cabinet leadership was pushing him to oppose its creation. What motivated Truman to ultimately appreciate the need for a Jewish state?

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30. A Frank Evaluation

Oct 14, 2020

8:13

Frank had a stable childhood. Frank had great parents. Frank went to a top college. Frank became an accomplished attorney. Frank went on to become a congressman and then a senator. Is Frank a successful person?

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29. Half Breeds And Stalwarts

Sep 24, 2020

10:47

The 1880 Republican National Convention was coming apart at the seems as a bitter division threatened to split the party in half. The compromise ticket of James Garfield for president and Chester Arthur for vice president kept the party together and profoundly changed the country—and Chester Arthur.

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28. The Regrettable 1958 Green Bay Packers

Sep 10, 2020

9:34

The Green Bay Packers are an iconic football franchise. However, their 1958 season was their worst season ever. The next season they hired the legendary head coach Vince Lombardi who transformed them into champions. How did he achieve such a remarkable turnaround?

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27. Höger Day Was No Routine Day In Sweden

Sep 3, 2020

10:11

Imagine if I told you that, from now on, traffic will no longer flow on the right side of the road, rather it will flow on the left. We would all get disoriented and probably all die in head-on collisions, right? As they say in Sweden, “det är inte så enkelt.”

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26. Bad Dog

Aug 27, 2020

9:42

My dog Tebow is well behaved. Except that he occasionally eats food from off our counters when no one is looking. How do we deal with his bad behavior? With the same approach that a hospital in San Fransisco recently implemented that is now saving lives.

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25. Alone At 10,000 Feet

Aug 19, 2020

7:21

A nightmarish situation unfolds mid-flight on a small twin-engine plane with Doug White’s wife and children in the back of the plane. His response is a lesson in how to build trust.

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24. Why Didn't The Russians Send Man To The Moon?

Aug 5, 2020

6:17

The Russians were first to launch a satellite into orbit. The first to send an animal into orbit. The first to send man into orbit. Yet, they never got man to the moon. Why not?

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23. They Don't Make Light Bulbs Like They Used To

Jul 29, 2020

8:43

Take a moment and visit www.centennialbulb.org There you will find a live video of a dimly lit light bulb. In the background, you’ll probably see a firetruck and a few people walking past while pointing up at the bulb. And if you look carefully, you will also discover the reason why you aren’t achieving your goals.

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22. Horse Sense

Jul 23, 2020

11:55

In the 1890s, Wilhelm Von Osten discovered that his horse was brilliant. A lesson from his horse’s wisdom could have prevented one of the greatest tragedies in Jewish history, and can teach us how to improve our most important relationships.

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21. What John Adams Didn't Do

Jul 15, 2020

8:48

What do you know about John Adams? You probably know that he was the second president of the United States. But do you recall anything that he did while he was president? Most Americans probably can’t, and that—strangely— was Adams’s great accomplishment.

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20. Marginal Gains

Jul 9, 2020

10:54

Want to win the Tour de France? You will need to think big, have big plans, have big goals—right? Sometimes, what we actually need is to think small. One coach’s brilliant small approach to success at Le Tour is a valuable insight that reaches far beyond cycling.

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