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You might expect a high school dance squad to put on routines to pop, hip-hop or rock music. Maybe some electronic music. But the talented team at Mahomet-Seymour High School in Mahomet, Illinois likes to do things a little differently. Setting a new choreography to a spoken word track entitled, “What Room Does Fear Have?” Fear isn’t exactly the friendliest of subjects. And spoken word for dance? If you told me I was about to watch a bunch of high schoolers dancing to a guy just talking about fear, I’d probably try to get out of it. Yet what these young, talented dancers pull off is quite extraordinary. The dancing is clever and works quite well without any sort of musical backing. Then, at 1:25, everything changes on the drop of a dime. The deceptively minimal costumes transform and the tone of the speech changes into a triumphant rally against being afraid. The combination of all these things sends a powerful message that so many of us forget. Fear isn’t something that controls us if we don’t let it. We only have to confront it. Being afraid is just trying to avoid something that makes you uncomfortable and if you avoided everything that made you uncomfortable? You’d never get anything done. You’d never make any friends. You’d never fall in love, get married or start a family. You’d never write that novel, or learn that instrument or travel the world. And you certainly wouldn’t join a dance team or put on a routine without any music in a high school gym. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/fear-dance-routine-magic-costume-mahomet-seymour/

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Car problems are the worst. I recently had to take my car to the shop and it was nightmare. Everything is so expensive and you have to always be aware of what is happening or else you might get ripped off. I have experienced tire problems, AC problems and most everything else, but I have never experienced the problem featured in this video. This man had just driven his old International Harvester Scout truck from Houston to Jacksonville. When he got to his destination, he noticed there was something a bit off with his car. After looking things over for a bit, he decided to take a panel off of his truck. It was then that he found something truly shocking. His decades old truck was hiding an entire colony of bees. Thousands of them had made their home inside this man’s truck. If you have any fear of bees, this would be your very worst nightmare.  Luckily, the man who owned the truck didn’t panic. He was able to get rid of all the bees non-lethally. The entire colony was transported to a new hive where they were able to live in peace. The bees accessed the truck through holes made by rust in the exterior of the car. Both the bees and the truck lived happily ever after. Next time you notice something wrong with your car, remember the bees. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/truck-filled-with-bees/

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With all the stories you hear about a “boy and his dog” you’d think there’d be more incredible tales of animal companionship floating around the world. A boy and his turtle. A girl and her chicken. While we wait for those stories to surface, we have one incredible relationship to tell you about involving Vito the macaw and his owner. These two best friends pass the days by racing. Yes, this man races his macaw. Marvel at Vito’s elegant beauty as he glides through the air alongside his owner’s motorcycle. Enjoy the beautiful Greek countryside. Then wish you had a relationship with a macaw that is this down for adventure. Take care of your human Vito, and keep on racing. You set a standard of excellence for animals everywhere. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/man-vs-macaw-race/

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I wonder what it says about the human species if even our much simpler cousins in the primate family resort to wanton crime like these rhesus macaques, who seem to get away with their brazen thefts due to their adorableness. If you do happen to visit a locale where monkeys like these delight tourists with their antics, take this warning. Cute, intelligent and playful, these monkeys can also be very aggressive when they want food. A scratch or bite from these creatures can be very bad news, as they are almost guaranteed to cause infection, and the diseases they carry are serious business, like tuberculosis and herpes B. So if you do see these furry little bandits around, try to enjoy them from a far and keep your belongings hidden! Read more: http://www.wimp.com/monkey-thieves-hold-phones-glasses-ransom-food/

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The men and women who defend our freedom by serving in the Navy are a tough bunch. They are in peak physical shape, maintain a professional appearance and act as ambassadors of America abroad. But, did you know that they also have a musical side? The U.S. Navy band is made up of six distinct performing groups, one of which is the “Sea Chanters,” whom you will see in this video. With their diverse range of musicians and singers, the Navy Band is confident in their ability to play any style of music on any stage. According to their website, the Navy believes that their band “inspires patriotism, elevates esprit de corps, enhances Navy awareness and public relations, supports recruiting and retention efforts, preserves the Nation’s musical heritage, and projects a positive image at home and abroad.” If you were to mention the Navy band to someone with an untrained ear, they might assume that it’s a lot of horns and drums, but not much else. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. While the Navy band can certainly play traditional songs for important ceremonies, they also know how to cut loose and flat-out entertain when the situation calls for it. This clip, taken from the Concerts on the Avenue series from 2014, features the Sea Chanters performing a medley of songs from Jersey Boys. These songs, originally by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, represent a time of romance and nostalgia in America’s history. When you hear these familiar beats, it’s almost impossible not to be transported back to the 1960s. We hope you enjoy this wonderful performance as much as they enjoyed putting it on. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/jersey-boys-navy-chorus-sea-chanters/

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We’re not sure whether the little girl in this video simply lives in an area where snow isn’t prevalent, or if she’s simply young enough to have not seen the stuff. But her reaction probably wouldn’t be all that different to anyone else hearing about those frozen ice crystals falling from the sky for the first time. After all, snow is the result of a pretty crazy set of circumstances. First, water is one of the few chemical compounds ocurring in nature that expands as it freezes. It’s also got boiling and freezing points that make it just right to become rain, snow, clouds and everything else water does in our atmosphere. It’s not often you see carbon dioxide snow, for example. Which isn’t to say it couldn’t happen, but we’d probably be in a lot of trouble if it did. Frozen carbon dioxide is also known as dry ice, and it is COLD. Also, the only place we’ve seen it happen so far is Mars, which, if we’re on Mars, there’s a whole other set of problems. If you’ve seen The Martian, you know what I mean. Still, for many people in America (especially in say, Hawaii), ordinary snow is simply something seen in pictures. For the rest of us, it’s both that beautiful, wonderful powdery, crystalline fluff that gives us sledding, skiing and snowmobiling, but also that thing that makes us late for work, and gives us tired backs as we shovel it off of our driveways only to have it reappear in a few minutes. Still, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/little-girl-does-not-believe-snow/

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There’s no right way to raise a child. Since the beginning of time, parents have struggled to figure out the best methods for teaching their kids about the world. How to walk, talk and go to the bathroom are just a few of the many learning experiences that parents must go through with their children. In fact, there are so many things we have to learn that it’s easy to forget there was a time when we didn’t know how to do them. Take going down stairs, for example. It’s hard to imagine when such a simple activity wasn’t second nature to us, but there was a day when we had to learn how to do it just like everyone else. The dog and cat in this video demonstrate two very different ways in which a parent can teach their baby to use the stairs. It’s no secret that dogs and cats are drastically different animals, but it’s never been more obvious than in this moment. The dog decides to take a slow and nurturing approach. She begins by walking down the stairs herself, then looks back up at her puppy and encourages it to copy her. The puppy is scared, but that doesn’t stop it from reaching its mama down at the bottom. The cat, on the other hand, takes a more … direct approach. While one method might be a little gentler than the other, one thing is certain: they both made it to the bottom. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/dogs-and-cats-stairs/

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Move over Marty McFly. Out of the way Bart Simpson. There’s a new skateboarding rebel in town and his name is Harley the dog. Ok, so he might not have all his moves down quite yet but he definitely looks the part. Harley sprints out of the house and rockets down the street on his very own skateboard. Sure he might have had a few helpful pushes from his owner but that doesn’t mean he’s not the chillest dog around. You go Harley. I’ll see you on the halfpipe. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/dog-shreds-on-skateboard/

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Every kid loves playing with RC cars, but what if that car is a full-size dump truck and the track is filled with dangerous barricades and explosives? That is exactly what happened for four-year-old Sophie, who was recently handed the controls to a Volvo FMX truck. Sophie controlled the gas, breaks, steering and gear shifting of the large and surprisingly nimble vehicle. Through swinging crates, deep puddles and fire, Sophie eventually made it to the end and successfully lived out a dream of a kids everywhere. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/volvo-lets-four-year-old-control-car/

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Who’s in charge of the chores in your house? If you live with a bunch of roommates, you might have a big whiteboard that designates who is in charge of what each week. Between dishes, laundry, sweeping, cleaning the bathrooms, cooking meals, and keeping everything tidy, chores take up a lot of time and energy. Growing up, my parents always joked that the reason they had me was so they’d have someone to cut the grass. While this is clearly a joke (I hope), chores are a great way to bring a family together and teach children the value of hard work. Spending a Saturday afternoon cleaning the bathroom is no kid’s dream, but it’s guaranteed to lead to more bonding and satisfaction than an afternoon spent playing video games. In a perfect world, chores would be divided up evenly amongst family members, with everyone contributing based on what they’re best at. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case in homes around the world. Household chores, believe it or not, are still primarily done by women. This is due to a long history of sexism and stigmas towards a woman’s abilities. Women used to be expected to stay home and tend to the house while their husbands went out and worked. Just look at this guide for housewives in the 1950s and all the hurdles women were expected to jump through while their husbands didn’t lift a finger. Now, in a time when almost as many women are out in the labor force as men, women are still expected to bear the load of chores that come with running a home. This powerful commercial from Ariel India, entitled “Share The Load,” urges dads to pitch in around the house. We might not be able to change the past that’s taught us to think and act a certain way, but we can change our behavior moving forward when it comes to chores. H/T: Ariel India | Flock of Broads Read more: http://www.wimp.com/share-the-load-commercial-ariel-india/

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