My Z News

If you’re anything like me, you need an early morning cup of coffee to function throughout the day. I usually make mine at home, but Barbara, a resident of Vancouver, Washington, loves to drive to her favorite coffee shop. Dutch Brothers Coffee is a small, regional chain with locations throughout the Pacific coast. Usually, trips to Dutch Brothers are quick and efficient – but one morning, Barbara noticed the drive-thru line was taking a long time.  She saw an employee talking to the woman in front of her in line. Then, more employees gathered at the window and began to lean toward the woman’s car while reaching for her hand. Barbara was stunned by what she was seeing, so she took out her phone and snapped a picture. After a little while, the car drove away and Barbara pulled up, determined to learn the story of what had just happened.  When she learned why the Dutch Brothers employees had taken the hand of the women in front of her, she was so amazed and moved that she took to Facebook to share her experience.  “Snapped this picture while waiting in line at the Dutch Bros on 138th Avenue today,” Barbara said on Facebook. Dutch Bros. Coffee “Turns out the young lady in line ahead of us lost her 37-year-old husband last night.” Barbara Danner “When the DB guys & gals noticed she was falling apart, they stopped everything and prayed with her for several minutes, invited her to come back for prayer and support, as well as anything else that she might need. Prayers for the young family, and you know where to stop for coffee!” Barbara Danner The touching story has been shared on Facebook over 90,000 times, and people from all over the world have shown appreciation for the thoughtfulness and love displayed by these three employees. These kind of caring acts are not unusual for Dutch Brothers Coffee, as they are currently running a campaign to raise money for the family of an officer who was killed in the line of duty. You can learn more about their charitable acts by watching the video below.  H/T: KCRA News | LittleThings Read more: http://www.wimp.com/dutch-brothers-drive-thru/

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Japan has one of the most open-minded and experimental food cultures on the planet. From salmon-flavored candy to eating live animals there is no frontier of culinary life Japan hasn’t explored. Such open-mindedness sometimes leads to incredible finds, like this odd burger, fries, and cola snack kit. Both playful and functional, this kit builds a mini-fast food combo meal from just a handful of powder packets, a microwave, and some included cooking gear. According to the video’s maker, the meal features no artificial colors or preservatives and clocks in at around 96 calories. If you’re interested in trying out these adorable little burgers for yourself, they can be ordered online. We won’t vouch for their flavor, but part of being a food explorer is sometimes taking risks. Either way, whether you order or just enjoy this video, snacking in Japan looks way more fun than here in the states. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/japanese-burger-and-fries-kit/

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When you work outside, you’re bound to get up close and personal with nature from time to time. In July 2014, that’s exactly what happened to Justin Lewis and his coworker. As they were clearing roadside brush to make way for electrical lines they found a tiny fawn tangled in some thorns. With no mother in sight, Justin decided to cut the baby deer loose and move him to a safer location. The rest, as they say, is YouTube history. Over seven million people have viewed the 49-second clip of Justin’s special moment with the baby deer, and among the comments, many have expressed concern that a doe would reject a fawn covered in human scent. While this subject is debated among deer rescue groups, the SPCA encourages people not to touch fawns, and if they do, to wipe them down afterwards with a towel that’s been rubbed in grass. Does are known to leave their fawns alone for long periods of time, so if the baby deer in question appears uninjured, it’s best for humans to simply leave it alone. In Justin’s case, however, moving the fawn was the right thing to do. It was tangled in thorns, and at risk of being crushed by construction equipment. Although the deer followed him around “like a lost puppy” for about an hour, Justin eventually noticed a doe watching from a hillside. He carried the fawn a bit closer, and before long, they reunited and walked away together. And Justin? He was left with a beautiful memory and newfound Internet fame. It doesn’t get much better than that!  H/T: Justin Lewis Read more: http://www.wimp.com/spoiled-baby-deer-construction-worker-justin-lewis/

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Bullying is one of the few things in this world without any upside. It makes both parties involved (the bully and the victim) worse than they were before, and can lead to intense injury or death in its most extreme cases. Still, in 2015, one out of every three students in the United States reported that they had been bullied. There’s no reason that this should keep happening, and even though we may never eliminate it completely, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be fighting it every single day. Chris Kuykendall and Brevin Young, two 16-year-old football players, are taking a bold initiative to help victims of bullying in their community. Their program, “Eagle Buddies,” gives them the opportunity to eat lunch with kids struggling with bullies. Not only does this provide help to those who are hurting, but it shows bullies that the coolest people in high school aren’t bullies, but are instead genuinely kind people who care about those around them. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/teenagers-help-bullied-children-chris-kuykendall/

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In 1967, Elvis Presley was the one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. The King of Rock and Roll had a long list of hit records and films, over a million dollars in the bank and a sprawling estate known as “Graceland.” He was adored by women around the world, but that year he broke hearts by marrying his long-time girlfriend, Priscilla Ann Wagner. Priscilla was only 14 years old when she met Elvis in 1959, but nevertheless, she made quite an impression. They stayed in touch during his time in the Army, reuniting for good in 1962. In ’67, they were finally married, and gave birth to their daughter, Lisa Marie, the following year. However, the honeymoon was short lived. The marriage soon became rife with problems, and in 1973, Elvis and Priscilla got a divorce. Some say he never recovered from the heartbreak, as evidenced by his declining health and death only five years later.  Read more: http://www.wimp.com/elvis-wedding-1967-rare-footage/

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People are incredible. We all have talents we think don’t matter but, when taken to their absolute limits, those talents suddenly become something more. Feats of strength, endurance, and technical skill. Your yo-yo could be a waste of time or an expression of yourself. It all depends on what you put into it. This video showcases people at their best, transforming their private passions into exhilarating demonstrations of what humankind can do when we push ourselves further. From yo-yo tricks to acrobatics, extreme sports, and even technical RC car drifting, this cavalcade of achievement will leave you with one simple question. What side hobby do I have that could be taken to the next level if I pushed myself a little harder? You’re incredible. Do it. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/compilation-of-people-doing-awesome-things/

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Kids these days are incredible. They break dance, star in giant monster movies, crush it at skateboarding, and more. Now they’re replicating whole orchestras with the help of MIDI keyboards and a whole lot of talent. Watch in awe as this young lady performs the entire score to “Back To The Future” by herself. If you look closely, you’ll notice even her feet are hitting notes while she busts out this majestic cover. We can’t wait to see what sort of musical wonders she’s cooking up when she hits high school.  Read more: http://www.wimp.com/little-girl-plays-back-to-the-future-theme-as-entire-orchestra/

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What comes to mind when you think about cows? Is it a slow, passive creature that you see on the side of the road? It turns out, our perception of cows can be very different from what they are really like. In fact cows can exhibit a lot of human-like traits. Author Joey Turner says, “To anyone who works, or has worked, with cows, it comes as no surprise that cows are capable of friendships.” Cows also possess unique personalities. Some are agressive and dominant while others and can be shy and submissive. Cows also tend to be friends with animals of similar personalities.  All in all, they are a lot more complex than we give them credit for.  In this video, Salavador the cow is sharing a very sweet moment with his human friend. The encounter has even deeper meaning because Salvador had recently been rescued from a slaughterhouse and was enjoying his first day of freedom. Thanks to the group Santuario Igualdad Interespecie, this cow is able to enjoy a happy life. The charity, located in Chile, is dedicated to saving animals of all kinds. There is no doubt Salvador appreciates the work done to save him as he show all sorts of love and affection to his human friend. Next time you drive by a cow, take a moment to appreciate the beautiful and sometimes, incredibly cuddly, animal. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/cow-cuddles-with-human/

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I’m not a daily routine kinda guy, but one thing I love to eat is eggs. I’ll eat eggs anytime of the day and with just about anything. I drop/poach some in my ramen soups, scramble one into a stir fry, use one to top off a burger or sandwich and, of course, have one sunny side up with my toast. Eggs are absolutely delicious and even though they’re a little high in cholesterol, they’re a great source of healthy protein.  Unfortunately, for the majority of us, the eggs we get from our supermarkets are but a pale shadow of real, farm fresh eggs that are straight from the chicken coop. Fresh egg yolks tend to have a lot more flavor as well as a much more intense orangish-red color instead of the yellow ones we’re used to seeing daily. The fresher the egg, the better it’ll taste. If it’s organic and/or free-range, that’s even better. The problem with most store-bought eggs is that they are far from “Farm Fresh,” despite what the happy farmer logos on the cartons may wish to suggest. In this video by the J&J Acres YouTube channel, we learn about a product code that most consumers may not be aware of. On every carton of eggs is the “best by/sell by” date that we are all used to, but there are also some other numbers. These numbers represent the day of the 365-day year they were packed. For instance, “001” would mean packed on January 1, while “365” would mean packed on December 31. By looking at this number, you can get an idea of roughly how old those eggs already are before you take them home. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/surprising-average-age-of-supermarket-eggs/

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What’s the difference between dancing and gymnastics? Or the difference between gymnastics and acrobatics? The line can be pretty blurry sometimes. If you’ve ever been to a performance by Cirque du Soleil, then you know how mesmerizing these performances can be. No matter what you categorize them as, it is art in the finest sense of the word.  When Valeriy and Yulia stepped on stage to perform this stunning routine, no one knew exactly what was going to happen. However, once the music started, everyone was left in complete awe. The Ukrainian dancers started with a couple routine moves, and then suddenly things got crazy. With a combination of lifts and flips, the two put out a performance unlike anything you will ever see on “Dancing With The Stars.”  The routine is called “Hand to Hand” and is set to the song “Heartbeat” by Nneka. The pair work for a circus agency in Ukraine called Maximaa, and they perform together all over the world. With the difference in size between the two of them, their synchronized moves seem all the more impressive. In the end, it doesn’t matter if we call it dancing or acrobatics. The only thing that matters is just how cool it is to watch. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/dancing-duo-stuns-crowd/

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