When she was just a 23-year-old grad student, Linda Koebner opened the cages of two chimps, named Doll and Swing. Freed from a laboratory, Linda was present when the two apes saw daylight for the first time in their lives. Linda helped to get them back to a normal life in the outdoors, which wasn’t immediately easy for two poor creatures who had spent the first six years of their lives completely stuck in cramped metal prisons. She worked with Doll and Swing for four years. When they were ready, Linda had to move on. The apes were released into a natural habitat and Linda wouldn’t return for 18 years. She was sure that the two would have forgotten all about her by then. But, when she paid them a visit, Doll and Swing immediately recognized their surrogate mom and the response is simply beyond words. From the moment Swing takes her hand, to the very end of the video, it’s one of the most heartwarming moments we’ve ever seen. It really goes to show – apes or humans, we’re all much closer to each other than we realize. Don’t forget to SHARE this touching footage with your friends and family! H/T: argofilms Read more: http://www.wimp.com/chimps-remember-the-woman-who-rescued-them-after-18-years/
You might think of spinning tops as mere children’s toys, but these men from Taiwan would have you think otherwise. Masters in the art of spinning top trick shots, they’ve spent years honing their craft with traditional wooden tops. They start by wrapping the top in a thick string, then, holding onto one end of the string, they throw the top so that it unravels and starts spinning. Seems simple enough, right? Wrong. That’s where the tricks come in. Now, you’re probably asking yourself what these tricks look like. Let’s just say these guys are called “snipers” for a reason. They take a small, flat surface, no bigger than a few inches, and attempt to land their spinning top on it from across the room. If that sounds difficult, that’s because it is. Thinking about the number of times they must have messed up while practicing makes our heads spin faster than their colorful tops. Evidence suggests that people have been spinning tops since antiquity, which is as early as the fifth century AD. It’s amazing to think that these toys have existed for so long and we’re still finding ways to have fun with them. Watch the video yourself to see these “spin top snipers” in action, and try to resist the urge to order one off of Amazon as soon as the video is over. As cool as it would be to learn how to do these trick shots, we can’t afford to break half the things in our house in the process. Don’t forget to SHARE these mind-blowing tricks with your friends and family! H/T: Kuma Films Read more: http://www.wimp.com/we-cant-believe-these-spinning-top-trick-shots-are-real-either/
The only things that belong in the back of a rusty old pickup truck are fishing rods, tools, and/or some old blankets. Suffice it to say, it’s absolutely no place for any living thing to call its home, let alone a full-grown mountain lion. Used to roaming over hundreds of miles of mountainous woodlands, they’re not exactly built for confinement. Sadly, those are exactly the conditions that a mountain lion named Mufasa found himself in for over 20 years. He’s believed to have been born in the wild somewhere in South America, but was likely taken from his mother at a very young age and sold into captivity to an illegal Peruvian circus. The majority of his life has been spent on the road, either performing or being kept under heavy chains. Thankfully, Animal Defenders International (ADI) caught wind of this situation. Peru has recently put a ban on illegal circuses such as the one Mufasa was part of, but now the task remains to enforce that law. Working off of a tip from local officials, ADI found Mufasa locked up in the back of a rusty pickup truck. After a lengthy standoff, they were finally able to rescue him, and his reaction to his first taste of freedom is absolutely heartwarming. Don’t forget to SHARE this touching rescue with your family and friends. H/T: Animal Defenders International Read more: http://www.wimp.com/circus-lion-rescued-from-two-decades-of-misery/
Mankind and horses have had a long history together. Historians believe that the earliest domestication of the horse probably happened around 3500 B.C.E. in Central Asia (likely modern-day Ukraine and Kazakhstan). Within the next few hundred years, they spread through the rest of the Europe, Asia and Africa, and were then brought to the Americas in the 1500s by Spanish conquistadors. A few escaped horses found the vast plains of America to be irresistible, and large populations of wild horses (still around today in some places) quickly sprang up throughout the Great Plains. It’s easy to see why horses became so popular. Their size and strength allow us to accomplish a variety of tasks we couldn’t do by ourselves, and their speed and stamina were instrumental in helping mankind travel around the world and conquer it. Besides these purely utilitarian reasons, horses are also incredibly intelligent and generally good-natured animals who take very well to training and make for great companions. In this video, accomplished horse trainer David Lichmann brings some of his horses to the beach. He brings them to the edge of the water and then he starts to speak to them. They respond to his every command, mimicking him as he marches and performing other elaborate feats of training and coordination. Lichmann is a master horse whisperer, one of legendary horse trainer Pat Parelli’s top students. He’s spent countless hours working closely with thousands of horses, so it’s not surprising that he has such control over the ones seen here. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/horse-trainer-at-beach-controls-horses-expertly/
Back in 2010, Oprah Winfrey and Tim Gunn teamed up for a segment called “Oprah, Makeover My Man” that was a huge hit. It’s rare to see men get makeovers since popular culture tends to put the emphasis on women receiving them. Movies like The Princess Diaries or Miss Congeniality are so much fun to watch because we get to see a huge shift in the way someone looks. Of course, we like to celebrate beauty in all its forms, but sometimes it’s nice to put on a snazzy new outfit, get a fresh haircut, and show the world your best side. Which is why we were so excited when we saw what Oprah did to this scraggly farmer named Jason. Oprah’s crew found this farmer shopping in a hardware store and couldn’t resist making him the subject of her next makeover. Upon seeing him, fashion consultant Tim Gunn nicknamed him “the farmer in the dell,” followed by an apology to farmers everywhere. True, this farmer’s outfit and hair could use some work, but Oprah and her team knew there was a “hunk” hiding underneath all of that beard. We don’t want to spoil how he turns out, but let’s just say the reaction from the audience says everything you need to know. Even Diana Schmidtke, the celebrity hairstylist who has worked with people like George Clooney, seemed beyond impressed by Jason’s new look. Check out the video to see the stunning transformation from start to finish. H/T: OWN Read more: http://www.wimp.com/farmer-gets-makeover-oprah-tim-gunn/
Although they’re on opposites sides of the human life cycle, the young and the elderly have much to learn from one another. The liveliness and optimism of young people often invigorates the older folks, while elders usually have copious experience and wisdom to impart. Studies have shown that prolonged interaction with caring adults results in children with higher self-esteem and more developed emotional and social skills, as well as better grades. For the elderly, who overwhelmingly suffer from isolation and loneliness, less depression and physical illness along with higher life satisfaction was reported by those who spent time with young people. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/providence-mount-vincent-seattle-nursing-home-preschool/
Decades after his passing, Freddie Mercury is still considered by many to be one of the most talented vocalists of all time. As the lead singer of the legendary rock group Queen, his unique style of singing and songwriting propelled the group up to the pinnacle of popularity around the world. No one had ever heard anything like his voice, and the world was enamored. Almost 15 years later, Freddie’s lyrical talents have yet to be matched. Take this performance of “We Are the Champions” by Queen for instance. Both sung and written by Mercury himself, the tune has gone on to become one of the most easily recognizable songs in all of rock and roll. However, when you take away the accompanying instrumentals, it’s hard not to be taken aback by the haunting vocals and lyrics. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/we-are-champions-vocals-freddie-mercury-queen/
No one likes a big mess. Whether it’s a trashed yard, a cluttered closet, or a fridge that’s full of expired food, disorganized surroundings make finding your things and accomplishing tasks harder and can even have a negative effect on your mood. If you’ve got several rooms that are out of whack, it’s best to start small. Pick one manageable goal, like getting the kitchen in order, and start cleaning and tidying. If you’re already an amateur organizer, though, just one room isn’t likely to satisfy your need for cleanliness. That’s where Alejandra Costello and her incredibly organized home can serve as inspiration. As you can see from her tour, she really lives by one motto: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” The self-described Creative Organizing Expert lives to “show people how to get organized and be more productive on a daily basis.” She explains that she’s created a treasure trove of home organizing tips, organization product reviews, and organization ideas to declutter on her YouTube channel – all to achieve her goal of spreading the love of organization to everyone. So, how did Alejandra become the organizational guru that she is today? “I am obsessed with organization. In the same way that some people are sports fanatics or avid readers, I’ve always loved to organize,” she explains. Once she moved several states away (with dozens of boxes of belongings to put away), she realized she needed a real fool-proof system that was easy to setup and maintain. After trial and error, she figured it out and “knew deep down, [she] had to share all of the secrets [she] discovered with others.” Do you love Alejandra’s methods? Has her home inspired you to get your house in shape? Please SHARE with your friends! H/T: Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv Read more: http://www.wimp.com/professional-organizer-most-organized-home-america/
I’ve lived in big cities for a long time and I loved them, but now that I live in the countryside, I have to say it’s amazing to be able to see as much wildlife as I get to see. Comedian Louis C.K. joked that when he lived in New York City, seeing a deer on the occasional trip upstate was a huge deal that they’d stop the car for. Now that he lives upstate, deer are a common sight and he’s realized they aren’t magical creatures – in fact, he can’t stand them! While the interaction between animals and humans in suburban areas can sometimes be a bit strained, there are still plenty of amazing moments to be had. In Anchorage, Alaska, Victoria Hickey and Sarah Lochner took this video of a mama moose giving birth in someone’s backyard! As if witnessing the miracle of life and the tenderness of the mother grooming her newborn as it takes its first few wobbly steps in this world wasn’t already breathtaking enough, there’s more to come. At the 3:50 mark, you can see a head pop out from behind the mother. Could it be? Yep, this mother is having twins! Congratulations to her, and kudos to the people who made sure their yard is a safe and peaceful enough location for the mother to consider using it for this special occasion! Read more: http://www.wimp.com/mama-moose-gives-birth-to-twins-newborn/
While we’re fans of the forest, the Wimp family is also fans of cool industrial machinery. The EcoLog 590 is a logging super machine, able to cut down, trim, and segment a full grown tree in just 30 seconds. With its 240 kW engine and a 31-ton lifting capacity, almost any tree can be quickly processed with this piece of industrial machinery. While this machine might look like something terrifying out of an environmentalist 90s kid’s film Eco-Log, the company behind the machine, has made it clear their business model requires the forests to stay alive, and they have committed to having a positive environmental impact. This video combines the best of both worlds, jaw-dropping tree destruction with environmental sustainability. Watch on guilt free. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/logging-machine-cuts-and-trims-trees/
