The world sees everyone differently – from things you can control, like how you treat others and the way you dress, to things outside of your control, like where you grew up, the color of your skin, and any medical conditions you were born with. Whether we like it or not, all of these things shape the opinions of those around us. You may have never spoken to someone in your entire life, but they could already have an idea in their mind of what you are like. The concept of the world seeing us in certain ways is the subject of a recent PSA about World Down Syndrome Day. According to their website, WDSD seeks to “help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities.” The global awareness day has been held on March 21st of every year since 2012. Why March 21st? The date, 3/21, is meant to symbolize the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which is what causes Down syndrome. But just because it isn’t the 21st of March doesn’t mean we shouldn’t spread awareness of the remarkable members of our society with Down syndrome. Here, we are offered a glimpse into the life of Anna Rose, a 19-year-old girl from New Jersey who has Down syndrome. She currently attends college, works part-time at a physical therapy center, and plays sports with the Special Olympics. Anna sees herself as a well-rounded person who’s going to go on to do great things. So, the only question left is, how do you see Anna? H/T: CoorDown Read more: http://www.wimp.com/how-do-you-see-me-world-down-syndrome-day/
Christmas is probably my favorite time of year, but these days it can be easy to get a bit lost in it all. Between thinking of all the yummy holiday treats and trying to get your wish list just right, you may lose sight of the fact that the real point of the season is not about what you can enjoy for yourself, but rather how you can give and spread kindness to others. In this video, a machine marked “Free Presents” is set up in a crowded area. A ringing phone attracts the attention of people walking by, who are given a free present when they answer the phone. There is one important catch, however – the people answering the phone have to give the free gift to a random stranger. All of this helps drive home the point that this season is about giving and doing something nice for someone other than yourself. Going by the reactions of the people in the video, I think it’s safe to say that even though they gave up their free presents, the feeling of warmth and generosity they received more than made up for it. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/machine-gives-free-presents-that-must-be-given-away-holiday-spirit/
A 2015 study by Scholastic and YouGov found a 10% drop since 2010 in the number of children who said they love or like reading books for fun. While those numbers are troubling, we can take solace in the fact that this little angel isn’t one of those kids, even though he isn’t even out of diapers. Every page is a new adventure. His eyes say, “What happens next with those little frogs in the pond?” Then, without warning, the book is over, and his poor little heart breaks. The only thing that will stop the tears is more storytime. The child’s mother has asked people who enjoyed this video to share this site, http://travelingstories.org, which exists to promote literacy among children and help make even more future bookworms. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/baby-bookworm-storytime/
We hear a lot from self-proclaimed righteous individuals as far as their credentials. Whether religious or secular, it seems like these people are way more interested in telling you how good they are instead of showing it. Words can only get you so far, however. Deeds are where the real respect is at. The folks featured in this video seem to have picked up on that concept in spades. Hailing from an organization known as Operation Blessing, these men and women left no stone unturned (literally) in helping to clean out the home and yard of a 90-year-old widow named Agnes, who turned to them when she couldn’t find anyone else to help. A relative had been dumping junk in her yard and home for years, and rather than offer to help, her neighbors simply reported the mess. Facing fines she couldn’t pay and a mess she didn’t have the strength to deal with herself, Agnes contacted the group, who turned up in droves to get Agnes’ homestead back in shape. They even performed repairs on her home, spruced up the landscape and got her a new air conditioner. Talk about service! When you’re looking to do some good in the world, it’s important to remember that there are probably people closer to you than you think that need just as much help as anyone. You might not even realize it, but if you open your eyes, your ears and your heart, you might just find someone right under your nose whose life you can improve through obvious, or maybe not-so-obvious means. Sometimes even holding a door open for someone can make a surprising difference to them. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/widows-mess-cleaned-up-charity/
Stray dogs are just out there trying to survive like anyone else. Unfortunately, due to both the reality of life and also preconceptions that lead people to fear stray dogs (sometimes rightly so!) it can be way more dangerous out there for a stray than you might imagine. Some breeds that are viewed as “dangerous” often don’t even make it to the pound if they are caught. Pit bulls are one such type. Not a breed of dog, pit bulls are actually a variety of breeds that fall under the bulldog/terrier hybrid group. Widely believed to be violent, aggressive variety of dog, pit bulls are accorded different treatment by many animal control entities. Some pounds have an automatic policy of euthanizing un-fixed pit bulls that are brought in. There are even some no-kill shelters that simply won’t take them, but thankfully those are not as common. There are pit bull-friendly organizations and even groups specifically dedicated to helping this much-maligned pooch. There are so many myths about pit bulls it can be hard to separate fact from fiction, but overall these sturdy animals are really no different than any other dog. If you happen to spot a stray pit who looks like he needs help, try and contact a group in your area who will respond with the care and concern all animals deserve. Many stray pit bulls are just a happy home away from a life full of love and friendship. It’s definitely not in everybody to care for one, but there are so many people out there ready to take them in. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/hiker-fifty-pount-pit-bull-mountain-rescue/
Bees provide an important foundation for our ecosystem, but that doesn’t mean you’d want to have one as a roommate. Or 50,000 of them. Larry Chen faced just that problem when he discovered a massive hive hiding behind the walls of his house. Rather than calling an exterminator and killing the little guys, he took 5 hours to manually remove the giant hive behind his walls. Utilizing vacuum cleaners and lots of plastic sheeting, these bee saviors managed to save 95% of the 50,000 living within their walls. The bees were transported to a farm, along with their honey combs. Larry now lives in a bee free home. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/man-rescues-fifty-thousand-bees-from-his-house/
La Guardia Cross is a YouTuber and father who regularly posts fun videos of him and his baby daughter, Amalah. Now that she’s 14 months old, he decided that he needed to learn a little more about her. So, he figured what better way to do it than to sit down and have a face-to-face interview? This way, he could ask her important questions like “Why do you still refuse to sleep through the night?” and “Why don’t you financially contribute to the family?” For her part, Amalah answers the questions pretty honestly (and hilariously), but I don’t think it’s going to get La Guardia any closer to a full night’s sleep. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/toddler-gives-hilarious-answers-to-dads-interview/
First they said vinyl was dead, and it came back. Now the lowly cassette tape has made a triumphant return. How triumphant? In 2014, just one factory, the National Audio Company, produced more than 10 million tapes. That’s a lot of magnetic tapes. Now Bloomberg has put together a beautiful short documentary about the company that gives an inside look into one of the pioneers of the retro revolution. In the past year alone they’ve produced tapes for Metallica and the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, but the majority of NAC’s business comes from independent bands. As more new listeners discover the joys and quirks of analog music their business just continues to grow. Here’s a wonderful success story about a good old fashioned American business. Enjoy, then dig out your old cassette player for a blast from the past. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/the-last-audio-cassette-factory/
Singing bowls, contrary to their name, are actually bells. Unlike the bells we’re used to seeing, which involve pieces hitting against each other to produce a single sound, singing bowls are referred to as “standing bells.” They can be played by hitting a padded mallet against the rim or by dragging the mallet around it, allowing friction to create the noise. While the origins of these unique instruments are unclear, we have found antique bowls in collections that date back to the 15th century. In China, Japan and Vietnam, singing bowls are used in meditation, funeral services and forms of ancestor worship. Singing bowls are capable of producing incredibly relaxing sounds, making them a perfect instrument for these ceremonies and musical performances. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/tibetan-singing-bowl/
Rube Goldberg machines are complicated mechanisms that use a mix of unrelated but interconnected parts to move an object. They’re a joy to watch thanks to the amazing engineering that goes into making them work, but they usually move fast. Artist Bob Partington thought there was a better way to do it. Could he make the world’s slowest Rube Goldberg machine? The answer is yes, and the result is a work of art. Partington has brought together a collection of iconically slow objects — growing grass, a turtle, molasses, etc. – and used them to create a masterpiece of engineering. Set to the (radio edited) sounds of Kanye West’s “Drive Slow” this video took six weeks to make but, through the magic of time-lapse, only takes three minutes to watch. Enjoy. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/slowest-rube-goldberg-machine/
