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The German Leopard 2 main battle tank is a pretty impressive piece of hardware. It’s fast, powerful, and as you can see in this video demonstrating two ways a tank driver might use to cross over a trench or other impediment, quite versatile. It’s very frequently cited by military buffs as one of the best tanks in service today and is utilized by many militaries around the world. It’s main competition in this playing field is the American offering, the M1 Abrams tank. Debates rage online as to which one is the superior armored vehicle. The Leopard’s diesel engine is more fuel efficient and powerful, for example, but the M1’s gas turbine is quieter and easier to service. But these two armored behemoths are more similar than different. In fact, they are actually cousins. In the midst of the Cold War, the United States and what was then West Germany embarked on a project together to develop a new tank for both countries to use. This project eventually failed, but concepts were borrowed for both the Leopard 2 and the M1 tanks and in fact, the United States government very nearly adopted the Leopard 2 before selecting Chrysler’s new prototype for its superior armor. That in itself is quite the oddity to younger generations; Chrysler was an active military vehicle designer and manufacturer until the 1970s, and General Motors until even more recently. Nevertheless, the two tanks still share many features including their tracks and main gun, and are both very capable machines. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/how-german-leopard-tank-crosses-trenches/

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When Caiden Lane was born, his parents, Mashanda and Michael, immediately noticed that something wasn’t quite right. Unlike their two older children, Caiden never cried and was content to simply sit and stare for long periods of time. Doctors were quick to diagnose the toddler with autism, but later realized they had been wrong – Caiden had apraxia and aphasia. As an infant, he’d suffered two strokes (one in utero, the other after birth), which had damaged the part of his brain that controls communication. The family was warned their son would most likely never talk or walk. But Caiden’s family didn’t give up. Eventually, their son did learn to walk, and do a lot of other stuff too! By all accounts, Caiden was an average kid, just a quiet one. He loved to play outside, hang out with his big brother and sister and eat at Chick-fil-A. Who doesn’t? Besides having some seriously delicious food that’s (slightly) healthier than other fast food chains, the company is known for giving back to others. In fact, in just three years, Chick-fil-A donated over $68 million to educational and charitable organizations. That’s some serious money.  One day, Caiden’s mom noticed their local Chick-fi-A was hosting a community event. She decided to treat her kids to dinner, but while they were eating, something astonishing happened. It seemed that Caiden had something important to say, and for the very first time ever, he was determined to say it. What Caiden said and how his relationship with his favorite restaurant chain progressed from there is something you have to see for yourself. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/chick-fil-a-first-words-caiden-lane/

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Throughout human history, we’ve used art as a way to communicate, add beauty to our world and even record history. Just like the motivation behind the creation of artwork can vary, so can the medium; some people use sand, some use spray paint and Howard Lee, the artist behind this video, uses plain old pencil and paper. The drawings that Lee produces, however, are anything but plain. The Welsh artist, who now uses YouTube, Instagram and other social media to showcase his unique style, first began his career as a teacher. After graduation from the University of Wales Aberystwyth with a BA with honors in Fine Arts, he moved to northeast England and began supporting the artistic aspirations and interests of students aged 11-18. He led workshops for adults and community groups about drawing and painting and produced commissioned pieces, including landscapes and portraits.  In 2015, he decided to do something a little more experimental, though. Using the drawing techniques he already knew from his artistic education, he began making time-lapse videos and posting them on YouTube. These videos showed the whole process behind creating his incredibly lifelike Hyperrealism drawings from start to finish. With the huge popularity of his work, as evidenced by the 1.6+ million YouTube views his videos have received to date, Lee began showcasing more variety in his artwork, moving towards stop frame animation. To create his incredibly realistic drawings, Lee likes to “mix media, such as Prismacolor, Copic marker and Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel pencil on Daler Rowney Grey Board.” Read more: http://www.wimp.com/howard-lee-photorealist-time-lapse-drawing-tricks/

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Being a mailman isn’t an easy job. The famous, unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service is “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” and postal workers take that motto pretty seriously. Even as the delivery of personal correspondence has gone down thanks to the advent of email, the postal service still remains vital for the delivery of packages and other types of mail. One of the age-old stereotypes about postal workers is that they don’t get a lot of love from animals. Just about every cartoon I ever watched growing up always had mailmen being chased by dogs. In real life, I haven’t seen that, but I have seen a mailman who is tormented by a bunch of angry wild turkeys every day – that was pretty crazy. Still, what this next postman has to deal with on a daily basis might be the funniest thing I’ve seen yet. Along with snow and rain and heat, this guy needs to add “crazy cats” to his list of things that will not keep him from his duties. Apparently, the cat in this video does this every single day, so the mailman decided to tape it so that the world could see what he puts up with. A simple task like putting the mail through the door slot becomes an ordeal as this ferocious feline swipes and claws at anything that approaches the slot. I have to hand it to this guy though, he is a seriously good sport about it. If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to SHARE it with your friends on Facebook! H/T: Lucky Eleven Read more: http://www.wimp.com/angry-cat-does-not-like-the-mailman/

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Ever since cell phones have become more sophisticated, people are on the lookout for hacks, tips, and tricks to help them use their technology more efficiently. Although we do our best to protect our technology, it is quite common for people to accidentally drop their phone. Sometimes, the glass screen cracks or it becomes damaged to the point of no return. Some ways that people guard their phone against damage is to put a protective case around it. There are all kinds of cases out on the market. Some are waterproof, while others are very basic and provide only minimal protection. In this video, watch what this woman does to show you how you can protect your phone with a simple trick that is much cheaper than a phone case. Don’t forget to SHARE this strange trick with your friends and family! Read more: http://www.wimp.com/deflated-balloons-make-great-phone-cases/

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We’ve featured Graham Hill and his LifeEdited apartment before, but this very special episode comes with a twist … Graham put his incredible “folding apartment” up for sale back in 2014. Did it sell? You bet it did! Not quite for his asking price but $790,000, for 420-square-feet of space, is nothing to sneeze at, either. Graham is the founder of the popular sustainable living blog, Treehugger, and also the LifeEdited project, a blog/showcase for minimal living design. LifeEdited’s first project was dubbed LE1, and became Graham’s personal dwelling until he decided to sell it in favor of developing new projects. He’s given TED talks on his philosophies and has always put a distinctly urban spin on the tiny living movement. Until now! Graham’s latest project is something he’s dubbed LE:M and it sounds like a doozy. He’s decided to see what he can accomplish in a spot where living minimally isn’t a necessity. To that end, he’s purchased some land in Maui and is building a new “compound” to explore a wide variety of progressive and sustainable design concepts. He’s only just announced so there’s no pictures to show, but we’re super excited to see where it leads! In the meantime, take a fresh look at LE1 in this home tour on CNN to help imagine what wild things LE:M will hold in store. If you like this video, don’t forget to SHARE it with your friends on Facebook! H/T: CNNMoney Read more: http://www.wimp.com/tiny-apartment-transforms-bigger-apartment/

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Music is one of those things that can mean many things to many people. It can be a way to share a mission and a message, it can be a show of solidarity and source of comfort and it can be just plain pleasant to hear. In this video, these four ladies definitely express some ideas most of us are familiar with … although we might not be thrilled to admit it! A silly song about losing stuff isn’t the only thing they sing about, either; on-and-off since 1990, Christine Lavin has been touring with three of her best gal pals, singing about their individual and shared experiences. Lavin describes herself as a “singer/songwriter/guitarist/recording artist,” and she’s certainly a prolific one. As of 2014, she’s released a whopping 21 solo albums! She got the idea to tour with three other women, though, after the successful release of “On a Winter’s Night,” a compilation of winter folk songs. She called up Patty Larkin, a “folk-urban pop music” artist who specializes in “inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising vocals and lyrics,” Megon McDonough, who brought her “wit and folk sensibilities” to the group, and Sally Fingerett, a “contemporary, award-winning songwriter and performer.” Together, the women made it to eight cities with their unique musical comedy act. Over the years, the group has changed a bit; Patty Larkin left to do an international solo tour and Julie Gold, who originally recorded “From a Distance” (Bette Midler’s version won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1991), stepped in. At various points, Cheryl Wheeler, whose songs have been covered by the likes of Garth Brooks and Bette Midler, Grammy Awarding-winning artist Janis Ian, and Mary Travers of Peter Paul and Mary have acted as guest performers. Needless to say, it doesn’t matter just who’s on stage; they’re forever great … and always funny! Read more: http://www.wimp.com/four-singing-women-funniest-song-losing-stuff/

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Weddings and the following receptions are always full of personal touches, like a special location or choreographed dance. In the case of Nicole Cortez Figg’s reception, her dad’s alternative toast made sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. While neither Nicole nor her father are deaf, she is a sign language interpreter, which explains the meaning behind his song. It’s a tender moment between father and daughter that shows the lengths to which so many dads will go to express their love for their daughters. This particular gesture is so interesting because of the unique way in which it was communicated. The use of sign language was first recorded in the fifth century BCE in ancient Greece. Since then, many sign languages have developed, with each country generally having its own. Many have similarities between each other, but interestingly enough, sign languages usually have no relation to the spoken language of the same country. For instance, Spain and Mexico each have their own sign language, despite having the same spoken language of Spanish. Meanwhile, French and American signing is actually pretty similar despite the disparate spoken languages in the two countries. Don’t forget to SHARE this sweet song with your friends and family! Read more: http://www.wimp.com/father-surprises-daughter-with-a-wedding-song-in-sign-language/

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Starting from a very young age, children are exposed to music and singing. Though it is mostly used by parents as a way of calming and soothing them, music actually teaches children very important principles. According to Daniel Dwase, editor of the online Child Development Guide, “Singing nursery rhymes and simple songs teaches children how language is constructed and assists with the acquisition of language. Singing songs with your child will also teach them about tone, beat and rhythm.” At just 15 months old, Gemma Kate is already well exposed to song in her life – she can even go as far as mimicking it. When her mother sings out the words “I love you,” Gemma Kate responds with her own rendition. At such a young age, she is already working on her vibrato. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/gemma-kate-baby-i-love-you-copy-repeat-after-mom/

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If you are looking for a great way to spruce up your home’s appearance, never underestimate the impact that lighting can have. Making rooms brighter or darker has a huge effect in and of itself, but light fixtures can also add or detract from the overall feel of any given room. If you are looking for something that stands out in a room, look no further than the FLYTE. Created by Simon Morris, FLYTE is a simple desk lamp that features some pretty incredible technology. Using carefully-placed magnets, the bulb actually floats in the air. This innovative design is like nothing that has ever come before it, and it can easily become an elegant focal point of any room. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/light-bulb-levitating-floating-desk-lamp/

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