Living in big cities like New York and Chicago can lead to some pretty interesting encounters with strangers. Stephen Colbert’s craziest encounter, however, happened to him outside of a retirement community in Arizona of all places. So, the next time you feel like talking to a stranger, go ahead! You never know what you might find… Read more: http://www.wimp.com/stephen-colbert-describes-the-craziest-thing-thats-ever-happened-to-him/
There’s nothing more frustrating than losing an argument. You lay out all your points and try to convince the other person that you’re right, but, at the end of the day, it’s you who ends up agreeing with them. But what if we told you that losing an argument is actually a good thing? Read more: http://www.wimp.com/why-losing-an-argument-is-actually-a-good-thing/
Picture this: You’re a little kid living in New Orleans. One day, your father approaches you and asks, “What do you think about living in a gas station?” If you are anything like Robert Guthrie’s son, you’d dismiss your dad as crazy and not give him a second thought. Robert Guthrie might not have been crazy, but he was an incredibly gifted artist – a trait that makes people do some pretty odd things, like purchase an old gas station and transform it into a comfortable living space. Guthrie bought the old Sinclair gas station before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. While it sustained some damage during the storm, he was determined to fix it up and turn it into a home that he and his son would be proud to live in. A watercolor painter by trade, Guthrie viewed the gas station as his “biggest art project,” allowing him to “incorporate items of cars and gasoline.” Like any true artist, Guthrie was able to see the beauty in the broken-down building. What was once filled with rusty car parts and gasoline is now a gorgeous home that still retains elements of the property’s original function. Car emblems become cabinet handles. Old headlights are reimagined as sconces. And just wait until you see what holds up the stairs. Unfortunately, Robert Guthrie passed away in 2014. His gas station home still stands today as a monument to his uncanny ability to see beauty in the most unlikely places. Kathy Schorr, Guthrie’s long-time partner, said in an interview with the Times-Picayune that, “it was his heart and soul in there.” A beloved and dearly missed member of the New Orleans art scene, Guthrie’s heart and soul will live on for many years to come. H/T: CNNMoney Read more: http://www.wimp.com/father-renovates-gas-station-home-robert-guthrie/
Fencing has to be one of the coolest yet misunderstood sports in the world. It’s just sword fighting, right? Wrong. Thankfully, Devon Boorman is here to teach you everything you ever wanted to know about fencing in two minutes. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-fencing-in-2-minutes/
Singing is an emotional art. When a singer’s voice flows together with the music in just the right way, the two combine to make something truly beautiful. A great musical performance connects and resonates with the audience on a deep level, making them feel things they’ve never felt before. This is what happened on a recent episode of The Voice: South Africa, when Vernon Barnard brought the judges to tears with his powerful rendition of One Direction’s “Story of My Life.” Vernon was born with glaucoma, an eye condition in which the nerve connecting the brain to the eye is damaged. This results in blindness for most patients. Early in life, Vernon could see pretty well, but after undergoing 16 operations before the age of five, the glaucoma finally took its toll and robbed him of his sight. Losing your sight at such an early age would be enough to silence even the most talented voice, but Vernon didn’t let that stop him from pursuing his passion of singing. The judges, especially Bobby van Jaarsveld, were unprepared for Vernon’s moving performance, and when you watch it you’ll understand why. Before he even turns around in his chair, Bobby is visibly shaken by the song Vernon is singing. Once he finally turns around and sees Vernon, Bobby can’t hold back his tears, with another judge even getting out of her seat to go comfort him. After the performance, Bobby went so far as to get down on his hands and knees to beg Vernon to join his team. We’re so glad that programs like The Voice exist, because they allow singers with different backgrounds to share the same stage and show the world what they’ve got. Thank you, Vernon Barnard, for sharing the story of your life with us. H/T: The Voice South Africa Read more: http://www.wimp.com/judge-cries-the-voice-vernon-barnard/
This girl was just trying to record a video of her day at the beach, but her boyfriend had other plans… Read more: http://www.wimp.com/just-a-quiet-day-at-the-beach/
Dancing is a centuries old art form and, like any art, it takes countless hours to master. The celebrities on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars are met with the daunting task of learning a wide range of dances in just a few weeks. Sometimes, the inexperience shows in spades, but other times there’s a performance that momentarily makes you forget these are amateurs. This week, the 22nd season funneled the cast down to its top three dancers: UFC fighter Paige VanZant, meteorologist Ginger Zee, and model Nyle DiMarco. On Monday night, the finalists performed three routines, respectively. The most jaw-dropping performance came from male model DiMarco and his partner, Peta Murgatroyd, who left the audience in tears with their freestyle dance set to “The Sound of Silence,” covered by Disturbed. The duo recieved a standing ovation and perfect score of 30 points. To adapt to an array of difficult dance styles on the fly takes incredible skill, but DiMarco’s journey is particularly captivating when you consider that he is deaf. The 27-year-old model, actor, and activist was born deaf from a deaf family; his parents, brothers, and grandparents having all been born deaf as well. Dancing with the Stars has never had a deaf contestant before. DiMarco’s impairment put him at a disadvantage coming into the season, but it certainly didn’t stop him from becoming one of the show’s best. To be unable to hear the music and count along with the beat yet churn out such gripping performances is truly a stunning achievement. After Tuesday night’s results show, DiMarco can change his bio from the first deaf contestant to the first deaf winner of Dancing with the Stars. Be sure to SHARE this beautiful performance with your friends and family. H/T: Dancing with the Stars Read more: http://www.wimp.com/deaf-model-performs-stunning-routine-on-dancing-with-the-stars/
Located on the western coast of France is the tiny commune of Penmarch. With less than 6,000 residents, it’s everything you would expect a quaint, historic French town to be – usually. As you’ll see in this video, what’s happening in the streets of Penmarch this week is less charming and more like being stuck inside a giant, unstoppable washing machine. While the phenomenon looks like an explosion of soap suds, the explanation is actually quite simple. Penmarch is located on flat ground, at a particularly low altitude. Some marshland areas have even been filled in over the years to give way to more inhabitants and commerce opportunities. The port of Saint-Guénolé, where this very clip was taken, is known to be a dangerous place in rough weather, despite protection from two granite peninsulas known as Krugen and Conq. With a choppy ocean nearby, it only makes sense that high winds would bring ashore sea foam … lots and lots and lots of sea foam, as it turns out. Although the person who took this video doesn’t seem to be in any immediate danger, it’s important to note that the ocean, especially coupled with strong winds, can be unpredictable. It’s no wonder that bystanders can be seen recording the incredible sight, but when it comes to forces of nature, it’s usually best to err on the side of caution. That being said, we are glad we were able to witness something so rare and strangely beautiful. It showed us a side of France that we never knew existed. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/sea-foam-beachfront-penmarch-france/
It’s an important lesson, but some kids are just a little slower to learn it than others… Read more: http://www.wimp.com/mom-tries-to-teach-her-daughter-an-important-lesson/
Flash mobs were hugely popular a few years ago but faded away when everyone and their mother started performing them. Flash mobs, of course, are when a group of people perform a choreographed song or dance routine in a public space. It seemed like a new flash mob video was going viral every day, and people understandably grew a little tired of them. That’s what makes this video from the United States Air Force so special. Last December, at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the USAF band performed a medley of their favorite Christmas songs. The scale and talent involved in their display remind us why we fell in love with flash mobs in the first place. They’re performances in a space where you wouldn’t normally expect it, and there are few things more wonderful than unexpected art. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/us-airmen-smithsonian-holiday-flash-mob/
