The best product demo ever
You may not know what a “Bode Vocoder” is right now, but by the time you’re done watching this video, we guarantee you’ll want one. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/the-best-product-demo-ever/
Partner juggling is twice as cool as regular juggling
Remember the old saying, “two heads are better than one?” Turns out that applies to jugglers, too. Seriously, these two are so in sync, they might as well be the same person. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/partner-juggling-is-twice-as-cool-as-regular-juggling/
A Nazi Resistor Refuses To Back Down At His Trial
World War II was a war of unknown heroes. For every Audie Murphy, there are thousands of men and women who gave their lives in the pursuit of peace. Today we bring you the story of one such hero, Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld. When faced with his impending doom at the hands of the Nazis, Schwanenfeld held to his convictions and stood for what was right. Schwanenfeld was the son of the German diplomat and a Christian. As a Christian, he found the Nazi government and its tactics loathsome but was drafted into service when World War II began. On July 20th, 1944 he was part of a failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. On July 21st, he was arrested for his involvement in the conspiracy. After being imprisoned for a month, he was brought to trial. When he faced the judge, his belt was taken away so he would endure the further humiliation of having to hold up his pants during his trial. Confronting certain death at the hands of his captors, Schwanenfeld explained why he had committed his “crimes.” Defendant: Mr. President, my personal political experiences caused me various problems, because I worked to promote the German heritage in Poland. And since then, I have experienced various changes in the attitude towards Poland. Judge: Hmmmm. Are you blaming these various changes on National Socialism? Defendant: I was actually thinking of the many murders… Judge (shouting): Murders?! Defendant:…that occurred here and abroad. Judge (shouting): You’re a filthy louse! Are you cracking under your own villainy? Yes or no? Are you cracking up? Defendant: Mr. President… Judge: Yes or no? Give a direct answer! Defendant: No. Schwanenfeld did not parse his words. He called the Nazi’s crimes exactly what they were, murder, and held true to his convictions. Following his show trial, he was immediately executed, but his story has lived on, in history books if not the public memory. You can see the video of Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld’s testimony below. It presents the image of a man resolved to give his life to make the world a better place, even in the face of certain death. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/bravely-standing-up-to-a-nazi-judge/
Listen to the sweet sounds of this Japanese country western band
Who ever said country music had to come from the west? This Japanese country western band’s cover of “Fool Such As I” sounds better than most American groups. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/listen-to-the-sweet-sounds-of-this-japanese-country-western-band/
Three Young Women Stand Up And Tell The Truth About America On Live Television
The ladies of the spoken-word group Get Lit are making a lot of waves on the Internet and for good reason. These intelligent, creative wordsmiths are dedicated to promoting and improving literacy in the youth of America, through their performances as well as a variety of programs and workshops, both in school and after. This talented trio seems to be an ideal choice to, as they say, start a “literary riot.” Belissa Escobedo, Rhiannon McGavin, and Zariya Allen are actually only three of Get Lit’s “Players,” performer-students in Get Lit’s program. Their poetry is aimed at examining the sometimes harsh reality of being a young person in today’s educational system, which is often slow to recognize that certain teaching methods might do more harm than good; that sometimes the lessons students learn are through inaction, rather than instruction. Some of the message is a little intense, but these young women are pitch-perfect in their delivery of a powerful statement on The Queen Latifah Show. The Oscar winner seems like the ideal host for these three, as her breakthrough single, “U.N.I.T.Y.” had a similar impact when it debuted in 1993. Don’t take our word for it (because our words won’t do it justice). Just watch. H/T: The Queen Latifah Show Read more: http://www.wimp.com/the-truth-about-america-get-lit/
Korean Contrabass Player Joins Italian Street Musicians
It has been said that music is a universal language. That means no matter where in the world you live or what language you speak, you can understand music. This philosophy has led to fields like Music Therapy, which seeks to improve mental and physical through playing instruments. The power of song is one of the greatest forces humans have, and can unite us unlike anything else. We all come from different backgrounds, but when Adele’s “Hello” comes on the radio, you know we will all sing it together. Jun-Hyuk Choi is a contrabass player from South Korea. He has toured throughout the world, amazing audiences with his classical music ability. Choi usually plays a four-stringed bass in front of audiences in formal attire, but this performance was very different. At a stop in Florence, Italy, Choi noticed a group of street musicians with some serious talent. Instead of just walking past, he decided to stop and create a moment that those watching would never forget. Choi asked the street performers if he could borrow the string bass, then proceeded to blow everyone’s mind with his amazing talent. The classical talent of Choi combined with the natural ability of the street performers created a wonderful and unique sound. They played the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves,” which is how they were able to be on the same page and play together. Even though they couldn’t directly communicate, their shared musical language allowed them to create something beautiful. H/T: DaJeong Kim Read more: http://www.wimp.com/korean-italian-street-performers-come-together/
Justin M. Lewis And Luke Spring Blow The Audience Away With Their Incredible Tapping
Even without the boost of viral Internet stardom, Luke Spring was bound for Broadway. When you see this video of a then-seven-year-old Luke, you’ll know why. After guest stints on Ellen and So You Think You Can Dance, Luke landed his first Broadway role as one of the kids in A Christmas Story: The Musical. He took four months off of school to work on the show but he’s back to normal kid mode – for now. Well, as normal as a kid like Luke can be. He’s still rubbing shoulders with some of the all-time greats of tap dancing. He’s still practicing his moves like nobody else can. He’s even taking voice lessons to add to his range as a performer. No doubt we’ll see more from Luke in the future and we wouldn’t be surprised to see him in another Broadway show sooner or later. He’s one of a select few youths who are being branded the new guard in tap. The dance form has never gone away but certainly doesn’t have the immense popularity it had in the days of the Nicholas Brothers, but thanks to passionate and talented individuals like Luke Spring, every so often new life and new appreciation for the art form thrusts tap back into the limelight, where it clearly belongs. Will Luke Spring eventually rise to the level of the true celebrities of tap, like Gregory Hines? Only time will tell, but he’s certainly off to a running, jumping and tapping start. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/justin-m-lewis-luke-spring-tap-dancing/
Guy surprises his wife with a new car after 15 years
His wife had been driving the same car for 15 years, so this loving husband decided to go all out with her birthday gift this year. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/guy-surprises-his-wife-with-a-new-car-after-15-years/
Things melting in macro
Our eyes, while powerful, can only look at things so close before they go out of focus. Thankfully, macro photography exists, allowing us to see some truly incredible sights that would otherwise be invisible. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/things-melting-in-macro/