Links to Love

It's been a while since I've done one of these, hasn't it? Frankly, there are a lot of stories out there that I could be linking to right now, most of them just really depressing. Let's see... there's Ferguson, and the way white privilege and black disempowerment are coming to a head, not just in the South but everywhere in America. There's the rise of ISIS in the Middle East and the brutal beheading of journalist James Foley. There's the horrendous assault against Christy Mack by her ex-boyfriend, an MMA fighter, and the equally horrendous response on social media because she's a sex worker.
It's easy to start feeling angry and depressed with all of terrible things going on in the world, and to be honest, I don't want to talk about them (at least, not any more than I just have). So this week, I've got some frivolous and fun stuff to take my mind off of the gloom.
1. The Secret History of "Flashdance"

The movie Flashdance is one of those pop culture touchstones you don't have to have actually seen to be familiar with. It made millions of dollars and resonated with millions of people, but what most of those people don't know is that it's actually based on the lives and images of real dancers who worked in Toronto in the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately, they were taken advantage of by unscrupulous people in the movie business, and have made virtually nothing off of the use of their stories and images. The real stories of Gina Healey and Maureen Marder are fascinating, although they never got their own Hollywood endings.
2. Sleep Hack - Keep Your Feet Outside Your Covers

Photo unrelated to article. I just want my bedroom to look like that.
I'm kind of scared of the dark. I mean, not really anymore, but sometimes I still get creeped out. Up until recently I had this thing where my feet had to be covered by the blanket, because it they weren't I would get this feeling like something was going to reach out and grab them. When I moved, though, I left my bed frame behind (on purpose, it was really shitty), and now that my mattress is right on the floor that fear has gone away. But anyway, what I mean to say is that this trick actually works! I've been doing this ever since I read about it last week, and I'm finding I fall asleep much faster than normal.
3. Before Elvis There Was Nothing - Black and White Photos of Elvis in the 50s

I sometimes forget that before Elvis was a chubby, sweaty guy in a rhinestone jumpsuit, he was super hot. Thank you for reminding me.
And hey, spend some time exploring the website these are from. Vintag.es always has fantastic vintage photographs of everything from fashion to high culture to daily life. I try to check the site daily because the updates are so frequent. Definitely one to bookmark.
4. Escape is the unlikely link between The Shawshank Redemption and Natural Born Killers


I'm all about the double feature, and I might actually have to do this one. I would also quite like to do the one that they mentioned in passing as a joke - The Lion King and The Professional.
5.Why does asparagus make our urine smell?

Truly one of the great mysteries of our times.
6. Could the cravat make a comeback?

Man, I really hope so. That would be so sweet.