threadloose
I sew, and I wouldn’t even bother looking for linen in your local fabric stores. Most everything is going to be mixed with rayon and too narrow for sheets. That’s especially true if your local fabric store is Joann. I can recommend some online retailers, but my usual go-to in the past has been Ukrainian linen, and… uh, you know.
For your current sheets, it will take time for them to soften, but if you wash them on hot and tumble dry them, they’ll soften faster. There are multiple types of linen, and there’s a variety called softened linen where it’s been basically been beaten to soften the linen fibers and simulate wear. Linen that hasn’t been softened just hasn’t gone through that process and will be scratchier.
Howard Hughes suffered from really profound OCD and chronic pain in a time before effective medications for either of those. Arguably, effective treatments still don’t exist. He became a recluse because he wasn’t well enough to appear in public. I understand why the comparison might spring to mind, but I’m pretty sure Elon Musk is just an entitled asshole and not disabled.
The database is here. You’ll have to sign up for a free trial if you’re not a subscriber to The Atlantic already. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/09/books3-database-generative-ai-training-copyright-infringement/675363/
I have a recent Paperwhite, and you can still do the drag and drop thing with it. The Kindle shows up as a device on your computer, and you just need to get the files into the documents folder on it.
I can’t remember off the top of my head if you can skip the setup with a new Kindle and not make an Amazon account.
The Fenelon elevator in Dubuque is pretty neat. I can’t say it’s as exciting as a roller coaster, but the views of the Mississippi are incredible. https://www.fenelonplaceelevator.com/
The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque is interesting too. They have old river boats there in the summer that you can tour, and the inside exhibits on the geology and wildlife of the Upper Mississippi are incredible. Really great interactive exhibits for kids, but I also enjoyed it as an adult. https://www.rivermuseum.com/
Oof, men being creeps in photos is super common in my experience. I do historical costuming, and men think it’s hilarious to pretend to squeeze your boobs or butt (or bustle) when they ask for photo. Obviously the historical clothing adds another layer to the situation, but I don’t dress that way to be a punchline to a joke. Most of my costuming friends have similar stories of men oozing into the picture after their wives ask for a picture. My friends who do cosplay have had men do weird shit in photos, too. And they never introduce themselves first, so they can just disappear into the crowd after.
Admittedly that’s different than the situation with Franken where other people asking for his picture, but men are comfortable invading women’s personal space when it comes to photography. Lots of my female friends who don’t do costuming have stories about the creepy guy who gets too close for photos at family or work events. Just because Franken is famous doesn’t mean he can’t be a creepy dude who takes advantage of the situation.
Hey, so, lots of rape survivors have asked people to stop framing rape as something that mars a person for life, because it’s basically a rephrasing of the outdated idea of a “ruined woman”. You can’t ruin a person. A lot of people really struggle with the idea that they’re dirty forever, and hearing that said by allies constantly doesn’t help their recovery. You can still recognize the harm that rape does without reinforcing outdated concepts of purity, where before they were pure and unmarked and after they’re “marred for life” with no recovery.