Looking pretty good

My parents threw away all of these things (even the vacuum cleaners and the dryer) when they got too dirty to function, because no one even told them THAT they could be cleaned. Cost them thousands of dollars over the years.

All I'm saying is that cleaning is not intuitive, and not knowing how to clean is not a moral failing, but it is something you can learn.

I like this video because it does a great job of introducing the basic foundations of house cleaning (and because he doesn't use bleach, which is a common allergy in addition to being awful to inhale). He also talks a little about how to clean a vacuum. And why you shouldn't put grease from your pots and pans down the sink drain. I also love that he mentions that different houses and different people have different needs and different versions of what clean and cleaning looks like.

This is another video from the same guy about cleaning and depression. This advice, especially at the beginning, can feel really really difficult and oppressive to hear. However, I find that it's generally pretty solid. But I'm autistic and so is he, so that gets a massive Your Mileage May Vary stamp on it.

I have a favorite part of this video. It's from 10:52 to 12:36. I think we could all use to hear that. There's a HEFTY pause after that one. I promise the narration does come back.

This is a pair of videos about how to correctly load and use a dish washer.

The first one is a quick 1 minute 30 second overview on loading. I can't find the exact video I'm looking for, so consider this a substitute for that. If I can find the one I'm looking for, I'll swap it in.

Here's a blog post about scrubbing brushes and how to clean them.

And a video for all cleaning tools, including scrub brushes. This video does use bleach. I'll try to find some alternatives to that.

How to clean a top loader (without the removable agitator thing). This should be done every 1-3 months depending on you unit, or every time you wash really soiled clothes.

How to clean a top loader (with the removable agitator thing). This should be done every month, or every time you wash really soiled clothes.

This video is for pet owners.

These carpet brushes are a LIFE SAVER if you have dogs. This thing allows me to go from vacuuming about 4 square feet before my vacuum is full to vacuuming half the living room (I don't vacuum often enough. You should vacuum weekly, and I just can't.). I have to unclog the vacuum less often. It fluffs up some of the flat spots in the carpet. And I also use the brush to shampoo my rugs in the spring.

A spot cleaner (or a carpet cleaner with a spot cleaner attachment) is another life saver, ESPECIALLY if you can afford to splurge on a heated one. I see them at Goodwill or at yard sales occasionally, and they're worth picking up. The shark one in the video is great too.

It's America's Housekeeping Book (1941). Available for free download on the Internet Archive. (Large PDF file at the link here).

The LISTS y'all. The step by step lists. The emphasis on efficiency and arranging spaces for the least resistance possible. The basic concept of "take a tray or basket into a room when you are tidying up so you can put things that belong elsewhere on it and take them out LATER in ONE GO".

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Follow for recipes

crafting a plane launcher with chopsticks by 小小折纸手工

From the OP: "If you sit at a desk or stare at your phone all day, this is for you. Here's how to undo the damage: - Banded Chin Tucks - Strengthen your neck flexors and fight forward head posture - Banded Pull-Aparts - Target your rotator cuff and improve shoulder stability - Banded Abduction - Activate the midline of your scapula for better posture - Lateral Deltoid Raises - Build shoulder stability and control - Banded Up-and-Overs – Boost scapular mobility and range of motion These simple banded drills will help you stand taller, move better, and feel stronger - even after hours at a desk."

“Heather was a changeling. In 2006 she was called back to faerieland and Alec, the child in whose place she had originally been left, was released after beating the faerie queen in a fiddling contest. Thus, Alec now carries on Heather’s musical legacy as her appointed heir.” 

God…. good for him :’) 

YEAH!!!!!

Okay, here I am with my promised addition:

Here’s a remake of the aforementioned fantasy banger, done post-transition with his band Tricky Pixie (SJ Tucker and Betsy Tinney)

And my favorite cut of the same…

Here they are doing the ballad of Tam Lin!

Another iconic fantasy banger

And the song version of Alec winning his legendary fiddle duel with the faerie queen — which has WON its first round in this marvelous “obscure song bracket” so please do come back to vote for it in round 2, as well as Winter’s Tooth, which has also won its first round!! (and my further recommendations and infodumps on these posts)

Also OP congrats on choosing perhaps my FAVORITE picture ever to illustrate this perfect post, but please also look at these

If you look up “trans joy” in the dictionary you get these pictures of Alexander James Adams

Alexander James Adams creates music, art, and video reflecting fantasy and faerie tales with the intent of making this world more magical. Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Whistle, and Drums all help his voice to tell stories and sing songs that inspire through the age old tradition of bardic skill. Flavoured from Celtic roots, his creations are growing and changing to reflect the old wisdoms combined with the new ideas of folk lore and fantasy as it applies to the world around us.

La Mode illustrée, no. 22, 28 mai 1865, Paris. Passementerie pour garnitures de robes, de vestes, de jupons, etc. Ville de Paris / Bibliothèque Forney

These trimmings can be used for a variety of purposes, depending on the cords used: in wool, they can be used to trim curtains, cushions, and furniture; in very fine wool and silk, they can be used for clothing of all kinds.

In addition to the braids, we are featuring two different knots that can be used as edging, repeating them at regular intervals.

Instructions below:

Braids 1 – 4

Braid no. 1. — Single cord. Fold it at one of its ends, in order to form two opposite loops (see the upper edge of the figure). The other end is passed alternately through these two loops from top to bottom, as if making a blanket stitch; thus, continuing the braid shown. The cord should be passed through the gap marked by a dot then through the one marked by a cross, and so on.

Braid no. 2. — Single cord on a metal fork. A knot is made which is placed between the two sides of the fork; a loop is made which is passed through the knot, thrown over the fork, and continued in this way, taking care only that the cord is always held by the same hand (right or left). (a) indicates one of these loops, at the moment when it is passed through a gap, and (b) is the cord used to form the new loop. When the fork is covered, slip a portion of the braid back to continue the work.

Braid no. 3. — Four cords. The braid is made with three cords; the fourth remains perpendicular and alternates above and under the braid.

Braid no. 4. — Four cords. Take cord (a), braid it horizontally from right to left over the other three cords, then let it hang perpendicularly; do the same with cords (b) and (c); with the last one, form the point of the angle, passing it immediately from left to right, through cords (b), (a), (d), and continuing the work as just explained. With cord (d), form the point of the opposite angle, as indicated by the last interlacing of the figure. Take care to keep the braid even.

Capuchin Knot

Made with very thick wool cord, and repeated at regular distances. This knot can be used for bell cords, curtain and door tiebacks, etc. With fine wool or silk cord, it can be used to decorate clothing.

Figures 5 and 6 demonstrate the execution of the knot. Take one end of the cord in the left hand, direct the cord towards the tip of the index finger, and wrap the index finger and the four or five times; then pass it under these windings, directing it towards the tip of the index finger, and if the cord is not very thick, use a lace-maker or a hairpin for this purpose. If the cord is very thick, make these windings on two fingers at a time.

The ends of the cord thus cross inside the winding; they are pulled in two opposite directions, letting the knot slide out of the finger (see figure 6). Before completely tightening the knot, use a pencil in place of a finger. To keep the knot even, proceed slowly.

If care is not taken, the knot will be imperfect, as shown in figure 7. The true Capuchin knot is shown in figure 8.

Gordian Knot

Two cords are used. First take one and form two loops, as shown in figure 9; the upper end is marked (a), the lower end is marked (b).

Then take the second cord and lead the end marked (c) on fig. 10 from bottom to top, through the gap marked by a cross on fig. 9. Lead it to the left of cord (b) and braid it through the loops, as shown in figure 11, where it is shown as a larger cord for clarity. With the same cord, make another turn to the left, following the dotted line of figure 10. On one side we take cords (a) and (c), on the other cords (b) and (d), we pass them in pairs in the various directions, and we tighten the knot by pulling each cord separately, until we have formed the final knot, as shown in figure 12.

Simone de Rochefort shared the email she sent to Jim Bankoff, the CEO of Vox Media who sold Polygon, on bluesky. The text of the email is transcribed below:

"Hi Jim,

I'm writing to let you know how incredibly disappointed I am about the decision to sell Polygon to Valnet. Even though I'm one of the fortunate few to still be employed, I'm still furious and heartbroken.

I was in Europe when the sale went public. A few days later, a reader recognized me at a cafe in Paris. He couldn't believe what had happened, and asked me how it was possible, in the United States, that a workforce like ours could just be disposed of. He also added, completely unprompted, that American workers should "choose violence." I just thought I'd mention that! It was cool to be recognized halfway around the world for my work. The readers have always appreciated it, even if you don't. But I'm going to tell you about it anyway.

At Polygon, we wrote stories and made videos that were unique in entertainment media - they were weird and well-researched and funny. We also got awards for our reporting (including myself and my now-laid-off colleague Clayton Ashley - we were nominated for an ASME and we won a New York Videogame Critics Circle award).

We attracted brand sponsorships, some of which my team was in the middle of working on when my colleagues were laid off. My understanding is that Vox will be doing make-good sponsorships for the businesses that had contracted with Polygon. I wonder if they will seek out Vox Media again, once that process is finished.

My colleagues who were laid off spent years building connections and trust with sources in our industry. On the video team, subjects gave us hours of their time and resources for interviews. People trusted us to tell their stories. You can't do good journalism without that trust, and that's been at minimum bruised by this sale and the dismantling of the team.

Our readers and viewers are wonderful. I applied to work at Polygon because I read a comment chain on the site that I expected to be full of sexism and vitriol. Instead I found thoughtful people having a civil and intelligent discussion. What a rarity on the internet!

Did you know that Polygon's YouTube comments have always been overwhelmingly positive? My games journalist colleagues at other sites marveled at the fact that at Polygon, I never got hate mail. Was never harassed. That I could scroll freely through the comments of any video that I or my colleagues made and see people appreciating our work. That is so, so rare.

I worked at Vox Media for 9 years. The week before the sale, as I was preparing to go on vacation, I stayed up till 5 AM so that I could finish my next video. No one asked me to do that! That was frankly stupid, considering how little you and the company valued our work. This doesn't make me look very good or very smart, but I'm including it anyway.

The truth is I like working and the feeling of productivity, and I liked what I was making. I felt like that made it worth it.

It didn't! I suppose what I am saying is that Polygon's employees did everything possible to make the site a success. We built a profitable, respected publication.

You, and Vox Media's leadership, didn't know what to do with it. You failed to make a good thing work for you. That's quite sad, and quite an indictment on Vox Media as a whole.

I used to have a lot of faith in the company's longevity. I don't anymore, because of your poor decision-making, and your failure to listen to the people who were telling you what Polygon needed.

I had always said that Vox Media is an amazing employer. That out of all the media companies, it was the best. I encouraged people who are bright and hard-working and talented to apply for work there. I felt so lucky to have my job. I don't think you know yet how many bridges you've burned with people like me who would've jumped at the chance to work for you, and let themselves be exploited along the way.

A couple years ago, a former employee told me that digital media would never love me back, and that I should leave Vox. They said I wouldn't understand how much the company takes from its employees until I tried working somewhere else.

Well, now I work for Valnet! Thank you for the push out the door!

Meanwhile, if you couldn't make a profitable website like Polygon work, then what hope is there for my colleagues at other Vox outlets?

How many unprofitable ventures will be propped up with profits from the Polygon sale, and for how long? Before you and the folks with a head for business (or so I'm told!) have to hit the ledgers again and find something to sell, or someone to let go. Or will the company just enjoy a tax write-off for 2025 and then … what?

Polygon was special, and it was valuable, and it was profitable, and you sold it, at a time when the economy was at a low point - and when Polygon, against all odds, was still making money.

This does not make sense to me. Please feel free to respond and convince me.

Also From Microsoft’s own FAQ: "Note that Recall does not perform content moderation. It will not hide information such as passwords or financial account numbers. 🤡

Go into the power shell

then paste in:

reg add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /v "TurnOffWindowsCopilot" /t REG_DWORD /f /d 1

like this

Then restart. Also here is how to turn off the awful search suggestions:

Three Swords 2024. Pencil, Photoshop.

The 2021 LTSC is available in the plain vanilla version, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, with end of mainstream support scheduled January 12, 2027, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021, with an extended end date of January 13, 2032. They are not quite the same as the ordinary consumer editions of Windows 10. They don't include the Windows Store or any "modern" apps. Apart from the Edge browser, they have almost nothing else: no OneDrive, no Weather or Contacts apps, and no Windows Mail or whatever it's called this week.

...no OneDrive, Copilot AI, or all of the other useless crapware cluttering up the Start menu? AND patches/support through 2032??

Cats Stealing Food in Paintings

Still Life with Cat (1705) by Desportes, It's no use crying over spilt milk (1880) by Frank Paton, Still Life of the Remnants of a Meal with a Lunging Cat (18th Century) by Alexandre-François Desportes, Fish Still Life with Two Cats (1781) by Martin Ferdinand Quadal, Still Life with a Cat and a Mackerel on a Table Top (18th Century) by Giovanni Rivalta, The Collared Thief (1860) by William James Webbe, Cat Stealing a String of Sausages (17th Century) by Abraham van Beyeren, Still Life with a Cat (1760) by Sebastiano Lazzari, Kitchen Still Life with Fish and Cat (ca. 1650) by Sebastian Stoskopff, An Oyster Supper (1882) by Horatio Henry Couldery, Still Life with an Ebony Chest (17th Century) by Frans Snyders, Still Life with a Cat (1724) by Alexandre-Francois Desportes, A Cat Attacking Dead Game (18th Century) by Alexandre-François Desportes, Still Life of Fresh-Water Fish with a Cat (1656) by Pieter Claesz, Still Life with Fruits and Ham with a Cat and a Parrot (18th Century) by Alexandre-Francois Desportes, A Cat Holding a Fish in Its Mouth (18th Century) by Sebastiano Lazzari, Still Life with a Cat and a Hare (18th Century) by Desportes, Still Life with Cat and Rayfish (1728) by Jean-Siméon Chardin, A Cat with Dead Game (1711) by Alexandre-Francois Desportes, Still Life with Cat and Fish (1728) by Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin

This one is from Tygodnik Mód 1869, pattern floating around on Pinterest. Really interesting three piece design.

This one is from Die Frauenwelt 1874, also floating around on Pinterest. I like the simple two piece body with gores for shaping, much easier to alter than seams. Note how this cups the stomach rather than flaring out? The longer line dresses of the 1870s required corsets to have more structure below the waist, opposed to 1860s styles that ended there.

A little later on, this is from a 1878 patent. I made this mostly because it combines the gores and full length pieces. I love the side profile, front and back, not so much.

These next two are both from "Complete Guide to Ladies Garment Cutting" c. 1883.

I think this one has the "best" shape which is interesting since it specifies it is for stout ladies lol. The back is very flat too which surprises me, I'd expect there to be more volume there to support the bustle.

This one I made mostly because it doesn't have gores and is different for that era. The pieces didn't line up well and it feels almost like this should begin below the bust? That top line is SO ODD.

But! The side profile and volume over the hips is pretty great. Something to revisit eventually, maybe, it will just require more work.

The next three are from the Symington Corset archive which is very fun to look through if you never have before! A hundred+ original patterns from the 1890s.

I picked three, starting with this earlier design which didn't end up being very shapely at all. I wonder if this is for juniors? This was an instant "no" for me, has no redeeming qualities for what I want in an 1890s corset. Maybe for the 1920s, lol...

I love the front and back of this sooo much. It is so waspy and easier than the others to alter IMO given the simplicity of the piecing. It is very straight in the back, though, which probably won't work for me.

Lastly, is this guy. Which I think is the best rounded--this could work for the 80s and 90s. I like the side profile of this a lot but not so much the front. I also feel like the narrow pieces with centered bones will be harder to alter than the wider pieces shown above. But the back slope on this one would be better for me and the rise on the hips looks more comfortable.

This was a fun little test! Some looked very different than I expected based on how they looked flat and gives me some insight on which to use as a base for altering to my measurements.

I think every computer user needs to read this because holy fucking shit this is fucking horrible.

So Windows has a new feature incoming called Recall where your computer will first, monitor everything you do with screenshots every couple of seconds and "process that" with an AI.

Hey, errrr, fuck no? This isn't merely because AI is really energy intensive to the point that it causes environmental damage. This is because it's basically surveilling what you are doing on your fucking desktop.

This AI is not going to be on your desktop, like all AI, it's going to be done on another server, "in the cloud" to be precise, so all those data and screenshot? They're going to go off to Microsoft. Microsoft are going to be monitoring what you do on your own computer.

Now of course Microsoft are going to be all "oooh, it's okay, we'll keep your data safe". They won't. Let me just remind you that evidence given over from Facebook has been used to prosecute a mother and daughter for an "illegal abortion", Microsoft will likely do the same.

And before someone goes "durrr, nuthin' to fear, nuthin to hide", let me remind you that you can be doing completely legal and righteous acts and still have the police on your arse. Are you an activist? Don't even need to be a hackivist, you can just be very vocal about something concerning and have the fucking police on your arse. They did this with environmental protesters in the UK. The culture war against transgender people looks likely to be heading in a direction wherein people looking for information on transgender people or help transitioning will be tracked down too. You have plenty to hide from the government, including your opinions and ideas.