Samuel Morse, who invented the Morse Code, was born this day in 1791. He developed the dots and dashes that allowed people to communicate while far away from one another. There's another secret code of sorts today. Consumers are demanding finer quality bed sheets, and linens are "talking" back with a language of their own. Once high thread counts were the exclusive domain of spoiled starlets, and nothing below 400 was good enough. Today everybody's an "oober-snoozer," and is seeking thread counts approaching 600. There's also a thing called ELS (extra long staple) wherein fibers are at least an inch long. Long-fiber cottons are smoother and stronger. If you're a bed-sheet snob, in addition to thread count, check for ELS. Learn the code and buy the best.