Me.
zarq.bsky.social
Me.
@zarq.bsky.social
SciFi fan. Amateur baker. Marketing/Comms professional. Jewish. Progressive. Black Lives Matter. Pro-Choice. Pro-Women's Rights. Trans rights are human rights, and gender-affirming care saves lives. Kindness above all else. he / him.
Pinned
Boosting this.

The Hebrew Free Loan Association usually requires proof of creditworthiness and a demonstration of need. Be forewarned that they may ask for guarantors.

Qualified applicants are eligible for interest-free loans of up to $10k to help cover relocation costs.
Jewish orgs Keshet and the Hebrew Free Loan Association are giving out interest-free loans to LGBTQ+ folks who need to re-locate but can’t afford it. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE JEWISH.

“The idea that people were having to pick up and flee their homes was something that resonated Jewishly.”
Persecuted for being LGBTQ+ in Trump country, they now have a chance to start over someplace new
Keshet and the Hebrew Free Loan Society are fighting persecution by offering loans to those who need to flee,
forward.com
Estonia's Wikipedia page is being dramatically altered by pro-Kremlin editors. They're erasing the country's history, changing names and more.
Estonian volunteers struggling to protect Wikipedia from Russian propaganda
English-language Wikipedia is being edited to present Estonia's history in a more Soviet-friendly light, Estonian journalists and Wikimedia volunteers say, and it is difficult to compete with Russia's...
news.err.ee
January 23, 2026 at 3:29 PM
From a few weeks ago. This was a 100 foot high replica in Guaiba, Brazil.

Feels like an apropos metaphor.
January 23, 2026 at 3:43 AM
"Daddy, we're out of matches."
"Imossible. We have a bag of matchbooks."
"I've been using them to light candles."
"Yeah, but there are at least-"
"They're all gone."

The weather apocalypse hits tomorrow. We went to Aldi and HEB two days ago.

So I could AVOID panicky crowds today.

Dammit.
January 22, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Every North Texas Weatherperson:
"ICY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA STARTING TONIGHT. STAY HOME IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES."

My kids' school:
"We'll be open tomorrow. Afterschool activities will be cancelled."
a man is standing in front of a door with his arms crossed and says i 'm feeling this
ALT: a man is standing in front of a door with his arms crossed and says i 'm feeling this
media.tenor.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Referring to America's economy as the Titanic is definitely a good idea. Biggest ship ever. Super strong. Impervious to disasters. Nothing bad ever happened to it. 🙄
Vance on the economy:

"You don't turn the Titanic around overnight"
January 22, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Me.
Turns out he's easily chargeable

Oh, and the very first page of the Project 2029 agenda needs to be legislation to waive all federal immunities for state crimes committed by Federal officers from 2025-2029
Tyler O'Ryan Gramlin, 32, of Borden, IN is a Border Patrol Agent who has traveled from state to state committing extreme violence. On Jan 21, 2026 Gramlin emptied a can of pepper spray directly in the face of a prone protester at point-blank range in Minneapolis #MPLS #OneOfOursAllOfYours #UnmaskICE
January 22, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by Me.
ARE YOU A NON-MINNESOTAN WHO WANTS IDEAS OF STUFF TO DO TO HELP MINNESOTA RESIST FASCIST TYRANNY? Have I got a blog post for you! With additional advice for how to get ready in case tyranny shows up at YOUR doorstep next!

naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/h...
How To Help if You are Outside Minnesota
I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this, you more or less understand the situation in Minnesota and I don’t have to explain it to you! That said, I do have a section of lo…
naomikritzer.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:13 AM
My child is watching "Defying Gravity Synchronized Rollercoasters" on YouTube.

I ask, "Why are we scraping the bottom of the barrel?"

"Did I ask you? No, I did not. Now go away and let me watch this in peace."

"How popular is this video?"

"Hush."
January 21, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Israel-based. It's good to see them take a strong stand against such horrific abuse. Should have happened decades ago.
Dozens of Orthodox rabbis issue ban on gay conversion therapy
Statement says no rabbi, educator or therapist should recommend conversion therapy, calling it harmful, ineffective and based on the false premise that same-sex attraction is a psychological disorder
www.ynetnews.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:46 PM
A pet cow named Veronika can scratch her back with a broom, the first scientifically documented case of tool use in cows.

“Perhaps the absurd thing was not the absurdity of a cow using tools," one researcher said, "but the absurdity of us never thinking that a cow might be intelligent.”
Cows Use Tools, Too, New Study Finds
A pet cow named Veronika can scratch her own back with a broom — the first scientifically documented case of tool use in cows, researchers say.
nyti.ms
January 20, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Reposted by Me.
So.

You don't know what to do. You are scared, angry, and you can't believe this is happening. You can't believe it might happen to you, to your community.

What do you do now?

A thread.
January 17, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Our local farmer's market had homemade kimchi!
January 18, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Reposted by Me.
I've reached my lifetime quota for "interesting times." Give me bland times. Boring times. Normie times, one could even say. Times that are both dull and unexciting. Load me up with times that feel stale and uninspiring. That's the good stuff right there.
January 16, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Reposted by Me.
ICE observers in the Twin Cities are in need of dash cams to prevent further intimidation and frivolous claims.

Cams are $110, memory cards $35, and ship to us directly via this wish list: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/...

If you've been looking for a way to help, we'd sure appreciate it!
January 6, 2026 at 3:05 AM
"We Jews... tend to cluster in places where we can form a critical mass. Those of us who... come from places where we’re scattered more thinly, are used to feeling as if we’re on the fringes, both of the community we live in and of the broader Jewish community. ...a kind of double exile."
For southern Jews, the Mississippi synagogue firebombing rekindles memories of exile and endurance
The firebombing of Beth Israel in Jackson, Mississippi, reminds us of the specter of violence haunting Jews everywhere we live.
forward.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Paywall free: archive.ph/92sOL

TL;DR: Use store-bought or prescription contact solution instead of water. Change the solution in your contacts case every day. Wash and dry your hands before applying contacts. Never wear your lenses while you sleep. Daily disposables instead of monthlies.
A blinding parasitic eye disease affects mostly contact lens wearers. Here’s how to avoid it | CNN
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but blinding parasitic eye disease. Experts share how to avoid it and treat it.
www.cnn.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Chocolate chip crumb cake, headed into the oven.
January 11, 2026 at 8:07 PM
No one was hurt or killed, thankfully.

'The synagogue’s library / administrative offices were destroyed, as were two Torah scrolls stored in the library. The main sanctuary was undamaged. Torahs there were later removed for safekeeping. A Torah rescued from the Holocaust was not damaged.'
Mississippi’s largest synagogue severely damaged in suspected arson attack | The Times of Israel
www.timesofisrael.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Boston Baroque is now in its 50th year. They're a wonderful period-instrument orchestra.

This particular piece is slightly more modern than I'm used to hearing from them. 😁
Boston Baroque's New Year's Celebration | Musical Surprise Reveal
YouTube video by Boston Baroque
youtu.be
January 10, 2026 at 11:34 PM