ND: Take a lesson from me. Don't slice the tip of your thumb to the point of needing five stitches while making dinner.

David S: Dammit! There goes my evening plans.

Teppy: I guess I won't even *make* dinner, now.

DavidS: What's the point if there's not arterial spurting?

Teppy: Hell if I know.

Nilly brings Hanukkah Wisdom in Natter: It's Hanukkah now (started on Thursday afternoon, and we'll light candles every day until this Thursday afternoon), and it's quite strange to try to be festive - let alone, feel festive - in such difficult and troubled times.

I have to admit I find myself choked up trying to sing out loud the lyrics to some of Hanukkah's songs, talking about the hardships that were put upon the Jewish people through the generations. However, there's one line that keeps resonating with me, and I can't help but feel how well it describes these times - 'each one of us is a little light, but all of us together are a strong and steady light'.

So I make it a point to look for these little lights, these acts of grace and compassion and kindness. I feel that they're so deeply needed, so I try to actively look for them (oh, and if at all possible, I wish and hope that I can also actually do a tiny bit of that myself, for others). And that's what this Hanukkah is, for me.

Hope you are, too, as well as possible, and lots of ~ma for all good things, all around. This place, and each of you, is way more than just-a-little light, for me. Thank you.

Karl expands on Nilly's thought: Nilly speaks for me in this. Nilly and Shir and all the lovely Jewish folks here: chag sameach and may you also find bits of joy and love and courage during the holiday. Shir, in particular your posts about wanting a future that includes everyone give me hope for that future; your courage bolsters my own.

I don't post much these days, but you folks are very important to me. Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.

The perimenopausal hivemind at work:

sj: We should start a club!

smonster: Right?! This is it. This is the club.

Jessica: Let's call it Buffistas, we'll meet online :)

Karl gets to the heart of the crisis in the Middle East.

Shir, Nilly, the only words I have that aren't all tears and swearing are: I love you both. Hug your families for me, please.

Shir, on Seder in a crisis.

It took a lot of thinking on how to prepare for Seder this year, when nothing feels normal and you can't really plan anything. And it's a holiday of freedom, and we are where we are, and there are the hostages. How can one have a Seder like this?

Eventually, two things helped me this year. The first, 'Seder' also means order. And I've been organizing alternative Seders for a while. What's a better year to call for a new order in the universe than this year? The other one was an interpretation of the text of the Haggada. It was a reminder that the text itself refers to a call for freedom when nothing was certain and everything seemed doomed. And Jews read this text for years, at least some of them had their own uncertainties and doominess. So in this year, I can do it too.

I'm not having an ordinary friends' Seder. Some elements will be missing on pourpse. Others added on purpose (lemon on the Seder plate, symbolizes the hostages. Other than the color, "missing an opportunity" and sourness are a wordplay in Hebrew. This holiday in particular is full of wordplays). It'll be outdoors, since so many of us lost their homes this year, and most of us had to stay indoors and take shelter when we were supposed to be elsewhere. 2/3 of my holiday donations are going to Gaza this year. But a Seder - a certain kind of Seder - will take place. Ordnung muss sein.

Have a good Passover, Jewistas. May our Seders bring back the good kind of order into this world.

Jessica in Natter:

Basically the entire rear exterior needs to be replaced (bumper, trunk door, the back/side bits that connect to the bumper). Between this and the new hybrid converter/battery last year, I am rapidly approaching Prius of Thebes territory.

Because “Prius of Thebes” made me giggle,

From Calli:

To be fair, I’d vote for one of my cats’ hairballs before I’d vote for Trump, with the sure and certain understanding that the hairball would do a better job.

Pix in Natter:

Uvula-ma-na-ma-na (do dooo da do do) to you!

Jessica:

Age ranking at 111%-137% of bones my age

I've read the Locked Tomb series too recently to not read this as "I have 37% more bones than most people my age" which sounds creepy, but impressive!

Steph:

They might not all be *her* bones.

Cass:

They are now.

MattTBF:

Finders keepers!