Ben
@franzferdinand2.bsky.social
The "R.R." in J.R.R. Tolkien stands for "Ruff Ryder". Same as George R.R. Martin, weird enough.
He/Him
He/Him
Reposted by Ben
Always-on news + this + the Telecommunications Act of '96 is my pet Unified Theory of Everything
Gotta fill the time somehow, punditry and speculation are easier and faster than investigation and fact checking, not to mention less regulated... then axe the fairness doctrine and baby, you got a hell stew going
January 9, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Always-on news + this + the Telecommunications Act of '96 is my pet Unified Theory of Everything
Reposted by Ben
Mnemonic for distinguishing the Rod of Asclepius vs Hermes’ caduceus/kerkeion:
If the snakes be one, ‘tis Apollo’s son
If the snakes be deuces, the son is Zeus’
If the snakes be one, ‘tis Apollo’s son
If the snakes be deuces, the son is Zeus’
January 9, 2026 at 4:28 AM
Mnemonic for distinguishing the Rod of Asclepius vs Hermes’ caduceus/kerkeion:
If the snakes be one, ‘tis Apollo’s son
If the snakes be deuces, the son is Zeus’
If the snakes be one, ‘tis Apollo’s son
If the snakes be deuces, the son is Zeus’
Reposted by Ben
It's sadly more apparent every day that culture and society peaked with the release of "It's OK" by Slimm Calhoun (ft. Andre 3000)
January 9, 2026 at 4:30 AM
It's sadly more apparent every day that culture and society peaked with the release of "It's OK" by Slimm Calhoun (ft. Andre 3000)
Reposted by Ben
People think stingless bees = defenseless. Nope! Here's what they do:
-go straight for your eyes & nose. Hard to work the hive when you can't see or breathe
-get all up in your clothes bc they're too small to keep out without a full bee suit
-not give up ever
-actually annoy you into leaving
-go straight for your eyes & nose. Hard to work the hive when you can't see or breathe
-get all up in your clothes bc they're too small to keep out without a full bee suit
-not give up ever
-actually annoy you into leaving
January 9, 2026 at 4:14 AM
People think stingless bees = defenseless. Nope! Here's what they do:
-go straight for your eyes & nose. Hard to work the hive when you can't see or breathe
-get all up in your clothes bc they're too small to keep out without a full bee suit
-not give up ever
-actually annoy you into leaving
-go straight for your eyes & nose. Hard to work the hive when you can't see or breathe
-get all up in your clothes bc they're too small to keep out without a full bee suit
-not give up ever
-actually annoy you into leaving
Reposted by Ben
Unrelated ag fact: there are stingless Melipona bees that make honey!
Sometimes people think "I should raise those! Why do we even bother with honeybees, if we can just raise bees that don't sting?"
Then they try raising the stingless bees, & find out why almost nobody does that
Sometimes people think "I should raise those! Why do we even bother with honeybees, if we can just raise bees that don't sting?"
Then they try raising the stingless bees, & find out why almost nobody does that
They don't have capacity to terrorize more than 2-3 cities at a time.
Which means they rotate teams to new cities without relief.
Which means consistent resistance by fresh activists in each new city will break them over time.
Which means if you're city's not occupied, rest up and get ready.
Which means they rotate teams to new cities without relief.
Which means consistent resistance by fresh activists in each new city will break them over time.
Which means if you're city's not occupied, rest up and get ready.
"The Department of Homeland Security plans to pause operations in Chicago — where Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol official, has led controversial arrest efforts — to support the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota."
January 9, 2026 at 4:14 AM
Unrelated ag fact: there are stingless Melipona bees that make honey!
Sometimes people think "I should raise those! Why do we even bother with honeybees, if we can just raise bees that don't sting?"
Then they try raising the stingless bees, & find out why almost nobody does that
Sometimes people think "I should raise those! Why do we even bother with honeybees, if we can just raise bees that don't sting?"
Then they try raising the stingless bees, & find out why almost nobody does that
Reposted by Ben
I barely think about The Obelisk anymore. Couldn't care less about its strangely oily surface or the gentle hum of its presence
September 22, 2025 at 8:28 PM
I barely think about The Obelisk anymore. Couldn't care less about its strangely oily surface or the gentle hum of its presence
Reposted by Ben
_we already know the people saying these things are bad_. we already know they are nazis. we do not need to spread their message.
January 8, 2026 at 1:42 PM
_we already know the people saying these things are bad_. we already know they are nazis. we do not need to spread their message.
Reposted by Ben
you extremely do not need to screenshot and spread around tweets demeaning Renee Good. I cannot stress enough how much you do not need to do that.
January 8, 2026 at 1:42 PM
you extremely do not need to screenshot and spread around tweets demeaning Renee Good. I cannot stress enough how much you do not need to do that.
Thinking about the old Jonathan Foster quote, “If someone says it’s raining and another person says it’s dry, it’s not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the fucking window and find out which is true.”
January 8, 2026 at 1:44 PM
Thinking about the old Jonathan Foster quote, “If someone says it’s raining and another person says it’s dry, it’s not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the fucking window and find out which is true.”
Reposted by Ben
oldhead advice from an oldhead.
every couple years, newcomers to the movement think "THIS is finally it, the moment when the dam breaks and the whole system is overthrown"
and when it doesn't happen they lose patience and get disillusioned and drop out of movement work
gotta build for long term
every couple years, newcomers to the movement think "THIS is finally it, the moment when the dam breaks and the whole system is overthrown"
and when it doesn't happen they lose patience and get disillusioned and drop out of movement work
gotta build for long term
January 8, 2026 at 7:32 AM
oldhead advice from an oldhead.
every couple years, newcomers to the movement think "THIS is finally it, the moment when the dam breaks and the whole system is overthrown"
and when it doesn't happen they lose patience and get disillusioned and drop out of movement work
gotta build for long term
every couple years, newcomers to the movement think "THIS is finally it, the moment when the dam breaks and the whole system is overthrown"
and when it doesn't happen they lose patience and get disillusioned and drop out of movement work
gotta build for long term
Reposted by Ben
The older I get and the more I experience, the more I think protecting your heart is less about walling it off than building its resilience. (fin.)
January 8, 2026 at 1:37 AM
The older I get and the more I experience, the more I think protecting your heart is less about walling it off than building its resilience. (fin.)
Reposted by Ben
There’s also this, which—bizarrely—search won’t cough up my original skeet but is happy to show a bazillion screenshots of it
January 8, 2026 at 1:42 AM
There’s also this, which—bizarrely—search won’t cough up my original skeet but is happy to show a bazillion screenshots of it
Reposted by Ben
Please stop reposting that BNO News account. All they’re doing is reposting information from Minnesota journalists but without any credit or sourcing.
January 7, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Please stop reposting that BNO News account. All they’re doing is reposting information from Minnesota journalists but without any credit or sourcing.
Reposted by Ben
Opened Outlook and the mist from THE MIST poured out of my calendar. Seems bad
January 7, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Opened Outlook and the mist from THE MIST poured out of my calendar. Seems bad
Reposted by Ben
My advice for 2026 is to log off
January 7, 2026 at 3:09 PM
My advice for 2026 is to log off
Reposted by Ben
Video games should be comfortable having long cutscenes again instead of having parts of the game that just completely shift tone and genre.
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 7, 2026 at 3:44 AM
Video games should be comfortable having long cutscenes again instead of having parts of the game that just completely shift tone and genre.
Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers will return in BUCKAROO BANZAI AGAINST THE WORLD CRIME LEAGUE. Uhh...I mean, AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY
January 6, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers will return in BUCKAROO BANZAI AGAINST THE WORLD CRIME LEAGUE. Uhh...I mean, AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY
Reposted by Ben
every time I see someone presented as a right wing intellectual their posts are like, “contrariwise, the white race isn’t just smart but furthermore intelligent and brain good”
January 6, 2026 at 9:33 PM
every time I see someone presented as a right wing intellectual their posts are like, “contrariwise, the white race isn’t just smart but furthermore intelligent and brain good”
Reposted by Ben
[SCENE: '80 horror movie]
LARDBUTT: Duh wow Flep, the newscaster said something about a radioactive meteorite striking Camp Brownface, which is where we're going.
FLEP: Shut up and eat another sandwich, Lardbutt! I wanna ROCK!
[FLEP changes the dial to THE WORST ROCK SONG YOU'VE EVER HEARD]
LARDBUTT: Duh wow Flep, the newscaster said something about a radioactive meteorite striking Camp Brownface, which is where we're going.
FLEP: Shut up and eat another sandwich, Lardbutt! I wanna ROCK!
[FLEP changes the dial to THE WORST ROCK SONG YOU'VE EVER HEARD]
October 25, 2024 at 11:32 PM
[SCENE: '80 horror movie]
LARDBUTT: Duh wow Flep, the newscaster said something about a radioactive meteorite striking Camp Brownface, which is where we're going.
FLEP: Shut up and eat another sandwich, Lardbutt! I wanna ROCK!
[FLEP changes the dial to THE WORST ROCK SONG YOU'VE EVER HEARD]
LARDBUTT: Duh wow Flep, the newscaster said something about a radioactive meteorite striking Camp Brownface, which is where we're going.
FLEP: Shut up and eat another sandwich, Lardbutt! I wanna ROCK!
[FLEP changes the dial to THE WORST ROCK SONG YOU'VE EVER HEARD]
Reposted by Ben
Reposted by Ben
Because of the lack of black and brown people in it.
How did The Lord of the Rings end up so beloved by the right wing?
How did The Lord of the Rings end up so beloved by the right wing?
How did The Lord of the Rings end up so beloved by the right wing?
www.independent.co.uk
January 6, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Because of the lack of black and brown people in it.
Reposted by Ben
Happy “Jay Johnston Did What?” Day, everybody
January 6, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Happy “Jay Johnston Did What?” Day, everybody
Reposted by Ben
lmao guys i think that's the long walk... yeah all those dudes are walking. I'm gonna pull up alongside them and just drive really slow. Walk much, idiots????
January 6, 2026 at 2:36 PM
lmao guys i think that's the long walk... yeah all those dudes are walking. I'm gonna pull up alongside them and just drive really slow. Walk much, idiots????
Skanking.
What's the most ridiculous way you ever hurt yourself? I got out of the tub, skidded in water and tripped over the toilet. Ankle sprain.
😅
😅
January 6, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Skanking.
The drum I always beat is that all of the "pagan" holdovers in Christian celebrations were all developed and popularized within medieval Christendom.
Here’s a fun top five: things that are consensus among historians but are essentially unknown by the public. Richard I, a bad king of England. Roman Empire, fell in 1453. Paul, more important than Jesus. Witch burning, a modern phenomenon not a medieval one. Britain last invaded in 1688. Yours?
As someone who wrote a dissertation on that damnable Frenchman; one can only hope.
January 5, 2026 at 9:56 PM
The drum I always beat is that all of the "pagan" holdovers in Christian celebrations were all developed and popularized within medieval Christendom.