Ben Bessman
@ben-bessman.bsky.social
Just Be Kind. Husband, father, former football coach, dog rescuer, & film buff dealing with Long COVID; into Mopars, Iowa Hawkeyes, Chicago Cubs & Bears, Detroit Red Wings, Indiana Fever.
Pinned
Ben Bessman
@ben-bessman.bsky.social
· Dec 6
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I don’t normally blame refs, but they absolutely changed the course of the Iowa vs USC game. Ignoring 2 facemasking penalties that would’ve extending Iowa drives, and allowed their line to badly hold Iowa’s defenders for most of the game without penalty, yeah, Iowa needed to play perfect to win.
November 15, 2025 at 11:42 PM
I don’t normally blame refs, but they absolutely changed the course of the Iowa vs USC game. Ignoring 2 facemasking penalties that would’ve extending Iowa drives, and allowed their line to badly hold Iowa’s defenders for most of the game without penalty, yeah, Iowa needed to play perfect to win.
The owners of the DNC decided they wanted things to move along and the Dems got their marching orders. Or they are just completely incompetent.
Guess either IS possible.
Guess either IS possible.
“Newsom’s right — this isn’t leadership, it’s capitulation. Democrats should be fighting for healthcare, not negotiating away their spine for a symbolic vote. ‘Don’t bend the knee’ shouldn’t just be a slogan — it’s a warning about who’s actually serving the people.”
November 10, 2025 at 2:29 PM
The owners of the DNC decided they wanted things to move along and the Dems got their marching orders. Or they are just completely incompetent.
Guess either IS possible.
Guess either IS possible.
Wow. Just… wow.
BREAKING: Ghislaine Maxwell, the top associate to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, intends to ask President Donald Trump to commute her prison sentence, according to reports.
Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking, to ask for leniency
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Wow. Just… wow.
100% correct. Shameful but not surprising that he allowed this.
Senator Schumer has failed to lead this party in one of its most critical moments, and Americans will pay the price. It’s time for him to step down from leadership and make way for a new generation willing to fight for the people instead of the powerful.
November 10, 2025 at 3:43 AM
100% correct. Shameful but not surprising that he allowed this.
Hey- that’s some Iowa brand football there!
WISCONSIN beats No. 23 Washington 13-10.
Wisconsin's leading passer was its kicker, with one completion for 24 yards.
Wisconsin's leading passer was its kicker, with one completion for 24 yards.
November 9, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Hey- that’s some Iowa brand football there!
Yep. They never intended to negotiate in good faith.
At least they FINALLY admitted why they refused to negotiate on the shutdown. First they lied and promised Dems they would “negotiate” this, but only AFTER they voted for the CR. But Dems were correct when they assessed that Republicans NEVER intended to extend these subsidies.
November 9, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Yep. They never intended to negotiate in good faith.
Question- are you allowed to throw your towel at the ball while on the playing surface as a player? Can’t remember ever seeing that before.
November 8, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Question- are you allowed to throw your towel at the ball while on the playing surface as a player? Can’t remember ever seeing that before.
Interesting.
Long Covid is now one of the biggest causes of long-term sickness in the UK.
Writing a workforce plan that never mentions it is like writing a flood report that never mentions rain.
It’s denial disguised as strategy.
🖇️
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Writing a workforce plan that never mentions it is like writing a flood report that never mentions rain.
It’s denial disguised as strategy.
🖇️
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Self-reported coronavirus (COVID-19) infections and associated symptoms, England and Scotland - Office for National Statistics
Analysis of Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study data: trends in self-reported symptoms of coronavirus, ongoing symptoms and associated risk factors.
www.ons.gov.uk
November 5, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Interesting.
They just don’t understand why the peasants don’t eat cake when they can’t afford bread. It’s weird.
I think Trump needs to keep telling people from his gilded palace that grocery prices are way down, housing and electricity prices are down, and everything is great because of his genius. They seem to like that.
November 5, 2025 at 5:03 AM
They just don’t understand why the peasants don’t eat cake when they can’t afford bread. It’s weird.
Wow. Knew Grok was untrustworthy, but to THIS level? All it would take is a few of us to convince Grok… to say… anything… hold on… having several intrusive thoughts suddenly…
Grok appears to have started offering this false account about eye-witnesses by generating its view from false rumours on X. It began by saying there wasn't evidence then picked up rumour and misinformation and amplified it
x.com/grok/status/...
x.com/grok/status/...
November 3, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Wow. Knew Grok was untrustworthy, but to THIS level? All it would take is a few of us to convince Grok… to say… anything… hold on… having several intrusive thoughts suddenly…
Fucking. Haunting.
Thank you, you otherwise foul little gremlin, for wearing layers and layers of makeup so we don’t have to see that shit on the daily. I did not recognize the service you were providing to us.
Thank you, you otherwise foul little gremlin, for wearing layers and layers of makeup so we don’t have to see that shit on the daily. I did not recognize the service you were providing to us.
November 1, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Fucking. Haunting.
Thank you, you otherwise foul little gremlin, for wearing layers and layers of makeup so we don’t have to see that shit on the daily. I did not recognize the service you were providing to us.
Thank you, you otherwise foul little gremlin, for wearing layers and layers of makeup so we don’t have to see that shit on the daily. I did not recognize the service you were providing to us.
Exactly. There are no good guys in this fight. Just billion dollar corporations scheming how to take even more of your money.
November 1, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Exactly. There are no good guys in this fight. Just billion dollar corporations scheming how to take even more of your money.
The hatred in their hearts is never ending.
The White House plans to bar hospitals that treat transgender children and youth from getting any Medicare and Medicaid payments. The move would affect trans youth who have private insurance, too. n.pr/4qFa1mY
Trump pushes an end to medical care for transgender youth nationally
The White House plans to bar hospitals that treat transgender children and youth from getting any Medicare and Medicaid payments. The move would affect trans youth who have private insurance, too.
n.pr
October 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM
The hatred in their hearts is never ending.
We do not know what is coming around the corner for us.
I know a truly alarming number of kids who were strapping and hale in 2019 but now struggle with multiple debilitating health problems. That's just an anecdote, but it's a real-world reflection of the data. www.pennmedicine.org/news/second-...
October 29, 2025 at 8:31 PM
We do not know what is coming around the corner for us.
How about targeting? That’s a clear crown of the helmet strike to the helmet if Swift. But the refs hate Chicago.
October 26, 2025 at 7:39 PM
How about targeting? That’s a clear crown of the helmet strike to the helmet if Swift. But the refs hate Chicago.
Floyd will stay with us for another year. Very pleased with that.
October 26, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Floyd will stay with us for another year. Very pleased with that.
Tradition- rub Floyd & take a quick shot for luck. Staying responsible, of course.
October 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Tradition- rub Floyd & take a quick shot for luck. Staying responsible, of course.
It’s a pig day in Iowa City.
On Iowa.
GO HAWKS!
On Iowa.
GO HAWKS!
October 25, 2025 at 1:42 PM
It’s a pig day in Iowa City.
On Iowa.
GO HAWKS!
On Iowa.
GO HAWKS!
“Duke Slater Field” gets relegated to behind the endzone for this? Not a good look, Iowa. Really not good.
So - finally we know why the "Duke Slater Field" logo at Kinnick Stadium has been shrunk and relegated to the End Zone. It's being replaced with a giant John Deere logo. SACRILEGE!!!
#Hawkeyes
#Hawkeyes
October 23, 2025 at 11:55 PM
“Duke Slater Field” gets relegated to behind the endzone for this? Not a good look, Iowa. Really not good.
Impressive.
October 19, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Impressive.
God damn right.
She gets all the flowers. I mean ALL of them. If we see her, we immediately have to give her flowers.
October 16, 2025 at 2:41 PM
God damn right.
Bears win, despite making several (correctable) mistakes. What’s frustrating, however, is the role this officiating crew seemed determined to play in the outcome of the game. So many ticky tack calls, mostly against the Bears but Washington took a couple as well. This is the best the NFL can do?
October 14, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Bears win, despite making several (correctable) mistakes. What’s frustrating, however, is the role this officiating crew seemed determined to play in the outcome of the game. So many ticky tack calls, mostly against the Bears but Washington took a couple as well. This is the best the NFL can do?
I’m old enough to remember when pick plays were illegal and called as such in the NFL.
Football was more fun to watch back then.
Football was more fun to watch back then.
October 14, 2025 at 2:23 AM
I’m old enough to remember when pick plays were illegal and called as such in the NFL.
Football was more fun to watch back then.
Football was more fun to watch back then.
These refs are so incredibly bad.
October 14, 2025 at 2:09 AM
These refs are so incredibly bad.
“Roughing the Passer”… that’s a pretty loose definition of roughing, Mr. Official.
Let’s save the flags for actual infractions, please.
Let’s save the flags for actual infractions, please.
October 14, 2025 at 12:33 AM
“Roughing the Passer”… that’s a pretty loose definition of roughing, Mr. Official.
Let’s save the flags for actual infractions, please.
Let’s save the flags for actual infractions, please.