Ben
@bennythegnome.bsky.social
Your friendly neighborhood forest gnome, baking persimmon bread and befriending stray cats to make the world a more beautiful place.✨
🏳️🌈
📍SoCal 🏜️ 🤠
Language Lover 🇩🇪🇸🇪🇳🇱🇫🇮
Hobbies 🪴📚📝☕🎮🎧📽️🏋🏼🏃🏼🚴🏼
Parent of 😺🦎🐍🐊
High School English Teacher 🧑🏼🏫
Proud Union Member 🌹✊🏼
🏳️🌈
📍SoCal 🏜️ 🤠
Language Lover 🇩🇪🇸🇪🇳🇱🇫🇮
Hobbies 🪴📚📝☕🎮🎧📽️🏋🏼🏃🏼🚴🏼
Parent of 😺🦎🐍🐊
High School English Teacher 🧑🏼🏫
Proud Union Member 🌹✊🏼
Post-cold bingo night!
December 30, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Post-cold bingo night!
Post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains.
December 29, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains.
Nothing quite like ending Christmas by watching the season finale of Heated Rivalry with your sister-in-law after eating sushi and drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a gay night! 🌟🎄
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a gay night! 🌟🎄
December 26, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Nothing quite like ending Christmas by watching the season finale of Heated Rivalry with your sister-in-law after eating sushi and drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a gay night! 🌟🎄
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a gay night! 🌟🎄
While it's unseasonably warm here, it is nice to be able to spend the late morning on the patio and practice my Swedish (känner mig lite ringrostig) by starting this.
December 6, 2025 at 7:42 PM
While it's unseasonably warm here, it is nice to be able to spend the late morning on the patio and practice my Swedish (känner mig lite ringrostig) by starting this.
Once the surprise fog dissipated this morning, I went on a much-needed hike. The alkali goldenbush is looking mighty pretty after the rains.
October 11, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Once the surprise fog dissipated this morning, I went on a much-needed hike. The alkali goldenbush is looking mighty pretty after the rains.
More rain in the desert today. I've been appreciating the mild weather and the frequent rain storms this past month. Compared to previous years, it actually feels like fall.
The animals have been appreciating the rain, too. Here's a red diamond rattlesnake I met on the trail a few weeks ago.
The animals have been appreciating the rain, too. Here's a red diamond rattlesnake I met on the trail a few weeks ago.
October 11, 2025 at 2:53 AM
More rain in the desert today. I've been appreciating the mild weather and the frequent rain storms this past month. Compared to previous years, it actually feels like fall.
The animals have been appreciating the rain, too. Here's a red diamond rattlesnake I met on the trail a few weeks ago.
The animals have been appreciating the rain, too. Here's a red diamond rattlesnake I met on the trail a few weeks ago.
I haven't posted on here for a hot minute, but I'm hoping to change that. Hope y'all are well.
On a related note: check in on your teacher friends. It's been quite the year for us and, boy howdy, it's only the start of October.
On a related note: check in on your teacher friends. It's been quite the year for us and, boy howdy, it's only the start of October.
October 4, 2025 at 10:20 PM
I haven't posted on here for a hot minute, but I'm hoping to change that. Hope y'all are well.
On a related note: check in on your teacher friends. It's been quite the year for us and, boy howdy, it's only the start of October.
On a related note: check in on your teacher friends. It's been quite the year for us and, boy howdy, it's only the start of October.
Reposted by Ben
I hate when someone unearths my pube-autograph to the world's most famous pedophile while I'm dying of cankles
July 18, 2025 at 12:14 AM
I hate when someone unearths my pube-autograph to the world's most famous pedophile while I'm dying of cankles
"The Education Department...would strip the benefit from organizations involved in 'illegal activities,' with the final determination left up to the U.S. education secretary. A draft proposal...includes definitions of illegal activity that center on immigration, terrorism and transgender issues."
Student loan cancellation program could become Trump retribution tool, some advocates fear
President Donald Trump is revamping the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, sparking concerns it could become a tool for political retribution.
apnews.com
July 8, 2025 at 1:11 AM
"The Education Department...would strip the benefit from organizations involved in 'illegal activities,' with the final determination left up to the U.S. education secretary. A draft proposal...includes definitions of illegal activity that center on immigration, terrorism and transgender issues."
AP scores were released today, and there was a significant (18%) increase in my students' pass rate compared to the scores from the previous two years. No word as to how the dubious inclusion of "Stranger Faces" was scored, but I'm very proud of my students. ✨🧑🏼🏫
July 7, 2025 at 4:47 PM
AP scores were released today, and there was a significant (18%) increase in my students' pass rate compared to the scores from the previous two years. No word as to how the dubious inclusion of "Stranger Faces" was scored, but I'm very proud of my students. ✨🧑🏼🏫
If you see this, post a duel
July 3, 2025 at 6:05 AM
If you see this, post a duel
Rebooted Morrowind and made it all pretty (and quirky, as shown with the mudcrab helmet). It's been ages since I played it, but the story and lore have stuck with me over the years. As have the memes. Looking forward to seeing how the modding community made this masterpiece even greater.
June 24, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Rebooted Morrowind and made it all pretty (and quirky, as shown with the mudcrab helmet). It's been ages since I played it, but the story and lore have stuck with me over the years. As have the memes. Looking forward to seeing how the modding community made this masterpiece even greater.
Dive Bar Beauty Queen: Pride Edition. ✨🌈💃🏼
June 22, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Dive Bar Beauty Queen: Pride Edition. ✨🌈💃🏼
Very good advice. As we teeter toward a war that has the capacity to be even more horrendous than either Iraq or Afghanistan, it's tempting to rage-skeet against that couch-fucking twat for trolling at the expense of trans kids. But ignoring him (and filling Bluesky with memes of him) is sound.
This is a vital message: one of the larger reasons BlueSky is refreshingly free of alt-right shitlords is because in the early days we made a gentleperson’s agreement to starve these fuckos out and it worked. No likes, no quotes, no engagement. They got bored and left. Please keep the Old Ways.
June 19, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Very good advice. As we teeter toward a war that has the capacity to be even more horrendous than either Iraq or Afghanistan, it's tempting to rage-skeet against that couch-fucking twat for trolling at the expense of trans kids. But ignoring him (and filling Bluesky with memes of him) is sound.
Reposted by Ben
this is what Posting feels like
June 17, 2025 at 1:58 AM
this is what Posting feels like
Doing some world building for a TTRPG setting that's been in my mind for a while, and I've decided that the Achaemenid-inspired dwarves in this setting play the carnyx into battle.
So metal.
So metal.
June 17, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Doing some world building for a TTRPG setting that's been in my mind for a while, and I've decided that the Achaemenid-inspired dwarves in this setting play the carnyx into battle.
So metal.
So metal.
After attending protests against fascism this morning, I ended up going on a hike in Rancho Cucamonga with a new friend that turned out to be lovely. We even found a Plummer's Mariposa Lily, which is a somewhat rare flower to find. All in all, a great day. ✨🌷
June 15, 2025 at 5:35 AM
After attending protests against fascism this morning, I ended up going on a hike in Rancho Cucamonga with a new friend that turned out to be lovely. We even found a Plummer's Mariposa Lily, which is a somewhat rare flower to find. All in all, a great day. ✨🌷
Even in 100°F heat, the protest in Cathedral City was sizable; I'd be interested to see the attendance estimate, but both sides of 111, including the median, were filled with protesters and immaculate community vibes. So proud to be working in and for this community.
No Kings Day protestors line street of Cathedral City
Hundreds of people gathered in the morning for the No Kings rally in Cathedral City in Southern California's Coachella Valley on Saturday. They lined the street near East Palm Canyon Drive and West Bu...
www.desertsun.com
June 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Even in 100°F heat, the protest in Cathedral City was sizable; I'd be interested to see the attendance estimate, but both sides of 111, including the median, were filled with protesters and immaculate community vibes. So proud to be working in and for this community.
This is art.
this 48-second video of a protest in ontario, california is top-tier storytelling 🤌🏽🤌🏽
June 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
This is art.
"One potential silver lining, according to Serpell: As students watch the dispute unfold between Serpell and the College Board, they have debated literature, standardized testing and academic integrity.
'They’re actually learning more from this issue than the test itself,' Serpell said."
'They’re actually learning more from this issue than the test itself,' Serpell said."
Author sides with students in revolt over book passage used in AP exam
Author Namwali Serpell said she got bad reviews — and even death threats — after an excerpt from “Stranger Faces” was used without her permission.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 26, 2025 at 12:21 AM
"One potential silver lining, according to Serpell: As students watch the dispute unfold between Serpell and the College Board, they have debated literature, standardized testing and academic integrity.
'They’re actually learning more from this issue than the test itself,' Serpell said."
'They’re actually learning more from this issue than the test itself,' Serpell said."
Considering going back to grad school while simultaneously still working as a teacher.
a woman wearing glasses and a pink shirt says " what like it 's hard "
ALT: a woman wearing glasses and a pink shirt says " what like it 's hard "
media.tenor.com
May 25, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Considering going back to grad school while simultaneously still working as a teacher.
While the motive was not what I was expecting, I'm still curious how the suspect was able to procure explosives powerful enough to cause such devastation. My heart goes out to those injured, as well as to the communities of Palm Springs and Twentynine Palms, both of which I have deep love for.
Palm Springs bombing
What we know about alleged bomber
laist.com
May 19, 2025 at 12:35 AM
While the motive was not what I was expecting, I'm still curious how the suspect was able to procure explosives powerful enough to cause such devastation. My heart goes out to those injured, as well as to the communities of Palm Springs and Twentynine Palms, both of which I have deep love for.