RS Benedict
@rsbenedict.bsky.social
3.4K followers 940 following 2.5K posts
wrote that essay about superhero dicks * published in the New Haven Independent, New Haven Review, FSF, Fangoria, Blood Knife, Seize the Press, Typebar, Current Affairs * rs-benedict.com * RIP Rite Gud
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rsbenedict.bsky.social
My friend Karlo put together a short story collection. He is a really really good writer so you should buy it! kyr-1066.itch.io/a-series-of-...
A Series of Hauntings: Un Combo TropiWeird by KYR_1066
kyr-1066.itch.io
Reposted by RS Benedict
paris.nyc
i was surprised to learn that bc most protein powders are considered dietary supplements, they basically fall into a regulatory grey area

there's no federal limit on the amount of lead they can contain and neither manufacturers nor the FDA have to prove these products are safe before they're sold
Protein powders and shakes, like all dietary supplements, fall into something of a regulatory gray area.

There is no federal limit specifying the amount of lead allowed in protein powders. And while the FDA requires that manufacturers keep their products free of harmful contaminants, it largely leaves it up to companies to decide what counts as harmful and test their own products for compliance.

Before 1994, manufacturers had to prove herbal products were safe before selling them. That changed after Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. The law sharply limited the FDA’s authority, leaving supplements far less regulated than drugs.

Today, supplements are “presumed safe unless found otherwise,” says Cohen at Harvard Medical School, and most products face scrutiny only after reaching the market—meaning unsafe or contaminated supplements can reach consumers before problems are caught.
Reposted by RS Benedict
paris.nyc
two of the products we tested — Huel's Black Edition meal replacement powder and Naked Nutrition's vegan mass gainer — had enough lead that our experts caution against using them at all

a single serving of these protein powders contained between 1,200 and 1,600% of CR’s level of concern for lead
Two plant-based protein powders contained enough lead that our experts advise against consuming them. Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder contained 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving, which is roughly 1,570 percent of CR’s level of concern for the heavy metal. One serving of Huel’s Black Edition powder contained 6.3 micrograms of lead, or about 1,290 percent of CR’s daily lead limit.

Two other powders contained lead between 400 and 600 percent of CR’s level of concern: Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein. Consumers should limit these to once a week, Akinleye says. (See company responses below.)

The only non-plant-based protein powder with lead detected at over 200 percent of CR’s level of concern was MuscleMeds’ Carnivor Mass powder. Six additional plant-based powders, five dairy-based powders and shakes, and one beef powder contained lead above CR’s level of concern.

We also found measurable levels of cadmium and inorganic arsenic in some products. One serving of Huel’s Black Edition plant-based protein powder contained 9.2 micrograms of cadmium, more than double the level that public health authorities and CR’s experts say may be harmful to have daily, which is 4.1 micrograms. 

Another plant-based option, Vega’s Premium Sport powder, had enough cadmium that one serving would also put you just over that level. In one dairy-based product, Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass whey protein powder, we also detected 8.5 micrograms per serving of inorganic arsenic, which is twice the limit of what our scientists say is safe to consume daily.
rsbenedict.bsky.social
oh no
paris.nyc
my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements

we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵)

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...
Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports
CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.
www.consumerreports.org
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Reposted by RS Benedict
davidjroth.bsky.social
It is tacky for really famous people to be in TV commercials for products. Their gambling debts/boat repairs are not my problem, those roles should belong to actors like the Time To Make The Donuts guy and the actress who said "who are you calling a cootie queen you lint licker" in that Orbit ad.
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marisakabas.bsky.social
I’ve been sitting with this the last few hours. It’s really hitting me just how fucking depraved you have to be to respond to an inquiry about an abducted child with a screenshot of a post on elon musk’s hellsite smearing this kid who has no ability to defend himself. It’s unfathomable.
Reposted by RS Benedict
marisakabas.bsky.social
This is the response I received from ICE when I inquired about the 13-year-old they abducted from Everett, Mass. on Friday:
Good afternoon, Marisa.
Please see the below from DHS on the 13-year-old alien.
Please feel free to direct any questions to them.
Respectfully,
James


Tricia McLaughlin
@TriciaOhio • 6h
S...
Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property.
He was in possession of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested.
Reposted by RS Benedict
marisakabas.bsky.social
I asked ICE why they couldn’t comment on their own arrest. The agent said to direct questions to DHS. And it appears DHS is making accusations via X to justify the abduction of a child.
rsbenedict.bsky.social
I do genuinely believe that fawning customer service turned Americans into complete assholes, for real though
raxkingisdead.bsky.social
few ideas have damaged the average psyche more than ‘the customer is always right.’ it should be a little bit humiliating, being a customer. you should walk into any service transaction knowing that the other person, and not you, is in control over whether you get your treats
Reposted by RS Benedict
brendelbored.bsky.social
Have to say I thought we’d do more with Steamboat Willie being in the public domain. I thought our entire society would be reorganized around being able to do whatever we wanted to the vile boat mouse
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drskyskull.bsky.social
Every single "I voted for Trump but I didn't expect this" person is a goddamned idiot.
Reposted by RS Benedict
Reposted by RS Benedict
bleary.off-the-records.com
If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.
Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?
Reposted by RS Benedict
acexaman.bsky.social
Meowfeggio 528hz Healing Frequencies ✨️🌌
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rsbenedict.bsky.social
Good Boy was a decent horror movie done extremely well. The boy was in fact very good. Seeing a dog get worried is absurdly effective.
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inquirer.com
Every day at noon, no matter how busy, Johny Merida Aguilar left his construction job and hurried to his 5-year-old son's school to feed him. His son has brain cancer and generally only accepts food from his father.

Merida Aguilar was arrested by ICE in September and faces deportation to Bolivia.
He was caring for his 5-year-old son with brain cancer. Then he was detained by ICE.
A court has temporarily blocked Johny Merida Aguilar's deportation to Bolivia.
www.inquirer.com
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kjy1066.bsky.social
I'm sorry but this came to me as I woke up this morning and I had to get it out
A bullfrog, submerged but for its head in the water, captioned with "they're turning the frogs antifa"
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propublica.org
Trump promised free plane tickets and $1,000 “exit bonuses” to immigrants who opted to self-deport.

ProPublica spoke to a dozen Venezuelan immigrants who said they followed the president’s instructions, yet never received the promised assistance.
“I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore”: They Tried to Self-Deport, Then Got Stranded in Trump’s America
Venezuelan immigrants signed up for a Trump-promoted app called CBP Home, which promised a safe and easy way to leave the country, and prepared to leave on their given departure dates. Those dates hav...
www.propublica.org
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internethippo.bsky.social
There's no "regular politics" anymore because you can no longer maintain the idea that we all agree on common goals but we only differ about the means of getting there or whatever. The guys in charge now are plainly amoral, sadistic nihilists. They delight in it! You can't civilly disagree with that
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juliedicaro.bsky.social
So Kilmer Abrego-Garcia will not challenge a deportation to Costa Rica, who has agreed to for him residency, but DHS won’t agree to send him there because it’s not cruel enough.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...
For weeks, Mr. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who is married to a U.S. citizen, has made clear that he would not challenge his deportation if he were sent to Costa Rica, which has promised him legal residency and guaranteed that he would not be sent back to El Salvador.

But the Trump administration has refused to deport him to Costa Rica, and in an earlier hearing this week, Judge Xinis pressed the administration to consider the option or clarify why it was unacceptable.
Reposted by RS Benedict
helldude.bsky.social
what exactly has gotten better for the average person in the past 20 years with all the innovation such as AI, exactly? what's the social use case here