Jonah Blank
@jonahblank.bsky.social
Anthropologist, author, dad. Order purely alphabetical
Pinned
Jonah Blank
@jonahblank.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Retracing the Ramayana T…
The three-thousand-year-old epic Ramayana chronicles Lo…
goodreads.com
Who am I? What am I doing here?
Intro thread with links to some of my work.
My first book was "Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Retracing the Ramayana Through India"
goodreads.com/book/show/17...
[🧵 of publications]
Modest suggestion:
♦️Every single public building or institution on which Trump slaps his name, the moment he leaves office...
...Gets renamed for E. Jean Carroll.
♦️Every single public building or institution on which Trump slaps his name, the moment he leaves office...
...Gets renamed for E. Jean Carroll.
Jeffries on Trump asking Schumer to rename Dulles & Penn Station after him in exchange for unfreezing funds: "It's another example of Trump trying to force presidential graffiti down the throats of the people... this guy's priorities are completely & totally unhinged. But this is the GOP right now."
February 8, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Modest suggestion:
♦️Every single public building or institution on which Trump slaps his name, the moment he leaves office...
...Gets renamed for E. Jean Carroll.
♦️Every single public building or institution on which Trump slaps his name, the moment he leaves office...
...Gets renamed for E. Jean Carroll.
Unless you're a Wall Streeter, you've probably never heard of Jes Staley. But he was Epstein's personal banker for ages, and knew exactly what he was up to. Here's a full account: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/m...
He's never received the slightest bit of accountability.
And probably never will.
He's never received the slightest bit of accountability.
And probably never will.
February 8, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Unless you're a Wall Streeter, you've probably never heard of Jes Staley. But he was Epstein's personal banker for ages, and knew exactly what he was up to. Here's a full account: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/m...
He's never received the slightest bit of accountability.
And probably never will.
He's never received the slightest bit of accountability.
And probably never will.
I've been on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, at sea, several times.
Unless Jared and Witkoff have undertaken midlife internships in (say) catapult operations, they're merely cosplaying. ♦️Visitors do NOT dress like flight crew.
Unless Jared and Witkoff have undertaken midlife internships in (say) catapult operations, they're merely cosplaying. ♦️Visitors do NOT dress like flight crew.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
February 8, 2026 at 8:06 PM
I've been on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, at sea, several times.
Unless Jared and Witkoff have undertaken midlife internships in (say) catapult operations, they're merely cosplaying. ♦️Visitors do NOT dress like flight crew.
Unless Jared and Witkoff have undertaken midlife internships in (say) catapult operations, they're merely cosplaying. ♦️Visitors do NOT dress like flight crew.
RFKJr's living room must have the same pungent odor as a grizzly bear's lair.
RFK Jr on what he'll eat during the Super Bowl: "I am on a carnivore diet so I just eat meat and ferments, and I'm very happy with that. So I'm probably going to have yogurt."
February 8, 2026 at 7:46 PM
RFKJr's living room must have the same pungent odor as a grizzly bear's lair.
The word "relax" here...
Israel to take more West Bank powers and relax settler land buys, media say reut.rs/4a5aKaL
Israel to take more West Bank powers and relax settler land buys, media say
Israel's security cabinet approved a series of steps on Sunday that would make it easier for settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting Israeli authorities more enforcement powers over Palestinians, Israeli media reported.
reut.rs
February 8, 2026 at 7:43 PM
The word "relax" here...
Reposted by Jonah Blank
The makers of mobile apps designed to help shoppers identify and boycott American goods say they saw a surge of interest in Denmark and beyond after the recent flare-up in tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's designs on Greenland.
Greenland crisis boosted Danish apps designed to identify and help boycott US goods
The makers of mobile apps designed to help shoppers identify and boycott U.S. goods say they saw a surge of interest in Denmark and beyond after the recent flare-up in tensions over Greenland.
bit.ly
February 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM
The makers of mobile apps designed to help shoppers identify and boycott American goods say they saw a surge of interest in Denmark and beyond after the recent flare-up in tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's designs on Greenland.
Reposted by Jonah Blank
February 8, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Jonah Blank
In this week’s newsletter, I visualized The Post’s losses, Bezos’s net worth — and how much that net worth has increased each day since he bought the paper.
(That and a lot more, all for free!)
(That and a lot more, all for free!)
Let's consider some disasters.
It has been quite a week in quite a month in quite a year in quite a decade, has it not? A lot of things have gone sideways, often driven into ditches by distracted drivers. Happily for us, some inter...
www.howtoreadthisch.art
February 7, 2026 at 3:07 PM
In this week’s newsletter, I visualized The Post’s losses, Bezos’s net worth — and how much that net worth has increased each day since he bought the paper.
(That and a lot more, all for free!)
(That and a lot more, all for free!)
If this was reported, I certainly didn't see it.
♦️Bezos fired ALL the photographers at the #WashingtonPost?!
Whatever he's trying to do, this isn't a cost-cutting measure. Photographers aren't paid much, and their work is absolutely vital.
The murder of the Post is utterly pointless.
♦️Bezos fired ALL the photographers at the #WashingtonPost?!
Whatever he's trying to do, this isn't a cost-cutting measure. Photographers aren't paid much, and their work is absolutely vital.
The murder of the Post is utterly pointless.
Jeff Bezos laid off all of the photographers at The Washington Post. Any good reporter will tell you that working closely with a photographer always, always, always makes the story better. When I was at the Post, I got to work with Carol Guzy and Dana Smith, and I’ll always be grateful.
February 8, 2026 at 5:36 PM
If this was reported, I certainly didn't see it.
♦️Bezos fired ALL the photographers at the #WashingtonPost?!
Whatever he's trying to do, this isn't a cost-cutting measure. Photographers aren't paid much, and their work is absolutely vital.
The murder of the Post is utterly pointless.
♦️Bezos fired ALL the photographers at the #WashingtonPost?!
Whatever he's trying to do, this isn't a cost-cutting measure. Photographers aren't paid much, and their work is absolutely vital.
The murder of the Post is utterly pointless.
Counterpoint:
♦️They understand perfectly: For them, there are no consequences whatsoever.
♦️They understand perfectly: For them, there are no consequences whatsoever.
Rich people do not understand consequences to their actions
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
February 8, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Counterpoint:
♦️They understand perfectly: For them, there are no consequences whatsoever.
♦️They understand perfectly: For them, there are no consequences whatsoever.
If a Democratic politician said that he planned to eat yoghurt during the #Superbowl...
...the party would lose every election for a decade.
...the party would lose every election for a decade.
RFK Jr on what he'll eat during the Super Bowl: "I am on a carnivore diet so I just eat meat and ferments, and I'm very happy with that. So I'm probably going to have yogurt."
February 8, 2026 at 5:31 PM
If a Democratic politician said that he planned to eat yoghurt during the #Superbowl...
...the party would lose every election for a decade.
...the party would lose every election for a decade.
The press seems not to care about Gelernter's apparent attempt to pimp his own student to Epstein: He's not a household name, so no big deal.
But he's a tenured professor at Yale, and she was a Yale student.
The fact that he describes her as "v small" suggests he definitely knew what Epstein was.
But he's a tenured professor at Yale, and she was a Yale student.
The fact that he describes her as "v small" suggests he definitely knew what Epstein was.
David Gelernter is a Trump-endorsing right-wing Yale prof who recommended one of his students to #JeffreyEpstein as a "v small goodlooking blonde." He's still proud of this.
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
yaledailynews.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:27 PM
The press seems not to care about Gelernter's apparent attempt to pimp his own student to Epstein: He's not a household name, so no big deal.
But he's a tenured professor at Yale, and she was a Yale student.
The fact that he describes her as "v small" suggests he definitely knew what Epstein was.
But he's a tenured professor at Yale, and she was a Yale student.
The fact that he describes her as "v small" suggests he definitely knew what Epstein was.
Reposted by Jonah Blank
Nothing makes one prouder to be British than someone resigning in disgrace because we still understand both those words
February 8, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Nothing makes one prouder to be British than someone resigning in disgrace because we still understand both those words
Reposted by Jonah Blank
McKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Laurene Powell Jobs are all far better humans than their one-time husbands were. All putting their money to work in constructive ways that their husbands never did.
February 8, 2026 at 1:30 AM
McKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Laurene Powell Jobs are all far better humans than their one-time husbands were. All putting their money to work in constructive ways that their husbands never did.
To those #WashingtonPost reporters I've fired, and those I wasn't able to:
So long, suckers. I'll land another lucrative gig. You'll be fine-- or maybe you won't, not really my problem. Anyway, I'd like to thank Jeff Bezos for all the wonderful money.
-Will Lewis.
So long, suckers. I'll land another lucrative gig. You'll be fine-- or maybe you won't, not really my problem. Anyway, I'd like to thank Jeff Bezos for all the wonderful money.
-Will Lewis.
Breaking — Will Lewis out at the Washington Post. He just sent this email to staff (shared with me by staffer):
February 8, 2026 at 2:24 AM
To those #WashingtonPost reporters I've fired, and those I wasn't able to:
So long, suckers. I'll land another lucrative gig. You'll be fine-- or maybe you won't, not really my problem. Anyway, I'd like to thank Jeff Bezos for all the wonderful money.
-Will Lewis.
So long, suckers. I'll land another lucrative gig. You'll be fine-- or maybe you won't, not really my problem. Anyway, I'd like to thank Jeff Bezos for all the wonderful money.
-Will Lewis.
A departing boss thanking his staff when he leaves, even if he doesn't mean it, is basically the nickel-ante for human decency.
Not even acknowledging your former co-workers-- many of whom you've personally just rendered unemployed-- is a huge FU to all #journalists everywhere.
Not even acknowledging your former co-workers-- many of whom you've personally just rendered unemployed-- is a huge FU to all #journalists everywhere.
"His farewell email, which was terse, thanked only Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Post, and did not mention journalists at the newspaper."
once again tapping the sign reminding you all to support billionaire free news.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/t...
once again tapping the sign reminding you all to support billionaire free news.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/t...
Washington Post C.E.O. Will Lewis Steps Down After Stormy Tenure
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:12 AM
A departing boss thanking his staff when he leaves, even if he doesn't mean it, is basically the nickel-ante for human decency.
Not even acknowledging your former co-workers-- many of whom you've personally just rendered unemployed-- is a huge FU to all #journalists everywhere.
Not even acknowledging your former co-workers-- many of whom you've personally just rendered unemployed-- is a huge FU to all #journalists everywhere.
It was Boris Johnson.
Obviously.
Obviously.
One horrific game you should definitely not play is ranking them in order of likelihood. Because once you've crossed off Brown and May, the mental images start getting really bad
February 8, 2026 at 1:45 AM
It was Boris Johnson.
Obviously.
Obviously.
Reposted by Jonah Blank
The first crack in the wall: An ICE agent just quit.
February 8, 2026 at 12:42 AM
The first crack in the wall: An ICE agent just quit.
I have no idea what relationship Prof. Gelernter had with the student he recommended to #JeffreyEpstein.
But I was a student at his university, and a professor at several others, and:
♦️I never heard of any student ever having sleep-overs at a professor's house. At minimum: Pretty damn shady.
But I was a student at his university, and a professor at several others, and:
♦️I never heard of any student ever having sleep-overs at a professor's house. At minimum: Pretty damn shady.
David Gelernter is a Trump-endorsing right-wing Yale prof who recommended one of his students to #JeffreyEpstein as a "v small goodlooking blonde." He's still proud of this.
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
yaledailynews.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:43 AM
I have no idea what relationship Prof. Gelernter had with the student he recommended to #JeffreyEpstein.
But I was a student at his university, and a professor at several others, and:
♦️I never heard of any student ever having sleep-overs at a professor's house. At minimum: Pretty damn shady.
But I was a student at his university, and a professor at several others, and:
♦️I never heard of any student ever having sleep-overs at a professor's house. At minimum: Pretty damn shady.
David Gelernter is a Trump-endorsing right-wing Yale prof who recommended one of his students to #JeffreyEpstein as a "v small goodlooking blonde." He's still proud of this.
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
yaledailynews.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:34 AM
David Gelernter is a Trump-endorsing right-wing Yale prof who recommended one of his students to #JeffreyEpstein as a "v small goodlooking blonde." He's still proud of this.
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Now we find that this student “slept over at our [Gelernter's] house at least twice.”
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Kinda looks like #WillLewis has already finished his just-been-fired-so-lets-get-blotto-for-72-straight-hours bender.
According to the Financial Times, it was the Super Bowl photos.
Will Lewis steps down as Washington Post publisher and CEO after job cuts
British journalist’s tenure was controversial after being appointed by Jeff Bezos to turn around the newspaper
www.ft.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Kinda looks like #WillLewis has already finished his just-been-fired-so-lets-get-blotto-for-72-straight-hours bender.
Reposted by Jonah Blank
HAPPY BAD BUNNY DAY, AMERICA. ENJOY!!! —GOVERNOR GCN
February 7, 2026 at 8:16 PM
HAPPY BAD BUNNY DAY, AMERICA. ENJOY!!! —GOVERNOR GCN
I'm Not a Lawyer, But™
♦️One judge was a Biden appointee. She ruled on the law.
♦️Two judges were GOP appointees. They simply gave Trump the ruling he wanted.
Legal analysis is so easy:
➡️ Occasionally a Reagan or Bush judge rules on the law. Trump ones almost never do. That's about it.
♦️One judge was a Biden appointee. She ruled on the law.
♦️Two judges were GOP appointees. They simply gave Trump the ruling he wanted.
Legal analysis is so easy:
➡️ Occasionally a Reagan or Bush judge rules on the law. Trump ones almost never do. That's about it.
“Late Friday night, the Fifth Circuit adopted the extreme minority view—that the government can indefinitely detain without bond millions of non-citizens who have been here for generations; who have never committed a crime; and who pose neither a risk of flight nor any threat to public safety.”
208. The Fifth Circuit Jumps the Immigration Detention Shark
Late Friday, two of the nation's most right-wing circuit judges adopted an odious legal claim that district court judges from across the country (and ideological spectrum) have overwhelmingly rejected
www.stevevladeck.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:51 PM
I'm Not a Lawyer, But™
♦️One judge was a Biden appointee. She ruled on the law.
♦️Two judges were GOP appointees. They simply gave Trump the ruling he wanted.
Legal analysis is so easy:
➡️ Occasionally a Reagan or Bush judge rules on the law. Trump ones almost never do. That's about it.
♦️One judge was a Biden appointee. She ruled on the law.
♦️Two judges were GOP appointees. They simply gave Trump the ruling he wanted.
Legal analysis is so easy:
➡️ Occasionally a Reagan or Bush judge rules on the law. Trump ones almost never do. That's about it.
Reposted by Jonah Blank
GREEN DAY’S BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG: “This goes out to all the ICE agents — quit that shitty job… because when this is over, Noem/Miller/Vance/Trump will drop you like a bad habit.”
(From @wutangforchildren.bsky.social )
(From @wutangforchildren.bsky.social )
February 7, 2026 at 5:50 PM
GREEN DAY’S BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG: “This goes out to all the ICE agents — quit that shitty job… because when this is over, Noem/Miller/Vance/Trump will drop you like a bad habit.”
(From @wutangforchildren.bsky.social )
(From @wutangforchildren.bsky.social )