Mark Athitakis
@mathitak.bsky.social
Writer, mostly about books.
Reposted by Mark Athitakis
I'm going to write one long thread over the next couple of days about the people I worked with at the Post. They deserve the extra time and attention. I'll start with someone you likely know well: @roncharles.bsky.social 1/TK
February 12, 2026 at 5:56 PM
I'm going to write one long thread over the next couple of days about the people I worked with at the Post. They deserve the extra time and attention. I'll start with someone you likely know well: @roncharles.bsky.social 1/TK
Ticking a little closer to Gov. Biggs.
Karrin Taylor Robson just announced she is suspending her campaign to be the Republican candidate for Arizona Governor.
February 12, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Ticking a little closer to Gov. Biggs.
Reposted by Mark Athitakis
Pictured here: Nixon signs the Clean Air Act of 1970.
Not pictured here: the ghost of Nixon being beaten to a second death by Coalie, a living piece of anthracite coal
Not pictured here: the ghost of Nixon being beaten to a second death by Coalie, a living piece of anthracite coal
February 12, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Pictured here: Nixon signs the Clean Air Act of 1970.
Not pictured here: the ghost of Nixon being beaten to a second death by Coalie, a living piece of anthracite coal
Not pictured here: the ghost of Nixon being beaten to a second death by Coalie, a living piece of anthracite coal
Reposted by Mark Athitakis
A smiling plushie in the shape of a pieróg - Poland's famous stuffed dumpling - has become a hit at the Winter Olympics after being adopted as a mascot by the Polish figure skating team.
The cooperative for people with disabilities that creates the toy says it has been overwhelmed with orders.
The cooperative for people with disabilities that creates the toy says it has been overwhelmed with orders.
Polish team's pieróg mascot becomes Winter Olympics star
notesfrompoland.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:54 AM
A smiling plushie in the shape of a pieróg - Poland's famous stuffed dumpling - has become a hit at the Winter Olympics after being adopted as a mascot by the Polish figure skating team.
The cooperative for people with disabilities that creates the toy says it has been overwhelmed with orders.
The cooperative for people with disabilities that creates the toy says it has been overwhelmed with orders.
"When you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. When you have the law on your side, pound the law. When you have neither, pound the table."
Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to apologize to survivors of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein who were seated in the House Judiciary Committee room on Wednesday — and instead demanded that Democrats apologize to President Trump.
Read more: nyti.ms/46ynVyC
Read more: nyti.ms/46ynVyC
February 12, 2026 at 11:58 AM
"When you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. When you have the law on your side, pound the law. When you have neither, pound the table."
Working on the screenplay for the dullest baseball movie ever, "Day of the Hamate."
February 11, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Working on the screenplay for the dullest baseball movie ever, "Day of the Hamate."
Spent a whole lifetime never experiencing the term "hamate bone," and then came yesterday.
February 11, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Spent a whole lifetime never experiencing the term "hamate bone," and then came yesterday.
I've long been conflicted about Shriver, who's written some books I admire. But she's been drifting toward Bad Art for some time now, and "A Better Life" exemplifies it.
February 11, 2026 at 1:46 PM
I've long been conflicted about Shriver, who's written some books I admire. But she's been drifting toward Bad Art for some time now, and "A Better Life" exemplifies it.
On one hand, Lionel Shriver laughs off the negative reviews. On the other, she finds them gratuitously nasty. Pick a lane! www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
MSN
www.msn.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:44 PM
On one hand, Lionel Shriver laughs off the negative reviews. On the other, she finds them gratuitously nasty. Pick a lane! www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
And there's a "Nolan Ryan punching" bobblehead night when the White Sox are in town because of course there is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIZB...
Robin Ventura, Nolan Ryan duke it out
YouTube video by MLB
www.youtube.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:11 AM
And there's a "Nolan Ryan punching" bobblehead night when the White Sox are in town because of course there is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIZB...
To be clear, I don't think it would be appropriate to give fans an actual exploding bird. It should be a bobblehead.
February 11, 2026 at 12:04 AM
To be clear, I don't think it would be appropriate to give fans an actual exploding bird. It should be a bobblehead.
Curt Schilling bloody sock day. Randy Johnson exploding bird day. Just go all-in with this. www.mlb.com/news/rangers...
Rangers turn Nolan Ryan's bloody lip into gory giveaway
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Sept. 8, 1990, is an otherwise lackluster date in the history of Texas Rangers baseball.
But on that date, future Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan created the iconic picture of him p...
www.mlb.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:03 AM
Curt Schilling bloody sock day. Randy Johnson exploding bird day. Just go all-in with this. www.mlb.com/news/rangers...
1996! Must've been toward the end of its run.
February 10, 2026 at 9:58 PM
1996! Must've been toward the end of its run.
"The books section of a newspaper ... does not cater to aficionados; it seeks new recruits." www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
The End of Books Coverage at the Washington Post
Becca Rothfeld, a former critic at the Washington Post, on the death of the paper’s books section.
www.newyorker.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:31 PM
"The books section of a newspaper ... does not cater to aficionados; it seeks new recruits." www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
If Siskel was this unbuttoned like this with Ebert I might've liked him more.
February 10, 2026 at 5:51 AM
If Siskel was this unbuttoned like this with Ebert I might've liked him more.
Scenes from the Gene Siskel-Walter Jacobson newsroom war: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmgw...
Siskel & Ebert (1978) - Gene keeps giving the news anchor sh*t on Channel 2 News
YouTube video by The Misadventures of Siskel & Ebert
www.youtube.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Scenes from the Gene Siskel-Walter Jacobson newsroom war: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmgw...
Reposted by Mark Athitakis
Stunning stat from Mark: There’s now only 1 professional media outlet covering the Nats day to day: MLB.com, the league-owned outlet.
Support Mark’s newsletter if you can.
Support Mark’s newsletter if you can.
Pitchers and catchers report for spring training tomorrow. And so do I.
Welcome to Nats Journal. Hope you'll join me on this new endeavor, and hope you'll help spread the word!
natsjournal.com/p/welcome-to...
Welcome to Nats Journal. Hope you'll join me on this new endeavor, and hope you'll help spread the word!
natsjournal.com/p/welcome-to...
Welcome to Nats Journal
Your new home for Washington Nationals news, analysis, podcasts and community
natsjournal.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:20 AM
Stunning stat from Mark: There’s now only 1 professional media outlet covering the Nats day to day: MLB.com, the league-owned outlet.
Support Mark’s newsletter if you can.
Support Mark’s newsletter if you can.
Post a banger not in English
(I first heard Tuvan throat singing in the late 90s when I worked on a story about Paul Pena, who wrote "Jet Airliner" before discovering the form. Tuva was hot for a minute. Ondar performed on Letterman!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGAr...
(I first heard Tuvan throat singing in the late 90s when I worked on a story about Paul Pena, who wrote "Jet Airliner" before discovering the form. Tuva was hot for a minute. Ondar performed on Letterman!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGAr...
February 9, 2026 at 7:58 PM
Post a banger not in English
(I first heard Tuvan throat singing in the late 90s when I worked on a story about Paul Pena, who wrote "Jet Airliner" before discovering the form. Tuva was hot for a minute. Ondar performed on Letterman!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGAr...
(I first heard Tuvan throat singing in the late 90s when I worked on a story about Paul Pena, who wrote "Jet Airliner" before discovering the form. Tuva was hot for a minute. Ondar performed on Letterman!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGAr...
My kid works sharpeners pretty hard, and X-Actos are durable: www.xacto.com/SAP_1606X.html
X-ACTO® Pencil Sharpener, Mighty Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener, Auto-Adjust Dial, SafeStart Motor, SmartStop, Black, 1 Count
As the fastest electric pencil sharpener from X-ACTO, the X-ACTO Mighty Pro sharpens woodcase pencils to a precise tip in no time. With the SmartStop feature, the break-resistant pencil sharpener prev...
www.xacto.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:04 PM
My kid works sharpeners pretty hard, and X-Actos are durable: www.xacto.com/SAP_1606X.html
Anyway, baseball.
February 9, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Anyway, baseball.
Forever grateful that Arizona took a good look at her twice and said, "Hell no."
This woman is in charge of the US Agency for Global Media, which is supposed to serve and represent the best American values
February 9, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Forever grateful that Arizona took a good look at her twice and said, "Hell no."
Embarrassing. I forget Kid Rock lyrics without having to do a damn thing.
Kid Rock appears to forget the lyrics to his song while lip syncing at the Turning Point USA halftime show.
February 9, 2026 at 3:19 AM
Embarrassing. I forget Kid Rock lyrics without having to do a damn thing.
Solid trolling over at MAGA Facebook.
February 9, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Solid trolling over at MAGA Facebook.