Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
@michaelgvann.bsky.social
Anti-fascist surfer, grappler, & historian. "The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt", Jacobin Southeast Asia Columnist, mumbled podcast musings as a host on New Books and guest on Long Reads, Southeast Asia Crossroads, Napalm in the Morning, Bungacast, AmPrest, DLL
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
Reading @michaelgvann.bsky.social's THE GREAT HANOI RAT HUNT 🐀 to prep for class... & damn, I'm still jealous that Dave Del Testa & Eric Jennings actually got drawn into the graphic history 😆 while I only have a place of honor in the acknowledgments. I mean that's cool, but not like being a cartoon!
October 28, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Reading @michaelgvann.bsky.social's THE GREAT HANOI RAT HUNT 🐀 to prep for class... & damn, I'm still jealous that Dave Del Testa & Eric Jennings actually got drawn into the graphic history 😆 while I only have a place of honor in the acknowledgments. I mean that's cool, but not like being a cartoon!
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
Why does everyone keep calling it “The Epstein Ballroom?” Please stop repeating “The Epstein Ballroom” because it is not called “The Epstein Ballroom!” Don’t tell the news that it’s called “The Epstein Ballroom” and please don’t repost this!!!!!
October 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Why does everyone keep calling it “The Epstein Ballroom?” Please stop repeating “The Epstein Ballroom” because it is not called “The Epstein Ballroom!” Don’t tell the news that it’s called “The Epstein Ballroom” and please don’t repost this!!!!!
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
among the issues with people not having any knowledge of hybrid regimes in the global South is the fact that everyone assumes contemporary authoritarian governance looks like 20th century totalitarianism
September 19, 2025 at 1:19 PM
among the issues with people not having any knowledge of hybrid regimes in the global South is the fact that everyone assumes contemporary authoritarian governance looks like 20th century totalitarianism
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
Silly Jimmy Kimmel. He should have just called for all homeless people to be killed and he’d still have a job.
September 18, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Silly Jimmy Kimmel. He should have just called for all homeless people to be killed and he’d still have a job.
If only someone could have seen this coming. I mean who would have thought the proliferation of gambling in college sports would lead to problems? www.sanjoseinside.com/news/san-jos...
San Jose Basketball Player, 2 Others Banned by NCAA for Gambling on Games | San Jose Inside
In late February, Steven Vasquez, who had transferred from Fresno, was removed from San Jose State’s online basketball roster.
www.sanjoseinside.com
September 12, 2025 at 2:07 PM
If only someone could have seen this coming. I mean who would have thought the proliferation of gambling in college sports would lead to problems? www.sanjoseinside.com/news/san-jos...
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
First Bernie Sanders. Then the CDC directors.
Now, more than 1,000 current and former HHS staffers are demanding he step down.
Now, more than 1,000 current and former HHS staffers are demanding he step down.
RFK Jr.’s enemies list just got a lot longer
First Bernie Sanders. Then CDC directors. Now, more than 1,000 current and former HHS staffers are demanding he step down.
www.motherjones.com
September 4, 2025 at 4:05 PM
First Bernie Sanders. Then the CDC directors.
Now, more than 1,000 current and former HHS staffers are demanding he step down.
Now, more than 1,000 current and former HHS staffers are demanding he step down.
It was crazy to write about #Indonesia as the situation kept escalating from hour to hour jacobin.com/2025/09/indo...
The Indonesian Protests Are a Revolt Against Oligarchy
The Indonesian president, Prabowo, would like to turn the clock back to the dark days of the Suharto dictatorship. But he’s been confronted with an unexpected wave of protest after the killing of a yo...
jacobin.com
September 4, 2025 at 6:26 PM
It was crazy to write about #Indonesia as the situation kept escalating from hour to hour jacobin.com/2025/09/indo...
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
"...in #Gaza, #Israel ’s assault on Gaza City has continued – pushing ever more Palestinians out & killing others who did not leave...
Across Gaza, 76 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the last 24 hours. In the south, some died as they went to collect water."
www.channel4.com/news/76-pale...
Across Gaza, 76 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the last 24 hours. In the south, some died as they went to collect water."
www.channel4.com/news/76-pale...
76 Palestinians killed across Gaza in last 24 hours – reports
Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been protesting in Tel Aviv, calling for President Trump to secure a ceasefire.
www.channel4.com
September 3, 2025 at 2:35 AM
"...in #Gaza, #Israel ’s assault on Gaza City has continued – pushing ever more Palestinians out & killing others who did not leave...
Across Gaza, 76 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the last 24 hours. In the south, some died as they went to collect water."
www.channel4.com/news/76-pale...
Across Gaza, 76 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the last 24 hours. In the south, some died as they went to collect water."
www.channel4.com/news/76-pale...
All music should be this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=08fq...
Titus Andronicus - 'A More Perfect Union'
YouTube video by XL Recordings
www.youtube.com
September 1, 2025 at 7:52 AM
All music should be this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=08fq...
Meanwhile in Jakarta…
August 30, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Meanwhile in Jakarta…
Thai woman jailed for 43 years for lese-majeste freed rfi.my/BxMJ.BS
Thai woman jailed for 43 years for lese-majeste freed
A Thai woman who received one of the kingdom's longest ever royal insult sentences was freed from prison on Wednesday under a mass pardon marking the king's birthday.
rfi.my
August 29, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Thai woman jailed for 43 years for lese-majeste freed rfi.my/BxMJ.BS
"The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil."
August 18, 2025 at 12:46 AM
"The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil."
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
Good piece! This was my brief - reconciliationtim.ca/timor/who-is...
Who is Prabowo Subianto?
Who is Prabowo Subianto? Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, known as Prabowo, was confirmed as president-elect of Indonesia on 20 March 2024. A social media sensation, Prabowo is also implicated in …
reconciliationtim.ca
August 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Good piece! This was my brief - reconciliationtim.ca/timor/who-is...
I forgot that I had a photo published in @thetimes.com two years ago. www.thetimes.com/world/asia/a...
Thailand and Cambodia kick off over rival martial arts
Global interest in the ancient martial art of Muay Thai has boomed in recent decades to the point where Thailand’s national sport is now touted as a future Olym
www.thetimes.com
August 11, 2025 at 4:33 AM
I forgot that I had a photo published in @thetimes.com two years ago. www.thetimes.com/world/asia/a...
In writer’s block hell right now.
August 11, 2025 at 3:11 AM
In writer’s block hell right now.
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
August 11, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
Completely fucking embarrassing. This chart! Having AI “add points” to your argument? Insanity to call this ok. And the rest… ☠️
The AHA's chart of (non)acceptable uses of genAI in the classroom and by scholars, and "under what conditions," is fucking ridiculous. It's a gods-be-damned tragedy.
August 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Completely fucking embarrassing. This chart! Having AI “add points” to your argument? Insanity to call this ok. And the rest… ☠️
So Big Balls is the MAGA Horst Wessel?
August 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM
So Big Balls is the MAGA Horst Wessel?
Reposted by Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist
‘1984’ is upon us
July 30, 2025 at 9:39 PM
‘1984’ is upon us