Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School

Warren Zevon’s album Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School will be 40 years old in a month. I was listening to it this afternoon. Here are some of my favorite songs on the album.

MTV: Music Television Presents Warren Zevon

Climate update

It’s an emergency, not a hoax. Four years of Trump will do irreparable damage to the planet. Sad!

2019 was the 2nd hottest year ever measured. Which makes the last 5 years the 5 hottest years ever measured. https://t.co/nZKkdAKfad
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) January 15, 2020

The median American is about 38 years old. She has seen:
– 13 years that were, at the time, the hottest year on record.
– 27 years that were then among the 5 hottest on record.
– 35 years that were then among the 10 hottest on record.

I wrote about it: https://t.co/ehJcROfQNF
— Robinson Meyer (@yayitsrob) January 15, 2020

The world's oceans are now heating at the same rate as if five Hiroshima atomic bombs were dropped into the water every second, scientists have said https://t.co/y7kJ3olP6s
— CNN (@CNN) January 13, 2020

"If you look at the ocean heat content, 2019 is by far the hottest, 2018 is second, 2017 is third, 2015 is fourth, and then 2016 is fifth." https://t.co/hkYVSfAgrN
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) January 14, 2020

As climate change alters the planet in ways that are both obvious and arcane, this new generation of remote-sensing satellites is compiling a granular record of what is happening in the world’s most distant and difficult-to-reach latitudes. https://t.co/wY1SGR9K9K
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) January 12, 2020

Wisconsin voter suppression update 1/15/20

A Wisconsin appeals court has put on hold an order to immediately remove up to 209,000 names from the state's voter registration rolls, handing Democrats who had fought the move a victory. https://t.co/ptMnJVePHz
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 14, 2020

The victory was for fairness, not voter suppression

More than 200,000 voters who were set to be purged from Wisconsin's rolls will instead remain for the time being after the Wisconsin Court of Appeals issued a hold on a previous order that said the voters were invalid because they may have moved recently https://t.co/b2xElv9tpW
— CNN (@CNN) January 14, 2020

Good news for voting rights: Wisconsin voter purge is now on hold while state appeals court reviews case https://t.co/25l98O0F9J
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 14, 2020

This is crazy

Right-wing group convinced GOP-appointed judge to purge 234,000 Wisconsin voters from rolls before 2020 election

When 3 Dem members of Wisconsin Election Commission refused to remove voters while case was appealed same GOP judge held them in contempt of court https://t.co/bCEFFr8Bkf
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 13, 2020

Trump won Wisconsin by 22,000 votes. Now state set to purge 234,000 voters

Stacey Abrams missed runoff in Georgia by 21,000 votes. GA purged 309,000 voters last night

GOP voter suppression could once again tip key states https://t.co/Q3pQI2VzCK
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) December 17, 2019

Foxconn scam update

Foxconn reportedly denied tax subsidies for Wisconsin plant https://t.co/RskWQaL3gs
— CNET (@CNET) October 13, 2020

It is absolutely necessary that we keep reminding people who are convinced otherwise that Trump does not care about them. The proof is in the economy, his trade wars, and more. #DemDebate

Ask the folks in Wisconsin. https://t.co/u0xFvYUFra
— brittany packnett cunningham (@MsPackyetti) January 15, 2020

So far, Scott Walker's Foxconn deal looks like one of the biggest bunco schemes ever foisted on a single state. https://t.co/FGSt3o0dGX
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) January 14, 2020

I feel like it’s not getting enough attention that Scott Walker and Donald Trump kicked dozens of families out of their homes and gave away millions in taxpayer dollars for an LCD factory that is never coming to Wisconsin https://t.co/xxOeIDTspL
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 31, 2019

There's a Trump pattern here. The President promised to bring manufacturing jobs back. But all that glitter isn't gold. GM, Harley-Davidson, and Carrier announced layoffs in the past year. And this was after his big tax cut. Now, there's this. https://t.co/cgxx5BbN4B
— Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) January 31, 2019

‘Parasite’ is bringing well-deserved attention to Korean films

I haven’t seen Parasite yet but I have seen and admire most of Bong Joon-Ho’s other films. Its success is bringing attention to other Korean films. I have seen others and will post comments on them later. Well Go USA is a company that releases a lot of Korean films in the US.

Update – Parasite is great and deserved the Academy Award. It’s on Blu-ray and DVD from Criterion. Universal has A 4k/Blu-ray set.

Films that were not release in the US are frequently available on eBay. I use film festival lists and sites like Eastern Kicks and Modern Korean Cinema to learn about the films.

It's wonderful to see the Academy finally recognize Korean films, but let's not forget that Korea has been responsible for an ocean of quality cinema. Besides PARASITE, here are 49 other films from the last 10 years alone that are well worth your time. https://t.co/i1bSVFIOxJ
— Pierce Conran (@pierceconran) January 13, 2020

once again: here's my profile of bong joon ho from october including making parasite, his fight with harvey weinstein, calling the oscars local, and all the other stuff ppl have been screenshotting without linking 🙂 https://t.co/qxjDfRjrLY
— E. Alex Jung (probably) (@e_alexjung) January 14, 2020

Hand-picked by Bong Joon Ho, IO ISLAND is a bizarre murder mystery from one of Korean cinema’s unquestionable masters, Kim Ki-young (THE HOUSEMAID). Plays on Jan. 10 & 11 during The Bong Show: https://t.co/5Ksbe34E8G pic.twitter.com/TsVQiVOISE
— Film at Lincoln Center (@FilmLinc) January 4, 2020

ICYMI, here are my Top 10 Korean Films of 2019. What were your favs? https://t.co/Mhj3s7hm6z
For those interested, my Top 50 Korean films of the decade list should be ready in a few days.
— Pierce Conran (@pierceconran) December 29, 2019

A richly varied showcase of Korean films made between 1996 and 2003 opens in New York. https://t.co/VRJyhAL1NN
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) November 25, 2019

This is a great list of Korean films – more in the next tweet

Relentless Invention: New Korean Cinema, our series celebrating a vital movement that’s as audaciously innovative as it is unabashedly entertaining, begins in one week!

See more & save with a 3+ film package or All-Access Pass: https://t.co/qNKjcLz2LI 🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/iOGckdKx9Z
— Film at Lincoln Center (@FilmLinc) November 15, 2019

Korean Film series in Baltimore last year

“Laughter makes such disparity easier to bear.” A look into PARASITE and its dark comedy predecessors in our South Korean cinema series at @Forbes: https://t.co/9gYX4CuTei pic.twitter.com/kMyI7RqRRf
— Film at Lincoln Center (@FilmLinc) November 28, 2019

Korean Film list from BFI

Bong Joon Ho on #Oscars: “Korean cinema has a long history. There are many masters that have yet to be introduced to the Western audience. It would be great if people take more interest in Korean cinema due to my nomination" https://t.co/lEdgbCsj1I
— Variety (@Variety) November 19, 2019

Korean film list from the Houston Chronicle

"The most beautiful ending to a feature film career in the history of cinema." Bong Joon-ho on FANNY AND ALEXANDER 💙 https://t.co/zx5nu3i57N
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) January 8, 2020

PARASITE was released 5 years ago this week. Among the most popular works of South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, and the first foreign film to win Best Picture at the Oscars, the making of story will have you think something is lurking in your basement…

1/40 pic.twitter.com/II7EQEaLf5
— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) May 31, 2024

Trump continues to use music that artists don’t want him to

Mike Mills, a founding member of R.E.M., said the band is exploring legal solutions to prevent President Trump from using their music at his rallies: "Please know that we do not condone the use of our music by this fraud and con man” https://t.co/DoNwBRNuUA
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 15, 2020

This is not a new issue.

I’ve covered it here and here.

Trump’s disgusting retweet of a fake photo

Trump is disgusting. Republicans will just go along with this terrible behavior.

How is it okay for @POTUS to engage in name calling and tweeting fake images against the third highest ranking person in our government? I know, he does it to world leaders and 16-year-old Nobel winners. It is NOT okay and NOT normal. We have to demand he puts a stop to it!
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 13, 2020

This retweet by the president will get not even 1% of the coverage that the Omar or Tlaib tweets that were accused of being antisemitic got. Which is yet another reminder that barely anyone in US politics or the media really gives a damn about anti Muslim bigotry or Islamophobia. https://t.co/LWNBkDKQJi
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) January 13, 2020

Donald Trump has retweeted an image of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in Islamic garb in front of an Iranian flag https://t.co/jVOaGPco6m
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 13, 2020

Trump amplifies incendiary tweets about Nancy Pelosi after her comments on Iran protests https://t.co/SmxaOA79Ef
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 13, 2020

Trump’s lie on Obamacare

Trump keeps saying he is defending health care coverage of pre-existing conditions. That’s a lie. Republicans are suing to get rid of the entire Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Trump tells endless lies. Sad!

This is brazen lying. Democrats *got* the protections for people with pre-existing conditions, in Obamacare. Trump has tried to get bills passed that would weaken the protections, is supporting a lawsuit to overturn the whole law, has presented no plan for if the suit succeeds. pic.twitter.com/fVtHUsHJv7
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 13, 2020

This is a bald-faced lie.

Having changed its position, the Justice Department is now actively asking the federal courts to throw out the entire ACA—including, more than a little cynically, the (entirely constitutional) requirement that insurers cover pre-existing conditions. https://t.co/VvI6M6RuMQ
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 13, 2020

False on just about every level. And his people wonder why his claims in Iran intel are met with skepticism? https://t.co/sqmcH7AJxJ
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 13, 2020

Of all of Trump’s lies, his claim that Dems are trying to take away coverage for those with preexisting conditions is the most brazen. Whatever your view of policy, this is just trying to blunt a political weak point by pinning it on the other side. No one on his side flinches. https://t.co/NTXkLP1w6W
— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) January 13, 2020

Gutless Republicans just let him lie. They’ll lie about it in Congressional elections.

AP FACT CHECK via @hopeyen1 : No, Trump didn't save preexisting conditions https://t.co/q1TBbzBmSC
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 13, 2020

An obscene, Orwellian lie, and Dems need to actually make a stink about it rather than just count on fact checkers to do it for them. Otherwise, every other Republican will parrot the lie and the acquiescent media will report that views on who saved pre-ex protections differ. https://t.co/YMqlkpcoD0
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) January 13, 2020

Stop putting liars on TV

Trump supporters have to lie in order to defend Trump’s lies. The media should not put liars on TV to spread garbage. I am all for a balanced approach as long as both sides tell the truth. Trump wins when the media reports his endless lies.

This was my message to the media going into 2020. Your responsibility is to the truth, not to "giving both sides" when one side is lies. And you cannot expose lies without spreading them. So repeat the facts. https://t.co/4EavbYO1AI
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2019

If cable TV news got serious about patrolling the truth, it could screen guests and panelists. Did Russia interfere with the election? Did Ukraine? If the answers are not yes and no, respectively, the person is not put on the air. https://t.co/hG7RFekFAA
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) December 31, 2019

Trump lies and lies and lies…

I assume what he says is a lie until I see proof that it’s true. He has no credibility and he has destroyed our country’s credibility. Sad!

Here are my picks for Donald Trump's top 12 lies of the year, one for every month.

It was hard to choose. https://t.co/5qyZL1aEc8
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 31, 2019

Now he's just flatly lying about the Iran deal. Everything traces back to these original lies. We're in this situation because of them, and his incoherence flows directly from the demented, pathologically-motivated idiocy at their core. https://t.co/HLHiiYWgru
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 8, 2020

Here's our internal chart of Trump's false claims per day from July 8, when we started counting at CNN, through December 29. He averaged nine per day over that period.

October, when he embarked on a Ukraine-related dishonesty blitz, was by far the worst month — 13 per day. pic.twitter.com/RTvS3xkBSK
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 6, 2020

this is an invented figure. https://t.co/kYwGjyNhOV https://t.co/vcufIliXRq
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 4, 2020

From dishwasher dishonesty to an imaginary war on Christmas: President Trump makes 90 false claims during the final two weeks of 2019 https://t.co/omGEEXz576 pic.twitter.com/HGki8iQKGc
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 4, 2020

Trump said last week that Michelle Obama was part of a last-minute campaign trip to Michigan in 2016. She was not.

This is the second state Trump has falsely claimed Michelle Obama campaigned in. He also likes to say she went to Georgia, along with Oprah, for Stacey Abrams.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 27, 2019

Went on with @JohnAvlon and Alisyn Camerota to run through some (some! a fraction!) of the worst and weirdest Trump lies of the year.

What would you say were the worst and weirdest? Worst defined as some combo of most important, most damaging, most inflammatory. pic.twitter.com/WjC6icxLCP
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 27, 2019