The Dioskouroi Moves to Greener, Bloggerier Pastures

It’s not you, dear reader. It’s me.

WordPress.com—with its assorted hiccups and general lack of cohesion—trampled on my last nerve this weekend. So in a fit of impetuousness, The Dioskouroi packed its things and moved to thedioskouroi.blogspot.com.

It’s a selfish act . . . and I’m sorry. But I’ve endured enough failed relationships to know that it’s best to hit the kill switch early when things aren’t working out. Otherwise, the angst will just build until one day you find yourself onstage, in a tank top and bad hair, numbering all the reasons for your unhappiness.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you on Blogger!

Breaking News: Campaign Ads Should Be Met With Skepticism, Group Says

. . . and in campaign news, the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee today released a statement advising viewers to be “highly skeptical”  of recent television ads.

No, seriously. The incessant primetime mudslinging on behalf of two grown adults—one of which will actually be allowed to help interpret Wisconsin law—should be met with a highly skeptical eye, the group warns.

I guess that means when Randy Koschnick says Shirley Abrahamson “pockets contributions from trial lawyers,” I should be highly skeptical. I guess that also means when the Greater Wisconsin Committee says Randy Koschnick “sides with big corporate interests,” I should be equally skeptical.

Phew! I was worried that paradox might tear a hole in the universe, or something.

You see, I’ve spent the last eight years in a state where judges don’t pawn every shred of decency for a 30-second assault on my intelligence. As such, the recent round of campaign ads—in April, no less—has been more than a little disturbing.

So thanks, Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee. Instead of leveraging your organization’s influence to promote meaningful campaign reform that could restore my confidence in the state’s judiciary, you have simply chosen to tell me that the entire process is one big steaming pile of crap.

Don’t forget to vote on April 7!

Pride and Prejudice, now with hot zombie action!

After seeing the closing performance of Pride and Prejudice at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater on Sunday, I felt a bit empty.

It was brilliant performance, to be sure—perhaps one of the theater’s best. No, it wasn’t The Rep’s fault. Rather, it was Jane Austen who was lacking. Her work is just so, I don’t know how to put it… Vacant? Trifling?

Then I stumbled across this book today, and all of life became clear—zombies!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance — Now With Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

Everything is better with zombies. Everything. Jane Austen especially.

I don’t know how the Janeites are taking it, but I will be anxiously awaiting this book’s April 8 release. And although it’s too late for The Rep’s Pride, maybe Artistic Director Joseph Hanreddy would be willing to throw a few zombies into Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard.

Russian revolutionaries + zombies = insta-classic!

OK, maybe not. Still, an excerpt of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies along with an interview of author Seth Grahame-Smith is available at National Public Radio.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.

NPR Explores German Immigration in Wisconsin

The latest installment of National Public Radio’s immigration series comes to Hustisford (yes, Hustisford), where reporter Jennifer Ludden tells us how the German immigrants there were reluctant to give up their native language.

It’s an excellent listen, and the story gives us some needed perspective on the current wave of Spanish-speaking immigrants in Milwaukee. I don’t want to preach, but assimilation takes time. Some families in Hustisford spent decades—generations even—speaking German. And now, people complain that newly arrived immigrants aren’t converting to English fast enough, so they must not have any desire to become American. This is patently false—learning a new language does not correlate with a family’s desire to lead a safer and more fulfilling life. It never has.

You can find NPR’s piece here. You can also listen to the broadcast and view a photo gallery of Hustisford.

Bethany Lutheran Church in Hustisford was once a hub for German cultural activities. (Photo: National Public Radio)

Obama’s Latin Appeal

While watching Premio lo Nuestro on Thursday (a kind of viewer’s choice awards for Latin music), I was rather surprised to see our very own President Barack Obama deliver an introductory speech for the awards program. It was videotaped and he spook mainly in English, but the president got a rousing cheer from the crowd of entertainers afterward.

It’s just another example of how President Obama gets it—he understands the importance of simply acknowlegding events that are important to other cultures. The speech only lasted a minute (quite possible the shortest Obama speech to date), but the message will have a lasting impression on people who have felt isolated or marginalized by the United States. The PR doesn’t hurt either—the awards program was held in Miami and broadcast throughout Latin America, netting 13 million viewers.

And to think, just a few months ago people were throwing shoes at that other guy.