There are a lot of similarities between this place where I've settled, here on the rim of the North Sea, and the place where I grew up, in the American Midwest. The two regions have a similar geography, similar climate, and similar levels of development. Yet after spending several years in both places, it seems to me that the connection goes even deeper than that.

When our family was recently traveling through the northern part of France, I was freshly struck by the parallels between these two disparate parts of the world. There we were in France -- distinctly French and foreign in its language, cuisine, culture, and architecture -- yet somehow, it was strangely familiar. The air was cool, with rapidly shifting cloud cover. The landscape was green with gently rolling hills, cattle grazing in wide pastures. The people were modest and unimposing (very different from the flashy, fancy, "Frenchy" stereotype I so quickly conjure up when I think of French people). The familiarity of northern France was striking. As I was driving along between Honfleur and Trouville, the association suddenly clicked for me: It was like driving through rural Wisconsin! That's exactly what it felt like for me. Coincidentally, I was listening to a recorded broadcast of the Prairie Home Companion, where Garrison Keillor was reporting the "News from Lake Wobegon." It just so happened that "this week's news" was about how one of the women from this small Minnesota town had decided to organize a group trip to Norway -- and then only later had second thoughts, wondering:

"Why in the world? Why did I ever suggest Norway? I mean, all you find there are people who are a lot like people here -- except even more so... Why go to a country where I'm just going to see a lot of large, white, phlegmatic people eating herring?"

Of course, Keillor's intent is comedic -- so he's exaggerating for the sake of effect. But actually only a little bit. That "phlegmatic" label, while aesthetically unpleasant, really does fit beautifully with both Europeans from the North Sea Rim and Americans from the Midwest: "Guardians who pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working" (definition from PTypes.com). When you really stop to think about it, the motivations and attributes of people from these two far-flung parts of the world are remarkably congruous. They think alike and act alike. Emotional sobriety and down-to-earthness are highly prized. There's not a lot of glitz and glamor -- no glory-hounds. They're just hard-working, humble people who work well in teams.

Naturally, there is a wide variety of individuals, as well as a wide variety of people groups throughout both the North Sea region and the Midwest region. Even so, the generalizations generally seem to hold water.

Much of the general similiarities between the North Sea Rim and the American Midwest may have to do with migration patterns: Swedes and Norwegians in Minnesota and the Dakotas, Dutch people in Michigan, Germans in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, English and Scottish people throughout the region. This doubtless accounts for the similarities in surnames and physical attributes. But history has also bonded these two regions in distinct ways: roots in agriculture, yet relatively high population densities which carved the way for industrialization and prosperity through the last couple of centuries. Now, both regions are grappling with post-industrialization and shifting migration patterns (this time, with winds blowing up from the Middle East and Mexico). The social conscious of these reasons is being pricked in new ways -- multi-culturalism, environmentalism, social activism -- and not surprisingly, the people from these two regions are showing themselves to be clear-headed, capable, equitable (and often even exceptionally generous) players in promoting a better world for everybody.

I don't know. I'm not a professional anthropologist, by any stretch of the imagination; still, I find it gratifying to discover, and explore, and live in this resonance between my two "home" regions. I'm proud of being both a Midwesterner and a part of the North Sea Rim. These are "my people," and I revel in the connection. But for the most part, I'm going to keep my pride and revelry quiet, subtle, inward... because, well, that's why my people do.

One of those things about the Internet -- as lovely and as useful as it has become for day-to-day life -- is that all that electronic information and ease of publishing makes it nearly impossible to keep down embarrassing secrets from the past... like my brief stint in the 1990s with a show choir named the Keynotes. Apparently, some Hollywood reporter dug up some photographs and newspaper articles from back in the day and started trolling around on the internet to research and update the story of the Keynotes. Consequently, just today I've been informed that Entertainment Weekly is going to be publishing a piece about the history of show choirs in the state of Ohio -- presumably cashing in on the popularity of the current television series, "Glee" (the story of a high school show choir in Lima, Ohio) -- and this particular piece is going to include a side-bar story about the Mansfield Keynotes and (you guessed it) its lead singer, yours truly...

April 20th will be the date of publication, from what I understand, when the story should be getting posted on EW's on-line edition. The timing, of course, is coordinated to highlight the end of Glee's second season and the beginning of the Midwest Regional Show Choir Competition, which happens every year in early May. As outlandish as the TV show can be, it's actually based on reality. Part of me is flattered by this attention to my "fifteen minutes of fame" back in the 1990s -- but honestly, most of me is embarrassed. It feels a bit like being forced to walk through Amsterdam's Centraal Station, wearing nothing but a sequined Speedo swimsuit over my midsection and a coordinated bowtie around my neck. So why am I scooping the story here on my own website? Well, the way I figure it, it's better to be open about it and laugh about it -- rather than trying to hide it -- since these things always find a way to worm themselves to the surface, one way or another. And if I can start by setting the record straight here on my own website, it can help to prevent misinformation and magnification of the embarrassing elements of my background in music and performance. Yes, I was in a number of different youth choirs -- including the Keynotes -- growing up. Yes, we did choreography and "golden oldies" from the previous generation's pop culture ouevre (like Glee's New Directions sings soft rock from the 1980s and 1990s, part of our schtick was that we dressed up in 1950s regalia and sang doo-wop tunes to adoring audiences across the Midwest). But that's seriously about the extent of it.

"Frog in a Kettle," for instance, was not the dark and twisted chapter of "my musical career" that so many make it out to be. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this upcoming story is going to rehash a bunch of the old press garbage which said I was merely an opportunist -- riding the wave of the Keynotes so that I could get my own role in a Broadway musical (short as its run may have been), even though the Keynotes kind of fell apart after that experience. This is perhaps a story for another time, but I'll just start by saying that the producers of "Frog in a Kettle" sought me out, not the other way around -- and I even did my best to lobby for the inclusion of other members of the Keynotes. But anyway, that's neither here nor there... I loved my years with the Keynotes, and I'm also proud that I had the opportunity to star on Broadway for a brief season of my life. But I'm also happy to leave those experiences in the past and not get caught up in reunion tours or anything silly like that. It's not a lack of willingness to associate with the other guys from the Keynotes. It's just moving on.

Up until now, I've kept quiet about this chapter of my life because of the hurt feelings, the conspiracy theories, and -- honestly more than anything -- the general social stigma against show choirs and glee clubs (though I've been happy to see public perceptions changing, through recent phenomena of pop culture like Glee and Clash of the Choirs). I confess that I've tried to keep this dustbunny of a history swept under the rug. But if it's going to come out now, I might as well own it, right?

Your laughter and disbelief are to be expected. I deserve it, even, so bring it on. I've probably had it coming, ever since I blew the cover on my friend Todd's experience as a classically-trained tap-dancer. And I've grown up enough through the years that I can now laugh at myself, as is necessary for getting through embarrassments from the past like this.

But don't forget that you've probably got embarrassing secrets from your past, too. As the news of this stuff from the past starts leaking out, feel free to laugh and smile and even rib me about it a little bit. But be nice, please. And if any of my old friends or family members have any video footage from those early Keynotes performances, please be so kind as to burn them and not allow their transmission into the world of YouTube! :-)

I got this from 22 Words, who got it from The Economist.  It's a map of the United States, labeling each state with a country that has an economy of a similar size.  Such an approach to economics, of course, never provides the complete pictures; still, it's a pretty cool representation of world economics -- and particularly the role that the United States plays in the world economy.  My home state of Ohio, for instance, has an economy roughly the same as Belgium.  My other home, the Netherlands, would be most accurately compared with the state of Florida.

Crazy, huh?

Bowling Green State University, my alma mater, is a respectable school.  It's not flashy or elite.  It's not one of those ancient, ivy-encrusted academic institutions, nor is it one of those brand-spanking-new, state-of-the-art concept schools (though BGSU has been around for more than a century, and I'm continually impressed with the ways that the school is constantly renewing itself and renovating its campus).  The truth is that it's a modest, middle-of-the-road, Midwestern university.

When I went there as a student, Bowling Green did have one of the top Communications programs in the United States -- but seriously, I went there (and I'd guess that most people end up going there) because it's a nice school, in a nice little town, with a bunch of nice people living there.  The strength of BG is its normality.  It's just a bunch of even-tempered, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth, middle-class people living, studying, and having fun together on the plains of Northwest Ohio.  I wouldn't trade my Bowling Green years for anything, but it's not the kind of place that inspires the rabid fanaticism or stodgy arrogance that you might find among other schools' alumni.  Quiet, humble loyalty is more like it.  We Falcons fly silently, at a range of different altitudes.

Still, we can't put that kind of thing in our public relations materials.  That's just not the way that academic marketing in the United States is done.  It's much more about "Thinking BiG," or "Being Great," and celebrating the ways that BGSU is cutting edge, trend-setting, and pride-worthy.  Worth spending the thousands of dollars that are necessary to receive an education from there.  I get that.  It makes sense to me.  It's natural to see university publications singing the praises of alumni who have gone on to become CEOs, public officials, and top scholars in their fields.  And rightfully so, since there are a lot of BGSU graduates who have gone on to do great and glorious things.

But browsing through a recent BGSU publication's listing of notable alumni, I thought it was amusing to note my own personal reaction to the listing of Bowling Green State University's Centennial Alumni Awards (basically a listing of 100 of the Most Prominent Alumni).  Out of all the people who have gone on to do all those great and glorious things around the world, the listing which surprised and delighted me the most was "James Pickens Jr. (Class of 1976, actor, currently in the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy)."

That's right -- as much as I'm embarrassed to admit it (because of what it might say about me, as well as my alma mater) -- the BGSU graduate who really stood out to me is the Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital:  a fictional role a fictional hospital.  And even at that, he's maybe a third- or fourth-level star on the TV series!  We don't lay claim to world-famous medical professionals or "A-list" Hollywood celebrities... But we can be proud of our graduate who has played the part of world-famous medical professionals on television, and who serves a subtle-but-steady role in this dramatic series.  It's kind of underwhelming, I supposed.  Still, a BGSU graduate is the one who is Dr. Richard Webber -- wizened, no-nonsense, serious-yet-fun, loveable-but-not-sexy father figure on the show... which actually seems to match perfectly with the stereotype from Bowling Green State University.  Grounded and responsible, yet we don't take ourselves too seriously.

I just think it's interesting to notice the way that BGSU presents itself to -- and catches the eye of -- the outside world.  It makes me wonder:  How do I do this sort of thing in my own life?  What are the parts of myself that I emphasize to others, or that others most naturally find remarkable about me?  Or on a broader level, who are the people that I tend to put forward as an example of someone from my family?  From my church?  From Ohio or Amsterdam?  And what do these points of emphasis reveal about the character of their constituency?  I'm proud to be a Falcon, but it's interesting to consider why...

My absentee ballot for the 2010 Ohio elections has been sitting on my desk for over a week now.  It stares at me with its stars and stripes, with its empty look -- but I can only stare back.  I'm honestly at an impasse about how to get any further in filling it out and sending it back in.

Does anybody know of a good source of objective, adequate-but-not-overwhelming (on-line) source of information for guiding Ohio voters for the coming elections?

What I really wish for is some kind of multiple-choice "test" to determine my personal preferences -- ideally with the possibility to weight some issues more heavily than others -- but I haven't been able to find anything remotely along these lines for this year's state elections.  In the Netherlands, they have a site called the StemWijzer (VotePointer).  Even for the last American Presidential elections, they had some sites that offered similar advice.  But this time around, I'm feeling frustrated by the apparent paucity of information along these lines...

My political views have become too complicated (for better, for worse) to go strictly by party lines.  And yet, I don't feel like I want to spend more than an hour or two researching the possibilities -- and even that hour or two gets maddening when it's purely based on wading through propaganda from the directly involved parties.  So I'm hoping that somehow, someone out there might have some information that could help me... Please?