People’s names match their jobs

Ever notice how some people’s names truly match their professions? Like Bernard Madoff, who “made off ” with billions of investors’ dollars. Or the lesser known Ray Gal, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii, who studies galaxies.

It makes me wonder: What’s really in a name? Does a name foretell profession, or is it simply coincidence?

Turns out that a name suited to the profession of its owner is aptly called an “aptronym“. At least it’s a defined phenomenon. If you know of someone who’s name matches their job, please reply and tell us here. Here are a few more aptronyms that I’ve uncovered:

Robert Strange McNamara — Former secretary of defense who said the military action in Vietnam was wrong, but would never come out against Iraq. Strange, indeed.

Bill Medley — Musician in the Righteous Brothers band, who came up with folk rock medleys and songs.

Tips for moving to Hawaii

Hear Hawaii calling? Holly Ross has. She sent this reply to a recent blog post :

After a week on Oahu and discovering Haleiwa, I am irrevocably changed and having a hard time back in SF. I had never been so relaxed and at peace. Going back in January – already looking at houses and jobs.

Aloha, Hawaii!

Like Holly, I remember when I first fell in love with Hawaii almost 20 years ago. I fell hard, eventually uprooted my life and moved here, shining the Mainland grind forever. Before nearly everything was online, I had to learn about island living the hard way. Now it’s easy to pass along tips to make the transition from the Mainland easier.  Here are a few that I’ve discovered.

Consult this book, So You Want to Live in Hawaii (2nd ed) by Toli Polancy. It’s a great place to start learning about all of Hawaii’s cultural quirks. Just because it’s the 50th state doesn’t mean living here is like the Mainland. Oh yeah, that’s the point.

Also, check out Matson for shipping cars and belongings across the ocean. For moves between islands, you’ll need the help of Young Brothers shipping.

Fat and Happy Together?

A  study published recently in the journal Obesity shows that people in romantic relationships are more likely to become fat. The researchers analyzed two large sets of data to spot the correlation. They found that couples who lived together for two or more years were more likely to overeat at meal times, exercise less and plop down on the couch more than singles or people not living with a romantic partner. So is there now hard evidence to back up the cliche of being fat and happy?

Fat and happy together?

There’s certainly data showing we’re getting fatter as a state and nation. Hawaii has one of the highest rates of obesity in the US. In 2004 (the latest State data), the State Department of Health reports that 49.5% of people living in Hawaii are either overweight or obese. In case you weren’t following, that’s half the population here. Worse, obesity rates in Hawaii have been increasing over the past ten years, just like those on the Mainland. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that in 2007, 21.7% of Hawaii residents were obese (excluding those who are overweight).

There’s also data to suggest that people may be happier with their relationships. CDC divorce statistics show that the divorce rate has decreased over the past ten years, down to 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2007 from 4.0 per 1,000 people in 2000 — just as the obesity rate has increased.

In Hawaii, divorce trends are equally rosy, with the rates declining to under 3.7 per 1,000 people in 2002 (The last year reported — Hawaii and a few other states no longer report divorce data to the CDC.) However, marriage rates are also declining, making it slightly more complicated to tease out why there are now fewer divorces in the US. But recent data suggest that when couples move in and get fat, they tend to stay together — right there on the couch in front of the TV with some ice cream.