Friday Five - September 12th, 2003
Since I haven't done one in ages I present the Friday Five!!!! It's all about names!
1. Is the name you have now the same name that's on your birth certificate? If not, what's changed?
I still have the same name my parents gave me when I was born.
2. If you could change your name (first, middle and/or last), what would it be?
I would change it to Vance Romance Hammerpants. Actually I can't take the credit for that one. A friend of mine came up with that name. But it's kind of catchy.
3. Why were you named what you were? (Is there a story behind it? Who specifically was responsible for naming you?)
My first name (Troy) was choosen by my mom because at one point in her life she had a crush on Troy Donahue who was a teenage heartthrob in the 1960's. After his popularity dwindled he ended up making horrible B-movies for the rest of his career. You might also recall that he is mentioned in the song "Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee" from the movie Grease. As for my middle name (André) it is my grandfather's name and I am honoured to have it. As you'd expect my last name (D'Hondt) is just the family name. It's Belgian since my father (and grandparents) are Belgian. I've been trying to figure out what it means and as far as I can figure it might come from the dutch phrase "De Hond" which means "The Hound". That's the closest I can get to figuring it out.
4. Are there any names you really hate or love? What are they and why?
For girls I've always like Arianna. Kind of like a light breeze. Arianna :) I've never really thought about a name for boys. And names that I hate. Well I wouldn't really say that I hate names but there are many I wouldn't give to my child (like Agnes, Woody, Gaylord, Kimberly [for a male], Kelly [for a male] etc.)
5. Is the analysis of your name at kabalarians.com accurate? How or how isn't it?
My analysis says "Your name of Troy gives you a clever mind, good business judgment, a sense of responsibility, and an appreciation of the finer things of life. You are serious-minded and not inclined to make light of things even in little ways, and in your younger years you had more mature interests than others your age. Home and family mean a great deal to you and it is natural that you should desire the security of a peaceful, settled home environment where you can enjoy the companionship of family and friends. Whatever you set out to accomplish you do your very best to complete in accordance with what you consider to be right. In the home you assume your responsibilities capably, having the self-confidence to form your own opinions and make your own decisions. Others can rely on you; once you have given your word you will do your utmost to fulfil a responsibility. However, there is a tendency to be a little too independent in your thinking and it is difficult for you to accept the help of others when you should. "
Parts of this analysis are right but there are a lot of things I don't agree with. I don't have a very good business sense. I am certainly not serious-minded since I make jokes about anything and everything. I certainly did not have mature interests while I was younger (and not even now - I still watch cartoons)!!! The rest of it seems about right. Check your name and let me know how it compares.
Music and Comedy's Losses
I woke up this morning to find out that two celebrities had passes away since yesterday. Country music legend Johnny Cash succumbed to respiratory failure at the age of 71. He had been struggling with illness for the past couple of years and it finally caught up to him. In tribute grab a Johnny Cash album and take your time to listen to it. You'll be surprised at just how good he is if you've never heard him before (though I agree he is an acquired sound).
John Ritter of Three's Company fame died yesterday on the set of his new sitcom "8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter". He died of a heart attack at age 54. I don't really think of John Ritter as an amazing actor but he makes me laugh and seemed like a genuinely good person (as much as you can tell from interviews and such). He also was very young and something like this is unexpected.
