The Cat Dish

Apparently, we shouldn’t be stressed

by Catherine Toth on April 30, 2013 in Adventures

Forget your morning commute or the fact that we pay the highest taxes in the country.

Hawaii has the happiest, least stressed residents in the nation, according to new results from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index released last week.

Only 32.1 percent of Hawaii residents who responded to the survey said they experienced “a lot” of stress. Louisiana was second, with Mississippi third.

West Virginia has the most stressed residents, with nearly half of respondents from that state saying they feel a lot of stress. It’s also the unhappiest and fattest state of 2012. Rhode Island and Kentucky round the Top 3.

I wonder who Gallup surveyed.

Because everyone I know who lives here — who have jobs and families and aren’t independently wealthy — seem stressed. We suffer long, arduous commutes; we deal with a high cost of living that doesn’t match our salaries; we work two or more jobs just to make ends meet.

Who are these least stressed Hawaii residents — and what job do they have? Because I’m interested.

Part of the survey, though, looked at what people did in their spare time. Those living in the least stressed states, for example, spent more time doing things they enjoyed. I’m sure weather has a lot do to with that, too. You can do more here — like surf and golf — all year long, thanks to our idyllic weather.

Still. Least stressed? Maybe Gallup accidentally interviewed vacationers.

What do you think about the poll? You feel like it’s right, that we’re the least stressed residents of any state? Or do you think Gallup got it wrong?

Comments { 7 }

Did they really name their baby Chlamydia?

by Catherine Toth on April 29, 2013 in Musings, The Daily Dish

My girlfriend works in a pediatric unit and sees a lot of strange baby names.

Like Green Tina, for starters. And even a pair of twins named Lemonjello and Orangejello.

But the strangest — by far — was a couple who wanted to name their newborn daughter Chlamydia.

Yes, as in the STD.

I thought I had heard it all.

Growing up in Hawaii, most of my friends — aside from those with ethnic names — had your basic names: Lisa, Brandon, Stacy, Stephen, Jason, Michael, Jennifer, James, Christine. Sure, we did have our interesting monikers — Kojak, Westin, Carmen, Rona — and even some uber-unique names like Ramrod and Avalanche.

But I think this trend has become more and more commonplace thanks to celebrities who name their kids stuff like Apple, Fox, Peaches, Moon Unit, Tallulah, Scout, Satchel, Denim, Ocean, Sparrow, Cash and Seven. (Evangeline Lilly of “Lost” fame named her son Kahekili, which means “thunder” in Hawaiian but mostly reminds us of the highway with the same name.)

Now everyone, it seems, wants to name her child something meaningful, something that will stand out, something that (hopefully) her kindergarten teacher can pronounce.

The Baby Center compiled a list of the most unusual baby names of 2012 — each of these names were given to at least two children. So it’s not just a fluke.

Here are some notables:

GIRLS
• California
• Couture
• Excel
• Fedora
• Inny
• J’Adore
• Juju
• Mclean
• Sanity
• Sesame
• Shoog
• Thinn
• Yoga
• Zealand

BOYS
• Alpha
• Ball
• Burger
• Casanova
• Cello
• Drifter
• Elite
• Espn
• Exodus
• Four
• Goodluck
• Google
• Hippo
• Hurricane
• Jedi
• Legacy
• Mango
• Neon
• Savior
• Tron
• Turbo
• Vice

I don’t think I would name my dogs most of these.

I’ve thought about what I would want to name my future kids and I can see the allure of coming up with something original. But to name your kids after fruits, household appliances and TV stations is a bit, well, cruel.

It certainly makes my name seem so old-fashioned and boring.

Anyone got a good “unusual name” story to share? Or got a reason why people are obsessed with original names? Thoughts?

Comments { 23 }

Today’s Happy Shot

by Catherine Toth on April 27, 2013 in Happy Shots

These little bites from Eggs ‘N Things was my favorite dish served tonight at the 11th annual Waikiki Spam Jam.

And it was simple enough, too.

The pieces of Spam were dipped in pancake batter and deep-fried. Serve with maple syrup and I’m done.

Good job, Eggs!

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Oh, Spam, how I love thee

by Catherine Toth on April 26, 2013 in Food

What is it about Spam that we love so much?

Is it the mysterious parts of a pig that make up the pink block of canned meat? Is it that you can keep it in an underground bunker for years in case of a zombie apocalypse? Or is it because, well, it just tastes so good?

Hard to say, but for whatever reason, Spam — and its line of products — is hugely popular in Hawaii. We put in our fried rice, we make musubis out of it, we slice it thin and put it in our saimin.

And, for the past decade, we’ve been celebrating it at the annual Waikiki Spam Jam held this Saturday on Kalakaua Avenue.

Like many folks who grew up in the Islands, I’ve eaten Spam my entire life. My mom loves to fry it up — crispy is best — and eat it with hot rice. And I’ve been known to eat a Spam musubi every day for months. (It’s true.)

Spam has a long history in the Islands. The luncheon meat was served to GIs during World War II, and it quickly became part of the local culinary culture here. More Spam is consumed per person in Hawaii than in any other state. Almost 7 million cans of Spam are eaten every year. And I know my family has helped with that number.

The Spam Jam — one of my favorite food festivals, by the way — offers various preparations of our beloved canned meat, from Spam loco mocos to Spam nachos. And maybe this year there will be chocolate-covered Spam, too.

So I’m curious about your Spam addiction — or lack thereof. How do you take your Spam? Or are you one of those rare breeds in Hawaii who doesn’t eat it?

11th annual Waikiki Spam Jam, 4-10 p.m. April 27, Kalakaua Avenue. Admission is free. Visit www.spamjamhawaii.com.

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What does it mean to be ‘nice’?

by Catherine Toth on April 24, 2013 in Musings, The Daily Dish

I hear people say this all the time:

“Oh, she’s such a nice person.”

Or, my favorite:

“He’s really a nice guy once you get to know him.”

I just don’t understand what it means to be “nice.”

So I looked it up.

According to Merriam-Webster online, “nice” means a lot of things. And the one we’re most familiar with — ”pleasing, agreeable” — is actually the fifth definition. (The first is “wanton, dissolute” and “coy, reticent.”)

Interesting, considering.

“Nice” can also mean “appropriate, fitting” and “socially acceptable” and “virtuous, respectable,” too.

When you look at the spectrum of meanings, I think we all tend to throw around the word “nice” a little too carelessly.

I say this because I hear people call other people “nice” when they’re just shy or quiet or smiley. I’ve always felt “nice” was something deeper — more along the lines of virtuous and respectable, I supposed.

And maybe that’s OK to call someone you don’t know “nice” if you mean they’re “agreeable” or “socially acceptable.” But we put a lot of weight into whether a person is nice to not. We date “nice” people. We hire “nice” people. We set up our friends with “nice” people. We rent parts of our homes to “nice” people. We entrust our children’s (and dogs’) safety with “nice” people.

When maybe we should look a little deeper.

I don’t know why I started thinking about this, except I’ve heard people toss around this descriptor so often it’s a little annoying. I mean, if all you can say about someone is that he’s “nice,” either you don’t know the person that well or you don’t know what the word really means.

Anyone got a thought on this?

Oh, and have a socially acceptable day! (smile)

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