Revilo

I've always had an interesting relationship with my name. As a kid growing up in Albany New York - a place that a a pretty urban feel - my name stuck out like a sore thumb.

Max, Chad, Brad, Mike....

These were cool names. I probably would have been even worse off if I had come of age more centrally in the 80s as coolness was shifting from Charlie Sheen to Leonardo Dicaprio.

But let's face it, when your playing hoops with some kid names shaquan you don't want them shouting "Oliver pass me the rock". Too artsy and too European.

I've had a lot of people say they know or have dogs named Oliver. And have had a lot of folks give me interesting nick names that are usually derivatives of Ollie.

Ollie Ollie ovenfree, Oliver twist, Oscar (the grouch) odubya, odiznobbies, odub, olliebear, odies, Wong, O, Revilo etc.

My name actually means peace and has correlation to the meaning of my Chinese name. And I think it's fitting since thats an important value in my life.

But in the end I'm glad my name isn't brad. I like my name and all of the nick names that go along with it.