poor Cristoforo Colombo (name change self-help)
The navigator who is both honored and defiled on Columbus Day never did get to Asia. He also never got to Ellis Island, but that hasn’t stopped Americans from anglicizing his name. The famous explorer always contended — some say to cover up a mercenary past — that he was born in Italy, which would have made his name Cristoforo Colombo. His actual birthplace has been in much dispute, but whether he was actually Italian/Genoese, or instead Portuguese (nee Cristóvão Colon), Spanish (nee Cristóbal Colón), or Catalan (nee Cristòfor Colom), one thing is certain: he never called himself Christopher Columbus.
Modern-day Americans have much more control over their names. shlep wants to remind you on Columbus Day that there is much help online and at courthouses (with official forms, and often instructions), should you need or want to change your name. For example: see the California Self-Help Center, the Wisconsin Self-Help webpage, and the forms available from that District called Columbia. As always, check out our post getting self-help help, if you need assistance finding your state court websites. 
shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress » Blog Archive » a pause to give thanks
October 23, 2006 @ 11:38 am
[…] david giacalone – October 23, 2006 @ 11:33 am · Website Admin A few more Friends of shlep deserve our thanks: — Diane Levin for two recent pointers: (1) a generous posting at her Online Guide to Mediation, explaining shlep’s goals and what we might have to offer mediators (with nice words about f/k/a, too) and (2) adding us to the World Directory of ADR Blogs. — “Ed,” the masked man at the helm of Blawg Review, who has included shlep today (Oct. 23, 2006) in both Blawg Review #80 (wondering just what I’ve been doing with that dusty law degree of mine) and Carnival of the Capitalists #159 (which needlessly reminds us ”lawyers are capitalists”, too). Of course, both “carnivals” offer links to some of the best recent weblog postings in their fields. — abnu at Wordlab, who likes our “clever name” and our clever post about Christopher Columbus’ name. — Shara Karasic at the Work.com Community Blog, who our review of the new Work.com website with her community. — Imbroglio for the “little imbroglio” pointer. […]