From my 2026-06-07 Facebook post and subsequent reply to John Heiden’s comment:
I was curious to see what ChatGPT would make of my name "Manuel Antares Richard Sanchez" which is a play-on-words I officially chose for myself in 1997. Antares is a star name which roughly translates "the rival of Ares" the Greek of war, known to the Romans as Mars - my very initials.
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| A collaboration between myself and ChatGPT |
ChatGPT came up with the image and slogan you see, but I had to later darken the initials ChatGPT was instructed to do, but failed to execute.
Be assure however, I am most definitely anti-Ares!
And now that I've made an "arse" of my myself, my "ears" are burning!
;-)
The name by which you’ve always known me: “Richard”.
I was handed three names at birth, which until I reached 18, were in the wrong order, then in 1993 I found they weren’t even my own, “Manuel Richard Sanchez” was the name of my late brother, who died before my twin sister and I were born. (I learned the truth stumbling upon his death certificate.)
Instantly, I had no name of my own.
So I decided to add a fourth name to the three as to have one that was mine and no one else’s. My initials already spelled MRS, so why not make it MARS, as I love astronomy and 50’s sci-fi anyway.
Then I realized “Antares” and the word play would be perfect.
In 1997 I made it official before a judge, amending all my government documents right down to my birth records.
“Richard” however remains my mom’s favorite spelling of the name I’m called.
I realize this is more than you ask, John, but “in for a penny…”
;-)
In a related bit, my full name before the change has caused me nothing but bureaucratic nightmares. For forty seven years the IRS and SSA had me and another Richard Sanchez (same birth day but not year) entangled. The military was also on the lookout for me even though I was registered 1-O with them for decades. So on and so forth.
[+TAGS] [-POST UNDER CONSTRUCTION-] [-PUC-]
