Your plate is so vain

Ok, this whole personalized license plate thing has gone too far. Every time I see one that is cool enough to make me rethink my stance I see one that is so mind boggling out there that I can’t even see straight.

Things started off very well this morning when I saw the plate ABSNTHE. I am entirely behind any plate that advertises alcoholic beverages particularly those that have historically been illegal due to the minor side effect of causing insanity. (That said, my favorite bar in New Orleans is an absinthe bar that has always been serving the stuff. It’s New Orleans, laws don’t really apply down there as BP was fond of noting.) That gains high points in terms of a quality plate.

Things slowed down from there. In the afternoon I saw 2 JEKYLL and I must admit that I am still trying to figure that one out. I am guessing that it is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reference but I can’t figure out 1) why anyone would feel a great need to make that reference and 2) why you would need a two in front of it. I will also hold out hope that the driver was just a really big fan of the old Heckle and Jeckle cartoons. You know the ones that you would watch because there was absolutely nothing else on television.

But on my drive home I saw the one that topped everything. It said simply B OBAMA. I have to say I was completely dumbfounded by this. Now before you start going off on a political rant against what I have to say understand that everything I say would be exactly the same if I was behind a car with the plate GW BUSH. Which is, having your own name spelled out on your license plate is silly bordering on stupid. Having someone else’s name, particularly a politician’s name, on a plate is simply insane.

I mean I’m all for supporting a candidate but does that mean that you have to go down to the DMV to stake your claim on a plate? Does having that plate automatically make you more patriotic? What if Obama becomes the modern day equivalent of Rutherford B. Hayes? Do you still keep the plate as a mark of pride years down the line or do you change it? I mean, this is a vanity plate. That means that you have to pay extra for it. Give it to the campaign and slap a bumper sticker on your car. It would be much more sensible.

Imagine if you put your favorite athlete’s name on your car. If you had JETER or JORDAN or PEYTON people would pretty much assume that you are a douche. You wouldn’t just be a fan; you’d be one of those guys that calls into radio sport shows way too often. This is the political equivalent and to be honest I think that makes it worse.

Wednesday Night Music Club: It will be thirteen years this weekend since Jeff Buckley died. I have always said that the world would be a much better place musically if he was still with us. Of all the members of Gen X that we lost too soon his was the one that impacted me the most.