Watching TV yesterday, I was struck by one of those commercials for a "Barack Obama Commemorative Plate."

It wasn't the ridiculous product that caught my attention - I've grown accustomed to sleazy hucksters trying to cash in on other people's successes - but rather the announcer's declaration that "each plate comes with a certificate of authenticity."

What, exactly, about this cheesy souvenir needs to be authenticated? That it's a plate? That the man pictured on it is, in fact, Barack Obama? That Obama won the presidential election?

I'm willing to accept those facts without a piece of paper declaring them to be true. But then, I'm not willing to fork over my hard-earned money for the tacky item being sold, so I guess I won't be getting the certificate either.