All Over Albany

Creative license

But it totally would have been valid if the vehicle was two kitchen chairs and a cardboard box with headlights drawn in marker.

Farther afield... but good to know: The Erie County Sheriff's Office posted this photo on its FB page today with the note: "In case you are wondering, homemade cardboard license plates are NOT legal."

The sheriff's office says a deputy stopped a woman driving a vehicle with the cardboard plate attached to its back earlier this week. The ECSO says the woman had a suspended registration -- and she now faces a felony count of possession of a forged instrument. [Buffalo News]

(Erie County's the county that includes Buffalo.)

photo: Erie County Sheriff's Office

Why Abraham Lincoln arrived in Albany with "huge whiskers"

Paul Grondahl's story today marking the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's visit to Albany -- especially the part about Lincoln arriving "tired, sunburned, adorned with huge whiskers" -- made us think of a totally charming story involving the great president and New York State.

We were driving on the Thruway south of Buffalo a few months back when we needed to stop for gas, and somehow ended up in Westfield. As far as we can tell, the village is famous for two things: 1) it's the self-proclaimed "grape juice capital of the world" and 2) the following story.

In the fall of 1860, Lincoln received a letter from 11-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, urging him to "let your whiskers grow":

... you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husband's to vote for you and then you would be President.

Jump ahead to February 16, 1861. Lincoln is riding a train from Springfield, Illinois to Washington, DC -- and the trip takes him through western New York (and, a few days later, to Albany).

(there's more)