Talk’s headed out on vacation this week, and to make sure we aren’t being followed to closely by overly ardent fans, we believe the time has come to pick an alias. All the big names have aliases when they check into hotels.

So we did what everybody does when he needs a really cool assumed name. We took a quick trip to http://www.ronmexico.com/.

Never heard the story of Ron Mexico?

The name first surfaced when it was listed as an alias for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in a lawsuit filed by a woman alleging that Vick infected her with a venereal disease. Once word of Vick’s spiffy pseudonym spread, it took on a life of its own.

The Web site sprang up, complete with Ron Mexico T-shirts with Vick’s image and links to news stories about the lawsuit. But the site’s best part is its name-generator feature.

That’s right, it’s a real Ron Mexico AliasMaker that allows you to type in your name and have Ron instantly dispense your very own alias. Talk went to the site and quickly came away with the name we’ll be using this week when we check into the Motel 6 — Ricky Blacksburg.

Not bad, huh? Call us Ricky B if you’d like.

Here’s the only bad thing about the AliasMaker. It’s totally addictive. We kept punching in the names of public figures to see what pseudonyms they might use to suit their various purposes. It was quite enlightening.

Say Bob Coble wanted to make a push for the strong-mayor form of government but he didn’t want anybody to know he was behind it. So he’d start signing all of his petitions with his Ron Mexico name — Peter Germany.

Certainly Mark Sanford, given his poor relationship with legislators, might want to start using a Ron Mexico name so his proposals might have a better chance of becoming law. Just like that, he’d be Buster Cote d’Ivoire.

Say Bernice Scott wanted to get a little something extra for her part of the county in Richland County Council. She could cast an additional vote using her Ron Mexico name: Kylie Polynesia.

If the Gamecocks and Tigers play poorly when football season begins, Steve Spurrier and Tommy Bowden might be in need of a Ron Mexico alias to keep the radio talk-show callers off their backs. Before you know it, they’re Hunk Vietnam and Pavel Spain.

Perhaps if WLTX-TV wanted to raise its ratings, it could introduce its new anchor (actually Darci Strickland with her Ron Mexico name): Heidi Yemen.

You never know when S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal will have to make a controversial decision. She definitely could use the Ron Mexico alias of Pandora Vanuatu.

If Joe Pinner ever had to go underground for years of inaccurate weather forecasts, he could simply rely on Ron Mexico for his new identity: Bubba Malaysia.

Just imagine if City Councilman E.W. Cromartie wanted to get past his legal issues, he could simply show up at City Hall one day with the nifty Ron Mexico moniker of Sam Jamaica.

Darla Moore might be tired of her real name’s being on the USC business administration building. Perhaps Ron Mexico could change it for her to the Serena Falkland School of Business.

Say Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott was going undercover on a big sting operation and needed a name the bad guys would never recognize. He goes to RonMexico.com and — voila! — he’s now Hercules Burundi.

Let’s think about former USC and NBA star Alex English’s wanting to become a private investor in a big new entrepreneurial venture without word’s getting out. All of a sudden, he’s listed on public documents by his Ron Mexico name of Giorgio Sweden.

See, we told you this was addictive. Maybe Ricky B should just get out of here and check into our vacation hideaway with Jennifer Anniston.

Oops, better make that Kitty Canada.