Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

I got some good stuff this week. Here they are, your Gems of the Week.

Dishonorable Mention:
"The squares are downtowner's front lawns. How would you like it if someone pitched a tent in your front yard and partied all night with noise and then expected to use your powder room?"
- First, the squares are public property. Second, no one around here uses the terms “downtowner” or “powder room.” You must be a Yankee.

Dishonorable Mention:
"What in tarnation is going on with President Bush? Does he know what he is doing with America? (sic) Clinton, if you're out there, please come back into office."
- I can’t even touch this one.

Dishonorable Mention:
"The next thing to ban should be the big carts full of food and drinks they haul to the parade and crowd the sidewalks with. Can't they go three hours without feeding their faces?"
- I’m okay with the food and drink carts at the Parade, but the junk vendors have to go. Everyone knows who I’m talking about. I’m not proposing a ban; the City doesn’t need to get involved. Just don’t buy their crap and they’ll go away. You kid does not need a horn or plastic sword or inflatable baseball bat to enhance his enjoyment of the Parade.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Educate yourself and become a senator or don't and become president."
- Oh that’s cute. Hinting that our president is uneducated; that’s precious. Our president is a graduate of one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Where did you go to college? Where’d you go to high school for that matter? Did you even finish?

Third Runner-up:
"It breaks my heart that our historic downtown is going to condos and hotels. It really takes away from our beautiful city, and parking is terrible. Oh, how I miss the old Savannah."
- I disagree. The hotels are vital to our tourism industry here. Say what you will about the annoying tourists; and they are annoying, but they spend disgusting amounts of money here and I’m okay with that. As for condos, I want to see more built. If there are a lot of condo units available in the historic district, then prices will go down and I might be able to afford one.

Second Runner-up:
"Payday lenders are vultures who prey on the working poor and politicians who support vultures should be tarred and feathered."
- Payday lenders provide a service. They do so because it’s profitable for them. A payday advance is a high-risk loan because those who use them generally have little income and little or no personal savings. Because there is more risk, the interest rate is higher. This practice is not predatory. Save money, live within your means, and pay your credit card off every month. This is the path to sound financial living.

First Runner-up:
"The mafia of big oil and its local henchman have begun their yearly economic terrorism with 10 percent hikes in the price of gas in just a couple of weeks. Gas prices of $3 per gallon are predicted, and economic stagnation will follow just like last year. The gouging of hard working Americans must end."
- Here we go again with the gas prices. What we’ve seen over the past month is natural market fluctuation. Pat made this point over a year ago, but I’ll reiterate: gas was less than $2 a gallon three weeks ago. Was “Big Oil” less greedy three weeks ago?

And your Gem of the Week:
"What on Earth is a thesaurus?"
- I swear I did not make this up.

Happy Friday, folks.