Tough choices ‘ free gas or a gun

From time to time, I’ve talked about food items that are obscenely overpriced at restaurants, such as the $25,000 sundae. Now there’s a new item to add to the list ‘ a burger that sells for $175. If you’re wondering how that burger can be 175 times better than that 99 cent burger on the extra value menu, so am I. If folks can shell out $175 for a burger, so much for talk of a recession. If you can afford it, this burger can be enjoyed at Wall Street Burger Shoppe in New York City. The burger is made with Kobe beef and topped with seared fresh foie gras (which is a type of cheese for us common folk), an assortment of exotic mushrooms, and golden truffle mayonnaise. Restaurant co-owner Kevin O’Connell says the item has gone over well for those who dare dish out a good portion of their paycheck to try it. But he says the staple of his restaurant will remain his $4 burger. Somehow, I don’t find that surprising. In case you’re wondering, other expensive restaurant items around the nation include a $1,000 pizza (it better come with extra cheese), a $1,000 bagel (it better come with a sports car), and a $55 bottle of water. As for other odds and ends, it wouldn’t be Memorial Day weekend without mentioning a tidbit about guns. This story comes to us from Butler, Mo., where a car dealer is offering a rather unusual promotion. During the month of May, anyone who buys a vehicle at Max Motors in Butler has the choice between either $250 in gasoline ‘ or a handgun. General manager Walter Moore says that so far, most buyers have chosen the gun, adding he suggests they opt for a semiautomatic model ‘because it holds more rounds.’ If you think about it, picking the gas would be silly. If you pick the gun, you can just drive to the gas station and get your fill up for free. You could probably walk out of the store with a free oatmeal pie to boot. But in this day of staggering gun violence, it’s tacky of me to suggest someone use a handgun in the commission of a felony. As we all know, guns are only used to protect the home.