I erase them as I see them. Really, the site needs a legit CAPTCHA among many other updates. Working towards finding the time / resources to dedicate to it.
Not at all. I'm even a big fan of RECAPTCHA for turning what was otherwise a waste of human cognition into a valuable resource for humanity. Truthfully, I haven't considered any small solutions. I have this vision of grandeur where all the site upgrades are unveiled at once. May be prudent to consider the alternative however...
Honestly, it's not the cleanest sollution but it sure is the easiest. I'd just go for a CMS of some sorts. That way the webpage would be up in a couple of hours. All that this site is really about (imho) is sharing knowledge about a specific subject.
The custom stuff (like the awesome Tornado Flags!) can be easily intergraded by community supplied modules for the chosen CMS.
But, these are just my two cents and with the economy down as it is it's more like my one cent.