Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Spam!

As a user of go*gle mail, I daily go into my spam folder and clean it out, deleting all the ridiculous messages there.

I know, I know--if I just leave them there, after 30 days, go*gle will clean them out. But, frankly, I am so offended by the thought of people abusing the internet this way, that I just can't help but clean out that folder. It's a bit like the feeling I get when I see trash thrown down in a public place--along a sidewalk, or at a store entrance. I just have to pick it up--it's my nest that's being fouled also.

Anyway, I must confess that I am amused at the putative subjects of some of the spam messages. From today's batch:

  • booster for your manhood

  • lift your darling sexuality with help of blue pill. salubrious effect assured

  • get matched with quality on line schools

  • ybyzef click here

  • easy process & fast decision on a new MasterCard

    My response to all of the above--yeah, right! Although, I am impressed that a spammer would use the word "salubrious."

I am most amused that go*gle uses its tracking software to insert ads along with these somewhat salacious titles. The Hormel Meat company has a permanent ad at the top of all the spam mail, so that I can always click on a link to a Spam recipe! Like savory spam crescents. Hmm--while I look to see what ridiculous spam mail I get, and then delete said mail--am I really thinking about BAKING with Spam?

Spam as a meat is a product that seems to making a comeback. In a BBC story, there is the suggestion that Spam sales can be seen as a barometer of current economic status. The economy goes down, Spam sales go up.

It's been ages since I ate Spam. My husband recalls it being served in his home when he was growing up.

We have a friend--now deceased--who was born in the Netherlands, and was about 10 years old when the Nazis occupied the country. As the war dragged on, the situation grew dire in occupied countries. People were quite literally starving. Then weather compounded the situation with a hard winter. The people called it the hunger winter. When the Allies liberated the Netherlands, and the rest of Europe, food distribution could begin. Spam was one of the products; it was also distributed in quantity to U.S. soldiers. Whether our friend got Spam from a soldier or from food distribution, it was an unspeakably welcome gift.

Our friend remembered with great fondness receiving Spam. For the rest of his life, he relished the taste of this life-saving food.

If only the current purveyors of spam to our computers had such good intentions.

17 comments:

Ruth said...

lol, great post! I have never eaten Spam and don't think I could gag it down. As far as email spam...I change my email addresses frequently as I cannot tolerate it once my spam messages are greater than my real messages. I am using Facebook more and more for personal email as I have not had spam there (yet).

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

The Hormel meat packing plant in Austin, Minnesota is a big employer here in MN and most of us are proud of the products. I grew up eating Spam- usually sliced and fried, served with eggs for breakfast. Yumm! Spam-burgers are really good too.

NCmountainwoman said...

Spam has always been popular in the south, right up there with Vienna sausages. I've also seen reports of the increased sales due to the economy. And there are tons of recipes. I'm sure I could find one to my liking if I were so inclined.

Unknown said...

It's amazing what crap gets sent to us. I enjoy the blog spammers who think I'll fall for their nonsense and approve their comments as legit comments. I do remember eating fried Spam as a breakfast food. Personally, when I think of Spam though it is with a Monty Python accent . . . "Spam. Spam. Eggs. and Spam." So, I do laugh a little when checking my Spam folder.

Dog_geek said...

I rarely look in my spam folder, but I do think it is pretty funny how the spammers keep having to adjust their verbiage to try to get around the spam filters. I picture some spammer, racking his brain to think of yet another synonym or clever misspelling.

My mother has fond memories of eating spam from her childhood, and when my dad would go out of town, somtimes she would buy some for herself. I don't think I have ever eaten it, myself!

possumlady said...

I've had many a spam sandwich in grade school. Pretty tasty! Strangely enough it is VERY VERY popular in Hawaii! We had two board members from HI and for one event they made spam "sushi".

I think I recall a pbs program on WWII that divulged the mystery acronym "specially processed american meat"

littleorangeguy said...

KGMom ... saw a recent comment from you on Julie's blog where you talked about your school project and the difficulties of getting your students to identify their lives with the lives of people in the developing world. We have just developed a curriculum that might help and I'd love to send you a copy if I knew where to send it -- please email me at sstrattonatkairoscanadadotorg -- and no, this is not spam!

Ginnie said...

Ha...you beat me to it. I have 1/2 a blog entry written concerning Spam and all the ridiculous junk that is sent our way....BUT, yours is much better and I'll scrap mine.
Thanks.

Grizz………… said...

Spam the meat product is something I carry on every northcountry camping trip—not because I regularly cook much of anything out of cans or boxes or frozen packets, but because it's fun to serve to an unsuspecting companion and watch their shock turn to amazement when they realize they're actually eating, and enjoying, Spam.

Spam the stuff in my email box is astonishingly worthless, and like you, I empty the box fairly often.

KGMom said...

Ruth--you are quite in tune with the younger generation, switching over to FB for email.

Lynne--a supporter for Hormel, if not for making Spam, at least for being a major employer in MN. That's a good thing these days.

NCMntWmn--ooo Vienna sausages. I had forgotten about them. I always liked them. Must go shopping.

Liza--are you a Monty Python fan too? I will have to practice saying Spam with a Monty P accent. Spamalot.

Dog Geek--I agree: mental pictures of clever spammers sitting with thesarus in hand.

Possum Lady--spam sushi? Huh? isn't that a contridiction in terms?

LOG--glad you visited, glad you aren't spam.

Ginnie--no, write your own. I always greatly enjoy your take on things. So fish it out of the trash, and continue, please.

Scribe--welcome. Nice to have you add your voice. Surprising folks with Spam, eh? Pretty daring for a camping trip. Stop back anytime.

JeanMac said...

I used to love Sp*m! I, like you, clean out the folder soon as I see it.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

It seems the Spam is the safe thing to comment on. We ate it in the 50's. Klik is another canned meat. We also ate corned beef out of a can, not as good a real corned beef.

As for the little blue pills. . . . I prefer to keep the four hour erections of my teen years in my memory so I am not tempted with these ads.

Elaine Cougler Author said...

Spam! Who knew it could lurk in a great post, indeed, become the meat of it? Ha Ha.
I have a recipe I always made with moodles and Prem but since Prem is no longer to be found I've bought Spam once or twice. I open the can, rinse the meat under the tap and try not to wonder just what is in that solid hunk. Never mind it tastes good and we haven't died yet!

Elaine Cougler Author said...

Oops! Read 'noodles' in the above comment, please.:-)

Climenheise said...

Moodle of course is a program for delivering online education. An educational version of spam the meat?

Beverly said...

We used to eat Spam in Haiti. It was actually quite a treat. Our girl would score it on top put in some cloves and a glaze...almost like baked ham.

We had a Polynesian restaurant here that had Spam on the menu. The owner of the restaurant was from Hawaii, and I believe there was even a note on the menu about Spam being a favorite food in Hawaii.

RuthieJ said...

At the Culver's restaurant in Austin, MN (headquarters of Hormel Foods) you can order a grilled Spam sandwich. I'm not a huge fan of Spam, but apparently they sell enough of those sandwiches to keep it on the menu.
My mom likes it baked with pineapple slices!