SPAM Cables

 

Sitting here listening to the rain drip, drip, dripping on the kitchen window while I sip coffee and wonder where my head happens to be.   Last night, against my better judgement, I eventually sauntered along to the club to meet the old men from the church.  Our monthly SPAM meeting, where we spend a couple of hours offering the same grumbles we did last time, drinking Mild & Brown, though I went for Carlsberg at £3:40 last night, and suffered abuse based on my late arrival being a way to avoid paying my round.  This was of course correct.  The club has reduced prices all round and this leaves me wondering what they pay in pubs around here these days!  

This is a social gathering, rarely anything important is said.  Much of the time the acoustics mean we cannot hear one another anyway and many words disappear into the ether.  This, it must be said, is no loss to society.  It is however, good to feel at home among the men.

 

Living in London you rarely see BT infrastructure.   When I moved here I was struck by the streets covered with cables here there and everywhere, going from telegraph post to house.  Walking up the road the other day I found this is increasing.  The introduction of 'Full Fibre' along with  'special price' has seen a vast uptake of the service from the various companies offering this.  Hence, as I walked I could see an increase in the number of these black cables dangling across the roads everywhere.

In Edinburgh such things lay behind all the various 'stairs,' here they are in the open for all to see.  It is all a wee bit of a mess I say, even if those paying for this get better reception on their laptops.  

Tuesday Twaddle

I understand how this leaf feels this morning, hanging there all alone on this tree, wan and lonely.  This I am sure has nothing to do with being at the Liberal Club last night for the SPAM meeting.  Once again, a handful of old men gathered to repeat the same stories once more, the same reminiscences, the same arguments, the same old, same old.

Worse still was my guilt that forced me to buy the drinks as I had not bought a round for about a year.  Of course, this means I will not buy again for another year, hopefully.  I noticed there was no opposition to this.      

The fact that it was boring, except when I began an argument re the number of Islamic immigrants.  Some among us read the 'Daily Express' and believe all the lies found there, compounded by the neighbours and other Brexiteers around them informing them of the Muslim takeover.  How some two million Muslims have taken over a nation of seventy million is hard to understand.  Having a First Minister who is nominally Muslim, and a very nominally Hindu Prime Minister does not help.  I avoided reference to Pritti Patel and the unhinged Suella Braverman for obvious reasons, and avoided indicating that the next Prime Minister will be white, secular, and an imitation Tory.  This would upset what some have wanted to believe.

As always however, we all believed that our half truth opinions were the correct ones.  Ignorance of facts did not stop our determined considerations.  Something, which I must say, runs in this family...

Anyhow, they have become friends, good men, who when sober, still put Jesus and his word first.  Beer does open up a lot of deep beliefs of course.  Their ignorant, but deeply held convictions regarding Scotland, merely reflect the normal English opinion.  Next time I will once again wear my 'Scottish Not British' shirt.

Why does my head hurt...?  

GB News

Nothing much has happened in the real world.  Keir Starmer is offering sops to the 'Middle England' Tories, and ignoring the needs of everyone else.  Scotland is long lost, half of Wales do not recognise him, but he knows where the votes are.  He promises better government, though that should not be hard after Boris and his gang have destroyed all that matters in the UK.  

The 'Online Mail' has a suitable headline discussing Harry and Meghan!  

AP

In the meantime, hours after spending a day claiming 'I cannot recall,' yet not indicating why he spent hundreds of thousands in the courts attempting to withhold his 'Whatsapp' messages from the Covid inquiry if he had lost his phones or could not get them to work, Rishi met for breakfast with a bunch of Tory loons who aim to stab him in the back to his face.  It appears they got nowhere.  Maybe just maybe, an end is in sight.  All we need now is an opposition.  

SPAM David Cameron

 

After a hard week the last thing you wish to do is saunter out to the club for the men's meeting.  However, I managed to make it just the same.  The solitary pint of 'Brown & Mild' would see me through the evening.  I would have had another but the lads glasses were getting low so I hesitated until I was sure they did not wish another, but they looked dry, so I remained seated...

A good evening putting the world to rights, sat alongside good men, even complimented on Sunday's efforts, though nobody could remember what I said.  The Barmaid was happy to have us, there were only 4 others in last night, Monday being the quietest night, which is why we go then, and she told me the week before there was only one in, and he left early to allow her to close up and go off home.    

I got home late.

The shock of David Cameron returning to government, albeit via the Lords, indicates something about the Tory Party today.  It reveals the dearth of talent left on the more sensible side of the party, the word 'sensible' not to be taken to accurately.  It shows the need for a calmer figure to appear, it shows that the baby eating former Home Secretary was a hindrance Sunak was keen to remove.  

This does mean she will seek to replace him, though one voice from the meeting of what is now called the 'New Conservatives,' made clear 20 attended, 7 others on Zoom, and few, if any, had written to the 1922 Committee demanding an election for a new Leader.  The incompetent Neo-Nazi is their front runner!  That said, she may be popular in the party, but independent Polls, that is those not done by the right -wing media, claim she is very unpopular in the country, and that counts with the coup conspirators.

Meanwhile Sunak with his gentler money grabbing chancers is trying to offer something new.

Fat chance.

David Cameron did bring us the Brexit referendum which he lost, war in Libya, austerity through Osborne, and general decline, all because he was fighting Boris Johnson, and not doing his job.  His Lobbying will also cause him troubles.  Some say he cannot be questioned by the House of Commons as he is in the Lords, but surely the ex-ministers, the wide array of talent in that House are far better able to question him than the demented squirrels that represent Labour in the Commons?  David Lammy anyone?

Night Out

To bring some life into my life I sauntered slowly down to the Geriatric Men's Club meeting last night.  A grumble of old men if you like.

A gorgeous evening, the bright sun setting behind the trees across the park.  A handful of people dog walking, chatting, and child avoiding in the late sun.  How much better life is when bright sunshine, at any time of day, fills the air with some warmth and brightens the skies?

I entered the club, filled with men in bright team coloured shirts.  They had gathered at the side hall, pints aplenty, talking and laughing, and disappearing occasionally through to the games room.  This was a visiting Darts Team, come to throw darts and drink beer.  As far as we could see more beer was being drunk than darts thrown.  The noise was tremendous, quite unlike our usual Monday gatherings.

The fire door was open to let in air, as the poor barmaid was feeling the heat, it also let in the smoke from wandering smokers who paraded outside from time to time.  How much better life is with a smoke free zone!  How did we cope with this constantly in days past?  Poor barmaid was overworked all evening, but not by me obviously.  £3:15 for a pint here, club prices as opposed to Public House prices are much cheaper, no wonder the Darts Team were drinking happily.  

We spent our time in the same boring conversations as always, nothing changes there.  Nothing much came out of it, only a new grumble or two.  Talk of grumbling, I noted one or two regulars were far from chuffed at the noise and crowd.  They came for a quiet night and could not move.  What with the Darts Team and ourselves, they glared a lot.  

I found it unfortunate that I arrived a wee bit after the others.  This meant I had to buy my own, and as they all had been served there was no requirement to by for them.  This I found unfortunate.  However, I manged to survive this and accept a drink when offered.

Very tired this morning, grumpy and tense.  No idea why.

William Dyce - Pegwell Bay, Kent - a Recollection of October 5th 1858

Spam History

My night out on Monday was a delightful one.  SPAM was a small meeting, the holidays meaning many are far off and only the 'leftovers' gathered for a cheap drink.  I say cheap, but £2:95 is a lot to one who is poor.  However, I worked my usual magic by turning up late.  This ensured they all had purchased their drinks so I only needed to buy my own.  

The chat returned to all the old favourite places, boring in many respects, but we managed to put the world to rights and agree happily with one another that we are right.  A little bit like a 'Daily Mail' comments section but actually right, as apposed to just biased.

Of course in the middle of this Doug decided he needed a drink and, as only five of us were gathered, offered to buy for all.  Naturally, having a half filled glass, I refused, but he insisted, so I was forced to accept a gift.  Tsk!  Such is life.

Doug and I then warmed to the Bishops motives, both agreeing in principle that something must be done.  At the moment we must await developments, which in the CoE means lots of carpets turned up, files lost, and meetings arranged.       

By now I decided to rise slowly from my seat and return the empty glasses, the barmaid asleep at the bar, and I did so the offer to buy fell from my willing lips.  Sadly however, the taxi arrives to take the old men home.  Being afraid of her indoors they all ran for home, sadly, saving me money.

That is the fourth time in a row I have got away with this...  

I received an email from a woman in the USA seeking advice on tracing the family tree.  According to the DNA results we undertook some time ago we hail from the same region (penury I suspect) and she was asking family questions.  Well, I sent her an immediate answer and promised to look into it.  This is the point where I remember I lost all the stuff  a while ago and did not replace it!  So, I have begun to trawl the links, not understanding half of them, and have missed half the day while doing so.  While it is unlikely we are directly related it is possible some distant cousin fled the land and sailed off into the west hoping for success.  I hope he found some.

Now my eyes hurt...

Mooning...

 I really consider it's time they moved the moon over a bit.  Here is me, late at night, squeezing through the wee window in the kitchen, attempting to take a photograph of the 'Harvest Moon,' while knocking assorted items, 'Fairy Liquid' bottles, pans, cups and a fork or two into the sink.  All the time attempting to remain quiet so as not to disturb the neighbours.  

Considering the brute is always positioned in the wrong place, tonight I hoped to catch it alongside Jupiter, but Jupiter had moved too far away, and the edge of the window frame kept coming into focus. I wonder how others get such good shots?  I suppose they have gardens, and sheds they can stand on.  Or windows that are not obscured by the tree line that appears so worthy during the sunny days but a nuisance when seeking planets or moons.  

I certainly will not get a shot tonight, I am about to rush of slowly and attend the SPAM meeting at the club.  Here, the intelligentsia (no women) of the church meet to discuss items of great moment.  As the football that matters, at 6 pm and 8 pm, does not begin until tomorrow, I can take a night off from straining my eyes and enter the half light of the club and meet the bright sparks of the congregation.

Intellectual Talk at SPAM re 1707 Bribery

1707 Bribery

Last night, after an attempt at recovering from my day trip, I headed down the long road to the Liberal Club for some Liberal chat with the fellow members of SPAM.  As always the early birds were in first, as always good cheer and friendliness were abundant.

I soon stopped that nonsense.

It happened, I mention this in passing, that I was wearing a loose fitting T-shirt, one eminently suitable for the weather.  I also mention in passing, for you information, that across this blue T-shirt were emblazoned the words 'Scottish not British.'  This was fine in my book, and the attractive young barmaid greeted me warmly, as always, and with a smile.  As I took my seat without checking my change, it is not that I trust then barmaid, it is just that I am not arguing with her, again, a comment from one senior member excited the gang around him.  

"You believe in Scots going it alone?" 

"Yes indeed," replied I.

At this point 'Daily Express' educated nonce across the table cried out.

"You asked to join."

This nonsense was soon put in its place.

"You can't survive without Britain paying for you." (Note the use of 'Britain' here)

This nonsense was soon put in its place.

Voices were raised, as were a chair and table or two, until the attractive young barmaid got of her seat across the way and came over and belted us.

That brought the discussion to an end.

We moved onto safer subjects.  

One thing that became clear is the rising prices, with Brexit to blame, beginning to be recognised by the 'Daily Express' educated peoples.  They are beginning to understand, somewhat reluctantly, that Brexit was a lie, that it costs a great deal, and they are paying for it.  There remains a hope that the new liar in Downing Street will improve things, a faded hope at the moment as all agree none of the prospective leaders are worth having.  It appears that we will not have a new leader until September the 5th for reasons as yet unclear, but simply to allow Boris to ruin much more before he goes.  

It has to be said the Labour leader, whatisname, is bringing a motion to the House to demand his removal forthwith, using another couple of sex and bribery involving women as a reason.  There is however, no doubt that they lackeys will ensure this does not succeed, even those who wish Boris out will not be enough to ensure he is removed.  Keeping in with the important people is important for backbench MPs.  

  

With Jeremy Hunt promising to scrap the Ban on Hunting we moved on to circuses.  In days of yore all of us had seen animals in the circus, one member of out tribe related the abuse from anti-circus protesters as he drove to the big tent.  He was frightened by the banging on the roof and screaming abuse.  I indicated this was similar to the attractive young barmaid a few minutes ago, and he retorted that this mob was worse.  This caused us all to gasp!  

It appears a new, small zoo has opened up new Maldon.  This is a good thing, for those that can get there.  Maldon has seen large animals before, elephants in a circus came one year and were taken to the large pool there for a  wash.  The children were in there with them and all had a great time it appears.  Elephants are very family orientated and would love the attention and fun water games offered.  I doubt if such a thing would be allowed today, too many rules, H&S, and just generally spoilsports around to let kids have fun with elephants or other animals.  Mind you in 1936 a lion escaped from the circus here as it arrived, this took a few hours before it was captured.  I thought I had scribbled about this before but I cannot find the details.  Most annoying.  Just imagine wandering into the garden and finding a lion there!  

Having debated Scotland, zoo's, circuses,' various long gone public houses, varieties of beers, and the vicars daughters wedding in Indian style on Friday (apparently last Saturday a feast was held for this, table groaning with food, as indeed were those who attended while I sat at home with a cheese sandwich.) and the taxi with the wife in had come for our noble leader, we decided to depart. 

A mixed groaning as stiff knees and backs were removed from chairs, glasses trembled as tables were jarred, screeching as chairs were moved (on carpet?), and goodnights exchanged while we still knew who we all were.

And so to bed.

I appear tired today...

 

Hosework

 

Very enjoyable Monday evening last night.  The SPAM meeting, the St Paul's Men's Meeting, took place in the usual dwelling and we spent an enjoyable couple of hours putting the world to right.  I must say that no politician arrived to consider and accept our opinions, mostly ignorant, but none the less we made them clear, and indeed loud!  Russia, local public houses that no longer exist, traffic congestion, and who's round is it anyway?  

At this point I left for home.

Home was clean last night.  As my niece is expected to arrive soon I have been forced into a Spring Clean, we canny have the baby in the usual routine dusty atmosphere.  So I began the tidy up yesterday morning.  This included sorting out the shelves of foto albums, re-aranging them, amending the tv, which I never watch layout, fixing the VCR which does not work, and still doesn't, hoovering, spider web removing and falling exhausted to the floor.  So, one corner of the room is finished, but smells a bit, today I fix the stuff under the desk.  

I may be a while...  

I fixed the stuff under the desk, well, most of it.  I hoovered the couch, finished the floor, moved this and that, packed bags for the charity shops, and my aching back decided that this is indeed a job for women!   

Lions, often referred to by the name Leo you will note, have the right idea.  They pick the best woman, she takes the girls hunting, Leo eats most of it, then sleeps for 14 hours a day, interrupted only by the kids.  

Now that is my idea of life...

 

 

Lights!

 

 

Ok, it's a bit blurred, but I was leaving the club late last night...  

The first Christmas lights of the season, in NOVEMBER!  What is the matter with people?  Good grief!  Just because sloppy drama adverts are appearing on TV to line the pockets of desperate shops we do not need to have Christmas lights in November!  OK, I have done almost all my shopping already, but really this is wrong!  I am of course not a fan of the Christmas season.

The Spam meeting was however most enjoyable.  Chat was good, fun was had, and all men contributed well.  This in spite of a barmaid who obeyed her own orders and slapped those who got out of line.  Some women do not know their place I say!

My ear still hurts...

 

Spam Aftermath

 

The theological discussions, the debates, the libations over and the money running out, I headed off home.  Considering there was only 5 of us we covered a lot of ground.  I confess the ground covered was mostly by walking back and forth to the bar as the barmaid somewhat rudley refused to run after us as we considered she ought to.

Women have their uses but when stubborn they are difficult to manoeuvre.

Monday night is the clubs lowest attendance, that is why we were allowed in.  A handful of regulars, mostly lonely old men with no-one at home, seeking company with those they know, even if they rarely speak to one another.  Every bar has them, at the same spot each day, rather like Norm from 'Cheers,' that once famous Boston Bar now sadly missed.  One woman, of unknown age, was in attendance, a regular, and as is always common in public houses, a gentleman with a beer barrel of Hogshead proportions also took his regular spot.  Quite how he has not died by now I cannot understand, surely if I am overweight and upsetting a nurse he must be.  Being in his 50's may help, but he is one who may be taller lying down than standing up.  He remained for a while, welcome among friends, occasionally wasting money on one of the brightly lit colouful machines that promise much and deliver little.  I wonder about the lonely men who are found in such places.  Did they once have families, were there wives, have they mental problems?  How one or two of them survived Lockdown I do not know, they were always propping up the bar, how did they survive without this place?  Indeed, why did they not find a life when they had a chance?  

 

I showed such men how to have a life today.  

I lay in bed, walked round Tesco (not at the same time), and sat staring into the abyss for the rest off the day.  I watched a bit of football, await the Scotland game tonight, and ate fish and a few chips, the first time in months.  I am also eating dark chocolate, 90% cocoa, as they say this is good for the brain.   I may need to eat several bars a day...

 

Monday Mope

An early morning visit from the air ambulance, an orange one instead of the usual red one, as someone somewhere was clearly in trouble.  Not the best thing to hear before 8 in the morning, especially as he hovered above me waiting for the dog owners to clear the way so he could land in the park.  Deperately nosey, I wanted to know what this was all about, however, being desperately lazy I finished breakfast instead of enquiring.

 

Nothing else happened.

I ventured out only to visit the surgery for the anti-cholesterol prescription where a busy woman with a short queue awaiting service aided me, and naturally had no note of my prescription.  Soon, she had remedied this and I was on emy way to the pharmacy across the way where a sour young thing served me efficiently though with all the joy of a depressive.   I reckon it's my bright shining personality that brings out the worst in women...

 

 

Tonight however, is SPAM night!

Soon, the men of the Kirk will gather to put the world to right, discuss matters women do not understand, enjoy one anothers company, and be bullied by the barmaid!
Theological subjects are never raised, as the vicar may feel left out.

 

 

Bad Facebook and Spam

It's a disgrace!

I mean being banned from facebook for little things that offend no-one but facebook algorythms is bad enough, but today I was immediately banned for speaking the truth - again!  The anti-maskers/anti-vacciners were out in force today, all of them being from the USA, as you might expect.  So, quite correctly, I posted that 'All Americans were stupid!'  How can that be seen as offensive when the evidence was right in front of them?  Had facebook, which happily allows many such posts opposing the vaccine and mask wearing, all on the basis of 'freedom,' not banned me I would have posted the link to Kristin Lowery, a US mother of 4 who refused the vaccine, refused to wear a mask, and spoke out strongly against both.  She died of Covid!  'Give a voice to the vaccine uninjured' is the poster she held.  Now 4 schoolkids have no mother!  Those who encourage opposition to vaccines ought to be jailed.

This has led to me being banned for 3 days by facebook.  The post removed by facebook, and the Yanks involved free to continue spouting nonsense.  If this goes on I may dump facebook or they may dump me.  

Twitter is not so uptight, though I have myself reported several sites that were offensive, usually white supremacists, Old Firm fans, or Tory liars.  I never block decent people who I disagree with.  The hypocrisy of facebook knows no end.  I suspect however, they will continue to listen in to all the other things I do on here...

I have been getting a few if these things on facebook recently.  Usually a girl has decided that she must use this and passes it on so all her readers can join in.  They are all cons gathering info, and soon dumping adverts and who knows what onto your screen.  Naturally facebook does not stop them, I suspect they may send them out, but I never find them on Twitter.  Possibly this is because Twitter has a higher class of psychotic inebriate than facebook, possibly they just do not land on my page.  

I glanced at one email offering this morning with something 'FREE' in a bright yellow shade.  However, I dumped it to quick to take note who it was from.  Usually email is a scammer using others hacked address book, with the sending email always obscure.  

Scams appearing to be from E-bay and Amazon have passed through, and in the distant past when I knew nothing I enter details into one page thinking it genuine (about 20 years ago) and had 10 years of email spam, often 20-30 a day, for a long time afterwards.  Changing ISP ended that.  

I suppose after porn the easiest way to get rich quick is spam, or hacking into an account.  I still think getting a job safer mind.

 

Monday Spiel

 

Monday Spiel is unavailable as I have been at the Spam meeting at the liberal Club drinking Guiness from tin cans... 

Royal Spam

If there is one thing the editors of the grubby press know it is that the Royal Family sell!

There is an unquenched desire to know the secret dealings within 'Buck House' and other royal accomodation, the nation wants to 'doff the cap' yet know how their 'betters' live.  This has always been true, loyalty to the throne lies deep in the mind of many in the UK, usually it is just a mythical view that is grasped.

Since Diana was stupidly married by Charles, he needed a son or two, rather than Camilla, a woman he liked and who liked and understood him.  Instead we have the pantomime of Diana, now continuing under her demented son (who is the father we ask?).  While Kate and William, a man with his mothers brain, follow a PR exercise appealing to the nation as kind, thoughtful people who cause no trouble, an ideal King some say, but in truth as false as all the rest.  Harry and his woman, clearly she is the brains in that outfit, continues to draw fire from all around by putting his foot in it rather than keeping his head down and seeking good PR.  Not for Harry common sense (too 'common' perhaps) and consideration, instead a book, his life's story, but who will write this, him or her?  

The 'Daily Star' famed for the less than considerate headlines, offers a glimpse into the book, and indeed a glimpse of the reviews still to come.  We wait and see.

This will all end in tears, and many sales for the dying gutter press.

 

 

I have been getting lots of spam recently, all identical, all informing me I can make various amounts, usually around $1300 montly.

It is the spelling of 'montly' that makes me wonder about these posts.

Each one from a different name, each offering such success, each offering success 'montly.'

Two or three come through each day and I am left wondering if anyone actually falls for such clear Spam?  I suppose someone with little English might fall for it, I wonder if it pays?

Maybe I ought to try this myself, maybe I ought to send out millions of Spam and get rich....! 

Tummy Trouble

I have been very careful concerning what I eat these days.  Now my being slightly under 16 stone rather than well over it is in my opinion a good thing.  A not so good thing was one of those NHS online things that claim to tell you what you ought to way to avoid disease or instant death, this claimed I was 4 stone overweight.  Surely, thought I, only 2 stone?  

A study of their healthy breakfasts, lunches and so on convinced me I was going in the right direction.

However, it is clear these meals were prepared by a middle class women with lots of fancy kitchen gadgets, not just a pot or two and a microwave.      

My carefully controlled diet went a wee bit off course last night as I was invited out to the SPAM meeting at the local Liberal Club.  Spam, as you know, is the church men's meeting, or at least those men who's women allow them out at night.  This club is not a political club, just a place to gather in safety among decent folks.  Many of the men know their wives can drop in at lunchtime in perfect safety here, and they do, gossipping always being on the menu.

Now of course Covid restrictions are in place and we cannot wander about the club as before and so now table service has been introduced, this makes it even better!  No more going back and forth to the bar, she comes and delivers.  Then at the end off the night she asks you for the money.  Good idea, saves handing too much cash and after a drink or two who cares about the cost?

The main problem last night however, was Ian!  

Ian has always been keen to get everybody enrolled into this club, last night, before I had sat down, I found myself filling in a form promising to spend £20 for a years membership.  In my opinion this means I now must make my way to the bar club daily when I have better things to do.  You see, if I have paid £20 I must get my money's worth from it and that means breaking my routine to go outside and meet people.  Well, I may avoid that part...

 

Look!  Football is on! 

Spam Meet

 

 

Last night was our SPAM meeting.  'SPAM' being the St Paul's mens meeting.  A chance to escape the women and talk freely.  Being Locked Down we had to meet on Zoom, this is not the best way to meet but it had to do.  Eight noble men met happily together, until it was discovered two wives were in attendance just out of the picture, plus one who kept bursting in accidentally!  These women cannot be trusted can they?  Or is it the men they canny trust, I wonder?

The discussion ranged wild and free, especially as the whisky took hold.  I myself indicated I was only drinking water.  "What proof is that?" came a voice, "37:5," came the answer...  It is good to see faces you have not seen for a year, not the easiest way to do it, but all that we have and we just got on with it.

The meeting broke up at 9:30 when the wives arrived to take everybody home.

 

However, after this I cogitated on 'Spam.'   I mean, as kids we ate Spam Fritters often, and it appeared to me at the time to be food.  I tried some a wee while ago and could not in any way find a connection between 'spam' and foodstuff.  It tasted, er, unusual.  Maybe it was the make, maybe it was me, but how on earth did we survive this?  And the stuff still sells as a quick look at any shop shelf will show.  Created in 1837 when an American company had too much Pork Shoulder to cry on.  He mixed this with Ham and cooked it in the can, I did not seek to know how, and made millions!  Having begun in time for the war he sent billions of cans to feed the US army, billions to the UK to feed everyone there, and billions of cane elsewhere, even the Soviet Union got them.  There is no doubt that he made money but saved many lives, and a few taste buds then.  

 

 

Of course the real reason people turned to Spam during the war was the vast amount of Corned Beef, 'Bully Beef' that was forced down the throat.  Spam arriving in 1941 tasted of something, constant corned beef does not.  There again I suspect constant Spam will soon become a bore but with little meat of any sort available during war, not counting the 'Black Market,' then Spam was a treat.  

I found this reference: "Paul Theroux, in his book 'The Happy Isles of Oceania,' seems to claim that Spam was popular in countries that used to have cannibalism because it tasted like human flesh."  Does any one have any idea if this is so?  If you do, how do you know, and please keep your distance?

 

New Years Day

I tried the Garfield style for a while today and filled my time by drinking tea, eating 'Black Bun' and watching football.  Though to be honest my mind wandered here, there and everywhere while doing so.  There was little response outside.  A dog or two was seen in the park opposite walking the owner, running free and full of joy, the dog not the owner, while gray clouds hung overhead pretending to be in Edinburgh.  

Around eleven I was desperate to be out of " or whatever as they pass but in the past ten years many from outside have brought their London ways with them.  This means people are less likely to offer such greetings and the mob I saw were clearly of that grumpy mind.  Even the dogs ignored me, the preference for strange aromas found round the legs of park seats appeared more delightful to them than my presence ever could.  

I stumbled into the edge of town, accidentally collecting £100 from the bank as I passed, noted that 'Iceland,' 'The Edinburgh Woolen Mill,' 'Sainsburys' and the Bookies, the usual suspects, were open but little else as far as I could see showed its face or moved.  Sullen people moved slowly, grim faces in the slight chill, eyes not indicating anyone was at home, even the birds were missing bar one white pigeon, no leftovers from last nights takeaways for them today.  So I returned home to feeble football, filling in the second calendar dates, removing the many Chinese spam links that appeared late last night and began to read one of my new books.  Question, why do Chinese spam merchants think we will understand them?  Are they not aware that their squiggles mean nothing, indicating little to outsiders?  I suspect I know what was on offer however. 

The 'Roaring Twenties' have begin but they appear a bit slow at the moment...