Want A Spam Sammich?

Spam, the canned meat - not the annoying email - has always been very, very popular in the state of Hawaii. So much so, in fact, that it is now being stolen repeatedly and sold on the black market for what officials believe is drug money.

Some thieves just sell it out of their cars. The shoplifters get the stolen goods for free, so they are able to make a 100 percent profit reselling them.

Retail Merchants of Hawaii some stores require customers to call a clerk when they want their Spam. Others keep it up front under the watchful eyes of the cashiers. Canned beef is also a hot item for thieves because it can fetch $5-6 a can.

The state’s love affair with Spam began during World War II and Hawaii was a war zone during the war. They had government mandated blackouts, food rationing and food restrictions, which they felt the pressure of even more because they were away from the mainland. Rationing created just the right conditions for the rise of a meat that needs no refrigeration and has a remarkably long shelf life.

Ann Kondo Corum, who grew up in Hawaii in the 1950s and has written several Spam-inspired cookbooks, has attributed Spam’s popularity partly to Hawaii’s large Asian population. Spam was one of those scarce food rations and it was something that Hawaiians lived on during the war. There's even a name for it: Spam currency.

I like Spam and have eaten many a Spam sandwich in my day. When sliced thinly, it is comparable to bacon and goes well with breakfast.

The News As I See It: In the past week, several prominent men have been fired for sexual harassment and it’s being called "The Harvey Effect." Of course, none of them will see any jail time and that’s being called "The Cosby Effect."

Red Lobster announced that it will start delivering its food in New York City through a partnership with Grubhub. Yeah, because if there’s one thing that will make crappy discount seafood even worse, it’s 20 minutes on the back of a bike.

Developers are working on a hyper loop that could get you from Washington, D.C., to New York City in just 29 minutes. And once you are here, you can take a subway from Penn Station to Times Square in just four hours.

This Date In History: 1787; The first of the Federalist Papers, which called for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, was published. 1904; New York City's first rapid transit subway, the IRT, opened.

1938; Du Pont announced that it would name its new synthetic yarn nylon. 1978; Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their work toward a Middle East accord.

1997; The Dow Jones industrial average fell 554.26 points, forcing the stock market to shut down. 2004; After an 86 year wait, the Boston Red Sox finally captured a World Series trophy.

Picture Of The Day: The charm of Spam. I offtimes buy but usually it gets pushed to the back ground, That us, of course, until Mother Hubbard's Cupboard becomes a bit bare and you espy your secret little treasure that will provide for a hearty sandwich......   

Printable Things I Never Told You: 1) If you're sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat right next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, "Did you bring the money?" 2) You don't know what real fear is, until you've been cornered by a Mariachi band playing a rendition of Hotel California. 3) When I was a kid, I suffered from depression. My teacher suggested that my father take me to the zoo. He did, but I found my way home. 4) Remember, lust is not real love and Domino's is not real pizza, but both are fine when you're drunk. 5) I remember the day when my ex-wife and I decided not to have children. The kids took it pretty hard.....and that's five !

Today's Horoscope: Scorpio - October 27th: You may hear a voice in your ear saying that you are here for a purpose. Don't pay any attention to the voice, they meant to say porpoise. That is, unless you're from Miami, in which case, take heed.

Birthdays: James Cook, explorer and navigator 1728, Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president 9f the United States 1858, Emily Post, etiquette writer 1873, Dylan Thomas, poet 1914, Roy Lichtenstein, painter 1923, Sylvia Plath, poet 1932, John Cleese, actor 1939, Roberto Benigni, actor and filmmaker 1952.

The AREA 51 Retirement Home Bar And Grill: An older man went to a job interview. The Human Resources manager asked him, "What is your greatest weakness?" The man replied, "Honesty."

The Human Resources manager said, "I don't think honesty is a weakness." The older man said, "I don't really give a shit what you think."

A priest was presenting a children's sermon. During the sermon, he asked the children if they knew what the resurrection was. Now, asking questions during children's sermons is crucial, but at the same time, asking children questions in front of a congregation can also be very dangerous.

The priest asked the children if they knew the meaning of the resurrection and a little boy raised his hand. The priest called on him and the little boy said, "I know that if you have a resurrection that lasts more than four hours you're supposed to call the doctor."

The Hits Just Keep On Coming: A Jewish man is walking on the beach when he discovers a bottle containing genie. He rubs it and a genie comes out, promises to grant him one wish. He says, "Peace in the Middle east, that’s my wish."

The genie looks concerned, then says, "No, I’m sorry, that’s just not possible. Some things just can’t be changed. Do you have another wish?"

The guys says, "Well, my whole life I’ve never received oral sex from my wife. That would be my wish." The genie pauses for another moment and then says, "How would you define peace?"

A cowboy appeared before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter asked, "Have you ever done anything of particular merit?"The cowboy said, "Well, I can think of one thing."

He continued, "On a trip to the Black Hills out in South Dakota, I came upon a gang of bikers who were threatening a young woman. I directed them to leave her alone, but they wouldn't listen. So, I approached the largest and most tattooed biker and smacked him in the face, kicked his bike over, ripped out his nose ring and threw it on the ground. I yelled, "Now, back off or I'll kick the crap out of all of you!"

St. Peter was impressed. "When did this happen?" The Cowboy replied, "A couple of minutes ago."

That's it for today, my little goblins. Remember, remember that water dissolves alien beasts and witches. This information may or may not affect your balance when handing a glass of water to your mother-in-law. I'm heading over to AREA 51 for happy hour.

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More next week.

Stay Tuned !