Ah, the Spam!

So, if you’re like me (and I kind of hope for your sake that you’re not), you can’t hear the word Spam without thinking of this:

It sets you thinking of musical Vikings, Spam and eggs, and deciding that maybe you’ll order the Lobster Thermidor.

But if you’re a blogger, you get another kind of Spam; one that has nothing to do with eggs or even Lobster Thermidor. You get a weekly dose of seemingly helpful people sending you comments about your blog, many of which offer you special search engine optimization services, helpful hints on buying penny stocks, and other kindnesses.

I’m a bit weird this way, I guess, because I actually read my spam, both the items posted on my blog(s) and the ones I receive in email. You see, every now and then the spam filter gets it wrong and something important ends up in there. So this morning, I went out to the spam filter, looked through about 30+ items that piled up last week, and found…nothing useful whatsoever.

So why do I keep reading it? Hope springs eternal, I guess, and sometimes the spam is funny. Like the days when I get ads via email for Christian Mingle, J-Date, and hot Eastern European ladies offering services of a type that I can’t and won’t use. Apparently these email friends are confused not only about my religion but also my taste in dating. That, along with Canadian pharmacies offering selected pharmaceuticals (again, can’t and won’t use) draws an interesting picture. Need a knock-off Rolex? I think I can set you up.

On my very lucky days, I get a number of people wanting to send me money if only I give them a bank account to transfer it into. On those days, I think about how lucky I am that 1) I know it’s fake and 2) I am smart enough not to fall for it.

Silly folks; if only they would spam me with advertisements offering free shipments of yarn or sheep fleeces, they might raise my attention.

Next time you’re bored, go read your spam and let me know in the comments who is sending you this virtual love. Happy reading! (Just don’t reply!!)