Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for September 01, 2010

Thank you for your comment yesterday, B. Monk.

It would be nice if the only spam here today is the can in his duffel bag.

Spam, Spam, Spam……….

I’ll have the Spam, Spam, Baked Beans, Spam, Spam and Spam.

Spam, wonderful Spam!

Spam will give you a case of “dire rear”…

Rub on the Spam for mosquito repellent………….

I’m thinking mom might be willing to paddle off with them.

All, spams also build character. :) That’s why, maybe, we all hate it.

Calvin has to get a firewall up for those spammers……….

Nuclear Mosquitos? Were they mutated by exposure to Doctor Toon’s Nuclear Coffee?

Someone asked yesterday: Why does building character always involve something we really don’t want to do?

Mostly, because human nature is naturally resistant to God’s perfect Law.

That said, it’s also because human nature is naturally resistant to other humans’ brilliant displays of illogic.

Not sure I could handle this much character.

Doesn’t feeding spam to a kid nowadays constitute cruel and unusual punishment?

Spam and scalloped potatoes made in the electric frying pan. Love it when the potatoes get golden brown on the bottom. Yum. Still a crowd favorite. Thanks Mom!

Nuclear mosquitoes? Every day I thank God that I am alive and can see the sun, flowers and all he has created with my own eyes!!

They’ve been into Doc’s coffee.

More spam ! How fitting ! Do these spammers ever bother to read the comic on top ?

This may be the first time our friendly neighbourhood spammers have made such an accurate product placement!

Let’s not flag this spam.

Then again, let’s also not check out the link…

I tried some Spam the other day for the first time in about 40 years. I’ll try it again in another 40.

… builds character. Yeah, whatever

“Builds Character” = If it doesn’t kill you, you’ll still be alive.

Hate spam cold, but get it in a frying pan ain’t bad. Makes a good hot sandwich.

\\//_

Spam (the meat) is a fine and misunderstood food.

Spam and tomato sandwich, Mmmmm. Delicious.

Spam is best served…to the garbage can. Lighten up, Calvin.

Good Morning, Marg, Mike & ♠Lonewolf♠!

I think I would be on the canoe!! Spam and I ARE NOT FRIENDS!

“Diarrhea builds character !!” Dear BW that is the funniest thing which I have heard of.

Character building vs creature comfort.

Hi guyS.. can someOne tell me what does the word “spam” from the last panel refers to..??

Baked Beans are off!!

Actually, Dad, you’ve got it wrong. Adversity doesn’t BUILD character; it REVEALS character. Open your eyes and learn what it’s revealing about you (namely, that you can’t read a room to save your life) and your family (namely, that they HATE camping with a passion and will NEVER conform to your “Swiss Family Robinson” ideal), and also learn that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result each time!

Calvin, is there any room left in that canoe for me?

Gnasher -

It’s a low-grade sort of ham (made by Hormel I think) that gets compressed and sold in little rectangular cans. It seems to be packed in a sort of grease or fat. Rightly or wrongly, it’s become a synonym for cheap, bad tasting meat.

“…If all this character doesn’t kill me first.” Sounds like something I would’ve said at his age.

Also spam, as a lot of other thing we use everyday comes to us by way of the US military.

Including: M&M’s, those meals that sit on the shelf, and come to life in the micowave.

A lot of stuff.

\\//_

@Gnasher Slasher SPAM is a canned precooked meat, here is photo http://bit.ly/9QgdfA

I haven’t had Spam in years. All these comments and having not had breakfast yet, almost makes me want to pick up a can at the store….almost.

And do what with it, cleokaya? :-)

I’m surprised no one has posted this link yet of the MPFC Spam skit.

Lewreader, your avatar is one fat cat!

‘Canoe’ really strike out for home, Calvin?

“…we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works patience.” Romans 5:3 “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.” James 1:3 Patience is a key element in developing character, Calvin. The ‘spammers’ are out in droves this morning. Have patience!

LeslieAnne, Do you like pemmican or turkey-jerky better than Spam?

SPAM is a brand of canned meat. While most people think of their original pork shoulder product, they also have turkey, beef, etc, etc,. Personally, while I would be grateful for canned meat in an emergency, I much prefer drying as a method of preserving meat. Turkey Jerky is my favorite.

…bloody Vikings…

One man’s Spam is another mans Prime Rib…

The WAIKIKI SPAM JAM® is a street festival that celebrates the people of Hawaii’s love for SPAM®, a canned meat from Hormel Foods. In Hawaii, you will find SPAM® at all grocery and convenience stores, many restaurants and in most homes in Hawaii.

This street festival is great for all ages, as the event includes Hawaii’s top restaurants, two stages with free entertainment,and a variety of Hawaiian crafters. This is also a special event that benefits the Hawaii Food Bank, the largest non-profit in Hawaii that feeds the needy.

XD @ “that reminds me”

gnasher – SPAM has been around since the late 1930s. It was used by the US military extensively during WWII, in part accounting for its popularity in the Pacific (Hawaii, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, the Phillipines, Saipan, Samoa, etc.).

As a canned and preserved product, its shelf-life seems just about infinite, and in the event of emergency it comes with in a can that can be opened with the attached key.

All in all, much more useful than the the stuff that clogs our e-mail.

Puddleglum2…. NONE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED!! Thank you very much! But IF i had to choose turkey jerky!!

Don’t worry, Calvin, Spam Egg Sausage and Spam has not got much spam in it, according to Terry Jones. Hey, see if you can get Egg Bacon Spam and Sausage without the Spam (EWGH!).

WHAT DO YOU MEAN “EWGH”, I DON’T LIKE SPAM!

That’s what I’m talking about, Soldierboy!

yum soldierboy – just don’t look too closely at the ingredient label on the can. in fact, ignore it.

Dad hide the paddles in or near your sleeping bag maybe he will not try anything with out them.

david5992 said, about 2 hours ago

gnasher – SPAM has been around since the late 1930s. It was used by the US military extensively during WWII, in part accounting for its popularity in the Pacific (Hawaii, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, the Phillipines, Saipan, Samoa, etc.).

It was also quite popular in Britain during and after the war–maybe still is, but I don’t know either way.

My mother used to fry spam instead of sausage for breakfast when I was a kid. She also made spam, lettuce, tomato and mayo sandwiches too. While I haven’t had one of these (sandwiches) in years and don’t really recall what it tasted like, it must have been good because I’m wanting one right now!

Hmmmm, good! Nothing as tasty as a hearty breakfast of a slab of fried SPAM, gravy made from the resulting drippings, fresh biscuits, O’Brien potatoes, scrambled eggs cooked with a dolop of sour cream per two eggs in butter, and home canned blackberry/orange jam.

Followed by a trip to the OR for by-pass surgery! LOL

“Kill” reminds Dad of Spam? It ain’t THAT bad. (But it ain’t very good.)

@billdi,

Actually, Spam has no meat by-products like a lot of canned, processed meat.

Pork shoulder is decent meat, just hard to separate from the tendons and ligaments. In 1937, Hormel found a cheap way to process these cuts.

I heard an economist say he would invest in SPAM before he would gold. And those sandwiches metioned above were my husband’s favorite in tomato season, and the bread had to be that squishy white Wonder bread. I’d fix them, but not eat them. Now fried SPAM is good, and great to have in the pantry.

It’s all in the mind, Calvin!

Hi, Mike, Marg & Grog!

Hum. Got spam?

I absolutely LOVE these “camping” episodes. They have got to be some of the funniest things that have happened on C and H.

Here’s the final skinny on Hormel’s SPAM (SPiced hAM..).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(food)

..got a can on the shelf (been there for decades) maybe the next time i get a midnite munchie attack, i’ll dice it up, & toss it in the skillet, along with what ever else is in the fridge..

SoldierBoy, did we grow up in the same household? I ALWAYS have a can of(low sodium) Spam in the cupboard because there are times I just have to have a fried Spam sammich! Then my daughter will either join me (or not recognize me) when I start marching and singing the Spam Song from Monty Python! Spam, Wonderful Spam!!! She likes hers cold, cubed, and put on toothpicks with chunked pineapple.

Better yet Calvin, use your old man’s credit card to call a cab with his cellphone. Let your parents dink around in the canoe all they want. Of course, having a first class house, with all the amenities by a lake is another matter entirely, of course. My family’s outings were complete horror shows as one of the diad was an active alcoholic/rageaholic. At least I learned, by myself, to cook a pretty decent steak as no one else was either able, or if they were in the middle of a really good arguement, willing to do it.

I’m pretty sure Calvin grows up to be Frazz from Frazz.

dsom8, good question.

@Ldywldkat,

Do you live there? Which island?

@Puddleglum2,

One of my favorite passages. Although I can’t figure out why the chapter starts where it does.

Thanx musicnut for the link – that was great!!

Oh wow..thanks guys for explaining to me what “spam” is.. haha..I never knew that canned meat is also known as spam..

Did someone menchen spam?

SHUT UP! SHUT UP!

“Saying ‘Builds Character’ does not build character”, says Calvin.