Working backwards:

Our last stop on the way out of Minnesota was the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. In general I consider myself a recovering ironist, but one’s appreciation of such an institution must of necessity be somewhat ironic, and the museum seemed to encourage this. The famous Monty Python Spam skit was given prominent play, complete with a full-size reproduction of the diner where the sketch was set. On the other hand, the common usage of the word “spam” to refer to unwanted email was nowhere mentioned; apparently Hormel Foods’ sense of humor only goes so far.

On the whole, though, I must doff my cap to the Spam Museum; it is a true triumph of modern marketing, and achieved its goal of getting me to reconsider my whole attitude toward Spam. The samples of a black-pepper-flavored variety they brought around were not bad at all. I am considering investing in a sizable stock for my emergency kit; there could be worse things to eat when the end times arrive.