Facebinks.com is delivering a malicious, pop-over ad to Web sites, offering readers a chance to win a free iPad — and implying that the deal is an exclusive offer from that site — even including a deceptive trademark identifier (®) after the site’s URL at the bottom left-hand corner of the ad.

When the user tries to close the ad, another pop-up appears, with one of those “do you really want to leave this site — Yes or No” messages that make you wonder what you’re really answering “Yes or No” to if you click it.

 If this happens to you, please alert me as soon as possible. If you can, please include:

• A screen grab of your browser window
• A page script (fiddler / firebug) of the ad appearing
• Any logistical information (time the ad appeared, browser type, page URL, etc).

Advertising is a bit of a necessary evil, but I do not support any kind of browser hijacker and will never re-direct you to another url without your choosing to do so (ie. blog links you have to click yourself). Thanks in advance for your patience and do keep me informed if you happen to encounter any of this nastiness here.

On to things that are endorsed by me!

Firstly, we’ve swept up the last of the construction dust over here and with thanks to JJ over at Digital Impulse, the site is finally looking the way I want it to! If you’re in need of a good web designer I have to recommend JJ. He knows his stuff, he’s a great communicator and his rates are really reasonable.

Secondly, I picked up a book I have to share. Cyberfeasts & Foodstocks II is a collaborative effort by the International Foodwine Discussion List. Truth be told, I actually only bought it because a friend of mine is a member of the group and we always want to support our people but I was incredibly impressed when it arrived.  It’s two hundred and fifty recipes thick and loaded with tips and tricks from professional chefs, caterers and food hobbyists like myself. (People who like to cook and eat; I don’t like the word “foodie”.)

It starts with a really touching memorial to Bob Pastorio, kitchen guru and by all accounts wonderful guy who is very much missed by the whole community since his passing. The chapter that follows is the Pastorio Fundamentals, which basically teaches how to make anything from anything for any occasion. So far I’ve only made a couple of the anything risottos and cream of anything soups. The whole chapter is an invitation to fearlessly step out of your culinary comfort zones and find your own favourite combos.

Everything in here looks fantastic, but between you and me, the recipe for eggplant patties alone is worth the price of the book.



While I was digging up reference, I tripped across a couple of sites that talked about how much advertising has changed since…pretty much the beginning of advertising. (The second oldest profession.) Before I know it, I’m completely side-tracked and reading through site after site of this stuff. By today’s standards, a lot of it would be considered ridiculous at best. Racist, sexist and outright liable at the worst. Either way, the “diet” and “health” ads cracked me up so I had to share at least a few of them.

Let’s start with the Camay Soap Diet! When I saw this I was secretly hoping that it was telling women to eat soap, as it turns out though, you can lose all the weight you want just by washing your face a couple of times a day. And here I’ve been wasting all of that time and money at the gym! In fairness I have to admit that it’s hard to eat and wash your face at the same time so I suppose there is some merit there.

The sugar solution!! This is awesome. My sister in law is a nutritionist and I think these would really make her head spin. Apparently, sugar is a great source of energy so you can under eat at mealtime! YES! And the sooner you start your baby on cola, the sooner you can really get to work on that ADD and obesity problem after all, what’s milk but empty vitamins?  All the  good mom’s are doin’ it.

Not into sugar? No problem! Not as long as there’s tapeworms! Perfect for the diabetic crowd. And don’t worry, they’ve been sanitized! (whew) Nothing worse than an unsanitized tape worm. Who knows where they’ve been? Just don’t forget to wash your hands before taking your sanitized tape worms.

Cigarettes are a great way to stay slender. Nothing like cancer to really shake off that last ten pounds. Careful though, the surgeon general warns that smoking may harm your tape worm.

The other thing I re-discovered was Google analytics. Josh installed that for me ages ago and I hadn’t checked it since. As it turns out, my Mum is not the only one reading this stuff. (Hi everybody!) I was genuinely shocked and delighted to see the numbers and all the different countries people are coming from! So much fun. (I know, I’m a total tourist.) Truthfully, at the moment I find myself with a touch of stage fright, but in that fun-excited kind of way.

It’s been suggested that I get serious about advertising and I have been looking at Project Wonderful and a few other ad sites, but I’m reluctant to jump in. Which is funny because I always thought that the minute I had a good idea I’d sell out faster than you can say “Garfield”.

I really like doing the comics, I like learning about building my site, I like the social interaction and the community, it’s a hobby for me. I have a goal to get a nice thick book together, but I’m really afraid of turning this into “work”. I draw for a living and frankly, that can really take the fun out of it, sometimes to the point of discouragement. This is what I do to get away from deadlines and pressure and just have something to remember why I love drawing. It doesn’t have to be perfect, (frequently isn’t) and I like that, I like that it evolves, it’s very freeing. I like to keep a schedule for discipline sake, but if I miss a deadline, nobody’s yelling. And sometimes I have to miss deadlines for work, or life-stuff. If I have advertisers, there’s a real obligation to someone else…Which is not to say obligation to readers isn’t valuable, it absolutely is, but when there’s money involved, that’s a whole other beast.

Lots to think about but it’s looking more and more like fish-or-cut-bait time.

Since it’s a whole page now I’ve added some Promises Promises banners, links to some of my super-talented friends, (waiting on banners from others so check back) favourite comics and favourite health and fitness resources.  (Say what you want to about reality TV, I’m probably right there with you but biggestloser.com is a fantastic site and let’s face it, that Bob Harper is a cutie!) Heh, I should put up a Team Promises on the Biggest Loser Club and see how we all do… That will have to be a project for another time.

Excuses aside, I got the left sidebar all spiffed up. I’m pretty pleased about that.  New links banner and some space between my super-talented friends link icons.  Check them out, if you get a chance, they are awesome people.  Also, a new header under links for “Appearances”. Ta-Daaah!  My buddy Brian and I will be sketching it up at Toronto Fan Expo again this August and we will also be doing the kid’s comics talk at the Toronto Public Library as part of their Keep Toronto Reading program in April. We did that one last year too, it was a great time.  We’re hoping to get back to SPX again in the fall, but that will depend on the budget so we’ll have to see, but if you’re around please say hello, always great to meet new people.

The next big hurtle for the site will be to figure out how to get some ad space sold.  I’m looking at Project Wonderful and a couple of other ad-generators, but I have to admit, I’m particular about content.  I want to keep this a PG site and some of those ads can get a little racy.  Must do more reading but if anyone has any helpful hints, please drop me an email, I can use all the advice I can get.

Also, I don’t think I mentioned it yet but thanks to my super awesome readers we got our Facebook vanity URL!  We are http://www.facebook.com/Promisescomic.  That is probably WAY more exciting to me than it should be, but having the bump was a lot of fun.  I think we’re up to 43 friends as I’m writing this.  As I’ve said, more friends are always welcome and feel free to comment or drop a recipe to the alternative kitchen.  Thanks again for joining up. You guys are a lot of fun.