Spam Comments - A Quick Peek

I've been noticing an increase in comment spam making an appearance in my blog posts. Comment spam is mass-produced comments designed to lure visitors to other websites where spammers can rack up page views, or deliver malicious content such as tracking cookies, viruses or other malware.

I guess I should feel flattered that my blog is starting to attract enough traffic to lure these sleazy spammers. I have to delete a few comments that make it past Google's spam filter on an almost daily basis.

Here are a few examples of the comment spam I'm seeing. Notice that the comments are very non-specific; they could apply to almost any blog, a huge sign that it's spam. Also, every comment has a link to the website the spammers are trying to lure people to, another red flag. Some spam simply makes no sense, and of course ALL of them are anonymous.

So, for your reading pleasure, here are some spam comments I've received (and removed):

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• It is the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have learn this post and if I could I wish to counsel you few attention-grabbing issues or advice. Maybe you can write subsequent articles relating to this article. I want to learn even more issues approximately it! Feel free to surf to my blog :: xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx

• I am sure this paragraph has touched all the internet viewers, its really really pleasant article on building up new weblog. Here is my site xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx

• I'm not sure exactly why but this blog is loading incredibly slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a issue on my end? I'll check back later and see if the problem still exists. My website xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx

• You're so interesting! I do not think I have read through anything like this before. So wonderful to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the web, someone with a little originality! My blog post: xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx

Calvin and Hobbes in the Real World

I love these! A blogger by the name of Nite4awk has Photoshopped Calvin and Hobbes into real life photos, giving this marvelous comic strip a whole new dimension.

As you know, I love Calvin and Hobbes; it was one of the best written, best illustrated comic strips of modern times, a true work of art created by a man committed to the craft of cartooning. It was also the last of the great newspaper comic strips, the end of a glorious era of the funnies.

What do we have in the newspapers now? 

Stale, painfully unfunny, horribly produced sludge like Hi and Lois, Hagar The Horrible, Beetle Bailey, The Wizard of Id, Blondie...the list goes on. These strips have long ceased having any kind of original (not to mention amusing) content at all. It's obvious the artists are just going through the motions, stretching out a tired pun or a lame cliche into a two or three panel strip in order to make the golf course by tee-time.

To see a review of some of the best and worst comic strips (including Calvin and Hobbes), click HERE.

Bill Watterson, in contrast, is a true artist, a man committed to the quality and integrity of his strip. Looking at these pictures makes me sad that we will not see any new Calvin and Hobbes strips, and the world is a sadder place because of it.

To see the fine gallery of these creations, click on Calvin & Hobbes below.

Children's Storybook About Travelling

You're in for a treat! This is a very beautiful story book for children I found on the Internet Archives (a gold mind of open-source and copyright free music, texts, video and documents). This is a beautifully illustrated storybook called Abroad about travelling from England to other parts of the world.

There is no date on the book, but judging by the style of dress I would estimate early 1900s. Anyone out there want to provide some educated guesses? Leave them in the comments. Click on each page for a super-sized view. To save, right-click, select "open in new tab", and click on the image in the new tab to make it super big, then save.

These illustrations are gorgeous . Enjoy!