Paul Murray
@pmurray63.bsky.social
Insights, opinions and wisecracks on a variety of topics. Have/will never use a Musk or Zuck product (among others). Zero tolerance for trolls, conspiracy nuts and spammers.
Happy Birthday, Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).
Some people here are posting their top 5 films of his. I need 11 (mostly unranked):
1. North by Northwest
Vertigo
Psycho
The Lady Vanishes
The 39 Steps
Shadow of a Doubt
Foreign Correspondent
Strangers on a Train
Notorious
Rear Window
To Catch a Thief
Some people here are posting their top 5 films of his. I need 11 (mostly unranked):
1. North by Northwest
Vertigo
Psycho
The Lady Vanishes
The 39 Steps
Shadow of a Doubt
Foreign Correspondent
Strangers on a Train
Notorious
Rear Window
To Catch a Thief
August 13, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Happy Birthday, Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).
Some people here are posting their top 5 films of his. I need 11 (mostly unranked):
1. North by Northwest
Vertigo
Psycho
The Lady Vanishes
The 39 Steps
Shadow of a Doubt
Foreign Correspondent
Strangers on a Train
Notorious
Rear Window
To Catch a Thief
Some people here are posting their top 5 films of his. I need 11 (mostly unranked):
1. North by Northwest
Vertigo
Psycho
The Lady Vanishes
The 39 Steps
Shadow of a Doubt
Foreign Correspondent
Strangers on a Train
Notorious
Rear Window
To Catch a Thief
That didn't stop them from making a TV series (a prequel) a decade later.
It lasted all of five episodes, but it actually won an Emmy (for cinematography).
It lasted all of five episodes, but it actually won an Emmy (for cinematography).
August 1, 2025 at 4:53 AM
That didn't stop them from making a TV series (a prequel) a decade later.
It lasted all of five episodes, but it actually won an Emmy (for cinematography).
It lasted all of five episodes, but it actually won an Emmy (for cinematography).
A few years after Ted's previous gig guarding Norman Bates.
June 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
A few years after Ted's previous gig guarding Norman Bates.
... [two surviving] Ritz Brothers stepping into the Stooges' shoes and released as Blazing Stewardesses (1975).
(While you may not know the name, you'd recognize Emil Sitka on sight. He was the only actor to work with all six Stooges, and his tombstone includes his most famous line!)
(While you may not know the name, you'd recognize Emil Sitka on sight. He was the only actor to work with all six Stooges, and his tombstone includes his most famous line!)
May 30, 2025 at 5:55 AM
... [two surviving] Ritz Brothers stepping into the Stooges' shoes and released as Blazing Stewardesses (1975).
(While you may not know the name, you'd recognize Emil Sitka on sight. He was the only actor to work with all six Stooges, and his tombstone includes his most famous line!)
(While you may not know the name, you'd recognize Emil Sitka on sight. He was the only actor to work with all six Stooges, and his tombstone includes his most famous line!)
Wiki says Larry's stroke was in 1970, and this didn't come out until '75. But it also says there was an attempt to replace him with Emil Sitka, so ... ?
While they were in two later movies, I like to think of their farewell as being the brilliant cameo in 1963's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
While they were in two later movies, I like to think of their farewell as being the brilliant cameo in 1963's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
May 30, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Wiki says Larry's stroke was in 1970, and this didn't come out until '75. But it also says there was an attempt to replace him with Emil Sitka, so ... ?
While they were in two later movies, I like to think of their farewell as being the brilliant cameo in 1963's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
While they were in two later movies, I like to think of their farewell as being the brilliant cameo in 1963's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
I chose to be amused by this category on Jeopardy Masters tonight. I imagine some people might disagree.
May 22, 2025 at 3:42 AM
I chose to be amused by this category on Jeopardy Masters tonight. I imagine some people might disagree.
See, the NYT gets it, too!
Make clearer graphics, Bloomberg.
Make clearer graphics, Bloomberg.
May 5, 2025 at 8:53 PM
See, the NYT gets it, too!
Make clearer graphics, Bloomberg.
Make clearer graphics, Bloomberg.
"The interior decoration of graphics generates a lot of ink that does not tell the viewer anything new. The purpose of decoration varies—to make the graphic appear more scientific and precise, to enliven the display, to give the designer an opportunity to exercise artistic skills...." 1/2
May 5, 2025 at 7:39 PM
"The interior decoration of graphics generates a lot of ink that does not tell the viewer anything new. The purpose of decoration varies—to make the graphic appear more scientific and precise, to enliven the display, to give the designer an opportunity to exercise artistic skills...." 1/2
I learned only a few years ago that the producers of Mission Impossible tried to replace Peter Lupus with a young, clean-shaven Sam Elliott during season 5 ... but the show's fans were NOT having it. Never officially fired, Lupus returned for good in season 6.
April 25, 2025 at 9:41 PM
I learned only a few years ago that the producers of Mission Impossible tried to replace Peter Lupus with a young, clean-shaven Sam Elliott during season 5 ... but the show's fans were NOT having it. Never officially fired, Lupus returned for good in season 6.
I see what she did there ...
April 25, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I see what she did there ...
Newsflash: News outlets are capable of reporting more than one story per day.
April 8, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Newsflash: News outlets are capable of reporting more than one story per day.
Here's a good visual illustration of how thoroughly intermeshed the North American auto industry industry is. It's a rear suspension from an unnamed midsize crossover, showing the countries the parts originate from. Now imagine adding 25% to the CA and MX ones.
www.autonews.com/opinion/colu...
www.autonews.com/opinion/colu...
March 23, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Here's a good visual illustration of how thoroughly intermeshed the North American auto industry industry is. It's a rear suspension from an unnamed midsize crossover, showing the countries the parts originate from. Now imagine adding 25% to the CA and MX ones.
www.autonews.com/opinion/colu...
www.autonews.com/opinion/colu...
Another jazz great appeared as the mystery guest in the early to mid 1970s: Dizzy Gillespie (although the graphics person misspelled his name!).
Once again, Soupy Sales made the ID, and by his given name yet: John Birks Gillespie. From that and other guests, I suspect that Soupy was a jazz fan.
Once again, Soupy Sales made the ID, and by his given name yet: John Birks Gillespie. From that and other guests, I suspect that Soupy was a jazz fan.
March 22, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Another jazz great appeared as the mystery guest in the early to mid 1970s: Dizzy Gillespie (although the graphics person misspelled his name!).
Once again, Soupy Sales made the ID, and by his given name yet: John Birks Gillespie. From that and other guests, I suspect that Soupy was a jazz fan.
Once again, Soupy Sales made the ID, and by his given name yet: John Birks Gillespie. From that and other guests, I suspect that Soupy was a jazz fan.
The diamond heart pendant was popularized in part by Arlene Francis, who received hers as a gift from husband Martin Gabel. She wore it constantly for about 40 years, and everyone saw it on tv.
In the early 70s, a jeweler who had licensed the rights to sell a replica appeared on What’s My Line.
In the early 70s, a jeweler who had licensed the rights to sell a replica appeared on What’s My Line.
March 21, 2025 at 3:08 AM
The diamond heart pendant was popularized in part by Arlene Francis, who received hers as a gift from husband Martin Gabel. She wore it constantly for about 40 years, and everyone saw it on tv.
In the early 70s, a jeweler who had licensed the rights to sell a replica appeared on What’s My Line.
In the early 70s, a jeweler who had licensed the rights to sell a replica appeared on What’s My Line.
Soupy Sales had a great ear for identifying mystery guests on What’s My Line? But actress Joan Fontaine used a deep voice that thoroughly fooled him; he guessed she was Jon Voight, which got a huge laugh.
Fontaine was particularly amused that her friend Arlene Francis couldn’t identify her.
Fontaine was particularly amused that her friend Arlene Francis couldn’t identify her.
March 8, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Soupy Sales had a great ear for identifying mystery guests on What’s My Line? But actress Joan Fontaine used a deep voice that thoroughly fooled him; he guessed she was Jon Voight, which got a huge laugh.
Fontaine was particularly amused that her friend Arlene Francis couldn’t identify her.
Fontaine was particularly amused that her friend Arlene Francis couldn’t identify her.
Early in the run of the syndicated version of What’s My Line?, circa 1968, Arlene Francis was delighted when her longtime panelist friend from the network version Bennett Cerf showed up as the mystery guest.
They had sat next to each other each Sunday night for more than a decade and a half.
They had sat next to each other each Sunday night for more than a decade and a half.
March 1, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Early in the run of the syndicated version of What’s My Line?, circa 1968, Arlene Francis was delighted when her longtime panelist friend from the network version Bennett Cerf showed up as the mystery guest.
They had sat next to each other each Sunday night for more than a decade and a half.
They had sat next to each other each Sunday night for more than a decade and a half.
For some reason, I was really struck by a resemblance in one of your pics ...
February 25, 2025 at 9:48 PM
For some reason, I was really struck by a resemblance in one of your pics ...
Americans looking at Stellantis keep bringing up how sales at the Dodge and Chrysler brands have shrunk. But look at Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia and DS.
This Reuters article gets into the complexity of Stellantis figuring out which brands to keep going forward.
This Reuters article gets into the complexity of Stellantis figuring out which brands to keep going forward.
February 24, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Americans looking at Stellantis keep bringing up how sales at the Dodge and Chrysler brands have shrunk. But look at Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia and DS.
This Reuters article gets into the complexity of Stellantis figuring out which brands to keep going forward.
This Reuters article gets into the complexity of Stellantis figuring out which brands to keep going forward.
Announcement: “The part of Odd Job will be played in this performance by Trump aide Stephen Cheung.”
February 20, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Announcement: “The part of Odd Job will be played in this performance by Trump aide Stephen Cheung.”