Paul Murray's weblog, with news you may have missed and my $0.02 worth on a number of topics.

"You can't make up anything anymore. The world itself is a satire. All you're doing is recording it."
- Art Buchwald

I bet you don't have a friend who's an acupuncturist

E-mail me: pmurray [at] despammed.com

Best use of QuickTime virtual reality? So far I'd say that it's this cool 360-degree panoramic view from the top of Mt. Everest. I hear there are some other cool views there, but I haven't had time to look yet.

(See, I'm still here. Been a bit overwhelmed with work, etc.)
posted by Paul Murray at 12:51 AM | permanent link |

Blockbuster goes letterbox. Yaay! After years of buying pan-and-scan (aka "full-screen," a somewhat misleading term) versions of movies of DVD, Blockbuster is switching to the letterbox format that preserves the original aspect ratio. If you're interested, here's a good explanation of why letterbox is the superior format (although I know some people who hate it).
posted by Paul Murray at 3:18 PM | permanent link |

The real "Saving Private Lynch" story? This Toronto Star story, based upon interviews with the hospital's medical staff, paints quite a different picture of her rescue.

The medical team that cared for Lynch at the hospital formerly known as Saddam Hospital is only now beginning to appreciate how grand a myth was built around the four hours the U.S. raiding party spent with them early on April Fool's Day.

And they are disappointed.

posted by Paul Murray at 2:37 PM | permanent link |

Shut up is right. Today's WSJ reports on one of the more annoying linguistic trends: using the phrase "shut up!" in the sense of "no kidding," etc.
posted by Paul Murray at 12:43 PM | permanent link |