Hey Matt: One day I was daydreaming out the window instead of working, in a high-rise building downtown. I noticed a fly parked on the widow outside. Being as I was on the 33rd floor, …
September 9, 2004
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
High-altitude flies
A billion by any other name
Hey Matt: I know that a rose by any other name is still a rose, but why are a billion roses in the U.S. 999,000,000 fewer roses than I'd get if I asked for the …
September 2, 2004
Matthew H. Alice!
Matt H. Alice: What does the H stand for in the expression "Jesus H. Christ"? -- Curious, San Diego The word origin guys actually take this question seriously and offer serious answers, a little too …
August 19, 2004
Oh, Deer
Matt Alice: On the streets that go through the canyons of Mira Mesa and Sorrento Mesa, you'll see yellow caution signs advising of deer. There used to be several herds there before Mira Mesa was …
August 19, 2004
Idle dishwashers
HeyMatt: If you ever want to outsource, I could answer half of the questions that you publish with no research at all. Why don't you answer one of the true mysteries of our time, namely, …
August 19, 2004
Pot? Poppies? What's the difference?
High, Matt: If I had a garden full of marijuana, I'd get a visit from the cops. My neighbor has a garden full of poppies. Why hasn't anybody raided her house? -- Lawnboy, San Diego …
August 5, 2004
"Chicano." Insulting?
Hey Matt! Where does the term "Chicano" come from? Is there a country called "Chican"? My family considered it a derogatory name for Americans of Mexican descent, derived in Texas in the aftermath of the …
August 5, 2004
A ticket to ride
Heymatt: Doesn't the U.S. government pay the airfare when they deport someone? Let's say a Chinese guy is here illegally, and then one day he decides he'd like to go home. Couldn't he just advise …
July 29, 2004
Sigh...
Hey, Matt: Why do we sigh? And on an unrelated note, do the toilet seat covers in public restrooms actually do anything? — Amy, sitting and sighing In with the good air; out with the …
July 29, 2004
Don't buzz Mickey!
Hey: On all my visits to Disneyland, I have never seen an airplane or helicopter fly over the Magic Kingdom. Was Disneyland able to get some kind of ordinance prohibiting aircraft from flying over? Does …
July 29, 2004
Whazzup? North
Matt: On a recent road trip I was navigating while my friend drove. At one point, I turned the map upside down, since we were going south and I was having trouble remembering to switch …
July 22, 2004