Heymatt: I live in the Jamul darkness, and I was wondering why the Milky Way is always in view? Same place, any season, never changes. Have any ideas? -- Lions Peak Lookout I sure do. …

Hey, Matt: I'm seeing lots of advertisements for "malt beverages" that have the flavor of rum or vodka or any other liquor. Why don't the alcohol companies just make a regular rum and Coke beverage …

Hi: The other morning I woke up and found salsa splattered everywhere, a sort of minor explosion, it appeared. One of those small round plastic containers of salsa had blown the lid and its contents …

Hey: What is a shrift, and why do I care if I get a short one? -- Rick Greenburg, San Diego Shrift: noun; (1) confession of sin; (2) absolution following confession. Short shrift: noun; (1) …

Hey, Elf Master: I have a couple of questions for you about Ping Pong balls: what are they made of and how are they made? I know there are more profound questions I could ask, …

Hey Matt! Just who started the wave, and why won't it end? -- Rico, the net People are actually fighting to claim the title of Father of the Wave. More amazing, one of the candidates …

Heymatt: What's up with collecting aluminum pop-tops for kidney dialysis? Someone at work asked me to start saving the pop-tops from aluminum cans because each little teeny piece of aluminum was supposedly worth one hour …

Howdy. How and when did the practice of holding up lighters during rock concerts come about? I have a friend who insists that this practice began in 1972 at a Neil Diamond concert during his …

Dear Mr. Matt: Is there really a black hole that rebellious socks escape to when you're not looking? Is there someplace in this world where an enormous pile of lost $20 bills collects to discuss …

It's about the ants, Matt: They're everywhere inside my house. Looking for water, I hear. I understood when they hung out in the kitchen. I bought one of those ultrasonic pest repellers and that seemed …

Dear Mr. Alice: Everyone is familiar with the knocking pattern that's often associated with "shave and a haircut, two bits." I was recently in Europe and noticed that it is also used there. Can you …

Dear Mr. Alice: I have dimples and I want to know what they are. Where do they come from? -- Christopher, age 8, San Diego Tired of all those adults pinching your cheeks and cooing …

Dear M.A.: I brought up the "fact" that there is some sort of chemical or substance that is found in turkey which, when consumed, makes one sleepy. My cohorts either think I'm making this up …

Dear Matthew Alice: A number of years ago I read about a woman who had written a book of recipes she had developed that supposedly replicated the taste of the items of a number of …

Matthew: Who makes those funky looking Terminator-style shades that kind of make everybody look like Ah-nold Schwarzenegger, and is it a conspiracy or odd coincidence that only senior citizens seem to be wearing them? Do …

Hey: Does size really matter? I think it does. The long ones always flop over unless you hold them up just right. I prefer the shorter ones because you can hold them up straight easily …

Dear Matt: Where did the term Continental breakfast come from? It sure sounds big for something so small. -- Keith, the Net The name comes from the us-and-them distinction that Brits love make. There's Us …

Heymatt: So all my friends were wondering, when a woman with breast implants dies, do they remove them or bury them with her? -- Ashley, the net The elves have had a great time speculating …

Dear M.A.: Why do staplers have two settings on the base plate for the direction in which the staple bends? Everyone (I know of) uses the settings that bends the staple inward. What is the …

So, Matt: Why is there stuff in the universe? Why is there anything instead of nothing? If there used to be nothing, it makes more sense that there would still be nothing. Can you help? …

Why do ventriloquists' dummies all look alike? And why do they look so goofy? -- No Dummy, North Park Ventriloquists' dummies look like Alfred E. Newman on day three of an amphetamine jag. Enormous heads; …

Hey, Matt!: Are all the local beaches equally cloudy on any given day? Or do I have a better chance of actually seeing the sun at PB instead of Del Mar? Could you send the …

Hi, Matt: I am a fearful flyer, and I heard there are ships that you can take from the West Coast through Panama and on to the East Coast and Europe, which is where I …

Matthew: I've got two calendars. One says Thanksgiving this year is November 28. The other says it's November 21. Which is right? The calendar that says it's November 21 this year says it's on November …

Dear Matthew Alice: What is that white gook that rises to the surface when you cook fish? -- Elaine Boyd, the net Ewwww. Grandma Alice says the white gook is melted collagen, perhaps a little …

Hey, Matt: Is it true that Balboa Park was designed by the same dude that designed Central Park in New York? -- Paul Broadway, San Diego Common misconception. Well, maybe not common, since most people …

Hey, Matt: Why are people still messing up AM and PM in terms of noon and midnight? -- Anup, the net So what are you saying--noon is AM? Noon is PM? Noon is neither. Noon …

Matt: Long-time reader, first-time writer. I watch too much foodtv and have often heard that to keep your knife sharp, you should slice green peppers and such from the inside, not the skin side. It …

Dear Matthew Alice: In Rex Reed's People Are Crazy Here, in the chapter on Alfred Hitchcock he writes, "His favorite people in history are Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, and a man who murdered his …

Hey: Does sucking on a penny really help you beat a Breathalyzer? -- A Boozehound, the net Matt: Somebody sent me one of those Internet lists of interesting "facts." Is Susan Lucci really Phyllis Diller's …

Dear Matt: We all know about dog farts, but we're in disagreement about ones by cats. Do cats even fart? I figure they must, but I'm not aware that my cat of 13 years ever …

Heymatt: A friend of mine is currently on vacation, all expenses paid by you and I (the State of California). During his sojourn in San Diego County's facility, Donovan, a fellow vacationer who has a …

Dear Matthew Alice: I'm dying to know where the huge wave at the beginning of Hawaii Five-0 was filmed. -- Mark Plazak, La Jolla; and Paul Hunter, Clairemont; Jay Smith, North Park All you nonsurfers …

Dear Matt: Was Olivia Newton-John ever kissed by Albert Einstein? -- Milton F, Normal Heights Usually I don't much care which way the facts fall. True, false; you're right, you're wrong-- as long as my …

Hey, Matt: During my many years as a mechanic, I learned many handy tricks. One thing I always have in stock is Super Glue, which I've found a thousand and one uses for. I regularly …

Heymatt: So I've been waiting in traffic or maybe driving along at 40 mph, and a motorcycle blows by playing Inagaddadavida on the dummy bumps. And then I see the CHP doing the same thing. …

Hey, Matt: Why does asparagus make my pee stink? -- Anonymous, somewhere In this land of climatic sameness, how does Matthew Alice know that spring has arrived? (1) Grandma Alice packs away her winter aprons …

Hey, Matt: On a recent "where are they now" TV show, Ronny James Dio said that he wanted to be the first person to play on the moon. If we got tickets, would we be …

Hey, Matt: Yellow cheese. I have recently been informed that cheese is naturally white. That it never was yellow until someone went out of their way to color it. What's worse, I'm told they use …

Dear Matthew Alice: Why do restrooms in public buildings have those special screws that can't be removed? All the stalls seem to be put together with them, and I can't figure out what they are …

Hello Matthew: I'm a hockey fan, and I've always wondered why when a player scores three goals in one game they say he scored a hat trick. What do hats have to do with it? …

Hey Matt: Why all the goofy names for race horses? They've got names like Harlan's Holiday, Essence of Dubai, Itsallinthechase, etc. Why not Blacky or Mr. Ed or Wildfire? --Pete Collins, San Diego Rich people …

Heymatt: My job takes me down by the courthouse occasionally. The curb facing the courthouse is restricted to three-minute passenger loading and unloading. As often as not, this entire curb will be taken up by …

Movieman Matt: Why are coming attractions called "trailers"? If they come before, how can they be trailing? -- Meetoo, the net Once upon a time, looooong ago in Hollywoodland, movie theaters showed two (yes, two!) …

Heymatt: Airline passengers are packed together in tight quarters breathing recycled air. Do the airlines make sure to serve food that is less likely to cause gas so passengers aren't fumigating each other during the …

Hey, Matt: Why do radios get better reception when you hold or touch the antenna? -- Breaking Up, San Diego All the world's a big radio wave receiver. Figure a way to hook an amplifier …

Heymatt: Are the "Work at Home" ads legit or are they a scam? Does one who registers actually stuff envelopes at home and receive cash for every envelope that they mail out? I see them …

Your Mattness: I've always wondered, does my dog have a belly button? -- BJ, El Cajon Yeah, unless Phydo magically appeared full grown in his dog house one day, he had a mom, which means …

Hey, Matt: When did a TV network show people in a double bed for the first time? -- The Gang, downtown After a year or so of tracking a definitive answer to this one, we've …

Matt: Do flies get sick? Considering the environment they live in, you'd think they'd be fighting off bugs all the time. -- Bugged, La Mesa Heck yes, flies get sicker than dogs. But not very …