Dearest Matt: I received a "red light" citation many months ago in the mail and never took care of it. A friend of mine also received a citation (hers was on a traffic stop) over …

Hey matt: I just love peanuts. I know they are good for you -- great protein, good type of fat -- just a great snack. My question is, can I eat the shell too? My …

Dear Matt: I'm hoping you can settle a bet between my boyfriend and I. I say my lips have gotten pale from the use of lipstick over the years. He says my lips are pale …

Matthew: What is the best question you have ever been asked? Also, how do you feel about parentheses? -- Jay, University City Mr. Alice: When I get to the end of this sentence, why will …

dear matt: How did a dozen red roses get to be "the one"? What's wrong with seven yellow dandelions? -- matt, the net Nothing. It's just that the rose industry had a better marketing team …

Dear MA and the elves: What causes the quavery "old" sound of some elderly people's voices? And is there anything I can do to prevent it in my voice as I age? -- Toni, the …

Matt: My brother has this old autograph from Mick Jagger that his girlfriend gave him back in the 80s. He has it locked away and says it's valuable and will only get more valuable. I …

Heymatt: What exactly is El Centro the center of? Hmmmmm? -- N. Everyman, Ubiquity El Centro from the beginning was a city with a purpose. W.F. Holt and C.A. Barker bought the land for the …

Dear Matthew Alice: Why do people scratch their heads when they are trying to think of an answer? Does it work? M.S., San Diego The perfect M.A. question, of course. The elves apply digits to …

Hey, Matt: How did fish get up into the mountains? Was there an earthquake and the mountains raised up and the fishies went with them in little pools of water? Or was it a water …

Dear Wise One: Can you tell me the history of the paper airplane? I know the first airplanes and gliders were glorified box kites. I also am aware that sheet paper has been around for …

Hey, Matt: Recently several news stories have mentioned that Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, is the second queen consort to lie in state. Who was the first? I say it was Jane Seymour, the consort …

Dear Matthew Alice: Recently my partner found himself standing inside of a huge swarm of bees on Midway Drive, near the Sports Arena-West Point Loma Boulevard intersection. He described the swarm as about as tall …

Hello, Matt: With all these energy drinks out lately and my full agenda, I've found myself hooked (on Red Bull). I'm up to one or two a day. What I'm wondering is how safe are …

Almighty Alice! When I was a kid growing up in Tierrasanta, we had popcorn ceilings (you know, that stuff that looks like cottage cheese?). My apartment in Point Loma has the same stuff, and I …

Hey, Matt: Why is corned beef called corned beef? Is there corn in it? Is corn used in processing it? -- Mark, Carlsbad The cow might have eaten corn before it became beef, but that's …

Hi! How are ya? Whatever became of cars with "suicide" doors? And why were they called suicide doors? I've heard a couple of different stories, but figured you'd know the real poop. -- Meyers, the …

Matt: I've heard that space is full of astronaut pee. Is this correct? -- Wondering, San Diego Correct. But it's not exactly like they're taking a leak over the side of a boat. Before recent …

Hey, Matt: If all of the proceeds of Paul Newman's food line goes to charity, how does anybody who works there make any money? --Ashley Chafin, the net Instead of Paul Newman, a certified icon, …

What's the deal, Matt: I was driving up the 805 the other day and I noticed a freeway exit sign that said "Maric College." Right after that was another sign that said "National University." These …

Heymatt: Which came first, gummy bears the candy or gummy bears the cartoon? -- Carolyn, the net Add this to your body of critical knowledge. Gummies, the relentless candy, long predate Gummies, the idiotic cartoon. …

Hey, Matt: What happens when a TV commercial starts and then gets blipped off after only a few seconds of running? Do companies monitor the programming to make sure the commercials they've paid for actually …

Hey, Matt: I've lived in Southern California for nine years and have heard many times in traffic reports the term "sig alert." I know that this means you're screwed if you're driving anywhere, but I …

Hey, Matt: Even though I know it is not safe to ingest bleach, I was wondering if pure bleach would harm your teeth? Trust me, I know how absurd it sounds, but it is so …

Hey, Matt: I was recently driving by the Dolly Parton memorial (San Onofre), and I noticed that the sea gulls and all other types of flying things are clustered on the north dome, and it's …

Hey, Matthew! I have a lot of memories about favorite snack foods from when I was growing up, none of which are on the market today. My strongest memory was Scooter Pies, a lot like …

Ahoy, Matt: I've noticed that many of our canine friends seem to walk, um, well, sort of sideways. It's like their hind legs are going faster than the front ones and are catching up. Usually …

Hey: Do the Keebler elves have names? Are they related to your elves? -- Skitch, Solana Beach To Matthew Alice: Recently I bought a box of crackers, specifically a 16-oz. box labeled Krispy original. The …

Matt: Why does a lightbulb burn out just as you turn it on and never when it's been on for a while? -- LLN, La Jolla As a lighted bulb glows away, minute bits of …

OK, I got a question for ya: What are those weird patterns and designs and colors you see when you close your eyes and push on your eyeballs with your hands? What is that? How …

M-Alice: Returning home from Lindbergh Field late at night, the taxi driver stopped for the traffic light at the corner of Laurel Street and India. He began to flash the taxi headlights on and off. …

Wizard of Alice: How come my legs fall asleep when I'm on the toilet but not when I'm working at my computer? -- RV, the net I really don't want to know any more about …

Hey, Matt: Inside my new VCR box I found a small pouch labeled as silicate for desiccation, and it also said "Do Not Eat." Not that I would ever eat silicate, but what exactly would …

Mattmonger: Growing up on television and movies, I was continually presented with one man hitting another man in the face with a closed fist. It always had this distinctive noise: a sound somewhere between meaty …

Quick, Matt! Need an answer ASAP! My wife wants to start buying those sets of china dog figurines sold by the Franklin Mint. You see the ads in Parade magazine. Are they worth anything? Does …

Hey, Matt: I have this really gross habit of biting not only my fingernails but the skin around them. I've been doing this since I was a little kid and have been told it's a …

Hey, Matt: How high were the taxes when the colonists finally got sick of it and dumped the tea in the brine and overthrew the British government? What would the equivalent be today? -- Herman …

Happy New Year, Matt: Who or what determines whether a city is protected and served by police or by sheriffs? -- Ann Marie Murphy, the net See, the sheriff's department has this dandy crime-fighting package …

M.A. of Reader: I was looking at a mole on my arm recently and began to wonder what they are and what causes them. -- L.B. of Poway Hey, Matt: What's behind the phenomenon of …

Wizard of Alice: I live at 10123 Viennarose Avenue. Why don't I live at #1 Viennarose Avenue? Why do I have to be #10123? There probably aren't 10,123 homes in all of San Diego, let …

Dr. Matthew: How does aspirin work? How does an aspirin know that it's my finger that hurts and not my elbow or my ear? How does it get to the place it needs to go? …

Dear Matthew Alice: Where are good places to find prostitutes in San Diego? -- No Name, No Address, No Nothing Hi, sailor. New in town? You must be if you have to ask this question. …

Hey, Matt: When bread goes stale, it gets hard. When hard cookies or crunchy cereal go stale, they get soft. Do they both end up with the same amount of softness and hardness? Do they …

God of Answers, Knower of All Things: I have owned several pet mice over the years, and year after year, mouse after mouse, they all engage in one behavior besides the usual poop-eat-sleep cycle. When …

Hey, Matt: When you're driving down a residential (usually) street, you see the "road Braille," the little raised markers that tell you what lane you are in (or not in, if you cross it), and …

Dear Matthew: Is it true that in certain parts of the world, toilet paper is not an option, but rather the left hand is the primary wiping instrument? (With a subsequent rinsing in water-- running, …

Matt: Why do avocados have such big seeds? Sometimes they're all seed, no guac. -- GuacamoleGirl, South Bay The pit's designed to reproduce the parent tree, not to please you. The wild avocado grows in …

Call it a cherished tradition, call it an annoying habit, but here we are again with our year-end assessment of how much smarter you are now than you were 12 months ago. Every December the …

Hey there, wisdom scout: While making our list of family items to do this week, I used the abbreviation "Xmas" to indicate shopping for the holiday. My 12-year-old son asked me why it was abbreviated …

Hey, Matt: I love tea. Who's Earl Gray? -- Jason Schell, the Net Earl was a British Prime Minister in the early 1800s. The story goes that a grateful and powerful Chinese gentleman, whose life …