Matt: Why does it hurt when I get a speck of dirt in my eye but when I put my contact lenses in, I don't feel much of anything? -- Eyes, San Diego The human …
January 24, 2001
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Stories by Matthew Alice
Why does dust in my eye hurt, but my contacts don't?
Why is it blue for boys, pink for girls?
Dear Mr. Alice: Why is blue the universal color for boys and pink for girls? -- Wondering, San Diego The blue/pink thing isn't universal. But our link to it goes back into our murky, superstitious …
January 24, 2001
All the facts about sleep-sneezing, sleep-yawning, and sleep murder.
Hey, Matt: What's the relation between sneezes and yawns, two bodily functions that won't happen in one's sleep? -- Tired, with a Cold I assume you've kept one eye open at night, so you're positive …
January 24, 2001
Is it true that the fax machine was invented before the telephone?
Hey, Matt: I seem to gravitate to people who think they know everything, and I usually buy what they say. But here's one I finally have to ask about. A friend who's right about a …
January 18, 2001
Where are all the baby seagulls?
Matt: I've lived near the ocean for almost 50 years. I have never, never seen a baby seagull. Where are they? -- John P., Coronado Yeah, you have, John. You've seen lots of them. You …
January 18, 2001
Is it true that there was once a vaudeville performer whose act consisted of nothing but farting?
Dear Matthew Alice: A friend of mine has been trying to convince me that there was once a vaudeville performer whose act consisted of nothing but farting. My friend prides himself on knowing strange facts, …
January 18, 2001
What's the origin of the name "blue bark"?
Matthew Alice: I am a civilian employee working at 32nd Street Naval Station. The files of deceased service members are referred to as "blue barks." Can you find the history of this name? -- L. …
January 17, 2001
Why can't I see my farts?
Matt: It's kind of a gross question, but that doesn't make it any less worth wondering about: In the cold I can see my breath, but how come I can't see my fart? -- Matt, …
January 17, 2001
What materials are used for the making of the violin strings and violin bows?
M.A.: Please settle a soon to become violent topic where I live. What materials are used for the making of violin strings and violin bows? And also, why do Cremona violins sound that good; is …
January 11, 2001
If you die in a dream, will you will also die in real life?
Dear Matt: Have you ever been told that while dreaming, if you die, you will also die in real life? I have never been able to test this theory, because if I am close to …
January 11, 2001
Are birds smarter than I am?
Matthew, Sir: How smart are birds? Smarter than cats? Smarter than snakes? Smarter than me? The birds around my house seem to have learned when and where I feed them and have even told some …
January 10, 2001
Is there an existing society where gender roles are opposite of what goes on here?
Dear Matthew Alice: It's said to be a "man's world," which I truly believe is unfortunate, I mean, obviously unfortunate. Is there an existing society where the roles are culturally the opposite of what goes …
January 4, 2001
Who is/was Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone?
Heymatt: I was driving north on Interstate 5 the other day and noticed a sign at Camp Pendleton naming that section of the freeway for Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone. Then a little farther north at …
January 4, 2001
St. Bernards, kegs of brandy. Whose idea was that?
Oh Wise and Merciful Matthew: Did St. Bernards really carry around little barrels on their necks, and if so, what was in them? -- Ida Know, Escondido Here's your answer, Ida-- no. The little brandy …
January 3, 2001
The End of the Year Quiz
Who wants to be a millionaire? If it's you, then you're definitely in the wrong place. All we have here is our usual end-of-the-year quiz. A measure of how much smarter you are now than …
December 21, 2000
How much are bus ads that cover the whole length of the bus?
Wizard of Alice: My bus #41 is always covered with a huge sticker ad that covers the length of the bus like a condom. Who does this, how often, and how much? -- Ray "I …
December 14, 2000
Why are clouds flat on the bottom?
Dear Matthew: Why are clouds flat on the bottom? -- A. Miracle, San Diego Some clouds are flat on the bottom. I'm pleased to apparently be the first to tell you that there is an …
December 14, 2000
What is ear wax, and where does it come from?
Dear Matt: What is ear wax, and where does it come from? -- M.S.G., San Diego Inspired by your question, Ma Alice, always looking for a fast buck, is saving earwax in a little jar. …
December 14, 2000
Why do ATM's ask if there is cash or check in the envelope?
MA: I was getting a deposit ready for my bank and noticed the "check this box if cash is in the envelope" section. I never do because I am afraid some dishonest teller might be …
December 7, 2000
Why do you get a blurry picture when you swing a movie camera around fast?
Dear Mr. Alice: Do you know when you swing a movie camera around fast, you get a blurry picture? I wonder why when I move my head around fast I don't see the same thing. …
December 7, 2000
Origin of the slang term "86"
Hi: I just read your current issue while visiting San Diego, and there were some comments regarding the origin of the slang term "86," meaning to discard or get rid of something. I didn't see …
December 7, 2000
Why is it that when I scratch my cat on the end of his spine, he enters cat ecstasy?
Hey, Matt: Why is it when I scratch my cat on the very end of his spine, where the tail connects, he seems to enter throes of cat ecstasy? And why does it only seem …
November 30, 2000
Why does 86'd mean getting thrown out?
Hey, Matt: Why no column in the October 26 Reader? No questions worth answering? Maybe this will fit the bill. Why does 86’d mean getting tossed out or ejected? I’m not leaving until I find …
November 22, 2000
What is the deal with the much vaunted "World Class" city's Third World streets?
Hey, Matt: What gives with the much vaunted "World Class" city's Third World streets? It seems that every project the city manages to poop out winds up in short order looking like the hallway runner …
November 22, 2000
The power lines along the park corridor are incredibly noisy. Is this normal?
Hey, Matt: The power lines along the park corridor are incredibly noisy. As a physics major in school, I know that noise requires energy, and this means these high-tension lines are losing a lot of …
November 22, 2000
What does the slang term, "86'd" mean?
Matt: About 40+ years ago, the Uniform Code of Military Justice had Article 86 as the absence without permission. I remember asking where someone was and getting the answer, "He 86'd over the weekend." I …
November 22, 2000
Is there a smell that repels bears?
Howdy, Matt and the Elves: I'm planning a trip to Yosemite and reading up on safety in bear country. Apparently the main reason bears encounter humans in the first place is because their sense of …
November 9, 2000
Why does every juice concentrate, except for grape juice, stay frozen until you get home from the store?
Dear Matt: Grape juice. When you buy frozen juice concentrates at a store they generally stay frozen until you get them home -- except for grape juice. Frozen grape juice concentrate frequently starts getting sloshy …
November 9, 2000
Why don't people get ill from eating liver, an organ full of poisons?
MA: I was enjoying a hefty helping of liver and onions the other day, and I began to wonder how people can safely eat that organ. I know the human liver filters out poisons from …
November 2, 2000
What is the deal with five and six legged spiders?
Dear Matthew Alice: What's the deal with all these five- and six-legged spiders in my house? I've been seeing them for years. -- Sue Beckman, Del Mar Greetings from the East Coast: ...where the ragweed …
November 2, 2000
What is in the building at the corner of Ash Street and Fourth Avenue?
Hey, Matt: At the corner of Ash Street and Fourth Avenue there is a strange-looking, Gothic-style building. I've never seen anyone go in or out. Over the front door it states "SDG&E." What goes on …
October 19, 2000
What's the deal with the house on the corner of Chateau and Verley in Clairemont?
Mr. Alice: In beautiful Clairemont, behind the DMV on Chateau Drive, there's a strange-looking triangular building at the corner of Verley Court. It's encircled by a fence and has security screen doors at either end. …
October 19, 2000
How does a house in Mission Valley still stand in office-building land?
Dear Matthew Alice: On my drive home, I pass by a house that's in a weird spot. It's a yellow house that sits between Camino del Rio South and Interstate 8, just east of where …
October 19, 2000
What is the deal with the name "Oliver" spelled out with white rocks off I-8, above Adobe Falls in Del Cerro?
Dear Matthew Alice: Off I-8, above Adobe Falls in Del Cerro, there is a house with an assortment of white rocks that spell out the name "Oliver." This landmark has been visible from the freeway …
October 19, 2000
Who owns the gigantic yellow biplane at Montgomery Field, and why is it there?
Hey, Matt: At Sandrock Road and Aero Drive, on the Montgomery Field light aircraft parking lot there stands a gigantic yellow biplane with a four-blade prop. It's big enough to carry maybe 15 passengers and …
October 19, 2000
How long will it take for the sugar in my hummingbird feeder to ferment?
MA of Reader: I was just looking at a hummingbird feeder outside my window, and I began to wonder if the sugar mixture would eventually begin to ferment. If so, how long would it take? …
October 5, 2000
Where are lifeguard stations 7 through 9 in Mission Beach?
Dear Matthew: Over the years I've walked most of San Diego's beaches and noticed the lifeguard stations have numbers on them. I've seen them as high as the 20s and 30s. On Mission Beach, just …
October 5, 2000
Why would people be interested in moldy corn from our fields?
Dear Matthew Alice: We grew a lot of corn this year, and some of it got this gross-looking gray and white crud on the ears, so we picked all those and put them out to …
October 5, 2000
Why do so many of our superheroes, such as Batman and Superman, wear capes?
Dear Mr. Alice: I was wondering, why do so many of our superheroes, such as Batman and Superman, wear capes? With the type of work these men do, I would think that the capes would …
September 28, 2000
Can you explain the stamp of the baseball player in the "Celebrate the Century" series?
Dear Matthew Alice: In a set of postage stamps in the "Celebrate the Century" series, there's a stamp bearing an illustration of a baseball player representing the first World Series in 1903. He appears to …
September 21, 2000
What does the #4011 stand for on banana stickers?
Matt: So I eat bananas pretty frequently, and for some reason I kept a couple of those little round stickers they put on bananas in every bunch. They are from separate banana purchases, from separate …
September 21, 2000
Why was Elmira, New York the burial place for Mark Twain? Why was Charles Lindbergh buried in Hana, Maui?
Matt: I was driving through New York State on vacation recently and passing Elmira, New York. I learned that it was the burial place of Mark Twain. Do you know why? Of all the places …
September 14, 2000
Is the bacon that we get from Original Pancake House and Mission Cafe available to purchase?
Dear Matthew Alice: My husband and I really enjoy the savory, thick bacon that we get with breakfast at the Original Pancake House and at Mission Café. Is it available to "ordinary" folks? -- Mrs. …
September 14, 2000
What kind of health danger could a person experience from eating hot sauce?
Hey, Matt: A friend of mine told me a story about her boss, who was on a business trip to Chicago. One night he was in a restaurant that had on the menu something called …
September 7, 2000
What happened to the wooden black horse statue that was outside Mimmo's Italian Village on India Street?
Heymatt: What happened to the wooden black horse statue that was outside Mimmo's Italian Village (next to Filippi's) on India Street? Please reply soon. Our four-year-old daughter is quite distraught over its disappearance. -- Jill …
September 7, 2000
What are the large cylinders for on top of the first hill north of Mira Mesa along the I-15?
Dear Matt A.: There are these large cylinders on top of the first hill north of Mira Mesa along the I-15. I think that the same type of twin cylinders exist (because I've climbed up …
August 31, 2000
What is that UFO-looking thing behind the Design Center building at Fifth and Brookes in Hillcrest?
Matmail: What is that UFO-looking thing behind the Design Center building at Fifth and Brookes in Hillcrest? -- Rachel, UCSD The green spaceship in the canyon was one man's dream of the mobile home of …
August 24, 2000
Is there really a governing body in charge of highlighter safety?
Heymatt: I can't help noticing, as I sit here in my cubicle, endlessly shuffling papers and marking up documents with my yellow, pink, and blue highlighters, that the new marks are much brighter than the …
August 24, 2000
What would you see if you were inside a giant mirrored sphere?
Mattster: What would you see if you were inside a giant mirrored sphere? -- Dizzy, the net It depends on where you're standing, but if your eyes are dead center in the sphere, you'd see …
August 24, 2000
In hotels and motels, why isn't the bottom sheet tucked in?
Matt: In hotels and motels, why does the bottom sheet only extend to the end of the mattress? It isn't tucked in, and when you are tall and/or a restless sleeper, the bottom sheet gets …
August 17, 2000