Stories | Straight from the Hip
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Have a question you need answered? Send an e-mail to heymatt@cts.com or fax to 619-231-0489 or mail to Matthew Alice, c/o the Reader, Box 85803, San Diego, CA 92186.
When Is a Sardine a Sardine?
By Matthew Alice, Published Feb. 8, 2012
Hey Matt: There has been a question bugging me since I worked at the O.B. Pier bait shop years ago. Is there a breed of fish called a sardine, or are they called that only after ...
I Say Psychopath, You Say Sociopath
By Matthew Alice, Published Feb. 1, 2012
Heymatt: I don’t understand the expression, “You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.” Why? Too lazy? — Man’s Best Friend, via email Dogs have gotten this bad rap since the 1530s. Really. This old-dogs-new-tricks stuff is ...
So, you think your boss is a psycho
By Matthew Alice, Published Jan. 18, 2012
Hiya Matt: I haven’t actually worked for too many bosses, so maybe this isn’t true for everybody, just for me. Out of three bosses I have had two of them turned out to be crazy. They ...
This Vacation is Really Far Out
By Matthew Alice, Published Jan. 11, 2012
Heymatt: I’m saving up vacation days at work so I can go into space. Who’s been up there longest, and does he have any tips ... More Post a comment
Where Chia Pets Came From
By Matthew Alice, Published Dec. 28, 2011
Heymatt: It’s Christmas time again or as I call it Chia season. I finally need to know, what the heck is chia? What would happen ... More Comments (3)
Why Kids Love Sweets
By Matthew Alice, Published Dec. 21, 2011
Heymatt: My kids love candy and anything sweet. If I put sugar on spinach, I’m sure they’d eat it. It seems to be true for ... More Post a comment
Efficiency of Teen Multitaskers
By Matthew Alice, Published Dec. 14, 2011
Hey Matt: My teenager always seems to be doing ten things at once. I can barely manage one or two. Is there something special about ... More Post a comment
Earth's Magnetic Field, Beer Bubbles, Silicon/Silicone Boobs
By Matthew Alice, Published Dec. 7, 2011
Dear Matthew: I learned that electrical power can be produced using magnets and other things. I know the Earth has a big magnetic field around ... More Post a comment
You pee. Then you pee and pee and pee and pee
By Matthew Alice, Published Nov. 30, 2011
Matthew: I’ve noticed that when I drink, after a while I have to pee. And maybe I’m imagining this. After a real short time, I ... More Post a comment
The Largest Hole in Earth
By Matthew Alice, Published Nov. 16, 2011
Heymatt: As usual, while contemplating my navel I came up with another Matthew Alice question. How big is the biggest hole ever dug in the ... More Post a comment
Is there really such a thing as luck?
By Matthew Alice, Published Nov. 9, 2011
Matthew Alice: Is there really such a thing as luck? My neighbor seems to keep winning money on scratch-offs all the time and I’ve only ... More Comments (3)
Gimme My Etofenamate; No Make That a Dormapimide
By Matthew Alice, Published Oct. 26, 2011
Matt: I always wonder when I see bulletproof glass if that stuff actually works. I don’t think I’d feel safe with just a piece of ... More Post a comment
You Are Hot — on the Inside
By Matthew Alice, Published Oct. 19, 2011
Matt: If our temperature is 98.6, why do we feel hot when it’s 85 or 90 outside? — WS, San Diego That 98.6 business isn’t ... More Comments (3)
How Much Oil in Earth, Newscaster Quirks
By Matthew Alice, Published Oct. 12, 2011
Hey, Matt: There must be an end to the earth’s supply of oil. Has anyone predicted when that will happen? — Just Wondering, via email ... More Comments (2)
Left-Handedness, Rats Eating Car Wiring
By Matthew Alice, Published Oct. 5, 2011
Hey Matt: Why are there so many more right-handers than left-handers? — Bicoastal, via email Aw, phooey. Actually, when it comes to handedness, everything you ... More Comments (2)
Humans as Animal Blood Donors, Women's Birth Control Pill, More on Rats Eating Car Wiring
By Matthew Alice, Published Sept. 21, 2011
Hey Matt: Do different mammals have the same or different blood types as humans? I’m thinking dogs, cats, whales, deer, bears, etc. Could I give ... More Post a comment
Painful Childbirth, Rats Eat Car Wiring
By Matthew Alice, Published Sept. 7, 2011
Dear Matthew: I just had my second baby. During the few times I could actually think straight during labor, I began wondering why something as ... More Post a comment
Space Junk, the One-Word Answer
By Matthew Alice, Published Aug. 31, 2011
Hey Matt: I have a great idea to send coffins into Outer Space so they can travel for 1 million to 100 billion years. This ... More Post a comment
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