Matthew_Alice

Matthew_Alice is a Reader contributor. See staff page for stories and blog entries.

Comments by Matthew_Alice

Heaviest skiers the fastest speed skiers?

No reason not to pick a bunch--of varying weights--and strap them into a set of roller skis for a fool-proof, Tull-approved acid test of the Alice Theory of Terminal Ski Velocity! Perhaps a little inspiration from the following video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2DZunroNoc
— May 12, 2013 5:59 p.m.

Rough treatment for a charliehorse

I have no idea how or why it works, but there are actual doctors out there who lend credence to the idea that slipping a bar of soap (Dove, Ivory, Irish Spring or otherwise) under one's bedsheets keeps nighttime leg cramps away. If you want to add a little prayer to Sesquahtaaxyyzzzll (the ancient Sumerian god of charlie horses, go ahead, look him up) to make sure, be my guest.
— April 5, 2013 5:26 p.m.

Saggy-pants origin

And another response from a reader: "Some of the information you gave about "low rider" pants was okay, but you didn't go far enough. In the '40s, when I was in HS, we wore the pants low. Really low. We also invented a new infinitive: to pants. When we felt the urge, you know, embarrass some underclassman, we'd "Pants" them, i.e., yank the pants down. That was a laugh in the crowded hallways.So, this has been around for quite a long time. More? Well, in those days we heard over and over, "You haven't put your pants in the laundry for so long they stand up in the corner. Now, get them in the laundry before they rot."" -- Olin
— March 15, 2013 5:03 p.m.

Saggy-pants origin

Emailed to me as a respones: "In Glendale,CA in early 1950s (yes, 50s) the bad boys used to wear Levis with no belts ( belt loops cut off, waist band folded in 1/2) AND no underwear. Oddly, no one but we girls ever seemed to "pants" them. That's what pulling them down or off was called. There was another way of wearing Levis ( which only came in indigo): bleach the bejabbers out of them and not wear them as low, but still minus the belt loops and with waistband folded. The former type was NEVER washed,the goal being to have them so stiff with filth they'd stand up in a corner. These were called " originals". It was a great help if one worked on engines and was a natural slob. Some of us girls wore them dirty, but not loose enough to get "pantsed."" -- Greasy in Glendale.
— March 15, 2013 4:59 p.m.

Con-man math

Nik from PQ provides yet another clever way to suss out the truth on this: "Try it with more extreme numbers: three guys check into a hotel room and each pay $33 to share a $99 room. Later, the clerk realizes the room was supposed to be $3 and he takes 96 $1 bills to the guys in the room. Each guy takes $1 back and they give the clerk a $93 tip. Since the guys got one dollar back, they each paid $32 for the room. 3x$32=$96. Add the $93 tip and you have $189. Where did all the extra money come from?"
— February 8, 2013 9:58 p.m.

Stepping into Mission Valley from Hillcrest

I was under the impression that the original stairs weren't even in the same *country* as the building codes that were developed after their original construction and had to be removed for the parking garage to be installed. However, if you're right that a few of the old stairs got spruced up and are used to access the garage, it's only a small fraction of the original 344, and it definitely doesn't descend into the valley.
— February 8, 2013 9:57 p.m.

Con-man math

Isn't this the actual riddle that Bilbo Baggins uses to stump Gollum in the book? And, yes, I had a Danish elephant in mind. Well played.
— February 8, 2013 9:49 p.m.

Con-man math

I got an email from a sharp reader with an alternative, much simpler explanation that relies on principles of human nature: "People tend to get scared off from actually figuring this out because many have believed most of their lives that they can't do math, even if it's simple addition and subtraction." -- Mark
— February 8, 2013 9:47 p.m.

Bullets in a bonfire

"Crazy" Carl Alice, a distant cousin from Minnesota, has figured out that firing bullets into the ice on top of a frozen lake can make them spin in place. He actually *did* lose an eye during a moment of carelessness with a lawnmower during the late-80's and ever since then Grandma Alice has admonished the little Alice rugrats with "you don't want to end up like Uncle/Cousin Carl!" whenever they do anything foolish. So, yes, eye protection never hurts.
— January 24, 2013 9:36 a.m.

A Closer Look at the Chula Vista Courthouse Flag

Whoops. I had been talking with some friends about ancient mesoamerican jaguar cults and other exciting but confusing errata in relation to the forthcoming end of the world and I think that somehow transposed itself into the answer I gave here. You would think I'd get something like that correct with an image of the flag *sitting right in front of me while I was writing.* Maybe the universe will implode before all the angry vexillologists come to correct me....
— December 20, 2012 7:43 a.m.