The power plant’s acting up again,” Matt Wagner sighs, white large bats, coal-black and squeaky, wheel far above his head in the €ark sky. From where he stands on His apartment’s small (balcony, Wagner can …
October 28, 1993
Thursday, October 28
San Diegan Matt Wagner discovers himself in Israel
Shane and Aaron Copland
Dear Matthew Alice: I remember when I was young, about 30 years ago or so, I went to see the movie Shane. Aside from being a wonderful film, I was fascinated by the musical score, …
October 28, 1993
You should fill up your dryer for tumbling action
Dear MA.: I have been told that five items in a dryer will dry faster than one item alone. I don *t get it. Mind giving me a cluef — Tadd Whitmore, San Diego Yo, …
October 28, 1993
Thursday, October 21
El Centro awaits the metropolis
“I moved here from San Diego and I actually prefer it. I really do. I married a Mexican girl and settled down. They’re the best people I’ve come across yet in California. Certainly the most kind.”
October 21, 1993
Why fish don't taste salty
Dear Matthew Alice: Why doesn’t fish taste salty? Whenever I swim in salt water, I taste salty. What’s the deal? (P.S., T-shirt: X-L for my hubby!) — Too Much Time on My Hands, San Diego …
October 21, 1993
Flies do get sick
Dear Matthew Alice: Do flies get sick? I mean, considering the types of environments that flies thrive in, I have to wonder what could possibly upset their rugged little metabolisms (not counting pesticides and other …
October 21, 1993
Thursday, October 14
The young gentlemen of Dahmer's Diner discuss their kind of punk
In SOMA’s “Dungeon” at 555 Union, downtown, San Diego’s premier purveyors of anthropophagic rock flail away at half-strung electric guitars, drums, the walls, the crowd, each other, and their equipment at a volume reminiscent of …
October 14, 1993
Why hurricanes are female
Say, Matt: Who is responsible for discovering the gender of a hurricane? Better yet, who gets to name ’em? — K. Gleeson-Duff, San Diego Matt: Who is it that names hurricanes, and how can I …
October 14, 1993
Lucy and Ricky, the first TV couple in bed
Dear Matthew Alice: A bunch of us have been wondering when a TV network showed people in a double bed for the first time. Can you help us? — Our Gang, downtown Another moldy oldie …
October 14, 1993
The danger of painting yourself
Dear Matthew Alice: A friend says that if I were to paint myself with house paint, I would drown. Could this be true? I wanted to paint myself silver, but now I'm not so sure. …
October 14, 1993
Thursday, October 7
Why Baja's Chinese refugees risked everything
The bow of the To Ching No. 212 looks like the nose of a fighter who should have quit sooner. Another almost catastrophic dent distorts the port stern. Above it some 20 feet of deck …
October 7, 1993
Why locals mis-pronounce Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach
Dear Matthew Alice: Why is Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach invariably pronounced “Gar-NET” by locals? It's just one of the gemstone streets, and I've never heard January's birthstone pronounced that way. Are these kinds of …
October 7, 1993
All about cricket chirping
Dear M.A.: I was told that if you count the number of chirps a cricket makes in 15 seconds and add that number to 39, you would have the approximate temperature. Is that true or …
October 7, 1993