Question: Ever wonder why critics of fakery always single out pro wrestling? Charles Bronson movies are fake. Stallone's not really Rambo. Broadway plays, cartoons, operas -- where are the critics there? If they're gonna bemoan …
July 23, 1998
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
Why do critics of fakery always single out pro wrestling?
If you cannot sneak up on a wild animal, why are you able to hit one with a car?
What's with road kill? You couldn't sneak up on a squirrel in the woods, but you can come barreling at him with your car and hit him. Why is he smart enough to hide in …
July 16, 1998
Will a car run on Jack Daniel's?
Dear Matt Alice: I don't know how we got on the topic, but my boyfriend thinks that if you pour a bottle of Jack Daniel's into your gas tank, your car will run. I told …
July 9, 1998
How many fights have there been on the floor of Congress?
Hey, Matt: From time to time we see on TV some pretty good fights in foreign legislatures. I started to wonder about our own distinguished lawmakers. They never seem to punch one another. How do …
July 9, 1998
What is the hierarchy of ratings by the ADA, and do the toothpaste manufacturers buy these approvals?
Matthew: I notice that on tooth-care products, the ADA has given ratings such as "Approved," "Professionally Recommended," etc. What is the hierarchy of these, and do the toothpaste manufacturers buy these approvals? Some have no …
July 2, 1998
Do any of the shadow towns in the Soviet Union still exist?
Dear Matthew: Tell me about the replicas of American towns constructed in the Soviet Union as training grounds for KGB/GRU/NKVD agents during the '50s and '60s. Do any of these shadow towns or their ruins …
July 2, 1998
Why are images upside down when you look into a spoon but not when you turn it over?
Dear Matthew AnswerMan Alice: I took out a spoon for my morning cereal. While looking at the spoon, the mirror image of my face was upside down. When I flipped the spoon over, my face …
June 25, 1998
When a train approaches, why does the engineer always blow his horn in a particular way, with two long blasts, a short, then a final long?
Yo, M(atthew) Alice: No Malice intended, but I bet you only answer the easy questions or the ones you can readily access in that big book of dopey questions you keep under your desk. Anyway, …
June 25, 1998
Did Mikey from the cereal ads really die from a pop rocks/Coca-Cola combination?
Hey, Matt: Quick question: Did Mikey (from Life cereal ads) really die because of a lethal pop rocks/Coca-Cola cocktail? --J. from the Net The famous Life commercial aired off and on for about 15 years, …
June 18, 1998
Does chlorine cause cats to become intoxicated?
Dear Matthew Alice: My daughter is on a swim team and also plays water polo. Almost every evening she comes home with her hair wet from the pool water. This drives our cat, Mickey, completely …
June 11, 1998
Why are the palm trees still tied up at the airport after 4 months?
Matthew Alice: I noticed this back in December and was startled to see it was still going on [in April]. The palm trees that were planted in ridiculously large numbers at the airport have all …
June 11, 1998