Dear Straight from the Hip: Recently I was in a natural food store and I noticed that they did not sell white sugar. I was informed that “white sugar is filtered through bone, and as …
September 5, 1996
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
Why white sugar is not considered vegetarian
Where Gen X comes from
Matthew Alice: I was told “Gen. X” meant the 10th generation since the USA began. Others say no. What is its meaning? .. — B.J. Nobles, San Diego You’ve been hangin’ out with discount know-it-alls, …
August 29, 1996
Mis-matched shoes
Dear Matthew: Why do some shoes, my left one in particular, cause their mated sock to slide down the ankle and foot and end up bunched about the toes? Is there a way to correct …
August 29, 1996
Why everyone isn't a chocolate lover
Matthew: Three of us went to lunch and ordered three very different desserts. We decided to taste each others’ dessert and vote on the favorite one. Interestingly, there was no agreement as to which was …
August 29, 1996
Arthur Fry, the inventor of Post-Its
Matthew: The person who invented Post-its — is it true that he worked for 3M at the time and did not make a cent on the idea? — Sherry, University Heights Stop any Average Joe …
August 22, 1996
Goats with stomachs for metal
His Mattness: Do goats really eat cans? — Bill Herzog, Pacific Beach Well, if they did, Bill, there’d be a whole lot fewer goats. They’re not picky eaters, but nothing in a goat’s digestive system …
August 22, 1996
The apple in Judeo-Christian theology
Hi, Matthew: How did the apple come to be the symbol for the “forbidden fruit” in the Garden of Eden mythology? The account in Genesis doesn’t say anything about an apple, so why has it …
August 22, 1996
How to change traffic signal with your headlights
Dear Matthew AIice: My friend Billy seems to think that if he flicks his high beams on and off, he can trigger a sensor on traffic lights and cause the light to turn green. He …
August 15, 1996
The danger of inhaling your own methane
From Aug. 1, 1996 issue: Matt:Do you know if it’s harmful to smell a fart? Does inhaling the odor really mean that you inhale actual particles of the stuff? How does it compare to, say, …
August 15, 1996
The gooey, dramatic John Tesh
Matt: Okay, what's the deal with John Tesh? Why would they pick him to do commentary for Olympic gymnastics? Does he know anything about the sport? Any sport? He's been the topic of discussion for …
August 15, 1996
Gun metal, German silver, or nickel silver will stain your finger
I recently went to one of the local cinemas to catch a viewing of The Phantom, one of my childhood comic strip heroes. When I purchased my ticket, I received a nifty Phantom ring embossed …
August 1, 1996