Dear Matt: Why does my honey crystallize? Even after I nuke it to make it liquid again, the crystals remain. Could you shed some light on this annoying phenomenon? — Sidhe, North Park Blame it …
June 27, 1996
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
Honey's sucrose chains play musical chairs
Cats, dogs, bears, gorillas all snore
Do any animals besides humans snore? — A. and Friends, Coronado Well, what cave have you all been hunkered in? The cat and dog families are notorious snorers. Especially pugs and bulldogs and all those …
June 27, 1996
Sleepless in Santee asks about mockingbird songs
To: Matmail: Okay, they may be the state bird of Texas, but mockingbirds are driving me nuts. One has moved into the tree outside my bedroom window, and another is in the backyard, and they …
June 20, 1996
How Charles Lindbergh came to be called Lucky Lindy
Dear Matthew Alice: I’ve always wondered why Lindbergh's plane was called the Spirit of St. Louis. It was built by Ryan in San Diego, so why didn’t he call it the Spirit of San Diego? …
June 20, 1996
Big angora-covered cubes came in the postwar hot-rod boom.
Matt: Who invented fuzzy dice? — Dennis, San Diego Same guy that put the ram in the rama-lama ding-dong. Which is to say, who knows? Dice themselves go waaay back. Personkind might have developed written …
June 20, 1996
Old people and the slack-jaw look
Dear M.A.:There are some old people who sit around with their mouths hanging open. Though they may be brilliant, this expression does not send that message. Is the cause slack jaw muscles? What can a …
June 13, 1996
The anatomy of getting a black eye
Mattster: Why would anybody waste an expensive steak by putting it on a black eye? Does that really work? If so, how? If not, where did that old idea come from? — Jack, Escondido You’re …
June 13, 1996
The Spruce Goose and Evergreen International's sad story
Matthew Alice: There’s a big green jetliner, #N940F, parked near Jimsair (Pacific Highway and Palm) on the east edge of Lindbergh Field. Rumors are circulating. It apparently belongs to Evergreen International. This is the firm …
June 13, 1996
Betsy was a gun
Dear Matthew Alice: Heavens to Betsy! This may not be the most interesting question you’ve ever had, but it may be one of the most difficult. Actually, I find it hard to believe you could …
May 30, 1996
The Rick Geary story
Matt: Who does the illustrations for your columns? How about a little background on his scene. He is good! — Mort Schwartz, Sr., Leucadia I guess some discreet horn-tooting won’t hurt. We sure have gotten …
May 30, 1996
Iceboats can hit 60 or 70 mph without breathing hard
I hear that ice-sailing boats can travel faster than the wind that propels them. How can this be so? The aerodynamic principles governing their motion must then apply to ocean vessels too, no? — D., …
May 30, 1996