Call it a cherished tradition, call it an annoying habit, but here we are again with our year-end assessment of how much smarter you are now than you were 12 months ago. Every December the …
December 20, 2001
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
How much smarter are you now than you were a year ago? Find out here!
Do movie stars really have such good penmanship?
Hey, Matt: In movies and television, when you see a hand with a pen or pencil write something on a piece of paper, is that really the actor, or does Hollywood have a large reserve …
December 13, 2001
Why is Christmas abbreviated Xmas?
Hey there, wisdom scout: While making our list of family items to do this week, I used the abbreviation "Xmas" to indicate shopping for the holiday. My 12-year-old son asked me why it was abbreviated …
December 13, 2001
Who's Earl Gray?
Hey, Matt: I love tea. Who's Earl Gray? -- Jason Schell, the Net Earl was a British Prime Minister in the early 1800s. The story goes that a grateful and powerful Chinese gentleman, whose life …
December 13, 2001
Why do I see stars when I hit my head?
Matt: I bashed my head on an open kitchen cabinet the other day. I saw "stars," those little flashes of light. Where do they come from? -- Michelle, San Diego They're an invention of your …
December 6, 2001
What is the predecessor of the music video?
Hey, Matt: I'm trying to convince my son that his generation did not invent music videos. I remember in the 1960s going to bars in New York that had juke boxes with video screens. It …
December 6, 2001
What's the deal with iridescent ham?
Matthew Alice: My girlfriend is freaked out by the iridescence you see on ham. What is that iridescence? Maybe if I can explain to her what it is, then maybe she will eat it. -- …
December 6, 2001
Can we nuke every computer in the country with one well-placed bomb?
Matt: Is it true that a well placed nuclear bomb detonated over the central United States would erase the hard drive of every computer in the country? I guess no one would really care whether …
November 29, 2001
Where is Old Zealand?
Old Matt: I know where Old England is, I know where Old York is. I know where to find Old Hampshire, Old Mexico, Old Orleans. But where is Old Zealand? --Clueless, the Net New Zealand …
November 29, 2001
Why does Mickey Mouse only have three fingers?
Hey: Why do Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and Goofy have only three fingers instead of four? I know Donald Duck has a wing, so that can be drawn with as many fingers as …
November 29, 2001
Why does a mint make a drink of water seem colder?
Matt: Why does water seem colder when you drink it after eating mints? -- Fern, somewhere unspecified So you've been spending a lot of time sitting around the family room, sucking Wint-O-Greens with a Sparkletts …
November 29, 2001