Matt: Today, knowing I would have to wait a while, I called two companies at the same time using two phones, one in each ear. When the hold music came on both phones, it was …
February 15, 2001
Straight from the Hip
Archived articles
Is there a radio station that broadcasts commercial-free music for when you are on hold?
Where did the term "pink slip" come from?
Question... My boss was not happy with my performance and went ahead and canned me. Apparently he didn't appreciate me rolling in late each day, but hey, sleep is important to me. The official notification …
February 15, 2001
What is the deal with the imaginary friends that kids come up with?
Dear Matthew Alice: When my four-year-old gets in trouble for doing something he shouldn't, he usually responds, "Wasn't me. Ziggy did it." We don't know anyone called Ziggy. He's been talking about this Ziggy since …
February 15, 2001
Which snake is the most poisonous?
Dear Matthew and Alice: After many hours of Animal Kingdom, Wild Planet, and all those other nature programs, I still have one unanswered question concerning poisonous snakes. According to certain televised sources, the black mamba …
February 8, 2001
Why is hot water needed for a woman having a baby at home?
Matt: Whenever there's a movie about a woman having a baby at home, the person delivering the kid will say, "I need lots of hot water." For what? I never see them washing anything, and …
February 8, 2001
What's the deal with fast-food combos and pricing?
Matthew: What's the deal with fast-food combos and pricing? You're looking at, say, one of the breakfast combos at Carl's Jr. and decide you don't want their shitty coffee. So you say, "I'll have the …
January 25, 2001
Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?
Hi, Matt: Do identical twins have identical fingerprints? -- Bob, telephonically Their DNA will be a match, but their fingerprints won't be. The human genome carries only so much basic information, beyond which our developing …
January 25, 2001
Why does dust in my eye hurt, but my contacts don't?
Matt: Why does it hurt when I get a speck of dirt in my eye but when I put my contact lenses in, I don't feel much of anything? -- Eyes, San Diego The human …
January 24, 2001
Why is it blue for boys, pink for girls?
Dear Mr. Alice: Why is blue the universal color for boys and pink for girls? -- Wondering, San Diego The blue/pink thing isn't universal. But our link to it goes back into our murky, superstitious …
January 24, 2001
All the facts about sleep-sneezing, sleep-yawning, and sleep murder.
Hey, Matt: What's the relation between sneezes and yawns, two bodily functions that won't happen in one's sleep? -- Tired, with a Cold I assume you've kept one eye open at night, so you're positive …
January 24, 2001
Is it true that the fax machine was invented before the telephone?
Hey, Matt: I seem to gravitate to people who think they know everything, and I usually buy what they say. But here's one I finally have to ask about. A friend who's right about a …
January 18, 2001