San Diego Reader

Stories | Matthew Alice

TEST!

TEST!

Grandma Alice isn’t taking this recession business very well. “Two years ago they squawked that we were spending like it was Mardi Gras and we needed to save our money to help the economy. Now we’re ...

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Bubbly Fish, "Old McDonald"

Bubbly Fish,

Dear Matt: Why does my fish blow bubbles? Sometimes it will just be hanging out and all of a sudden it will cut loose with a bubble from its mouth. How does air get in ...

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Tylenol, Sweat Scents, Volcano Incinerator

Tylenol, Sweat Scents, Volcano Incinerator

Dear Matthew Alice: While I was waiting for the Tylenol to kick in and stop my headache, I decided to read the ingredient list on the bottle. Active ingredients: Acetaminophen. Inactive ingredients: carnauba wax, cellulose, ...

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Secondhand Transplants, Foot the Bill, Triboluminescence

Secondhand Transplants, Foot the Bill, Triboluminescence

Mattster: Say somebody has a liver transplant and then they die a while later in an accident. Can they take out the transplanted liver and ... More Post a comment

Harbor Police, Reader Hoarding, and Animals with People Names

Harbor Police, Reader Hoarding, and Animals with People Names

Hey, Matt: Last year I moved to Point Loma. I grew up in San Diego but never really hung out too much by the bay. ... More Comments (5)

Botox, Numb Tongue

Botox, Numb Tongue

Hey, Matt: My girlfriend and I have a bet about Botox. I have heard it referred to as “pig botulism.” She, who works in a ... More Post a comment

Dying Animals, X-Walk Buttons, Phillips Head

Dying Animals, X-Walk Buttons, Phillips Head

Matt: I strolled into the kitchen yesterday and noticed that there was a fly perched on the edge of my counter, right next to the ... More Post a comment

Hand Sanitizers

Hand Sanitizers

Hey, Matt: I was using one of those hand sanitizers the other day and noticed on the bottle: “kills 99.9% of all germs.” What about ... More Post a comment

Eyeball Rubbing, Space Junk

Eyeball Rubbing, Space Junk

Matt: I can’t figure this out. Maybe you can. When I’m at work, mostly, I seem to always be rubbing my face and eyes. I ... More Post a comment

Human Flavor, Alzheimer's & X-Rays

Human Flavor, Alzheimer's & X-Rays

Hey, Matt! Last night I was reading Silence of the Lambs, and it got me wondering. When humans are cooked up, are they more like ... More Post a comment

Tanning Light, Beer vs. Soda, 420

Tanning Light, Beer vs. Soda, 420

Heymatt: If I replaced the fluorescent bulbs five feet above my head at work with bulbs from a tanning bed, would I give myself a ... More Comments (3)

Train Electrocution, Ripe Bananas

Train Electrocution, Ripe Bananas

Dear Matthew Alice: What would happen if lightning hit railroad tracks? Would everybody on the train be electrocuted if lightning hit the cars? — William, ... More Post a comment

Cold vs. Flu, Dodder

Cold vs. Flu, Dodder

Dear Matt: They’re already starting to advertise for old people to get flu shots this year. It’s starting to piss me off. I don’t get ... More Post a comment

No Sleep Brings Death? Tumco

No Sleep Brings Death? Tumco

Heymatt: Sometimes I don’t sleep for a couple of days. I have a friend who told me that I could die from lack of sleep. ... More Post a comment

Jellyfish Snacks, Greenhorns, and Vaughn

Jellyfish Snacks, Greenhorns, and Vaughn

Heymatt: We took the kids to the aquarium, and that got me to thinking about what eats what in the marine environment. Little fishes are ... More Post a comment

Drunken Bugs, Expiration Dates, Ped Xing

Drunken Bugs, Expiration Dates, Ped Xing

Heymatt: Everybody’s so worried about being bitten by mosquitoes these days. It sort of occurred to me that maybe if you were drunk and had ... More Post a comment

Beer Goggles, Mr. Yellow, Pea Jacket

Beer Goggles, Mr. Yellow, Pea Jacket

Mr. Alice, Sir: I’ve never seen you or anybody else for that matter take on this situation. Maybe the answer is too obvious, but I ... More Comments (3)

Pregnant Parking, Wasps' Nests, Suggested Donations,

Pregnant Parking, Wasps' Nests, Suggested Donations, "Arms" Hotels

Heymatt: I see that Horton Plaza has a section of parking for pregnant women. As a male, if I park there, will the cops (or ... More Comments (16)

Radio Contact with Airplanes, Sour Milk

Radio Contact with Airplanes, Sour Milk

Hey, Matt: Ever see big jets flying overhead, the ones leaving a white smoke trail? They fly right over our houses daily. Whee! Say, listen…I ... More Post a comment

No-Undies/Commando, Famosa Slough, Cats, Pinecones

No-Undies/Commando, Famosa Slough, Cats, Pinecones

Heymatt: Why is not wearing underwear called “going commando” style? I would think a commando would appreciate the support and reduction of chafing that briefs ... More Post a comment

Belly Butterflies, Season Names, Gum

Belly Butterflies, Season Names, Gum

Heymatt: My home-office chair is missing its back, and I nearly fell out of it this morning, giving me the “butterflies.” While the vision of ... More Post a comment

Shrunken Heads, Smoker History

Shrunken Heads, Smoker History

Heymatt: I’ve always wondered about shrunken heads. How do they shrink the skull? That’s bone, and I can’t figure out how anybody could shrink bone. ... More Post a comment

Diet History, Transgender Surgery

Diet History, Transgender Surgery

Hey, Matt: Are you skinny or fat? And if you’re fat, are you on a diet? Everybody I know is on a diet. And some ... More Comments (2)

Duck Tape,  Classical Radio Station

Duck Tape, Classical Radio Station

Heymatt: This is a question about the most useful stuff in the world: duct tape. I used to call it duck tape until some friends ... More Post a comment

The Albatross, Booger Edibility

The Albatross, Booger Edibility

Heymatt: I have read many a time that albatross spend most of their lives out over the ocean and never come ashore. Well, I guess ... More Comment (1)

Egg Orientation, Flavorless Strawberries, Human Combustion

Egg Orientation, Flavorless Strawberries, Human Combustion

Matt: When a hen lays an egg, which end comes out first? Settle our bet. — Fat End and Pointed End, via email Ever seen ... More Post a comment

Collagen, Helium, and Butt Boozin'

Collagen, Helium, and Butt Boozin'

Hey, Matthew: Before I have collagen injections in my lips, I have to know where they get the collagen. Is it human? Does it come ... More Comment (1)

Seagulls, Pigeons, Alcohol Enemas

Seagulls, Pigeons, Alcohol Enemas

Heymatt: How far inland can seagulls be found? Are they looking for quieter digs, or are they just lost out there? — Charlie Bingbang, inland ... More Post a comment

Bangs, Piggy Banks, Flies

Bangs, Piggy Banks, Flies

Dear Matt: When I was a little girl, my mother always cut my hair in bangs, straight across my forehead. I was looking at some ... More Post a comment

Gravity, Sexless

Gravity, Sexless

Matthew Alice: In school we were talking about how the earth spins around like a top. The teacher said that is what makes days and ... More Post a comment

String Cheese, Obama's Grandpa, Booze & Caffeine

String Cheese, Obama's Grandpa, Booze & Caffeine

Matt: We are all familiar with the two major forms of mozzarella cheese, the larger amorphous blob we grate and use on pizza and the ... More Post a comment

Perps, X-rayed Sandwiches, and Equatorial Toilets

Perps, X-rayed Sandwiches, and Equatorial Toilets

Heymatt:When I watch all my crime shows on TV, I’ve always wondered about lineups. There’s a bunch of five or six guys in a row ... More Post a comment

Raw Foods, Amazons, Mighty Wind

Raw Foods, Amazons, Mighty Wind

Heymatt: I have a food question that has been giving me indigestion lately. My girlfriend is on this raw-food kick. She says cooking takes all ... More Comment (1)

Heart Smart

Heart Smart

Heymatt: Why is the human heart considered the center of love and affection? Who decided that? And where did the valentine heart come from? Is ... More Post a comment

Morale Savior

Morale Savior

Matthew Alice: Who invented the yellow smiley face logo? Is he a millionaire now? — Smilingly Curious, via email Some lucky people choose to make ... More Post a comment

Elvis, Where Are You Now?

Elvis, Where Are You Now?

Heymatt: I seem to remember that when Elvis died, he was buried somewhere other than on the grounds of Graceland, but something happened and they ... More Post a comment

Chia Pets, Channel 1, Whitened hair, Wet Fabric Color

Chia Pets, Channel 1, Whitened hair, Wet Fabric Color

Heymatt: What’s up with the Chia Pet? Why every Christmas are we bombarded with ads for these weird things? Where did they come from? Who ... More Post a comment

Swiss Army, Tans, Baby Corn, Six Feet Under

Swiss Army, Tans, Baby Corn, Six Feet Under

Dear Matthew: I got a Swiss Army Knife for Christmas. The person who gave it to me keeps trying to tell me that the Swiss ... More Post a comment

Twins, Corned Beef, and Jehovah's Witnesses

Twins, Corned Beef, and Jehovah's Witnesses

Hey, M.A.! Given the following hypothetical -- two identical twin brothers, Joe and Moe, marry two identical twin sisters, Jean and Jane, at double wedding ... More Comments (2)

Southpaw Cats, Pakistan, and Farts

Southpaw Cats, Pakistan, and Farts

Matt: Is my cat left-handed? Whenever she plays with her toys or her food, I've noticed that she uses her left paw more than her ... More Comment (1)

Heave-Ho Heifer

Heave-Ho Heifer

Hey, Matt: Three people from back East told me they had participated in cow-tipping episodes. When I said that I didn't believe them, they said ... More Post a comment

Tattooed Tears, Box Office Baloney

Tattooed Tears, Box Office Baloney

Dear Matthew Alice: What is the symbolism of a teardrop tattoo at the outside corner of an eye? -- Anonymous, somewhere Bigger subject than it ... More Post a comment

Baby Eyeballs, Irate on Gar-NET, Roman Numerals

Baby Eyeballs, Irate on Gar-NET, Roman Numerals

Hey, Matt: Here's another argument for you to settle. I say we're born with full-size eyeballs. They don't grow as we get older. The person ... More Post a comment

Let's Stop at the Mall

Let's Stop at the Mall

Heymatt: I have a habit -- no, compulsion -- to run stop signs in mall parking lots, strip malls, and other private property locations. When ... More Post a comment

Surfing Temp, Bong Dogs, Pee Planning

Surfing Temp, Bong Dogs, Pee Planning

Sr. Matteo: What's with the ocean temperatures this summer? Instead of the typical 70 to 71 degrees in July/August, it's been fluctuating wildly (for an ... More Post a comment

Flies: They Poop, They Die

Heymatt-- Do flies go to the bathroom, deposit feces? -- Devon Davis, 782 CBSSS/PK Hi, Matt: The flies in my home seem slower than usual, ... More Post a comment

Physics on a Bar Stool

Hi, Matt: When my boyfriend drinks beer out of a glass, he puts a paper coaster or the like on top of the glass to ... More Post a comment

Fernando's Favorite Chips

Hey, Matt: My husband swears the Tostitos of his childhood (late '70s, early '80s) were round and nacho cheese flavored. He even remembers a commercial ... More Post a comment

Norma Jeane Mortensen Baker Dougherty DiMaggio Miller

Hi, Matt: One of my favorite E. John songs is "Candle in the Wind." One question: How the hell did they make Norma Jean change ... More Post a comment

The Opposite of Jalape�o

Hey, Matt: There are plenty of ingredients or toppings that add spice to a meal, but is there anything I can add to "cool" the ... More Post a comment

The Bird Is the Word

Dear Matthew Alice, I received this info from a friend in an e-mail. Is this true or real?? Or is it a joke? The History ... More Post a comment

The Red Stuff They Drop From Planes on Fires

Hey, Matt: What is the red stuff the planes drop on the brush fires? How does it work? -- EED, via e-mail Works very well, ... More Post a comment

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