Star 99.9

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Can’t We Smell Our Own Breath?

You know that feeling when you think you have bad breath but no one is telling you? Then the worst part is you can’t smell it yourself! So frustrating. Why is that?

According to BreathMD,

it could be that we became so accustomed to smelling our own breath that we simply don’t notice its odor anymore—similar to the way we can’t detect our own “house smell.” This kind of habituation doesn’t just inure us to unpleasant aromas, it also leaves our noses free to focus on unfamiliar odors in our environment that could alert us to danger.

Wow. Very interesting. I like that it’s almost like a human super power to protect from enemies. So next time you’re not sure about your breath just pop a mint and hope for the best.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Things to Know Friday October 16th

NOAA releases winter forecast amid drought in CT CT Post

Fairfield Police arrest NJ man twice in the same day CT Post

Shelton seeks owner of accidentally dumped fishing gear CT Post

Feds to get peek at CT’s COVID-19 vaccine plan today WFSB

Drought dent: More than 2 inches of rain possible in parts of the state starting today WFSB

CT hospitals open cancer drug trials The Hour

New Canaan YMCA: 2 child care workers test positive for COVID The Hour

‘Reduce the risk:’ Stamford sponsors a drive-thru flu clinic Stamford Advocate

11 CT cities, towns under Red Alert for COVID-19 cases WTNH

Yale doctor: It appears second wave of COVID-19 is here WTNH

Photo: Getty Images

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT! Thursday October 15th: First Date, New Rules

Today and tomorrow play I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT! to win a virtual ticket to Billie Eilish’s livestream concert “Where Do We Go?” happening next Saturday October 24th.

Here was today’s question…

Q: According to singles dating in 2020, THIS is the most important thing you can do on a first date.

A: Be On Time

Photo credit: Getty Images

TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD: Quick Thinking Teacher Saves Grandmother’s Life While Teaching An Online class

Like most students and teachers around the country Julia Koch was teaching her first grade online class when something scary happened with one of her students.

One of the kid’s in Julia’s class was having trouble with his computer so she called a kid’s grandmother. While on the phone she noticed the grandmother was having trouble talking. Thinking it was a heart attack Julia immediately called 911. Turns out the woman was actually having a stroke, not a heart attack. Luckily because of this teacher’s quick thinking there’s a good chance she saved the woman’s life.

Photo credit: Getty Images

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Do We Get Red Eye In Photos?

We’ve all been there before. You take a really nice group photo, look at it, and everyone looks like a demonic dragon with red eyes.

Nowadays there are plenty of fancy editing apps to fix it, but why does it happen in the first place?!

When you take the photo the camera’s flash sends a lot of light into the eye in a very short amount of time. The light is then reflected off the back of the eye and out through the pupil. Now because the camera lens is so close to the flash so the camera can capture images very quickly it catches the light reflecting back out.

By now you’re asking… then why is it actually RED?!

This is because the interior surface of the eye which includes the retina has something called Melanin. A pigment that gives it a brownish-reddish color.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Things to Know Thursday October 15th

‘Senseless stealing of political signs’ frustrates GOP and Democrats in Shelton CT Post

Bridgeport elementary schools go hybrid after Thanksgiving CT Post

Fairfield elementary school closes amid COVID case CT Post

Inaccurate Census count could affect $1.5 trillion in federal funding WFSB

Original ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ puppets to be auctioned WFSB

Trick-or-treating not recommended in New Haven, city officials advise WFSB

USPS investigates theft of absentee ballots in Norwalk The Hour

Westport schools to remain in hybrid model The Hour

‘Dexter’ limited series revival ordered at Showtime Stamford Advocate

Election officials reassure public after absentee ballot issues caught in Vernon, Wallingford and New Haven WTNH

Tell Me Something Good: Viral Ocean Spray Skateboarder Guy Is Now A Halloween Costume

You’ve probably seen this video everywhere by now. The guy skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” while drinking an Ocean Spray bottle of cranberry juice seemingly not having a care in the world. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here it is…

@420doggface208Morning vibe ##420souljahz ##ec ##feelinggood ##h2o ##cloud9 ##happyhippie ##worldpeace ##king ##peaceup ##merch ##tacos ##waterislife ##high ##morning ##710 ##cloud9 ♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac

The video has become a viral sensation around the world and now he just got even more famous because he has now become a Halloween costume.

Also, even Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac, the singer of the song herself, has decided to play along and make a video of her own! What a world.

@stevienicksAfternoon vibe. Lace ’em up! ##Dreams ##FleetwoodMac ##CranberryDreams @420doggface208♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac

Photo credit: PR Photos

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: How Did They Come Up With The Name Siri?

I’m sure you’ve seen by now that Apple made their latest big announcement on Tuesday (10/13) revealing the new iPhone 12. Like always it’s better, faster, can do waaaay more things than your current iPhone, blah blah blah, oh and 5G (kinda) this time!

Siri is still a big part of the iPhone world and the new Apple HomePod mini they announced. Which got me thinking… how did they even come up with “Siri”?

In a Q&A on Quora one of the engineers of the original startup company that developed Siri for Apple explained…

As a startup, when coming up with Siri’s name, we wanted something that was easy to remember, short to type, comfortable to pronounce, and a not-too-common human name. And we wanted to be able to get the domain name for not too much money… 😉

Once Siri became the leading candidate, everyone on the team had their own favorite explanation of the meaning. Dag Kittlaus, our Norwegian-American CEO, once considered using Siri as the name of his child, and liked the Norse meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”. For me, Siri, which means “secret” in Swahili, was a tip of the hat to our pre-named days when we began as stealth-company.com. I also liked the fact that it was the reverse of Iris, a software system I helped build as part of the CALO project which Siri spun out of. Some liked the resemblance to SRI, which was the research institute that ran the CALO project. We knew about Siri = beauty in Sinhalese, but missed that SHIRI = “butt” in Japanese (they’re not the same word, but closely pronounced…)

And it was all a big surprise for the team that Apple decided to keep the original Siri name for it’s launch as part of iOS. There were other candidates that were leading, up until the final weeks…

Now you know! I guess I could’ve also just asked Siri that… ha ha.

Photo credit: Getty Images

TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD: Boy From Greenwich Celebrates “SOCKTOBER” With Creative Sock Drive

We got an email from Bill in Greenwich about something his son Jackson has started for a great cause here in Connecticut.

Jackson is hosting what he calls his “Socktober” Sock Drive. I figured we would show some love and feature them in Tell Me Something Good. Jackson has a goal of collecting and donating 2000 pairs of socks throughout the month of October. He feels this is especially important as we enter the winter months. Which is true. He also learned that socks are one of the most needed items in homeless shelters. Donations can be new socks for both adults and children which Jackson will give to Inspirica in Stamford. Socks can be placed in any of the bins around town or can be delivered to Jackson himself.

Jackson’s SOCKTOBER donation bins can be found throughout the Greenwich community and at his house. In addition, socks can be purchased and donated at Threads and Treads.

Please help out our friend Jackson reach his goal of collecting 2000 pairs of socks to help those in need this winter and spread the word about SOCKTOBER!!

Photo credit: Getty Images

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Pharmacies Always Located In The Back of the Store?

If you’ve picked up a prescription at CVS or Walgreens lately this thought has definitely entered your head “Why is the pharmacy always way in the back?” As you might expect there are reasons for it.

The first and most believable is that the stores want you to walk by all the other products in the aisles on your way to pick up your order. After all, isn’t the the main goal of retail in general? Get them to buy more. Same reason why you have to walk by all the furniture in Jordan’s before getting to the attractions in the way back. Maybe you’ll by a couch before zip lining!

Another more practical reason is that like most stores the deliveries come in at the loading dock in the back of the building. The Pharmacy is constantly getting items so makes sense to have it in the back. Makes sense. A lot of pharmacies have drive-thru windows. Obviously those are built into the back or side of a building most times.

On the security side of things, it’s unfortunate but also reality that the pharmacy is a big target for thieves. If everything is in the back of the store, it makes for a longer path to escape out the front door. Hopefully tripping them up or buying the authorities a few more minutes getting to the scene.

So the next time you’re standing in line for you prescription, now you know why you’re in the back of the store.

Photo credit: Getty Images