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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: The Difference Between Hotels & Motels

With another round of stimulus checks going out soon, you may be thinking about hitting the road for a safe, socially-distanced vacation. But, where will you stay: a hotel, or a motel? And, what’s the difference between the two?

It comes down to the etymology of the word motel, since it’s a actually 2 words spliced together: motor, and hotel. Motels first came to prominence in the 1920s, as newly-paved highways meant drivers would likely be traveling long distances & in need of places to stay. Early motels sprung up along roadways, offering meals, beds, and places to park your car. Those parking spaces were usually right in front of the motel rooms, which were typically in a one- or two-story building. Motels weren’t intended to shelter hundreds of people, so it made more sense to keep them small & make staying there as convenient as possible.

Hotels, though, have been around for hundreds of years & are intended to both host destination travelers & stand as structural wonders, with lots of lobbies that lead to interior room entrances. And a hotel can have a staff of hundreds of people to keep their sprawling operation moving efficiently.

With their more limited amenities, motels may employ only a handful of people who are less likely to see extended-stay guests, since most folks would quickly grow tired of the small rooms & basic features. (Think: no gyms or room service.)

One positive of motels: you’re more likely to find them in remote areas, and chances are the rates will be more reasonable than what a hotel might charge.

Regardless of whether you choose to stay in a hotel or a motel, if you are gonna be traveling soon, just remember to be safe, remain socially-distanced, and come back home soon.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Do Hot Deserts Get So Cold At Night?

With it being so warm now, compared to how cold it was just last week, I got to thinking about some other places that experience those temp shifts much more regularly & frequently: deserts. During the day, scorching heat can be torturous to humans. But then, after dark, the problem is reversed & you’d need a winter coat. For instance, temps in the Sahara Desert in Africa can swing a remarkable 75 degrees in just 24 hours, climbing to an average 100°F while the sun’s out, then plummeting to a mere 25°F after the sun sets. But how & why does that happen?

Well, it’s all about the sand, which is an efficient heat distributor when the sun’s out & reflects the warmth back into the air. But, sand’s not so good at retaining heat, so when the sun goes down it lets go of that heat pretty quickly.

Humidity could help retain some of that warm air overnight, but deserts aren’t known to have much humidity. When there’s water vapor in the air, it traps heat. Then, if the heat source gets taken away, that vapor will retain the warmth for a good while. But, without sun or humidity, daytime heat doesn’t get held anywhere, so the desert rapidly cools.

Humidity’s also why deserts often feel hotter than other places even that might have the same temperature. Water vapor needs a lot of solar energy to heat up, but a dry climate just has to take that energy head-on.

Similarly, just as the warm air dissipates when night falls, there’s also no humidity to trap the frigid nighttime weather. So, when the sun rises, it’s back to sizzling.

Now, there are some other factors that can factor in, too: clouds & wind can help moderate & help keep temperatures from dropping. But, overall, you’ll bake in the daytime desert before freezing there at night thanks to the crummy combo of sand and low humidity, which doesn’t make for a consistently comfortable climate. So, if you’ve been thinking about moving to Albuquerque or Timbuktu, it’s probably best if you just keep it right here in Frederick.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

Patrick Tests Gabby’s Knowledge of Irish and Nissan Trivia

In preparation for our event tomorrow (March 11) Patrick thought it was a good idea to test my knowledge of Ireland and Nissans. I didn’t do so well…come see us broadcasting live from Hamilton Nissan in Hagerstown from 4-6pm for their Luck of the Irish event! Find some gold and green coins and spin their wheel of prizes.

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Are Those Tiny Black Dots On Your Windshield?

Have you ever noticed those tiny black dots around the edge of your car’s windshield? They’re easy to miss, but they actually serve some important purposes.

Firstly, there’s a black strip that wraps around your windshield, which is called a “frit” or a “frit band”. It’s basically ceramic paint that’s been cooked into the glass & is impossible to scrape off, but for good reason. That reason is to protect the urethane sealant that holds your windshield in place from ultraviolet rays. If it weren’t there, the glass could pop out.

The frit band also provides a rougher surface for the adhesive to stick to, and it’s a visual barrier that keeps you from seeing the glue from outside. The frit’s been commonplace since the ‘50s & ‘60s, back when car makers began swapping out metal trim for adhesives.

Ok, so that explains the solid black strip, but what about those dots?

Those dots get smaller as they move inwards, and it’s because that creates a gradient pattern which is more aesthetically pleasing & less distracting for both the driver & passengers.

The dots aren’t there just to look attractive, though. A lot of the design has to do with the way windshields are made. When the windshield glass is bent in an oven, that black frit heats up faster than the rest of the windshield. So, to reduce visual distortion due to the thermal disparity, a dot gradient is used to spread out the temperature.

There’s also a second set of dots on your windshield, right behind the rearview mirror, that help keep the sun out of your eyes as you drive.

And now, you’re a frit expert! So, amaze your friends with your uncommon knowledge!

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

Pet of the Week- Kelly

Our Jay Day and The Day Home Team Pet of the Week is Kelly! She is a 6-7 year old Domestic Short Hair cat that was found in Brunswick last month. Beautiful green eyes! She is a little bit shy, do Animal Control is suggesting a home with lower activity.

WFRE PODCAST: Women, Dogs, and Cicadas

Mysterious dogs and doomsday bugs overtake the gang on this International Women’s Day!!! Gabby had a pleasant weekend, Patrick is hunting a missing statue, and Laura is prepping for Brood X. Do you still call it a bug-out bag if you are bugging out from bugs?

Topics Links:

Laura-ism: “Took me for a whirl.”

Featuring: Gabby (Weekdays 10a-3p), Laura (Weekdays 7p-Midnight), and Patrick Hanes (Midnight-5a).

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Which “Orange” Came First…The Color, Or The Fruit?

Y’know the old “Which Came First: The Chicken Or The Egg” quandary? You could ask a very similar question about “Orange”: is the fruit named for its color, or is the color named for the fruit?

Well, if you’ve ever pondered this question, you can rest assured that there is a definitive answer (unlike the “Chicken Or The Egg” predicament): it was the fruit that was named first. The earliest recorded English usage of the word “orange”, used as the name for the fruit, is from the 1300s. “Orange” actually came from the Old French “orange”, which, itself, was adapted from the Arabic word “nāranj”. Nāranj was derived from the Persian “nārang”, which descended from the Sanskrit word “nāranga”, or “orange tree”. Now, where the Sanskrit word came from is unclear at this point, but it might’ve been from a Dravidian word that meant “fragrant.”

The word “orange” as a color descriptor wouldn’t appear for some 200 years after the fruit originated, taking hold in the early 1500s. But, think about it: English speakers probably didn’t have a specific name for the color until the fruit was widely available in their markets & inspired one. Before that happened, it’s believed that people just generally referred to orange as “yellow-red,” or “ġeolurēad” in Old English, if you wanna get specific.

But, while we know that the fruit came before the color in name origin, which one you like better is a question that can only be answered by you.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

{Katie’s Baby Blog} What to Pack?!

I can officially say “baby girl will be here next month!”

So…I should probably start thinking about packing my hospital bag and getting organized, right? Because…I haven’t done anything like that yet!

There are so many checklist that you can find online and some of them will tell you to literally pack EVERYTHING… just in case. I found that a lot of the stuff that people put on the longer list is totally unnecessary. The hospital gives you SO MUCH of the things that you might think you need to bring yourself…especially when it comes to the baby.

Now, this time around, my delivery is a planned c-section… so we know when we are going in and my list will be a little shorter because I don’t have to go through labor this time.

But you definitely need to think about three different people while packing- Mom, baby and Dad.

Things that I definitely want to pack for myself:

-3 Cozy PJ sets

-slippers/socks

-Going home outfit

-toiletries (toothbrush, hairbrush, make up, deodorant, etc.)

-cozy blanket

-phone charger

-purse with insurance cards, etc.

….Ill have to think about what else i’m missing.

Baby:

-carseat

-Swaddle

-hat

-a couple outfits

-scratch mittens

-boppy pillow

Dad:

-clothes

-pillow

-cash for vending machines

-toiletries

-phone charger

-snacks!

 

Any recommendations?! Let me know!

<3 Katie Ryan

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Is Fish Allowed During Lent?

Each spring, Catholics observe Lent by skipping steak in favor of fish sticks & swapping a Big Macs for a Filet-O-Fish. But, why is that?

One legend says a medieval pope with connections to Europe’s fishing business banned red meat on Fridays centuries ago, to boost his pals’ industry. While that story’s not true, Sunday school teachers have a more Biblical answer: Jesus fasted for 40 days & died on a Friday. So, Catholics honor both occasions by making the small sacrifice of avoiding animal meat one day each week, over the course of 6 Fridays. So, why are only red meat & poultry banned, but seafood is fine?

Saint Thomas Aquinas thought fellow Catholics should abstain from eating land-locked animals because they were too darn tasty & would cause impure thoughts & actions. Lent’s a time for modesty, he suggested, and in the 1200s meat was a luxury. So, eating something as extravagant as beef was no way to celebrate a holiday centered on simplicity.

But, why fish isn’t considered meat during Lent is a bit unclear. Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in the Bible has been used to justify fasting rules, as he separated different kinds of meat (men, beasts, fish, and birds). That distinction possibly came from Judaism’s own dietary restrictions, which separates fleishig (land-locked mammals & fowl) from pareve (fish). But, neither the Torah, Talmud, or New Testament clearly explain the rationale behind the divide.

It’s arbitrary, anyway. In the 17th century, the Bishop of Quebec ruled that beavers were fish. In Latin America, it’s OK to eat capybara, since their largest living rodent there is also apparently considered a fish on Lenten Fridays. Churchgoers around Detroit, MI, can guiltlessly munch on muskrat every Friday. And, in 2010, the Archbishop of New Orleans gave alligator the thumbs up.

It’s thanks to King Henry VIII that Protestants don’t have to worry about their diet. And, it was Martin Luther who declared fasting to be up to the individual, not the Church. So, whether you fast or not, or eat meat or fish or not…that’s entirely up to you. It’s what’s in your heart & mind that count.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

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