The Mason Minute

When you're young, you don't worry about the future. You're invincible. You can get through anything. But as you get older, you worry about things out of your control. You start thinking about things like Alzheimer's and dementia. They're not things you can easily prevent. However, researchers in Europe recently found that people who get the two-dose shingles vaccine could also be staving off the...

We all have pet peeves. I have more than my share. Sometimes, we have things that bother us that we don't encounter often, but when we do, we make a note and add them to our list. I came across this over the weekend. My wife and I were dining at a brunch restaurant, and about an hour before they were to close their doors, they started vacuuming. I also see this happen when I go shopping at the mal...

As some say, when feeling nostalgic, happiness comes from very basic and simple things. And while I understand the sentiment, that's hard to fathom in our world today. Is anything simple today? Life is much more complicated than in the good old days. As we get older, we tend to believe our youth was the best of times. It doesn't matter what the years were when you were young; our memories look bac...

Honestly, there are some things I'll never understand. Why do people leave their keys in the car? How hard is it to remove the keys? I lived in small towns when I was younger. Even back then, people locked their homes and vehicles' doors. But even in 2025, some people in cities like Nashville still have trouble locking their car doors. I know this because I got an alert on my phone the other day....

People often say there's a big difference between watching the game in person and watching it on TV. While I love seeing sports up close, whether it's a stadium, arena, or ballpark, there are some benefits to enjoying everything from the comfort of your easy chair. You can pause the action when you have to go to the bathroom. It's easier to grab a snack when watching from home. Plus, the food cost...

This time of year, many yearn for warm weather and coastal beaches. Spring break is on everyone's mind. But have you ever thought about the sand you want to dig your toes into? We're actually running out of it. Technically, the sand at the beach is worth very little. But there are different types. The kind you buy at Lowe's or Home Depot for building projects differs. We dredge it from rivers, and...

Helium is in short supply. We've discussed this a couple of times over the last few years. Depending on how you look at it, it's either a recurring or ongoing shortage. Helium isn't a gas that we manufacture. It's mined like natural gas. And that means there is a finite supply. The medical industry uses the gas in many ways. It's the biggest user of helium throughout the world. Plus, it's now used...

I love a good road trip. And there are a few things that are key to making them effortless. Before smartphones, you needed a map or atlas to plan your route. Today, you only need to worry about cheap gas and clean restrooms. There are apps that can tip you to the current gas prices, but finding the best bathrooms is tougher. Anyone who has visited Buc-ee's raves about the facilities, but there are...

As we reach the month's final day, March Madness is winding down. The men's NCAA basketball tournament is down to their final four teams. All are number 1 seeds, the top four teams in the tournament. The women's tournament will be down to the final four later tonight. Two teams have advanced, and they're both number-one seeds. Of the two remaining games in the Elite Eight, the lowest seed remainin...

Throughout life, we often become attached to silly things. After all of my years in radio, I find myself attached to the headphones I use daily. I'm not talking earbuds, but the traditional ones covering your ears. In my radio days, what I heard in my ears was important. I still have that feeling today, mainly when I'm producing each day's podcast. The pair I've used for the last six or seven year...

The title of today's podcast is not a mistake. We're talking about Mark Madness, not the NCAA basketball tournament. Two nights ago, I was up late watching an old Law & Order episode on Sundance TV. I don't usually pay attention to the commercials, but one of their promotional announcements caught my eye. It promoted Mark Madness, their marathon of Mark Harmon's long-running TV show, NCIS. I l...

A familiar sight on our highways is reaching the end of the line. Kenworth just announced that their W900 semi-cab is being discontinued after 65 years. It's the third longest-running vehicle line behind the Chevrolet Suburban and the Ford F-Series pickup. When you think of a big rig, it's one of the visuals that comes to mind. It's the rig that the Snowman drove in Smokey and the Bandit. The look...

The NCAA men's basketball tournament resumes tonight with only 16 teams left. Some say this year's March Madness doesn't feel the same. The tourney is changing. You can look directly at the Sweet 16 and see changes. This year, only four conferences are being represented in this round. In every year previously, there were at least seven conferences. Experts say this trend will continue. There are n...

We've heard about the mounting number of measles cases spreading through West Texas and parts of New Mexico for a couple of months. But now, other states are starting to see cases pop up. We have a few already in Tennessee. Most people who are vaccinated should be okay. But some, including myself, wonder if we need a booster shot. The original measles one-dose vaccine debuted in 1963. The two-dose...

There are two kinds of people: those who shower in the morning and those who shower at night. I know that oversimplifies things, but it says a lot about you when you shower. Doctors even argue about which one is best. Today, more doctors feel that showering before you go to bed is the best for your body. While I understand the benefits, there's no way I could get up every morning and go out in pub...

It may not describe you, but you likely know someone who is extremely online. This has nothing to do with the time spent using social media; it's about their connection to being a trendsetter. Extremely online people are those who immerse themselves in internet culture. They're the ones who are first to share what become hot memes and gifs. They're the authentic influencers of social media. But th...

Yesterday, we discussed a couple of the items that Nashville is trying to improve: sidewalks and bike lanes. But as my wife often declares, that's not a real problem. She thinks we need more streetlights. That isn't a priority in Middle Tennessee. Our streets have always seemed dark. And the interstates in both Tennessee and Kentucky seem the same. Is this on purpose or a problem due to lack of ma...

As Nashville grows, we're doing what we can to improve the city, not just for tourists but the people who live here year-round. Making the city more livable is essential to those running the city. At least, that's what they tell us. Building more sidewalks and bike lanes will give people options for getting around town. That may be true, but there's one thing we still need to work on. People using...

Have you ever looked at the calendar and realized that the date means something? That happened to me yesterday. I looked at the calendar and noticed that it was March 20th. For some reason, the date seemed familiar. But I can't remember why. So, of course, I racked my brain trying to think. Was it someone's birthday? Perhaps it was an anniversary. The date may have something to do with one of my o...

I'm not one of those guys who are obsessed with shoes. What are they called, sneakerheads? Now, my wife might argue the fact. I do own too many pairs of Crocs. I've had bad feet since I was a teen, so comfort is key. But over the last few weeks, I've become obsessed with college basketball players' shoes. I don't care about the brand or the model of the shoe. I'm stunned by the color of the shoes...

I've always been a curious person. Sometimes, the silliest thing can send me down a rabbit hole. Last night, I watched a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament and saw a commercial for Starbucks. They were promoting lavender matcha, which is only available for a limited time. I'm not sure why, but that got me searching the internet for the history of these items that come and go from fast food menus...

I spent much of my late teens and early 20s in one of two places: the radio station or the shopping mall. I didn't hang out at the mall; I worked there. I worked as a stock boy, salesperson, and inventory specialist for a jeans store in the southeast. It's long gone, as is the parent company that owned it. When I wasn't working there, I was working on the radio. My retail career only lasted a few...

I know that I've discussed this before, but I've never understood why people get so excited about St Patrick's Day. It feels like we use the day as an excuse to party. But do you really need an excuse? While we have more responsibilities as we age, the best part of getting older is calling an audible and doing what we want for a day or two anytime we want. If you want to drink green beer in July,...

Every so often, I hear the voice of one of my college professors ringing in my ears. Dr Gallagher was one of my speech professors and a stickler for the English language. She had no tolerance for improper grammar. Dr G made me a much better communicator in my four short years under her tutelage. So, anytime I use slang, I think of her and how much she hated it. The other day, I was walking through...

The game of Monopoly has been around since the Great Depression. It's based on a similar game that was first created in the early 1900s. Before cable TV, video games, and the internet, it was a way to kill a lot of time. That was both a blessing and a curse. Games could go on for days. Even though it's one of the most popular board games of all time, it's tried to stay relevant. There are hundreds...