The Mason Minute

There's a meme that I see every so often across social media. The meme always starts with the phrase, "how do you say." Let me give you an example: How do you say you're old without saying you're old? That phrase was running through my mind last night as I watched the SNL 50th anniversary special. I watched the first episode back in 1975, and I don't think I've missed many through the years. When...

We visited Indiana to see some of our nieces and nephews for Valentine's Day. It's always a good time, and we never get to spend as much time as we'd like. But one of the greatest feelings is walking into the room and seeing them for the first time in a while. The smile that comes over their face is genuine. But, ask them to smile, and many have a hard time. Many of us have difficulty with what sh...

Over the last few years, water bottles and tumblers have become fashion accessories. First, Yeti was the brand you needed. Then Stanley and Owala were the ones that all the trendy used. I never got past Yeti. I have numerous Yeti tumblers and water bottles. When I find a brand That works for me, I stick with it. But many people like to follow the trends. In the last couple of years, Stanley and Ow...

It's Valentine's Day, the ultimate Hallmark holiday. While love is on the minds of many, it can also be a frustrating day for many. I've long struggled with Valentine's Day. As a dorky kid, I never enjoyed exchanging Valentine's cards, and as I got older, it was sometimes a good day and sometimes a bad one. But as a guy who's been married for a long time, it's gotten more challenging. My wife isn'...

With all that is happening in Washington, DC, the FBI is hard at work trying to solve the recent burglaries of NFL stars Joe Burrow, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes. NBA stars Luka Doncic, Bobby Portis, and Mike Conley have also been victims. The experts feel that all of these robberies are the work of a South American crime ring. Law enforcement has arrested a few people and expects more to com...

I know a little bit about a lot of subjects. It's something I learned back in my radio days. If you have even an ounce of knowledge about a subject, you can chat with anyone about any topic, whether you're at a cocktail party or conducting an interview. One subject I try to keep up with is science. I did well in school, but it wasn't my favorite subject. But when I read an online story about Earth...

For years, businesses have made us think we're getting a deal when a price ends in 99 cents. Instead of paying $20 for something, you often pay $19 and some change. It could be $19.99 or even $19.97, but it's still an old sales trick. Well, those days are changing. The President has told the Treasury Department to stop minting pennies. The coins you currently have will still be legal tender, but t...

Like many, I enjoy watching the Super Bowl for the commercials. If the game's not close, like last night's, the ads are usually what everybody is buzzing about the next day. And while some were amusing, I didn't see any commercials last night that we'll be talking about for decades. I don't know if cutting through the clutter with a Super Bowl ad is possible today. Another thing I noticed last nig...

The Super Bowl is finally here. For many people, it's not about the game. Today is a day to get together with friends for a party. One of the most popular Super Bowl party foods is Buffalo wings, or just chicken wings if you don't like the hot sauce and blue cheese. Some people go all out for the game, while others keep it simple with things like chips and veggie trays. I always thought that wings...

I've talked a lot about the bird flu over the last few weeks. I'm not obsessed, just curious. But sometimes, my curiosity gets the best of me. I sometimes go down rabbit holes online to find answers to my important questions. Okay, maybe they're not that important. But I enjoy the research process. The one thing I've been wondering about is why the price of eggs has gone up, but chicken prices hav...

The Super Bowl is almost here, finally. The two weeks between the conference championships and the big game seem much longer. And the hype leading up to the game is sometimes too much. Some of the most immense hype this year is Draft Kings' Kick of Destiny. This year, Peyton and Eli Manning are taking over the promotion from former Patriot Rob Gronkowski. Until yesterday, I thought the public was...

I've been immersed in the social media world for nearly two decades. Looking back to the days of MySpace, I'm amazed at all the differences. Technology has changed it all. We could never imagine just how much. Today, we have to look at every post that hits our feed and wonder if it's real or fake. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence, images can be manipulated to look legitimate even when they are no...

Last night, I went out for drinks with a few of my coworkers. Some of our partners flew into Nashville yesterday. They have some meetings scheduled but want to get the team together after work. So we went down the street to one of our neighborhood bars. Like most places in Nashville, they have a friendly staff, plus dozens of big-screen TVs. And since it's Nashville, you might think they'd have so...

Today, we're talking about the topic that won't go away: eggs. The prices continue to rise, that is, if you can find them. Over the weekend, my wife went out for her regular weekly grocery shopping. All they had in the refrigerated section was a sign offering an apology, but no eggs. I don't know if we can officially call this an egg shortage, but it seems like one. The owners of Waffle House thin...

When many young men go to college, one of the first things they look to do is join a fraternity. I briefly considered joining one during my freshman year but quickly realized it wasn't the right fit. I've always been somewhat of a loner and prefer to surround myself with a small group of close friends. But as I've recently realized, I've been a part of a fraternity most of my life. A career in rad...

Do you ever watch those home-buying shows on HGTV? My wife loves programs like Million Dollar Dream Home and House Hunters. I don't understand how she tolerates them. While they're not like those outrageous reality TV programs that are all the rage, they're a bit twisted. The premise is simple. A couple is looking for a new home. In the hour-long show, they usually end up choosing from three diffe...

It's an understatement to say that the world is much different than when I was in school. Sure, technology has played a significant part, but there are other vast differences. In my first computer class in high school, we used punch cards, and the computer filled an entire room. In Junior High School, one of my close friends was on the shooting team. In grade school, we played dodgeball during gym...

I consider myself a casual sports fan. At one time in my life, like many youngsters, I was obsessed with sports. While playing baseball and basketball, I also knew a lot about football and hockey. But once I graduated from college, I didn't pay quite as much attention. But I still try to keep up when it comes to the playoffs. That's when I tune into Sports Center and sports talk radio. But in rece...

There are some habits you simply can't break. For me, it's watching the evening news most nights. Sure, I can watch the 24-hour news channels, which I do, but I've been watching the nightly news for decades. In recent years, it's just out of habit. Some of my most vivid memories from my youth were watching the Huntley Brinkley Report and their nightly recap of the Vietnam War. But something has ch...

Most of us have a bucket list of the places we want to go or things we want to do in our lifetime. We all have dreams. Some of these items are easier to accomplish than others. Many of us put away a little money every chance we get to save for that bucket list item. If attending the Super Bowl is on your list, now might be the time to act. Ticket prices for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans are plumme...

There's a great deal of talk about the price of eggs, milk, and bread. Grocery staples are always key indicators of the economy. Right now, the cost of eggs is skyrocketing because of the bird flu. For some reason, even though chicken prices are also increasing, you don't hear people discussing that. Now, chicken prices aren't as outrageous, but we're used to the fluctuation of meat, poultry, and...

I've been told numerous times that I have a high tolerance for pain. I guess that's a good thing, or is it? Pain is something that's tough to quantify. Since each of us has a different tolerance, comparing with someone else is nearly impossible. For many women, childbirth is one of the most painful things they'll experience. For men, many will agree a kick in the groin is one of the worst feelings...

We don't consume a lot of bread in our house. While my wife and I love carbs, we try to keep them to a minimum. Every so often, we'll have soup and sandwiches for dinner. If I'm going to have a sandwich, give me Ham and Swiss on rye bread with mustard, and I'm a happy guy. There's only one problem with that. Since my wife doesn't like rye bread, it's all up to me to finish the whole loaf before it...

I'm often amazed at the discussions I encounter online. Of course, numerous political topics exist, but that doesn't shock anyone. But sometimes, I wonder what matters to people. Am I giving society too much credit? The other day, I was scrolling through Facebook, and in my timeline was one of their suggested groups or topics I should follow. It was a strange discussion about the movie Teen Wolf,...

I've discussed this topic a few times through the years, scam emails. I'm often amazed that people are so gullible. But it sounds like I've been misguided. The problem is getting worse. And that's because of Artificial Intelligence. The scammers are getting smarter thanks to technology. Experts tell us we should be wary if an email stresses urgency. If you see the words act fast, think twice about...