The Mason Minute

I got a flat tire as we were heading back to Nashville last weekend. Fortunately, I had run flat on my car, so we were able to get home safely. With all of the construction throughout Nashville, I'm surprised I don't have tire issues more often. Flat tires are always a hassle, but at least tire technology has improved. The one thing that hasn't improved is the ease of getting your tire fixed. Even...

Rumored for months, it finally happened this week. Legendary storage container company Tupperware filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Famous for their at-home parties, Tupperware has struggled for years. As the world changed and everyone started shopping at big box stores, Tupperware held out, refusing to change. They reached their peak in the 1960s. However, women didn't have time to host sales part...

Years ago, I contracted a staph infection in my eye. And the one thing I learned from my doctor was that they had to guess the type of infection to create the antibiotics to treat it. I got lucky, and they cured the infection and saved my eye. My doctor explained how these viruses happen and how tricky they are to cure. Researchers are concerned about the increasing occurrence of bacterial infecti...

For decades, people have claimed that radiation from cell phones could cause brain cancer. Because the technology is constantly evolving and still relatively new, there was no definitive answer to determine whether we should be concerned. Over the last 30 years, researchers have conducted over 5,000 studies to come up with a definitive answer. The WHO has finally given us the good news: radiation...

Over the last few decades, you had numerous ways to view the programming if you wanted to watch something on TV. Cable and satellite television are often needed to watch more than just your basic local channels. But streaming services have changed everything. Right now, some are predicting satellite's demise, and perhaps cable. The companies that own the streaming platforms would love to eliminate...

Is it too early for stores to start putting out their Christmas decorations? My wife and I went to Walmart the other night, and they already had five or six aisles filled with holiday decorations. For some, it's never too early to start putting them together. Others think stores should at least wait until after Halloween. And then, of course, some feel you must wait until after Thanksgiving. I und...

My wife and I have been together for roughly 30 years. And there's not much about her that I don't know. I learned early that her favorite ice cream was chocolate chip or the mint version. She gets one scoop of each whenever we go to the ice cream shop. But ice cream flavors often rise and fall in popularity. Basics like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are some of the most popular and have been...

Recently I was up late, watching TV. I think I was watching one of the streaming apps, when a commercial came on from a company that is cloning pets. For a minute, I thought it was some SNL skit, but it was an actual commercial. With prices starting at $1600, they can clone one of your beloved pets. I remember the first time I heard about using DNA to clone animals. It was the mid-1990s, and some...

For as long as there's been high-profile crime, there's been copycat versions. But this week, my news feed has been filled with stories about young students making threats, online or in person, at schools across America. Experts think these situations are being triggered by last week's school shooting near Atlanta. Many say it's a cry for help. But what are we doing to help these young people? We...

For many people, September 11, 2001, changed their lives permanently. And I'm not just talking about people from New York. Even though it's been 23 years, many of us still struggle with what happened that day. While we shouldn't be shocked that our enemies tried to attack us, it's all that has happened since then that bothers so many. The horrible events of that day brought our country together, b...

Car culture is a unique experience. We all have different ways of identifying with people who share our passions. I'm not sure how cows and ducks came to be a part of creating a community, but they have. Last year, I talked about Jeep Ducking, where Jeep owners leave rubber ducks for others who share their passion. And while it's been going on for a couple of years, Subaru owners are doing somethi...

Every time we get behind the wheel, there's a possibility that something terrible will happen. We could encounter a drunk driver, someone who's on the phone, or text messaging. We're always in danger whenever we get in the car to go somewhere. But now, many worry about a hidden danger. Over the weekend, someone shot at cars on I-75 in southern Kentucky. Gunshots hit nine vehicles, and five people...

It's been a sweltering summer. But you can finally see that the season is changing. It's not because the temperatures are dropping or the leaves are changing color. You can see that Fall is here because the football season is in full swing. The college games started last week, and the NFL is back this weekend. And while the weather hasn't changed much yet, you can already feel the change. There's...

Our world has been obsessed with celebrities for as long as I can remember. Long before the internet, finding out about the lives of the rich and famous was a challenge. A quick Google search can give you all the information you desire today. But it doesn't stop there. When it comes to award shows, people seem more fascinated by what's happening on the red carpet than they do with who wins the awa...

I check my online news feed numerous times throughout the day. That's how I keep up with what's happening in the world. But I had to step away from it yesterday. So many of the headlines discussing the Georgia school shooting added two words that really bothered me. It wasn't just another senseless shooting, but it was the worst school shooting this year. I don't know why those two words bothered...

Every time we turn around, someone seems to have their hand in our pockets. Businesses continue to find creative ways to separate you from your money. Some will say they're still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. And while this may be true for small businesses, many companies are making record profits. But it's still not enough. Many of the courtesy services that stores offer are likely gone...

As society changes, etiquette is often a topic of discussion. While some things never change, with every new generation, there are always adjustments. One topic that's acceptable in only a few social settings has concerned people for many years. We're talking about sunglasses. Wearing them at night is always a no-no unless you're a celebrity like Jack Nicholson. However, wearing sunglasses when ta...

As I write this, I'm sitting in the dark. The only light I have is the glow from the screen on my iPad. Last night, I was getting ready to produce this new episode of the podcast when we lost power at the house. That happens here in Nashville more than we like, but it's partly a product of overhead power lines. Usually, when something like this happens, I just wait for the brief darkness to be rem...

When Labor Day started in the late 1800s, it was a day to honor the people who made their living in the labor trade unions. However, a day to honor only part of the workforce would fail. So, through the years, it became a day to celebrate the blue-collar and white-collar office workers. I've longed joked that there's a third group of workers, the no collar workers. Those are people who wear T-shir...

It's sometimes hard to keep up with all of the characters on TV trying to sell you insurance. Jake from State Farm, The Geico Gecko, and Flo from Progressive are some of the best-known. And while I don't care about those pitch persons or animals, there is one insurance spokesman I love. He's Dr Rick from Progressive. You don't see his commercials as much as Flo's, and that's a shame. He's the self...

It's the most famous country music show and has been a part of my life for decades. People worldwide know the Grand Ole Opry. I hung out backstage for the first time back in the mid-1980s. Plus, I've had the privilege of watching many artists I work with perform there. I even took a busload of radio listeners to the old Opryland amusement park in the nineties. But if you told me then that I'd live...

You often hear people talk about wanting to turn back time. Watching my nieces and nephews grow up, I frequently try to remember my life when I was their age—they range in age from 7 to nearly 35. And outside of possibly turning back the clock to 35, you couldn't get me to be a teen or in my twenties. While aging isn't always fun, I don't want to be young again. While getting older isn't, at times...

I feel miserable. The last week of August and the first week of September are always rough for me. Everything that I'm allergic to hits its peak every year about this time, and the weather will then determine just how bad I feel. It hit 100 degrees a couple of times this week, and you can nearly cut the air with a knife. I woke up the other day with a sore throat, but I don't know if it's my sinus...

People often talk about the feeling that they're being nickeled and dimed to death. I understand the frustration. Today, if you subscribe to any software or app, there's always another upgrade they want you to buy. I miss the days when you'd go to a store to buy the software you need, and you were set for years. Now, you pay either monthly or annually, and they're still not satisfied. This constan...

It always happens this way. Just when people think the weather is starting to get cooler and Fall may come early, we get hit with a heatwave. For much of this week, we expect to have highs near 100. While the daytime heat is no fun, I hate it at night. And it's not really hot; it's muggy. But for the last couple of nights, it's been too hot to sleep. I shouldn't complain. I grew up in a world with...