The Mason Minute

Outraged fans have been taking to social media for the last few days. They're upset about a few things in the sports world. First is Caitlin Clark's omission from the women's Olympic basketball team. While she's taking the high road, others are going to extremes to express their displeasure. In addition to that controversy, yesterday, competitor eating legend Joey Chestnut was banned from this yea...

At this stage in life, it takes a lot to shock me. But I read something the other day that stunned me and made me question just how unhinged our world is becoming. And this has nothing to do with politics. The story was about baseball. It was a discussion about the numerous death threats that players are getting, all because of gambling. Now that betting is legal, many people with gambling issues...

Many school boards across the country are having serious discussions. They want to institute a cell phone ban for students. The school systems feel that smartphones offer too many distractions. Text messaging and social media apps are causing too many distractions for students in class. Many school systems thought this would be a slam dunk and make parents happy. But they're quickly finding out th...

Even though we live in the city, we have critters all around us. Things like deer and skunks are almost commonplace. Every now and then, we'll hear stories of wolves and bears nearby. That doesn't happen very often, but when it does, we're not that surprised. Fortunately, there are some animals we haven't had to deal with here in Tennessee that I know of, such as alligators. But I know they're eas...

I've spent a lot of time around famous people throughout my life. And it must be rough. Even though being a celebrity, musician, TV star, or actor gets tiring, they never really want the adoring fans to disappear. Saying farewell is difficult. Final tours for famous bands can last for years. Pat Sajak announced he was leaving Wheel of Fortune last year, but it seems like he made the announcement y...

It seems that every time I open my news reader, there's a new story about some food recall. So much of what we eat or drink is filled with harmful chemicals. Is this a new problem, or does it seem worse since we now get worldwide news as it happens? Often, these recalls are a result of sloppy manufacturing. The good news is that these problems are often regional or limited to a specific product ru...

If you spend a lot of time on social media, you've likely encountered a feed filled with ads. Even though everything you do online is tracked, and the sites make money from your data, they want more. That's why you see more of them every day. So what more can they do to annoy you? Instagram is rolling out new ads that they call an ad break. The reason they're different is you can only move past th...

If you drink soda or pop if you prefer, you're probably familiar with the cola wars. This battle has been going on for decades between Coke and Pepsi. Most people fall into either one of the two camps. You're either a Coke person or a Pepsi person. But the cola wars are on hold, at least for a while. There's a new player in this war that's not actually a cola; it's Dr. Pepper. For the first time,...

Consumers today are frustrated. And that's putting things mildly. Businesses continue to raise prices and decrease service. They're trying to push the limits without losing customers. For many, it's not working. Perhaps we've reached the boiling point. Now, many companies tell you to download their app in order to save. But they want to track your data, behavior, and online movements. They want to...

The school year has wrapped up for more students here in Middle Tennessee. And the last thing many kids want is more school. Now, I'm not talking about summer school. But I noticed a trend around town. Most churches that conduct vacation bible school every summer now do it the week after school ends. It's been decades since I attended VBS, but I know it didn't happen the week after we cleaned out...

I've been driving for a long time. But I can close my eyes and still remember my first driver's test like it was yesterday. I spent hours pouring through the test materials, ensuring I knew all the rules of the road. No matter where we live, the tests are very similar. But I'm amazed at how many people don't follow the rules or don't care. And I'm not talking about speeding. I'm thinking about a b...

I often think back to my younger days and some of the silly things I did. Okay, I did some stupid stuff, too. When we're young, we don't think about the future. I'm reminded of this every day when I pass our local water park on my way home from work. I always see kids standing in the sun, waiting for their turn to go down the giant slide. They don't have a care in the world. But they will pay for...

I've long wondered why dump truck companies are allowed to put signs on the back of their trucks telling you they aren't responsible for damage to your vehicle if something flies out of their back end. We've all seen the signs that say 'Stay Back 200 Feet'. Because Nashville is growing quickly, construction vehicles are seen on the road daily. I encounter at least one dump truck on my way to work...

The other day, we mentioned that Cartoon Network was programming less to kids and gearing much of the day toward adults. Youngsters just aren't watching the cartoons like they used to. It makes sense that the MeTV network is launching a channel devoted solely to classic cartoons. It will launch in late June and targets baby boomers. They'll feature classic toons like Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear, Scooby...

Throughout my lifetime, tattoos have grown in popularity. When I was growing up, the only time you saw one was on grizzled old Navy vets. Today, they're almost everywhere. Roughly one-third of Americans, men and women combined, have at least one. However, researchers in Europe warn that anyone with a tattoo has an increased chance of lymphoma cancer. They're not saying that you should avoid gettin...

As TV viewership continues to shrink, the cost of cable TV continues to rise. We often hear stories of those who opt to cut the cord rather than pay for channels they don't want. High-speed internet has made other viewing options possible. However, younger people still opt to avoid the programming networks created for them. Ratings for The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, The Cartoon Network, and othe...

It's Memorial Day here in the United States, which kicks off a six-week period where we celebrate three of the biggest flay flying holidays. I'm fascinated that we celebrate Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day in roughly six weeks. While some fly our flag year-round, many only put it on display for the patriotic holidays. Interestingly, three of those big patriotic celebration days happen...

Many consider Memorial Day weekend to be the unofficial kick-off to summer. And that means BBQ season is underway, too. Or should I write it as barbecue season? That's another podcast for another day. I don't cook out much anymore. We haven't had a grill for years. I know a lot of folks who love grilling. Do many people still have those cheap charcoal grills? While some still prefer charcoal, many...

If you live throughout the Midwest or South, you're likely dealing with an immense amount of noise. This year, we're getting a double dose of cicadas. I'm no expert, but if I remember correctly, the 10-year and 17-year brood are back simultaneously. When one brood returns, the noise is deafening. And with double the number of bugs, we get double the noise. Is there a volume level louder than deafe...

For many, the Memorial Day weekend is a three-day celebration. The concept of a long weekend isn't something I've dealt with through most of my life. Growing up, my father never got an extended holiday. He usually worked six days a week and rarely got holidays off. When I worked in radio, it took me a long time before I got holidays off, but we often had special events, so long weekends were few a...

If you head to work during the morning commute, you like to pass by a bus stop or two. Some may be for the city bus if your city has that service. But no matter where you live, you will likely encounter some kids waiting for the bus to take them to school. And I've noticed that children today don't interact with their friends while waiting for the bus to arrive. Most have their head buried in thei...

Recently, I've been wondering why we're attracted to some things versus others. And I'm not talking about our attraction to other people, although it does fit my question. I'm thinking about things like music or our hobbies. Often, our passions connect to those around us who share similar interests. If your grandfather loves baseball, it makes sense why you might love it too. But there are some th...

For some people, making a decision, no matter what it is, is difficult to do. It may be the way that they're wired. But recently, more people seem to be afraid to make decisions. It didn't used to be that way. Why are people so fearful? I've never had this problem. Decisions aren't always permanent. If you make a wrong choice, you can often pivot and go the other way. I frequently go with my gut,...

It's graduation season across the USA. One of my nephews graduated from college a couple of weeks ago, and one of my nieces will graduate from high school in a couple of weeks. At this point in my life, it's hard to remember my school days. It's been a long time since I cracked a school book. History was one of my favorite subjects, and I thought about it the other day. So much has happened in the...

Yesterday was a frustrating day. No matter where I was going or what I did, I ran into annoying people. And I mean that both figuratively and literally. On the highway, everyone was in a hurry, except for the people who were on the road to get in the way. We had to do some shopping, and my cart got bumped numerous times. I'm a big guy, and I know I'm hard to miss, but yesterday, I was invisible to...