The Mason Minute

This year, I heard a lot of chatter about changing the date we celebrate Halloween. Many want to make it the last Saturday of October rather than always fall on the 31st. It would become a holiday like Thanksgiving that is day-specific rather than date-specific. While I understand the desire to make celebrating easier for young and old, I'd be disappointed if this changed. As a kid, heading out fo...

Over the last couple of years, there's been a lot of discussion about an increase in shoplifting across America. You'd likely think that it's plagued big cities more than smaller ones. And while the crisis is a problem in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, it's also a challenge for smaller towns. The National Retail Federation just released a study listing the worst mar...

I talked about this subject many years ago here on the Mason Minute. Cursive writing is something they no longer teach in most schools. My wife and I were discussing this just the other day. Because of the computer and tools like email and text messaging, cursive writing seems obsolete. Back in my school days, very few males took typing classes. Now, thanks to technology, everyone knows how to typ...

For both the NHL and NBA, the new season is underway.  The NHL hit the ice about two weeks ago, while the NBA hit the court on Tuesday. I've never understood why both sports begin playing in October within just a few days of one another. I realize they're both indoor sports, but by starting their season in October, they fight football and the World Series for awareness. I'm sure the experts can ex...

Many know about the McDonald's spilled coffee lawsuit from the early 1990s. It's a fascinating story and cost the fast-food giant much more than was requested. The only thing that came out of the lawsuit was warnings added to coffee cups worldwide. After nearly 30 years of this warning, you'd expect everyone to know that the cup's contents are extremely hot. Sadly, little has changed throughout th...

Nearly everywhere you go in Nashville, you pay to park. Sure, many malls and shopping centers offer free parking, but it's a matter of time before that changes. Parking garages and pay lots have been around for a long time, but now they are everywhere. Many don't even have meters or a machine that spits out a ticket you place on your dashboard. Now, many lots are automated and use license plate re...

Over the weekend, Nashville made the national news again. The estranged son of Nashville's Chief of Police shot two officers in the nearby suburb of La Vergne. There's no doubt that the shooting was newsworthy. But something that seemed odd to me was how many stories focused on the relationship, or lack thereof, between the chief and his son. Does the fact that they're estranged make this story mo...

I've long been fascinated with nostalgia. It comes in waves. Back in the mid to late eighties, America yearned for the 1950s. That's how we got American Graffiti, Happy Days, and Grease. Now, we seem to be focusing on bringing back the Nineties. Last year, we had the Friends reunion. Last week, the reboot for Frasier debuted. And there's even been talk about bringing back Seinfeld. Does that mean...

In today's society, we throw out the term visionary randomly. Is there a criteria for anointing someone with this lofty title? Can you apply it to yourself? Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to say that about myself. The other day, on TV, someone claimed they were a visionary. Can you even say that about yourself? I have to think there has to be some consensus. It's one thing to have hundreds, th...

I always thought that LOL and OMG were acronyms. But I recently found out that they are considered initialisms. Most of us now use LOL when we're sending a text message or email. But many young people are leaving the use of LOL to baby boomers. They're using a new and longer initialism to denote that they're laughing. Recently, many millennials have started using IJBOL rather than LOL. I'll let yo...

Trends in apparel are constantly changing. I just learned that shackets for men were in style this year. I'd never heard of the term before, but from looking at the word, I could deduce that it's a combination of shirt and jacket. Didn't we used to call those CPO jackets? I had a couple of those back in my younger days, but shackets were new to me. From what I read, they've been around for hundred...

I think I've gotten more vaccines in the last few years than I've received throughout my adult life. I've been getting the flu shot and all of the COVID boosters. Even though I hate needles, I've tried to prioritize my health. But now, the CDC taunts many of us who dislike getting shots. They've recommended that doctors need to use longer needles when giving vaccines to some people... Click Here T...

Over the last few years, the pressure to leave a gratuity has increased. More people than ever have their hands out looking for a tip. USA Today just did a study and found that, on average, the worst tippers in America are from Illinois. The most generous are from California. The state of Tennessee didn't fare so well. We're in the bottom five states when it comes to leaving an average tip. I'm no...

I was out late last night. I got home at 8 p.m. No, that's not a typo. I've finally hit that point where a late night is getting home at a time when most young people are just heading out. Like many, I used to burn the candle at both ends. Back in my radio days, I was at work by 8:30 a.m. and sometimes got home after midnight. And I did that two or three times a week. Now, I'm going to be exhauste...

The International Olympic Committee announced they are adding five sports to the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles: cricket, squash, lacrosse, baseball/softball, and flag football will issue medals in 2028. Baseball/softball returns after a short absence, while cricket returns for the first time in over 120 years. The addition that makes no sense to me is flag football. That doesn't sound like a r...

My wife and I just returned from Indiana, where we took part in the memorial service for my father-in-law. As we age, it's a sad statement knowing one of the few times we get together with extended family is during funerals. I find myself reflecting on the past every time I attend a memorial service for a friend or family member. And I quickly realized that we spend more time attending funerals th...

The legend of the Sasquatch, or Bigfoot if you prefer, has been around for over a thousand years. At times, the myth seems to come and go. There will be numerous sightings in the span of a couple of years, then nothing for an extended period. Last week, a couple traveling by train through Colorado spotted a Bigfoot and took a video with their smartphone. Is the creature real, or is it just someone...

For those of you who ponder the latest fashion trends, you'll be interested to know that sweaters are back in style this year. Do they ever go out of style? I prefer to wear one rather than wearing a jacket. When you're a big guy like me, jackets are cumbersome. Dressing in layers is easier than putting on a bulky coat. You're lucky if you're a fan of the button-up cardigan, like Mr Rogers. It mig...

When you were in school, many took a class in probability and statistics. In that class, you learn that you have a 50/50 chance of getting heads or tails when you toss a coin. Scientists have now proven that the odds of getting one side over the other isn't 50 percent. A lot depends on how many times you toss the coin. And the person who flips it can also have some impact. There are many factors e...

According to a recent study, 66% of American workers are back in the office five days a week. And while more people are working from home or on a hybrid schedule, many still need to determine if this change in the workplace is permanent. While most businesses want workers back in the office full-time, a new factor is causing great concern. The cost of going to the office has increased dramatically...

The world may not be at war yet, but we could be very close. Russia and Ukraine have been at odds for nearly a decade, and things escalated last year. Over the weekend, Hamas bombed Israel and reignited the Palestinian conflict, a fight that began back in the late 1940s. I grew up in the 60s and 70s when the Vietnam Conflict was always the lead story on the nightly news. As long as I've been alive...

I've never given this much thought, but the folks at Charmin say many people have an issue tearing their toilet paper. They've spent years studying the subject and feel they have a solution to fix this issue. It's starting to hit stores, and it's called smooth-tear toilet paper. Instead of being perforated in a straight line, their new product has scalloped edges. This change in how the tissue is...

A commercial has been running on TV for years, promoting some gold buffalo coin. It claims to be limited proof, But I need to figure out how it can be since the ad's been airing for so many years, but that's not the real point of today's podcast. In that commercial, the announcer reads a line that makes me chuckle whenever I hear it. He claims I can 'avoid disappointment and future regret' if I bu...

I talked about this subject six or eight years ago here on the podcast, but one of my favorite foods is the omelet. And while I often find some good ones, I always search for the perfect omelet. There's a vast difference between a good one and a great one. I think the difference is how fluffy the eggs are. The fluffier the eggs are, the better the final product. It takes work to make a great one.....

Since the Early 1970s, the giant pandas have been a popular attraction at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Plus, zoos in Atlanta, San Diego, and Memphis have also been home to the beloved animals. But by early next year, no giant pandas will be left in America for the first time in 50 years. The strained relationship between China and the United States is to blame... Click Here To Subscribe App...