The Mason Minute

I don’t think I’ve actually seen any ads for this, but I've heard a lot of people talking about it. McDonald’s has a new Grinch Meal, which is like an adult Happy Meal. It came out earlier this month and is available for a limited time. Of course, every Happy Meal comes with a prize, and this one does too: a pair of Grinch socks. What fascinates me most is that I have friends who never eat fast fo...

I know I’ve talked about this subject previously on the podcast. But have you noticed how many charities try to encourage you to donate by offering free blankets? Off the top of my head, I can think of two or three charities that always have the blanket promotion going on. Give them a $19 monthly donation, and they'll give you a free blanket. But in recent weeks, I’ve noticed even more charities d...

I finally get why older generations always have a bit of an attitude toward young people. Now that I’m older, I realize that the more we think things change, the more they really don’t. For Gen Z, when it comes to dating, compatibility matters. That’s nothing new. But one of their biggest concerns is the swag gap. It’s all about style. Having a compatible style with someone is essential. Back in m...

One of the minor hassles of this time of year, almost no matter where you live, is ice on the windshield. I know it’s worse in the northern part of the US, but down south it's a hassle, too. There are lots of hacks to help you remove that ice in the morning, and most work to some degree. But outside of keeping your vehicle in the garage, there’s not much you can do to avoid it. It may not be every...

They often say, We don’t appreciate the simple things in life. And yes, that’s true to a point. And every now and then, you’re reminded of that fact. I’ve been in a bad mood for the last 8 to 10 days. I couldn’t explain it, but chalked it up to the stress of the holiday season. But yesterday, I realized that wasn’t the case at all. There was one thing missing from the last 8 to 10 days: the sun. I...

I’ve been a collector for over 50 years. I’ve had a wide variety of collections, and love the thrill of the hunt.  I don't spend as much time buying anymore.  I'm selling. I have friends who do their own sort of collecting, except they do that at thrift stores. They love thrifting, but when the economy dives, it’s tough for them to find great bargains. That’s because more people spend time in thri...

We’re all worried about our bank balance right now. The economy is causing many people significant turmoil. And no matter whether the president agrees or not, affordability is a key issue for most families. Experts, economists, and stock market analysts use indicators to determine how things are going. Of course, they all look to the current prices of many family staples: milk, eggs, and ground be...

This time of year can be stressful for many—especially those of us who have lots of people to buy gifts for. My wife usually starts asking our nieces and nephews for Christmas lists around Halloween. And we’re lucky to have those lists in place by the time December rolls around. There’s one thing I’ve noticed over the years that’s different from the days when I had to make lists for my family. Kid...

I don't know many people who don't love pizza. It feels like a universal food. While I understand some people have food allergies, I can't imagine life without it. But in recent years, I've found I can walk away from it if it doesn't have the toppings I like. Back in my younger days, I couldn't count the number of friends I helped move just for free pizza and beer. It didn't matter what was on the...

Music has been a part of my life for a very long time. Long before I got to the radio business. I spent decades collecting cassettes, and begrudgingly adapted to CDs long after most people did. But when Spotify launched in the US in 2011, I signed up. I have a love-hate relationship with streaming. I miss holding something in my hand, reading all the things that came with physical media. But I do...

The Oxford English Dictionary has named the phrase rage bait as its word of the year. And if you’ve spent any time on social media over the last couple of years, you know what rage bait is all about. So much of the content sent your way, thanks to the algorithm, is designed to elicit anger or outrage. And honestly, to get you to spend more time online. Many social media sites have found the way to...

I know it’s an overused phrase, and I promise I won’t shout it at you. But I can’t help but think about Tom Cruise in the movie Jerry Maguire when I think about college football today. Yes, all I keep repeating is show me the money. So many people are upset about all the college coaches moving from school to school, counting their millions. And while it’s not happening right away, the players will...

Nashville is buzzing right now because three of our restaurants were just awarded Michelin stars. They're the first restaurants in Nashville ever featured in the Michelin Guide. I'm not one of those people who pay too much attention to the Guide, the AAA Diamond ratings, or anything fancy like that. I've eaten at restaurants with stars and diamonds. The meals were terrific, but I've never been too...

Anniversaries, big or small, are something worth celebrating. And when you celebrate 100 years of anything, amazing doesn't even do the superlative justice. Nashville's famed Grand Ole Opry celebrated 100 years late last week, and even if you're not a country music fan, witnessing it live is truly something special. Sure, it's on TV today in some places, but the fact that it's been an ongoing radi...

Yesterday, I talked about all of the grocery store displays of Chex cereals around the holidays so people can make homemade Chex Mix. Of course, there's something else people make with the Chex cereal this time of year, and that's Muddy Buddies. You might also know them as Puppy Chow or Reindeer Chow. Sure, they may be known by a few different names. But anytime you mix chocolate, peanut butter, a...

If you've been to the grocery store lately, I'm sure you've seen the displays of all the Chex cereals. It happens every year around this time because so many people like to make Chex Mix for the holidays. You can buy it prepackaged in a bag year-round, but we all know it's not the same thing. And while I don't mind the Chex Mix, I actually still prefer it as a breakfast cereal. I've been eating Wh...

It’s taken a while, but the weather is finally starting to turn. It’s been a very mild autumn this year. So many people love to see the fall leaves change color. And in some parts of the country, it’s happened on its normal schedule. But this year, at least in our area, the changes happened quickly. Of course, many blame that on climate change. And no doubt had an impact, but it seems we went from...

Are you looking for a little tidbit for conversation around the Thanksgiving dinner table today? Perhaps you can talk about the meme that’s been circulating on social media for the last month. There are different variations, but they all show you nine pictures of Thanksgiving food items. And the theme of this meme is that one has to go. The pictures aren’t always the same, but you usually see turk...

Usually, when there are no notifications on your smartphone, that's a good thing. Well, sometimes, it's actually a bad thing. While I don't often prefer my apps to leave notifications, there are some I need to keep active for work-related reasons, like Slack and email messages. Clients need to be able to get a hold of you when they need. But recently, some notifications on my iPhone have stopped,...

I’ve long made it my goal to learn something new, even a minor thing, every day. I learned something the other day that I only understood in concept. I didn’t know that there was a word actually to describe this situation. It’s called algospeak. It’s a list of secret phrases that you can’t use on social media. There is no place where you can find these words; you just have to learn about them on y...

The Department of Transportation thinks we have a problem with air travel. It has nothing to do with a shortage of air traffic controllers. It’s about how we conduct ourselves. They’re worried about our travel etiquette. The government envisions air travel returning to the way it was in the 1950s, when people dressed up to fly. All of this really has to do with unruly passengers and the number of...

I'm always finding things on the Internet that will send me down a rabbit hole. A simple story can keep me researching for hours. For example, the other day I was reading about the nuances of being a Baby Boomer, a Gen Xer, a Gen Zer, and a Millennial. And the one thing it noted was that Gen Z and Millennials don't like canned tuna fish, while it's still a popular choice among Baby Boomers. And wh...

The last couple of weeks have been sheer torture. I've been getting a ton of emails about pre-Black Friday sales. And of course, there's nothing in them for anybody I'm buying for; it's great savings for me. I started getting Black Friday emails back around Halloween, but the sales weren't that great. There was nothing special inside. But in the last couple of weeks, the emails have been fast and...

Outside of politics, one of the most talked-about subjects this year has been artificial intelligence. And even that has political aspects. Too many, it's something brand new and something they're just encountering online. But engineers, designers, and experts have been working on AI for a long time. And already some people are tired of it. It's impacted social media to the point that some people...

It's hard to believe we're just 40 days away from the end of the year. And that means all of the year-end lists and 2025 accolades are starting to come our way. I actually get excited about these silly things. Because, when you look back, they truly explain the year that was, or in this case, the one that is. The Cambridge Dictionary has announced its word of the year: parasocial. While it didn't...