The Mason Minute

When we were kids, we were fascinated with insects. But by the time you’re an adult, you come to hate them. It doesn’t matter what kind, they’re all a hassle. We have a problem with ants numerous times throughout the year. It could be because of where we live, the fact that we’re near the river, or perhaps that they built our house on a slab. Like many places across America, wasps are a recurring...

I’ve been hearing this most of my life, and I’m sure you have, too. One of the keys to good health is ingesting the proper amount of fiber in your diet. It’s good for your digestion and will keep you regular. And, of course, it will aid in weight management. But did you know it can also help with your mental health? Most of us don’t consume enough fiber in our diet. Experts say most of us need 30...

I’ve never looked up this statistic, but I’ve got to think that by the end of our lives, at least 80% of us wear glasses for some portion of them. For some of us, it starts early. I got my first pair before I was six years old. I remember getting them midway through kindergarten. And it was one of those revelations where I could finally see the blackboard clearly. But like most kids, wearing them...

Right now, there’s a lot of discussion about the economy. People are arguing about how we’re doing. Is there a recession or just a lull? Several indicators suggest when people are starting to tighten their belts. One indicator that may surprise you is the sales of Hamburger Helper. If you’re of a certain age, you remember the 1970s pantry staple that makes a great meal. It always sells well when t...

If you've listened to the podcast for any length of time, you'll often find my media and journalistic background coming through. Due to my years of experience working in the newsroom, I strive to avoid showing bias on any subject. That's why I'll rarely take a stand on any issue. My politics, morals, and philosophies really don't matter. Because I doubt there's anything I could say that can sway y...

I don't have many regrets in life. A couple of small regrets are classes I should've taken, or more importantly, things they should've taught me in school. First, is accounting. I could've taken accounting classes in high school or college, but they weren't required. And at the time, I didn't think I'd ever need it. Little did I know, I'd own my own business for over two decades. My other regret i...

Sports are big business. And I'm not just talking professional sports. It's also college sports. And when teams lose, someone has to take the blame. Yesterday, the head coach of the New York Liberty was let go, just one season removed from winning the WNBA championship. Her crime was that she didn't win back-to-back titles. The head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Mike Gundy, also lost his jo...

In many ways, the workplace is getting very stressful for both management and workers. There’s always been some level of stress for all of us, but since COVID-19, thoughts about how we conduct business have changed dramatically on both sides. In recent years, the trend of people quietly quitting has increased. A few months ago, we also discussed quiet cracking. But now we’re told there’s another p...

As the season starts to shift from summer to fall, many people turn to their favorite fall beverage, the pumpkin spice latte. I enjoy one every now and then. And I started thinking about pumpkins and the potential for prices to increase this year due to factors such as tariffs or a shortage of product. It didn't take long to find out, I know nothing about pumpkins.  The majority that we enjoy, whe...

I don't know one baseball, football, or basketball fan who doesn't have a favorite sports movie. It could be a classic like The Pride of the Yankees or Brian's Song. Or perhaps you love something more contemporary, like Rudy, or Field of Dreams. There are a couple of sports movies I stop and watch whenever I see them on television. And while they're not the most popular movies about sports, they'v...

For the last month, stories of the changes that Cracker Barrel wanted to make have been circling the internet. I understand people being upset. Few people like change. But restaurants change their look and logo all the time. McDonald’s changes its look inside and out every decade or two. And IHOP doesn’t look anything like it used to. But there’s one restaurant in particular that changed long ago,...

For years, I’ve been hearing that some of our larger coastal cities were sinking. This isn’t something that’s going to happen in my lifetime. But because of global warming and the sea level rising, cities like Miami, New Orleans, and San Francisco are in danger in the years ahead. But the other day, I read a story that shocked me. And from what I’ve read, it’s shocking the experts too. Researchers...

Yesterday, I was discussing how cell phones are being banned in schools across America. And recently I thought of another potential ban. Then, less than two weeks later, it looks like a school in Akron, Ohio, is taking the lead. They are instituting a water bottle ban. And I have a feeling they won’t be the last. Today, everyone carries around a water bottle, whether it’s a Yeti, Stanley, Owala, o...

While I don’t have kids, I’ve often heard the plight of parents trying to figure out the right time to give their child a smartphone. For most, it’s usually around the time they go to high school, as the parents want to keep tabs on their children. However, as I discovered while spending time with my nieces and nephews a couple of weekends ago, many districts are banning cellphones in schools. In...

Are you lonely? I don't mean this as a joke. It's a serious question. And it's a question that a mental health group recently asked people across America. Here in Tennessee, 14% said they identified that way. I thought that number was kind of low. Come to find out, Tennessee's one of the states where people feel the least isolated. The state with the highest percentage of lonely people is Mississi...

We all have opinions. It doesn’t matter what the subject is; when pressed, most people will share their feelings. But in the world of social media, you now have a soapbox to share your opinion anytime you want. We witnessed it this week with the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. But for some, sharing their opinion causes them problems, not only online, but with their employer, and the one...

I know I say it all the time, but times have changed. Sure, a lot of it has to do with society, our culture, and even technology. But sometimes it's the simple things. When I was growing up, you could find a few cents in your piggy bank, or grab some change from your parents, and go to the store and buy a candy bar. How simple things were. Of course, in my parents' era, a candy bar was a nickel. I...

I often wonder what percentage of today's kids get braces. If you look closely at my picture, you can see I didn't get them as a kid. My two bottom teeth in the front are crooked, and there's a gap between my top two front teeth. I really don't think that much about it. I'm not that bothered. But something has changed throughout the years, and I noticed it the other night while watching some YouTu...

If you work in the 9-to-5 world, you likely hear people tossing around buzzwords like office culture and return to office. Every company is still dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been over three years since many people returned to what some called the new normal. But working from home, which was the norm for a few years, became the preferred way to work for many employees....

Some are saying that we are experiencing more hatred right now than at any other time in the history of America. I haven't been here for nearly 250 years, but I sometimes wonder if it's true. It's challenging to compare how everyone truly felt during the civil rights era, World War II, or even the Civil War. With yesterday's killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, some say this proves the p...

For most of us, things like electricity, water, and gas are some of the most essential things in our lives. Over the last few decades, many of us have added high-speed Internet to that list. We've reached the point where the speed and stability of our connection are most important. With all the devices and all of the streaming we do, we need something dependable and very fast in our neighborhood....

It's hard to believe that Nashville has been a part of my life for so long. I made my first trip to Nashville about this time, 46 years ago. And I never thought I'd end up here full-time. But soon I'll be looking at 20 years here in the Music City. And while I'm not a lifer, I've seen a lot of change here in the city as it's grown. I spent some of my formative years in Virginia Beach, so I know a...

I don't travel as much as I used to. And these days, when I do travel, it's usually for family functions. So, fortunately, there's not a lot of dressing up. But I'm still challenged figuring out what to pack on a regular basis. I've always been envious of my friends who travel for a living, and I have no problem sticking a week's worth of clothing into an overnight bag. That's never been an option...

It’s the first Sunday of the NFL season, and pretty much like I do every Sunday, I’ll have one of my TVs on the NFL Red Zone. But it may be the last time I do it. ESPN has entered into a partnership with the NFL to claim a stake in the NFL Network and its associated properties. And while the ink on the paperwork isn’t even dry, ESPN has already announced they’re going to be running ads during the...

My wife and I've been together a long time; a little over 30 years at this point. We're coming up on our 28th anniversary. And at this point, there's not much she doesn't know about me or doesn't understand. I like to think it works both ways. Early on, she quickly learned that even though I'm fair-skinned, I often forget sunscreen when I'm in the sun for long periods of time. For years, she's bee...