PODCAST

The Mason Minute

Kevin Mason

Musings From the Mind Of Kevin Mason; a retired radio guy who just won"t give up the microphone.

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

1:01

Marathons And Sprints (MM #5176)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/24

My nephew, Ray, graduated from high school last night. And for him, it's a massive moment in his life. We all think that when we graduate. But, as I look back to my school days, I realize that while it was a big deal then, I barely remember it now. The further away we get from our school days, we understand that school is just a series of marathons and sprints. Those school years dragged while we experienced them, but there's so much more important once we're in the real world. Thirteen years of

1:01

Barbecue (MM #5175)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/23

Barbecue is a very personal food. Where you grew up or where you live now often determines your preferences. For some, it's brisket. For others, ribs. And then there's the people of love pulled pork. But it's not just the BBQ you prefer; the style is also essential. People from Texas will argue with those from Kansas City about brisket. In Memphis, they're all about ribs. In fact, Tennessee is very split about its favorites depending on where you live. People in the western part of the state prefer

1:01

Refillable Products (MM #5174)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/22

Sustainability is a topic that's extremely important to people throughout the world. And young people, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are very focused on the subject. That makes sense since they have the most to lose if we don't get ahead of the plastic and paper waste issues we have. One way that people are embracing sustainability is through the use of refillable products. And major retailers, including Walmart and Target, are experimenting with refilling stations in their stores. They're

1:01

Weather Radio (MM #5173)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/21

If you live in an area that often experiences severe weather, a weather radio is a good thing to own. While phone apps that track weather are good, they won't wake you from a dead sleep like a radio directly connected to the National Weather Service. Growing up in radio and TV newsrooms, I've spent endless hours listening to them through the years. Of course, I have one too, here in my house. And it will wake me up if severe weather hits overnight. But, they only work when they're online. Our radios

1:01

ATM (MM #5172)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/20

I started using an ATM to do my banking back in the late 1970s. Back then, they were extremely convenient. Lately, it seems like anything but convenient. I don't visit a kiosk very often, thanks to digital and online payments. Now I use them for an occasional deposit when someone writes me a check, or if I need cash. Like most people, I don't carry much money anymore. So I only use an ATM three or four times a year. While the technology has improved in some machines, there always seems to be some

1:01

Happier (MM #5171)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/19

Even before we started working from home during the pandemic, researchers began looking into how remote work impacted our lives. Now, a little over five years later, they're releasing their findings. And it will come as no surprise that people who work from home are happier. This study didn't focus on productivity; it looked at our feelings. It finds that we sleep more, eat better, and enjoy a better work-life balance. This isn't a fight between working in the office and working solely from home. It

1:01

Wholesale Clubs (MM #5170)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/18

For the last few decades, wholesale clubs have been an excellent way for families to save money on things they can buy in bulk. For many people, if you can't find it at Costco or Sam's Club, you don't need it. I was a Sam's Club member about 20 years ago, but didn't use it much. I'm unsure how much money I saved by going there rather than going to Walmart, Target, or the grocery store. When you have a family with kids, the savings can add up. Many wonder how much the new tariffs will have on the

1:01

This Location Closed (MM #5169)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/17

There's no denying that COVID-19 changed our world. Many businesses didn't survive the loss of business. And for many that did, the struggle continues. Many national chains are losing locations at a rapid clip. Many restaurants, convenience stores, and banks are closing. And it often happens overnight. You visit a store one day, and the next day, a sign taped to the door reads: this location closed. Have we overbuilt? Are they having problems finding people to work there? Could this be corporate

1:01

Sinking (MM #5168)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/16

Research says that many major US cities are slowly sinking. Nashville is one of them. Other cities with the same issues include Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, and New York. Some of the reasons are natural, and others are man-made. Now, this isn't happening quickly. Nashville is sinking one millimeter per year. In other cities, the average is three millimeters per year. Researchers are trying to understand why and, more importantly, figure out what they can do to stop this. Some cities like

1:01

Bury The Lede (MM #5167)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/15

One of the first things you learn in journalism classes is to put the key information in the first paragraph of a story. If you don't include the information up front, your professor will sternly remind you not to bury the lede. And yes, that's the proper journalistic spelling for the word lead. That's one of many things I learned in those classes. You don't want people to think you're describing the metal lead. People who write online news today don't follow that rule anymore. They aim to get you

1:01

Banned (MM #5166)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/14

If you're a baseball fan, yesterday's biggest news didn't happen on the field; it came from the commissioner's office. Yesterday, they announced that 17 players previously banned from baseball are being reinstated. The catch: all of these former players were deceased. The real story is that with this change, both Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, from the 1919 Black Sox scandal, are now eligible for the Hall of Fame. After being banned in 1989 for betting on baseball, Pete Rose did everything he

1:01

Happiness (MM #5165)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/13

Many people go through life searching for happiness. Some say that there's no simple solution. But what if I told you there's a way for everyone to add more joy to their life? And this is something most of us can do with just one change to ur routine. Technically, these aren't my thoughts, but recent research on how to be happier. It doesn't involve money, romance, or material possessions. Recent research says the time of day you wake up is the key to leading a more joyful life. By waking up at this

1:01

ICE (MM #5164)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/12

If you've followed national news over the last few weeks, you've likely heard stories of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, making arrests in hundreds of cities. They've been in Nashville for about a week. And as they've done everywhere, they've made hundreds of traffic stops and even stormed our lower Broadway tourist area. They've even taken young children as the school bus drops them off in the afternoon. It's a scary time for our immigrant population, both those here

1:01

Anna Jarvis (MM #5163)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/11

On Mother's Day, it goes without saying that we make sure to honor our mother, the mother of our children, perhaps a mother-in-law, a stepmother, and even our grandmothers. But there's someone else we should acknowledge today: Anna Jarvis. She is the woman who created Mother's Day. Anna's mother was a community organizer who worked with women throughout her life. She encouraged them to be active in their community, working to ensure that children lived happy and healthy lives. Anna, inspired by her

1:01

Numbers (MM #5162)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/10

At their essence, numbers are simple. Now I'm not talking about complex mathematical equations. I'm talking about the digits on the front and back of your favorite athlete's jersey. To many, those numbers may seem trivial. There's only room for one or two on each jersey, so they must be under 100. Some athletes are given a uniform, and they take what they get. But those digits are essential for many as they rise through the sports ranks. They mean something. They become part of an athlete's persona

1:01

The Pope (MM #5161)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/09

The Conclave has released the white smoke, which means we have a new pope, Leo the XIV. I understand that this is important if you're Catholic, but why do so many others care? I'm not Catholic, but what's the difference between any of them? My wife, who is Catholic, says there's a lot of nuance to how each rules the church. The big news, and perhaps why so many care, is that this one is American. That's a first. Throughout the day yesterday, I was amused at how many people wondered if he was a Cubs

1:01

Jamais Vu (MM #5160)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/08

I'm sure you're familiar with the term, deja vu. It's the feeling of having experienced something before, despite it being a brand-new situation. I can't count the number of times I've felt deja vu. Doctors explain why we feel it by comparing our brain to a computer hard drive. All these bits of memory spinning around get jumbled in our brain and cause a hiccup in our brain's hard drive. But have you ever heard of the opposite of deja vu? It's scarce, but documented. It's called jamais vu. And it's

1:01

Royal Kingdom (MM #5158)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/06

I see the ads multiple times every night. They're all over television, and you can't escape them online. The ads are for a game called Royal Kingdom. It's the follow-up to the game Royal Match. I first noticed the TV commercials a couple of months ago. Celebrities like LeBron James and Kevin Hart promote the fact that the game has no ads and no wi-fi is needed. Recently, celebs like Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Johnny Galecki, and Kaley Cuoco were added to the mix. In total, ten celebrities are being

1:01

Influencers (MM #5157)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/05

Influencers are a hot topic when it comes to social media marketing. There are different scales and categories as to how they work. But today, many companies turn to people with a large social media following. Often, the size of the following, while important, isn't the key driver to measuring someone's online social influence. People listened to musicians, actors, models, and TV personalities through the years. But how much longer will relying on the word of influencers last? Researchers have

1:01

Mashups (MM #5156)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/04

I've spent most of my life surrounded by music. With decades in the radio business and 15 years in the music business, it's more than just a hobby. But lately, I spend more time listening to music like everyone else. I still spend 8 to 10 hours daily listening to radio, satellite radio, or one of my streaming services. We all have different ways to find new music. Sometimes, friends give us tips, or the social media algorithms offer many new choices. Lately, YouTube has been suggesting song mashups

908 results

The Mason Minute

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger