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

1:00

Write A Check (MM #4856)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/07/08

Banking is in a constant state of change. While checking and saving accounts still perform the same functions, how you access your money has changed over the years. For the longest time, if you wanted to purchase something at a store using your bank account, you'd write a check. However, that began to change with the advent of the debit card in the 70s and the internet in the 90s. You can still write checks, but fewer people do. Today, fewer businesses will accept a handwritten check. And those

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1:00

Got Lucky (MM #4844)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/26

I got lucky the other day. We all face these scenarios in life. A problem arises, and there's a quick, cheap fix, or it will be a costly situation that takes a long time to solve. That's what I faced the other day. Our thermostat stopped working on what was supposed to be one of the hottest days of the year. I'm preparing for the worst; we replace our heat pump. But, if I'm fortunate, all I need to do is replace the thermostat. I've changed one out before, but it wasn't a quick fix. All I needed to

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1:00

Electronic Pricing (MM #4843)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/25

Like many companies, Walmart is always looking for more ways to be efficient. At least, that's their description. Many feel they constantly seek ways to cut personnel costs and increase profits. However you look at it, they've announced that they will soon be making a change in thousands of their stores. They plan to move to electronic pricing on their shelves. No longer will employees manually change prices up and down. Soon, their pricing will be handled digitally. And many people are concerned

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1:00

Your Thermostat (MM #4842)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/24

In many homes, it's something that can lead to a lot of arguments. What's the best setting for your thermostat? Finding the right temperature for everyone is a challenge. Some care about their comfort, others only care about the cost. The government wants us to think about the power grid, and the U.S. Department of Energy has released its recommendations for the proper thermostat settings for our homes. They say they want to help us save money. However, they also want to ensure there are no power

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1:00

Grapefruit (MM #4841)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/23

Recently, I've noticed that people have been saying bad things about grapefruit. I'm confused. Have people always disliked it, or is this something new? For many, it's associated with dieting. But is that any reason to give it a bad rap? While it's not something I think about for snack food, I enjoy it with a protein-packed breakfast. It may have something to do with grapefruit juice. Because of its tartness, it's far from the most popular juice. I know that foods can be trendy, but does it

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1:00

The Neighborhood (MM #4840)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/22

Last weekend, I was out running errands. And as I was driving through the neighborhood, I saw something I hadn't seen in years. I saw the ice cream man. It was a beat-up old van, but all the pictures of the frozen treats he was selling brought back memories. Like many, I loved it when the ice cream truck drove down my street. While a few are still around, you don't see them like you used to. As we started seeing a convenience on every corner, the ice cream man and his truck disappeared. It brings

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1:00

Record Breaking (MM #4839)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/21

Experts say we could have record-breaking heat this summer. It will likely involve the number of days with highs in the 90s here in Nashville. We've already been dealing with 90-degree weather for the last few weeks. And now that Summer is officially here, it isn't going to get better. I prefer hot weather to cold, so while I may sweat a bit more, I don't mind too much. But my biggest problem is my deodorant. Technically, my concern is with my antiperspirant. The brand I've used for years isn't

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1:00

Double Elimination (MM #4838)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/20

My wife and I were watching the college baseball World Series, and she asked me why it was a double-elimination tournament. I had no idea, so I searched for the answer. There are hundreds of stories about how double-elimination tournaments work, but no explanations for why. I can think of numerous examples in the baseball world, and I played in a 3-on-3 basketball tourney organized that way, but I can't think of examples in football. So why is the College World Series organized this way? And why

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1:00

Traffic Lights (MM #4837)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/19

As Nashville grows rapidly, the congestion on our roadways keeps getting worse. Experts say much of our problem is related to lack of public transportation. And while that is a factor, our constant construction isn't helping. I've discussed this before, but I think our traffic lights are also part of the problem. I often find myself waiting at a red light with no vehicles coming from the cross street. And during rush hour, the cars can get stacked up more than ten deep. I don't know how much

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1:00

Internet Safety (MM #4836)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/18

Did you know that June was Internet Safety Month? Don't worry, I didn't either. When I first read about it, I wondered if we were concerned with safety for teenagers or senior citizens. It's hard to believe I've been online for almost 30 years. It seems like only yesterday when we were still using dial-up modems. Even before the internet, it didn't take long to realize how dangerous online activities can be. I witnessed that back in the days of Prodigy, Compuserve, and AOL. Wow, I'm really dating

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1:00

Every Intention (MM #4835)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/17

The weekend is over, and I got very little done. I had every intention to get to some of the small projects on my to-do list. My wife was out of town, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. So what did I get done? Very little. I ran all the errands I needed to, but I only finished a few of my projects. My body told me I needed to chill out. For too long, I never listened to my body and pushed myself to the limit. But in the last few years, I finally decided to try to do the right thing and take

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1:00

Bones (MM #4834)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/16

When I worked in radio, I did my best to stay updated on pop culture. That often meant checking out TV shows that didn't interest me but were popular with my listeners. With as much media as I consume, I only miss a little. But occasionally, a show comes along that I never check out at least once. I found one of those the other day. I stumbled upon an old FOX network TV show from the early 2000s, Bones. Hour-long suspense dramas aren't something I'd usually watch, but it hooked me within 10 minutes

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Limiting Speed (MM #4832)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/14

Limiting speed in our vehicles could be a reality very soon. And I'm not talking about limiting how fast your car or truck can go. It's about ensuring your vehicle doesn't exceed the speed limit. While the possibility upsets a lot of people, some are warming to the idea. A California Congressman recently tried to introduce a bill that would place a governor in every new vehicle sold there. While he didn't get everything he wanted, he revised the bill to include a limiter that the driver can turn

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Sadfishing (MM #4831)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/13

The term sadfishing may be new to you, but if you've spent time on social media, you've likely seen it. You might even be guilty of this yourself. Sadfishing is something that people do to elicit a response from their social media followers. It's often a cryptic cry for help. Now, the person doing this doesn't actually tell you what's going on. They're just fishing for comments, for people to express their concerns. It's one thing to ask for prayers directly, but it's uncalled for to post something

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Outraged Fans (MM #4830)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/12

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 year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating competition because he signed an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods

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Death Threats (MM #4829)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/11

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 wager their money on not only winners and losers but on specific plays in the games. They're called prop

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Cell Phone Ban (MM #4828)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/10

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 that parents hate this idea. While they don't want their children to be distracted in class, they're more

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Alligators (MM #4827)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/09

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 easy to find in Florida. I often see stories about alligators wandering near rivers, golf courses, and

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Saying Farewell (MM #4826)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/08

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 years ago. Ryan Seacrest will take over the hosting duties when the new season begins. As much as they

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Harmful Chemicals (MM #4825)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/06/07

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 run. But this sure is happening more often. Nearly every time a problem arises, I check my pantry or

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