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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

Losing (MM #5277)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/02

I sometimes think we're a country that's become obsessed with winning and losing. But more importantly, we sometimes get more joy when others lose. I notice this phenomenon frequently in sports and, of course, in politics. Over the weekend, it was the kickoff to the college football season. One team wins, one team loses. However, some fans are already calling for certain coaches to be fired after just one game. And it's all because their team lost. We take these things too personally when, in

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1:00

Conspiracy Theory (MM #5276)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/01

Every now and then, I love a good conspiracy theory. And the ones I love are usually marketing-related. I’ve long been fascinated with the story of New Coke. Was it all a marketing ploy? Will likely never know. With all the discussion of Cracker Barrel the last few weeks, some are saying this was all a marketing ploy. They had been researching the interior remodel for a long time and were aware of the controversy. However, the sudden change in their new logo raises questions about whether they ever

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1:00

One Channel (MM #5275)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/08/31

I’ll be the first to admit, I probably watched too much television. I come from the generation that grew up on the boob tube, and of course, having a father who worked in the business for over 25 years, it was an essential part of our lives. Scrolling through the TV guide the other day, I thought of something. With all the cable channels we have, what if there were a rule that said you can only have one channel playing any specific show at a time? Now that we have streaming services, we can

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1:00

Registration (MM #5274)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/08/30

I had to go out and get license plates for one of my cars yesterday. And every time I do it, it's a challenge. You can apply for your vehicle registration online or by mail. But it's often easier to do it in person. I went to one of the county clerk's satellite offices to obtain my license plate sticker for the upcoming year. And because it was the last weekday of the month, the parking lot was full and the lines were long. But once I parked, I was able to get in and out in just a matter of minutes

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1:00

Self-Awareness (MM #5233)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/07/20

There’s a lot of discussion about what’s wrong with America these days. But it’s not just America, it’s the world. I’ve noticed this coming on for a long time. I often feel it’s a lack of self-awareness. People only care about themselves today. They don’t think about the others around them. Being a big guy, I’ve always had a lot of understanding about the space I take up, about how it’s easy for me to get in the way of others. I’ve always tried to be courteous. I’ve always tried to be aware of

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1:00

Hire A Wino (MM #5232)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/07/19

Last week, I talked about listening to some Classic country music on SiriusXM. This week, I've also found some playlists on Spotify to add to the mix. I've discovered many songs that I hadn't heard in a long time. Some of them I loved, while others I didn't. One of those songs is a 1982 hit from country music singer David Frizzell. It was a number one hit called 'I'm Gonna Hire A Wino'. It's a fine song, but one that was way overplayed. It's a novelty record, yet it remains a very traditional

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1:00

Oxygen (MM #5159)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/05/07

You don't have to remember too much of what you learned in high school science class to know that nothing on Earth survives without oxygen. For decades, researchers have worked to pinpoint when they expect the planet to die. Does climate change make a difference in this prediction? The answer is probably. I know that's a bit wishy-washy, but there is one thing that the researchers and scientists know. As the planet warms, CO2 levels are impacted. And when they drop, that will affect photosynthesis

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1:00

Teach-in (MM #5144)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/04/22

Today is Earth Day. And while many people know that it is, they don't know what it means. Earth Day was an idea that started in the late 1960s. With all the issues we faced back then, the Vietnam War and race relations, the people who came up with the idea had the vision for creating events similar to the sit-in protests that were so popular. The initial idea was for Earth Day to be a teach-in. It was similar to those sit-ins but focused more on education. Research quickly told the organizers that

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1:00

Insurance Rates (MM #5143)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/04/21

Insurance rates are going up. I know that's nothing new. Let me clarify: Your auto insurance rates are about to jump. And it doesn't matter if you don't have any accidents or speeding tickets on your record. Your rates are about to jump because of the pending foreign tariffs. The price of insurance isn't based solely on your driving habits. It's also based on the price companies pay to repair vehicles that are involved in accidents. Since most auto parts used for repair are foreign-made, those parts

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1:00

Shoes (MM #5111)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/03/20

I'm not one of those guys who are obsessed with shoes. What are they called, sneakerheads? Now, my wife might argue the fact. I do own too many pairs of Crocs. I've had bad feet since I was a teen, so comfort is key. But over the last few weeks, I've become obsessed with college basketball players' shoes. I don't care about the brand or the model of the shoe. I'm stunned by the color of the shoes that some players are wearing. I've seen bright red, hot pink, and canary yellow. However, none of those

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1:00

Crime Tourism (MM #5076)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/02/13

With all that is happening in Washington, DC, the FBI is hard at work trying to solve the recent burglaries of NFL stars Joe Burrow, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes. NBA stars Luka Doncic, Bobby Portis, and Mike Conley have also been victims. The experts feel that all of these robberies are the work of a South American crime ring. Law enforcement has arrested a few people and expects more to come in what they call crime tourism. These criminals come to the U.S. on a tourist visa with the sole

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1:00

Dodgeball (MM #5064)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/02/01

It's an understatement to say that the world is much different than when I was in school. Sure, technology has played a significant part, but there are other vast differences. In my first computer class in high school, we used punch cards, and the computer filled an entire room. In Junior High School, one of my close friends was on the shooting team. In grade school, we played dodgeball during gym class. But we called the game bombardment. I can't imagine that kids today still play dodgeball in

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1:00

Seat Squatters (MM #5020)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/12/19

Do you have any travel plans for the holidays? If you plan on flying, you may encounter the latest scourage of the airways: seat squatters. People on TikTok are talking about them, and many airlines say they're getting worse. If you have an assigned seat on an airplane, you might encounter someone already sitting in your seat when you board. These rude people decide they would prefer your seat, so they hope you won't make a fuss and sit elsewhere. It sounds silly, but it's happening more often than

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1:00

Origin Of The Wheel (MM #4985)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/11/14

The discovery of fire and the origin of the wheel are two of the most important things to happen in the history of the world. For many years, people thought the wheel dated back roughly 6,000 years. In 4000 BC, it was used to make pottery in Mesopotamia. Then, 500 years later, it was adapted for transportation during the Bronze Age. But now, scientists think their timeline needs to be corrected. They think they've found even earlier examples of the wheel dating back not 6,000 years but 12,000 years

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1:00

Chapter 11 (MM #4929)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/09/19

Rumored for months, it finally happened this week. Legendary storage container company Tupperware filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Famous for their at-home parties, Tupperware has struggled for years. As the world changed and everyone started shopping at big box stores, Tupperware held out, refusing to change. They reached their peak in the 1960s. However, women didn't have time to host sales parties when they joined the workforce. Since they filed for Chapter 11, the aim is to reorganize, reduce

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1:00

Superbugs (MM #4928)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/09/18

Years ago, I contracted a staph infection in my eye. And the one thing I learned from my doctor was that they had to guess the type of infection to create the antibiotics to treat it. I got lucky, and they cured the infection and saved my eye. My doctor explained how these viruses happen and how tricky they are to cure. Researchers are concerned about the increasing occurrence of bacterial infections. They fear that these so-called superbugs will appear more frequently. Researchers think these

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1:00

Brain Cancer (MM #4927)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/09/17

For decades, people have claimed that radiation from cell phones could cause brain cancer. Because the technology is constantly evolving and still relatively new, there was no definitive answer to determine whether we should be concerned. Over the last 30 years, researchers have conducted over 5,000 studies to come up with a definitive answer. The WHO has finally given us the good news: radiation from cell phones is not likely to increase a person’s risk of brain cancer. While the use of wireless

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1:00

Cable And Satellite (MM #4926)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/09/16

Over the last few decades, you had numerous ways to view the programming if you wanted to watch something on TV. Cable and satellite television are often needed to watch more than just your basic local channels. But streaming services have changed everything. Right now, some are predicting satellite's demise, and perhaps cable. The companies that own the streaming platforms would love to eliminate the middleman and lock you into paying them directly. While many are ditching their current providers,

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1:00

Too Early (MM #4925)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/09/15

Is it too early for stores to start putting out their Christmas decorations? My wife and I went to Walmart the other night, and they already had five or six aisles filled with holiday decorations. For some, it's never too early to start putting them together. Others think stores should at least wait until after Halloween. And then, of course, some feel you must wait until after Thanksgiving. I understand why the big box stores do it. Christmas is such an important holiday for retail shopping; the

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1:00

Chocolate Chip (MM #4924)

The Mason Minute ·

2024/09/14

My wife and I have been together for roughly 30 years. And there's not much about her that I don't know. I learned early that her favorite ice cream was chocolate chip or the mint version. She gets one scoop of each whenever we go to the ice cream shop. But ice cream flavors often rise and fall in popularity. Basics like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are some of the most popular and have been around forever. But while chocolate chip was once very popular, it's fallen out of favor and is getting

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