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

Cheese (MM #5313)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/08

I’ve always been a news junkie. I guess I have my father to blame for that. Well, I didn’t mind poring through a few newspapers over the weekend, or the daily edition of USA Today, but the Internet changed everything for me. Now I can explore and delve into a vast array of subjects. Some are serious, and some are frivolous. But I’ve always justified it as a way to talk to anybody about anything. I’m a sucker for health news, so whenever I can read about healthy eating options, I’m all in. Yesterday,

1:01

Online Orders (MM #5312)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/07

I don’t know many people who enjoy shopping at a big box store. Yes, it’s convenient, and the prices are great, but the experience can cause significant stress for people. I don’t get stressed when visiting a big box store, but at times, I do get a little frustrated. Many busy families are finding one way to go around going to the store. And that’s by placing orders online. Then, stores like Walmart have personal shoppers who walk through the stores and fill those online orders. The other night at

1:01

Conversations (MM #5311)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/06

If you've ever spent a great deal of time with teenagers, it's often difficult to get them to talk to you. You'll get the basics, but it's rarely an actual back-and-forth. And when you do have conversations with teenagers, it's often basic stuff: social media, sports, and maybe, where to find the best chicken nuggets. But it's not often that you can sit down with a young person and talk business. Over the weekend, I was chatting with my nephew, Ty, and we were discussing marketing. We discussed his

1:01

Old Files (MM #5310)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/05

When you're a digital pack rat like I am, you never know what kind of old files you're going to find. The other day, I was in my home office looking for something, but I don't even remember what it was, and I came across some old files that included digital videos. I shot them back in 2004/2005 and am amazed at how technology has advanced. I was shooting a new country music singer in my radio station conference room, named Taylor Swift. And all I have are 30-second snippets of her songs. The

1:01

Good Buddy (MM #5309)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/04

Today we're exploring technology, again. But this time, I'm walking down memory lane. When I looked at the calendar this morning, I realized it was 10-4. You know, like the old CB radio catchphrase, 10-4, good buddy. It's hard to believe the CB radio craze occurred just over 50 years ago. Although it was short-lived, it was remarkable how it took the country by storm. Everybody marveled at the technology. And of course, fast-forward to today, and it seems relatively simple, very outdated, and to

1:01

Technophobia (MM #5308)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/03

Many people won't admit it, but they fear technology. Everything's changing at such a rapid clip that many people don't know what to do. And some people can even be considered technophobic. No, technophobia isn't a clinical medical illness, but experts say many suffer from this fear. Two of them are my parents. For as long as I can remember, they've shied away from technology. They don't use the Internet. They don't even have an old-school answering machine. And the only cell phone they have isn't

1:01

Driver's Education (MM #5307)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/02

Many times, as I'm heading to and from work, I think about how long I've been driving. I recall the things I've seen and the predicaments I've gotten myself into and out of. And I owe it all to my driver's education course in high school. It has been a long time since most schools discontinued driver's ed due to funding issues. While there are private companies that can train you for the road, I'm not sure if the experience is quite the same. The state of Ohio has just announced that anyone under 21

1:01

65 Years (MM #5306)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/01

When it comes to celebrating marriage, people always talk about the big numbers like 25, 50, and, if you're lucky, 75. Those are the ones that have fancy names, such as silver, gold, and diamond. But today, the more I think about it, 65 is an amazing number, too. Today is my parents' anniversary. They're celebrating 65 years together. And well, that may not be as glamorous as 75 years, but it's genuinely a fantastic fete. I can't even fathom a number that large. And in a world where 50% of the

1:01

Tiny Bugs (MM #5305)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/30

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 issue for us, too. However, over the last couple of days, we’ve been inundated with tiny bugs, and I’m

1:01

Fiber (MM #5304)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/29

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 to 40% more. And while we do worry about being regular and watching our weight, the added benefit of

1:01

Glasses (MM #5303)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/28

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 isn’t fun. Losing them, breaking them, and just the annoyance of wearing them all the time make it

1:01

Great Meal (MM #5302)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/27

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 times are tight and people are struggling. This year, sales are up by over 14%. Like many, I enjoyed it

1:01

Take A Stand (MM #5301)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/26

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 your opinion on any subject. Some people think I should choose sides, but that's not my style. While I'm

1:01

Investing (MM #5300)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/25

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 is not learning anything about investing. I envy people who are comfortable playing the stock market. To

1:01

Win Now (MM #5299)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/24

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 job yesterday. He was in his 21st season. They began the season 1-2. We live in a world where there's only

1:01

Quiet Promotions (MM #5298)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/23

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 process happening in many businesses while new and some. It’s called quiet promotions. It’s the process

1:01

Pumpkins (MM #5297)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/22

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, whether in a latte or in a pie, is grown here in America. And the number one state for pumpkin production

1:01

Sports Movies (MM #5296)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/21

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've always had a significant impact on me. And of course, I also have another one that's kind of a guilty

1:01

Upset (MM #5295)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/20

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, and few people made a big stink about it. That’s Pizza Hut. I know many who agree with me that they

1:01

Slowly Sinking (MM #5294)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/19

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 found that even though it’s on a lake and even though it’s relatively inland, Chicago is slowly

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