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

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

1:01

Water Bottle Ban (MM #5293)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/18

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, or some off-brand. One potential problem with these big metal bottles is that they can be used as

1:01

Cellphones In Schools (MM #5292)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/17

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 fact, my nephew, Ty, told me that this year his high school stopped allowing students to carry them

1:01

Lonely (MM #5291)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/16

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 Mississippi. There, 71% of people claimed to feel that way. Sure, we can feel alone at times, but to actually

1:01

Your Opinion (MM #5290)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/15

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 thing that many forget is that while it’s okay to have opinions, that doesn’t mean you need to share

1:01

Chocolate Prices (MM #5289)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/14

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. In my preteen years, it was a quarter. It's not the same for kids today. Chocolate prices are going up,

1:01

Bad Teeth (MM #5288)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/09/13

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 YouTube videos of some old rock bands. I saw how many of those musicians had bad teeth and needed dental

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