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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

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1:01

Reversing Course (MM #5355)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/19

The economy is putting a lot of strain on many people. And the current state of politics plays into that. But many businesses are still trying to recover from pandemic-related losses. Some companies try to push the extremes to increase profits. Others do it as a form of survival. But these businesses often push things too far. Panera Bread has admitted they’ve pushed things too far and is now reversing course. They reduced portion sizes, increased costs, and cut back on staff. These changes have

1:01

Hard Soda (MM #5354)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/18

Back in my younger days, when I came of legal drinking age, the choices were pretty simple. You had beer, you had wine, and you had liquor. Of course, there were different flavors and brands, but you basically had three distinct choices. Today, I can't even count the number of options we have. In addition to beer, wine, and liquor, we now have hard seltzer, hard cider, and something called hard soda. It's one of the newer choices in adult beverages. But is it really that new? Because when you learn

1:01

Rinse Your Dishes (MM #5353)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/17

There's been an ongoing debate dating back at least to the 1970s. And it all involves your dishwasher. The hot topic? Should you rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher? The experts finally come up with a definitive answer. Of course, the answer isn't definitive because there are always exceptions to the rule. The good news is that, for the most part, you don't have to pre-rinse anything. But I should put an asterisk next to that answer, because that rule doesn't pertain to everyone

1:01

Key Fob (MM #5352)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/16

Have you ever noticed that every vehicle key fob is different? I don't mean the size or shape, I'm talking about the placement of the buttons. From a safety standpoint, we'd want them all to be the same. In a perfect world, you'd like the unlock and lock buttons to be in the same place on every fob. It seems logical to me, but I'm not a car designer. My wife just got a new vehicle, and her lock button is where my unlock button is, and vice versa. So, naturally, every time I use the fob to get in her

1:01

Top Foods (MM #5351)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/15

So much of the Internet and social media has become clickbait. And some of it is amusing enough that you have to follow along. Recently, I've seen a rash of posts ranking the top 'fill in the blank' items, say, for instance, the top foods. I'm talking about restaurants that serve items including the best onion rings, hamburgers, and milkshakes. And for some reason, I always have to see it where things rank. And of course, I never agree. The one thing I've learned is that you can't definitively rank

1:01

New Policy (MM #5350)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/14

The holidays are fast approaching. And for many of us, I’ve been spending more time in big box stores and shopping malls than we’d prefer. Many businesses continue to struggle. First, they dealt with the effects of the pandemic a few years ago. But since then, the economy has been up and down, which has people worried. One store, Target, has a new policy that it believes will boost its business and get it back on track. Their new CEO thinks Customer service is the key. And he thinks he’s come up

1:01

Round Up (MM #5349)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/13

A few months ago, I mentioned that the US government had decided to stop minting pennies. Well, it looks like it's finally happened. Yesterday, the US Mint produced its final series of pennies, for good. Many retailers are stressed about how they'll handle prices and change. Some people want a consistent policy for all retailers, whether they're stores, restaurants, or even small businesses. But right now, nobody seems to agree on a solution. Some stores say they will round up prices to the nearest

1:01

Joy (MM #5348)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/12

Some words are often associated with the holidays. Sure, words like merry come to mind, but today I'm talking about the word joy. I've noticed recently that a few TV commercials prominently feature the word. And while it's been around forever, it surprised me that it's playing such a high profile in these commercials. I don't feel much joy these days, and honestly, what does it really mean? You can look at the dictionary definition, and it tells you what it is, but not exactly. I realize it's one of

1:01

Free Perks (MM #5347)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/11

Today is Veterans Day. A day set aside each year to honor those who have served and fought for our country. It doesn't matter if you served two years or 25; it's a day for all veterans. It's also a day when many businesses try to use the situation to increase sales. Many offer free perks to those who have served our country. But just me, or have you seen more businesses offering freebies? How do you prove you're a veteran? Active-duty personnel carry military IDs — that can prove their service? My

1:01

Gales of November (MM #5346)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/10

Today is a significant anniversary for an event that most of us would never know about if it weren't for a song. A song that talks about the gales of November, about how the Chippewa called Lake Superior Gitche Gumee. Of course, I'm talking about The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which happened 50 years ago today. In the song, it says the boat was on its way to Cleveland, and while many crew members lived throughout Northeast Ohio, this time it was on its way to Toledo. I learned so much about the

1:01

Cheeseheads (MM #5345)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/09

If you follow the NFL, you’re probably aware that fans of the Green Bay Packers are called cheeseheads. Many of them wear foam cheese wedges on their head to games and in public. It’s clever, it’s catchy, and it’s been a part of football culture for decades. Well, this week, another town known for cheese, or should I say cream cheese, is debuting its foam brick of cheese. Philadelphia brand cream cheese has created its version to celebrate the Eagles. And tomorrow night‘s Monday night football game

1:01

Projects (MM #5344)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/08

When many of us hear someone say the word algorithm, we shudder a little. Working in social media, I often try to understand how algorithms work. Now I'm not talking about the computer code that drives it, but more importantly, what triggers our algorithm. In theory, everything is custom-targeted to our browsing history. But I often find times that fails. Recently, I've been seeing more suggested social media posts about arts and crafts projects. And I don't know why. That's not one of my hobbies,

1:01

Muscle Memory (MM #5343)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/07

I sometimes discuss the Internet rabbit holes I follow, searching for knowledge. One of those recent items is about muscle memory. I can't play a musical instrument, and I often wonder how guitar players can remember hundreds of songs and know exactly the notes and chords to play every time. I've got to think that after you learn a song and you play it enough times, it becomes muscle memory. What got me thinking about this was the other day, when I changed the order of some apps on my smartphone

1:01

Shopping For Shoes (MM #5342)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/06

If you have kids, shopping for shoes can be frustrating. Finding something affordable, stylish, and durable is the quest. As I've discovered through the years, even if you don't have children, it's still a challenge. I've never enjoyed it, whether it was for me or my wife. I've spent my fair share of time in shoe stores, trying to help them sell products, not as a salesman, but as a radio personality. The other day, I saw an ad for the Shoe Carnival, a store that's been around throughout the

1:01

The Great State (MM #5341)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/05

I have always loved election coverage. It doesn't matter if it's on TV, the radio, in the newspaper, or online. To me, it's like watching sports. But there's one phrase that always comes up in election coverage, in political conventions, and even on the floors of our government that's always puzzled me. It's when someone says, "Please recognize so-and-so from the great state of," then fill in the blank. Have you noticed that every state is great? I've wondered who started this phrase, where it came

1:01

Libraries (MM #5340)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/04

Libraries are often something we take for granted since the launch of the Internet. Children don’t need to spend as much time there researching school papers. Back in my day, I spent more weekends at the public library, and I like to think about it. I was constantly researching something for school, and we never seemed to have the materials in our school library. But the Internet has changed all of that, and now we can find almost everything online. Now they’re used more for public meeting rooms,

1:01

Championship Celebrations (MM #5339)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/03

I have long been fascinated with sports fandom. While I’ve always considered myself a sports fan, I never understood the true meaning of being a fan until I moved to Northeast Ohio in the mid-90s. I never realized the extent to which some people take their fandom to the next level. And it never ceases to amaze me how fans react during championship celebrations. Why people feel the need to go out into the streets to celebrate is beyond me. And of course, we always hear the stories of the violence and

1:01

67 (MM #5338)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/02

Twenty years ago, when I first started working in social media, I marveled at the possibilities of connecting families, friends, and businesses in a new yet simple way. But boy, has it changed over the last two decades. There's no way I could have predicted all of the political hatred and silliness caused by memes. A recent meme has taken over social platforms like TikTok, and it has finally hit the mainstream. The number 67 is now a meme, amusing young people and frustrating elders for months. But

1:01

Mistakes (MM #5337)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/11/01

For many of us, it’s tough to look in the mirror and reflect upon our lives. When I dig deep, I often think about the mistakes I’ve made throughout my life. But there’s one day a year when I only think positive thoughts, and today is that day. It’s the day my wife and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. And for 28 years, I’ve done something right. I’m blessed to have found the person who makes me happy —and, more importantly, the person I always want to be around. Some might say it’s divine

1:01

Check Your Treats (MM #5336)

The Mason Minute ·

2025/10/31

Every year, TV news, newspapers, and even the Internet remind you to check your treats. That reminder goes all the way back to my days of trick-or-treating. But while you’re checking your children’s candy, take a look at the wrappers first. You may notice some changes there, too. Many chocolate makers have changed their formula, and you’ll no longer see the words milk chocolate on the package. That’s due to an ongoing cocoa shortage. So now, they’ve had to change formulas for many candy bars. There

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