The Mason Minute

Many people say the media tends to exaggerate some facts. One area where I know that’s true is when patting themselves on the back for their achievements. Oftentimes, when someone’s worked in a town for a long time, they’re often dubbed a local legend, and many times that’s an exaggeration. Late last week, Indianapolis radio icon Bob Kevoian lost his battle with cancer at age 75. He was one half of the long-running, market-dominating Bob & Tom morning show, which has been heard nationwide for two decades.  And if there’s one man who truly deserved the moniker of local le...

I’ve had a pet peeve that I’m sure I’ve talked about before. But it seems to be getting worse in recent years. Advertisers have always used songs to promote their products. And over the last few decades, rather than creating custom jingles, they have used popular songs. In recent years, companies have started using songs that weren’t big hit records but may have found popularity on places like MTV. And lately, they seem to be ruining songs that were always some of my favorites. The one song in particular that got me onto this rant is by the g...

For the last six weeks, since my visit to the emergency room, I have felt a little off. Part of the reason is due to all the medications they have me on to try to get my body prepared for surgery, and for the future. Because of these medications, I’ve already lost 40 pounds. And while that’s a good thing, I’m sure it’s part of the reason I don’t feel so good. My heart specialist said I’d feel like I had the flu, but that’s not the right feeling. I don’t feel this way every day, b...

My doctors have put me on a low-sodium diet. And truthfully, that’s not something I focused on through the years. Calories, fat, sugars, all of the things the weight loss experts tell you to focus on. So now, my wife and I are reading labels for every product at the grocery store. I realize many products have natural sodium, but as I’m finding, many add sodium for shelf stability. It’s going to be a challenge navigating this new normal. Well, some companies make low-sodium versions of products; you have to really focus on the small details. I’m alread...

Through the years, I’ve had a challenging relationship with doctors. And I’m being kind by using the word challenging. I’ve not had much luck with them. But over the last six weeks, I spent more time talking to doctors than I would like. But when I was in the hospital last week, one of my nurses explained why I have such issues. She said doctors love everything by the book. And when they’re faced with challenging circumstances or patients who ask a lot of questions, it causes them stress that makes a lot of sense. I do ask a...

We all have quirks. Although I don’t know if you’d consider this a quirk, I like to be punctual. But every now and then, you have to accept defeat. But, as the old saying goes, better late than never. It’s been a few days since the last Mason Minute, in fact, probably the longest span since we started the podcast 15 years ago. Another unexpected hospital stay kept me away from the microphone. And I don’t think my wife was willing to bring my computer and recording unit to the hospital so I could stay on schedule. But as s...

I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between fear and being scared. I had to go to the hospital today for some outpatient surgery. I’m scared. And it’s the first time I honestly believe I’ve been scared in a long time. I fear things, but I've realized it's not to the point of being scared. The doctor says this is a routine procedure, and while it is for him, it’s definitely not for me. I guess fear is a good thing. Because if I weren’t afraid, I’d wonder what was wrong with me. There are...

We live in stressful times. Technically, we’re involved in a war in the Middle East. We have so much political strife in our country, but what’s the biggest Easter crisis this year? Reese‘s Peanut Butter Eggs. People are complaining that this year's Reese's eggs don’t have as much chocolate and don’t taste the same as last year's. Hershey, the company that makes them, admits they changed their chocolate formula. Due to rising prices, they decided to make a change. And people aren’t happy. But now, as Easter is upon us, they tell us they’re going to ch...

We all have cravings. But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had one for something I’ve never really desired before. I’ve been craving water. My doctors have me limiting my fluids. I’m only supposed to drink 64 ounces a day for now. And I understand they don’t want me drinking soda, alcohol, or anything in general that’s bad for me. That’s okay. I’m fine, just drinking water. But now it’s all I want. I feel dehydrated. I’m often parched. And I don’t crave Coca-Cola or Jack Daniels. I just want ice-cold water. I...

If you’re a typical pet owner, your dogs or cats are just like a member of the family. And the hardest thing to have to deal with is saying goodbye. It’s never easy, and never fun. And while I still mourn all the pets I've had over the years, I’m feeling a bit melancholy today. My sister-in-law had to say goodbye to one of her dogs the other day. And I didn’t realize how hard it would hit me. Molly and I had a routine every time I visited. After waking up and being taken outside to do he...

Throughout our lives, we have been warned that salt is not good for us. And as we get older, we understand the nuances between the salt shaker and sodium. While salt contains sodium, other products also contain the mineral, so we have to pay attention to them. My doctor has warned me that I need to start looking at cutting out all sodium from my diet. I’ve never been a salt user, so that’s the easy part, but the hidden sodium in almost everything we eat will be the challenge. I’m not sure I can get rid of all...

How much do you know about the food you give your pets? Back in my Radio days, I learned a lot about cat food when I was spokesman for one of the big brands. But as much as I learned about cat food, I still don’t know a lot. And when it comes to dog food, I know even less. It’s been a long time since I had a dog, but I can’t even remember what we fed it or why. I keep seeing TV commercials telling me that kibble is bad for a dog. A lot of the...

Let me ask you a serious question. Are you happy? In all honesty, I don’t know what that means. The term is so vague and so personalized. I don’t think we all see happiness equally. One thing that most of the world will agree on is that Americans aren’t very happy. And this just isn’t a recent development. It’s something that’s been going on for years. In terms of happiness, the United States ranks only 23rd worldwide. Number one, you ask? It’s Finland, for the ninth year in a row. Why are the Finnish so hap...

I know that people can be split into two groups: coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers. I guess you could say the same thing about tea. Although I know some people who love iced tea but avoid hot tea. When it comes to tea, I’m all in. There’s something about brewing tea that is calming. I’m sure it goes back to my younger days when my mother would brew tea for me when I wasn’t feeling good. I don’t drink it as often as I want to, because to do it right takes time. And I don’t alwa...

Fifteen years ago today, the first episode of The Mason Minute debuted. I hung up my headphones after leaving the radio business in 2006. But I never imagined taking on a project like a podcast. And most podcasts only last a few years. And I think about that fact often. But in all honesty, I never thought I would do this for even a decade, let alone 15 years. Now, I can’t imagine not doing it, and even though it’s only 60 seconds long, the time it takes to create, edit, and produce each episode is more involved than you might imag...

I’ve always been amused that nearly every fast food restaurant sells a fish sandwich during the Lenten season. I understand why they do it, but I always wondered why they took it off the menu after Easter. Of course, the most popular fish sandwich is also my favorite fish sandwich, the McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish. I always figured they sold the majority of their Filet-o-Fish during Lent. But that's not the case. I recently read that while about 75 million Filet-o-Fish sandwiches are sold during the 6+ weeks of Lent, over 200 million are sold outside of Lent for the rest of the year...

If you spend any time at the grocery store, you’ve likely spent an ample amount of time looking at expiration dates. I understand the need for them, but I’m honestly confused about why some products need one. For example, the other night I was getting ready to put on the nose strip I use to keep my airways open while I sleep. I’ve used them for years, but didn’t realize they had expiration dates until recently. Why? What part of this product can expire? I understand when food needs them. But they’re just products marked with those...

I’ve had many unique experiences throughout my life. But until recently, I’ve never been shamed by a social media platform. Technically, they weren’t successful, but they tried. A couple of weeks ago, when I slowed down the Mason Minute at my doctor's request, Facebook messaged me to say I was now posting 30% less than I normally do. They were trying to make me feel guilty for not posting every day. I’m not sure what they hoped to accomplish. But they tried to make me feel guilty for not posting on social media, which was a first. Now, if...

We’ve had some very strange weather over the last couple of weeks. It’s been both hot and cold, sometimes in the same day. I've had to switch from heat to air conditioning and back to heat in the span of 24 hours. We’ve experienced record highs in the mid-80s, and now, on Monday, it won’t even reach 45°. My body is very sensitive to temperature these days, and it’s been tough for me. I can be freezing one minute and then almost sweating the next. I’m sure climate change plays a role in this. But I wonder if t...

With all of the doctor visits I’ve had over the last couple of weeks, losing weight has been a major topic of discussion. They touch on the typical points: reduce fat, cut carbs, and cut out both sugar and salt. I try to avoid most of those things, but I do admit I enjoy having a bagel with cream cheese every morning. But the doctor wants me to give that up. So he suggested substituting English muffins. And while I don’t mind them, they’re nowhere near as tasty as a bagel from the bakery or even the grocer...

I have big feet. I’m not saying this to be boastful; I’m just stating a fact. I’ve had big feet since I was a kid. But I never thought they would keep growing. My father has worn the same size shoes for as long as I can remember. My feet grew a couple of sizes into my mid-20s. But over the last few years, they’ve continued to grow. Part of the problem is that our feet flatten out as we get older. But this isn’t only a width issue. The bigger issue is that I now wear...

After getting out of the hospital last week, the one thing the doctor wanted me to do was take it easy. I figured that would be a simple thing to do. I quickly found out it wasn’t so simple. Even when I’m relaxing, I’m often multitasking. That’s how my brain works, and I'm trying to slow down. Things have been tough. I joked with the doctor and told him he didn’t have to worry about me running any marathons. But while I could work, and drive, and do most things without restriction, the rules were simple: ta...

When I was in the hospital last week, I got caught between two different departments that didn’t communicate. It felt like the right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing. And I wondered where that phrase came from. It’s actually an adaptation of a Bible verse. Matthew 6:3 says, Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. And the verse indicates that charitable action should be done in secret to avoid hypocrisy and the pursuit of public praise. Of course, my version is the modern-day version of that phrase. Where one team d...

The Mason Minute is coming up on its 15th anniversary. We’ve done it day in and day out for almost the entire time. When a couple of friends convinced me to grab a microphone again after retiring from radio, I decided to do the podcast three or four times a week just for fun. But within the first week, I knew it had to be a daily thing. And we almost hit the 15-year mark. But if you pay any attention, we’ve missed the last three days at the doctor’s orders, due to some unforeseen circumstances. But what’s...

I know the world is filled with entitled people. Or should I say, people who feel entitled? But have you noticed how the number keeps growing daily? I’ve had my moments throughout the years where I thought I was special. But it didn’t take long to learn that I wasn’t. We used to have a running joke about waiting for people to say, "Do you know who I am?" Sadly, that joke isn’t funny anymore; it’s often true. And this isn’t just enough knock on the world of politics or celebrities. Everyone feels this entitlement...

I doubt that this will shock you. But every time the winter Olympic Games happen, there’s a huge interest spike in winter sports. Things like ice hockey, skiing, ice-skating, and even curling get people hyped. They get so caught up in the games that they want to start experimenting with and trying those sports. But there's a problem we’re starting to face. Climate change is affecting the amount of ice and snow worldwide. That means these winter activities become more costly and offer fewer opportunities. It doesn’t matter whether you can find an indoor or outdoor rink; creati...

We all deal with anger to varying degrees. But somewhere along the way, we’re told that venting our anger can help get past it. I don’t remember when I was first told to find ways to express my frustrations. Of course, we told screaming and yelling aren’t the answer. But the quicker you can let go of it, the better off you will be. But a recent study from Ohio State University says that venting your anger is the wrong approach. Instead, you need to find ways to manage it using calming tactics. The goal is to calm d...

There are many controversial issues in the world right now. And vaccines are definitely included in that polarizing list of subjects. That fact hasn’t stopped Stanford researchers from working on a new vaccine. This nasal spray vaccine could protect against coughs, colds, and flu, as well as bacterial lung infections and perhaps allergies. We’re a long way from seeing it happen, as testing in lab mice is still going on, but this is a totally different way for vaccines to work. For hundreds of years, vaccines typically fought one thing and one thing only, which is why there were...

We all have different reasons to look forward to the weekend. And I often think it has to do with where we are in life that determines why we’re looking forward to it. When you’re younger, you’re just looking forward to getting a day off. Later, perhaps going out on a date, to a concert, or just to hang with friends. Then you get older, and you'll look forward to having time to travel, relax, or even sleep late. I think I’ve reached the point in life where sleeping late is the highlight of the weekend. If you d...

Do you still have a printer along with your home computer? Or perhaps I should ask if you even have a home computer anymore? I got my first printer, a dot-matrix model, back in 1989. And while it was fun to have access to that technology at home, the cost for ribbons and ink kept rising. Over the years, I’ve gone from dot matrix to inkjet. But sadly, the expensive printer I have now is out of ink. It dried up a long time ago. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t use the equipment for a few ye...

As I said yesterday, when discussing the sad hours, any day that you can learn something is a good day. Well, I hit the motherlode by learning two things in the same article. First, the sad hours, and then about cognitive shuffling. For those who have trouble falling asleep or, in my case, getting back to sleep, cognitive shuffling might help. We all have problems sleeping throughout our lives, and many factors contribute to it. Like many, I find that the cause of my sleep issues isn't always the same. But maybe this doctor is onto something… Click Here To Su...

I’ve often discussed my goal to learn something new every day. It doesn’t matter how big or how small, I just love learning, anything. The other day, I was reading an article about sleep, and I learned two things. It was two for the price of one. First, I learned about the sad hours. Now, perhaps for some, they’re like, " Have you been living under a rock? The sad hours happen between 1 and 5 AM, and it’s the time when many people, for lack of a better word, feel sadness, anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions. And those em...

I remember back in 1995 when the Internet popped into everyone's stream of consciousness. Everyone was trying to figure out how to use it and what they could do with it. People were still trying to understand browsers. Well, it didn’t really happen overnight. That perception reminds me of what we’re experiencing with artificial intelligence right now. AI has gone mainstream in just a short time. But for many, it’s still confusing. Most don’t know which tool to use, and when. I’ve been involved with AI for five years, and now use it almost every day at work. A...

Whenever someone finds out I produce a podcast, they ask me to describe it. And if you've listenedto the Mason Minute for any length of time, you know it’s not easy to explain. There’s no single topic or theme. It’s just my view of the world. Well, this week, someone has finally explained the podcast perfectly. The company that hosts my audio files, Blubrry, has named me their podcaster of the month. I’m not sure why, but I’m truly honored. And while they asked for a quick bio and a couple of lines describing the podcast, t...

I’m getting up on my soapbox today, but don’t think this is some old man rant, because it’s not. This is the problem I’ve had most of my life. I talked about this briefly yesterday in my Road Warrior video blog. I realize products change all the time, but I get the feeling that companies don’t want to tell us when this happens, for fear we’ll switch to another product. The face wash I use every day has a new formula. It looks different. It feels different. It smells different. I know have a similar issu...

I’m not someone who’s often accused of having trust issues. And I guess, that’s something I should be proud of. When you’ve been in a relationship as long as I have, you typically don’t think of things like that. Now, perhaps in my younger days, there was a time or two when it was questioned, but that was long ago. But the other day, I found myself in a situation that tested my trust. And, in complete honesty, I called myself out. This had nothing to do with another person; it actually might be considered irrational...

It’s Valentine’s Day, a day that celebrates love and romance. And with that, you normally think of special songs, like love songs. For some reason, I often think of the Love Boat theme from the old TV show. It talks about love, that’s exciting and new. My love is not so new, and to me, that’s actually a good thing. Sure, when love is new, there is some excitement, but as time goes on and love changes, it becomes something more special. Perhaps not as romantic or passionate, but the feelings are much more intense. They're deep. An...

Home shopping channels have been a TV craze for decades. But it looks like the remaining players will be filing for bankruptcy shortly. QVC and HSN's days are numbered thanks to the Internet. They can’t survive. I remember friends who were obsessed with the home shopping channels back in the 80s. They would watch for hours and hours on end. Now that we can shop for anything online, there really is no point to TV shopping channels. In my lifetime, we’ve gone from downtown shopping districts to shopping centers to enclosed shopping malls. And then from TV shopping to t...

The NFL unofficially wrapped up the season yesterday. Sure, the big game was on Sunday, but yesterday the Seattle Seahawks had their Super Bowl parade. But many people throughout the area weren’t able to celebrate. The city of Seattle announced that any student missing school yesterday would be issued an unexcused absence. And while I understand the school system taking the hard line, I’m sure there are many disappointed children. For the last few years, the cities of Kansas City and Philadelphia have looked the other way when students miss school on the day of their parade. I’m no e...

There’s a TikTok video that looks to be going viral. Now that happens often, but the one thing that stood out to me was a video from a father of three here in Nashville. I read about the video online. His premise is that he’s no longer welcome at fast food restaurants like McDonald’s and Taco Bell. He feels restaurants are discouraging indoor dining and are encouraging you to use DoorDash or the drive-through window. Heel pines for the days when McDonald’s was fun like it was in his youth. And I understand his frustration. A lot has...