The Mason Minute

Please don’t be concerned with the title of today’s podcast. I promise there is nothing political about this. It actually has to do with a meme that is circulating on social media. I have a feeling it’s more about getting people to engage with a post than it really has any significant value. This meme always starts with the phrase, 'Most Americans'. And there are numerous versions. It always has some stat that involves something that we do or don’t do. And every time I see it, I wonder where they got this information. It can be about...

I understand a lot is going on in our world these days. But I haven’t seen any news stories about this, and that surprises me. A few months back, I had an issue with a package taking three weeks to get from my accountant to my mailbox. It’s just 2 miles away. And Nashville‘s main post office is directly between our two locations. But it’s not just me. I have friends who didn’t get their Christmas packages in time for the holidays. Plus, my parents sent my sister a holiday package that didn’t reach her until last w...

The mood here in Nashville has shifted over the last couple of days. You can feel the panic as the weather people tell us we could see severe weather over the weekend. Sure, TV meteorologists love to incite panic. I usually don’t pay any attention to these things. Still, when I saw news online yesterday about Atlanta preparing for severe winter weather, I knew we had the potential for the same. We expect not only several inches of snow but also ice. While I don’t enjoy the snow, I can deal with it. But when we start getting ice...

Over the last few months, I’ve talked more about sports than I usually do. Here in the US, it’s big business. And it has been for years, but the metrics keep growing. The price of winning in professional or college sports grows exponentially. Yesterday, I woke up to the news that the Buffalo Bills had fired their head coach. After nearly a decade of winning seasons, it still wasn’t enough. He didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, let alone win the Super Bowl, and that was unacceptable. Our winning has always been important; today, there are no e...

Today is Dolly Parton‘s birthday. It’s her 80th. And the governor has proclaimed that it’s Dolly Parton Day. That makes some people very happy, and it’s rubbed others the wrong way. Because it’s also a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. And of course, this is getting political. Some in Tennessee would rather we celebrate Dolly Parton every year rather than MLK. Many wonder whether this was made political on purpose or by coincidence. It’s sad that the world still has to make a federal holiday into an argument about race relations. The question was...

For most of us, the first time we eat cheese, it’s usually bright orange in color and wrapped in plastic, and not really cheese. After that, most of us encounter it coming out of a green cylinder that we shake over pasta. Many of us call it Parmesan cheese, but representatives from the Parmesan region in Italy want to change that. Because they feel that’s not an accurate representation of Parmigiano-Reggiano. In Europe, the only cheese called Parmesan comes from that specific region. But here in the US, we take liberties with the term. And their worldwide marketing grou...

On Thursday, Verizon Wireless users suffered a nearly day-long outage in many parts of the country. Sadly, it’s not the first outage for a major cell phone service. I understand that technology is constantly changing and improving, but at some point, we have to face reality. Many people can’t afford one, let alone another outage. So much of our life has become cell phone and Internet-dependent. And a while ago, the services were considered luxuries; they’re necessities. There needs to be systems in place to prevent outages like this. These are not just personal tools; they are busine...

It may seem simple, but I know a few people who wish we’d go back to the old days when we had just four or five television stations to watch. Those days are long gone, and that’s both good and bad. We do have a lot of choices these days, and for many, the question is straightforward: cable or streaming? For the last few decades, cable television was one of our only options. But the costs continue to rise every year. In the last few years, streaming services have debuted, and while many people prefer cord-cutting, the fact that...

If you’re a college sports fan, for decades, you’ve likely followed the story of whether to pay the athletes. Of course, everything changed just a couple of years ago, and now student athletes can sometimes be paid up to half a million per year to play a sport. Of course, the majority of those players are men and played football or basketball. But the effect of this money has changed the two primary sports in different ways. Basketball players rarely stay in college, let alone the same college for more than a year. In football, some players move from...

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time on social media. Perhaps too much. And one of the hassles of social media is all the ads we see in our feeds. But do you ever feel inclined to comment on an ad that you don’t care about? In my work for my social clients, I see this every day. Many people keep scrolling, but lately I see more people stopping and leaving nasty comments. It really has nothing to do with the ad or the product; it’s usually just trying to get people into an argume...

Because of my media and marketing background, I tend to view life through a 'commercial' lens. I sometimes pay more attention to the ads and promotional announcements than to the TV show or the performance on the field. I’m a long-time NASCAR fan and understand the unique way the sport has tried to create promotional opportunities. They’ve always placed sponsor logos on everything. In recent years, the NBA has added sponsor logos to its jerseys. And I’ve always been amused by something that becomes the official sponsor of a sport, a team, or an event. But I someti...

The first round of the NFL playoffs wrapped up tonight. It’s called the Wild Card round. And that rubs me the wrong way. While yes, every wildcard team plays, so do the majority of division-winning teams. I understand branding and marketing. I’ve been involved with that almost my entire life. So I understand why they have a name. I don’t know why it’s the wild card. In baseball, the wildcard round only involves those teams that didn’t win the division. Perhaps there’s a better name for this first round of the playoffs. Next week, it’s the div...

I’ve had a long fascination with coffee drinkers. I only drink casually, usually as an after-dinner beverage, if I drink any at all. Unlike most people, I don’t start my day with a cup, or two, or three. But yesterday, as we were driving down the road, I noticed a new Starbucks, less than a half mile north of another one. Same road, but at least they’re on separate sides of the street. But what fascinates me is when you stop for coffee, how do you know which brand to try? Is it trial and error? These days...

There’s a big difference between a good burger and a great burger. For many, myself included, hamburgers have been a staple of my diet since I was a youngster. Back in the day, they were cheap and easy meals. Everybody knows some of the first fast-food restaurants were hamburger joints. One of the West Coast‘s favorite burgers is from In-N-Out Burger. They recently opened their first locations here in Middletown, Tennessee. And many people were excited. They were so thrilled, they stood in line for hours to grab an Animal-style Double-Double. I'll wait a while before I give them...

Everyone knows that Nashville is growing. It’s been growing rapidly for the last 20 years. And it’s still moving at a quick pace. But as the city grows, businesses sometimes struggle. Honestly, it’s hard to keep up with the companies that come and go in this town. For a long time, there was a running joke that when a business closed, it was often replaced by a check cashing store, a vape shop, or a mattress store. There seem to be more of those than convenience stores in this town, but not really. But recently, a new category of sto...

Have you noticed that there aren’t as many dry cleaners in town as there used to be? I realize, as trends come and go, businesses can be affected by those changes. Years ago, people wore suits and ties to the office. And for those who could dress a little bit more casually, it was a nice pair of slacks and a dress shirt. But those times are long gone. And the pandemic made the change even more finite. Now, everyone dresses casually or works from home. And when you do that, how you dress doesn’t matter. I need to g...

Over the years, I’ve talked about my love of technology. I genuinely get excited about the latest tech toys. They don’t have to be fancy or expensive, but I’m always on the lookout. This week is the annual CES, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Each January, hundreds upon hundreds of tech companies show up to display their latest projects. And I’ve already seen a few news stories about the newest tech toys I need to add to my collection. Of course, I only have one problem. The convention always happens too close to Christmas. And like...

I see all of those TV commercials that remind me I should grow old gracefully. And when I appreciate the spirit, they’re obviously created by young people. There’s nothing graceful about growing old. Of course, it’s essential to pay attention to your health, but it’s the little things that bother us most. For men, it’s bushy eyebrows and hair growing out of our ears. And for both men and women, liver spots and dry skin. Recently, I’ve had a few more dry patches show up on my hands. My hands used to be my best feature...

Would a no-shoes policy at your office make you want to spend more time there? Many office settings continue to struggle as people still prefer working from home. So some startup companies have decided that having employees leave their shoes at the door and walk around the office in their stocking feet, their bare feet, or even in slippers would make it feel more like working from home. It’s not happening in many places, but some larger companies are willing to consider it if they can get their employees to return to work full-time rather than working from home... Cl...

Yesterday, I was talking about foods that aren’t as popular today as they were years ago. Sandwich spreads like Braunschweiger still exist, but are often hard to find. Another favorite from my youth that still exists but isn’t usually carried in supermarkets is Underwood Deviled Ham. Potted meat like Deviled Ham isn’t as popular today. Spam is still easy to find, but things like Vienna Sausages, Underwood Chicken Spread, and a whole lot of other canned meats have fallen out of favor. I don’t eat Deviled Ham very often anymore, but now and again, I get a huge c...

The popularity of certain foods comes and goes. Sure, there are some foods that everyone wants for a brief moment, only to disappear quickly. But then other foods have been staples for decades upon decades, only to disappear as well. But you don’t realize it because you haven’t thought about them in a long time. One of those foods I grew up on is braunschweiger. Many people know it is liver sausage, and at one time it was popular. I didn’t eat it a lot, but enjoyed it into my teens. I had a taste for it the ot...

Since the dawn of the Internet, the way we communicate in writing with people has changed significantly. Email communications have replaced letters. We now pay our bills online rather than putting them in an envelope and stamping them. And while snail mail still exists, we don’t use it as often anymore. Most of us don’t even know the price of a stamp these days. But recently, the US Postal Service changed how they postmark mail, and while it won’t matter for most items, if you need something postmarked by a specific date, that could become an issue... Click...

The new year is upon us. 2026 is finally here. But many people, myself included, are worried about what the coming year will bring. The midterm elections will be a primary focus on social media throughout the majority of the year. And it doesn’t matter your politics, it’s going to be very contentious. If you’ve had a hard time being on social media over the last couple of years, I fear 2026 will test your patience. Both sides have so much to gain and so much to lose. And the fear of Interference from other countries adds another layer to thi...

If you’re a college football fan, you have to be frustrated with all the sponsors associated with the sport. It’s not enough that the traditional bowl games now all have sponsors in addition to the bowl game name. There are also sponsors for the bowl series, and ESPN’s association with the sport. And that doesn’t include stadiums, betting apps, halftime shows, the entire college football season, and more. I understand we’re all tired of advertising. We have been bombarded by ads our whole lives. But I know many feel sponsorships are getting out of hand, too...

The time between Christmas and New Year's is one we often use to reflect and prepare. Who you are and where you are in life determine how much time you spend reflecting or preparing for the coming year. These days, I’m always running behind. I didn’t use to be that way, but even with all the excellent tools we now have, I’m still busier than I ever have been. And that means catching up on everything that needed to be done before the new year. That means preparation has to wait, usually until the last minute. I used t...

Technically, we’re just a week into the winter season. And the weather here in Middle Tennessee has been strange. Yesterday, our high was in the 70s. Today, we'll be lucky to reach 40 degrees. Last night, right before I went to bed, the temperature dropped 20 degrees in the span of about 15 minutes. The cold front coming through has made me very uncomfortable. Since we haven’t had a hard freeze, my allergies and sinus congestion are in full force. I have these sinus issues every year about this time. Sometimes it’s a cold, and other times, it’s just drainage...

Every day as I head into the office, I see a reminder that pro sports is big business. All I have to do is look at the brand new Nashville football stadium to realize how important sports are to our economy. We’ve spent more time worrying about a beautiful stadium than we have about putting a good team on the field. But right now, in football and basketball, they keep focusing more on offense. Anything to encourage more points on the scoreboard is an option. In the NBA, I remember when they finally added the three-point shot. It was al...

It seems like you can’t go anywhere without hearing people complain about Baby Boomers, Millennials, or Gen X. It doesn’t matter what the story is. While we all share some similarities as human beings, each generation has values that are slightly different. Today, we only hear good things about the Greatest Generation, but I’m sure Baby Boomers thought differently as they were growing up. While Millennials are a popular target for Baby Boomers today, that will soon fade. The generations may change, but the complaining always seems the same... Click Here To Subscribe Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicGoogle PodcastsTuneIniHeartRadioPandoraDeezerBlubrryBullhornCastBoxCastrofyyd.deGaan...

Through the years, I’ve been accused of being a know-it-all. And while I do know a lot of strange things, I learned long ago that knowledge of many subjects can pay off at a cocktail party, especially during a news interview. There are some subjects that, no matter how hard I try, I retain no knowledge of because I genuinely have no interest. One of those subjects is perfume. I guess you could lump cologne in with that, too. I’m not a big fan of either; I've never had any desire to learn about them. But no matter how...

For many people, most of the planning is over. Everything‘s been set up, and it’s almost time for the big holiday meal. The one thing that young people look forward to on Christmas is the chance to sit with the adults at the dinner table. If you have a big family, you often have to sit at the kiddie table. That can last for years upon years. And most kids don’t enjoy that. I didn't have a big family growing up, so I never had to deal with it. But when given a chance, sitting with the youngs...

Have you ever noticed that there is no traditional Christmas dinner? Sure, we all eat. But what? For the most part, turkey is what everyone eats on Thanksgiving. On Easter, it’s ham. But it doesn’t seem that anyone agrees on what should be on our Christmas dinner table. One of my favorites is lasagna. But we’re having that tomorrow. Tonight, I think one of my nephews is making Beef Wellington. Every year on our table, it’s something different. And I’ve always wondered why there are so many holiday meals that are traditions, but not this one...

Have you noticed how the Grinch is more popular than usual this year? Of course, I talked about the McDonald’s Grinch Meal a while back. But I’ve noticed more people dressing as the Grinch this year. We had the Grinch stop by our office last week. One of my nephews wants to dress up in a costume for the amusement of the younger nieces and nephews. There were rumors that they were working on an update to the Jim Carrey film from years ago. But that’s only a rumor. This year is no big anniversary. Next Christmas it wil...

What’s your holiday style? With all of the extra parties and family gatherings throughout the month, many of us have to plan our wardrobe. The office Christmas party is definitely one activity where people plan how they’re going to dress. Some prefer fancy suits or dresses. Others go for the Christmas sweater. And some have no designated style, but don’t wanna look out of place. I remember back in the day when Christmas parties meant you had to wear a suit and a tie. But in the end, it really doesn’t matter. Most of us want to fit i...

For the last couple of years, I’ve been curious as to how the world settled on the name Karen to represent a middle-aged white woman of privilege. I remember first hearing it when the internet showed images of a man and a woman in St. Louis holding guns as people marched down their street. Somehow, the Internet called them Karen and Ken, and the terms escalated from there. Well, now, Gen Z has determined there needs to be a different term for a younger white woman with privilege. There are a couple of names rising to the top, but ri...

Today is one of those days. I’m feeling old. Now, technically, I guess I can be considered old, but I don’t feel that way every day. Sometimes the aches and pains of living make me feel that way. Other times, there are outside triggers. For example, today is my mother‘s birthday. She turns 86. And I’m blessed that she’s still healthy and living the good life with my father in Florida. But every year on her birthday, I realize how much time has passed. My mother had me when she was 21, and it’s hard to believe all...

What’s the old saying? You can take the boy out of the newsroom, but you can’t take the newsroom out of the boy. Okay, maybe that’s not exactly the quote. But that's what I’m feeling right now. I’ve been watching the numerous news conferences regarding the shooting at Brown University and the murder of the MIT professor. Of course, last night we found out they were both done by the same person. But I’ve been fascinated by how poor the questions from the news reporters at these press conferences are. They’re asking questions that law enfor...

It looks like I spoke too soon. Yesterday, I talked about all the year-in-review features coming out. First, it was Spotify, then I noticed YouTube had one too. Plus, I read about the Nintendo Switch releasing one for its users. Well, I was sitting in my office yesterday when I got an email saying LinkedIn had my year-in-review ready. And a friend told me about the Snapchat Recap for 2025. This is getting silly. Does everyone feel the need to share the data they’ve collected on my behalf? Who’s next, Facebook? Instagram? December isn’t over yet... Click Here To Sub...

I know I’ve talked about this before, but as we approach the new year, everyone wants to jump on some sort of year-in-review feature. Spotify has been doing its year-end recap, called Wrapped, for the last couple of years. Many people look forward to it. But have you seen your YouTube Year In Review yet? I didn’t know there was such a thing until it appeared in my dashboard last week. My video is almost 8 minutes long and basically describes every type of video  I watched this year. I guess they’ve got to do something with the data th...

Tonight is the night that some office workers love and some hate. It’s our office holiday party. And this year, we were given choices. We could’ve done the downtown Nashville big-hotel party, a smaller yet fancy office party, or what we’ve done the last few years: smaller groups enjoying a night at one of our high-end restaurants. The fancy office party was the winner. From what I heard, the vote was very close. I think it all depends on where you are in life. Many of us have done the fancy hotel parties before. Some prefer the intima...

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. But our world today is very judgmental. For the longest time, many people aspired to be middle class. But today, those who are having a difficult time holding on. And those who want to be, they're losing hope. The rich keep getting richer, while everyone else loses hope. We all want more, but many of us see fewer opportunities to grow our wealth. I’ve seen a trend and articles recently that tried to point out the difference between those with money and those without. Even though many people try to...