The Mason Minute

Usually, when there are no notifications on your smartphone, that's a good thing. Well, sometimes, it's actually a bad thing. While I don't often prefer my apps to leave notifications, there are some I need to keep active for work-related reasons, like Slack and email messages. Clients need to be able to get a hold of you when they need. But recently, some notifications on my iPhone have stopped, and while I haven't missed anything important, I'm still missing things, which isn't good. I've tried rebooting the phone, but nothing has changed. Perhaps it's a problem on their end... Click...

I’ve long made it my goal to learn something new, even a minor thing, every day. I learned something the other day that I only understood in concept. I didn’t know that there was a word actually to describe this situation. It’s called algospeak. It’s a list of secret phrases that you can’t use on social media. There is no place where you can find these words; you just have to learn about them on your own. It’s almost like an urban legend, but it’s real. Algospeak is built around the idea that your social me...

The Department of Transportation thinks we have a problem with air travel. It has nothing to do with a shortage of air traffic controllers. It’s about how we conduct ourselves. They’re worried about our travel etiquette. The government envisions air travel returning to the way it was in the 1950s, when people dressed up to fly. All of this really has to do with unruly passengers and the number of incidents on airplanes over the last decade or so. And while the number of unruly passengers actually peaked in 2021, they are still double what they were prior to the...

I'm always finding things on the Internet that will send me down a rabbit hole. A simple story can keep me researching for hours. For example, the other day I was reading about the nuances of being a Baby Boomer, a Gen Xer, a Gen Zer, and a Millennial. And the one thing it noted was that Gen Z and Millennials don't like canned tuna fish, while it's still a popular choice among Baby Boomers. And while I can't speak for every member of the baby boom, I still love canned tuna. I love a great tuna steak, but a...

The last couple of weeks have been sheer torture. I've been getting a ton of emails about pre-Black Friday sales. And of course, there's nothing in them for anybody I'm buying for; it's great savings for me. I started getting Black Friday emails back around Halloween, but the sales weren't that great. There was nothing special inside. But in the last couple of weeks, the emails have been fast and furious, and the savings have been fantastic. With the uncertain economy, businesses are looking to get people into stores and buying online. I shouldn't complain because there are a few...

Outside of politics, one of the most talked-about subjects this year has been artificial intelligence. And even that has political aspects. Too many, it's something brand new and something they're just encountering online. But engineers, designers, and experts have been working on AI for a long time. And already some people are tired of it. It's impacted social media to the point that some people have coined a term for the negative aspects of this technology: AI slop. Well, many people use it as a shortcut, and with that comes the shortcoming. But in our world of constantly spamming people...

It's hard to believe we're just 40 days away from the end of the year. And that means all of the year-end lists and 2025 accolades are starting to come our way. I actually get excited about these silly things. Because, when you look back, they truly explain the year that was, or in this case, the one that is. The Cambridge Dictionary has announced its word of the year: parasocial. While it didn't have anything to do with social media initially, it does today. It explains the phenomenon of people thinking they're connected with celebrities or characters from TV shows, movies...

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 caused them to lose customers and profit. So they’re admitting they made a mist...

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 all about it, you realize it's just like Zima...

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. While the technology has improved, you'll need to determine whether you can...

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...

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 anything, especially food. But these sites must be popular. And...

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 with an idea that’ll help del...

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 five or ten cents. And in some cases, they'll round down. Expect to see a lot...

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 those words that means something different to each of us...

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 90-year-old father has no military ID, yet he's a ve...

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 ship's history through my radio, not my...

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 will be the battle of the cheese heads. And even i...

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, and it's rarely something I'm interested in. Perhaps I lingered too long when viewing something...

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. And all week, I found myself going to the p...

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 Southeast and Midwest for decades. But they just announced that i...

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 from, and, more importantly, why it's said every single time. It's almost become a...

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, borrowing multimedia materials, and of course, checking out books. But gett...

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 destruction during these celebrations. Are these pe...

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 now that meme looks like it has finally jumped the shark, as they...

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 intervention, bu...

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 are many ways they reference the chocolate, but all you have t...

We live in a world where there's a lot of sameness. There are very few local or regional businesses anymore. These days, you can find the same gas stations and stores like Walmart or Target in nearly every city. And most of the places to eat, whether they're fast food or you can sit down, are now chain restaurants. It's easy to find an Olive Garden, Red Lobster Chili's, or a Buffalo Wild Wings in nearly every city. But have you ever thought about the fact that they all started with just one location? At this point, most are owned...

I've had a fear of needles since I was young. Yet that never stopped me from getting my vaccinations then nor now. As I mentioned recently, I just got my flu shot for the year. And I know that vaccines are a political hot button right now. I think of vaccines like insurance; they're a hassle, they may or may not protect you, but it's better to be safe than sorry. One of the vaccines many of us had as children was for whooping cough. But because of vaccine skepticism, whooping cough is making a comeback in Louisiana, and the...

The onset of Christmas advertising is hitting earlier and earlier. Over the weekend, I saw Christmas commercials for both Walmart and Home Depot. And literally as I’m writing this description for The Mason Minute, a Macy’s holiday commercial is playing on the TV. Many would prefer these commercials start after Thanksgiving or, perhaps, next week after Halloween. But with the economic uncertainty this year, and retailers’ need to increase profits, I can’t imagine any companies can afford to wait that long. I only worry that we will soon be seeing these commercials start even earlier in the year...

Sometimes you make plans and then don't follow through. Yesterday, I had the best of intentions. We've been out of town Friday and Saturday, and I knew I had some errands to run. But when I woke up Sunday morning, my body said, "Don't even bother." I knew I could put the errands off for a day or two, and I'm glad I did. We've been on the road a lot the last few months, watching a couple of our nephews play football. It keeps us busy on the weekends, and we're always trying to catch up on rest. As...

One of the joys of being a kid is when a carnival shows up in the parking lot of a nearby shopping center. The rides, the games, the noise, for youngsters. It’s a lot of fun, and you usually never know when it’s coming. But often, in the spring or the summer, a small carnival will appear in a shopping center nearby. But I saw something the other day that surprised me. Driving down the road a few miles from our house, I saw the lights of a Ferris wheel, and as we got closer, I could hear the...

We're less than a week away from Halloween, and that's a big night for both children and adults. The kids go for the candy, and the adults go for the party with the wild costumes. I've never been a big fan of Halloween, and that goes back to my younger days when we all wore those costumes you bought at Kmart or even the grocery store. You know the ones with the mask that had the elastic string that went around the back of your head. I didn't like the masks because I wore glasses, and that didn't make things...

Can we ever make enough money? This is a rhetorical question. I'm trying to follow this gambling scandal currently unfolding in the NBA. And what confuses me is why millionaires need to make more money by breaking the law. Rich athletes, musicians, tech titans, and politicians do stupid things all the time. Yet they have money to avoid getting in trouble. And I'm talking about avoiding the problem in the first place. We all want to live comfortably. But by the time you become a billionaire, how much more comfortable can you get? Again, another rhetorical question... Click Here To...

I don't know if you have the same problem, but whenever somebody tells you to relax, you automatically tense up. I'm not the most chill person. And just asking me to do it makes things even worse. I automatically tense up. Some people can do it better than others, but it's never been one of my strong suits. Back in my younger days, when they were getting ready to drill on my teeth, my dentist would tell me to relax. It wouldn't hurt. It did. The other day, my wife and I went to get our flu shots. The first t...

Are you familiar with the concept of dynamic pricing? It’s how airlines, hotels, and even gas stations operate. They determine the price based on market conditions. Availability, or lack thereof, plays a significant factor. And while I understand the concept, it doesn’t make the experience of booking a plane ticket or a hotel room any easier. Hotel pricing is exceptionally frustrating because it can change on the hour, or even within a single mouse click. Sure, there are lots of apps that say they can help you find the best price, but you could spend hours trying to save...

If you spent any time online yesterday, you likely found some of your favorite websites down. There was a major outage with AWS, that’s Amazon Web Services. And they host much of the content like video, images, and sound files for sites like Amazon, Snapchat, and Reddit. Plus, they host content for places like CNN Business and Venmo. AWS even hosts the mp3 files for the Mason Minute, even though I don’t deal with them directly. For me, it made work tough as I couldn’t access many of the websites I need daily. They don’t go down oft...

October is always a special month for my family. It starts on the first with my parents' anniversary and then on the 20th, which of course is today, my father's birthday. This year, it's even bigger than most years because my parents celebrated their 65th anniversary, and today, my father celebrates his 90th birthday. I joke that I've known him since he was 25. And that's hard for me to fathom. I can't imagine what it's like for him to think about all those years. It's a fantastic accomplishment for anyone. And this one's hitting me a little bit hard. Because...

One of my favorite parts of the weekend is enjoying a good meal. Not that we don't eat well at home during the week, but I do love dining out. When we grab a meal, it can be something simple or fancy. These days, it's usually something simple. I'm looking for something tasty, quick, and inexpensive. And things like that are harder to find today. It's especially tough when you're on the road. During football season, we spent a lot of time traveling to watch our nephews play football. And your options are often minimal when traveling. I miss the...

I have a decent pain threshold, or I think I do. But there’s one pain in general that, while not debilitating, is one of the nastiest and annoying pains. That pain is from paper cuts. I’ve had recurring back pain for decades, and you can’t compare the two. Back pain is a nagging pain that comes and goes. But paper cuts are a stinging pain that may only last for a few hours or a few days. But when you have one, you often lose focus, or at least I do. You can treat it with an ointme...