The Mason Minute

In recent years, we've heard more talk about mental health and body image. Anorexia and bulimia are two of the most researched and discussed body issues. While they typically target women, specifically young women, the problems can be found in men, too. For researchers, finding ways to reverse these trends is a significant challenge. And while they're working hard, researchers have

This time of year, if you're like most people, you try hard to avoid catching a cold or the flu. You're doing whatever you can to boost your immunity. So many people I know caught something over the holidays. Knock on wood, I've been able to avoid catching anything so far. A few years ago, I read that elderberry supplements can help you stay healthy. My wife and I have been taking

You often hear people say that it's the little things that bring us joy. One of those things is the ability to pay at the pump when I go to fill up my car at the gas station. I started driving before you were allowed to pump our own gas. It was a significant change when full-service went away and no-service debuted. While the technology appeared in the mid-70s, most of us couldn't

All eyes are on Washington, D.C., this weekend. And while some of it has to do with the upcoming inauguration, most of the attention surrounds TikTok. The Chinese-owned social media app is on a figurative death row. Unless the owner, ByteDance, sells it to a US-based company, new legislation will require the app's removal from the various app stores within 48 hours. Many think the

For many years, researchers have claimed that birds and dinosaurs are related. But now, some biologists argue that birds have evolved from some species of flying dinosaurs. They are the only remnants to survive the extinction during the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. These experts haven't been able to determine how they did it. Some feel that birds adapt well, and that's h

This may sound like an odd question, but are we losing history? I read a story recently that upset me. It said that 20% of people recently surveyed had no knowledge of the Holocaust. This statistic touches on a subject I think about often. When we teach history in school, how do we determine how much time is spent on a topic? Every year is another year added to history. Many things

One of our most significant concerns is inflation. Many people feel the price of filling their shopping cart keeps going up. And while it may seem that the price of everything is climbing, that may not be true. National Public Radio has been tracking the price of everyday food items for the last six years at a Walmart in Georgia. What they're finding is fascinating. While some pric

Every day, as I scroll through my news feed, I'm reminded about how the world of newsgathering has changed. Having a lengthy background in the media and starting my career in news and sports, I see that. But I'm often reminded that there's a difference between perception and reality. For years, we've been hearing that Nashville has a stolen gun problem. Every year, more guns are st

I'm sure you've seen the commercials for Lume and Mando, the full-body deodorants. If you watch any TV, it's hard to miss them. It's hard to believe that this product was only invented less than a decade ago. How many people are afflicted with body odor issues and need a product like this? I don't have a problem with body odor; I just sweat a lot. Many people my size have the same

When you're young, you live for a snow day. That means no school and a chance to go out and play in the white stuff. You could go sledding, build a snowman, and even have snowball fights. But as an adult, there are no snow days. And now that we can work from home, there's little chance of playing hooky. But, since it's the weekend, why not enjoy the weather? For me, staying in, sta