mason minute

Prescriptions (MM #5151)

As we age, prescriptions become a fact of life. And, of course, most people complain about the rising cost of these medications. While I’m ranting today, it has nothing to do with money. My gripe is the hassle of filling them. Years ago, the doctor would write up what we needed on a piece of…

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BOOM (MM #5150)

BOOM! It’s not a common word. Sure, it’s been around forever. Usually, when I hear the word, sports are involved. In basketball, the legendary Indiana Pacers broadcaster Slick Leonard used Boom Baby as his catchphrase for decades. It was an internet meme years ago, foo. But other than seeing it used for explosions in cartoons,…

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Draft Day (MM #5149)

I spent the last few days watching the NFL Draft. The big story was the tremendous fall of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He was expected to be drafted in the first round but dropped until the fifth round. The experts were beside themselves. They claimed that nothing like this had ever happened before. I could…

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Oatmeal Cookies (MM #5148)

Why are oatmeal cookies so unpopular? I have no shame in admitting that I like them a lot. For most, chocolate chip cookies are the favorite. And I like those, too, but they’re often inconsistent. They can be too dry, too chewy, and often very gritty. I don’t find the same problems with oatmeal. The…

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Traffic Signals (MM #5147)

Traffic signals have mostly been the same since I started driving nearly fifty years ago. Three lights are stacked: red on top, yellow in the middle, and green on the bottom. Back in the early 1900s, when the automobile started hitting the road, there was only a red and green light. It looks like this…

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Chicken (MM #5146)

Doctors have told us that we need to limit the amount of red meat we eat. But it isn’t easy for those of us who love our steaks and burgers. We’re encouraged to eat more chicken and fish or, heaven forbid, go meatless. Now, new research tells us that we need to limit the amount…

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Another Challenge (MM #5145)

In the Summer of 2014, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was all the rage on social media. It was a viral sensation. It went away as quickly as it appeared. I shouldn’t be shocked, but another challenge is upon us eleven years later. This time, a student organization at the University of South Carolina has…

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Teach-in (MM #5144)

Today is Earth Day. And while many people know that it is, they don’t know what it means. Earth Day was an idea that started in the late 1960s. With all the issues we faced back then, the Vietnam War and race relations, the people who came up with the idea had the vision for…

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Easter Eggs (MM #5142)

Today, many kids will get a visit from the Easter Bunny. Many will get candy, chocolate bunnies, marshmallow Peeps, and money. In my day, we dyed Easter Eggs. It was the same thing every year. My parents would buy a dozen eggs, my mother would hard boil them, and then I’d pull out the Paas…

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Diet Rite (MM #5141)

Diet soda is a big business. It has been for decades. Today, everyone loves Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. But they weren’t the first, not even close. Coke first gave us Tab. Pepsi offered the short-lived Patio. However, the first brand that paved the way for artificially sweetened soft drinks was created by RC Cola…

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