Today is an important day for our democracy – it's voting day! Your voice matters, so don't forget to go cast your vote and make a difference. Participating in the electoral process is a fundamental way to have your say, and this time around, the ballot in Ohio has some significant issues with widespread impact. Fulfill your civic duty, exercise your right to vote, and be a part of the decision-making process that impacts our society. Each and every vote counts, so head to your polling station and let your voice be heard today! 

Here's a link from the Ohio Secretary of State to help you find your polling location: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/toolkit/polling-location/

First and foremost: I stayed home. I did not go out of town this time. That was a nice change of pace. Last Saturday, I went with my Mom down to The Wilds outside of Zanesville to get a tour of the grounds in before they closed up for the season. It had been several years since we had been, so it was nice to get a tour in...even though it was a little cool and rainy on the open-air bus! lol. If you have never been down there-go!!! It's a great place to get a safari ride in where you do kinda feel like you're out on the Savannah. Plus, it's only a 2 hour drive away!

On Sunday, we went to see Dracula:The Bloody Truth at the Hanna Theater. What a fun show! It was crazy, very very funny, and an all around good time with Great Lakes Theater. On Tuesday we took the afternoon to stop by the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. Again, a place I had not been to for some time - mainly because of my schedule. Luckily, they were doing a shark feeding while we were there! So that was cool to see...even though not all of them were hungry.

The rest of the week was a little boring. Both Buttercup and I went to the doctor for our checkups, and then I had friends over to my house for pizza on Saturday night. That's about it. Here we are back at Monday and back at work. Talk to you on the radio. :)

We had some beautiful weather this past weekend with warm temps and sunshine aplenty on Sunday. I jumped on the opportunity to soak up some vitamin D and exercise by taking a little ride on my bicycle!

I left the house with a questionable amount of pressure in my tires, cutting through some trails behind my garage. After a half mile or so, it became clear that I needed some air.... Once that was squared away, I set out again to ride to Goodyear Heights Metro Park via sidewalks, and it was a bit of a haul to get there. 

I'm not the type of bicyclist who enjoys pushing for miles and miles on a road or the Towpath and I wish I could do cool BMX or mountain biking, but I never really risk it like that. I prefer exploring urban areas, hopping curbs and cutting through lots. Otherwise, my absolute favorite thing to do is to take on gnarly trails similar to those I'd take my four-wheeler upon. From the Portage Lakes State Park to Hampton Hills Metro Park, there's some awesome spots in our area to do so; on Sunday I found yet another at Goodyear Heights.

The thing about this park is that bikes are not common, from what I could tell. Frankly, I don't know for sure if they are even permitted, but I made sure to look around for any signage to indicate one way or another, to no prevail. Given that it's acceptable to be there, you're definitely going to want a mountain bike with some off-road tires and suspension to take on the route that I did. I missed the road to the park entrance that I was planning to go in, so I went from the north of the park back southward. 

It was such a beautiful ride with some moderately challenging parts, and due to my unfamiliarity with the paths as well as wet leaves everywhere, I took it slowly. My bike has a crazy low gear that could climb a wall if I had the traction to do so, but I struggled with putting the power to the ground with my old worn tire and slipped out a couple times. There were gorgeous views 360° and some fun paths and hills. All in all, it was a great time and my favorite way to get some cardio aside from skateboarding. I came home covered in sweat and just collapsed onto the couch feeling accomplished. 

I'm an outdoorsman at heart and I feed off of the sunlight. Cold, grey winter days take their toll on my happiness, and the time change we just went through makes it even worse. It's a struggle, and genuinely my least favorite part about being a Midwesterner. When we do get sunny days in the "ber" months, I hate to see them go to waste. I just can't wait until the next time I get out on my bike! 

Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman - 1968

As we near the top of my list, it's a good time to remind you that these are "My Favorites"  that I have played in my 43 years behind the mic.  The songs on this list don't have to be released in that time -  just played.  In 2024, I will have a weekly series here, "The 50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 To Today"   That starts in January - and THOSE will have to be released in that time period.  And those will not necessarily be my favorites either but I call them as I see and saw them.

This song is pure magic with many calling this of the best songs ever recorded, and I played this gem for many years on Country Radio.  It's three minutes of absolute gold that belongs to Glen Campbell.  Sure, Rhinestone Cowboy is the one that always comes to mind from him, but this is to me the jewel of his career.  Bob Dylan says this is the best song ever written.  And so have many others.  Jimmy Webb was a beyond brilliant song writer that penned a few for Campbell including this one.  This is as universally loved as a song can be, number one country, number one pop, and has been inducted into about every Registry, Music Library, and Hall Of Fame there is.  But this masterpiece has a legacy that changed country music at its core.  It was a "thinking mans song."  It went far deeper than about every other country song with a much more powerful theme.  It's wide open to your individual interpretation, as it is emotive and more than anything, it's visual!  This was a different way to present country.   It started a whole new style that would lead to being far more accepted by the masses and relatable to almost all because of its personality and approach.  I don't think they knew it at the time, but they were recording one of the most pivotal and important songs in our history.  It was that era's  -  The Dance -  by Garth Brooks.  I always felt The Dance was patterned after this.  Take a listen - see the similar style, feel and arrangement from start to finish.  

Like The Dance, this is more than a song, it's a work of art.

Last Week #7

Glen Campbell - Featured In My Guitarist Series

Football season of course is also eating season and this is a gem you may not have ever thought of.  Easy, delicious and not terribly expensive!  I LOVE London Broil - grilled, then cut up and eaten with cheese!  Sort of an appetizer for many too.  But this thing below!!

Well-  Delish!!

OMG!!! London Broil! - Great Football Day EAT!

Easy Sunday at the old yard as the Browns man handled the Arizona Cardinals with surprising ease for an actual NFL game.  For about every reason the Cardinals are as awful as a team can get in this league. They have zero talent, dumped their QB (Dobbs) and are waiting still on QB Kuyler Murray to come back to play so they can trade him, and are putting zero effort into winning games as the draft is clearly on their mind.  Total rebuild. They stuck out a 5th round rookie QB against our defense on the road, and it worked out about as well as when we did that same thing against the Ravens a month ago.  They are simply awful.

So the Browns beat up on them and I would expect nothing less especially at home.  Now that the JV team has left town, it's time to lace 'em up and play the big boys, and that's the Ravens on the road today.  Last week was a joke, this week is no joke.  The Ravens are playing about as well as anyone in the NFL right now and have a firm hold on our division. The Browns could do themselves a world of good by getting the upset but it will take an effort we have not seen yet.

Watson last week was adequate at best against the worst team imaginable. Today is a different story. A game this big is the sole reason the Browns signed him, and we must see the Watson we were promised.  He has not played a meaningful game here yet in 1.5 seasons, and now it's time.  Like many, I'm tired of all the excuses and team silence. Go out and win a big game and play well against a really good team - Period!  The time for excuses is over, if not now, when?  The Browns reportedly have paid Watson 90 million since March and that's not sitting well with fans in a town that lives close to the bone every month.  He will never be able to outrun his contract with Browns fans until he starts playing well on the regular and winning big games.  Fact, the Browns success thus far has zero to do with Watson, Stefanski or the offense and is squarely because of great defensive play.

There is no mystery on what the Browns as a team must do today to win. To me, beyond the blah blah cliche' stuff we all know, is for Stefanski and Watson to understand where we are, who is on the field across from us, and where we are in the season.  In the Ravens last two home games, they have absolutely disassembled two really good first place teams, Detroit and Seattle outscoring them 75-9!  If you add in the Browns game one to that, they have beaten 3 pretty darn good teams 103-12. But the first game with the Browns needs to be put aside.  The Browns started a rookie QB who was way over his head and we were destroyed at home.  Today's game is not for amateurs.

The law of averages say the Ravens are due to lose a game.  Maybe today?  Not many teams just roll through one great team after another, and not many start 8-2.

GO BROWNS !!

Here are the new releases you can add to your music library today:

Jason Aldean Highway Desperado
Russell Dickerson The After Party Deluxe
Cody Johnson Leather
Willie Nelson's Greatest Hits

Coming soon!

11/10: Chris Stapleton Higher
11/10: Zac Brown Band From The Road, Vol. 1 Covers
11/17: Dolly Parton Rockstar
1/26/24: Conner Smith Smoky Mountains
1/26/24 Randall King Into The Neon

As winter approaches, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you to please stay safe out on the roadways while driving. From following posted speed limits to driving sober, it is especially important to be alert and ready behind the wheel with slick roads and snowfall on the way. 

Halloween night into the first of November, we experienced the first snow of the season, and it was treacherous. There were so many accidents on the highways and elsewhere, and I'm sure tow trucks and first responders kept busy through the morning. Anyone who's a lifelong Ohioan as I am would expect nothing less, yet I don't think it has to be that way. Keep yourself from contributing to the crash statistics through responsible decision making and proper preparation! 

Part of the problem in my opinion is the increased automation of motor vehicles and the detachment of drivers from the machines they're maneuvering. Power steering, fuel injection, traction control, ABS, and AWD are all awesome advancements that are undeniably beneficial in getting to where we need to go. However, if you asked the typical driver how to disable their traction control or the location of their handbrake, many would scratch their head. Some may not even know if their car is FWD, AWD, RWD, or 4x4, and the difference between these can drastically affect a vehicle's wintertime capabilities. 

Going off that, it's essential that you maintain your set of wheels and carry the necessary emergency supplies. Here's a fantastic article from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for more information: https://www.nhtsa.gov/winter-driving-tips. 

As a little side note, I urge you to please don't call the cops on kids doing donuts in empty parking lots! You may perceive it as dangerous and at certain times it could be, but as a whole it is a positive for young drivers. I take this stance because I think it helps individuals identify their vehicle's limits to traction and helps them to truly understand how to react to slick conditions. As a law-abiding model-citizen, you didn't hear it from me, but it's also so much fun! If you're sliding, you should know what steps to take to pull you out of it, and I can't think of a better way than practice. 

Ultimately, I must refrain from recommending doing anything illegal or dangerous. Drive at your own risk, and if you're uncomfortable with the weather conditions then avoid it if possible until things clear up. Mitigate risk. As much as I hate what it does to cars, road salt is a charm and sometimes you just need to be patient and wait until the plows come through. Oh, and just slow it down a bit! It's all about making it there safe. There's truly no substitute for a decrease in speed when it comes to winter driving, whether you're in a lifted Jeep or a Camaro. 

Most importantly, don't ever drink and drive. No matter the time of year, time of day, or day of the week; it's never okay. Just don't. Drive sober, stay put, or call for a ride. Thank you! 

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com here is a recap. Grab a coffee and earbuds and let's ger caught up.  Thanks for reading and thanks for listening every day!

BROWNS - Long Ride Home

50 Favorites October Recap

Eat Of The Week

50 Favorites From 40+ Years #7

Forgotten Jukebox H-101

Country Music Memory Lane - Pam Tillis - (Revisit)

Wynn At The Movies And More

Box Office Results -   Five Nights At Freddies  -  (19 million)

#2 Era's Tour   -   (9 Million)   /    Killers Of The Flower Moon -  #3 (7 million)

New This Week - The Marvels  /  It's A Wonderful Knife  / The Holdovers  /   Journey To Bethlehem

BTW - Thanksgiving comes out  Next Week

BTW Again - Napoleon -  (Thanksgiving)

BOOM - The final episodes of Yellowstone will debut in November 2024, Paramount has also greenlit two new spinoff series — 1944 and 2024. 

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane (link)

Also - My 50 Favorites Over 40+ Years This Week #7  (Link)