Of all the Thursday Top Ten lists I've compiled thus far; I can hardly believe I haven't touched on the topic of pop. Boy, do I love me soft drink, and the more sugary it is, the better! 

I'm an Ohio native, a Midwesterner, so it's pop. While pop is what we all call it, I'll admit that soda is an acceptable alternative too. If you call it coke, no matter what the drink actually is, that's where I draw the line. How are you about to call a can of root beer a coke? 

I am passionately against drinking diet pop. I can't get past the artificial taste and I've heard it's ironically worse for your health overall. I understand its the only pop option for some, like Diabetics, but I'd rather have anything else. And, while I could easily spiral into a tangent on the pop versus soda debate, let's get into the list.

Fizzy bubbles, it's My Top Ten Pops! 

10. Crush Orange

9. Mountain Dew Voltage

8. Squirt

7. Sunkist Orange

6. Mountain Dew

5. Mountain Dew Pitch Black

4. Mountain Dew Throwback

3. Mountain Dew Live Wire

2. Crush Grape

1. Big Blue

So, what's your favorite way to enjoy a pop? For me it goes from: glass bottle, then can, then plastic bottle, and lastly the tap. There's just too much unpredictability and variation from place to place when it comes to a pop from out of the fountain. The exception is those magic Coke machines that they have at places like Cedar Point. I keep thinking about the grape Hi-C out of those on a hot summer day; oh my! That stuff's dangerously good. Still, nothing even comes close to Big Blue, though. 

If you don't know about it, Big Blue is made by the same company that makes Big Red- not the bubble gum but the pop. If the color blue has a flavor, this is it. I've always described it as a blue cream soda, but there's really no distinct flavor besides sweet. It contains a stupid amount of sugar, enough to put a cavity in your sweet tooth! That's exactly why I like it. 

It is such a shame that Big Blue isn't really available in Ohio. It's a regional beverage which is most prominent in the south, and I look for it every time I travel. I even called the Big Red corporate offices a while back to try to locate that sweet nectar locally and it's just not around. Unfortunately, they're somewhat expensive to buy off the internet, too. If you do ever come across the stuff, give it a try and maybe pick me up a few too! 

Thanks so much for reading this and for tuning in to 94.9 WQMX. Enjoy the sunshine and warm weather coming our way, and maybe celebrate with a refreshing pop! 

When it comes to brand loyalty, few products are as polarizing as tractors. Whether it's a farmer pulling a plow through his fields or a groundskeeper mowing a baseball field on a zero-turn, people with tractors are out there making things happen! Regardless of if it's for your backyard or your business, a tractor needs to serve as a dependable workhorse, and all of these following companies make some great ones. With that, here's my top ten types of tractors! 

10. John Deere

9. Yard Machines

8. Craftsman

7. Kubota

6. International Harvester

5. Toro

4. Cub Cadet

3. Massey Furgeson 

2. Wheelhorse

1. Simplicity

It's almost mowing season again, and I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of excited for it. My Simplicity needs a little TLC before its ready to cut grass again, since I've been using it as a "mud mower" off-roading. I'll be mowing my lawn as well as my mother's throughout these upcoming warmer months, so I'm sure my excitement will wear off quickly. 

Anyhow... thanks so much for reading this, and I'd love to know if you have any personal biases towards tractors! Whether you picked them up through your grandpappy or maybe your own experiences, we like what we like and that's totally cool. Oh, and if you're wondering why John Deeres are so high up on my list, it's because of their Right to Repair battles. (That's a topic for another blog, though.) 

Take care! 

Toby Keith is nothing short of an iconic superstar in country music, and we are so saddened by the news of his death earlier this week. His music catalog is extensive, and the success he's had on the charts spanning years is something even the biggest names of today's age could only wish for. With an unparalleled passion for what he did and a patriotic heart of gold, Toby Keith was taken from us far too soon by his battle with stomach cancer. He lives on through his music, and that's what I'm here to highlight for you: my top ten favorite Toby Keith songs! 

10. American Soldier

9. Beer for my Horses

8. I Love This Bar

7. Red Solo Cup

6. Made in America

5. As Good As I Once Was

4. I Wanna Talk About Me

3. How Do You Like Me Now?!

2. Courtesy of The Red White and Blue

1. Should've been a Cowboy

I also absolutely love Toby Keith's collab with Ford Trucks and the song he sings for those commercials. I don't think it's an official song of his, but I'd be remiss had I not included "Ford Truck Man" in this blog. 

When I was in grade school, there was hardly a field trip that could top going to the zoo. There are so many cool animals to look at and learn about, and it was always great to be outside the classroom, no matter what the reason.

Now that I'm an adult, the zoo still holds a special place for me. Stepping through the gates puts me back in that worry-free state of mind. Politics? Taxes? Debt? Nah... I'm just trying to see some jellyfish! 

I've been to a few different zoos in my lifetime, but for the purpose of this blog let's talk about animals found at the Akron Zoo! WQMX is live and local after all, and we are so fortunate to have a world class menagerie in our city. Maybe we don't have wildest selection of animals or the fanciest facilities within, but for what it is, it's a great place! If you've never been before, you're missing out on a fun family outing that the kids won't soon forget, right here in our backyard. And I bet you'll enjoy it too; I mean, who doesn't love to see some exotic species? 

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! It's my top ten: favorite zoo animals! 

10. Moon Jelly

9. Sumatran Tiger

8. Giant Pacific Octopus

7. Red Wolf

6. Grizzly Bear

5. North American River Otter

4. Chilean Flamingo

3. Jaguar

2. Snow Leopard

1. Humbolt Penguin

Side note: Am I the only one who's unsettled by the Komodo Dragons? They make me uncomfortable....

Thank you for checking this out and for listening to 94.9 WQMX! Maybe it's time to start planning a trip to the zoo? 

I'm generally not deep into Hollywood and keeping up with its celebrities, but with the current controversy over this year's Oscars nominations list, I figure now is as good a time as ever to discuss actors and actresses. My favorite movies go hand-in-hand with the people on this list, naturally. As you'll discover, I'm a fan of the comedy genre best, but I enjoy just about any film with a decent storyline. 

I hardly know any of the newer movie stars, so you'll find that this list is primarily composed of individuals who reigned supreme a good ten years ago, or so. When I read entertainment news or try to watch something like TMZ, I'm googling people left and right. It's especially bad when not only do I not recognize the individual, but also the alleged blockbuster from which they're known. You shouldn't have to worry about that with My Top Ten: Actors! Grab some popcorn, a soft drink, and a box of candy, and let's get into them. 

10. Brad Pitt

9. Emma Stone

8. Will Smith

7. Johnny Depp

6. Micheal Cera

5. Mark Wahlberg

4. Jennifer Anniston

3. Adam Sandler

2. Jack Black

1. Will Ferrell

I wanted to include Paul Walker from The Fast and The Furious on here, but I'm not sure he's on the same level as these others, especially in terms of his catalog. He's definitely one of my favorites, but all things considered, I'm content with the stars included in this list, though my order may fluctuate. 

So, what about you? Who are your favorite actors and actresses? Also, how do you feel about the whole Barbie situation with the Oscar nominations announcement? I never saw the movie, but it would seem as though the director Greta Gerwig most certainly deserves some recognition. Barbie is nominated for best picture. Leading actress Margot Robbie was also snubbed, according to fans, and I can't say that's inaccurate. 

Thanks for checking out this blog and for keeping it tuned to 94.9 WQMX! 

For this week's Top Ten list, I'm keeping it simple. I typically gravitate towards ranking different types of food or media for these blogs, but everything and anything is a potential topic, so I'm excited to get into this one about colors! 

Naturally, it often depends on the context when we decide what colors we like best. Maybe you'd want a birthday cake with teal icing but would never paint your bedroom walls in that hue, for example. With that in mind, here's my top ten favorite colors, generally. 

10. Pink

9. Grey

8. Orange

7. Brown

6. Green

5. Blue

4. Black

3. White

2. Yellow

1. Purple

I like a nice dark purple most of the time, but you got to love the Mopar Plum Crazy paint. I also adore my go kart's Candy Grape Krylon spray coat. The kart I had before was an attractive yellow, the buggy I'm spraying now will be white, and my most recent color change was turning the minibike from orange to light blue. I'm indifferent about the El Camino's paint colors but I'm over the moon that my Blazer happens to be white. I would have never owned a bright red Camaro if color were a factor in my car buying, but it's nice that it worked out to be one of my favorites this time for my new ride. Uniquely, my first car was brown! One day, I hope to have a factory yellow car too. 

What about you, though? Does your favorite color change based on the context or are you consistent across the board? And, how has your number one changed through the years? 

Thanks for reading this, and be sure to have a colorful day now! 

Potatoes are a buried treasure of the food world and the single best thing that grows underground, in my opinion. Not only are they delicious, but they are so versatile. From vodka to hashbrowns, these spuds are a staple of American cuisine, and you'd be hard pressed to find any traditional restaurant without them in some shape or form. There's the petite red and yellow varieties, those robust standard Idaho potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a wide variety of others to savor! Off the top of my head, potato salad is probably the only potato food I dislike. 

So... here's my top ten potato foods! 

10. Potato Bread

9. Cheesy Potatoes

8. Potato Chips

7. Mini Tator Tots

6. Hash Browns

5. Twice-Baked Potato

4. Mashed Potatoes

3. Smiley-Face Potatoes

2. Loaded Potato Soup

1. French Fries

To rank my order of fries real quick, it goes as follows.

8. Steak Fries

7. Curly Fries

6. Crinkle-Cut Fries

5. Normal French Fries

4. Waffle Fries

3. Nacho Fries

2. Fair Fries

1. Shoestring Fries

As always, thank you for reading this and for tuning into 94.9 WQMX! 

On Wednesday morning, Scott and Sarah revealed their Top 5 Songs for 2023, and they've got some awesome picks that you can check out here! Afterwards, Ben McKee joined in the fun with some of his picks in various categories. There were a ton of cool new songs we spun on WQMX throughout the year, and they made some great choices with their favorites. Here I am now following suit, with my Top Ten Songs of 2023!

10. Cowboys and Plowboys -Jon Pardi with Luke Bryan

9. On the Boat Again -Jake Owen

8. I'm In Love -Hailey Whitters

7. IF YOU GO DOWN (I'M GOING DOWN TOO) -Kelsea Ballerini 

6. TRUCK BED -Hardy

5. Watermelon Moonshine -Lainey Wilson

4. I Remember Everything -Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves

3. Wildflowers and Wild Horses -Lainey Wilson

2. Thought You Should Know -Morgan Wallen

1. I'm Not Pretty -Megan Moroney

Evidently, we're huge fans of Lainey Wilson around these parts, and we are so stoked to bring her to Clay's Resort Jellystone Park in June for The Country Fest 2024! Personally, my top artist remains Megan Moroney throughout 2023, though there are plenty of strong contenders otherwise. We played so many great new songs here on WQMX within this past year, and I know I'm excited to see what releases 2024 has in store for us. 

As you can tell by my list, I generally prefer more fun and upbeat songs over deeper more emotional ones, and I'm hoping we get a good mix of all the styles as we truck into the new year. I enjoy where we're at in terms of popular country music, and the direction we're heading as a genre seems bright, if you ask me. We've seen some really cool new artists pop up, and it should be interesting to see which become the next superstars and which are just flashes in the pan. 

I've seen some outstanding contributions in response to Scott and Sarah's Top 5 Picks, and if you'd like to get in on the fun, just drop a comment under WQMX's post on Facebook. While you're there, if you haven't already, consider giving us a follow to always be in the know of what's going on with Your Country, 94.9 WQMX! 

Of all the Thursday Top Ten lists I've done, this one here may have been the toughest to settle upon thus far.  There are SO MANY great Christmas songs, from new originals to timeless classics covered by numerous artists through the decades. These songs are the sounds of the season, and Christmas wouldn't be the same at all without them. No other holiday even comes close to the library of music dedicated to Christmas, and everyone holds their own favorites. 

I'm personally not the type to blast Mariah Carey the day after Thanksgiving, but when the time is right, nothing sounds better than a nice Yuletide anthem. With fluffy snow on the ground, pretty lights everywhere, and Christmas favorites on the radio; there's a magical feeling for which we yearn year-long outside of December. I'm excited to share these with you, so here they are. It's my Top Ten favorite Christmas songs! 

10. Chipmunk Christmas Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) 

9. I'm Mr. White Christmas 

8. Feliz Navidad

7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

6. Christmas Canon

5. We Need a Little Christmas

4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

3. Snoopy's Christmas

2. Baby Its Cold Outside

1. Blue Christmas

Well! What do you think about my list? Which songs would you keep and what did I miss? WQMX has 48 Hours of Continuous Christmas Music from your favorite country artists starting at midnight on Christmas Eve, and you can tune in for all the fun on your radio 94.9 FM or online right here! 

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!