It's what some call thirsty Thursday, so what better time than the present to rank my top ten beers! 

When people ask me what type of beer I like, "cheap" is the best word I can answer with. I'm a simple guy who prefers longnecks over cans, and drafts best of all. I'm not into IPA's, stouts, porters, or any of that fancier or more mature stuff. I generally like an easy-drinking, lower percentage beer over a bolder one with a strong flavor; if you get what I'm saying here. 

So, let's get into this list! I'd really love to hear how you feel about my choices and how they compare to yours. 

10. Coors Light

9. Michelob Ultra

8. Dortmunder Gold

7. Miller Lite

6. Shock Top

5. Busch 

4. Busch Light

3. Coors Banquet 

2. Miller High Life

1. Corona Extra

As always, thank you so much for reading this and for listening to 94.9 WQMX! 

Turkey Day is just one week away, and I am so ready to smash on some food and to visit with the family. Between my fiancée and I, we typically have no less than two places to be on Thanksgiving, making appearances at as many gatherings as we can. It's cool to see how different cooks take on the challenge of Thanksgiving dinner, and my favorite food absolutely depends on who prepared it. For this blog, we'll talk general, traditional Thanksgiving foods. 

It's time to let that belt buckle out a couple notches and go back for seconds, this is My Top Ten Thanksgiving foods! 

10. Cranberry Sauce

9. Stuffing

8. Sweet Potatoes/Yams

7. Dinner Rolls

6. Green Beans with Bacon

5. Mac and Cheese

4. Apple Pie

3. Mashed Potatoes

2. Turkey

1. Gravy

I'm a dark meat kind of guy when it comes to Turkey. A few pieces of that, some mashed potatoes, a buttery roll, green beans, and a borderline criminally insane amount of gravy is all I want on my plate. Honestly, just give me the boat! Pair that with a Mountain Dew or two for some balance, then top it all off with a warm slice of apple pie and its nap time on the couch for me. 

Here at the station, around this time of the year and always, we are so grateful for our wonderful listeners. You're truly the best. From the WQMX family to yours, I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving! 

Bonus: Check this out! →

Birds are cool! We are fortunate to get to see and hear a wide variety of them here in Northeast Ohio, from the seasonal migrators to our local avians. Aside from geese, there's hardly a bird I dislike, and there's a few I'm particularly fond of that I'm excited to share with you here. I simply love sitting on my back porch by the birdfeeder watching them flutter in and out; it's so peaceful. 

With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, I've now got turkey on the brain, so here's my top ten favorite birds! 

10 Wild Turkey

9 Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

8 Mallard Duck

7 Great Horned Owl

6 Great Blue Herron

5 Downy Woodpecker

4 Peregrine Falcon

3 Northern Cardinal 

2 Raven

1 Bald Eagle

(Honorable mention goes to a Mr. Larry Bird, the biggest bird!) 

You'd think that by now, after several iterations of my top ten list, I'd be prepared for the difficulty involved in picking and ordering just ten items. It's harder than it seems, and no matter how much thought I put into these, I'm never fully satisfied. I can all but guarantee I'll slap my head on my drive home from work thinking about a favorite birdy I neglected to include. 

I'm no serious birdwatcher, but I have a deep appreciation for nature and our local wilderness. Maybe I'll get more into it in 2024 and see how many I can sight through the year; it actually sounds like a lot of fun! I have this awesome old book full of pictures and descriptions to use as a guide, and I'd happily leave my phone at home when pursuing new birds to check off the list. Birds are so easy to overlook with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but when you stop to take a moment to enjoy the little things, it truly is refreshing!

Anyways, what do you think? How does my list of favorite fowl compare to yours? Do you also dislike geese? And what does a fellow need to do to see an owl? As always, thanks for reading! 

We are just past that wonderful yet brief point in the year when professional Baseball, Football, and Basketball are all going on at the same time. The World Series wrapped up with Texas besting Arizona 4-1, and the NBA season is just getting started. We're also about halfway through the NFL season. (Go fins!) With this in mind, I figured it would be a good time to list my top ten favorite sports!

This list is a combination of sports I like to participate in mixed with sports I enjoy watching, from the Olympics to backyard play. My favorite event to watch is easily the X-Games. Action sports are just super cool and impressive to me; I like the thrill! Organized sports I've played in my life include, in chronological order: baseball, disc golf, basketball, track, skateboarding, tennis, and indoor soccer. I'm not great at any of them, but I sure had fun!

I begged and pleaded to be allowed to sign up for football, but never was. I can understand why and I'm past being bitter about it, though it took some time. I ended up joining the marching band instead, and in retrospect it was for the best for me. I gained friends, practiced discipline, stayed active, and kept out of trouble. Whatever you consider Marching Band to be, that's what sports are really all about for most kids and adults alike. My two cents: if bowling is a sport then marching band certainly is! 

Here's the list:

10. Hockey

9. Volleyball

8. Tennis

7. Baseball

6. BMX

5. Snowboarding

4. Basketball

3. Football

2. Disc Golf

1. Skateboarding

Well, what do you think? How does my list compare to your top ten sports? Is your favorite sport to watch different than your favorite to play? 

If you're into American Football, WQMX alongside Duma Meats Hartville Market has something really cool going on right now. We're sending a lucky listener up to Clevelend for a game with the WQMX Tailgate! Get all the info on that here and thanks for reading!

Game shows are a staple of American television with many programs spanning multiple hosts and decades of airing. There have been hundreds, if not thousands through the years which could be grouped into the game show genre, but for the purposes of this blog we'll mostly just consider the more traditional ones. Think Jeopardy, not AFV.

People enjoy games shows for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's just some good old-fashioned entertainment mixed in with a healthy dose of humor. Maybe it's the educational aspect and challenging yourself as if you were on the show. Maybe there is a larger-than-life host oozing character. For me, on that note, I must give a big shoutout to the host with the most, Steve Harvey. His suits are the primary reason I watch Family Feud! What a legend.

Alright, so the new topic of this blog is ranking Steve Harvey's top ten Family Feud outfits.... just kidding! Let's get into my top ten game shows!

10 Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

9 Let's Make a Deal

8. Press Your Luck

7. Deal or No Deal

6. Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

5. Cash Cab

4. Wheel of Fortune

3. Jeopardy!

2. The Price is Right

1. Family Feud

So, what do you think? Did I forget any great game shows? How does my order compare to yours? There're certainly no wrong opinions when it comes to this stuff, and I appreciate you letting me share my takes on these topics here with you. For game shows to stand the test of time as television trends have shifted exemplifies their significance in our culture, and I don't think they'll be going away anytime soon.

Side note: What show would you be on if you had the choice of any? For me, that's a really tough question. I think I'd do best at a trivia show like Cash Cab or Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? and worst at The Price is Right, specifically. I don't shop for groceries too often and would be shocked at the prices of certain stuff. Family Feud would probably be the most fun, and Jeopardy would be just awesome. I guess it's a toss-up!

Sometimes I feel like a big kid. By that, I mean I cannot go through a supermarket without checking out the toy aisle. I know many adults hunt for rare items to resell online, but when it comes to buying out toys meant for children I'm not a fan of that. No disrespect. If there's some collectible Funko Pop or similarly limited edition display-piece, that's totally different. Personally, I will scoop up every single El Camino in the store, and most appreciate the ones with cool paint and realism. If it's based on an actual vehicle, I usually dig it.

Anyways, there's so many options for toys these days and I must say I'm in no big hurry to have children. However, I cannot wait until the days my kiddos and I build Legos together, play vintage video games, and set up some crazy orange tracks from which to launch toy cars! I want to teach them guitar, bring them to the skate park, and all that good stuff; but here I go off track again. Pun intended!

With the rise in popularity of everything Barbie, as well as more advanced and downright radical products from major toymakers, I figured this may be a good time to talk about my favorite toys growing up, and some still today. I'll never not enjoy trying to grind a "rail" on a Tech Deck, and I'm anything but embarrassed to say so. I draw a line somewhere, but for the most part- like what you like! If you collect Beanie Babies still, sweet! If you're out there somewhere trying to use an Easy Bake Oven, right on!

With this, here's my top ten childhood toys. I'd love to hear what you enjoyed in your youth, and if you still keep any of them for whatever reason. Maybe you want to pass some stuff down to your children like my Dad did for me, or maybe you're saying, heck no! These are mine! Haha :)

10. Erector Set

9. Tonka Trucks

8. Kinex

7. R/C Cars, Boats, and Planes

6. Red Rider BB Gun

5. Slot Cars

4. Nerf Blasters

3. Tech Decks

2. Legos

1. Hotwheels

Special Shoutout to the most classic of toys, a good stick from the yard!

By the way, this marks my 50th blog on the WQMX website! I'm so grateful to be able to do what I do here at the station including writing these, and I so appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my words. Thank you!

Video games are awesome! They're a fun way to kill some time, connect with friends, and decompress. Some people take them very seriously, but I would describe myself as a casual gamer. I like a game that I can pick up and play at any given time, with minimal commitment. RPG's like Skyrim are super fun, but these days I just don't have the time to get into any one game as such. 

Through the years, I've played on just about every console or handheld gaming device you can think of, and I got to give it to the old Xbox 360 as my favorite one, with the Playstation 2 coming in at a close second. There's hardly a bad console, and I favor the Nintendo DS or Switch for portable gaming. I have a Grand Theft Auto bundle for the Switch that has been a total game changer on road trips and vacations. 

Let's get into another top ten, and if you have any thoughts on some things I could rank in future editions of this blog theme, please do let me know! You can reach me on the WQMX studio phone line at 330-370-2000. I'm in weekdays from Midnight-5a.m. but if you're not up during the overnight, no sweat. You can send a message to our studio textline (sponsored by Cricket wireless) any time and I will be sure to see it! 

10. The Simpsons Hit and Run

9. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl

8. Madden NFL '10

7.Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

6. Call od Duty: Black Ops II

5. Gran Theft Auto: Vice City

4. Minecraft

3. Gran Theft Auto: San Andreas

2. Skate 3

1. Gran Theft Auto V

So how about you; what are your favorite video games? I couldn't tell you how many thousands of hours I have dumped into gaming, but I do get outside a ton so I think it all equals out. LOL! I have been playing Grand Theft Auto V consistently, offline, since it's release in September of 2013. I had the game preordered and everything, and a literal decade later here we are still waiting on 6 to come out. I told myself I would buy a console newer than the Xbox 360 once Skate 4 or the next GTA was released and well, I'm still waiting!!! Thanks for reading :)   

There are so many great films out there, and everybody has their favorites. For me, I like a movie that isn't too difficult to follow, has a good soundtrack, and has a solid storyline free of any frustrating major plot holes. I like everything from action movies to foreign art films, but as you'll notice in my top ten, comedy and animated ones tend to be my prefrence. Sometimes I just need a good chuckle, and other times I like to have my emotions stirred. 

When I first started doing these Thursday Top Ten blogs, I figured it would be an easy way to write about something everyone can relate to. I had no idea how difficult it would be to settle upon my choices for these, as I like what I like and what that is could be different on any given day. Naturally, I will forget to include some stuff or will change my mind on the order, but all in all it is a lot of fun! (Side note: should I be doing The Tuesday Top Ten? It rolls off the tongue better, I think). 

Well, here's the list for my ten favorite movies; are any of these on your list?

10. Zombieland

9. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

8. Hot Rod

7. The Simpsons Movie

6. Talladega Nights

5. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

4. The Fast and the Furious

3. Cars

2. Fight Club 

1. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

*Bonus!* WQMX Weeknight Host Eric Matthews' Top 5 Movies:

5. Halloween IV

4. Scream 

3. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

2. Mrs. Doubtfire

1. Airplane!

I am too hyped for the "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" anime coming to Netflix November 17th. I've read and own the graphic novel series, I have played the video game, and I have watched the movie literally hundreds of times. If you've never seen Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, my favorite movie, you can peep the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wd5KEaOtm4