Not long ago we flipped the calendars from January to February, and it was then that I noticed something was a little off with mine. For as long as I can recall, I have always had a car calendar on my wall, and while some of them have not been the highest quality, I've never had one like this. 

I was looking at the picture of the sports car for February when I noticed that one of the wheels was not entirely circular. Not only that, but there was no real emblem on the car; instead, it's some unsymmetrical silver blur on the front of the grille. That detail confirmed something was suspicious and upon closer inspection of the entire calendar, it just got worse. 

There are random shapes and objects in the backgrounds of the images that don't make sense or belong, the vehicles themselves are terrible copycats of actual cars like the Tesla Model 3 or the Chevy Corvette, and everything just looks artificial like a video game. It didn't take long to put together that this must be an AI calendar. My immediate question: why? 

Why generate something that you could simply take a nice picture of? It's not like these images were set in outer space or with the automobile jumping a volcano or anything; they were just your standard mundane calendar design. There must be a plethora of high-quality car photos available in the public domain, so if it has anything to do with licensing, I'm confused. From January to December, these calendar pictures are just awful. 

So, do I keep it up or not? I never actually use a calendar for any real purpose, but it wouldn't feel right to be without one in my bedroom. It gets the point across, but I don't really like the idea of substituting human artistry for some computer knockoffs. I'm not opposed to AI as a tool for helping humans, but I'm thinking this goes a little too far....

First and foremost, on behalf of WQMX, I'd like to thank everyone who came out to Saint George Fellowship Center on Saturday to play Euchre in support of NEOPAT. We raised some money for an awesome cause and had some fun, and that's what events like these are all about!

The food and drinks were great, the venue was perfect, the rounds generally went smoothly, and many people went home with some awesome prizes like concert tickets, cash, and various surprises. We were surely happy to be there, and it seemed as though everyone else was too. In fact, we were asked countless times when the next one is going to be, so I think that speaks wonders. 

With it being our very first card tournament, there were a couple unforeseen matters in the rules and operation brought to our attention through the night which we'll be sure to address. Even so, it was nothing short of a huge success, truly. I met some great people and learned about the local Euchre clubs and competitions from Cuyahoga falls to Canton. Some of the participants are pretty serious about the game, but we appreciate most everyone understanding that this was in the name of fun and charity, and nothing more. 

On a personal level, I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate. I was a fill-in for some player who didn't show, on the Brad Paisley team. Despite losing most of my matches, it was a total blast! If I had a little more time on my hands, I'd absolutely be looking into joining a club after the enjoyment I got from being in this tournament. In total points, I think I did alright, but we'll just have to see how I stacked up against the ranks once Sarah posts the official scores here on the WQMX website. It was mildly intimidating running with the big dogs, but I did! 

If you missed out on this event and are looking to have a good time, we've got something else coming up that's likely right up your alley: bowling! It's the WQMX Red, White, and Bowl with special guest Ryan Larkins on March 16th. Find all the info on that and sign up here! 

WQMX is live and local, and we couldn't do what we do without such an amazing community of listeners. With that, as always, thanks so much for tuning in to 94.9 WQMX! 

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 bad at art, with few exceptions. One of those I've discovered as I've grown older is creating dry erase drawings. Something about the medium just clicks for me. I like that I can correct my mistakes as I go and make adjustments without having to scrap the whole project.

With Christmas in the rearview, I've been wondering what the next doodle I put up on our studio board should be. How about something Valentine's themed? And what's easier than a heart?

Well , here that is! What do you think? Depending on how much time I have, I also have plans to draw something cool for one of the promotions we have going on. We'll see.

I hope you have a great day today and I encourage you to do something that makes you smile, even if you're not the very best at it!

My quad attacked my car! 

This past weekend I was unloading my four-wheeler from my mother's Silverado, backing it down the ramps, when the brakes failed and it rolled straight into my Blazer. After putting a palm to my forehead, I pulled the bike forward to discover I had shattered Whitney's grille. I could probably push that old Honda off a cliff and the bike would be okay, so obviously there was no damage to my quad, but my car needed fixed. 

After yanking out that what was left of the grille, I zip-tied my blinkers to my bumper and was just going to run it with the missing piece until a nice one came up at the junk yard. That was the plan until my mom saw it and got on my case about the vulnerability of my radiator to rocks and whatnot. So, I heeded her advice and hit up the local Pull-A-Part. Right now, they're a little light on the S-10's, Blazers, and their sibling models, so my options were limited.

It was between a beat up, rusty grille which was already spray painted black or a nice-looking factory red one. Well, based on the title of this blog, I think you know which one I came home with. They told me I can rattle-can it whatever color I want and still exchange it within the window if a factory white or some other nice piece comes in, which is cool. Honestly, though, I'll probably just clown around with the red nose here for now! 

For years, my dentist has advised that I have my wisdom teeth removed before they become a problem and well, they've become a problem. The teething and shooting pains I could usually handle, but something happened during my overnight on-air shift last week that sent me over the edge. I broke off part of my wisdom tooth while eating a bag of Skittles. It was horrifying, and I apologize if even the thought of this makes you cringe like it does for me.

I take good care to brush my teeth and have always visited the dentist twice a year. They've told me I have some nice chompers, except for the wisdoms. This top left one that broke on me had a deep cavity in it due to my inability to reach it with a toothbrush and my fondness for sugar. I'm still a little shocked, though; I didn't know it was that bad!

Luckily, I already had an appointment for a consultation to go into oral surgery for the wisdoms which was set up months ago. That's today, Monday, and I'm nervous to see what they say and about the possibility of missing work or struggling to speak behind the mic. I also really like sweets. It's sort-of a good thing that my tooth broke, as I strongly contemplated skipping this appointment. On that note, I brushed past why I have not had these wisdoms out yet, so allow me to explain.

I'm absolutely horrified of the procedure. Having my teeth removed in any way is my single greatest fear. I have super sensitive teeth and I think the excessive pain I went through with my braces has left me with a little lingering trauma. Additionally, I've never been knocked out before, and I've read horror stories of patients being unable to move in any way but with total consciousness remaining as they are being operated on. I was also a smoker, and dry sockets are intimidating. 

Anyhow, wish me luck at this consultation! Hopefully, they tell me the bottoms don't need to come out as they've never given me any issues, but I doubt it. It's not going to be a fun time one way or another, but I've got my mom going with me tomorrow and my fiancée taking care of me the day of, so I'll make it!

Take care of yourself, and thanks for listening to WQMX!

My fiancée and I sometimes like to try new versions of the foods we normally eat, whether it's switching up the brand or maybe the flavor variety. We don't know which queso out that we like best until we try around, for example, and the same could be said for just about anything in our refrigerator/pantry. On our most recent shopping trip together, we needed to pick up a certain purple spread to go with peanut butter. 

I was comparing the different brands of grape jelly when suddenly, my eyes found their way to the most fascinating thing: jam! Mackenzie walked up attempting to scoop up the generic jelly and pull me along to continue on our way, but I said woah, woah, woah! This is a serious decision right here. Do we go with the grape jam or jelly? And why? 

I did a quick internet search to confirm that they are pretty much the same thing, and we learned that the difference lies in the process of making the preserve, which leads to their slightly different tastes. According to those Google results, jam is made using the crushed grapes themselves whilst jelly just uses grape juice instead. This allows for more of the fruit flavor to shine through on a jam, whereas a jelly tastes sweeter but lacks the same depth of flavor. 

We went with the Welch's Jam, and let me tell you, it was an awesome choice. I didn't have any jelly with which to directly compare the jam, but as the MVP of my lunchtime PBJ, it was heavenly! I think jam is more difficult to spread than jelly, but (when it comes to the Welch's stuff) they both hold that smooth, gel-like consistency. Jam oftentimes includes bits and chunks from the fruit's pulp, but this particular one did not. 

So, yeah... I'm a jam type of guy now and we have unapologetically become a jam household. The only jelly products I want to see up in those cupboards are petroleum and beans! 

With this, don't be afraid to venture outside your comfort zone. Maybe you always order that certain type of coffee but there's one on the menu you'd like better; you just haven't tried it yet. Tried and true certainly means something, and there's no harm in being loyal to something; whether it's the beer you drink, the truck you drive, or the boots you wear on your feet. All I'm trying to get across here is that you shouldn't be timid to experiment with different options and open your horizons! 

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! 

Back in 1999, my parents welcomed three big changes into their lives. There was a newborn baby in the crib, a puppy dog in the back yard, and a brand new full-size pickup truck in the driveway. I was the baby, the canine was our beloved all-white German Shepard named Molly, and the truck... well, that's the topic of this blog! 

She's a three-door 1999 Chevrolet Silverado LT 2wd with the 5.3, affectionately dubbed Ol' Betsy. My mom and dad bought it new off the lot, so it remains a one-owner vehicle, which is somewhat impressive for a truck from the 90's. I grew up in the backseat of this old Chevy, and she's taken us everywhere. That would include annual trips deep into Canada and back, vacations everywhere from Maryland to Montana, and even to high school daily as my brother and I's first set of wheels which we were permitted to borrow. 

Through all the years, we put love and effort into maintaining the truck and keeping her nice, but by no means has it been babied. From muddy four-wheelers to firewood, if something needs hauled, that's the rig with which to do so. We used to pull a pop-up camper behind it, and now that we have a boat, we use the Silverado to launch the vessel. In almost twenty-five years, that truck has never broken down and left us stranded, and it has never had any major failures in general through all the use (and occasional abuse). 

I love driving the truck and have dibs on it once my mom is done with the vehicle. I have a feeling that won't be anytime soon though, and I wouldn't be surprised if she runs it until the frame snaps in half like these trucks tend to do in the salt belt. For now it's solid enough underneath, but as you can tell from the picture of Ol' Betsy, she's rusting out. It kind-of breaks my heart to see it fall apart on the exterior, but it is what it is. The interior, on the other hand, is like a time machine to Y2K. 

From the uniquely colorful GM cloth seats to the original CD player head unit with its sticky buttons, stepping up into that truck brings oneself back to a simpler time. There's no sensors beeping at you or settings to shuffel through. There's not a dashboard full of electronics and infotainment to either go bad or turn obsolete. Heck, it's considered a luxery trim with little more than power windows and cruise control! 

I could go on and on with my love for this truck, and I'm far from the only one who thinks these specific ones are great. Especially with the 5.3 motor in it, they're known for reliability, and ours has been no exception. It's a good thing too, because I unfortunately need to count on it for commuting, currently. The Blazer is down with a major bust in the coolant system that I haven't fully tracked down and dug into yet, since it's been too cold. So, I'm very appreciative of my mom for floating me the keys to the Silverado. 

One day, it will be mine. Even if it's snapped in half between the axles, I still want the engine. In that scenario, after a rebuild, I'd love to swap it into my Blazer or maybe even the El Camino, though I'm pretty happy with the built 350 that lives in the latter. I know the truck can't last forever, but I think it would be cool to upgrade my daily's powerplant with that 5.3 while carrying on the heart from my childhood pickup. 

I love the truck, and the radio dial stays locked on FM 94.9 WQMX, religiously. If your preset number one is also Your Country, 94.9 WQMX, I thank you! 

Keep on trucking!