Tim Phillips Show, 4/29/26

A new survey by the National Retail Federation reveals that people are going to spend a combined $38 billion on Mother's Day this year. That's a new record and up from last year's total of $34.1 billion. Other findings:

-the average person is going to spend $284.25 on gifts this year. That's up from $259 last year.

-top things people are going to purchase … flowers (75%) followed by greeting cards (74%), special outings such as dinner or brunch (63%), gift cards (55%) and clothing or clothing accessories (51%).

Do you consider yourself to be friendly? According to new research, nearly eight in 10 Americans do. But some parts of the country are known for being friendlier than others, and a new study ranks which states are the friendliest.

Researchers surveyed more than 2-thousand adults from all over the U.S. on factors like volunteering, charitable giving, talking with neighbors, kindness in everyday interactions and road rage incidents. After analyzing the data, each state was given a “Friendliness Score” from one to 10.
So, what is the friendliest state overall? Minnesota tops the list, thanks to its high volunteering rates and strong sense of community, as more than half (57%) of residents give to charity, and 77% regularly talk with their neighbors.
Montana and Vermont tie for second. While Montana ranks especially high for charitable giving, it also has the highest road rage score.
On the flip side, the least friendly state is New Mexico, with a score of just 4.69. It has one of the highest rates of road rage in the country and low scores for charitable giving.
The Friendliest States in the U.S.

Minnesota
Montana & Vermont (tie)
Utah
Nebraska
Delaware
Oregon
Massachusetts
Maryland
Wyoming
The Least Friendly States in the U.S.

New Mexico
Louisiana
Florida
Nevada
Texas
California
Hawaii
North Carolina
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Source: NY Post

EVERLASTING LOVE -    ROBERT KNIGHT    #13 in 1967

Born on 4/24/1945 in Franklin, Tennessee. R&B singer

Robert Knight was a protégé of Mac Gayden and Buzz Cason, who wrote the song for him. The song has been recorded by a number of prominent artists, with four different versions charting in the United States and an astounding seven versions in the UK, the biggest of which was by the English band Love Affair, who reached #1 on the UK charts in 1968, relegating Knight's original to #40. However, the Knight version was reissued in the UK in 1974 and reached #19.
Chart breakdown of the "Everlasting Love" covers:

Robert Knight (1967): #13 US, #19 UK
Carl Carlton (1974): #6 US
Rex Smith/Rachel Sweet (1981): #32 US, #35 UK
Gloria Estefan (1995): #27 US, #19 UK
Love Affair (1968): #1 UK
Worlds Apart (1993): #20 UK
Cast From Casualty (1998): #5 UK
Jamie Cullum (2004): #20 UK

One of the best parts about fast food is that it’s predictable. You pull up to the drive-thru knowing what you like and what to expect when you order. But sometimes chains try to branch out and introduce new items to tap into trends and stir up excitement. While some of these generate a lot of buzz and fans enjoy them, a lot of them don’t last long, whether that’s because they didn’t sell well or they slowed operations down.

These are some of the strangest fast food items to hit menus across the country:

McDonald’s Hula Burger - The name is a big stretch, since it was a slice of grilled pineapple topped with cheese and served on a bun, but it came out in the 1960s as a meatless option for Lent to keep Catholic customers coming in on Fridays. But the Hula Burger got crushed by the popular Filet-O-Fish, and disappeared after barely selling.
Taco Bell Seafood Salad - Back in the 1980s, Taco Bell tried this combo of shrimp, snow crab and white fish mixed with lettuce, tomatoes, and olives served in a fried tortilla shell as a fresher, lighter alternative to tacos and burritos. But it didn’t last long because people weren’t buying up seafood from a drive-thru that was served like a taco.
KFC Double Down - This sandwich swapped bread for two fried chicken fillets, which held bacon, cheese and sauce together. It was over-the-top and grabbed viral attention, from those who loved the excess of it, and critics who felt like they were eating what seemed like an inside-out sandwich.
McDonald’s McSalad Shakers - When chains were trying to go healthier, this salad served in a clear plastic cup that you shake to mix still seemed like more of a gimmick than an upgrade.
Burger King Whopperito - It had all the Whopper fillings - beef, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese - but they were wrapped in a tortilla instead of a bun and there was queso-style sauce to try to make the mashup work. But it only had a short run before disappearing forever.
Little Caesars Spaghetti Bucket - It was just a bucket filled with pasta, and while it was a lot of food for little money, the bucket presentation was a turn-off for many.
Burger King Bacon Sundae - It really was a vanilla soft serve sundae with chocolate fudge and caramel, and strips of bacon. When it came out in 2012, the bacon craze had it in everything from cocktails to donuts, but this felt like a stretch and people didn’t get behind it.
Source: Parade

Tim's News You Can't Use 

WGN says gas prices hit a four-year high yesterday when the national average reached $4.18 a gallon. The price hike is due to the US-Iran war which began on February 28th. 
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If you’re thinking about getting a dog and wondering what the expense will be, here's your answer: over $4,000 a year. A new study from Healthy Paws shows that's the cost pet owners can expect when you factor in food, medical care, grooming, and all the little indulgences we can’t resist. There are also a lot of unexpected expenses many new dog owners don't think about, like dental work, dog walkers, and boarding.
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The Impulsive Buy says Van Leeuwen has launched a new line of Dr Seuss ice cream flavors that are available in grocery stores. Flavors include Hats Off Sunday Swirl which has vanilla ice cream and brownie and raspberry swirls. Swirly Whirly Blue Thing has blue ice cream with blueberry swirls and honey cornbread. Double Trouble Berry Thing has strawberry and white chocolate ice cream swirled with chocolate chips.  There is no Green Eggs and Ham flavor 
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Parade magazine says Dairy Queen is launching their own line of pajamas inspired by their new breakfast treats. The pajamas are soft with bright prints. They have designs like the Choco Frosted Donut Blizzard, the Fruity Pebbles Milkshake, and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Dipped Cone.
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Bustle says sweatpant jeans, or Loungewear jeans, are trending. The pants resemble soft denim jeans, but feel like sweats. Sweatpants jeans are receiving positive reviews for fit, price, comfort, and how they work for work, travel, and home. 
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India Today says Kit Kat is launching a new product to give people a break from their phones, social media and the digital world. Their new giant phone pouches resemble the wrapping for their chocolate bars. The red pouch blocks mobile signals and is part of Kit Kat's new Take A Break ad campaign. The pouch also blocks radio waves and all Wi-Fi signals.
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Mashed magazine says a Dallas, Texas steakhouse, named Nick and Sam's, is going viral because they are offering a 77-ounce New York strip called The Luka. 77 ounces is 4.8 pounds. It is carved tableside and served with garlic butter and mushroom barolo sauce. The Luka is 77-day dry-aged beef. The menu lists MP, or Market Price, for the dish. The Luka is named after Luka Dončić, who wore number $77 for the Mavericks.
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KHON says UFOs may have been spotted off the coast of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Locals and tourists were watching the sunset when they noticed a faint green glow appear in the sky. The glow lasted for 20 minutes as everyone took pictures and posted them online. The Army says no lasers were in use at the time.
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WFAA says a Grapevine, Texas man was recently arrested for stealing $80,000 from the Chick-Fil-A where he worked. Keyshun Jones rang up 800 orders of mac and cheese and then refunded them to his personal credit cards. He was charged with property theft, money laundering and evading arrest. Jones was caught on camera.
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StateCollege.com says a State College, Pennsylvania man was recently arrested after breaking into a residence. He took a shower and stole cupcakes. Israil D. Al-Sulaimani used a ladder to gain entry to a second-story window.
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India Today says a man from India recently walked into a bank to withdraw $20,000 from his sister's account. Jeetu Munda brought his sister's skeleton to the bank. The bank said that no demand for the skeleton was made and that a death certificate is required for the withdrawal. Jeetu says, "I have run to the bank several times, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death."