Category Archives: pop culture

The All New Riveting Plot of EVERY Hallmark Movie 2024

Posted on November 3, 2024 | 5 comments

Pic from Hallmark

Yes, it’s that time of year! Put away all those Halloween decorations, grab a cup of hot cocoa and settle in for the two best holiday traditions; Hallmark movies and my annual blog making fun of them.

What are these two trying to do? I’m not sure I want to know the answer.

Christmas, you say? No, Christmas is just a secondary annoyance. To all the people born with at least one romantic bone in their body and a high tolerance for mediocre acting, November is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s Hallmark Christmas movie time! Or as Lacey Chabert, Dean Cain and Candace Cameron Bure call it, “The only time we make any money.”

Pic from Hallmark.  It’s just bad actors and actresses running to the Hallmark studio to collect paychecks they don’t deserve

Being married to one of these Hallmark movie loving people, I inadvertently see several Hallmark Christmas movies every year.  I couldn’t help but notice that each unique Hallmark Christmas movie has the exact same plot as every other Hallmark movie. To save you from having to watch the actual movies, here’s how it goes:

Guy or gal who left home several years ago is very successful at some high falutin’ job in a big city somewhere, then they come back to their Smalltown, USA hometown for Thanksgiving or a funeral. Oh no! Their family’s business is failing! Or maybe beloved Uncle Walt passed away and they’re going to lose the farm! What? The only way they can save the farm, family business or special hometown festival is if the impossibly attractive person stays longer than they planned. Maybe until Christmas! I can’t believe it. What are the chances of that?!!?

Just what I need, imagining my medical providers getting it on in the closet while I bleed out in the ER

Successful and attractive returning guy or gal runs into the sister or brother of a friend they knew in high school. He or she “was just a kid back then” but now they’re “all grown up” and they’ve really blossomed into a hunk or a hottie. At first they may not like each other but everyone else can see the obvious chemistry. Despite the fact that they annoy each other, they have to work together to save the business, ranch, town  or whatever. There’s always something that needs saving.

Why pick one? Haven’t the Hallmark writers ever heard of polyamory?

Of course it will all inevitably lead to a playful snowball fight between the two in the town square where they will tumble into a pile of egregiously fake snow and look longingly into each others eyes.

Oh no! Mischievous family members trying to get two dummies together! What will happen?

Guess what everyone, that’s the plot of every episode of The Gilmore Girls too. You’re welcome. I’ve just saved you the trouble of watching every single Hallmark movie this year. But you know what? I know you’re going to watch them. It’s as inevitable as that moment when the returning hometown hero says “this is where I’ve wanted to be all along” as they finally kiss their new love and gaze at the Christmas tree.  Cue Christmas music and fade out to credits.

 

A funny thing happened this year when I sat down to update this blog. I kind of turned into a Hallmark fan and here’s why: I went to Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas page and amongst the pictures of smiling, impossibly perfect people, I discovered that Henry Winkler was in a 2008 Hallmark movie. That man is an effing national treasure! I’m watching The Most Wonderful Time of The Year (2008) as I write this and on repeat now until December 26th.

Why didn’t they call this “Fonzie Getting Jolly”?

Ugh. Those movies are so fake sugary, saccharin sweet that they should have a disclaimer warning diabetics not to watch them. Really, I’m not a Grinch. I love the holidays and I mock them because I love them. Just like you. Have a great Sunday! ~Phil

P.S. Dear Hallmark, I’ll let you sponsor this Phil Factor blog for the right price!

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For Cripes Sake Hallmark!

Posted on October 19, 2024 | 4 comments

First of all, who is Cripes and why do we want their sake?  Isn’t that Japanese wine? Hallmark (yes, I’m yelling at you) for cripes sake and all that is holy, why in the world did you debut a NEW HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIE yesterday on October 18th?!!? Is nothing sacred? Can we not continue to watch slasher movies in preparation for this country’s  most beloved holiday, Halloween?!!?

Is there not some sort of governing body that should prevent this type of atrocity? In my mind, Halloween gets September after Labor Day and thru midnight October 31st. Then, beginning on November 1st, then and only then should Christmas and Hallmark Christmas movies have free reign to broadcast all the Christmas/Hannukah content they want. Hallmark has Fall/Halloween movies! Why aren’t they pushing those right now?

For my readers who thought this would be a fun blog about your corny Hallmark  movies, you can click on the video above and watch the whole fricking movie right from my blog. See Hallmark! You made this effing Fall movie, why aren’t you cramming that down people throats? It’s literally demonic what you are trying to do to Halloween. Hey readers, here’s a phrase you can use, “Hallmark is cannibalizing the corny movie market with their holiday tripe.”

Lacey Chabert practicing her smoldering look. Who does she think that will work on?

I guarantee you that Hallmark will not have a problem with me ranting like a berserker about their corny content. And what about Lacey Chabert? Why is she in every freaking movie? Does she not have enough money yet? Her annual income from Hallmark movie residuals could probably resolve the federal deficit. And she has yet to agree to an interview with The Phil Factor. That’s how snooty she is. How can you trust someone like that?

And those of you that enjoy my highly intelligent paranormal content? What happens to you during Hallmark season? You’re stuck with sicky sweet stuff like this full-length movie that you can watch right here:

Knowing Hallmark, they will probable sue me for this blog post including their content. Worse yet, they might create another Hallmark Christmas movie about a grumpy, Scrooge-like writer who pans their movies until he learns the real meaning of Christmas in October.

They’d probably have the gall to ask me to do a cameo in that movie just so I’ll promote their content to my readers again. My readers, which I’m sure outnumber the Hallmark fans by a wide margin. And, if you watch Hallmark today, there will be another all-new Hallmark Christmas movie, and more every day until Christmas. Ugh. Ratings snooze-fest.

Happy Saturday and thanks for reading! ~Phil

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If You Really Like Halloween…

Posted on October 5, 2024 | 9 comments

Pic from iStockPhoto.com

Halloween is coming up and some of us enjoy it more than others. If you’re one of those people, I have good news! There are several Halloween-like holidays all over the world that you can put on your calendar to celebrate the spooky stuff almost all year round.

Pic by Creator: SAEED KHAN

The Yulan Festival-China: Like most good festivals that celebrate the dead, fire has to be involved. The Yulan Festival also known as The Hungry Ghost Festival occurs on the 15th night of the 7th month, which is July. It is believed that on the day of the Yulan Festival, the gates of hell open so that ghosts can roam the Earth in search of food and entertainment.

Entertainment? What kind of entertainment do ghosts want? They watch us all the time. That’s got to be pretty funny. And the ghosts want food too? For cripes sake, I don’t want to spend my after-life trick or treating in the nearest neighborhood. I wonder if they order out for Chinese? Fortunately, in China the living perform rituals and have a feast to appease the spirits. Ok, so we’ve got July and October covered for spookiness now.

Pic from National Geographic

The Obon Festival-Japan/Brazil/California: Another celebrating the dead festival that in some places is actually multiple festivals lasting from June through August. Food, fire, costumes, music and dancing. Who knew someone else’s death could be this fun! Ok, Obon pulled in June, so now we’ve got spooky holidays/celebrations from June through November. November you say? What happens in November? Well…

Smith/Getty Images)

Dia de Muertos-Mexico and neighboring countries. Otherwise known as The Day of The Dead, this celebration occurs from Oct. 31 through the first week of November. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember amusing anecdotes about the departed. It’s one of my favorites as evidenced by my sugar skull and tie in the pic below:

So we’ve now got spookiness for five months. Sadly, we do have to skip the month of December to let Hannukah and Christmas to have their time, although I do plan on looking for some spooky Christmas content for you.

Pic from Bildderfrau.De

Walpurgis Night and Beltane: They occur at the same time but in different countries. Walpurgis Nacht (Night) is a German tradition, while Beltane is Irish & Scottish. They do occur on the same dates April 30/May 1.

Walpurgis Night was started to honor Saint Walpurga who was known for battling rabies, whooping cough and witches. Rabies, whooping cough and witches? Those German med school final exams must have been super weird. The night of April 30th into May 1st is supposed to be when the witches gather and ride. Walpurgis Night is celebrated in the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia. In Finland, Denmark and Norway

Beltane: Source Nen.press

Beltane? Stuff like that pic above happens in drag clubs all over the states every day. You should see Key West on New Year’s Eve. To be honest, I’ve seen things online about a lot of crazy festivals in Europe, such as the Boom Festival, that I’d love to go to, but that would be a whole other blog post.

Beltane historically has been celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and The Isle of Man. Btw, here’s a shout out to that one Isle of Man Phil Factor reader. I see you showing up in my stats. Don’t be shy! Say hi in the comments.

The Celts see Beltane as the beginning of Summer and it brings back life & fertility. Bel was a Celtic god, and the name Beltane means the ‘fire of Bel’. Fire is central to the celebrations on the belief that it has protective powers. It’s believed that rituals of walking around or leaping over bonfires will bring good fortune, fertility, happiness and third degree burns.

There you go. I’ve given you spooky stuff to celebrate In April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. That’s 8 different months to get your spooky on. If you know of any other traditions, festivals or celebrations with a spooky theme, feel free to shout out or post a link in the comments.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading! ~Phil

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Posted in Current Events, Holidays, Humor, pop culture, Uncategorized

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It’s Pumpkin Spice SZN !!!

Posted on August 31, 2024 | 2 comments

Pic courtesy of Starbucks

I was also going to name this “A Pumpkin Flavored Phil Factor”. It’s that time of year, again. Sigh.  It has begun. Pumpkin flavored everything is back in stores! WTH? Seriously, are pumpkins such a wonderful delicacy that we have to flavor EVERYTHING with them? Why pumpkin? Is there any other time of year where a flavor takes over the country for a couple months? Around the winter holidays why isn’t there nog flavored everything? Around St. Patrick’s Day we’ve got our Shamrock Shakes, but that’s about it. How about this? I’m going to give you a list of ten pumpkin flavored items below and you try to guess which one isn’t real.

1. SPAM

2. Twinkies

3. Donuts

4. Condoms

 

5. Soda pop

6. Potato chips

7. Pasta

8. Cookies

9. Vodka

10. Hamburgers

If you guessed the pumpkin flavored condom was fake, you are right! The other nine items all exist out there in this pumpkin flavored world. That’s too much pumpkin flavored stuff. What’s next, pumpkin-flavored fish sandwiches at McDonald’s? This time of year it’s actually an effort not to accidentally eat something pumpkin flavored. This madness must end!

When I’m elected President, or Sexiest Man Alive, whichever comes first, I’m going to pass a law stating that any company that produces a pumpkin flavored food item has to have it approved through a special sub-committee and if it is just too stupid of an idea they will not be allowed to sell it. If you know of any other odd pumpkin flavored foods or drinks please share them in the comments.

As always, if you enjoy what you read at #ThePhilFactor and want to support my bid for President, or Sexiest Man Alive, please hit the Facebook share button.

Have a great weekend! ~Phil

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Jimmy Buffett and The Estes Method

Posted on May 13, 2024 | Leave a comment

During paranormal month last year the incredible Jimmy Buffett passed away and all of us fans were sad that he his brilliant talent were gone. Then I began thinking about Jimmy Buffett and  The Estes Method. At first glance, these two things have nothing to do with each other, or do they? 

Jimmy Buffett was a popular musician who filled the heads of millions and millions of boomers with his music celebrating the virtues of hanging out at the beach drinking margaritas. He is probably completely responsible for retirement communities like The Villages in Florida. I’m not looking to move to The Villages, but I enjoy his music, and I’m all in on his living at the beach fantasy.

The Estes Method: If you’re not familiar, it’s a technique created by paranormal investigators Karl Pfeiffer, Connor Randall and Michelle Tate. They created the technique aiming to more accurately capture communication from spirits. Previously paranormal investigators used “spirit boxes” to listen to what they hoped would be cogent auditory messages from the other side.

The “spirit box” is basically a radio that scans rapidly through A.M. and F.M. frequencies.

Paranormal investigators believe that otherworldly entities have the ability to manipulate and communicate through these radio signals. For the last two decades we’ve seen paranormal investigators listen to these static making machines and occasionally shout with joy when they hear what might be a word if you listen really hard. I’ve never been impressed by that. It could be any random word from a D.J. in Spokane bouncing off a satellite and accidentally reaching a random spirit box in Albuquerque.

What Conor, Karl, and Michelle did differently was to start having the person listening to the spirit box wear a blindfold and noise cancelling headphones to remove any outside noise or influence. Then they ask the “spirits” direct questions and hope to get relevant responses. In examples that you can see in Hellier and The Unbinding, they’ve had some surprising success.

So how does deceased musician Jimmy Buffett play into this? Some of you have already figured out where I’m going, maybe because you’re psychic, or just because you know how weird I am.

All of us who were fans of Jimmy Buffett music wish there were more Jimmy Buffett songs. Some tech heads are going to start making Jimmy Buffett knock off songs using A.I.  Not me! I’m going to collaborate on new songs with Jimmy using The Estes Method!

Here’s our first one:

Trudging through the snow, it’s miserable in Buffalo

I’m too tired to fight, I just need a flight

Three hours to paradise, I know fleeing life isn’t nice

But I just need sun and a rum drink with ice

That was all Jimmy. I heard it in the headphones. That’s all for now. Me and Jimmy will get back to work after we finish a game of beach volleyball and a couple margaritas! If you have an idea for a few more lines in the song, feel free to add them in the comments!

Have a great week! ~Phil (and Jimmy)

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The Dark Side of Comedy

Posted on April 29, 2024 | Leave a comment

Pic from Vice TV

This past weekend I watched a good portion of the Vice TV series Dark Side of Comedy. (First time through I accidentally typed Dank Side of Comedy, which would be a whole other series about comedians who sweated too much and have body odor.)

To be clear, Comedian Lee Evans isn’t dead, but he is sweaty.

The series I watched, Vice TV’s Dark Side of Comedy, is about comedians who have killed themselves, succumbed to drug and alcohol addiction, or have had other tragic circumstances in their life. The series is fascinating. The list of comedians who have not had their life go smoothly is long and illustrious.

Celebrities die all the time, which is sad, but I always feel a little more sadness when it’s a comedian or comedic actor or actress. These people bring laughter and joy into our lives and the world is a little less fun without them. Do you feel the same way when you hear of a comedian passing away?

Pic from USAToday

Maybe my extra little twinge is because I feel a sort of kinship with comedians. In the 1990’s I did some stand-up comedy. I wasn’t great, but I was good. I was that local opener who got 5-10 minutes at a dark bar on a Thursday night. I probably graced the stages of these little local bars maybe 20 times. I performed in all of three cities! There were nights when I got barely a ripple of applause and there were nights when I had a bar full of people just roaring at my material from start to finish of my set.

I’ve got to tell you, having a crowd of strangers laugh and clap and talk to you after your set is the best high that I’ve ever had. Maybe that’s why full-time, career comedians so often resort to drugs and alcohol when they’re not on stage. I wonder if when they’re home without an audience and that buzz is gone,  do they engage in drugs and alcohol to numb the pain of loneliness or give them the next best high that they can find.

I also wonder if being funny might be part of a mental illness or a brain abnormality. It might be that comedians brains work differently than everyone else’s. Sometimes they look at the same everyday situations that everyone else does, but they perceive a twisted, out of left field, off the wall possibility that wouldn’t occur to everyone else. Much the same way that Albert Einstein saw different possibilities in the way that physics and time works, comedians see different possibilities in the mundane. Could comedians be just a different kind of genius? That’s how I like to look at it.

Brett Butler, not dead.

Although many of the comedians who ran into trouble in their lives are men, a fair amount of female comics also had their share of issues. Brett Butler was one episode of Dark Side and she seems to have found her way back to stability and is making a comeback, acting in several things over the past few years. Her interview was very interesting. Other femme fatale’s whom you may remember that weren’t all in the series include Rosanne Barr, Ellen DeGeneres, Maria Bamford and Tiffany Haddish.

The Dark Side of Comedy is a fascinating watch and you’ll learn a lot more about many famous comedians through interviews of their friends, families and other industry insiders. The next time you go to see a  comedian, whether it’s just a local yokel or one of the big timers, tell them you liked their set, because you never know what they’re going through when the spotlight turns off. And for cripes sakes, and all that is holy, do not buy them a drink! (I know that if any comedian reads that last line they’ll laugh.)

Thanks for reading! ~ Phil

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The Official Blog of Super Bowl 58?

Posted on February 11, 2024 | 1 comment

Yes, that is me holding the Super Bowl trophy. I was awarded the Super Bowl trophy for maybe being The Official Blog of The Super Bowl.

This is when I was awarded the Super Bowl trophy for Best Blog

I’m not saying that The Phil Factor is The Official Blog of Super Bowl 58, and I’m not saying it’s not. What I am saying is that I want to get a cease and desist letter from the National Football League’s lawyers.

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For those of you not from the States, or from the U.S. but you just don’t care, this weekend is the championship game of the National Football League, otherwise known as #SuperBowl 58. I’m hashtagging those words, linking to their site, and making a point of using the phrase ‘Super Bowl 58′ because the NFL (No Phil League) literally tries to sue anyone who uses the phrase “Super Bowl” without paying them millions of dollars to do so. (I’m putting the words Super Bowl in bold print on the off chance that they’ll be more noticeable when someone from the NFL is looking at the internet. That’s my version of SEO).

Some networks even prohibit their announcers from saying Super Bowl out of fear of being sued by the NFL. Comedian Steven Colbert has taken to calling it the Superb Owl.

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I call bullshit. I don’t care who you are or what entity you’ve created, no one gets to own words. When I’m elected President, or #SuperBowl MVP (Most Valuable Phil), whichever comes first, I’m going to pass a law stating “No people or corporations can own words.” It’s a stupid idea that someone can own the right to the words #SuperBowl. I’m pretty sure that the words super and bowl were around long before American football. In fact, once on Downton Abbey Mr. Carson was bringing soup to the Earl and Countess in this big, ornate dish and the Earl said, “Why Mr. Carson! That is the most super bowl I have ever laid my eyes upon!” Downton Abbey happened a hundred years ago, so there’s your proof that someone else used the phrase first.

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What if I really do own a super bowl? You know, one of those cool ones with a picture at the bottom that you can’t see until you’ve eaten every drop. That is truly a super bowl.

Or what about the people who invented the Perfect Bacon Bowl? That has got to be the superest of bowls. If there were a vote I’m pretty sure that the Bacon Bowl beats out football as the best kind of bowl. I’m also pretty sure that the Bacon Bowl people aren’t going to sue me for mentioning their product. In fact, they might even send me a free Bacon Bowl maker for mentioning it (hint, hint). Click on the video below. The song is a hilariously awesome and may sound more than a little like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

I’m also sure that the folks in the legal marijuana states think their bowls are pretty super too. Is the NFL going to sue anyone there who says to their smoking buddy “Man, this is one super bowl“?

Picture from The Sporting News

And seriously, how fun can the halftime show be when they’re letting an usher perform? Why not hire a real entertainer instead of just grabbing a guy who works in the stands?

I’m not afraid to say any word I want. And by the way National Football League, what in the hell makes you so arrogant to think that you have to police the world to make sure no one uses your phrase?

I would like to hereby announce that I am legally forbidding anyone from referring to themselves as the official anything of #ThePhilFactor unless I declare it. There you go National Football League. I dare you to declare your #SuperBowl is The Official Super Bowl of The Phil Factor. You know what though? I’m not going to sue you if you do. They’re only words. If you think my blog is so awesome that you want to affiliate yourself with it, great, but it’s going to cost you. In fact, nevermind. The title is already taken. I’m officially declaring that the Perfect Bacon Bowl is The Official Super Bowl of The Phil Factor. And if the Perfect Bacon Bowl people wanted to buy advertising space in my sidebar I’m not opposed to that.

As always, if you enjoy #ThePhilFactor, which is the #SuperBowl of blogs, please share by hitting the Facebook, Twitter, or re-blog button below. Have a great #SuperBowl weekend! ~Phil

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The People at Your Super Bowl Party

Posted on February 10, 2024 | 5 comments

We may be going to different Super Bowl parties this weekend, but a lot of the people at our parties will be eerily similar and equally irritating. Read on and see if you can identify these folks at your party this Sunday. If you can’t, you’re probably one of them.

The Gambler: He may know when to hold’em but he doesn’t know when to fold’em or when to shut up. This guy always wants you to know the “over/under” and how much he’s got riding on the game. He spends most of the game fuming and stomping around every time an officials “b.s.” call threatens to upset the point spread. He usually has a “prop bet” on the coin toss too. Unfortunately if the game doesn’t go his way The Gambler turns into The Belligerent Drunk. That is unless the black lab covers the spread in The Puppy Bowl.

toshcc.com

This kid is going to live in infamy forever because I keep using this picture every year.

The Referee: This jerk has to explain every official ruling on the field as if he’s calculating a quadratic equation. He’ll say something like: “Well that was an illegal formation because the half-caff flanker position moved from a three point stance to a two point stance without waiting for a pause in the snap count while the rigamarole motion was ad infinitum. Now normally the refs would let that go but because of the down and distance and clock situation they were forced to call it.” Yeah thanks coach, I can’t imagine why you don’t win your fantasy football league every year.

The Commercial Lover: I hate to stereotype, but this is usually a woman. We all know her. She has no clue about what teams are in the game and often thinks that one teams “costumes are pretty.”  She usually says, “Oh I love the Super Bowl because of the commercials. I heard this year that Doritos and Coca Cola combined  for a commercial where The Pope break dances with a 3-D video of Michael Jackson. Oh wait, wait, wait, QUIET EVERYBODY, I think this is it. SHHHHH…I want to see this one. Did you see that? That was so funny! Oh my god! BEST Super Bowl commercial EVER!” Usually I’m secretly rooting for the drunk, belligerent gambler to spill his beer on her.

joyreactor.com

joyreactor.com

Team Jersey Guy: This guy arrives at the party first and only brings a bag of chips. He grabs a beer and immediately plants his un-athletic physique in the recliner across from the television an hour before kick off and won’t leave that seat until the game is over.

If you’re the homeowner you might as well just haul that chair out to the curb after the game. You won’t want to keep it.  He doesn’t even get up to get another beer. “Oh, hey, if you’re going out to the kitchen could you grab me a brewski?” Once he’s settled in he’s almost as bad as The Gambler. Team Jersey Guy is also the pleasant guy who tries to wave your children out of the way if they walk in front of the TV during the game and you swear his head will explode if one of the kids even mentions switching the channel to The Puppy Bowl.

Past Contributions From the Peanut Gallery: Because I got several great suggestions in the comments when I posted this previously, I’m going to add them here and credit their contributors.

The Phone Clutcher:  Every party has a pooper– and he or she is usually that person whose gaze is on his or her phone, more often than it is on the TV. They get noticeably antsy when told to put their phones down, and often can be found in dusty corners hugging the only thing they care about. Why they go to these parties, I have never figured out. This spot on contribution came for Ally of The Spectacled Bean. Go visit her blog. She’s always interesting.

The Grazers: The grazers are the guys who don’t talk or interact with the rest. They just keep filling their plate and wandering around the house with no reason to be there other than the food. This great one is from John Howell of Fiction Favorites. Go visit John, he’s always got some great writing going on.

The Hater: The person who comes for the “party” and doesn’t care about the game. They complain about the game the whole time. They’re always trying to get someone to play cards with them or something. This one is from Dr. Meg Sorick who still believes the Steelers got gypped. Her blog deserves a visit because she writes better than she dresses.

If you have any other suggestions for Super Bowl party people please add them in the comments. This list will evolve every year based on your suggestions. Even my friends from other countries can play! Feel free to add suggestions from your experience at football parties of your own.

This year be sure to look for The Phil Factor commercial during the halftime show. If you miss that, feel free to share this to other social media using the buttons below. Have a great weekend! ~ Phil

Copyright ThePhilFactor.com 2024 All rights reserved

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Elmo is My Therapist?

Posted on January 31, 2024 | 7 comments

Pic of Elmo courtesy of Sesame Street

Yesterday, a funny thing happened on Twitter, (yes, I know it’s called X now, but I’m not going to give Elon Musk the satisfaction of being acknowledged by me. I know he worries about that a lot)  So yesterday on Twitter, the Sesame Street character Elmo, who is a puppet, put out a tweet:

“Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?”  That one tweet has so far garnered over 12,000 replies and almost 47,000 retweets.  Many of those responses were of an emotional nature. In the space of a few hours a puppet became the most popular therapist in the world. I’m not sure if that is a good lesson for kids. Although, I guess kids, who use social media for a lot of their communication with others, now know that it’s ok to talk about their feelings in a public forum.

I’ll give you a small slice of the replies:

The responses ran the gamut, some serious and some funny, but overall I like the message that it’s ok to reach out when you need. I wonder if Elmo will become some sort of online guru from now on.

This seems to be another sign that we are becoming a more remote online society, but it’s also a sign that there are people everywhere who will help. Have a great Wednesday and reach out to someone if you need to.

Thanks for reading! ~Phil

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Are Ice Baths The Pet Rock of the 2020’s?

Posted on January 23, 2024 | 5 comments

Pic from BeforeYouSpeakCoffee.com

There are very few non-lethal things in life that are more uncomfortable than taking a bath in a tub full of ice water. And yet, it’s currently a fad. Yes, a fad like the pet rock my parents gave me for a Christmas present in the 70’s. (Thanks mom & dad, smh) People all over the world are taking baths in freezing lakes, oceans, tubs, and pools. But why?

This is an Amazon ad.

Each and every day, who doesn’t love a hot shower that helps your muscles relax and feel less sore? A nice hot bath or shower feels like a warm hug from the universe. And now all these psychopaths are trying to get us to smile while we plunge our room temp bodies into an H2O torture chamber.

Apparently however, unlike ivermectin, there’s some science that says this might be a good thing.

If Thor and his brother can do it, why not us? (Pic from Men’s Health)

If ice water therapy is good enough for Thor, then it’s good enough for me. According to News-Medical: Cold activates a cellular cleansing mechanism that breaks down harmful protein aggregations responsible for various diseases associated with aging. In recent years, studies on different model organisms have already shown that life expectancy increases significantly when body temperature is lowered.

“A research team at the University of Cologne’s CECAD Cluster of Excellence in Aging Research has now unlocked one responsible mechanism. Professor Dr David Vilchez and his group used a non-vertebrate organism, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, (basically a tiny worm) and cultivated human cells. Both carried the genes for two diseases which typically occur in old age: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig disease) and Huntington’s disease. Both diseases are characterized by accumulations of harmful proteins. In both model organisms, cold actively removed the protein clumps, thus preventing the protein aggregation that is pathological in both ALS and Huntington’s disease.”

Lady Gaga: Pic from Harper’s Bazaar

This picture took away all my skepticism. If it’s good enough for Lady Gaga, it’s good enough for me! In fact, I’m taking an ice bath while typing this and I feel like my writing is so much better when my body temp drops to 88.6 F, or 37 celsius, for 15 minutes.

How cold should an ice bath be? 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s awfully cold. I wonder, if you’re a young gentleman hoping to father some kids, wouldn’t frequent ice baths make little icicles out of your tadpoles down there?

So, after my highly scientific and well spoken thesis here, who is with me? Would you take regular ice baths if it would help you avoid some diseases and live longer? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks for reading! ~Phil

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