Category Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

A Halloween Top Ten: Ten Ways People Ruin Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. If I wasn’t a full grown adult I’d dress up and go Trick or Treating. I do have some pet peeves though about people who don’t share my love of this holiday.

pumpkin

10. “Fun Size” candy: There is nothing fun about a candy bar so small that it wouldn’t give a sugar rush to a hummingbird. For cripes sake! It’s once a year, you can splurge for the full size.

9. Turning Out Your Lights: Are you the house that turns out your lights and hides in a back room pretending you’re not home? We hate you and you deserve to have your house egged.

8. Making it about religion: Lighten up Francis! (If you know what movie that quote came from put your answer in the comments) The kids aren’t worshiping Satan, they’re worshiping a sugar buzz. Once someone in my neighborhood was handing out popcorn balls with religious notes attached to them. If I knew who it was I’d have called the police.

This isn’t me, but I wish it was

7. Handing out popcorn balls or apples or pencils or McDonald’s coupons. When I was a kid we were told never to take the apples because there might be a razor blade in them. Now the health food nuts are giving them out like candy.

6. Not having Halloween in your neighborhood: I hate when groups of parents decide they’ll have a neighborhood party or that the kids will trick or treat at the local shopping mall. Geez! How did these people grow up and at what age did the demon suck out their souls? Theirs are the kids who will rebel later and get arrested for egging houses or putting flaming bags of poop on someone’s front porch.

5. Not allowing re-visits: If a kid has the endurance and initiative to make a second lap around the neighborhood, more power to them! They’re getting exercise. If they have a different costume second time around I give bonus candy.

4. Adults who don’t dress up: If you don’t wear something Halloweeny to work on today or refuse to answer your door for the kids tonight then just click out of this page, close your browser and don’t ever come back.

3. Women who think men don’t respect the sexy Halloween costumes: Memo to ladies: Men hate cutesy couples costumes. Let us be Batman or an Army guy and you can be the Sexy Nurse, Sexy Zombie, Sexy Football Player, Slutty Pumpkin. (Btw, if you get the Slutty Pumpkin reference put it in the comments) Whatever. We don’t care. Just dress up and let your inner sexy self out.

2. People who don’t decorate their house: I want to start a neighborhood where over the top Halloween decorating is mandatory. If you don’t, you have to move out immediately or the rest of the neighbors will egg and toilet paper your house every day until next Halloween.

1. The fixed Oct. 31st date: When I’m elected President, or Sexiest Man Alive, whichever comes first, I’m going to pass a law mandating that Halloween will occur on the last Saturday of September regardless of the date. In September so there’s better weather for the kids to go out and on the last Saturday so we can all have parties, the kids can stay up late and we can all relax, sleep in and take down our decorations the next day.

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

Top Ten Tuesday! Ten Things Someone Should Invent

Sure Amazon delivery drones seem like an awesome idea, but if it’s so great, why hasn’t it been rolled out for public consumption like another iPhone? Give up the flying car idea. Let’s face it, most of us shouldn’t be allowed to drive on the ground. Here are some other things I think someone should invent:

10. Remote house unlock: I can’t tell you how many times I get out of my car and point the car unlock remote at myhouse door expecting it to unlock it like it does my car.

images (14)

9. Invisible Fencing, but for kids: The people that don’t like this idea are probably also opposed to putting kids on a leash. Without a leash my parents would have lost me. I’d get curious at a store and wander off. Without a leash I’d probably have been kidnapped. If spanking is legal so should a little electricity be. If dogs can learn it, kids will learn it twice as fast.

8. A drug to increase metabolism so nobody gets fat. Any objections?

images (15)

7. A pet language translator: I think this is the big one on the list. Maybe we wear something in our ear that translates what animals are saying or they wear a voicebox on their collar that translates their noises. Chances are we’d realize that our pets are idiots, but it would still be very popular.

6. The self-driving car: I know Google is working on it. This one’s the dream isn’t it? It is for me. Just like going somewhere in a plane. I just want to put my destination in the GPS and take a nap. Somehow NASA manages to send unmanned satellites all over the galaxy but we can’t get cars that work the same way. I say we pull NASA’s funding and put it towards the self-driving car. I want to get to Pittsburgh easy, not Uranus.

5. The Home Dome: I live where it’s cold and it snows. I want a dome over my property so I never have to shovel or scrape ice off my car.

images (16)

4. A mind reading device: If we could all read each others thoughts we’d all be a whole lot nicer to each other wouldn’t we?

3. Airborne charging: The same way our cell phones and satellite dishes get a signal through the air, why can’t we get an electric charge from the air? Maybe solar charging for electric devices? Sure we’ll all get brain tumors from all the signals and electricity, but what the hell?

cell-phone-charge

2. A cure for cancer: I am really angry about cancer. Also, as I said in number 3, with all the satellite and wi-fi signals flying through the air, and our heads, I’m pretty sure we’re all developing brain tumors and we’re going to need a cure big time in a few years.

1. Your idea: I’m not a genius and I definitely never have all the answers. I’m sure that some time you’ve thought to yourself that you had a great idea for an invention. In the comments, what’s your big idea? What do you think should be invented?

Right now I’m wishing someone had already invented a Top Ten list idea generator. Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil 

Top Ten Tuesday! Ten Amish TV Shows There Should Be

Who are we kidding? We know we all love the Amish. If there were an Amish TV channel we’d binge watch all of the shows on Netflix. Here are ten shows that would be killer in the Amish Nielsen ratings.

10. House of Cardboard: Inept Jebediah Gruber keeps building his house out of cardboard and the strong wind off the plains keeps blowing it over. Each week his clumsy friends Levi, Amos, and Paul come over to rebuild while the women-folk churn butter and gossip. Hijinks ensue.

9. Breaking Bad Wind: Miriam Fisher is lactose intolerant but ironically lives on a dairy farm. Her frequent flatulence wreaks havoc on her dating life.

s-l300

8. Downtown Abbey: Young Abbey Stoltzfus has known nothing but the Amish farm life. She has heard tales of the big city from tourists who frequent the family farm stand and she yearns to see more and be more, believing that her future lies in the city that never sleeps. How will she achieve her dreams against her parents wishes?

7. CSI Lancaster: Lancaster, Pennslyvania; the epicenter of Amish culture is an attraction for tourists, but it’s also an attraction for murder. Pastor King is found with a pitchfork through his chest and his crucifix missing. Detective Jacob usually handles hog theft. Is he in over his black bearded head with this mystery?

6. Amish Idol: Best yodeler wins the right to marry the woman of their choice. It’s really only one episode, live from the Raber family barn. 20 minutes tops.

discoverychannel.com

discoverychannel.com

5. 16 and Pregnant: Josephine’s sixteen year old prize winning cow surprises everyone by becoming pregnant. But who is the father? Could it be the Yoder’s bull or perhaps a strange bull who got loose when the gypsy travelers passed through town?

4. The Working Dead: Jethro attempts to fake his own death to get out of building “one more frickin’ barn that we don’t need.” Will the community laugh it off or will Jethro’s lazy ways finally get him shunned?

3. A Mennonite Gladiator: The pacifist Amish are enthralled and confused by a bearded man in a sequined cape who attempts to pick fights with everyone in town.

$_35

2. Dr. Who? One Amish communities resistance to modern medical care results in an epidemic of chlamydia, foot in mouth disease, and ringworm. Will they give in and accept help or suffer until they’re extinct?

1. Game of Phones: Eli and Samuel buy cell phones from some tourists and discover the joys of sexting. As the only two Amish with cell phones, they don’t realize that it’s each others “barns” they’re raising. Hijinks and a surprisingly sensitive exploration of sexuality ensue. (Rated MA for mature content)

So what would be your suggestions for TV shows the Amish would enjoy? Also, from the results of last weeks poll it looks like there are a whole bunch of bloggers who would like to do guest posts on #ThePhilFactor. If you’re one of them e-mail me or say so in the comments and we’ll get started. Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

Top Ten Tuesday! The Ten Best Movie Sequels Ever

With the recent debut of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. II and the return of the Alien movie franchise in ten days, I thought I’d explore sequels. Personally, I rarely like sequels. If you disagree with my list of the best sequels, please feel free to add your opinion in the comments, but if you want to add one to the list, say which one you’d take off the list.

10. Men in Black III: For the rest of this list I averaged the rankings of several websites and surveys, but this choice was all mine. If you enjoyed the first Men in Black movie, watch part two and then this one, MIB3. The last chapter in the trilogy ties everything together brilliantly with heart and humor.

9. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Like I said, from here on this list is an average from several sites. I don’t see this one ranking as an all timer. Sure, who doesn’t love Ricardo Montalban and seeing Spock buy the farm? But a top ten sequel? And seriously, how old were the people that ranked this movie this high?

8. The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers: I think the series as a whole should rank right up there on the list of all movie franchises. Honestly, they all blur together in my head and I can’t remember anything specific from any one of them. If the world says this was the best one, I’ll buy it.

7. The Dark Knight: Propelled by Heath Ledger’s brilliantly creepy Joker this film stands out as the best of the series.

6. Silence of The Lambs: Few people realize that this suspense/thriller is actually a sequel to 1986’s Manhunter that featured another detective on the trail of Hannibal Lecter.

5. Terminator 2: Judgement Day: I saw this. It was a good sequel, but I don’t know if it was top 5 all time. What do you think?

4. Aliens: Number two in the Alien series back when Sigourney Weaver was still kicking Alien ass.

3. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: In the first movie Princess Leia kisses her brother. This movie she kisses Han Solo. She was kind of an intergalactic slut don’t you think? Still everyone loves this because Luke got his hand cut off.

2. Toy Story 2: As good as the first, but for my money, I’d include Toy Story 3 in place of this. It’s hilarious.

1. The Godfather Part II: To be honest, I’ve never watched a Godfather movie from start to finish. I’m just not into blood and murder. I’m more of a comedy kind of guy. I do however know all the classic lines.

So, what movies would you put in your top ten sequels list, and which ones on this list would you take out?

Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

Top Ten Tuesday! Ten Things That Are Better Than Ezra

Yes, I realize that this would have been so much funnier had I done it 20 years ago, but it just occurred to me today. In the 90’s though there may not have been a better song than their song Good. So, without further explanation, here are Ten Things That Are Better Than Ezra: 

10: Ezra’s older brother Chuck: Chuck was the big athlete, homecoming king and seemed to have a gift with the ladies while Ezra stayed home practicing his guitar.

hqdefault

9. Zima: Both Zima and the song Good came out in 1993. Zima had a good 15 year run before it was discontinued. Better than Ezra, not so much. If you’re interested, you can still get Zima in Japan.

8. Friends: Great TV series that my kids think is completely corny as I watch it in re-runs.

7. E-mail: It was just starting in the late 90’s and didn’t we all check our e-mail every five minutes because it was exciting to get something that someone on the other side of the office sent five minutes ago.

6. Old school video games like Super Mario and Donkey Kong: Very underrated in the 90’s. There wasn’t blood or game ratings. We just played games.

5. Blog posts without pictures: Ok, there were no blog posts in the 90’s, but still, when I started in 2005 we didn’t need no stinkin’ pictures to get our posts read! To be truthful, my laptop died this week and because of that, I’m doing this from a far inferior device that makes downloading and adding media a challenge.

3. Everything: That’s right. Everything was better in the 90’s. Now, virtually anything and everything may cause cancer.

2. Compact Discs: Compact discs were better than digital stuff. You could hold them and look at the cover and sometimes read the words. You could even burn your own discs.

1. Gluten: In the 90’s there was no such thing as Gluten intolerance! We were accepting of gluten, lactose and peanuts. In the 90’s compact discs were atually made out of gluten and peanuts and no one died from them.

Hey Better Than Ezra, I’m sorry that you got dragged into this. Your album was definitely one of the good things of the 90’s. I hope you’re doing well. Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Rejected Candy Heart Sayings

tmg-article_default_mobile

You know those chalky candy hearts that for the better part of a century have been shared on Valentine’s Day? They’re so cute with their little candy inscriptions of “I love you” or “Hugs” or other nonsense. I imagine though that there were some ideas that didn’t make it.

10. It’s not you, it’s me

9. Not a cold sore

8. Maybe Next Time

9d4c2a0dbdd9e271c4d21661b682ff36

7. Better late than never

6. It’s eczema. Yes, there.  I swear.

5. The Phil Factor

download-25

4. My last test was clean

3. You paying for dinner?

2. Almost divorced

images-17

1. It’s not yours!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! One of the things I’m in love with is comments. What are your funny ideas for rejected candy hearts sayings?

Have a great day, Valentine’s or otherwise! ~Phil

Top Ten Tuesday! Ten Quotes: Darth Vader or Donald Trump?

images-14

Before anybody gets their knickers in a twist, I’m not trying to say anything political here. I’m just making jokes and I’d make them regardless of who the President is. I’m a registered independent. Here are ten quotes. In the comments tell me which ones belong to Darth Vader and which are from Donald Trump. Don’t be fooled by the italics either.

10. “I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new empire.”

9. “In the end you’re not measured by how much you undertake but by what you finally accomplish.”

8. “Anyone who thinks my story is anywhere near over is sadly mistaken.”

7. “I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.”

6. “Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.”

cvuecfhwoae4k4c

5. “Now release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me.”

4. “I actually don’t have a bad hairline.” 

3. “Be careful not to choke on your convictions.”

2. “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

1. ” I believe they like making me out to be something more sinister than I really am.” 

So can you guess which 5 quotes are Darth Vader and which 5 are from Trump? Show me how smart you are in the comments. Also, the quotes in italics are from both. I just alternated lines to break up the monotony.

Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

Top Ten Tuesday! My 10 Favorite One Hit Wonder Songs

Usually one hit wonder songs seem like the greatest musical discovery in our lives for a few months and then they fade away, only to later embarrass us when someone discovers them in our music collection and mocks us. Here are 10 of my favorite one hit wonder songs. What are some of yours? I’d love to hear them in the comments.

10. Banditos by The Refreshments, 1996 The video looks like it was home made on a Super 8 camera. Also, this song has one odd thing in common with one other song on this list. If anyone figures it out and puts it in the comments first, I will publicly declare you a genius right here on The Phil Factor.

9. Good Vibrations, Marky Mark and The Fun Bunch, 1991 No video here because I’m sure you all know this one. I wonder if The Fun Bunch is having as much fun now that Marky Mark has moved on to bigger and better things.

8. Somebody That I Used to Know, Gotye, 2011

45085540

7. Who Let The Dogs Out? Baha Men, 2000  This song is a particular favorite of mine because of something that happened in a courtroom, one of the greatest moments in legal history, when I was on a jury in 2015. Here is what happened:

This is an actual exchange I witnessed in the courtroom between a cross examining defense attorney and a sworn under oath witness:

Attorney: So, you let the dogs out?

Witness: Yes.

6. Stacy’s Mom, Fountains of Wayne, 2003 I find it impossible not to sing along. If you want to hear the song, don’t be afraid. The video is appropriate.

5. 1985, Bowling For Soup, 2004 Truth be told, I think I may have all this bands songs in my collection and they’re all hilarious. This one is the catchy and funny story of a suburban soccer mom who despises her minivan and wishes she were back in 1985 so that she might have a chance to “shake her ass on the hood of Whitesnake’s car.” Look it up and add it to your collection. You’ll thank me.

4. Jump Around, House of Pain, 1992  I first heard this song in a Pringles commercial in the 90’s. Here it is:

3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Deep Blue Something, 1996. I think I owned the cassette tape of this one.

2. Common People, William Shatner and Pulp, 2004. Pulp originally released this song on their own in 1995. When they re-released with Captain Kirk chipping in, it took them to new heights. If you don’t know it, give it a listen:

Gangam Style, Psy 2012. One of the weirdest most popular songs ever. The crazy video still cracks me up.

There is the Top Ten of one hit wonder songs that are actually in my music collection. So tell me in the comments, what are your embarrassing, dirty little secret one hit wonders that you sing aloud when you’re alone in your car?

Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

Top Ten Tuesday! The Top Ten TV Doctors

The medical drama or comedy is a staple of television lineups on just about any network, any night of the week. Who though, are the best television doctors of all time? Here’s my list. If you have other ideas, please leave a comment.

dr_cox111

10. Dr. Perry Cox, Scrubs: He was the biggest jerk ever on a medical show, but he was hilarious as he abused the residents. Scrubs was also a very underrated great show.

153551_1229212806573_full

9. House: Overrated show. If you watched the first three episodes you could see the formula every other episode followed: Strange symptoms, they think it’s something, but then almost kill the patient twice while trying to figure it out and in the end House has some brilliant insight and saves the day.  All that being said, Hugh Laurie is a great actor.

319759_2154

8. Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman: A smokin’ hot woman out on the frontier saving lives? #badass

images-9

7. Doogie Howser,MD: This is more of a lifetime achievement award for Neil Patrick Harris because he was so good on How I Met Your Mother.

sherlockbbc

6. Dr. John Watson: Played impeccably by Martin Freeman, who is in everything.

spock

5. Dr. Spock from the original Star Trek show. Only the original will do. For bonus points, can anyone guess the link between this weeks Top Ten list and last weeks?

greys-anatomy-soundtrack

4. Dr. Meredith Grey: I think I saw the first episode and never watched it again, but people love it, so here she is. Spoiler alert: There will be no Dr. McDreamy.

dr-seuss-300x300

3. Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Suess Geisel. Dude could rhyme anything. He was a rapper before rapping was a thing. My kids had a Dr. Suess book I’d read to them in a rap cadence and they hated that. The guy that created the Grinch has to be on any list of doctors.

29lbhtt

2. Dr. Hawkeye Pierce, played by Alan Alda on MASH for 11 years. In the early seasons, about the only time his character didn’t have a martini was when he was in surgery.

download-21

1. Dr. Who: Look, I know a lot of you Americans have never seen the show, but Dr. Who has a 50 year run going. You’ve gotta respect that. Also, not only does Dr. Who save lives, he saves planets and universes on a daily basis. They’ve changed the actor who plays the doctor twelve times and people just keep watching.

That’s my list. Who would you add or take away? And why?

Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

Top Ten Tuesday! The Ten Best TV & Movie Lawyers

The courtroom scene is a staple of so many TV shows and movies, but who are the best fictional lawyers ever? Here are my Top Ten:

tom-hanks-movie-career-59

Andrew Beckett: Played by Tom Hanks in the movie Philadelphia. Whatever Tom Hanks plays, he’s in the top ten.

vza_yjak

Lt. Daniel Kaffee: Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men. He couldn’t handle the truth.

images-8

Vincent Gambini: Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny. “The two yutes…” Maybe the funniest fictional lawyer ever.

114a4721c8622c461d4e9d41deb5b5a2

Harvey Specter: Played by Gabriel Macht in Suits. If you were to build a lawyer in a laboratory, this is what he’d look like.

51wpefmu1zl-_ac_ul320_sr232320_

Denny Crane: William Shatner in Boston Legal. I always loved the end of each episode when he and James Spader’s character sat on the balcony drinking scotch, smoking cigars and talking about life.

51gb05476il-_aa300_

Saul Goodman: Played by Bob Odenkirk, he got Walter White out of trouble in Breaking Bad.

giphy

Jackie Chiles: Play by Phil Morris, he was the funny Seinfeld parody of O.J. Simpson lawyer Johnnie Cochran.

300x300

Jack McCoy: Played by Sam Waterston on Law & Order for 17 seasons. If I ever have to go to court I want him as my lawyer.

download-20

Fred Gailey: Played by Peter Lind Hayes in the 1959 movie Miracle on 34th St. I contend that the courtroom scene where he proves his client to be Santa Clause is the best movie courtroom scene ever.

atticus-courtroom-e1436806403767

Atticus Finch: Played by Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird. He named his kids Scout and Jem decades before celebrities were using stupid names for their kids. He may have been the first and most famous fictional lawyer.

Legal disclaimer: All pictures displayed are property of the networks and studios that produced them. I had to put that so that no real, and less appealing lawyers from the studios won’t drag me into court. I was on a jury once and trials are far more boring than TV and movies make them out to be. Feel free to offer your favorite lawyers in the comments if they’re not on my list. Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil