Category Archives: Uncategorized

It’s Groundhog Day 2026

Posted on February 2, 2026 | 4 comments
The two best Phil's ever!

The two best Phil’s ever! Punxusutawney and Me

In case you didn’t know, it’s Groundhog Day!

Who doesn’t love this old movie? Especially since Bill Murray‘s character was named Phil. And, the groundhog is also named Phil. Coincidence? I think not. This post was originally written for #ThePhilFactor on Feb. 2, 2006 and I now post it every year, over and over, just like Phil’s Groundhog Day in the movie.

(Feb. 2, 2006) Last week I waxed philosophic about the idiocy known as The Dr. Phil Show. This week, and today in particular it’s Punxsutawney Phil. Groundhog Day the movie: Good idea. Groundhog Day the tradition: Stupid idea.

The dimwitted people of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania have been shoving a rodent through a hole in a tree stump for almost 200 hundred years to find out if there will be 6 more weeks of winter. Hey morons, you live in the Northeast! There’s always 6 more weeks of winter! Check the calendar! It says that Spring starts on March 21st. That’s 7 weeks from now. You don’t need a rat being spooked by his shadow to figure this one out.

I’m always a sucker for a good Phil pun

At this point I’m getting tired of all these wanna-be Phil’s trying to horn in on my fame. If, coincidentally, a shot were to ring out in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania today and a certain rodent were to explode in a puff of fur, I was kidding when I wrote this. Although, over the last few years, I have had to travel to Punxsutawney for work, but I make sure to cover my tracks. No harm meant, just a joke. You’ll all be my alibi right?

By the way, I looked it up; the groundhog has only a 39% accuracy in his predictions.If he was hitting 75%, I can see keeping the little holiday going. But 100 years of getting only four out of ten correct does not warrant a holiday, unless it’s a holiday celebrating underachievement.

I’m curious, for those of you from other countries, do you have a Groundhog Day? As always, if you enjoyed this vintage Phil Factor feel free to share it via the social media buttons below. Come back Saturday for a brand new Phil Factor. Have a great Monday! Phil

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I’d Like To Introduce You To…

Posted on February 1, 2026 | 2 comments

New blogger Kristen Reilly

Hi everyone, today my blog isn’t about something ridiculously inane as usual. One of my real life friends who has always been creative decided to start a blog in January. She’s smart, funny and speaks from her heart. She’s on the same ride we are in life and puts a touching and funny perspective on everything she writes. If you’ve got another minute or two,  pop over to JotsForSanity and hit subscribe.

Thanks for reading me and Kristen! Have a great Sunday and stay warm.  ~Phil

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Hey South! Calm Down, It’s Just Cold Air

Posted on January 25, 2026 | 1 comment

The annual snowpocalypse in the southeastern United States is happening today. For those of you from other countries, there are parts of the United States that get a lot of snow for about four months every year. I live in one of those unfortunate places. For us, getting a foot (30 centimetres) of snow overnight just means that we have to spend a little extra time clearing our driveway before we go to work. In the southeastern region of the United States they get snow about once a year, and when they get it, it’s about one to three inches (2-6 centimetres). What makes us Northerners laugh is their reaction to it, or rather their overreaction to it.

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Dear southern United States. You do know this is your fault right? The universe tries to make everything equal.  You can’t have warm temperatures and sunshine every day of the year. For most of the year you get sunshine and warm temps. Here comes the pay back. I’m not taunting you. I’m just trying to educate you. I live in the northeast. It’s like this about half the year.

Calm down. It’s not the end of the world. This happens almost daily in the northeast. Toughen up buttercup. It’s just cold air and frozen water. You’ve chewed an ice cube, right. That didn’t kill you. This won’t either, …unless you’re stupid.

Maybe I’m just bitter because you will get the day off from work tomorrow while I’ll be working.

north-carolina-snow-crasg

Now I know that making fun of southerners reaction to snow is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel, which is apparently something they do in the South. Maybe that’s why they get so upset by snow. Maybe their barrels freeze over and they can’t shoot fish. We’ve all seen news footage of people fleeing a hail of bullets during a terrorist attack. That’s exactly how people in the south flee a hail of…well, hail. Although in the South they’ll try shooting back first, because everyone in the south in America is ‘packing’.

Have a great Sunday and stay safe folks. Snow is a real thing, and thank you for letting me remind you of that every year! Thanks for reading!

~Phil

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The Top Ten Banned Words of 2026

Posted on January 19, 2026 | 5 comments

Calm down free speech people! I’m on your side. No one is actually banning words or phrases, unless Trump has recently declared something idiotic.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I am so sick of hearing that phrase!”?  Sometimes it’s an acronym at work. Other times it’s a pop culture phenomenon. Often it’s a word or phrase that another generation says that makes no sense to you.

Lake Superior State University is located in Michigan’s upper peninsula, which should really be part of Wisconsin or Canada. Each year they publish a list of the top ten words that people would like to see banned.

That is exactly the kind of hard hitting research you’ll find at a “state school.” I should know, because I went to one. Harvard is busy curing cancer, but Lake Superior State University is spending public money making lists of silly phrases. They are definitely my kind of people. Yes, you can definitely look up their list without reading all my commentary, but what fun is that? It’s none. Their list is  just 6-7 while my commentary is massive.

10. Reach out: It’s used so much that it’s meaningless. If so and so wanted to hear from me, I’m pretty sure they’d have texted. Hearing the phrase “reach out” immediately makes something sound unimportant. Just like my blog is reaching out to you right now.

9. My Bad? C’mon Lake Superior State,  I know that you’re only a “state school” but you’re re-using words from your previous banned lists. That is so mid.

8. Gifted: Why is this on the banned list? Lake Superior State is gifted with publicity every year because of this list and they’re making fun of it? That’s not even clever. What’s the substitute if we can’t say that someone genuinely gifted something? C’mon people! Offer solutions not problems! (I just made that up and now it’s trending on X.)

7. Perfect: I think it’s time for Lake Inferior State to start making this list only five words long. That would be Perfect. 

6. Full Stop: To be honest, I like this one, although it’s often overused in completely benign situations, it’s fun to say. For me, full stop is not a full stop. Although, you’re thinking that ThePhilFactor should come to a full stop most of the time.

5. Incentivize: Just another way of saying “Show me the money” and if you’re going to hate on the beautiful chemistry Tom Cruise and Renee’ Zellweger had in Jerry McGuire, you are dead to me.

4. Massive: Ok, I am massively in on how right Lake Superior State got this one. Very few things should be called massive. Mountains, a train that’s a mile/2km long, Jupiter compared with Earth. Seriously, if Jupiter went wildly out of orbit and hit the Earth, that would be a massive impact.

3. Cooked: Yes, state school people may use this word egregiously (yes, let’s do “egregiously” to the banned list for 2027.  I want this blog post to get a word on there. Mark your calendars for next year and use this word egregiously hard.

2. Demure: Maybe I’m too old to have friends that say demure. I don’t think I heard this word in 2025. Maybe it’s because I’m so demure and I don’t get out enough. (hint, hint, invite me to your parties this year.)

1. 6-7: C’mon, do we have to ban 6-7? I’m just getting the hang of it. It’s pretty much the younger generation goofing on the boomers who don’t get modern stuff. It means nothing and is just stupid, but it makes the kids happy. You Lake Superior State kids just keep saying it and just remember, C’s get degrees. Love your list.

Thanks for reading! ~Phil

 

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Today Find Me At My Other Blog!

Posted on January 4, 2026 | 6 comments

Today go visit me at my travel blog, https://philliverstravels.com/ , where I’m begining to explore the world and look for my new home! First stop, Mexico! I’m on my way there this morning. You can also follow my week in Mexico on Instagram where I’m Phillivers_Travels

Come with me, I don’t want to walk the Earth alone!

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Dear Singapore, Thanks For Stopping By

Posted on December 30, 2025 | 6 comments

Pic from National Geographic Kids

As a blogger, I write to be read. Admittedly, I always look at my stats to see how many people have read my brillant dissertations on the human condition. You’re probably wondering why that picture of Singapore’s Supertree Grove is leading off this blog post. This is why:

Why in the world are hundreds of people in Singapore suddenly reading my blog? Now I’m Singapore’s biggest fan. Did you know that Singapore is an independent country comprised of 64 islands?

Other Singapore facts include that their unique language Singlish, mixes English with Malay, Tamil and Mandarin.

Singapore city skyline at night

As I mentioned in my travel blog, Singapore has the best airport in the world. You could comfortably live there for the rest of your life. Shhh…don’t show this article to the current occupant of the White House. He would probably immediately claim Singapore as the 51st state.

Pic from Economic Times

Yes, that is inside their airport.

I just want to say thanks to all the folks from Singapore that have been visiting my blog lately. I hope you enjoy it. Who am I kidding? If my blog was a joke in Singapore, I’d be happy for all the views. Hey Singaporians, while you’re here, why not buy some of my books? You might like them! Ignore the darts player book. I wonder if he gets pissed when people ask him if he’s Phil Taylor the blog guy?

Have any of my fellow bloggers had something like this happen when some weird group of people are suddenly reading your blogs like crazy?

Thanks for reading whether you’re from Singapore or anywhere else in the world.

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The New Year’s Eve Guide For Boomers!

Posted on December 30, 2025 | 3 comments

I’m not quite a Boomer, but I’m in line outside the Boomer stadium. Congratulations! Your Pontiac Fiero has taken you past the threshold of normal adulthood. Now as a bona fide Boomer, you’re faced with the perplexing challenge of navigating New Year’s Eve like an adult adult. (yes, I meant to say adult twice) Fear not boomer-in-training; I’m here to help you gracefully waltz into the new year without tripping over your slip-on Skechers. (BTW, Skechers feel free to contact me if you’d like to sponsor The Phil Factor.)

1. The Wardrobe Dilemma: Pajamas or Actual Pants?

So you invited neighbors Barb and George over for drinks and watching the apple, ball, or sponsored logo drop in Times Square. Now you face the age-old question of what to wear. As a Boomer, the struggle is real—do you opt for the sophistication of actual clothes or succumb to the allure of cozy pajamas? The answer: both. Consider rocking the “business casual on top, party on the bottom” look. That way, when the clock strikes twelve, no matter where you are, you can triumphantly kick your guests out and declare, “I’m ready for bed!” It’s your living room and you can damn well wear whatever you want. Pro tip: pajama jeans! (Also Phil Factor sponsor opportunity available)

Pic from MarketWatch.com

2. Decoding the Art of Adult Conversations

Gone are the days of discussing the latest video games or keeping up with current music. As a Boomer, your conversations now revolve around mortgage rates, the stock market, and the enigma that is Boomering. (Yep, I invented the verb “Boomering” copyright pending.) Navigate the party small talk with poise, dropping gems like, “Have you diversified your investment portfolio lately?” or “Here’s how I get more calcium in my diet…” That’s always a crowd pleaser.

Pic from X.com

3. The Midnight Toast: A Symphony of Wine Glasses

Let’s be honest, we’re probably not staying up until midnight, right? But we can pretend we are and toast at 10:00. In our twenties, the midnight toast involved questionable shots and clashing beer mugs. Now, as a Boomer, it’s all about the symphony of wine glasses clinking together. Pro tip: choose a wine that pairs well with Boomering, like a robust red that complements the complex flavors of your frustration with the internet and “kids these days.”

4. Crafting Resolutions: From Skydiving to Financial Savvy:

While your younger self might have resolved to skydive or backpack across Europe, your grown-up resolutions are more practical. Consider pledging to finally organize  your decades old junk drawer, conquer the art of meal prepping, or become a master at assembling IKEA furniture without a single leftover screw.

5. Countdown Contemplations: Balancing Excitement and Responsibility

As the countdown commences, the challenge is to balance the excitement of the impending new year with how much stress you think your heart can tolerate. Take a moment to reflect on your accomplishments, like successfully adulting your way through tax season or paying for your daughters wedding in Maui.

Pic from Insider.com

6. Champagne Popping Mastery: No Eye Injuries, Please!

Boomers pop champagne with the finesse of seasoned sommeliers. Ensure a smooth and injury-free cork release by holding the bottle at a 45-degree angle, gripping the cork firmly, and twisting the bottle—not the cork. Remember, no one wants to start the new year with a champagne-induced black eye. Pro-tip: If you go cheap enough, you can find champagne with a screw cap. Don’t worry, Barb and George won’t know the difference and they may be dozing off on your couch by this time

7. Post-Celebration Recovery: The Hangover Survival Kit

In our twenties, a hangover was a badge of honor. As a Boomer, if we made the mistake of one too many drinks, it’s a serious matter that requires a well-prepared survival kit. Stock up on electrolyte-infused beverages, pain relievers, and a gourmet breakfast delivery service, because pancakes delivered to your door are the epitome of Boomer luxury.

So there you have it—the essential guide for Boomers navigating the temporary, whimsical world of New Year’s Eve. Remember, being a Boomer doesn’t mean losing your sense of humor; it just means you’ve upgraded from partying all night to laughing about it the next day. Here’s to embracing the chaos, celebrating the wins, and proving that being a Boomer can be as hilarious as it is rewarding.

Cheers to Boomering in 2026! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year! ~Phil

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That Time I Almost Won Survivor

Posted on December 17, 2025 | Leave a comment

Possibly me…

Every year when the new Survivor season ends I always wonder, “what if…”  What if that was me winning #Survivor?

Let’s take a little trip in the way back machine. It was September of 1999. The internet was so new that I was still getting a newspaper made out of actual paper! I’ve always been an avid sports fan and the first thing I’d do when I got my Sunday paper was to check the box scores from the Saturday college football games.

On page 2 of the sports section, I found a small classified ad looking for people to volunteer to be part of a filmed game show where contestants would spend a month on a remote island competing for ONE MILLION DOLLARS! 

This is how my inner monologue went: “I grew up camping in tents with my family every summer. I’m outdoorsy! I can’t eat pickles or mustard, but I’ve got no problem eating anything else. I know how to fish, so I can feed myself. I’m a young-ish man in decent shape. I spent a few years in college taking broadcasting classes, so I’m comfortable on camera. I can do this!  This is a no brainer. For a million bucks I can outlast a group of dolts on an island and parlay my new found stardom into a successful show biz career!”

Survivor Season 1 cast. Look at those dolts! I could have easily won.

With my inner voice cheering me on I began typing the email to the casting director at CBS, all but certain that I was on the road to riches and stardom. And then I talked to my wife…

How many men reading this know how that conversation went?

This is not me or my wife.

Her reply, which was justified, was “you’re not going to leave me home alone for a month with three young kids.” That was a fair response. I couldn’t argue with that.

Don’t we all have those “what if” moments in your life where you look back and wonder how your life could have been different? #Survivor is low on my list, but… what if?

Had I won that first season of Survivor you’d be listening to ThePhilFactor podcast and remembering how bad I was when they put me on Dancing with The Stars. Sure, I could eat the hell out of a dead racoon, but doing the Flamenco with Kathy Bates? …not so much. Maybe I’d be cohosting Survivor with what’s his name? You’re all tired of him by now, right?

So, in the comments, what’s your “what if?” moment that you wish you had a second shot at?

Have a great Wednesday and think of me when you’re watching Survivor!

Thanks for reading!~Phil

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My Life-Long Friend Judy Izzum

Posted on December 14, 2025 | 2 comments

 

That pic above is the kind of information I didn’t have as a kid. I grew up as a Catholic kid in a middle class neighborhood in upstate New York. So, you would think that if I’m in New York there would be a lot of Jewish people around. You are sadly mistaken.

New York is a pretty big state. There’s upstate and downstate.  Downstate is New York City, Long Island and a couple counties just north of New York City. That whole area is a five hour drive from where I live. The downstate area is filled with many unique, wonderful cultures, and the Jewish community is one of them. The upstate part of New York is more homogenized, although there are some quirky cultural things going on in different places.

This one is available on Amazon

When I grew up, I didn’t think that I knew anyone that was Jewish. I was sheltered.  My Irish Catholic mother was too busy training me to be the next Pope. It wasn’t until I went away to college at 17 that I really discovered the Jewish religion. Many of my college friends were from downstate and chose to go to college upstate.

For me it was fun learning about the Jewish religion from my friends, and I was thrilled one year when my friend gave me a dreidel and taught me the song: “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I made it out of clay, and when it’s dried and ready, oh dreidel we will play.” Thank you my college friend Gary. That song has been in my head every December since we met.

After having many Jewish friends in college and learning what surnames were most likely to be Jewish, I realized that I had had Jewish friends my entire life and just didn’t know it.

As an adult I’ve always craved learning about other cultures and religions because I felt like I grew up very generically.  Go watch That 70’s show. I think the parents in that show were modeled after my parents. In the picture below, I was most likely to be Eric (actor Topher Grace) in the top right.


At the end of the day though, there’s very little difference between religions and the people that practice them. Every religion has different repetitive, quirky traditions and every religion in  the world is based on the “magic guy in the sky” premise, so who cares if someone wears a different hat or says a different prayer? At 17 I thought my Jewish friends were this new and interesting novelty when it turned out that I had Jewish friends my whole life.

If I was Jewish, this would be me every December

If I was Jewish, the above pic would be me every December. During the holiday season when Hanukkah and Christmas overlap, it feels like Hanukkah doesn’t get the big publicity that Christmas does, and that’s a shame because they have 8 days of one holiday. If that’s not an excuse to day drink, I don’t know what is.

Anyway, I just want to say Happy Hanukkah to all the Jewish friends that I’ve had in my life, even the ones that I didn’t know were Jewish. Now that they know I know, I hope they don’t expect eight presents times the number of years that I didn’t know they were Jewish.

If I could ask my Jewish friends two things: 1. Could you decide on one spelling of your holiday? And 2. Could you make Hanukkah start on the same date every year?

On a serious note, my heart and prayers go out to all the people in Australia today and all over the world that have been effected by the terrible atrocities committed in the name of religion.

Shalom and Happy Chanukah my friends~ Phil

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Ten Reasons to Hate The Holidays

Posted on December 8, 2025 | 8 comments

“You’re a mean one Mister Grinch. You really are a heel. You’re as cuddly as a cactus, you’re as charming as an eel, Mister Grinch. You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel.”

Yup, that’s me, king of sarcasm and hater of all things jolly. I’m not saying that there aren’t things to love about the holidays. There are plenty, but c’mon, if we’re truly being honest, there are a lot of things to hate about the holidays. Here’s my top ten. (Btw, tomorrow I’ll post Ten Reasons to Love The Holidays.)

10. The holidays mess up our Amazon orders! As much as we all love Amazon, there’s nothing more frustrating than the holiday season when our orders don’t always make it to us on time.

9. Candy Canes? Yes, candy canes are one of the worst parts of the holiday season. They are delicious and I love them, but I also hate them. Candy Canes are so ridiculously sticky that after the first refreshing hit of minty-ness, you realize that your lips and fingers are covered in a demonic sticky substance.

Pic from The Jewish News of Northern California

8. Having two major religious holidays during the same month is confusing! They are both great holidays, but why can’t we have them happen at the same time, or better yet, merge them into one holiday? I never know if I should be saying Happy Hannukah or Merry Christmas. Think about it, Christmas celebrates the birthday of a certain Jewish carpenter, so why not just pick a week and call it HanChristNukahMas? Also, if you want to read an awesomely funny novel about Jesus growing up as a teenager, read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal.  Before you buy that book, you should read my interview with the author Christopher Moore. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my years of blogging.

Pic & recipe can be found at Back To The Book Nutrition

7. The Nog Shortage: Much like the Fall Pumpkin Spice influx, the winter holiday season is everything nog this and nog that. It’s hard to find a beverage that doesn’t offer a nog flavored option. But if you like nog, you’re screwed about 8 weeks later. Apparently nog is such a rare and valuable commodity that it can only be offered for a limited time. I’m going to get rich by drilling a nog well in my backyard and then selling my nog at outrageous prices. I will also have a Nog Blog.

That’s a perfect pic and you can find an article about why we shouldn’t buy gifts for adults HERE

6. Buying Gifts for Adults: I came up with this idea on my own and found the above pic and USA Today column when I looked for a pic to match my Scrooge-like idea. Once you’ve been in a relationship for awhile, haven’t you either bought yourself whatever the hell you wanted to, or bought each other anything you each need. My wife and I just skip gifts and promise to buy each other whatever bauble strikes our fancy on the next vacation.

5. Holiday movies set in southern California: I hate them because the people always look so happy to go outside and hang lights on their palm trees. Jerks. They’re just flaunting their warm weather and lack of snow. If you want a holiday movie to make me happy, how about one where a bunch of So-Cal people are stranded by an avalanche in the Santa Monica mountains and they have to eat each other to survive.

4. Jack Black in The Holiday: I have enjoyed Jack Black’s work in many films, but this isn’t one of them. He’s the least convincing romantic character since Silence of The Lambs.

3. Commercials: I’ve never walked out to my driveway to find a car with a bow on it. I’ve seen versions of this commercial since I was a kid, setting me up with unrealistic expectations.  Look, Bill Gates, I know you and your wife donate millions to charitable causes; just once could you skip a few mosquito nets and vaccines and have a Lexus delivered to my driveway?

2. Inconvenience: From now until January 2nd, leaving your house is going to be more inconvenient than usual. Just going out for groceries is now a Herculean task. Everything and everywhere have more people trying to do the same things.

This above scene is happening everywhere all the time right now. What is wrong with people?

1. Santa Claus: And you thought they’re milking the Batman and Spider-Man characters for all their worth? St. Nick hasn’t changed in centuries! Jeez, get that guy a cape and some superpowers. How awesome would that be if he had a nemesis that was out trying to stop him from delivering presents. God has the devil, Batman has the Joker, why can’t Santa have a nemesis?

Please put your holiday pet peeves in the comments. As always, if you enjoyed #ThePhilFactor don’t be a Grinch and share it by hitting the Facebook button below. Have a great Saturday and come back tomorrow for Ten Reasons To Love The Holidays! ~Phil

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