Tag Archives: The Phil Factor

Ranking The Top Ten Holidays Worldwide

In the States and many other countries, the “holiday season” is here. It occurred to me that I should probably rank the holidays and let you argue with me.

I’ll try to avoid being United States centric. Sure we’ve got a great country with some arse kicking holidays, but thanks to my 18 years in the blogosphere I’ve been exposed to other cultures and subsequently I realize that my point of view isn’t the only point of view. I’d love to hear your thoughts on your favorite holidays and how you think that they stack up against the best holidays in the world.

10. Easter: Nothing like starting my list with a little bit of blasphemy. Easter gets the nod here because as a child on Easter, I would wake up and my parents would have hidden my Easter basket full of candy somewhere in the house. I loved the challenge of having to solve a mystery to get my candy. And then candy for breakfast! They hid my Easter basket every year until I was 18. On the Easter when I was an 18 year old college student I was so disappointed to wake up and discover that they had just left my Easter basket in front of my bedroom door.

9. Bhodi Day: What is Bhodi Day? It’s a Buddhist holiday celebrating Buddha’s enlightenment under a Bhodi tree. Because there are many different Buddhists and Buddhist calendars all over the world, the holiday is celebrated on different dates. When I’m elected President, or Sexiest Man Alive, whichever comes first, I will make sure Bhodi Day always happens on a Friday so we can have a long weekend.

8. Valentine’s Day: A holiday all about love! How could I possibly rank it this low? It was a tough call. Who doesn’t love love? Nobody, right? Nope. That’s not true. People who want a romantic partner and don’t have one are never happy on Valentine’s Day.

7. Eid al-Fitr: If you’re not familiar, Eid al-Fitr is massive feast that Muslims have to celebrate the end of Ramadan, which is a month in which they don’t eat from dawn to dusk each day. I’m all in for a giant feast anytime, especially after fast. I intermittent fast sometimes and I’m ready to binge eat after six hours!

This is a great picture. Thanks People Magazine

6. Day of the Dead: It’s Mexico’s Halloween but it lasts two days! I want to move to San Diego so I can celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31st and then drive across the border and celebrate Day of the Dead for two days. That’s three Halloween days in a row. If Day of the Dead is two days long, then why isn’t it Days of the Dead plural?

5. Halloween: I love the celebration of spooky things. And c’mon! Kids dressing up in costumes and getting free stuff from strangers? I can’t see how that could possibly go wrong! Adults have the opportunity to dress up as their true selves and get drunk at parties. What’s not to like?

4. Diwali: I highlighted this one last weekend. A densely packed population getting drunk and setting off fireworks is tough to beat.

3. Christmas: It’s tough to beat the run up to this holiday. The decorating and complete culture overhaul for one month are not matched by any other holiday.

This one is available on Amazon

2. Hannukah: Gasp! What? He ranked Hannukah over Christian Christmas?!!? Blasphemy! Nope, it’s not blasphemy. It’s simple math. Eight days of presents vs. one day of presents.

1. New Year: Whether it’s New Year in Times Square or the Chinese New Year, the celebration of the beginning of a new calendar year is universal. I have to say that I really respect China for ignoring the rest of the world and having their own New Year celebration 6 weeks later. I also hope that there a lot of people in China who celebrate both New Years. If it’s the best holiday, why not do it twice?

Those are my rankings. How would you rank them? Is there another holiday or two that you want on the list? Answer in the comment section below!

Have a great Wednesday! ~Phil

Another Reason Why I Should Be Sexiest Man Alive 2023

Because I psychically predicted Patrick Dempsey as this years SMA.

I posted this picture with my annual Sexiest Man Alive post yesterday before they announced the 2023 Sexiest Man Alive last night. When you stop looking at my giant head, look down at the right corner. Who is there? Patrick Dempsey. My psychic ability subconsciously pulled him into my blog post.

If you look on Patrick Dempsey’s blog, there’s no mention of me. He’s not psychic. He’s just a guy. People Magazine, you got it wrong again.  SMH

Have a great day folks! ~Phil

Daylight Stupid Time

This is my bi-annual reminder that tonight in the United States we move our clocks backward by an hour tonight and my reminder to you that it’s stupid. I’ve been posting this every Fall and Spring since 2006 and will continue to do so until the government does away with Daylight Savings Time.

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When I’m elected President, or Sexiest Man Alive, whichever comes first, I’m going to pass a law getting rid of Daylight Savings Time. I don’t know if all other countries do this. I do know that not all the U.S. states abide by it. Hawaii and Arizona have essentially told Daylight Savings to eff off. They don’t care if the rest of the world does it.

Daylight Savings Time was created about 120 years ago to give farmers more daylight in which to do their work in the fields. Call me crazy, but why the hell didn’t someone just suggest that the lazy ass farmers drag themselves out of a bed a little earlier each day? Because those cud chewing, overall wearing, udder jerking lay-abouts can’t be bothered to set their alarm clocks we’re all stuck changing time?

I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but about 15 years ago the U.S. Congress, in another colossal waste of their time and our tax dollars, extended daylight savings time by a few weeks on either end.

First off, why isn’t it called daylight savings time since we are using less daylight in the winter months? And of course it should be Daylight Spending time from March to November.

Secondly, at this point all the farmers (except the creepy Amish ones) have electricity and alarm clocks, which may not have been the case 120 years ago. I can get away with saying that about the Amish because my demographic data shows that for some reason I have very low readership among the Amish. I guess they just don’t get me.

Reportedly the reason Congress did this is to save energy. How will changing our clocks twice a year save energy? Don’t we set our thermostats and use heat based on the outdoor temperature, not how light out it is? I’d like to save the energy I expend changing my clocks! I’d like Congress to tell me when I get that back. Congress has again proven to be the biggest collection of morons outside of…well…I guess I can’t think of a bigger collection. Why doesn’t Congress set their alarm clocks an hour earlier so they can get up early and get more of this important work done?

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B.T. dubs, if we set our clocks back an hour now but we turn them forward in the Spring,  over the course of a year what difference does it make?

If we learned anything from Marty McFly it was that we shouldn’t muck about with time. Also, according to statistics,  the day after we change our clocks there are more workplace injuries, car accidents, and for the day, a 10% rise in heart attacks.

I for one am not going to go for this stupid daylight savings time thing anymore. I don’t work at a farm or for Congress, so I told my boss that for 6 months I’ll be to work an hour early or late, however it works out. When I’m elected President, or Sexiest Man Alive, whichever comes first, this is going to change!

If you’d like to support my bid for President or Sexiest Man Alive, please hit the Facebook, Twitter share button below, but hurry because you have an hour less to do it in this weekend. Or is it an hour more? Have a great weekend! ~Phil

#PHIL2024

4 Ways To Fix Halloween

That picture above is from my area and I couldn’t be prouder.

Did you even know Halloween was broken? You didn’t? Then I feel sad for you. Oh so sad. You’re like a house cat that doesn’t dream of running free outside to chase the squirrels.

When I’m elected President, or Sexiest Man Alive, whichever comes first, I’m going to fix Halloween. Here’s how:

1. The Return of Trick or Treating: Back in the 70’s and 80’s a bunch of psychopaths ruined Halloween for kids by putting razor blades and poison in candy. Now kids are stuck with “neighborhood parties” and trick or treating at the shopping mall. Special Halloween candy will now come in individual foil packets that can’t be opened and resealed and will only be sold on the day before and day of Halloween.

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2. Adult Trick or Treating?: Kids will be allowed to trick or treat until 8:30 pm. Then from 9:00-whenever, adults get to trick or treat. Adults will go trick or treating in their neighborhoods too, but for drinks and appetizers. If you can’t have fun dressing up as an adult then just click out of this page and don’t come back.

3. Trick or Treating Hours: Hey parents of toddlers! Stop taking your kids trick or treating at 4:30 in the afternoon. Sheesh! Let me get home from work without having to dodge tiny superheroes and Disney already in my driveway. Maybe I’d like time to have dinner, get into costume, and fire up the spooky music and lights at my house. No trick or treating until 6:00 pm.

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4. A New Date for Halloween: When I’m elected President, or Sexiest Man Alive, whichever comes first, I will decree that Halloween will always occur on the first Friday of October.

When you live kind of North it can get pretty chilly at the end of October and nothing ruins a good Halloween costume like having to put a coat on over or under it.

Also, Halloween will stay on a Friday. That way everyone can wear costumes to work that day and people can have a nice party that night without having to get up early the next morning. Halloween on a Tuesday sucks.

When I was a kid Halloween was the best holiday, but now it’s a watered down p.c. version of what it was and it’s lost most of it’s fun. If you want to support my ideas and my bid for President, or Sexiest Man Alive, feel free to hit the Facebook, Twitter, or re-blog buttons below. Have a very Happy Halloween! ~Phil

Rest In Peace Matthew Perry

As most of you have heard, Matthew Perry, best known from his 234 episodes as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends has passed away. It always saddens me when funny people pass away. It also reminds me that sometimes the funniest people are the ones most troubled when they’re not brightening our days.

In any movie or tv show I’m always rooting for the funny guy. Matthew started his TV/movie career in 1979 appearing in one episode of a show titled 240-Robert. He also made appearances in several other classic 80’s shows and movies including Charles in Charge, Silver Spoons, The Tracey Ullman Show, Highway to Heaven, Growing Pains, and She’s the Boss. Before Friends, he even appeared in an episode of 90210.

Matthew Perry truly broke out with his character Chandler Bing in Friends. After Friends concluded, he worked consistently in Hollywood and had two other series in which he was the main character.

Aren’t we all a little more sad when someone funny dies? Laughter lifts our mood and makes us forget our troubles if only for a few minutes. Chandler Bing brought us a decade of laughter for thirty minutes every Thursday

As everyone knows, Matthew Perry struggled with addiction issues throughout his adult life. At this time, although he was found dead in his hot tub, the exact reason for his passing is unknown.

I would like to sincerely thank Matthew Perry, Marta Kaufmann, David Crane, Kevin Bright, and all the others who contributed writing, directing and guidance to the Chandler Bing character.

In 2019 when I was downsized out of a job for five months, I spent every lunch hour at home watching Friends reruns. That’s what I’ll remember; Chandler Bing making me laugh when I was out of work.

And Matthew, if you are somewhere out there still observing us, thank you. The laughter you brought us will never be forgotten.

~Phil

The Top Ten Scariest TV Shows

Feel like watching something scary this week but don’t want to sit through a two hour movie? I’ve got your back. There’s nothing I enjoy more than being on the edge of my seat. I’m not talking horror or gore. I’m talking pure, can’t take your eyes off the screen, I can’t believe this is happening suspense.  I’ve watched 8 of the 10 on the list and included the two others on reputation. This is a very subjective list, so if you have other suggestions I’d love to hear them.

Twilight Zone: This may be the original classic suspense show. I didn’t see it in it’s first run, but saw it later in re-runs. I fly fairly regularly for my job and I’m always tempted to yell ‘There’s a man on the wing!” If you get the reference, in the comments tell me what actor screamed it.

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The X-Files: A 90’s classic that returned to the small screen for a limited run a few years ago. It was great in it’s time and improved as it grew in popularity. Not every episode was the perfect cocktail of suspense and disbelief, but it was often enough to make my list.

American-Gothic

American Gothic: Maybe I just like this because I have the painting on a tie. Which is more famous, the painting or the show? Who heard of one but not the other? I didn’t see this show, but loved the title and heard others give it high praise. You win 50 points to spend in The Phil Factor gift shop if you can tell me, without looking it up, what artist did the famous painting.

LOST: Apparently I’m stuck in the 90’s. For one glorious season LOST was awesomely suspenseful and mysterious. Then the writers all seemed to lose their minds.

The Walking Dead: There’s just so many. So many zombies. Just the tiniest scratch. Any moment you could become one of them. Your group is getting picked off one by one. There could be one or one hundred around any corner. You just never know. But what I do know is that the series has gone on too long. Just go back and watch the first few seasons. Great suspense!

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American Horror Story: I haven’t watched this one. Yet. I plan to, No one else in my family wants to see it, so I have to find some time to watch when no one is around. That’s the best time to watch scary stuff anyway, right?

In Search Of… Leonard Nimoy rest in peace.  This was a late 70’s-early 80’s show that was part documentary, part reality show where they tried to debunk paranormal phenomena. As a kid I wanted to watch but it always freaked me out.

Kingdom Hospital: Also known as Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital. This was a one season series that was based on a Danish show.  Look it up on Netflix or Hulu. Completely creepy, suspenseful and weird. I loved it.

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Stranger Things:  It was a new series in 2016. Season 4 was out this past summer and there will be a season 5.  This show set out to capture the aura of those cool, creepy 80’s Stephen King based movies and it succeeded brilliantly.

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Twin Peaks: As I said, I recently began re-watching the original series and it stands the test of time. It’s still awesomely creepy and weird. If you were a fan of the show and want to see a funny, hour-long spoof featuring many of the actors and actresses from the original look up the show Psych on Netflix and find the Dual Spires episode in 2010/5th season of the show. After you do that, go back and watch the entire Psych series from season 1. It’s brilliantly funny with a little suspense.

So what did I miss? What would you add to the list and what would you take away? Please give opinions and suggestions. I’d love some good, new or old shows to watch. Have a great Sunday! ~Phil

More Chucky? Ugh.

Really USA and SYFY network? It took two networks working together to come up with the worst idea I’ve seen in years. Of course I’ve thought that every time in the last 35 years when each new incarnation of Chucky came out. There has been over 20 Chucky movies/shows etc. Is it really that good?

I’ll admit that in 1988 when the first movie came out, it was a good scary premise to have a possessed murderous doll. But seriously, wouldn’t something like that makes the news? After that first incident, wouldn’t everyone in the country be on the look out for ugly murderous dolls? And, he is the absolute ugliest doll ever. What kid would ever want that? And if any parent ever bought their kid a doll that ugly they deserve to be reported to child safety services.

Seriously? An ugly murderous doll had a kid? What other doll would sleep with that hideous raggedy ball of yarn? Not to mention, how does that even work biologically? Did someone knit some doll sperm?

Chucky Season 3
Syfy/USA/Peacock

So now, you’re telling me that an ugly, demented My Buddy doll from the 80’s has been allowed into the White House? Well, I guess if Trump could get in, why not Chucky? This series really, really stretches the suspension of disbelief needed to make this premise work. Not to mention how badly that makes the Secret Service look! 35 years of murdering and they just let this maniacal troll doll walk into the White House?

Thirty years ago didn’t we all vow not to let our dolls have steak knives? How does he keep getting knives? And seriously, not once in the last thirty years could anyone throw this little freak into a wood chipper? It’s sh*t like this that happens when the writers go on strike.

Sorry about the salty language. I just really hate a weak premise. Have a great Thursday! ~Phil

The Top Ten Scariest Movies of All Time

Feeling in the mood for some Halloween scares? Check out these classic movies on this list, created from a painstaking culling of countless online lists of scary movies. These are the ten that appeared most often on most of the lists. I posted this list last year and it resulted in a lot of suggestions for other great scary movies. Feel free to add your two cents in the comments.

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10. Psycho (1960) Believe it or not, this one almost didn’t make the list. This is a classic that has spawned countless imitations.

9. It (2017) The Stephen King classic was brought back a few years ago and it is seriously creepy. There were at least five times during the movie when I got goosebumps because it was so creepy and suspenseful. Watching this will not help your clown fear at all.

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8. Halloween (1978) Although Mike Myers later went on to bigger fame and fortune on Saturday Night Live and Wayne’s World, this movie has stood the test of time.

7. The Omen (1976) I never saw this, but if it’s got Gregory Peck it must be good. I hope it has Boo Radley too.

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6. The Exorcist (1973) Talk about an ugly duckling! She later went on to become Miss Nevada. First time I saw this I was completely freaked out. me and my friends didn’t sleep all night. At the time I was also sure that a film like this would never be allowed in Canada.

5. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) I’m sure this was terrifying for all the old timey folks in 1968. Ironically, Mia Farrow played Rosemary, a woman impregnated by Satan. Many years later the baby she adopted with Woody Allen would later marry Woody Allen. I’m starting to think that Mia isn’t a very good mother.

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4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) I started this series with Part 3 but went back and watched them all. I find a villian who can get you in your dreams to be the scariest of all. Sadly, some idiots made a remake of this in 2010. Did anyone see that? Me neither.

3. The Shining (1980) A cool classic. Nobody plays crazy quite like Jack Nicholson.

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2. 28 Days Later (2002) A zombie movie from 2002 before zombies were cool. I haven’t seen this one, but it showed up so regularly in my research I want to see it now.

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1. Alien (1979) This one surprised me by being on almost every list. The suspense is painful and who can forget the tag line “In space no one can hear you scream.”

So what’s your favorite scary movie? Do you like being scared? What’s scarier, the books or the movies? What newer movies would you add to this list? Stay tuned next week for the top ten scariest TV series

Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

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.

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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.

This is me on my way to work two weeks from now

4. Adults who don’t dress up: If you don’t wear something Halloweeny to work 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 feel free to share. Have a great Sunday!~Phil

The Monsters of Marymount Mansion: A Brilliant Book!

In 2013 I was at a work meeting in Florida when I received a tweet notification that @GregoryGAllen tweeted about buying my novel White Picket Prisons to read on his Kindle while waiting for a doctors appointment. I had no idea who Gregory G. Allen was, until I looked him up and discovered that he is an award winning actor, writer and director. As it turned out he is also an all around nice guy and one of my longest tenured social media friends.

Gregory and I a few years ago when I was in his neck of the woods and we met for dinner

Gregory has a new book, available for pre-order now and available everywhere tomorrow,  and it is garnering accolades like few books I’ve ever seen! It’s a brilliant young readers book with lessons about courage, individuality and acceptance. Here is my interview with Gregory about that book,

TPF: I saw in one of your social media posts that you actually started this book some time ago. What kept you from finishing until this past year?
Gregory: So actually…it was a musical I wrote in 1984 for a children’s theater company. I was a sophomore in high school and was part of this great company where the artistic director allowed us to write, direct, and act. I wrote a show called Dracula Bites at Dusk (yup….you can see where I got that title) all about Dracula and other Halloween characters having to live in the basement of a hotel and only going out on Halloween each year.
Jump ahead to the past ten years as I travel to schools with my kids’ books about not fearing people who are different and I had an Oprah “ah-ha” moment: I’ve been sharing this message since I was 14. So last fall I wrote on social media that I was going to do this book and get it out by this Halloween. I had no script from ’84…only a VHS tape that I can’t watch. So, I sort of started over. At first, I wrote it as a picture book like my three other kids’ books, but it needed to be longer so it became a chapter book instead.
TPF: The reviews for The Monsters of Marymount Mansion have been off the charts good. What surprises you the most about the incredible response?
Gregory: First off…I am so grateful for every single good review…you know how that is! I think what surprises me most is what different people get from the book because we bring our own lives to books as we read it. So now I’ve found through reviews that there are even more messages in the book that perhaps were not at the forefront when I was writing, but are just as important.
TPF: Your book, led by main character Toby, has a wonderful lesson about bravery and acceptance. Is the character of Toby based on a real person or persons?
Gregory: I think Toby is a little bit of me as a kid…but he’s any child that isn’t afraid to be themselves. The kid who wants to do something different and take a chance. For me…I wanted to perform: and for a kid that can often mean bullying. But I enjoyed singing on stage and getting that applause so I stuck with it. Is that bravery or ego. haha
TPF: Have readers uncovered or interpreted more messages or themes in the story than you intended?
Gregory: Yes! Wow…I answered this question before without even knowing it was coming. I will say a great one recently was by an author/dad friend of mine who saw the story as parents letting go and allowing kids to step out on their own. I loved that interpretation since I wasn’t looking at it from the point of view of the adults in the story.
TPF: You’ve written several books, some are young reader stories like Marymount and others have adult characters. Are you working on a sequel to Marymount? Or do you have other books that you’re working on?
Gregory: I’m not sure if this one will get a sequel. I guess perhaps we’ll see how it does before I decide. However, my first book which is now 12 years old always had a sequel in my mind. Shortly after I finished that book, I started the sequel and then life took me in different directions. I’ve actually gone back to it and it’s becoming a YA novel. I think it will be very exciting to challenge myself to go from adult books to kid books to now young adult.
Gregory, thanks again for letting me feature you and your books on my blog again. It’s always a pleasure to speak with you!
Here’s my official review: I wish that I had this book to read with my kids when they were young readers. I think every kid and their parents would enjoy this book. Five stars!