Phil Taylor's Blog: The Phil Factor, page 116

How To Talk To A Cancer Patient (and Her Husband)

Few things make normally glib, sociable people turn awkward like cancer does. Their smiles vanish from their face as soon as the word cancer leaves our lips. A brief uncomfortable silence occurs before they think of a question or a comment. During that all too brief moment, my wife and I cringe, wondering what unintentionally insensitive question or comment we’ll hear.

I’m here to say, relax. You being awkward doesn’t help us feel any better. You know what would make us feel better? Everyone...

Throwback Thursday! A Lot of Talk About Balls

For those of you new to my blog, my Throwback Thursday post is a re-run of something I previously posted. Most often it’s from this week a year ago because it’s fun to look at what was newsworthy enough to make fun of last year. Other times I’ll dredge up a classic from the last decade of The Phil Factor.

(Originally posted 1/24/15) For a couple days this week the world’s leading story was about balls. No, they haven’t found a cure for testicular cancer. Everyone, at least in the U.S., was ta...

Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Blogging Pet Peeves

Picture credit: someecards.com

Hi. My name is Phil and I’m a blogger. (Everyone else in the “blogosphere” replies “Hi Phil!”) Yes, if I’m being painfully honest with myself, I’m a blogger. I’ve been a blogger for over nine years. I took to it like a fish to water. Just because I do it doesn’t mean that I love everything about it. Thank you toNerd in The Brainfor the idea for today’s Top Ten list. Go visit her. She has a great blog. Without further adieu, here are my Top Ten Peeves about blogg...

The Doppelganger Fight Club

Do you want to find your doppelganger? The word doppelganger is German and literally means double walker — as in a ghost or shadow of yourself. In September of 2009 (yes, 2009) I wrote this post about doppelgangers. I speculated on the possibilities, good and bad, of each of us possibly having a twin out there that looks just like us.

Picture courtesy of BusinessInsider.com

Two Nicholas Cages making movies? How awful would that be? I think finding another me would be awesome. Maybe we could ta...

Throwback Thursday! The Poop At Home People

When I published this groundbreaking post a year ago it immediately became one of my most popular ever. If you missed it the first time I strongly advise you read this life saving information now.

(1/17/2015) Everybody poops. In fact, I would bet a fair number of you are doing it right now while reading this on your smart phone. If you are pooping, I bet you’re doing it at home. Am I right?

It was really tough to find a poop picture that I thought would get by the Facebook censors so I could...

Hats Off To You

If you’re new, let me catch you up. My blog is intended to be funny 90% of the time. This is one of the other 10%. My wife was recently diagnosed with cancer in two places. She had breast cancer 12 years ago and survived quite nicely up until a month ago. Every now and then I write about it, hoping to vent a little, maybe educate a little, and maybe even find a joke in there now and then. I don’t share these posts anywhere else on social media and my wife doesn’t know about them, so if you kn...

Top Ten Tuesday! Ten Things I Don’t Want To Be Doing if I’m Frozen in Time by a Volcano

Yes, I am going to make jokes about a disaster that killed over a thousand. Too soon? It was 79 A.D. The statute of limitations is up. The Pompeii victims that were frozen in place by volcanic lava and ash have always fascinated me. A thousand years ago there were no cell phone cameras to capture a moment in time, but a volcano did it. But why was that moment in time frozen? Look at that guy above sitting there. I’ll tell you what, if lava and ash are filling my town I’m running away. If I e...

Music Monday! Nothing Personal

This is my son. His bands full length album will be available for pre-sale in the iTunes store on Friday and available for download on the 29th. This article is from his college newspaper. Rising Student Artist: Liam Taylor leads Nothing Personal By Alison Flanagan (Staff Writer ) on November 12, 2015. Email: laker@oswegonian.com
Posted in Archives,Laker Review,Rising Student Artists.

Liam Taylor keeps Open Mic Night entertaining drawing inspiration from punk bands like Blink-182 and...

The Afterlife To-Do List

Yesterday I wrotethat seeing all these people that are slightly more famous, and probably wealthier than me, pass away has made me realize that it’s possible I may not be able to avoid death. Don’t get me wrong, I still have no plans to die, but as I get older I like to hedge my bets a little. Hell, if Steve Jobs FitBit didn’t help him avoid death, what chance do I have? That’s right all you FitBit nuts, the Grim Reaper is coming for you no matter how many steps you take today.

That’s my fav...

Death: The Ultimate Powerball

When I was thinking of what to write about today, my two ideas were the massive Powerball lottery that has been big news in the States for the past two weeks, or the recent deaths of four talented individuals who left this mortal sphere a better place than they found it. Also I thought of the title above and thought, “If people are Googling for the two most searched topics of the past week, this title is going to pull a ton or readers to my blog!”

You’re probably be thinking, “What the hell...