Phil Taylor's Blog: The Phil Factor, page 119

Music Monday! The Wombats: Give Me A Try

A popular British band from Liverpool, England? That sounds familiar. Why don’t you give them a try?

Have a great Monday! ~Phil

Tagged: Give Me a Try, Music, Music Monday, The Phil Factor, The Wombats

Snap Judgement Holiday Movie Reviews!

I continue my well received pantheon of “Snap Judgement” columns by reviewing the years top holiday movies that I haven’t seen yet:

Picture courtesy of Disney/Pixar

The Good Dinosaur:If you’ve got kids under 10, this is a must see. If you’ve got kids over 10, don’t bother. You’ve seen this before in the form of twelve other Disney movies with the same theme. This is basically Finding Nemo but on land. It’s got an all star cast of voices, but who really cares? You don’t actually see them. Why d...

Throwback Thursday! The Elf From Hell

This isn’t really a throwback because it’s timely and relevant every year and I intend to keep posting it until all the demented parents stop waging psychological warfare on their young children.

(12/22/2012) Most of you are familiar with the Elf on the Shelf right? In the Elf on the Shelf tradition these poorly dressed little plastic elves are mischievous minions of the red suited overlord who spy on the every move of children and report back to their tyrannical leader. That allegedly quain...

Top Ten Tuesday! The Ten Best Holiday Specials of All Time!

Last evening a network aired “It’s Your 50th Christmas Charlie Brown!” To be sure, the Peanuts Christmas special is a classic here in the States. What I’d like to see someone create is a special with all the Peanuts characters as 50 year olds. How weird would that be? Here are my choices for the Ten Best Holiday Specials of All Time. The Star Wars Holiday Special was mentioned in the comments a few times last year, but didn’t make the Top Ten only because I haven’t seen it. If you’re curious...

Music Monday! Featuring Adele’s Guitar, and Baio?

January 1983, American Actor Scott Baio — Image by Tony Korody/Sygma/Corbis

At first when I saw this band’s name, Baio, I immediately thought it might be some kitschy-cool reference to 70’s/80’s TV star Scott Baio who was in Happy Days and Charles in Charge. I was sadly mistaken. Baio refers to Chris Baio, who has already had tremendous success with his band Vampire Weekend.

In June Chris Baio released this song, Sister of Pearl, from his debut solo albumThe Names. Chris describes the song as...

Music: They’re Doing It All Wrong

I’ve recently begun taking piano lessons. Yes, I’m a grown man plinking my way through “Mary Had a Little Lamb” like a 6 year old. It’s a little humbling to hear the toddler in the next room at the music studio flying through Mozart’s Concerto #7 like she’s Billy Joel while I try to remember which finger is supposed to be on the C key. I have no idea if there is a Mozart’s Concerto #7, but I’m sure that little kid in the next room does.

There were really not a lot of funny pictures on the in...

Unusual Things I’m Thankful For

This is another of my annual features that I’ve written for several years. I like it because it forces me, and hopefully you to think “outside the box.” Then again, who cops to be an inside the box thinker? How would that go at a job interview? “My strengths? Umm…well, I’ve never had an original thought. Nope, my ideas are exactly what you’d expect and a probably a whole lot like the bloke you let go. If you need a problem solved, I’m definitely not your man.” Anywho, back to today’s thankful...

If Someone Can Make Up Scientology, Why Can’t I Have My Own Religion?

If I’m making fun of Scientology, you can tell that I’ve given up on one of my books ever being made into a movie. Scientology has been big pop culture news the last few weeks since actress Leah Remini talked about her experiences in the church, and her desire for you to read more about it in her book, now available everywhere for $17.99. Kind of ironic that she’s allegedly blowing the whistle on a religion known for fleecing it’s celebrity members for money by fleecing book buying customers...

Throwback Thursday! Kim Kardashian’s Butt and Vacation Boobs

For some reason this was very popular when I posted it last year. Do you think the title is a good draw?

(11/15/15)This is it. Mano a mano. Kim Kardashian versus #ThePhilFactor. Or rather it’s Kim Kardashian’s big bulbous butt versus my big bulbous sense of humor. Kim thought her racy pictures in PaperMagwould #BreakTheInternet but she was sadly mistaken. If anybody breaks the internet it’s going to be me. Kim wanted to break it with her butt, but I’m going to break it by being an ass.

Yeah,...

People Magazine Got It Wrong. Again

David Beckham? Seriously People Magazine? This is 2015, not 1999. That guy has got to be as old as me! He retired two years ago! He’s unemployed. He’s old and unemployed and People Magazine chose him over me for this years Sexiest Man Alive title. If old and unemployed is the criteria then why not choose Gene Wilder or Bernie Sanders?

Me and The Becks used to be besties until “the incident.” Over the years I put up with a lot of s–t from who, at the time, I considered my best buddy. Through...