Buzz
Today is my birthday! I'm turning 35, and to celebrate, I've decided to create another vanity list. Over the last two years, I've shared two similar birthday lists: first, my Top 10 Favorite Books, followed by my Top 10 Favorite Movies. This year, I'm shifting focus to the lists themselves. Here is my ultimate favorite list of lists.
10. Poisonous Foods
The List: Top 10 Poisonous Foods We Love To Eat
I'm a true food enthusiast – as you'll soon discover while reading through this list. I created the poisonous foods list because I find it intriguing that so many everyday things we take for granted could actually be deadly – although most people remain oblivious. In a way, I hope these lists raise awareness about what we consume, encouraging people to check the labels and truly understand what they're about to ingest. My top pick on the list is castor oil (number seven) because I believe most aren't aware that it's the source of the deadly toxin ricin.
9. Victorian Horrors
The List: Top 10 Creepy Aspects of Victorian Life
Though this list is a relatively new addition, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed creating it. I have a deep fascination with death, the macabre, and history, so this list allowed me to combine all three! From freak shows to natural disasters, the Victorians had it all, and this list aims to showcase that. My favorite entry: number 2 – memento mori. Historic photos of deceased individuals. It doesn't get much more fascinating than that.
8. Misconceptions About Catholics
The List: Top 10 Misconceptions About the Catholic Church
I was raised in the Catholic faith, and in my late twenties, I attended the seminary. While I didn't finish my training to become a priest, my time there was undoubtedly one of the most significant of my life. I learned a great deal about classical philosophy and developed a strong desire to uncover and present the truth based on logical reasoning. The key takeaway from my seminary experience was that we must always seek objective truth and avoid dismissing ideas simply because they don't align with our own beliefs, especially when those ideas are backed by solid reasoning. This list gave me the opportunity to present the true teachings of the Catholic Church, free from the myths and misconceptions that often surround it. My personal favorite? Number six: the belief that the Church is anti-science. Many people don't realize that the Church has never opposed the theory of evolution, and this was my chance to clarify that point.
7. Weird Cooking
The List: Top 10 Unusual Cooking Concepts
Here's another food list – surprise! Just before I left Great Britain, I had the privilege of dining at the Fat Duck, a restaurant that has been named the best in the world for several years. That experience completely shifted my perspective on cooking and dining. This list is my tribute to the incredible modern chefs who are merging food with science to create some of the most extraordinary dishes imaginable. My hope is that it will inspire readers to take culinary risks and try things they might normally consider absurd. After all, many groundbreaking ideas come from experiments with seemingly outlandish concepts. My favorite item? Number eight: other senses. This was the key takeaway from my fine dining experiences in Europe – food isn't just about taste; it’s also about smell and sound.
6. Incredible Recordings
The List: Top 10 Incredible Recordings
This was the first list where I truly bared my soul. It was my inaugural list that required no research; I knew exactly what I wanted to feature. It also became the list that gave our website its first major traffic boost, thanks to landing on the front page of digg. That exposure generated a huge amount of traffic, and soon after, we were featured on the front page of Reddit as well. From that point forward, we endured substantial downtime due to the influx of visitors, and it took us about a year and a half to stabilize. But it was all worth it. Why? Because the people who stuck around during that time turned out to be some of the smartest and kindest people on the internet! My favorite item? Number 1 – Moreschi. His voice, as a castrato, is hauntingly eerie yet one of the most significant recordings in history.
5. Movie Greats
The List: Top 10 Best of the Best in Movies
As a child, going to the movies was a rare treat. In small-town New Zealand, the local theaters had just one screen and showed only one film. This was in the early eighties, mind you. I vividly remember seeing *Sheena, Queen of the Jungle* simply because there was nothing else to watch. Since then, I’ve been captivated by movies and found myself deeply moved by the actors on the silver screen more than I probably should be. This list gave me the chance to highlight not only the iconic figures in front of the camera, but also the unsung heroes behind it – the greats who remain in the shadows. My favorite item? Number two – best actress Maria Falconetti. Why? Because most people don’t know who she is, and she only made one major film, but in cinema circles, she’s considered one of the finest actresses to ever grace the screen. Plus, Saint Joan of Arc (the role Falconetti played) is one of my favorite saints.
4. Worst Lists Ever
The List: Top 10 Mytour Mistakes
I know, it’s an odd list for a top ten, but creating this list allowed me to reflect on how others viewed the site and my work. While many comments supported my efforts, this list helped me address a few issues that had caused discomfort for readers. I’d like to think that, since this list was published, I’ve corrected most of the problems listed. My favorite item? Number seven (not verifying the uniqueness of lists). Since then, I haven’t posted any lists that weren’t original or that didn’t include permission for reproduction. I also like to think that this list highlights just how incredibly humble I am. (That was a bit of ironic humor.)
3. Relax and Laugh
The List: Top 30 Brilliantly Timed Sports Photos
This is undoubtedly our most replicated list. For the final list of my favorites, I just had to include it. Every time I revisit this collection, I burst out laughing – which is no easy feat! I'm not usually a big fan of sports, but I can't resist these comically timed shots of people caught at their most awkward. My favorite? Item 10. It could hardly be anything else, could it?
2. Historic Photographs
The List: Top 15 Incredible Historic Photographs
In addition to my previously mentioned favorite topics, I have a deep passion for photography. While I’m not particularly skilled at taking photos myself, I absolutely adore them. What especially captivates me are historic photographs, which reveal the small details of life that we often overlook. This list had a chilling effect on me, as it felt like I was peering into a mysterious, eerie past that we typically only encounter in paintings. Can you imagine? The first photograph was taken while the Inquisition was still conducting auto-da-fé, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (the very first one) were still alive, and Beethoven was still composing music! That, to me, feels haunting. My favorite item? Number 1 – the oldest photograph ever captured. For all the reasons mentioned above.
1. Dark Ages or Not?
The List Top 10 Reasons The Dark Ages Were Not Dark
The religious ideologies of the Enlightenment period gave rise to many myths surrounding the Middle Ages in Europe. There’s nothing more frustrating than hearing these unfounded myths repeated, often created to fuel animosity (anyone remember “let them eat cake”?). This list gave me the chance to present life in the medieval era in a more realistic light. Forget the term “Dark Ages” – a phrase intentionally coined to tarnish that era. The Middle Ages were a remarkable time to live, and this list highlighted exactly why. My favorite entry? Number three: the incredible weather. We tend to imagine cold, rainy days, but the truth is, the Middle Ages was surprisingly hot, even amidst an ice age (the same ice age we’re currently in!).
+ New Site
The Site: Cogitz.com
This isn’t just another list of favorites, this is an announcement. I’ve recently launched a new site that, time permitting, will allow me to dive deeper into topics (mostly bizarre ones) already covered on Mytour, while also introducing new peculiarities that I’ve yet to explore in a list format. The site is called Cogitz, and I hope you’ll take a moment to visit and subscribe for updates. We’ve already delved into a variety of strange topics, so be sure to check it out.
It’s my birthday today!
