Top-10 List: Things That Smell Better Than They Taste

The only vegetable that's
served in Hell

Science has proven that our sense of smell plays an integral role in how things taste. Ironically, even though some things smell incredibly good - they actually taste neutral to downright awful. Here's a list of the Top-10 Things That Smell Better Than They Taste.

10. Flavored Coffees - these various caffeinated concoctions smell wonderful when blended by your favorite barrister; however, they taste terrible - a blend of cough syrup and motor oil.

9. Mushrooms - while cooking, these non-vegetables smell like steak tastes; however, one bite of these fungi instantly reminds you that they were grown in the dark, under mounds of animal poop.

8. Pumpkin Pie Filling - this unmistakable scent invokes favorite holiday memories of family and loved ones gathered around the Thanksgiving table, yet a forkful of the foul stuff triggers familiar memories of family holiday in-fighting over nibblets and gizzards.

7. Red Licorice - whether cherry or strawberry, this is the single food on the list that I'll try every couple of months to see if the taste actually measures up to the smell. Each time I do the outcome is the same - FAIL.

6. Cinnamon - again, this is one of those classic holiday spices that is used so much that it wafts through the air  almost as much as lake effect snow in downtown Buffalo. While the cinnamony smell is incredible, when the brown cinnamon powder is on its own without sugar it tastes like #2 pencil shavings - with an emphasis on #2.

5. Brussel Sprouts - this vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse that's packed with flavinoids, nutrients and a bunch of other goodness that emits an enticing aroma while cooking that elevates the senses to the heavens. But one taste of the sprouts casts the deliciously-divine smell from heavenly heights to Dante's fifth-ring of Hell reserved for those who lived angry lives. No wonder there's so much gnashing of teeth and wailing....

4. Green Tea - Re-read above and push it down to Dante's seventh-ring of Hell that's reserved for those who lived a life of violence....perhaps the green tea will calm their tortured souls.

3. Fried Dough/Fry Cakes - you can't attend a summer outdoor carnival or state fair without the strongholds of your nostrils being invaded and swarmed by the overpowering assault of fried dough - from the parking lot to the restrooms, the scent is inescapable. Yet, the taste is absolutely unpalatable. I'm sure there will be some disagreement with this one.

2. Kentucky Fried Chicken - as a family, about once a year we'll grab a couple of buckets of the Colonel's famous poultry on a lark. My favorite part of the experience entering the restaurant, purchasing the chicken parts and driving home with it so the scent permeates the confined space. I actually prefer the KFC smell in my vehicle to the "new car smell" that Delta Sonic car wash spritzes across the dashboard after a cleaning. However, the actual taste of KFC is akin to chewing on the leather, sweaty head rest of my car.

1. Movie-Theater Popcorn - is there anyone who disagrees that movie popcorn smells at least 10 times better than it actually tastes? The stuff smells like a rich delicacy reserved for mythological immortals, yet it actually tastes like the algae encrusted nuggets scrapped from the damp boot of a regular on the show Swamp People.

Question: What foods have I left off that smell better than they taste?

Top-10 List: Movies That Make Me Cry

This top-10 list has been a lifetime in the making since it deals with the top movies that make me cry. Now I don't drop tears at the drop of a hat mind you, because I am a masculine male secure in his masculinity (who's prone to be a bit redundant, repetitive and iterating at times).

You'll note that there are some common themes in the list of movies that move me, namely: self-sacrifice or duty on behalf of others; loss of a key relationship whether it's family or friend; or overcoming insurmountable odds or adversity. These are the themes that are sure saline drivers for me. Here's the list:

10. Sophie's Choice - This is a horribly sad movie for any parent with more than one child since the main character (Meryl Streep) is forced to make the ultimate choice between her two children. As a father of two daughters this movie will make ANY grown man cry. As such, I still get to keep my Man Card despite my blubbering.

9. The Yearling - I originally saw it as an impressionable 11-year old boy, which is mainly why it still makes me cry (I think). Even though this is a formulaic movie with marginal acting, the premise of the young boy willingly choosing to set his pet deer free rather than see it killed is a tear-jerker.

8. The Notebook - For the sake of honesty and integrity I had to add this to the list. I know, I know....this officially means my Man Card is revoked....

7. Toy Story 3 - People always freak out when I mention that I tear up at his movie because - A.) it's an animated movie and B.) it's about flippin' toys!!  My retort is that the scene at the fiery garbage dump where the toy collective exchange glances atop the sliding refuse pile, as they've resigned themselves to their fate, is as poignant a movie moment as I can remember.

6. Hanover Street - This is a little-known love story that's woven into a plot similar to Force 10 from Navarone. Hanover Steet is set in WWII England and stars Harrison Ford, Leslie-Anne Down and Christopher Plummer in an unconventional love triangle that includes: action, betrayal, intrigue, suspense, adultery, sacrifice, redemption...and tears.

5. Dumbo - This is one of the shortest feature films produced by Disney, yet it is also the hardest to watch with our kids. When Dumbo witnesses the caging and separation from his mother - there's not a dry eye among the Constantino clan. Both my daughters pick this as the one movie that makes them cry every time. By contrast, neither of them shed a tear at Bambi.

4. Charlotte's Web - This movie is the last animated feature that makes me kinda weepy. I'm talking about the one from 1973 with the voice talents of Debbie Reynolds, Henry Gibson and Paul Lynde, NOT the live-action version with Julia Roberts and Dakota Fanning - (the second one makes me throw up a bit in my mouth.)  Conversely, the final exchange between Reynolds (Charlotte) and Gibson (Wilbur) in the animated version balances the peace and frantic despair associated with death of a loved one. It's powerful. You can disagree but you'd be wrong.

3. Brian's Song - I don't know a single guy who hasn't cried during a viewing of this 1971 classic sports movie that portrays the real-life buddy story of Chicago Bears' players Brian Piccolo (James Caan) and Gayle Sayers (Billy Dee Williams). The unlikely duo is forced to become roommates, but a lifelong friendship is forged and tested once Piccolo is diagnosed with cancer.  "I love Brian Piccolo" - that line still makes me a bit misty.

2. Rudy - This is another football movie that chronicles the seemingly insurmountable challenges of an under-sized, blue-collar football player with limited athletic skill and sub-par grades who dreams of playing for Notre Dame. It's an emotional roller coaster for Sean Astin's character and the viewer - it's hard not to cry when he does because you can relate to someone that everyone says can't achieve their goal.  This underdog movie of inspiration and perseverance through adversity, showcases the axiom that "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog."

1. Old Yeller - From underdog to ultimate dog, do I even have to write anything about this one? Here's the story:  frontier boy + best dog in the world + fight with rabid wolf + "Travis get the gun" = copious amount of man tears.

Obviously, there are some glaring omissions to this list - which ones need to be here?  Which ones should be removed?  What's the one movie that moistens your eyes just thinking about it?

Top-10 List: Wisdom - in 10 Words or Less....

Auguste Rodin's
"The Thinker"

Here’s a quick-and-dirty ranking of the pithiest, most useful kernels of wisdom I’ve learned in life thus far. Each is actionable and well worth additional study and investigation. Please comment with other concise, worthy insights but remember the actual phrase must be 10-words or less:

10. A Quiet Word Turns Away Wrath – this is perhaps one of the most useful snippets on this list. I don’t care if it’s an argument in the boardroom, classroom or bedroom - next time a discussion escalates or heats up, lower your verbal tone and watch what happens.

9. It’s Not How Something Starts But Rather How It Ends – so many of us have a short-term focus. Planning for the end is key to a successful, enduring strategy regardless of the endeavor.

8. Consider the Needs of Others Above Your Own – this is difficult to argue with yet equally difficult to implement in our dog-eat-dog, me-first culture. However, when it’s achieved and implemented the benefits of this strategy help provide context and meaning to all that you do.

7. Little Foxes Spoil the Vineyard – this alludes to a biblical parable that demonstrates the importance of the details, small decisions and little things in life that have a cumulative effect and lead to much larger issues both positively and negatively. I would say that this is the area where I need the greatest help, because I tend to let details slip. However, a colorful reminder of this fact came from Rochester radio host Bob Lonsberry who’s famous for saying, “It only takes a little urine to spoil a milkshake.” Little things truly matter.

6. Peace, Be Still – again, this is another bit of wisdom that I tend to have trouble applying yet it truly has application in our hurly-burly, fragmented, post-modern existence. Periodically taking time to consciously remove ourselves from the cares and distractions of life is critically important to maintaining balance in all things. Whether you call it meditation, quiet time or prayer - such daily introspection is necessary to remain grounded in what really matters within this life.

5. The Rain Falls on Both the Just and Unjust Alike – tragically awful things happen to both good and bad people in life, there’s no escaping that reality. While there is beauty in the world, the world is ultimately broken and we’re part of that brokenness. Blaming God, our parents, or the predators of pain in our lives is not the answer. While we can’t control the past or circumstances we may have endured, we can certainly control how we respond – possibly being an example to others who have experienced similar pain or loss.

4. As Someone Thinks, So They Are – the idea here is that our actions and words are outward manifestations of our inner nature. You might be able to fake it for a period of time, but your true intent, purpose and self will ultimately emerge. Just as you feed your body daily, make sure you feed your thoughts and self-talk with the best content around (such as this blog and my forthcoming book ;-)

3. Whatever You Do, Do It With All of Your Heart – this is a different turn of phrase to the classic principle that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Not much more to say about that…..

2. Be a Cheerful Giver – despite these tough economic times I personally believe that having an authentically positive attitude toward giving and helping others less fortunate than yourself is an important life lesson that ultimately helps you as much as the person that’s actually “in need.” It’s a mystery that I don’t fully understand but the most blessed, prosperous and happy people I know are genuinely generous with their time, energy and finance.

1. Teams Make Better Decisions Than Individuals – this is the single most valuable learning that I gleaned from my years of graduate study at business school. It’s a lesson I should have learned during little league (and at other junctures of life) but I wasn’t ready for the enormity of this truth until it ultimately sunk in.

What are some of the gems of knowledge you’d like to share????


You can check out some of my other writings at HubPages by clicking on the link below:
Top-10 Wisdom Nuggets - in 10 Words or Less....

Top-10 List: Bad Words

While driving during our recent holiday travels, my wife read to me a great column by Washington Post magazine writer Gene Weingarten about words that get mispronounced or as I like to call them “Bad Words” – (shame on you for thinking I’d write a blog dedicated to a list of “Swear Words” – although that’s not a bad idea for the future).

Even though I’m paid to write and speak (I’m a corporate spokesperson for a butt-kickin’ biotech in the DC area), I make as many mistakes as the next person when I’m speaking and writing.

Regardless, here’s my personal list of irritatingly misspoken bad words….

Top-10 List: Greatest 1st Wave Songs of the 1980's

Being a teenager during the 1980's, the music of that era had the greatest impression on me - for good or bad. However, I was not a fan of the big-hair, ballad rockers or heavy metal of the day.

I was keen on the techno-hybrid sounds that were spawned out of the post-punk rock, UK club scene, which is commonly referred to as New Wave or 1st Wave.

While I know a lot of people HATE this type of music, here's my top-10 list of songs from that era:

10. What is Love - Howard Jones
9. Politics of Dancing - The Reflex
8. Dancing With Tears in My Eyes - Ultravox
7. Who's That Girl - Eurythmics
6. Mad World - Tears for Fears
5. Der Kommissar - After the Fire
4. Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
3. Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
2. Come Live With Me - Heaven 17
1. Tainted Love (extended version: Where Did Our Love Go) - Soft Cell

Let me know what you think and any that should be added!

Tor's All-Time, Top-10 Favorite Things: Consumables

Oprah does it why can't I? Here's a top-10 list of my all-time-favorite consumables (things I use up and have to buy over and over.)

10. Crystal Light Lemonade
9. Peter Pan Peanut Butter - Crunchy
8. Gatorade - Original
7. Breath Right Nasal Strips
6. Frank's Red Hot Sauce - Buffalo Wing Style
5. Sour Patch Kids Candy
4. Keebler Saltine Crackers
3. Diet Pepsi (or Diet Coke in a pitch)
2. Chap-Stik Lip Balm - any kind
1. Frank's Red Hot Sauce - Original Style

What's your list look like? Post it under the comment section!