> reversed(sorted(my_list))

I thought sorted(my_list, reverse=True) would be slightly faster, but it seems not (by a tiny amount). Weird.

> "while True" should be used in-place of "while 1". Reads better.

If you disassemble these statements, you'll see that "while 1" creates fewer instructions:

    def foo():
        while True:
            pass

    def bar():
        while 1:
            pass

    import dis

    dis.dis(foo)
    #       0 SETUP_LOOP              10 (to 13)
    # >>    3 LOAD_GLOBAL              0 (True)
    #       6 POP_JUMP_IF_FALSE       12
    #
    #       9 JUMP_ABSOLUTE            3
    # >>   12 POP_BLOCK
    # >>   13 LOAD_CONST               0 (None)
    #      16 RETURN_VALUE

    dis.dis(bar)
    #       0 SETUP_LOOP               3 (to 6)
    #
    # >>    3 JUMP_ABSOLUTE            3
    # >>    6 LOAD_CONST               0 (None)
    #       9 RETURN_VALUE

Edit: This is in Python 2.7.1. d0mine pointed out that the discrepancy is no longer the case in Python 3. Good to know. :)

There is no difference on Python 3:

  >>> dis.dis(foo)
  2           0 SETUP_LOOP               3 (to 6) 

  3     >>    3 JUMP_ABSOLUTE            3 
        >>    6 LOAD_CONST               0 (None) 
              9 RETURN_VALUE         
  >>> dis.dis(bar)
  2           0 SETUP_LOOP               3 (to 6) 

  3     >>    3 JUMP_ABSOLUTE            3 
        >>    6 LOAD_CONST               0 (None) 
              9 RETURN_VALUE