Here’s something I’m slightly ashamed to admit to. I love a lot of these lists. They’re addictive, and they make me laugh my head off. Sort of like the Hamster Dance, which I had hoped by now would’ve disappeared forever as just slightly less evil than the virus in 28 Days Later, but hasn’t.
Why am I ashamed?
First, because it’s rather nerdy to enjoy any lists except the Harper’s Index, the New York Times bestseller list, the Dow Jones index, ESPN’s college football rankings (or for the civilized, Europe’s soccer leagues), and the beer rankings at Berlin’s Bierbörse.
Second, because, while it’s an excellent and often very funny publication, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern was co-founded by Dave Eggers. Dave Eggers’ first novel was the oh-so-ironic A Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which was neither. Although, come to think of it, I have a signed first edition. Don’t tell anyone.
