But that only makes me human, doesn’t it? Because we humans love our lists. We love to name things (even going back to the Bible!), then put them into categories, and then make lists of them. Tag, cross-reference, organize. This is pretty much what we do, we humans.

Umberto Eco has said, “We like lists because we don’t want to die.” I get that. Lists bring order to the chaos. They constrain the infinite. They name the unknowable. We live in a vast universe, and we will never be able to enumerate everything. But doesn’t it give some purpose to our lives to at least try? And so we make lists.

Lists also set boundaries. When there is so much out there — so much to read, hear, see, do, eat — lists give us a place to start and, perhaps more importantly, a place to stop. They let us know when we are finished. There is such a satisfaction when the last item is crossed off. Even if we turn around and start another list.

By the way, don’t search for the word “lists” on Google, if you want to know about lists. The Internet is full to the brim with lists. It’s like we invented it just so we have a place to make and share our lists. Here are a few useful list-making sites: Ta-da list; Listography; Lists of Bests.

Here are some lists of lists: 1001 before you die; Wikipedia’s lists; Flashlight Worthy book recommendations; McSweeney’s lists; Lit Lists; Listverse; my lists.

It seems obligatory to finish this post with a list of my own, so here is a list of 10 great list makers:

1. Benjamin Franklin
2. Thomas Jefferson
3. Peter Mark Roget
4. Oskar Schindler
5. David Letterman
6. Santa
7. Roger Ebert (Great Movies)
8. David Wallechinsky (Book of Lists)
9. the guys in High Fidelity
10. Umberto Eco

Also, I should have followed my own rules and not read an article titled “The End of …”, or at least I shouldn’t have taken it seriously. (In this case, it was forgetting.) But Tom Scocca got a few good zings in while refuting some of the article’s claims.

And here’s something I’ve wondered whenever I see the statement that all HR departments google the names of every single job applicant: Um, names aren’t all that unique. I mean, my name is pretty uncommon, yet there is another person with the exact same name who lives in my state and, I happen to know for a fact, posts embarrassing photos of herself on Facebook. (No, this is not me!) So how do you determine that the person you googled is the right Tom Jones or Susan Smith or what-have-you?

Doom-saying articles like “The End of Forgetting,” never really ask that question.

This weekend we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, arguably the greatest chapter in the Star Wars trilogy and a life-altering movie of my childhood.

What made this movie so great? It was a movie to grow up on. It was darker by far than Star Wars, and suddenly a lot more was at stake. Luke loses a hand, Han is frozen, the good guys are defeated, and we find out one of the greatest twists in movie history. We’re not being treated like kids anymore.

Many would argue (and I tend to agree) that Empire was the best of the three because it was the only one not written or directed by George Lucas. It does show, as Empire feels grittier and less naive than the first or third movies.

Another thing this movie did very well was bifurcate the storyline. While Luke is training with Yoda — a necessary plotline but not exactly exhilarating stuff — Han and Leia are having one exciting escape after another. The adventure, romance and comedy of their story balances well the heavier, more philosophical stuff happening on Dagobah. Yet, Han et al’s adventures are not mere plot-wrangling but are essential to the story, as they have to get to Cloud City in order to be used as bait to entice Luke in before he can finish his Jedi training. Everything ties together satisfyingly, despite the cliffhanger ending.

I don’t think they make action-adventure movies like this anymore, with the exception of The Lord of the Rings (which obviously draws from the same mythological pool as Star Wars). It seems like most movies of this genre start at Point A and proceed relentlessly and linearly to Point B, taking no time to explore branching storylines or introduce any more complications than an extra CGI fistfight. And that’s another reason why I miss the original Star Wars trilogy and the other great movies of my childhood. They just don’t make them like that anymore.

More:

“I love you.” “I know.” (MetaFilter)
The Empire Strikes Back on TV Tropes
Anniversary Celebrations on StarWars.com
What if Empire was made 60 years ago? (YouTube)