PUZZLE #30 & Lists

ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ 25 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME] 
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]

PROGRAM: [Java]

PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ 25 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]

Why is the list so appealing? I used to contribute to “Blender” magazine, and they rode that whole list thing to the bank (“Top 500 Song You Need To Hear Before You Die” and not one by David Bowie? Puhlease). It's a cheap way to run end of the year content (“Best books of the year!” “Worst dresses!”). They're also fairly easy to put together. I came up with a couple reasons why, I think, I like them:

1. Completeness! Nothing says “this is all there is to it! No more, no less” than a definitively numbered set. Makes the compilers of these lists feel authoritative. Which segues nicely to ...
2. ... Debates! People love arguing. And nothing causes a debate like a numbered list. The readers of these lists invariably disagree with just about every entry on them. (“You mean to tell me 'Rachel Getting Married' was a better movie than 'Milk?' You're outta your mind!”) Which segues nicely to ...
3. ... Unaccountability! Name a better format to constantly change your opinion, and it's totally all right to not justify why you changed your mind. “I know I said the Jets were #1 in my NFL Power Poll last week, but I really mean it this week when I say the Giants aren't losing again in 2008,” e.g.
4. Numbers! The numbered list is visually appealing. It breaks up a whole page of that boring old alphabet stuff. How else do you explain the sudoku phenomenon (other than people might like logic)?
5. Group-think! Lists tend to be the work of a committee. And who doesn't like team-building exercises like that? (By the way, kudos to all of you who answered my tweet last night as to how to beat writer's block. That's practically a crossword theme waiting to happen. Actually, check that. It most definitely is a crossword theme. So watch for that one to come up on the site soon. Anyway, y'all need to lay off the psychedelics and hard spirits. I'm worried for all y'all's health. Besides, I've drank enough absinthe in my life already, and let me tell you there's nothing creative happening during that buzz.)
6. Drama! I think since we grew up with Casey Kasem and David Letterman we like the build-up. Also, there's the tight-rope-walking element of can we sustain this over the course of the whole list?
7. Giving friends shout-outs! People who compile lists tend to use them as an opportunity to showcase their friends' work. I know, I've been the beneficiary of that countless times. While I'm here, let me say, “what up, Mike F., Amy and Rex?”
8. Rule-bending creativity! Let's just say you can really only come up with say six legitimate entries in a category where there's only eight possibilities. “Best members of The Ramones,” say. Why not throw caution into the wind and try getting away with saying Paul McCartney since he inspired the band name?
9. Irony! Lists are the perfect format to say, "I didn't really mean it!"
10. Memes!