the top ten top ten of 2009 (aka: the best of the best of)

the end of any year is filled with top ten lists. the ten best, worst, sexiest, largest, fastest, biggest selling, whatever. this year being the end of a decade, we've got the best of the '00s to deal with too. truth be told, i find it all terribly annoying, and i'm quite certain i've blogged this exact paragraph before.

that said, here are ten of my favorite top ten lists for 2009:

1. huffington post lays out their greatest political disappointments of 2009, including setbacks for gay marriage, the debate over health care, and joe wilson's "you lie" outburst. there should be a special catagory for pol's named lieberman.

2. roger ebert has actually put together four ten best lists: best foreign, animated, and documentary films, as well as his choices for the ten best films of the year. he's roger ebert, and i believe him.

3. black cod with fennel chowder and smoked oyster panzanella. pumpkin-seed-crusted tofu with lemongrass broth. milk-braised pork shoulder with semolina gnocchi. eating is good. here are the top 10 best new restaurants in america, courtesy of bon appetite.

4. national geographic awards the 10 best new species of 2009 to new friends like the blob fish, the sea squirt, a worm without lungs, a shark with a penis on it's head, and a big, gay jellyfish.

5. u.s. news' year end list (or, year beginning list?) sounds like it could have been written by a 10 year old boy. among the 10 best careers for 2010? firefighter, meteorologist, architect, veterinarian, and funeral director. (what? you didn't want to be a funeral director when you were 10?)

6. let's pretend i read. the new york times' top books of 2009.

7. it's well known what a sports nut i am, so why wouldn't i enjoy sports illustrated's top sports photographs of 2009? especially when it includes a near trampling by giant wieners in milwaukee?

8. seriouseats.com lists japanese hot pots as one of 2009's 10 best cookbooks. (see, i do read.) having actually eaten from a traditional japanese hot pot, i concur. buy this cookbook and invite me over. いただきます!

9. rolling stone has a dozen or so ten best lists. here's their ten best albums of 2009. to balance that is pitchfork's 50 best of '09, billboard's top 200 sellers of the year, and spin.com's 40 best. all four lists include this album.

10. not to be outdone, time magazine has listed the top ten everything for 2009, including the top ten animal stories (who could forget this charming quote: "yes! he ripped her apart ... he ripped her face off!") the top ten gadgets (hopefully you've all got your dyson air multiplier) and, of course, the top ten t-shirt-worthy slogans (from kanye's "i'ma let you finish" to obama's "all we-weed up.") okay then.