It turns out that TarFile.addfile() doesn't provide a reasonable default
timestamp, resulting in files dated to 1970 (they're probably wearing
bell-bottoms and listening to disco too). Then, when the bdist_egg command
tries to create a *zip*file with those files, it explodes because zipfiles
cannot handle timestamps before 1980 (it prefers boomboxes and jackets with
straps on the shoulders, thank you very much).
This puts a modern time.time() on the members of the tarfile, allowing future
cryptocoderarchaeologists the opportunity to make fun of fashion trends from
the user's chosen era, rather than an artificially older one.