Here at DaMorgue, we take our time when it comes to selecting our favorite films of the year. We all have so much passion for film, so it’s something we don’t take lightly. I mean it takes time to see all the movies worth seeing, especially when they cram all the best ones into the last couple of months. There’s still some films I wanted I see from 2010, but I’ll have to settle with the 42 I’m at right now, which is certainly more than last year. Either way, I can confidently say I loved all ten of these films and am very much satisfied with my final ten, but before we dive in let’s acknowledge the film’s that came close.

Honorable Mention
Buried: The fact that this is movie is entirely set in a wooden box and is still entertaining is reason enough for an honorable mention.

The King’s Speech: A marvelously acted period piece that just barely made the cut.

Kick Ass: Dumb fun, but man, you’d be hard pressed to find a more entertaining action flick.

Little Big Soldier This Jackie Chan period piece is a heartwarming buddy picture. These are the kind of movies Chan should be devoting his time to, not The Spy Next Door.

What it lacks in originality it makes up for in thrills and dramatic skill, hey maybe I’m a poet and I just don’t know it. Marky Mark is surrounded by perhaps the best supporting cast of the year including; Melissa Leo, Amy Adams and the always intense Christian Bale. The fights are full of highs and lows as are the heart aching scenes between it’s struggling characters, it’s a real knockout.

Rarely do I have the taste for political thrillers. Too often these kind of films seem to slip into convoluted plots, involving stiff characters with even more convoluted motivations, but leave it to a seasoned filmmaker like Roman Polanski to add a spark to the genre. A likable Ewan McGregor plays “The Ghost”, a talented ghostwriter hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Pierce “Mr . Charming” Brosnan), but what happens when he digs too deep? It’s suspenseful, dramatic, and clever, but not so much that it loses sight of telling a great story of deception and oh yes, death!

Had it not been for the award buzz, I may have never even heard about this subtle portrait of poverty and family hardship. The young Jennifer Lawrence carries this heavy drama (that borders on neo noir) with a stunning amount of professionalism and the supporting cast of dark and colorful characters truly bring this heartbreaker to life. I’ve been a fan of the talented actor John Hawkes since Deadwood, so he’s what originally drew me to this film, but he’s just one part of this heavy hitter. A prime example of a movie that doesn’t need big names to attract attention, just something to say.

Nothing like a well fashioned “Dramedy” to deliver both the laughs and tears we all look for in the movie going experience, the one’s of us that aren’t braindead anyway. It’s the classic high and low film about family, with a bit of a twist. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as a gay couple doesn’t sound too shocking to must of the people that will probably see it, but still I can’t recall seeing that in any recent film and in that case, it’s a breath of fresh air. Both leads are equally amusing, exchanging surprisingly genuine dialogue between their children (Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson) and who else but “Mr. Nice Guy” Mark Ruffalo. There’s awkward pauses and silences, it’s an excellently executed slice of life.

I still get dizzy thinking about the latest ADD survival film from Danny Boyle. Who thought you could make a movie about a guy (James Franco) pinned by a rock, so overwhelmingly intense? Maybe it’s the build up to that finale, I mean we all know what’s coming right? Even so it’s never dull or even remotely tedious. For that I think you can thank one; the energy of it’s star James Franco and two, the high adrenaline visual storytelling of Danny Boyle. That guy never wastes a frame and every one here is beyond intense.

You’ve heard of films that are nail-biters right? Well by the end of this one you’ll of probably knawed your whole arm off, a la Aron Ralston. Really, it’s that suspenseful and one of the best heist films in years. It’s like if Point Break and Heat had a baby and then gave it Surge cola, a roller-coaster of drama and some of the best action scenes of the year. Remember how people used to make fun of Ben Affleck? Like “Oh Bennifer, he was in Gigli he sucks blah blah.” well you can shut the fuck up now, because he’s proven himself with this one. Not only as an actor, but as well as a writer and director. I never lost faith in Ben Affleck but if you did, check this out, you’ll plummet right out of your seat and straight into the crossfire that is The Town.

The film that apparently can bring even the most hardened men to tears, I present to you Toy Story 3. It’s bittersweet saying goodbye to the beloved franchise, but what a way to go out. The story is moving and exciting, the laughs timely, and the animation awe inspiring. On one hand it’s like the conclusion to my childhood, but on the other it’ll be with me forever. Future generations are going to be spoiled with this beyond amazing catalog of classics Pixar has created and this is one of their best.

I remember how opposed I was to this once. “It’s not even that original of an idea, why should we put these douchebags in the spotlight?” But that’s not what it’s about. It’s not about the content of the creation as much as it is the struggle to protect that creation. I mean what can I say, a good story is a good story and Fincher and Sorkin deliver a film that’s not only fun to look at, but to listen to. It’s young stars are captivating including; the neurotic Mark (Jesse Eisenberg), the naive Eduardo (Andrew Garfield), the sly Sean (Justin Timberlake, never thought I’d compliment him) and my favorite, the arrogant but entertaining Winklevoss twins played mostly by (Armie Hammer.) With Facebook being one of the most defining social devices of our time, it only makes sense that The Social Network will go down as a defining film of this era, glad I was there to experience it.

Few films left me this year with the kind of goosebumps I received from viewing Black Swan, or should I say “swanbumps?” Darren Aronofosky has clearly emerged as one of the most interesting directors working today and Black Swan will only further his status as a true auteur. It’s an eerily beautiful film propelled by the eerily beautiful performance of Natalie Portman (possibly her best role to date.) It almost reminds me of the kind of nightmare Italian director Dario Argento would dream up, like Suspiria, which coincidentally is set at a ballet academy. The difference being that in all it’s twisted imagery and scenes, Black Swan is surprisingly coherent in it’s parallel of the iconic Swan Lake and that makes it dance circles around Suspria

As if it’s any surprise, Inception is an instant classic rich with visuals and metaphors. It’s the kind of film that taps into your mind and sits there, eventually laying eggs in your brain. The fact that writer/director Christopher Nolan can make a movie this dense a blockbuster hit, just goes to show that he knows entertainment and quality storytelling. He pulls our strings with suspense and fucks up our minds with one of the most clever films in years. He has truly incepted my heart.

When I look back at 2010, I’ll remember it as the year that I tried to get into two new genres. One was electronic music, which I would say was a great success thanks to terrific albums from the likes of Flying Lotus and Four Tet. Then there was my failed attempt to get into hip hop, although I didn’t really listen to modern music from that genre. I did think My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was kind of amazing in a terrible way. That Titus Andronicus album was really good. So was that album Brothers by that band the Black Keys. I even liked the new New Pornographers album. In fact, I listened to 41 albums in 2010, and had to make some painful cuts for this post. But these are the ones that stuck with me.

Gotta rep a Portland band while I still can. Because everyone knows once you move out of Oregon you must forget about it and your time spent there forever. Menomena has an interesting recording process that has resulted in a beautiful collection of intricate, complex songs. They’re melodic when they need to be, rocking when necessary. So what gave Mines an edge over some of the other amazing albums from the past year? Well, I’m not quite sure. I guess I like it a lot. I keep coming back for more, and I’d say that “Killemall” and “Tithe” are among my favorite tracks of all of 2010. While I loved something like The Monitor, I haven’t listened to it in its entirety since July. I listened to Mines over the weekend. This is just one of those terrifically accessible albums that anyone could enjoy and keep coming back to – even in the scary blank slate that is 2011.

Yeah, that’s right. More of that Oregon sound. Well, that’s probably not fair, since this sounds a lot more like Danger Mouse than the Shins. Whatever. I know Broken Bells is not the most popular pick for these lists since, well, the album was not that popular. But if you look at the criticism a lot of people levied against it, the main complaint is that it wasn’t a big enough departure for either of the artists. Maybe it’s because I haven’t heard much from either of them the past few years, but I’m OK with them not breaking a ton of new ground. This is one of the catchiest albums I heard all of last year, and the first album I was really looking forward to back in 2009. In a year with middling releases from the Gaslight Anthem, the Hold Steady, Interpol, MGMT, Murder By Death, and even Shout Out Louds, it was nice to hear some new material from guys I already knew that was really good.

Hey, here’s a band I knew nothing about a year ago. And yet there I was on the first day of summer perched on a hill watching them rock it out. So when I finally got home, I had to check out there new album, and, well, it’s awesome. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I like things that are awesome. I still haven’t gone back and checked out most of the Broken Social Scene discography, but Forgiveness Rock Record is, at the very least, enjoyable for newbies. Man, I actually saw a lot of bands live last year, didn’t I? It’s so easy to forget. Phoenix, Japandroids, My Morning Jacket, even that silly not-cowboy band. And Patton Oswalt! That guy’s funny. Remember when he made fun of “Home,” Colin? That’s a special moment that we’ll get to cherish forever.

Speaking of Colin, I believe he admitted to me that he at least really liked the first track off Swim. So that’s something I guess. I like most of them, but “Odessa” sure is nice. I love that Caribou called the album “swim” because they managed to give the entire thing an underwater feeling that I am in no way qualified to explain or even quantify. That’s right, double q-word sentence. Fuck me I’m tired. Um, here’s my advise for anyone who is not sure if they’ll like this album. Download it, put the whole thing in your library, and start playing the first track. Now here’s the tricky part: walk away. Not too far, you still want to be able to hear it. Just far enough that you won’t be tempted to change to something else. Just listen to the whole damn thing. You’ll get it. And then you’ll be like, “ah yeah, this is good.” Or, in the worst case scenario: “those were 40 minutes that I feel I wasted.”

Here’s another album that I feel like I enjoyed more than other critics simply because I haven’t listened to a Sufjan Stevens that wasn’t Illinoise. So, from my crazy point of view, that was his first album and this is his many-years-later followup. Maybe I should listen to more EPs. Anyway, oddly enough my most listened to track on The Age of Adz is the 25-minute “Impossible Soul” at the end of the album. Now, I like long songs, but that seems ridiculous even to me. How could this happen? I could have listened to the first track, “Futile Devices” over a hundred times more if I had spent my time listening to it instead of “Impossible Soul.” Boy, we can do much more together.

Is this real life? Is this a dream? Is this going to be forever? Questions such as these, which may or may not have been asked (and some would say, answered) by David after dentist will haunt your mind every second you spend listening to Halcyon Digest. You know what I mean? Of course you don’t, no one does. It never happens. Sorry, Ted, that’s a dumb question, skip that. Skip all these questions. Just go listen to the lush, beautiful album from another tremendous band from Georgia. No! That’s just what I’ll be expecting you to do! There’s a sale at Penny’s! It’s a damn good thing you don’t know how much he hates your guts. I guess the foot’s on the other hand now, isn’t it, reader?

I’ve never been raped, but I imagine rapists say something along the lines of “this is happening” while they’re assaulting you and you’re trying to fight them off. So this is kind of like LCD Soundsystem is raping me. He lures you in, sounding all quiet and friendly, talking like a jerk, except you actually are a jerk. Then he lunges at you, instantly getting louder, and indeed, bolder. He has his way with you, making you feel like drunk girls as he takes his one touch. All I want is to get away at this point, but he won’t let me. “I can change,” he says. “You wanted a hit, right?” I ask, he hesitates, trying to understand what I meant and then: Pow Pow! My one two punch knocks him off as I get away. Somebody’s calling me, I hear him trying to give chase. But it’s too late, I’ve escaped. Time to go home.

You ever wonder why this album is called Teen Dream? I’m not sure what’s so “teen” about it, although it certainly is dreamlike. Seems to me like albums as good as this should be given away for free to anyone who’s having a bad day or is just really tired or over-thinking things. There is a tender, emotional quality to Beach House’s music that soothes me, like one of those dudes who makes snakes dance. It’s just that charming. According to this iTunes I’ve listened to Teen Dream 27 times since I last restored my iTunes library, which was, I believe, around September. Is that a lot? For me, yes. Not for all people though. Frankly, it’s a rather useless bit of information that will ultimately make no difference in anyone’s life. I’m sorry for wasting your time.

This just goes on forever, doesn’t it? I’m so goddamn tired. Anyway, like Johnny O I just got into the National this year in time to go see them live. That makes me sound really spoiled, doesn’t it? I’m seeing them live, so I should probably familiarize myself with their music. Meanwhile, there are people all over the country who have loved the National since they released their first single who have never been afforded a chance to see them live. Please forgive me for my selfishness. If it makes you feel any better, I did really like High Violet. Especially as the weather took a turn for the colder and I lost sleep in favor of schoolwork. I should probably write some specifics, but frankly I’m still listening to Teen Dream right now and that’s making me keep forgetting what the National sound like.

These people out there, they look at Arcade Fire and Funeral and say, “Whelp, they’re done.” Well, let me let you in on a secret: Arcade Fire’s been getting better with each album. Sure, they haven’t matched the raw emotionality of Funeral in there last two albums, but the group has continued to pursue more complex songwriting and themes somehow more challenging than life and death. We all live and we all will die. Arcade Fire has moved on, and their latest project, about growing up in the suburbs, shows the universality of that experience, the good and the bad. While that means they won’t be scoring any amazing movie trailers with the new stuff, that doesn’t mean the new stuff isn’t good. In fact, it’s amazing. Wow, what a terrible ending to a questionable post. I apologize for my writing.

There was a lot of music that came of 2010 that I really enjoyed. I think my grand total for albums was around 25, which is considerably more than I usually end up with. I’m not sure if I’m becoming more open towards new music, or if I’m just running out of older music to listen to. But either way, there were so many albums I liked this year that I actually felt compelled to do some honorable mentions for once.

I had hard time keeping more sonically impressive albums like the latest from Deerhunter and Kanye off my list. But for my number 10, I decided to go for something much less ambitous, but equally arresting. It’s not often that I go for folksy acoustic singer-songwriter music, but something about The Wild Hunt really jumped out at me in a way that an album like this rarely does. I think Kristian Matsson’s voice is what really did it for me, which seemed to be the tipping point for most people in regards to his music.

9. Sufjan Stevens – The Age Of Adz

Probably among the most brash albums of the year, all coming from a musician usually known for his shy and reserved persona. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have given this album a second listen if it wasn’t for the fact that it was coming from the man responsible for Michigan and Illinois, but it’s definitely an album that rewarded me for my patience. There’s plenty of Stevens’ warmth and tenderness beneath all the electronic fuzz that encompasses the album, and it all culminates in a stellar 25-minute rave-up jam that seems only fitting for an album of such ambitious personal reflection.

8. Beach House – Teen Dream

I think in my original review of Teen Dream I said that this isn’t the type of thing of thing that I usually listen to, but now that seems like a load of shit. Sure it’s lush and atmospheric, but more than anything else the songs are superbly crafted and full of impenetrable beauty. It’s an album that was easy for me to get lost in, and that’s not something I usually aim for in a piece of music. So big ups to Beach House.

Easily the most controversial album among Da Morgue writers, but one that easily had me on the pro-Contra side of the equation. More or less, Vampire Weekend have made exactly what a follow-up to a great debut should sound like. They build on all the plucky joy that was there in the first album, all while bringing out more of the diverse influences that seemed to be bubbling just beneath the surface.

6. Best Coast – Crazy For You

For me this album is pretty much the definition of ear candy, and yet I couldn’t help myself from falling for it on a deeper level. Musically and lyrically, everything on Crazy For You sounds like the most naively simplistic love songs, but I think it’s in that simplicity that the album’s appeal lies. Sometimes you need music like this to remind you that modern music doesn’t have to be cluttered with cutting edge self-consciousness, as there’s always plenty to be found in the simple pleasures of some lovely pop songs.

 

Arcade Fire have often struck as a band whose grandeur has always been their most apparent quality. But the “sprawl”-ing nature of The Suburbs shows that there’s many sides to the band, and pretty much all of them are pretty damn impressive. I don’t think I ever envisioned Arcade Fire as a band that I’d be continuing to be invested in as the years go by, but here I am talking about their third fantastic album in a row. Here’s hoping to many more.

I feel like the time of year may have inflated the position of this album, as Lisbon has been the perfect “winter album” for me so far. But either way, this is an album that has turned me into a Walkmen fan, and has reminded me again that an unpolished, minimalist approach to rock n’ roll isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Also, I have a hard time not loving an album that has something as morose and beautiful as “Stranded” as well as something as rip-roaringly awesome as “Angela Surf City”.

3. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

LCD Soundsystem, I hardly knew yee. Just as I’m starting to get in to this band, James Murphy decides this’ll be his last album under the LCD moniker. I’d probably be unhappy with this if it wasn’t for the fact that this album might be about as high a note as one could hope to go out on. It’s a great culmination of the charmingly immature dance jams that marked the earlier LCD records, along with the more introspective tendencies that have marked Murphy’s more recent songs. Having your cake and eating it too, now that’s a way to go out.

It’s easy to harp on a band that puts out three albums in a row that essentially have the same sonic approach to them. It’s much harder to harp on a band that puts out a trilogy of albums that are as hauntingly beautiful, intricately executed, and weirdly relatable as Alligator, Boxer, and High Violet. However, this doesn’t feel like a band merely rehashing their signature sound, but getting a better feel for it, and finding all sorts of different textures and nuances that can be applied to it. Whether they decide to stay the course with this sound or tear it down, I’m certain whatever they do next will be something to look forward to.

1. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

It’s not often that a band you’ve never heard of comes out of no where and knocks you on your ass. It’s even less often that it’s done with a garage/punk album filled with anthems about the New Jersey suburbs crossed with the Civil War, but that’s what The Monitor did for me. I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect album by any measure. Much like the war it was inspired by, it’s an epic, meandering, and bloody mess, but it’s a beautiful mess that had me truly engaged in it every time I listened to it. 2010 was a year in which a lot of my favorite albums tended to be generally larger in scope, but really nothing matched the ragged majesty or firey intensity of The Monitor.

Another year, another top ten list. Out of the 24 albums I heard this year, I discovered a barrel full of albums I liked, but not very many that I loved. Though there’s still a lot out there that I’m yet to check out, most notably the latest from Arcade Fire who I’ll give a chance someday and I’m sure there’s others. Anyhow, it was still a good year for me and music in general, so here’s my final ten in all it’s glory.

Though the songs aren’t quite as memorable or the catchy as the tunes on the joyous Grand, key and drum duo Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino have really stepped up their game in the studio. Almost every track on Sidewalks sounds as big as the New York borough they hail from. I just wish there were more individual tracks that stood out but what it lacks in catchy singles it makes up for in grooves which will keep you movin’ all day long.

From the moment I heard “Let’s Go Surfing” I was excited for this indie debut and for the most part it was worth the wait. I think it’s the approach more than anything that excites me here. Surf music with an 80s touch? Or is it 80s music with a Surf music touch? All I know is I’m digging the synths and dueling guitars with more beach twang than you could wave a board at. These guys have really established an attractive sound without being derivative and punched out some poppy tunes along the way.

Initially this wasn’t even going to crack my top ten, but somehow it became implanted into my brain like a distorted rock n’ roll tumor. Now that’s a true testament to Neil’s presence, songwriting, and guitar playing as Le Noise is no more than Neil, a guitar, and the light touch of producer Daniel “Le Noise” Lanois. That’s all it is… And it hella rocks! Still I can only imagine how much more it could of rocked with ya know, like drums and bass. Though that doesn’t change the fact that these are great songs and Neil hasn’t lost any of his edge, it’s only evolved into Old Man angst.

It’s been a gradual process, but I’ve finally come to appreciate the sleepy allure of The National. Seriously that guy really needs to get some sleep, but I suppose that’s what makes The National well, The National. It’s meaningful and emotional music with a kind of sophistication that remarkably feels genuine. You could go on with all that kind of over analysis, but really it’s just music that feels vey honest and soulful and I find that very appealing.

The fact that I even found about this band is pure luck. I was just randomly flipping through radio stations one day when somehow, I stumbled across the delightfully catchy “Girls FM”. I don’t remember what station it was and haven’t heard it on the radio since, so if it wasn’t for that moment I may have never found about this punchy pop/punk trio. The album is essentially a blender of melodic pop and whiny garage rock, but it grows on you and I’m really glad I discovered this little rock nugget.

Seeing that it would be darn near impossible to replicate the awesomeness of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon returns to more familiar territory with Transference. Meaning it’s more of Spoon’s trademark, unconventional rock approached in the most basic way possible and I’m always down for that. Not to mention the sheer rawness accompanied by the presence of Britt Daniels (One of my favorite vocalists in modern rock) always gives me chills. If You’re not much of a Spoon fan this probably wont win you over, but it you are pump it up.

What a year for The Black Keys with the release of their most successful and arguably best album yet. I feel like I can’t even flip on the TV without seeing one of their bluesy tunes in some kind of commercial (Usually ones about trucks). The sound is bigger, the riffs are infectious, and these new tunes just might be their best yet. It rocks, it’s funky, it’s bluesy and it’s full on primal emotion. I think it helped that they expanded their sound beyond just drum and guitar and I pray they continue this approach. I wish I could make it higher but my final three is in my eyes, too damn solid.

What I love about James Murphy, is it’s like he’s a rock and roller working in the Electronic medium, resulting in Electro/Pop that sounds like no other. From the slow, building, synth of the eight minute “Dance Yrself Clean” I was hooked and here I am as someone who usually doesn’t care for long songs. Whether it’s a 3 minute or 10 minute song, James Murphy always finds ways to keep it fresh and exciting, it’s too bad I didn’t give him a listen until so late in the game.

I didn’t know how this preppy pop group would be able follow up their smash debut, but by golly, they found away. So here we have it, another worldly rock record that even treads electronic waters and stays afloat. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the absolute, best followup anyone could of asked for and from here on, I think we can look forward to many, many, years of this group producing great music.

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood albums of the year. I mean critics liked it well enough, but there seemed to be an outcry from listeners that felt alienated. As for me, I get it, and I love it. Such a bold and daring move for a still relatively new band, I applaud the experiment, but really it’s the quality of the music that makes it such a proud achievement. I think I described it in my original review as, “Like if The Flaming Lips and The Beach Boys had an orgy.” A statement that I still wholeheartedly stand by. Like a psychedelic surfs up across unknown rock waters, or whatever the hell that means, Congratulations is a delightful enigma. Perhaps the fact that this album is so hard to describe maybe one the reasons I love it so.

Honorable Mention

She & Him – Volume 2: There are some great old school pop tracks on this second collaboration between actress/musician Zooey Deschanel and musican/producer M. Ward. It almost has a similar sway to the songs of Roy Orbison, unfortunately it loses some pep as the album descends into sleepy ballads.

The New Pornographers – Together: This was originally my number ten until I realized I never actually listened to the whole thing. It’s good, but I kind of need to uh, listen to it first before I come to a conclusion.

Let us reflect back on aviation events of 2010. These are the top ten aviation happenings by media coverage over the past year.

10. Does it Really Exist?
One of the biggest aviation feats of this year occurred without anyone really knowing. The United States Air Force, with help from Boeing and Nasa built a fully automated, robot shuttle. They launched the shuttle into space in August and it returned to Earth, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in late November. For the four months that the shuttle was in orbit, without civilians knowing about it, the craft completed multiple tests and airworthiness directives. When it landed, the Air Force did release a photo and a small article about the vehicle. Little specifics still have yet to be known, but the shuttle is going to be used for ‘cargo’ missions and will remain an entirely lifeless operation. This shuttle, though so covert, shows the marvel in 2010 engineering, not only can we fly to space but we can do it completely from a computer screen on the ground. Space colonization is near.

9. A New form of Identification
In a world where the fear of an aircraft attack is omnipresent, it’s a wonder why pilot’s never had a picture on their actual license. As it stands now, to act as a pilot in command of an airplane, the pilot is required to carry (among other supplies) there FAA license, a picture id, and current medical certificate. The license though just has a few words, explaining the pilot’s certifications, and on the back lays a picture of Orville and Wilbur Wright, but no photo of your own. Recently however, the Federal Aviation Administration has begun implementing a two year process to put a picture and biometric identification on the license itself. This is exciting especially amongst the pilot community because now Pilot’s will be able to use their license as a form of government issued id.

8. The Fate of Nasa
The National Aeronautical and Space Administration was created during the Kennedy presidency to complete a simple mission: put a man on the moon. From its inception in the fifties, NASA has grown into a huge organization under the federal executive branch. In fact, over 1% of national spending annually is spent on NASA. Look at all the accomplishments though; several missions to the moon, telescopic satellites that have traveled the planets charting and sending back information, in fact, the Voyager Space craft is over ten billion miles from our planet and will shortly exit the solar system. These are just some of the major projects of numerous that NASA has worked on over the years. Unfortunately, during this recession, President Obama has made the decision to privatize the space market and drastically cut back the NASA space program. Note that NASA will still be the chief administrator of air and space in this country, but will not be doing everything from start to finish. Only three shuttle missions remain, with the last scheduled to launch in February, meaning that the shuttle program will probably be over by summer of next year. It’s too bad that such an accomplished organization has to go through such drastic change. One of the biggest impacts may be on America’s children. When I was growing up, the astronauts and NASA were such an inspirational image that tomorrow’s generation won’t get. Some hope still exists for space exploration, Space X, one of multiple private organizations that are now trying to fill in NASA’s developing gap, successfully launched a rocket into orbit three weeks ago. The rocket will be used in future years under contract from NASA to transport astronauts to the world’s most expensive single item: the international space station.

7. Not all Airlines Suffer
In time of recession and demise, the airlines are not expected to be doing well. Higher fuel costs and lower passenger travel combined with aging aircraft have created a tough time the airlines. The industry has coped with this by hurting the passenger; less service, more charges, and least helpful, more expensive fares. Within this economic sector, however, there is jewel. Seattle based Alaska Airlines has completed its most profitable year since the company began operations over thirty years ago. Alaska, one of few airlines that remain distant from one of three global alliances, serves primarily the west coast of the United States and the state of Alaska. In 2007, Alaska began its first flights to Hawaii from its hub in Seattle, and today it offers the most flights to Hawaii behind only Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska has also expanded its route network to many east coast cities from Anchorage, Seattle, or Los Angeles, the airlines largest hubs. Currently, Alaska has a stock price around $52.00 a share, one of the highest in the industry. Speculation exists whether or not Alaska will be absorbed by one of the larger, remaining legacy carriers, however Alaska, with its unique route map and high stock price, the airline will likely remain independent for a long time. Hopefully the success of Alaska this year will spread to other airlines in the domestic industry.

6. Boeing: Hope and Failure
Boeing, the country’s largest exporter and industries largest company, has been in the news quite a bit over the last few years, especially in negative nature. The 787, which after a three year delay finally took its first flight in November of 2009, with hopes of a delivery in late 2010. The flight test program for the new aircraft, which has spanned all this year, has gradually declined ending with a fire in one of the test airplanes last month, grounding the fleet. The electric panel that caused the fire has been found and fixed, but, at the expense of yet another delay to the programs first commercial delivery. As of now, first delivery is expected for late 2011, but I personally expect no deliveries until 2012. Despite the 787’s failure, the company as a whole remains in good shape. The next generation of the 747, the -8 freighter and -8 intercontinental both accomplished their first flights this year and are expected to enter service next year, on schedule.

5. Rolls Royce: Whoops
Air Transportation is the safest way to get from place to place, but it is not immune to accidents. The biggest aircraft accident of this year has to be Qantas A380 enroute to Sydney that had to return to Singapore shortly after takeoff because of an engine failure last November. The inboard engine on the left wing, a Rolls Royce Trent 1000, encountered an oil pressure failure within the core of the engine which led to the engine blowing up and sending shards everywhere. A two foot hole even ripped straight through that wing of the aircraft. This catastrophic failure wasn’t able to take any lives as a qualified crew brought the damaged plane back to Singapore and got it on the ground, safely. Qantas has since grounded all of its A380 fleet and have put their 747-400’s on the routes formerly flown by the airplane. Airbus and Rolls Royce have actively been searching for a solution to the problems. The first being solely with Rolls Royce and the engine exploding. The second came as a sort of surprise to EADS subsidiary Airbus seeing that the aircraft underwent significant damage because of the failure. The Trent series engines are used throughout different aircrafts and airlines, including some Boeing products such as the new 787. The British engine manufacture, Rolls Royce’s stock prices tanked after the event and have yet to recover. This event revealed weakness in aircraft design but also a promising resolution with an excellent flight crew.

4. Smaller Skies
Airline mergers in no way should be considered as new news. Successful airline mergers however, have become virtually unheard of, until now. The year began with the completion of the Northwest merger with Delta airlines, forming the world’s largest airline. Planning and plenty of time for preparation can be thanked for allowing such a smooth transition. This merger is considered successful not just for the quality of integration but the fact that Delta reported making a profit again, something the airline hasn’t accomplished since the recession. Since the Delta merger went so well, United and Southwest Airlines decided to jump on the merger plane, too. This summer, United announced plans to acquire Continental Airlines, and in October the Department of Transportation approved the merger. This merger combined two larger airlines with routes and aircraft less complimentary then the Delta and Northwest merger. In addition, the airlines took two okay liveries and combined to make one that looks pretty stupid. Since the plane needs to be repainted anyway, they should have made a whole new livery. Another surprise this year that has gotten plenty of press coverage was budget carrier, Southwest Airline’s decision to purchase Air Tran, another low-cost model operator. This acquisition is probably the most exciting of the three mergers of this year. First, it will add international routes and Air Trans heavy east coast presence to Southwest. Also, for the first time in the company’s history, it will operate an aircraft type other than the 737, choosing to continue operation of Air Tran’s 717 fleet. The massive expansion for Southwest will put even more pressure on the other airlines to keep fares low, overall helping the customer. Though mergers are great for the airlines, they typically raise ticket prices, but, this Southwest one should help keep prices down. In a time of efficiency the airlines look to mergers as a good opportunity, thus far recent mergers have been much more successful than the American absorption of Trans World Airlines earlier this decade that almost pushed the airline into bankruptcy.

3. Failed Bombings
In passenger travel, essentially every piece of baggage as well as every person must be scanned and checked for explosive and dangerous material. The cargo market however remains relatively open, with little screening of the cargo before the flight. This September and October the Middle East released its newest forms of terrorist plots by placing explosive material on cargo aircraft with intention to explode the aircraft over United States soil. Two Federal Express flights originating in the Middle East, with layovers in England, were discovered to have explosives on board in disguise as printer toner cartridges. In an act not really known by the public, international intelligence was able to identify the packages before the planes reached U.S. land and disable them. The origin of the packages remains unknown. A United Parcel Service 747 that exploded over Dubai this summer might have been the result of a hidden explosive. I formally request that the terrorists leave air travel alone, I take these attacks personally.

2. Holy Ash!
Behind the oil spill, nothing packed the news more this summer than the eruption of Mount Eyjafjallajoekull in Iceland. The ash from the volcano spewed into the atmosphere and traveled throughout the atmosphere of the North Atlantic. Canceling thousands of flights over the course of weeks, nothing took a larger toll on the airlines this year. Ash, carrying thick heavy sediment, gets sucked into the aircraft’s jet engine, becoming the equivalent of glue, killing the engine. Ash from a volcano in Alaska caused a British Airways 747 to temporarily lose all of its engines a few years ago. Eventually, the ash cleared and the flights were able to fly again. The impact though was catastrophic, causing delays lasting nearly a month long on some passengers.

1. “You touch my junk; you’ll have a law suit!”
As touched on earlier, security screening of the passengers has become a necessary and now unpleasant task. In response to last year’s Christmas Day underpants bomber, the Transportation Security Administration implemented the use of full-body scanners at the top 100 airports of the United States. Using either back-scatter or low-level x-rays, the body scanners produce a digital image of the individual, head to toe, revealing everything on the person. The scanners are extremely effective but a pretty big change from the metal detector. Time for example is one of those factors. Instead of walking through a metal detector in a few seconds, the full body scanners take about 20 seconds or more per person. Privacy though has become the biggest issue. These scanners, producing a full image of you naked, are revealed to a TSA agent in another room that analyzes the image. It has been described as virtual porn. Not to mention, the scanners do send a little radiation into your body, so gentlemen, protect them testes. Now if you don’t want to get your body scanned, you get an even worse and more invasive, full-body grouping, I mean search that has been described as demoralizing. Since their implementation, the scanners have got a ton of press coverage, especially after a person in San Diego filmed the entire process of him being kicked out of the airport because he didn’t want to be scanned on his iphone. The position of the TSA to keep the skies safe is understandable, but I don’t feel that air transportation is at a point that requires a strip search, virtual or real, for every passenger. The TSA has seemed to quell coverage on the scanners, perhaps considering other options.

Well there you have it. These events are the biggest of 2010, for more information on any aviation matter, I recommend airliners.net and aopa.com.

As another year comes to a close it’s time to look back at the media that helped us get through it and will remind us of it in the distant future. This was meant to be the first week of a three week event, although Nancy seems to busy to post and Kevin is having his own troubles. Regardless, look for music next week and movies the week after that.

2010 was an interesting year for games, with a really spread out release calendar. Usually I have to wait for November to play my most anticipated games, but it seemed like there was a big release coming out every month right up until December, which, as we all know, is too late in the year for anyone to release anything good.

The number 10 spot is always a tricky one. Do I reward a franchise for reinventing itself (Splinter Cell: Conviction)? Do I single out an amazingly fun, but stupid game (Just Cause 2)? Do I talk about some of the great downloadable games that came out this past year (Pac-Man CE DX, Limbo, Super Meat Boy)? How about one of the most competent games of the year instead? Kratos is angry, and so he’s going to kill everybody. That seems to be the entire plot of God of War III, which picks up right after the second game and then kicks our “hero” around enough that he just doesn’t seem to care anymore. Kill the Gods, kill the Titans, kill the innocent people caught in-between. And enjoy some exceptionally pretty visuals and solid combat along the way. You could complain about the weapons being too similar or other unessential nitpicks, but at the end of the day I enjoyed putting an end to a story that started back while I was still in high school.

Heavy Rain is not a great movie or work of fiction, but it’s one hell of a compelling gaming experience that sticks with you like glue from outer space. I can’t think of any title before this one that worked so hard at making you care about the characters you play as, making you experience the minutia of their lives. While not all of that pays off in the end, what does work works really well, and in a way no one has seen before. Sure, it’s easy to laugh at the ridiculous accents and some of the moments can be ruined by silly gamers, but can you think of anything as thrilling as the segment driving on the freeway in the wrong direction? The finger chopping scene? The murder? Did you even get those moments? Was my experience totally different from yours? It probably was, and that’s another reason why Heavy Rain is a game that helped make 2010 worth remembering.

I really liked that first Devil May Cry. The third one was good too. The fourth one was alright, I guess. But this new game, Bayonetta, well, that’s something special. She’s a hyper-sexualized witch/stripper/librarian on a journey of revenge and self-discovery, but the why doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that Bayonetta kicks some stylish ass, and then shoots it, and the cuts it with a sword. Watching Bayonetta play out was among the most mind-boggling experience I’ve had, and that’s not a bad thing. I mean, where else but in video games do you get to see a woman turn her skin-tight leather suit, which is actually made of her hair, into a giagantic demon dog head that goes on to devour a spear wielding angel monster while said lady does sexy dance moves on rubble falling a seemingly infinite height? Where, I ask you.

And so the music genre of video games comes to an end, not with a whimper but with a glorious chorus of keyboards and vocal harmonies. Rock Band 3 is the logical conclusion of this legendary franchise, which not only adds a new instrument but modes to actually teach people to play their instruments all by themselves. Learning a new instrument for the game is an experience we haven’t had in years and while it has been a struggle it has also been a lot of fun and somehow a little bit nostalgic. The UI makes all the necessary improvements and of course you can play all the songs in your massive song library. I just wish I didn’t have to buy songs all over again. Now that Harmonix is independent again, I hope the can just go on making DLC for, I don’t know, the rest of my life.

Assassin’s Creed II was a helluva game. Brotherhood is better. The Desmond stuff is better than it has ever been, actually turning the rag-tag crew of futuristic assassins into people I didn’t mind talking with and rooting for. Ezio is just as badass as ever, taking up the mantle of leadership in the assassin’s guild of Renaissance Italy. Rome is an amazing city to run around and kill people in. Ubisoft has gone so far from the first title in the series. Earlier complaints of repetition have been destroyed by a robust collection of addictive sidequests and the sheer number of collectibles hidden all over the city. Plus, what other game let’s you hang out with Da Vinci and Machiavelli in-between murder sessions? It’s even got multiplayer that is actually pretty fun and is being supported by free DLC, or as I like to call it “free-LC.” That sounds better when said than when written.

“Hell, it’s about time.” One of the most anticipated games in recent memory finally made it to store shelves this summer, and has become a fact of life for gamers all over the world since then. While I’ll never be good enough to truly enjoy what most people come to StarCraft II to play, spending more than a month going through the singleplayer campaign, the ingenious challenge mode and even a few matches with friends made it totally clear that this is a landmark game. It’s also the most watchable game I’ve ever seen, as I’ve probably spent more time watching matches on YouTube and uSteam than actually playing StarCraft II at this point. Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking about eSports. Deal with it. South Korea’s cool with them, why can’t I be? Watching pro-level StarCraft II is like watching professional 3D chess in fast forward, but with blood.

As soon as I got to fly in the Burning Crusade expansion, I’ve been waiting to fly in Azeroth proper. “But we’d have to remake the world,” Blizzard said. “So do it, you makes crazy money every month,” I said. So they did. And Cataclysm is the best work they’ve ever done. Questing is crazy fun, the new races are great and while the level 85 cap is dumb, thinks are looking bright for the endgame as well. I genuinely enjoyed watching my druid gain tens of thousands of HP as he gained those last five levels, and the simplified talent trees allowed me to actually build my spec on my own instead of looking up a guide on the Internet (which I probably should have done). Blizzard has definitely reshaped the game to be simpler, more fun, and yet more tactical and skill-based than ever before. There’s never been a better time to hop into the World of Wacraft.

The beloved Halo franchise bids farewell to its creator with Reach, the best game in the franchise. I know that’s kind of hard to swallow, what with Master Chief being sidelined in favor of dudes and a lady we’ve never met before, but the concept of a planet being taken over by aliens while humanity desperately tries to fight back, and later simply survive, is more compelling than the intergalactic stories we’re used too. It helps that we dealt with a much smaller cast of characters who were more willing to take off their helmets and let you get to know them. But now they’re dead. Plus space battles, jet packs and the most robust multiplayer suite thus far, with all sorts of great armor customization, gameplay mode flexibility and even the Forgeworld, a land you can alter any way you wish. This is the definitive Halo experience, and my current online FPS of choice.

Cowboy’s never got their just reward in video games. Every once in a while, someone would take a shot at the old west, but it never quite paid off. Rockstar changed that with Red Dead Redemption, which is not only the best cowboy game ever, but possibly the best game the studio has ever put out. John Marsten is a tremendous character to play as, and his version of the old west is fully realized. This is simply one of the best stories I’ve ever played, with a remarkable cast and a satisfying series of endings that delivers a profound sense of closure. It’s also worth pointing out that this amazingly robust game also includes a complete mutliplayer package that I hear is a lot of fun, but haven’t touched myself. There’s so much to do, to see, to experience in Red Dead Redemption you could probably play is for the rest of next year too.

The sequel to 2007’s Mass Effect came out in January and I could still play it right now. That’s after three substantial DLC releases and multiple attempts at playthroughs. Hell, I’ve even thought about replaying the first game to set up the ideal Mass Effect 2 run. The new combat system is terrific, making the game a competent third person shooter made exceptional by the biotic and technical powers that you and your squad can use. I love how Bioware streamlined the RPG systems, making character leveling substantially less complex and turning armor into a fun cosmetic experience instead of a constant battle against your inventory. The story is great too, crushing you with the gravity of your suicide mission right through the end. Mass Effect 2 is everything I love about video games and a reminder of why the medium remained my favorite in 2010. Now let’s get that Mass Effect 3 already.