Let's recap, shall we?

2010 happened.  It's a fact.  And in a matter of hours it'll be relegated to the history books.  Personally it's been a pretty record breaking year.  Not all necessarily good records or records that I'll share but, be that as it may, a very remarkable year.  For the first time in a long time I've had a year wrought with more realizations of ideas/plans than cathartic realizations.  My hands have gotten dirtier this year.  Maybe I'll get some actual calluses in 2011.  I've both had more expendable finance and been more destitute than previously in life.  I've met some good people and lost good people.  I've seen a lot of places that I didn't imagine I would.
On this day dedicated to the summation of a year  I'll now present you with my 2010 honors.  It's not very concise and has been thrown together only in the past week or so.  Just a heads up: A lot of the honorees that made this list may not have actually been released in 2010 as sometimes I'm a bit late with keeping up with new media.  I'm trying to stay as up to date as I can but there are things that have had a profound affect on me this year that are well older than a year.  I'm sure I've left out a number of things that should be mentioned.  At least next year I'll have this blog to look back on to jog my memory. Speaking of next year, I'm keeping my resolution simple: and that resolution is to give more toasts. Nothing keeps you grounded in the moment more than verbalizing it.  Toasts make you seek out the good and to appreciate it.  It also requires that I spend more time breaking bread (and uncorking) with those I care about. But alas, that's all for tomorrow.  On to the past...

Most Memorable Moment of 2010

Singing Solsbury Hill with Matt C. at Matt G.'s bachelor party

Honorable Mention

Performing with The Suite D's at Pabstolutely 3

Materializing the Youngstown Freak League

The Suite D's in Scottsbluff NE

...and just last night at Matt E.'s house after hours with J.Nutt (shame on all of us)

Best new acquaintance of 2010 (tie)

Debbie E./

Cherise B.

It's true, I don't get to see or talk to Deb as much as I could when we worked together, and Cherise has been pretty damned flakey (yea, I said it) I've had some of the best times of 2010 with these ladies.  Whether it'd been on the basketball court setting up pick and rolls with Deb or not salsa dancing with Cherise, they'd both aided in turning around more than a few situations which otherwise would have only been tolerable.  

Honorable Mention

That would just be in poor taste but if I met you this year and you're not mentioned above, step it up! Try feeding me or buying me things.

Best Movie 

A Serious Man - Ethan & Joel Coen

F*ck this movie.  It's so exquisite.  Up until this point I've still only seen it once but the impact is still felt.  Far and away my favorite Coen Brothers movie and that's no small feat with the caliber of the work they've put out.  Eerie and illuminating, this flick is dripping with subtlety and allusion.  I wrote a small interpretation on IMDB immediately after watching it but it seems to have been taken down when they reformatted.  I'd actually just received the movie from Netflix yesterday and will likely watch it this weekend.  It will be an event.  

Honorable Mention

Big Man Japan

Inception

Tokyo! 

Favorite Book Read This Year: 

(I haven't read any books released in 2010 so I'm gonna give this honor to:)

Dirty Hands (1948) - JP Sartre

I haven't read much in 2010.  Not much at all.  Dirty Hands is actually a short story included in the collection No Exit (and 3 other plays).  I've owned said collection for a number of years but never got around to reading Dirty Hands.  Throughout it's 5 acts (mostly played out in flashback) you're invited to some of the best internal conflict played out through Hugo as he ponders the justification of carrying out a political assassination.  Sartre, in my opinion, has been the best at character development and laying out the innermost conflicts of his characters.  This piece isn't as good as No Exit or The Wall but it is signature Sartre.  And the way that the finale plays out will have the hairs on the back of your neck at attention. "Unsalvageable!"

Honorable Mention

Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates (2001) - Tom Robbins

Best Album

King Warrior Magician Lover - Rob Roy

I may be a little biased on this one.  You know when you discover something on your own without being directed by MTV (as if they still played music) or Pandora and it's all your own.  You try to turn your friends on to it, beeming like a proud parent.  Not to say that it's not a great album.  It'll have you bobbing your head from start to finish.  There are a couple of kinks in the armor but nothing that can't be forgiven.  It's an independent release and quite an impressive one.  

Honorable Mention

Plastic Beach - Gorillaz

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

Best Song 

Flat Of The Blade - Massive Attack (Heligoland)

glitchy at it's beginning it soon becomes something far more brooding, which is right down my alley.  It's a sinister track which features the most delicate and classical vocals by Guy Garvey.  The lyrics are very evocative as well.  Basically everything a song needs to have me hooked.  

Honorable Mention
Carmencita - Rob Roy (King Warrior Magician Lover)

Leave House - Caribou (Swim)

Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz (Plastic Beach)
Believer - M.I.A. (/\/\/\Y/\)

Best Television

Peep Show series 7

Peep show has been one of the shows I've had the pleasure of being introduced to and marathoning from beginning to end this year (along with the honorably mentioned Rescue Me).  As I've previously noted in the blog the first 6 series are all available on Hulu and I've watched them all several times.  Imagine my delight when I found out that series 7 was about to air in the UK.  Imagine my further delight upon being tipped off that series 7 has been uploaded to YouTube almost immediately after it's aired in the UK.  The season has just closed and has been among the best seasons of the program.  The finale didn't leave me breathless but I'm still very excited to see what becomes of the duo amid these new changes. 

Honorable Mention

Parks And Recreation season 2

Community season 2

Curb Your Enthusiasm season 7

Rescue Me (why was season 6 so terrible?)

Best Videogame

Mass Effect 2 (Bioware)

I haven't played many videogames this year.  I realized that at the last minute when I realized that I'm a videogamer and probably needed to include this category.  I've missed out on Limbo (only playing the Demo which even still threatened to make it onto this list) and Shadow Complex.  Super Meat Boy and Splinter Cell: Conviction.  All major releases that any true videogamer should have atleast rented.  But anyway.  ME2 is a great game hands down.  On many game of the year lists and with good reason.  Most of those reasons being story-based but the gameplay is MUCH improved from the original Mass Effect.  I'm super excited for the end of the trilogy late 2011. 

Honorable Mention

Alan Wake (Remedy)

Red Dead Redemption (Rock Star Games)




So that's that.  And so goes my reflection on this year save for any last minute sentiments when the ball drops tonight.  We now move on to bigger and better things. So here's to 2011: May we hold dear to the progress we've made and never forget the misteps we've taken.  Cheers