My top ten of 2010

Deerhunter, "He Would Have Laughed" (from Halcyon Digest). The transition to the last melodic section of this song—beginning at about the 5:20 mark—is my favorite musical moment of 2010.

Killer Mike & T.I.P, "(Grandhustle) Ready Set Go." The best hip-hop production of 2010.

Nicki Minaj's verse on Kanye's "Monster." The album itself is good but in no way essential or classic. The production already sounds dated and "Power" may be the most boring song ever to generate so much hype. But Minaj nails everything on this verse: lyrics, timing, intonation, and—most importantly—menace.

Catfish. Don't read anything about it, just find a way to watch it. (Guilty pleasure: Kick-Ass. Chloe Moretz kills it as Hit Girl.)

"The Rejected" (Mad Men season 4, episode 4). My favorite episode of last season is the first time we see 1960s counterculture begin to bubble-up through the slick, modernist facade. ("The Suitcase" is also very good.)

This Ask Metafilter thread from May. Reading it still gets me a little choked-up. One user of the service sought the help of his fellow MeFites in convincing two Russian friends not to fall victim to a human trafficking scam here in the United States. The massive outpouring of advice, support, and donations eventually resulted in a happy ending and at least one poignant interview on a Newsweek blog.

2 Years in Prison—A Man's Story. You may think your impression of prison has been sufficiently ridded of naiveté. Prepare to have that impression reupholstered.

Lagunitas Brewing Company's Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. West Coast pale ales are my favorite genre of drink. This is tops.

Jason Hayward's first at-bat. My sports highlight of the year, ranking just above the Olympic hockey final and group-winning US goal in the World Cup.

The ash cloud. The sub- and superterranean tangled in April when Eyjafjallajokull led to the biggest disruption of European air traffic since World War II. It also spawned some neat visualizations and Stranded, a MagCloud issue produced by a bunch of stuck travelers.