Just think of all the technological advances we’ve had since the beginning of the decade. Some good. Some that make you want to go insane….incredibly insane. They weren’t here when the decade started, but they’re part of your life now.

With the aid of our Engineer Tony, I’ve complied a list of some of the greatest tech advancements we now consider standard. Maybe they’ve revolutionized the world. Maybe they’ve just given us a larger headache. You decide.

Is it the 1984 that Orwell predicted? Probably not. Then again, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs told me to say that.

10. YouTube (2005) – A great tool for people around the world to share their opinions. That, and a great place to see videos of dogs & cats doing crazy things, people injuring themselves and countless celebrity flubs.

9. Text Speak (2000-09) – Text speak helped us quickly convey a short message. Now, text speak is showing up in email and has made its way into other written communication. College students are turning papers in that say “u” instead of “you.” Ooops, time to rewrite the dictionary.

8. Wi-Fi (2000-09) Ooooh. Internet where ever we go. Remember, stealing it from your neighbor is wrong…unless you don’t get caught.

7. Smart Phones (2005) – Internet, email, phone, text, apps. All at your fingertips, all the time. Hmmmm… is there a single device that’s made us more ADD?

6. Bluetooth Technology (2000-09) – The phone without holding the phone. Good for driving? The studies say probably not. Good for walking around and multitasking? I guess, if you don’t mind being the jerk in a crowd who looks insane and talking to themselves? Good for fashion? Nope.

5.The Stupid Orange Button (2005) – Players of Guitar Hero or Rock Band know. These highly addictive games highlight the massive explosion of the gaming industry. Yeah, less social interaction…more war game training. BTW…the orange button is the “5th finger” button on a Guitar Hero or Rock Band guitar. Very hard to reach.

4. Customizable Ringtones (early 2000s) – Fun new toys for your new toys. Didn’t you love sitting at a restaurant for dinner then hearing that stupid screaming frog ringtone? Truly deserving of a punch in the face.

3. iPods/MP3 Players (2000) – Your own personal music selection. You can now carry around your entire music library in your pocket. Use those fancy matching earbud headphones and you’re on the fast track to becoming deaf.

2. HDTV (2009) – Nice resolution eh! Nobody’s really complaining about the switchover, but what a headache it was to do. They sure led to a funny YouTube video of the old lady trying to plug her black and white TV into her toaster.

1. Facebook/Twitter (2004) – Instant access to and for everyone. They didn’t catch on until later on in the decade, but man, do they rule our worlds now. Social networking brings us all that much closer. It also lets your old weird high school classmates; your mother; your boss; your future boss; the police; probably the FBI and maybe Osama bin Laden keep tabs on your boring life.

By the way, of course I want to know that you’re: sitting in your living room; watching TV; eating Cheerios for dinner; playing with the cat; had an awesome time last night; looking forward to Friday; reciting rock lyrics; sharing gossip; bummed that its cold outside or need a plowing on Farmville. What could be more intersteing?

Enjoy the 2010’s. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Charlie’s Cousin Adam reviews the new George Clooney movie “Up In The Air.”

We came up with ten categories that Star Cinema Steve and Charlie’s Cousin Adam have compiled into their Best Of Movies for 2009 list.

Here’s what we thought about this year in movies:

Best Movie Of 2009:
Steve – Inglorious Basterds
Adam – Up In The Air

Worst Movie Of 2009:
Steve – Land Of The Lost
Adam – Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Best Animated Film/ Best Family Film of 2009:
Steve – Up
Adam – Up

Movie We Despised, But The Other Liked
Steve – Knowing
Adam – Push

Biggest Surprise At The Movies In 2009
Steve – Paranormal Activity
Adam – Jennifer’s Body

Biggest Disappointment At The Movies In 2009
Steve – Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
Adam – Terminator Salvation

Movie That Nobody Saw, But Should Have
Steve – Fantastic Mr. Fox
Adam – The Hurt Locker

Worst Movie Of The Decade
Steve – Eragon (2006)
Adam – 88 Minutes (2008)

Best Movie Of The Decade
Steve – Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)
Adam – High Fidelity (2000)

“Gigi (Lee) and Van Morrison are proud to announce the birth of their first born son, George Ivan Morrison III,” the Belfast-born Morrison said on his website, www.vanmorrison.com.

“Little Van, born Dec 28, 2009 — the spitting image of his daddy. He is a dual citizen of Northern Ireland/United Kingdom and the United States,” the statement added.

A spokesman for Morrison said the couple have kept the birth location private. Asked whether Lee was the wife or girlfriend of the notoriously private Morrison, the spokesman said he could confirm only that Lee was his manager and executive producer of his recent “‘Astral Weeks’ Live at the Hollywood Bowl” concert DVD.

Morrison, whose 45-year career spans soul, blues, jazz, R&B and country, has a 39-year-old daughter, singer-songwriter Shana Morrison, from his first marriage to Janet “Planet” Minto. Famed for such tunes as “Gloria” and “Brown Eyed Girl,” he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 but declined to attend the ceremony.

Weird stuff goes on out there. Really weird stuff.

It especially happens in Wisconsin, so I thought I’d compile a list of the Top 10 Weirdest news stories from this year.

10. Wiscosin Toll Roads – (February)The idea didn’t make it very far, but there was some discussion about it.

9. Danny Gokey – (May) The Milwaukee crooner makes the top three of American Idol. Seems more real when they’re from our home.

8. Snow Shuts Down Wisconsin - (December) Sure we got a lot of snow on December 9th, but remember we live in Wisconsin. State Government, Madison schools and the UW all shut it down. Baby says: waaa-waaah.

7. Live Like You Mean It – (March) Wisconsin’s new tourism slogan and cartwheeling character logo is not so original. Bacardi Rum used the exact same phrase in a previous ad campaign.

6. Peanuts On The Square - (April) Somebody freaked out about feeding peanuts to Squirrels around the Capitol Square. They thought it might harm potential visitors who might encounter them. Sounds like a lot of maybes.

5. Raising The Beer or Alcohol Tax – (Summertime)Don’t you dare touch my beer. Come on, would anyone really support this idea?

4. Oregon’s Jeff Skiles – Sully’s Co-Pilot – (February) He didn’t get all the credit that Chesley Sullenberger got, but he was right there with him in the cockpit. Cool as a cucumber and also in the Hudson.

3. Four Women Glue Man’s Privates To Himself (August)- OK…this was some weird love triangle thing and the Milwaukee area guy wronged all the women involved. Still Crazy gluing his junk to his stomach. Yikes!

2. Pilots Miss Minneapolis, Figure It Out Over Wisconsin (October)- Oh boy. Take the laptops away from the pilots.

1. Brett Favre goes to the Minnesota Vikings. (June) I swear there was a week or so when it seemed like the opposite of everything I believed was coming true.

Rated R – 1h49 -

That feeling of limbo is one of the worst feelings there are, but we can all relate. That’s why Up In The Air is deserving of of the best of 2one009.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a hired hitman. That is to say he’s hired by companies to fire people. He takes pride in his work that racks up frequent flier miles like nobody’s business, but also keeps him disconnected from any real emotional attachments, including his family.

What’s best about this movie is the feeling of authenticity, real human emotion, is captured in a way that hits home. The fired are told there is nothing personal about their position being eliminated, but what is more personal than the work you do? This is a film for these days of downsizing, which is why anyone who watches it will feel connected.

Alex happens upon Alex (Vera Farmiga) in a airport bar of all places. She’s a sexually charged and dark female foil who’s impressed by his elite flying status and seems to be his perfect match. After making a connection with her, he starts to question whether its time for him to stop flying away.

At work, the young up-and-comer Natalie (Anna Kendrick) has devised a plan to save the company money, by firing via a video web conference. She’s new to the game, so Ryan has to show her the ropes first. She quickly finds the harsh reality of their business and the toll it takes.

It’s a harsh and seemingly cruel business convincing a person that their job loss is a “transition” instead of a painful ripping out of your heart can do that. At least business is good.

Director Jason Reitman, who also brought a similarly realistic feel from “Juno,” knows how to tap human emotion. He’s the son of one of the greats; Ivan Reitman (Animal House, Stripes, Ghostbusters) and it’s: like father, like son.

Rated PG-13 – 1h35 -

What do we really learn more from: life or school? What’s more tragic? Not living up to your potential or not trying in the first place?

An Education is a period piece about Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a teenage girl in 1960’s suburban London. She’s on her way to Oxford, until she meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a hip, older (35-years old!) socialite whose romantic magnetism is nearly irresistible to Jenny.

She leaves her high school education behind with promises of marriage, good times and the high life, only to find out that David is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jenny finds out that some of the choices she makes can have an irreversible outcome on her future, but wisely draws from her experience.

There are noteworthy performances by Mulligan, who captures the naiveté of youth. It’s her first starring role, which drives the film and is drawing comparisons to the likes of Audrey Hepburn.

Also, Sarrsgaard thoroughly convinces you of his sleazy ways with slick double talk in a proper English manner. He’s the walking, breathing definition of a dirty rotten scoundrel, but still, not without his charm.

We get swept away in the romantic notion that the gentleman is showing Jenny the ropes, but there is a sadness knowing she’s abandoning what’s left of her childhood. At that age, who could resist the attraction of something bigger than you?

Clearly those were different times, when even Jenny’s parents don’t seem to question the disturbing age difference as long as a wedding ring is thrown into the mix.

Attention youth of today: The lesson is to be careful of something that looks too good to be true…you know the rest.

Biggest Soul Sucking Story of 2009: Octomom

Runner up: Balloon Boy

She actually had the guts to say that Kate Gosselin of Jon & Kate + 8 is just an attention seeker! Seeing the video of her with all those kids makes me never, ever want to have children. Ever.

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Biggest Cheater: Bernie Madoff

Runner up: Tiger Woods

This former Chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange and the admitted operator of the Ponzi scheme that might be “the largest investment fraud in Wall Street history” isn’t doing too much scheming these days after being sentenced to prison for 150 years.

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Most Hellish Local Road to Drive: Anywhere Downtown

Runner up: University Avenue

While Madison is big, it’s no Metropolis. You’d never know that when trying to drive anywhere within a 15 miles radius of the Capitol from the hours of…ALL. THE. TIME.

Although…it could be worse…

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Tiger’s Biggest Mulligan: Jessica Simpson

Runner up: Octomom

Now that’s a good look. Go get ‘em, Tiger.

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Biggest Soul Sucking Local Story: Brett Favre Goes to the Vikings

Runner up: 911 Center mishap

One of the most-loved Packer player’s destroyed fans everywhere when he made the decision to go to – of all teams – the Vikings! Oh the humanity! Farewell Brett…enjoy the video of his greatest moments.

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Worst Fashion Trend: Paying attention to TMZ & Perez Hilton

Runner up: Thigh high boots

Somehow we’re taking advice or getting snarky comments…from this guy?! And TMZ…don’t EVEN get me started! No, I don’t care if Miley Cyrus just bought a latte or if Tom Cruise went for a jog. THAT IS NOT NEWS.

Feeling a little nostalgic today. I started thinking about the things that have gone away in Madison since 2000. Some of them I miss, some of them…not so much.

Here’s my list of the more important things that no longer are….

10. The daily print of the Captial Times – Alas newspapers, times are thin.  Take it online baby.

9. O’Cayz Corral – You burnt down on New Years Day 2001. I had a friend who played there often. You were very loud.

8. Madison Beaches – OK, they’re still there, but they close so often that it’s almost like they’re not.

7. The Civic Center – I have many fond memories of seeing great artists there. Most notabally…Weird Al Yankovich.

6. Cafe Momartre’ – Small, cramped, but my team won 2nd place in the first annual Madison Simpson’s Trivia contest there.

5. The Madison Blues Fest – Pretty cool event on Lake Monona. The blues still live on.

4. Angelic Brewing – Don’t tell anyone, but I nearly lost a fake ID at Angelic…ahhh memories.

3. J.T. Whitneys – I know you called a brat & mashed potatoes: Bangers and Mash, but I still like to dine in your halls.

2. Westgate & South Towne Cinema – I know they were kinda run down, but the more movie houses the better.

1. Smoking in Madison Restaurants & Bars – I don’t actually miss it  at all, but I like the building additions that people have added on so smokers can be sent into the cold.

It’s a textbook example of sure and steady triumphing in the end.

“Dave Matthews has never had the No. 1 tour of the year,” Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni said Friday. “It’s always been Madonna or Prince or (Bruce) Springsteen or (Paul) McCartney or U2 or the Rolling Stones. Consistency definitely mattered.”

The Dave Matthews Band not only ended up with the highest cumulative concert gross from 2000 through 2009 — at $529.1 million — but the group also sold significantly more tickets, 11.7 million, during that period than any other act.

Consistency also factored into the runner-up on Pollstar’s tally, a performer who spent half the decade anchored in one city: Celine Dion grossed $522.2 million, and a large portion of that came from her five-year run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, where average ticket prices far exceed those of most conventional pop concert tours.

Behind the Dave Matthews Band and Dion in the top five of Pollstar’s listing, which will be published in its Dec. 28 issue, are, in order: Kenny Chesney ($455.6 million at the box office from 8.6 million tickets sold), Springsteen ($444.3 million, 5.7 million tickets) and the Rolling Stones ($426.9 million, 3.2 million tickets).

Rounding out the top 10: U2 ($391 million, 4.4 million tickets), Madonna ($325.3 million, 2.1 million tickets), the Eagles ($313.4 million, 2.8 million tickets), Elton John ($286.4 million, 2.5 million tickets) and Jimmy Buffett ($285.8 million, 4.5 million tickets).

Dion and Chesney might take special satisfaction in their high rankings, being the only acts in the top 10 to have launched their careers within the past 20 years.

Metallica finished at No. 15 (with a $225.5 million gross), with country trio Rascal Flatts right behind at No. 16 ($222.4 million), ‘N Sync (No. 18, $196.4 million), Britney Spears (No. 19, $195.7 million) and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (No. 20, $194.9 million).

And look at Phish: They spent most of the decade broken up but still managed to generate enough revenue to make the list.

The jam band snagged the No. 49 position, with $116.7 million and 2.6 million tickets sold.