Hello there, loyal house music lovers. 2008 is wrapping up, which usually means that it’s list time. I feel like shaking things up, though. In lieu of doing a lame end-of-year round-up (not that they can’t be awesome), I have decided to post some videos that will take your mind off the winter season. It may be upwards of 75 degrees here in Houston, but since most Hoyas live north of the Mason-Dixon, I think you deserve a trio of sunny, upbeat tracks. To lead things off, a veritable classic that reminds us of those summer projects of our childhood. From Stardust, it’s ‘Music Sounds Better With You,’ otherwise known as my ring tone:

Hit the jump for the ultimate beach scene and a trip to Southeast Asia.

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Hey guys!

So here’s your dose of Georgetown in the News!

First, a Georgetown University doctor saves a man whose leg was severed after being run over by a bulldozer! Georgetown University plastic surgeon Ivica Ducic, who developed a procedure called peripheral nerve surgery, was able to remove part of the damaged nerve and implant it in the muscle, easing the man’s pain. Kudos.

Second, a Georgetown University study warns against many health insurance scams. Thanks, Georgetown!

So it’s not technically Hump Day. What of it? You’re on break anyway–do you even know what day of the week it is? I thought not.

Lists, lists, lists–there are many, as you know, that attempt to sum up the crazy rollercoaster that was 2008. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but 2008 left me a little cold. 2007 spoiled us with some big releases–M.I.A., Radiohead, a superior Britney album–and even though I was abroad for half of the year, I don’t feel like I missed a ton of stuff. Not even Pitchfork’s list could liven my spirits, highlighting acts like Deerhunter and Lykke Li.
When it comes to pop music, however, there was no downturn. Leave it to the studio magicians to turn out consistently excellent pop music. As a new study shows, troubling economic times don’t have a strong effect on pop’s messages. Thus we still have a cocky T.I., a sultry Rihanna, and an underaged pinup girl. Let’s count down the ten best of the year, shall we? Read Full Post

Straight up, broheim: Christmas isn’t my favorite holiday. Doesn’t even crack the top five, actually. Maybe Christmas could dethrone Arbor Day if it were less about buying shit and more about doing shit. I don’t really get the holidays that are supposed to commemorate something – if we’re going to get the day off, there should be a task at hand. Like, on my birthday, everyone’s task is to get fratty. On Halloween, everyone gets dressed up and fratty. I would make every day Fratting Hard Day if I could, although in a way it already is.

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Source

Fear not, for WTW are here to warm your cockles and freak you out before the arrival of Christmas. Here are your weekly links, to be taken in moderation:

• Cute things falling asleep. ‘Nuff said.

• This site lets you see how much destruction a nuclear bomb would cause if dropped on a given address, using Google Maps. For maximum destruction, use the Tsar Bomba. (Hat tip: Wired)

• AP’s best photos of 2008.

Hit the jump for some serious WTF moments and a meta web game.

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Techno Tuesday is back! You didn’t think we were going to take the vacation off, did you? The music always beckons, and these videos never cease to be awesome. Today you get a saccharine appetizer, followed by a dirty, bangin’ meal. Also, none of today’s videos are safe for work or your parents’ prying eyes - especially the last video.

To lead things off, the sweet tip to a grimy iceberg, Mylo’s ‘Drop the Pressure.’ This video goes from tragic to sexy to bizarre to explosive, so you better follow it all the way through:

Next up is Kid Cudi versus Crookers, in a little ditty called ‘Day ‘n’ Nite.’ This song isn’t even out yet, so you can thank Techno Tuesday for your inside track on all that’s new in house (hat tip to Ms. JJ):

Hit the jump for some naughty girls and an extremely nasty lady, courtesy of the Prodigy:

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University endowments are plummeting in value, in lockstep with the rest of the market. Endowments increased substantially in the past few years as managers poured funds into risky, high-return investments. Harvard – ever the pioneer of American higher education – had only about a fifth of its $36 billion endowment in stocks and bonds. The balance of its portfolio was invested in so-called “illiquid assets” – things as esoteric as timber forest and oil stockpiles – and, as the economy soured, those illiquid assets became even more toxic than GM’s common stock. Oil lost two-thirds of its value, for example. So, aside from the fact that we’re college students, why should we care where universities invest?

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Trailer Trash is back, and we hope you missed us. It’s not like these trailers are easily available on the internet or anything right? In any case, today you get a Trailer Twofer for all of your hard work during finals.

First up is The Ugly Truth, in which Gerard Butler plays The Male Stereotype and Katherine Heigl plays The Most Uptight Woman in the World. I really don’t think this will be funny except for those man-haters looking to spend their money in a way that makes them feel better. Plus, it’s never a good sign when the ending of the movie is given away in the trailer. Still, that jello pool looks fun. Grade: C

Hit the jump for Night at the Museum 2, still starring Ben Stiller.

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Welcome to the Daily Monthly’s newest column! As the former News Editor, it has become a habit for me to keep an eye out for mentions of Georgetown in the local and national news. Here I will collect the most noteworthy news tidbits for your perusal.

The first of today’s mentions comes from Washingtonian magazine, where Georgetown President John J. DeGioia was named one the magazine’s 12 Washingtonians of the Year. The Office of Communications has a nice summary here.

The second mention comes from both the Associated Press and Forbes, announcing that President-elect Barack Obama nominated Daniel Tarullo, a Georgetown University law professor, for the Federal Reserve central board, replacing Randall Kroszner. Read more from the Associated Press or Forbes.

With finals out of the way, there’s no shame in wasting time. Since you probably just finished oodles of reading, this week’s WTW is almost entirely text-free. Yay for literacy! Here are your links:

• National Geographic’s 10 most viewed photos of 2008.

• Make the bunny jump up the screen using bells and birds in this wintery, wonderful game.

• The Obama logo designs that weren’t: a look back.

Hit the jump for a Robocop rap and the freakiest bird I’ve ever heard.

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Being a senior is a full-time job. Academically, socially, existentially, you name it. That’s why Ben’s column, Senior Citizenship, really resonates with me. As Ben’s Tombs buddy, I was graciously allowed to pitch in with the column. Second semester is just around the corner, which means that “being a senior” takes on even more importance (but the motivation and effort required to write the column take a turn for the worse). I figured that, between the two of us, the challenge could be met.

I am pleased to say (though many of you will not be pleased to read) that I am writing this from the comfort of my own home already. Back in the ‘burbs (like Ben, I’m a Bostonian) with nothing to do, nowhere to be and my favorite sweatpants calling my name, I am in heaven. Don’t worry, dear reader, I worked hard for this—all my finals were crammed into the last week of classes and the first week of finals, culminating with a fun-filled Friday of 2 exams and 1 paper (and a thrilling Thursday of 13 hours of studying). But after that miserable marathon of work came the most unbelievable, freeing release, and I could have sworn that I flew home without even needing the plane.

But one thing that I did not foresee when I envisioned sugar plums, sweatpants, sleeping in and home-cooked meals was the dreaded “so what are you going to do after you graduate?”

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To lead off this week’s entry, a dance craze from Paris called tektonik. Half breakdancing, half interpretive dance, all European. I was there when this hit the mainstream in 2007, and it was a sight to behold. As an example, take ‘Alive’ by Mondotek. The dude in the pink tee does the dance the best, but you didn’t hear it from me:

Hit the jump for cheeky British schoolboys.

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I had a final in Finance – my major – earlier today. It was pretty rough, as I expected. Now that it’s over and I can breathe, I’ve gotten to thinking about the major and what I’ve learned. Many newly jobless Wall Streeters are finance majors or CFAs; no longer does a degree guarantee you a job in banking. More to the point, many – though not all – of the people responsible for our economic crisis were finance majors. Does finance coursework need to change – do future bankers need to learn more than just valuation methodologies and Black-Scholes option pricing? I think the answer is yes.

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A nice-looking, docile family walking across Healy lawn in late morning.

WASPy mom to her kids, gesturing towards campus: “Hey kids, this is college!”

DCist’s Overheard in DC.

To continue Hump Day Music’s last post about ‘Best Of’ music lists, here’s Spin’s Top 40 of 2008, top tens from various B-list indie music acts, and the results of the annual Pitchfork readers poll, which is bound to be totally different from the ‘official’ Pitchfork ranking.

And Tierney gave you a detailed guide to hookups last month, but not so fast, says NYT columnist Charles Blow. Blame those “relaxed values” and alcohol-fueled soirees for this “strange culture” that can promote sexual assault, gender inequality and sexiles, says Blow and Professor Kathleen Bogle of LaSalle University. Keep on shaking that fist, mainstream media! You just WISH it would have been acceptable to make out casually with your friend’s frat brother back in the day.