Armed with the fury of classic punk acts as Minor Threat and Bad Brains, blended with intelligent vocals and a serious commitment to providing a positive alternative to the oft-dreary and disenchanted aura that engulfs most punk bands, Chicago’s Rise Against might be seen as an outcast amongst its peers.

“It was almost cool to be negative, especially around Chicago,” bassist Joe Principe recalls. “So, vocalist Tim [McIlrath] and I had this main goal of putting a positive light on things. There are so many bands that sing about negative things, and we kind of wanted to use this to show people it’s OK to voice your opinions and stay positive. We just wanted to be more productive, lyrically.”

“It’s not so much as we’re a political band, but what we feel is our social responsibility,” adds McIlrath. “It’s not just a responsibility as human being on the planet, but towards the punk rock scene. I feel like we’re kind of carrying the torch of punk. So many bands aren’t doing that, shaking their obligations as a punk band. I don’t want to be a band that took for granted the things that Minor Threat and Black Flag did that brought me to where I am today.”

Founded in late 1999 by Principe and McIlrath, Rise Against rose from the ashes of Principe’s former band, 88 Fingers Louie. Sporting blistering, aggressive melodic punk and hardcore traits, Rise Against took the template Principe set in his previous band and expanded it further, through the thought-provoking vocals of McIlrath.

“I wanted to put in some level of energy,” says Principe. “It’s hard to pinpoint what bands like Bad Brains and Minor Threat did. Those guys had something together. They took what they were doing and separated themselves from everyone else. And that’s what I wanted from this band.”

The cohesive sound of Rise Against is actually a seamless melding of two musically independent worlds. “Joe comes from more of an old-school background,” says McIlrath. “He grew up with Bad Brains, Articles Of Faith, SNFU, all the hardcore stuff. And I liked Fugazi, the more melodic, early ‘90s emo like Cap’n Jazz, Braid and Friction. We were wondering how this would all work. I mean, it should’ve been a train wreck.”

Fortunately, there was no derailment in sight for Rise Against. In fact, almost a year after they first met, the act was playing their first show. And after playing musical chairs behind the kit, the band finally found a drummer that exceeded their expectations, Colorado-based Brandon Barnes, formerly of Denver punk outfit Pinhead Circus.

society 9:30-10:30 (mwf)
economy 7:30-9:30 (mf)
princ. of prog 5:30-6:30 (tuth)
princ. of prog 2:30-4:00 (tuth)
data communic. 10:30-12:30 (mw)
fundamentals of accounting 1:00-2:30 (tuth)
system analysis design 1:00-4:00 (f)
proj management 10:30-12:00 (tuth)
com graphics app 9:00-10:00 (tuth)
com graphics app 1:00-2:30 (mw)

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Legend of Aang/The last Air Bender is an Emmy award-winning american animated series that aired for three seasons on the nikelodian television network and on Nicktoons Network. The show is set in an Asian-influenced world of martial arts and elemental manipulation; the series follows the adventures of Aang and his friends, who try to save the world from war with the Fire nation. The show's Protagonist Aang is trapped in an iceberg when he is found by two members of the Southern water Tribe, Katara and Sokka. After being freed from the iceberg, Katara and Sokka join Aang on a long journey across the globe; their ultimate goal is to help Aang acquire the skills to defeat the Fire Lord and end the war. In the series' terminology, each episode is referred to as a "chapter", and each season as a "book."


Avatar: The Last Airbender is co-created and produced by Michae Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzo at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California. According to Bryan Konietzko, the concept of the program was conceived in Spring 2001, when he took an old sketch of a balding, middle-aged man; he re-imagined the character as a child, and the show began to develop. Bryan drew the character herding bison in the sky, and showed the sketch to Mike DiMartino. At the time, Michael was studying a documentary about explorers trapped in the South Pole. Konietzko described their early development of the concept.
These are the Aang's companion that would help him in his journey on saving the planet from chaos.

I have already finished watching chapter 1-3. Now I'm eagerly waiting for the next chapter, this episode is about finding the mother of zuko, I think, and that wont be easy; more new enemies and problems will be encounter. Thats all for now! thanks for visiting.

Even before "High School Musical 3" hits movie theaters in the fall, Disney Channel is starting work on "High School Musical 4."

"We are writing 'High School Musical 4,' " Disney Channel Worldwide president Rich Ross said Tuesday after a presentation at a midtown Manhattan recording studio. It's likely to be a TV movie unlike "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," though that could change. Filming begins in two weeks in Utah.

There's no word on whether the cast and behind-the-scenes talent will gather again for "HSM4," though some characters introduced in the third go-round likely will star in the fourth.

"Are we going to have all the cast back? Probably not," Ross said. "Will we have some of them? I hope so."

Even for a channel that has huge properties in "Hannah Montana" and "The Cheetah Girls," among others, "HSM" is big business. The second TV movie shattered cable TV records last summer with a premiere watched by 18.6 million viewers and it has been a hit internationally as well. It boosted Disney Channel to the No. 1 position among cable networks in primetime in 2007.

Ross said that after the original "HSM," he went to Disney Channel entertainment president Gary Marsh and asked whether there was "a new story to tell" in the saga that launched the careers of Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu.
"We have learned that just putting a number next to a title is a very old idea," Ross said. "We have to have a new story."

Marsh answered affirmatively with "HSM2" and later, "HSM3." Now Marsh and Ross are confident that the "HSM4" script is going well.

If you say something long enough – no matter how absurd, illogical or wrong it may be – someone just might start to believe it. That's the only way to explain how the open–wheel folks at the Indy Racing League came to implement its latest rule change: From now on, the minimum weight for IRL cars must include the driver.
What's the big deal? Well, it just so happens that the lightest driver on the circuit is a woman. And not just any woman. It's Danica Patrick, whose hotness (off the track more than on it) has made her the most popular driver in open–wheel racing.
At just 100 pounds, she weights 20 pounds less than the two other women on the circuit, Milka Duno and Sarah Fisher. The heaviest driver, according to the IRL guide, is 165–pound Ed Carpenter.
The rationale for the move? Patrick told USA Today that she asked IRL honchos for a reason for the change. "They didn't really have one," she said.
I guess it wouldn't exactly have been smart for her to just call a lug a lug. But I will. It's stupid, and it sounds like good' ole hateration.
There was buzz in IRL garages about Danica's slight size providing her with some unfair advantage almost since the moment she burst onto the scene – and we do mean burst! – three years ago by becoming only the fourth woman to qualify for the Indy 500 and the first to actually lead the race. She also finished fourth, the best showing ever by a woman. Danica even admits that in a sport where less weight can mean higher speeds, being light offers a slight edge.
In 2005, rival teams were outed in an AP story, saying Danica might gain as much as one mph due to her size.
Whatever. If it were that much an advantage, why has Danica not won a single race in 47 tries?
It might be fair to call Danica, one of the highest–earning female athletes on the planet, the Anna Kournikova of the grease set since her results have not yet lived up to the hype. But it's pretty hard not to think this rule change was just the sad result of the constant whining of her competitors.
The IRL took great pains to prevent us from calling this the "Danica Rule." Circuit spokesman John Griffin said the new rule would lessen the disparity between the lightest and heaviest drivers, which can be as much 100 pounds. (Have the IRL's tubbies not heard of Jenny Craig?)
Uh–huh.
Look, I fully understand efforts to create a level playing field, whether in racing (NASCAR has weight requirements) or elsewhere in our society. Disparities that provide one group with an unfair advantage over another – in sports, in the workplace, in the classroom, wherever – are growing more and more outdated with each passing day. Thankfully.
But throw in the potential new NFL rule banning hair from hanging from under a player's helmet beyond his name, and I began to wonder whether sports, which typically has been a stage for change in America, is lurching backward just as the rest of the nation slowly – and almost historically – moves ahead.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP)—WTA head Larry Scott said Thursday that he strongly disagrees with comments made by Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, regarding racism on the women’s tour.
Saying he was disappointed by Williams’ recent remarks during an interview in India, Scott said in a statement: “The Tour has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to racism, and I have previously let Mr. Williams know that he should let me know if he ever had evidence of racist comments or acts in women’s professional tennis.”
While his daughters were playing earlier this month in Bangladore, India, where Venus reached the quarterfinals and Serena won the title, Williams told the Deccan Herald, “Well, I’m black and I’m prejudiced, very prejudiced. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don’t think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be.”
He said the media treated his daughters unfairly, that it was “the worst media job that they have done on any human being in the world,” and that if he were Serena and Venus, he would have quit playing.
“But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they (the media) will claim this is great,” he said.
Scott said, “Champions like Chris Evert and Tracy Austin have done so much to help build women’s tennis to where it is today, and it is regrettable that anyone would criticize them in this manner.”
The Williams sisters haven’t played at Indian Wells since 2001. They were booed after Venus pulled out of a semifinal match against her sister, citing knee tendinitis. Serena went on to win the title, but was booed during and after the championship match.

Once again our own Manny Paquiao will stood up and fight again on the ring, with his rival Juan Manuel Marquez. Since the controversial draw fight between the two boxers last 2004, boxing enthusiast has been waiting for a rematch. Fighter Paquiao and Marquez both has unfinished business to do and I think its about time to end it. Now, the time has finally come, tomorrow @ March 15, 2008 the fight of Paquiao and Marquez and will be held at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Everyone has been waiting for this fight, the boxing society and especially Filipinos are thrillingly waiting for this magnificent battle. What’s funny about this fight is that, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has declared a ceasefire, for their troops to watch their boxing hero Manny Paquiao on its fight, was told by the chief of staff. Imagine that a ceasefire just to watch Manny’s fight, that’s how powerful Paquiao is(He’s like a hero to Filipinos).

I still haven’t mentioned that their would be big people from the Philippines who would be watching this fight namely, our own Vice President Noli de Castro and would be sitting at the $600 ringside with the other Filipino politicians. And also Filipino Show Biz personnel would also be watching to be precise, Aga Muhlach and his wife, Gutierrez family and lots more. Singing the Philippine National Anthem would be Ciara, I hope nothing goes wrong this time(wish her luck), with Cris Aquino carrying the Philippine flag.

Here are the records of both boxers :
Paquiao has 45 wins, 3 defeats and 35 knockouts on the other hand Marquez has 48 wins and 3 defeats also has a 35 knockouts. Both fighter has identical records, I believe that this fight would be one of the biggest fight this year and could be the fight of the year and if Paquiao wins, this would be the best year for him.

You are the pride of the Philippines, show Marquez what you’ve got and make him REGRET that he accepted the rematch! We are with you Manny, may you win and retain the glory! God be with you. Even if you lose, you’d still be and will always be our champ.

One of the people who admirers Manny Paquiao’s boxing skills, Sean Tetsuya.