pcpilot

Interesting news story I found. Please bear with me as I am a very proud southerner. These last few years it has pained me to see a symbol I grew up with desecrated first by the likes of the Klan whom I despise, then by others claiming it was offensive or inflammatory to them. It seemed the majority no longer had a say, only the squeky wheels got the grease...I am pleased to see people still concerned for their freedom and willing to speak up, espesially young people who I feared did not understand the pride behind this American flag. I see Southern pride is still strong, carried on by a new generation now. I am proud to be Southern and proud of our ancestors who fought and died in the Civil War for the South. I believe various groups have distorted the real meaning of the Confederate Flag for their own purposes. I strive to feature the Confederate Flag in the context of history, heritage, and pride in the Southern way of life. The Confederate Battle Flag represents all Southern and even Northern Confederates regardless of race or religion and is the symbol of less government, less taxes, and the right of the people to govern themselves. It is flown in memory and honor of our Confederate ancestors and veterans who willingly shed their blood for Southern independence, who fought as only true Americans could... with courage, fortitude, daring, and resourcefulness. BEGIN NEWS STORY Dixie's dilemma Popular clothing brand continues to fan the flames of controversy over Confederate symbol BY: Michael A. Fletcher DATE: Sunday, January 05, 2003 PUBLICATION: The Washington Post At the beginning of the school year, Dixie Outfitters T-shirts were all the rage at Cherokee High School. Girls seemed partial to one featuring the Confederate battle flag in the shape of a rose. Boys often wore styles that discreetly but unmistakably displayed Dixie Outfitters' rebel emblem logo. But now the most popular Dixie Outfitters shirt at the school doesn't feature a flag at all. It says: ''Jesus and the Confederate Battle Flag: Banned From Our Schools But Forever in Our Hearts.'' It became an instant favorite after school officials prohibited shirts featuring the battle flag in response to complaints from two African-American families who found them intimidating and offensive. The ban is stirring old passions about Confederate symbols and their place in Southern history in this increasingly suburban high school, 40 miles northwest of Atlanta. Similar disputes over the flag are being played out more frequently in school systems -- and courtrooms -- across the South and elsewhere, as a new generation's fashion choices raise questions about where historical pride ends and racial insult begins. Schools in states from Michigan to Alabama have banned the popular Dixie Outfitters shirts just as they might gang colors or miniskirts, saying they are disruptive to the school environment. The rebel flag's modern association with white supremacists makes it a flashpoint for racial confrontation, school officials say. ''This isn't an attempt to refute Southern heritage,'' said Mike McGowan, a Cherokee County schools spokesman. ''This is an issue of a disruption of the learning environment in one of our schools.'' Walter C. Butler Jr., president of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, said it is unreasonable to ask African Americans not to react to someone wearing the rebel flag. ''To ask black people to respect a flag that was flown by people who wanted to totally subjugate and dehumanize you -- that is totally unthinkable,'' he said. But the prohibitions against flag-themed clothing have prompted angry students, parents, Confederate-heritage groups and even the American Civil Liberties Union to respond with protests and lawsuits that argue that students' First Amendment rights are being trampled in the name of political correctness. ''This is our heritage. Nobody should be upset with these shirts,'' said Ree Simpson, a senior soccer player at Cherokee who says she owns eight Confederate-themed shirts. ''During Hispanic Heritage Month, we had to go through having a kid on the intercom every day talking about their history. Do you think they allow that during Confederate History Month?'' Simpson said no one complains when African-American students wear clothes made by FUBU, a black-owned company whose acronym means ''For Us By Us.'' Worse, she says, school officials have nothing to say when black students make the biting crack that the acronym also means ''farmers used to beat us.'' Similarly, she says, people assume that members of the school's growing Latino population mean no harm when they wear T-shirts bearing the Mexican flag. Simpson believes the rebel flag should be viewed the same way. The days when the banner was a symbol of racial hatred and oppression are long gone, she contends. Far from being an expression of hate, she says, her affection for the flag simply reflects Southern pride. ''I'm a country girl. I can't help it. I love the South,'' she said. ''If people want to call me a redneck, let them.'' It is a sentiment that is apparently widely shared at Cherokee, and beyond. The day after Cherokee Principal Bill Sebring announced the T-shirt ban on the school's intercom this fall, more than 100 students were either sent home or told to change clothes when they defiantly wore the shirts to school. In the weeks that followed, angry parents and Confederate heritage groups organized flag-waving protests outside the school and at several school board meetings. ''All hell broke loose,'' said Tom Roach, an attorney for the Cherokee County school system. When principals banned the shirts at other county high schools in the past, he said, ''there was no public outcry. No complaints. No problems.'' But the Confederate flag was a particularly hot topic in Georgia this year. Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes was upset in his re-election bid in part because he successfully pushed for redesign of the Georgia state flag, which was formerly dominated by the Confederate battle emblem. On the new state banner, the emblem is reduced to a small icon. During the campaign, Barnes' opponent, Sonny Perdue, called for a referendum on the new flag, a position that analysts say helped make him the state's first elected Republican governor since Reconstruction. Elsewhere in the South, civil rights groups have mobilized to remove the banner in recent years. Activists had it removed from atop the South Carolina statehouse and from other public places, saying it is an insult to African Americans and others who view it as a symbol of bigotry and state-sanctioned injustice. But that campaign has stirred a resentful backlash from groups that view it as an attack on their heritage. ''We're not in a battle just for that flag, we're in a battle to determine whether our Southern heritage and culture survives,'' said Dan Coleman, public relations director for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, one of the groups that joined the protests at Cherokee High School. The battle over Confederate-themed clothing has made its way to the courts, which generally have sided with school dress codes that prevent items that officials deem disruptive. In a 1969 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District that school officials could not prohibit students from wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, but only because the court found that the armbands were not disturbing the school atmosphere. By contrast, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit earlier this year revived a lawsuit by two Kentucky students suspended for wearing shirts featuring the Confederate flag. The court said the reasons for the suspension were vague and remanded the case to a lower court, where it was dismissed after the school district settled with the students. Also, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit earlier this fall sided with a Washington, N.J., student who challenged his school's ban on a T-shirt displaying the word ''redneck.'' The student was suspended from Warren Hills Regional High School for wearing the shirt, which school officials said violated their ban on clothing that portrays racial stereotypes. The school's vice principal said he took ''redneck'' to mean a violent, bigoted person. But the court overturned the ban, saying the shirt was not proven to be disruptive. School officials, noting the school has a history of racial tensions, have promised to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. ''Since last year, we have gotten well over 200 complaints about the banning of Confederate symbols in schools,'' said Kirk Lyons, lead counsel for the Southern Legal Resource Center, a North Carolina-based public-interest law firm that works to protect Confederate heritage and is in discussions with some families at Cherokee High School. He said the center is litigating six lawsuits and that dozens of others challenging Confederate clothing bans have been filed across the country. As the controversy grows, Confederate-themed clothing has become more popular than ever. The owner of Georgia-based Dixie Outfitters says the firm sold 1 million T-shirts last year through the company's Web site and department stores across the South. Most of the shirts depict Southern scenes and symbols, often with the Confederate emblem. ''This is not your typical, in-your-face redneck type of shirt,'' said Dewey Barber, the firm's owner. ''They are espousing the Southern way of life. We're proud of our heritage down here.'' Barber said he is ''troubled'' that his shirts are frequently banned by school officials who view them as offensive. ''You can have an Iraqi flag in school. You can have the Russian flag. You can have every flag but the Confederate flag. It is puzzling and disturbing,'' he said. END OF NEWS STORY Im interested in hearing what you guys think. Please, this isnt a flame. I understand that this could be an emotional topic, but its an attempt to honestly guage opinions. Lets keep it Biohaz cool... :)

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! webfeet are a gift from God ya know... :P

Ah, very cool. Its neat to hear about something new. Ill keep my eye out for one of these. My archery shop in San Diego has some interesting stuff, maybe they have one of those Hungry thingies... :P Always willing to try something new, Ill give her a whirl... :)

LOL! That poor kid, I actually feel sorry for him. Talk about bein in the wrong place at the wrong time, I bet he's wishin he never hearda baseball...

I agree with you Dagger. I visit a number of forums...Ubi, BTS, Age of Mythology, etc. and I have to say this is the most civil by far. After reading a number of posts at say, the IL2 forums, I usually get tired of the bickering and snide remarks. It refreshing to come to Biohaz and see little to none of that crap. Jeff has done a good job of moderating the site with a fair, even hand. GJ MJ. And the people who have come here have come to realize what a great site this is and its laid back atmosphere and have done well at doing thier part to keep this a community. Well done to its members too.

Thanks MJ, that is a good feature, I like it too. :)

My mother was born 1919 in Illinois in a small town called Danville a ways south from Chi-town. She was a fan of the Cubs since her childhood. You couldnt help but grin when you watched her watching a cubs game. I never saw anyone offer so many comments or get so excited, hehe. I had the pleasure of taking her to a Padres game here in San Diego that hosted the Cubs back in 1994 I think it was. I still wear her Padres hat I bought her. (The Cubs lost...) She never got to see them win a series before she passed away in 1998. Now that the Cubs are finally going somewhere, I couldnt help but think about her and how pleased she would be to see how well they are doing. Even if they didnt take the series, she, like all true Cubs fans, would still feel mighty good about their team. Im gonna watch the next game they play and toast the Cubs for ma... This ones for you Mom...

The Brits must be havin a coronary...hehehe, just kidding... Found this cool article from AVWEB on the IL2 forums about a Yankee, read "American", who had the awesome opportunity to fly a real Hurricane fighter from Battle of Britain fame. The well written article can be found HERE! Lucky sucker...:)

Saw this ARTICLE at The Wargamer today. The patch made be had HERE! Anyone who tries it, keep us posted on any problems you encounter. Thanks...

Oh, something else I noticed...the "HOME" link at the top of the forums page... (HOME...SEARCH...MEMBERS...etc...), doesnt take me back to BIOHAZ, it takes me to the main forum page. Is that intended? I think of home as the BIOHAZ mainpage, not the forum mainpage. It would be nice to have a way to easily go back and forth to Biohaz.

First, I logged into the Biohaz main page and after fooling around in my preferences area and the news area, came to the forums and found I had to log in again. I've noticed that a few times now. I thought that was changed so we only had to log in once. My apologies if that didnt happen and I missed the announcement. Second, I changed my avatar and it shows up in my settings page, (its a confedarate flag). However, Ive noticed that it doesnt show here. Its dimensions are not, I discovered, the 60X60 I think it is, that you require, yet it shows up as my avatar like I said in my settings page. Do I need to resize the picture for it to show on the forums in my posts? Thanks for your time Jeff... :)

Jeez Fates, why dontcha make it hard man? I got an old 40lb recurve that I had a few years but man its hard to hold a shot very long. As much as I shake, Im doin good to hit the target much less the bullseye. I prefer a good Compound bow. Ive got a nice old Hoyt Easton that still delivers 70lbs. Not as sexy as the newer single cam Compounds but still gots lots of punch. Gosh, its time to dust it off and go "nail" a few rabbits...no pun intended...ok, it was intended... :P Yes, hunters be safe! Its more for the experiance as the kill to me, espesially with a good freind or family member...read son or daughter. Dont waste anything, be prepared to bring it all home if possible, (a pet peeve). NEVER shoot till you have positively identified your target, movement or suspicion is never enough to fire a round off for, only fools do that.

Bummer...was hopin to get a game goin with ya Beer, you bein a sea-goin sort and all. How about you MrMudd? I finally got it running on my WinMe machine. You have got to read the install instructions for the NWP 16.8 stuff verrrrrry carefully. It gave me a lot of guff before I realized I hadnt done a couple things. Anybody else care to get their bloomers shot to ribbons? hehehehe...

Im a fan of Fleet Command though its been awhile since I played it. Im gonna set it up on my computer today and was wondering if anyone wanted to try their luck?

6'2" and 230 here... I can chew barb-wire and spit out nails I use rebar for my shoe laces and women keep embarrassing me with all that fainting... ;)

Well, I guess I can chime in too, hehehe. I think I can understand the frustration here that the patch has taken so bloody long. Ive been visiting the forums nearly everyday hoping for some word or update. SFP1 actually isnt even on the computer right now as I have other things going to keep me happy like IL2FB, Age of Mythology, CMBO and BB, etc. So Im really not so miffed anymore. Like chief, I can wait. Im encouraged to hear the beta testers say that its on the way. That means its still being worked on at least. Once the patch comes out, Ill be back in business and happy as a clam in salt water, Ill be able to fly the planes Ive admired since childhood in a product I always hoped would happen...and finally did. :D

Yeah, Jeff's managed to make a really outstanding site, not good, not ok, OUTSTANDING! Ya know, it just occured to me...we should have some kinda virtual one year party here at Biohaz. Any suggestions? Maybe everyone come online at 5pm PST on a given day to chat and have a beer together. Jeff could decorate the website...LOL!

No apology nessesary chief. I think you made the right decision. But even knowing your right sometimes doesnt make it any easier. God bless shipmate... :(

Man, now thats something I aint seen in awhile hehe. Grew up chewin that stuff. I dont think they even sell it here in California. Now ya got me ta thinkin 'bout when I was a young wanker... ;)

I paid it a visit. Good luck with the sponsers. Seems odd Florida havin a Ice Hockey team, hehe. Only ice I ever saw in Florida was in my coke. Took a look at your profile too. Gonna be a history major eh? That woulda been my major too if Id stayed with it. You gonna teach when you graduate? Saw you were born in '83. God, I feel...old. Man, that year I was doin terrible things to my body in the bars in the Phillippines. Still not sure the left side of my brain has recovered...

Mind you, Im not even a civilian pilot much less a WW2 ME109 pilot. But Ive noticed that the ME109 is REAL slow in starting its takeoff roll. Once the rear wheel comes up, it starts to move a lot quicker which is logical. But it still seems a bit too slow. It doesnt seem so slow in the videos Ive seen. A couple things Im glad for is the ME109 doesnt seem to over-heat so much, and I love the dust effect on takeoff from land and the wake close to water. I also noticed the Brewster rolls horribly easy now. I doubt thats authentic. Ive been working on a Campaign that includes the brewster so Ive flown it a LOT working on my scenarios. Now with the patch, its a whole new airplane that has a nasty, over-sensitive roll. Im gonna try to add more of a dead zone in my stick and turn up my FF and see if that helps.

I like it Jeff. The more I used it, the more I liked it. Havent noticed any problems yet. One thing I really miss however is the list on the old Biohaz site that listed the most recent posts on the forum. It was a fast way to go to the latest posts and news. I used it a lot.

I got this new "BIOHAZ" page too. Was fixin to post when I saw yur post snapple. Didnt know you went spanish Jeff, hehe. Actually, Im at work and one of the spanish ladies was readin this and said it makes very little sense. It rambles bad. This person is in dire need of a lobotomy likely...

Personally, yes, I would like to see a final version, 17.0, finished and released. Im wondering if the graphics in Harpoon are going to be that much of an improvement over Fleet Command, it has taken so long to finish the game. It was started when FC was cutting edge. I wonder if the only advantages H4 will have over FC is in detailed gameplay and realism, (which of course are good avantages, hehe). I wouldnt be terribly surprised to find a lot of naval simmers still playing FC. Since Fleet Command's not as detailed as H4, it'll be easier to get into a game when your low on time or just dont want to get too involved. I will... By the way Mr. Clark, Ive been a member of the forums at NWP and FSP for a while now. Ive not posted but enjoyed the comments Ive read. Naval Warefare Simulations website is a constant place I visit. I want to say I appreciate what you guys are doing with these older games. I hadnt played FS in quite awhile when you came out with FSP 9.0. I reinstalled the game and havent stop playing it. Im in the middle of a campaign now against the Japs...(keep losin my damn destroyers...arrrrgh.) It plays a LOT more realistically. With the release of Thunder at Sea, Im gonna be in Hog Heaven. Ive always wanted to see something to make FS more playable like Great Naval Battles of the North Atalantic was. I love being able to manuever my fleets, then fight a tactical battle. WELL DONE! (By the way, I bought GNBNA again when you guys had it for sale on the NWS website store. ) Being an old sailor, I was a BM2, I love the Naval Games Genre. You guys have made them BETTER. BZ shipmate...

Hmmm, I have been trying various remedies and settings to see what I can improve. I discovered that with the bit torrent client uninstalled, the game now loads...go figure. Must be something with my machine. I am still getting a very low framerate even with settings on low, not sure why. Ive tried several different settings with the radeon card including turning all AA trueform off. I am also having a lousy time with the control of the plane. I try to adjust the stick in game on the options screen. The stick, a logitech FF, is listed there, along with the keyboard and mouse. The adjustments I make dont stick however. I noticed that when I close out of the options page, then go back into it, all the settings I made have reverted back to default. A possible bug?