Fun Comes In Great Numbers At Phoenix Comicon

Are you looking for something to do this Memorial Day weekend? If you’re looking to explore a galaxy not so far away where super heroes, aliens and other far out creatures abound then look no further than the Phoenix Convention Center as Phoenix Comicon once again brings fun and imagination to the masses. From now through May 26th, thousands of sci-fi comic book, fantasy, and horror fans of all ages will show that being a geek or nerd is pretty cool and that we have little of that in all of us. Yes, fun will come in great numbers at this event.

One of the great things about the convention isn’t just the guests or the panels but the costumed characters you’ll be seeing. Yes, Phoenix Comicon is just one of those events where you’re free to use your imagination and come up with your own superhero or pretend to be one that already exists. There are no limits to the kind of ideas Comicon will spark. Whether your attending as a family or covering it as a member of the media, dressing up in costume is encouraged. Some of those who have attended the event in the past have called Phoenix Comicon “Halloween on steroids” and for good reason. At this event almost half of those attending have dressed up and have proven that you don’t have to wait until that one day in October to get all dressed up in order to live out your childhood fantasy of being Superman, Batman or some other crime fighter.

Besides all the costumed characters, Phoenix Comicon also has panels featuring your favorite comic book artists, writers, as well as actors and actresses from your favorite sci-fi, fantasy and horror movies and TV shows. In the main exhibit hall you can also purchase original comic book art and other collectibles for sale. While the event only lasts 4 days, there is so much to see and do it’s almost impossible cover it all. One thing’s for sure, it’s definitely a great way to spend your Memorial Day weekend whether you’re dressed up or not.

Do you want to attend the convention? Here’s the info…

A full event membership is $60 when purchased at the event itself. If you can’t go the entire weekend then single day memberships are available as well. If you plan on going Friday May 24th it’s $30, Saturday May 25th it’s $35, and Sunday May 26th it’s $20. There is also a preview day on Thursday May 23rd for $15 but that only gives you a slight taste of what the event will be like. Your best bet to experience the entire convention is to get the full event membership.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phoenix Comicon Is Worth The Price Of Admission

Next week, Phoenix Comicon from May 23 – 26th will once again invade the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix  The only thing we can say is that it is indeed worth the ticket if you love sci-fi, comic books, writing, or even art, not to mention a good way to spend your Memorial Day Weekend. While the event can best be described as “Halloween on steroids” by some attendees, the event itself has proven to be a fun experience. It isn’t so much the costumes that make up the convention or even getting up close with the guests that attend that makes it such a special event. It’s the people you meet. People are friendly and there is definitely a chance to come away from the event making new friends.

Two years ago we here at Cat Galaxy thought it would be a great idea to cover our first Comicon and now we’re preparing for our third. While we’ve been looked upon by larger media as unusual due to the fact that we’re a station for cats, Comicon is one of those events that no matter how weird the outside world thinks you are, the people at this event welcome you. In fact, they encourage you to dress up in your favorite costume for the occasion. Yes, no matter how old you are, dressing up is part of the normal flow of this event and even we here at Cat Galaxy are planning to dress up for it despite the fact that we’ll be doing interviews and taking pictures. Picture taking is certainly something that isn’t new at this convention so your digital camera or smart phone camera will get a workout. Of course, if you run into a costumed character be sure to ask if you can take a photo with them. Many times they’ll pose for you but it’s simply polite.

This year is extra special for us because not only will we be covering the convention for our cat dominated station but also for Breaking News Journal which truly shows just how much things are catching on around here. This is our first real event where we also cover it for a national news organization, so dressing up in costume certainly sounded like a great way to show just how much fun the Con can be. Luckily, the management here is pretty flexible in that regard.

Attending the Con is indeed pretty affordable especially if you want to go for the entire weekend. A full event membership purchased online through May 22nd is $50. After that it’s $60 when purchased at the event itself. If you can’t go the entire weekend then single day memberships are available as well. If you plan on going Friday May 24th it’s $25 online until May 22nd and after that it’s $30 on-site. Saturday May 25th it’s $30 online through May 22nd and $35 at the door. Sunday May 26th it’s $20. There is also a preview day on Thursday May 23rd for $15 but that only gives you a slight taste of what the event will be like. Your best bet to experience the entire convention is to get the full event membership.

One of the top things we recommend besides having fun at the Con is to wear comfortable shoes. Yes, you do a lot of walking throughout the convention. Also, bring plenty of money because you’ll not only find lots of things to buy in the exhibitor hall but also food is a bit pricey inside the Phoenix Convention Center. There are nearby eateries which might provide some options so mapping them out is good. In fact, we found a couple within walking distance.

Overall, Phoenix Comicon is one of those experiences that comes around only once a year and it’s worth the price of admission if you’re a fan of sci-fi, comics, fantasy, horror, and cosplay. There seems to be something for everyone. The guest list this year is pretty good with Amanda Tapping, Terry Brooks, Dean Cain, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, Anthony Michael Hall, and others making an appearance. Each year the guest list seems to change, and there is indeed a good variety of them attending. Besides the ones that show up from your favorite sci-fi, fantasy and horror TV shows, plenty of comic book artists and writers attend the event so you’re sure to run into a few of your favorites.  Now grab your tickets because you’re indeed in for an enjoyable time.

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Animal Rescue Groups Need Help Now That Kitten Season Is Here

Once again, animal rescue organizations in the Phoenix metro area are getting flooded with kittens and despite their best efforts to encourage the public to get their animals spayed and neutered the message seems to fall on deaf ears in a lot of ways. Two weeks ago, a 6 month old kitten was brought into Safe Haven For Animals‘ shelter by one of its volunteers after being rescued in a rough neighborhood in Mesa where the neighborhood kids aren’t very friendly to cats. What makes this story even more incredible is the fact that the kitten named Baby was pregnant with babies of her own.

A few days ago, Baby had given birth to 5 kittens although 2 of them didn’t make it. However, the ones that did make it are being well cared for not just by Baby herself but also by Safe Haven’s volunteers who check on them day and night. However, with kitten season here more animal rescue organizations will be dealing with situations like this. Also being reported is the manner in which kittens are showing up at shelters or are rescued. Last week, an animal rescuer put out a 911 to other rescue organizations after discovering a box full of kittens dumped at the side of a busy road in Phoenix. The box was sealed with no air holes which no doubt could’ve suffocated the kittens if it wasn’t found.

But that wasn’t the only incident to happen with kittens now that the season is here. A Safe Haven volunteer who often fosters cats for the group said her vet had a litter of kittens dumped at their doorstep. They too were found inside a box with no holes for air. Yes, there are acts of cruelty going on and somehow you hope karma catches up with those who were uncaring enough to put kittens inside an air tight container and dump them at a busy roadside or outside a veterinary clinic in the hopes that someone else would come along and find them.

Yes, spaying and neutering does help prevent unwanted litters and is the responsible thing to do. However, the message to do so is getting lost. Also, the animal rescue organizations like Safe Haven are in need of financial help to continue their work to not only help cats like Baby and her kittens, but also to help care for the many other cats at their shelter which are waiting to be adopted. This is indeed a worthy cause that public needs to know about.

The news media certainly could be doing a lot more to help get the word out about the rescues, because the public needs to be reached. Sure, a kid dying of cancer or a campaign to help the homeless is great for some, but the reminder to spay and neuter your animals and to let people know that the animal rescue organizations are need of assistance needs to be constantly in front of people. The media has made this a once and a while issue when it should be more mainstream. Apparently, if it isn’t the Jodi Arias trial or some national tragedy like the Boston bombing, kitten season isn’t worth covering in the eyes of the media. However, it should be even though it may not be negative enough for them.

The question is, how many kittens have to be dropped off at the doorsteps of veterinary clinics, shelters or dumped at the side of road before the public wakes up and faces the reality that kitten season is here and its real? When will the media act and get the word out that it has arrived?  The time to act is not tomorrow but today. It’s time to get involved whether it’s donating money to a no-kill animal rescue group or volunteering your time to help the cats in need. Now, which will you choose? Will you be part of the solution or be part of the problem?

If you’d like to help Safe Haven then give them a call at 602-926-8454 or visit their web site at www.azshfa.org.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phoenix Mayor Refuses To Keep Campaign Promise Regarding Food Tax

It’s never a surprise when a politician decides not to honor a campaign promise. A lot of times they hope the problem will just go away but residents in the city of Phoenix are holding Mayor Greg Stanton’s feet to the fire when it comes to repealing the food tax. During his run for Mayor, Stanton promised to repeal the food tax which was voted into effect in an emergency session 4 years ago to help save fire and police services in the city, or so we thought. Instead of spending the money on fire and police services to hire more police officers and firefighters the money was used elsewhere.

In fact, at a recent community meeting which was held on April 23rd in Phoenix several citizens asked Mayor Stanton why he refuses to honor his campaign promise to repeal the food tax, he kept to the same answer, that it was necessary to save police and fire services. However fire and police services weren’t in that great of danger. When one citizen dared to ask the Mayor what really happened to the money that was raised by the food tax, Stanton froze for the moment without any clear answer.

Of course, after Mayor Stanton left the meeting early to attend another function, City Council member Jim Waring stated something that many citizens already knew, that the money went to give city employee pay raises and also pay for golf courses. All of this comes at a time when the city is in bad shape financially and the city’s citizens are struggling to survive. Simply put, it’s bad form not to mention shady when you tax citizens under the guise of saving a city service and instead use to it to give pay raises to city employees.

For example, in December 2012 City Manager David Cavazos received a $78,000 pay raise bringing his yearly salary to $315,000 per year. The City Council members that voted to give him such a nice salary stated it was because for several years that position was underpaid compared to other municipalities of the same size as Phoenix. I guess Cavazos must’ve really been struggling financially because he also received a car allowance of $600 per month, an annual “longevity” bonus of $4,000 and received about $35,000 in deferred compensation.  In fact, this man makes more money per year in salary than Arizona’s governor Jan Brewer does. In fact the City Council members and even the Mayor don’t even get paid that high a salary.  It kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?

It seems pretty evident that Mayor Stanton isn’t on the side of the majority because if he was then that ridiculous ordinance passed in February which leaves businesses open to easy discrimination lawsuits never would’ve passed. He also would’ve kept his campaign promise of repealing a food tax that most of the city’s residents were against. Yes, Phoenix is making it’s surrounding neighbors like Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Glendale, Tempe , and even Chandler look very good as places to live and work. In fact, because of Stanton’s stand against the majority he may lose businesses and citizens to them. Will it take a mass exodus of people moving to neighboring cities before Stanton finally wakes up and does what is right? That’s a possibility. There’s always a small chance (of course it’s a big city) but if it did, how will Stanton fund the food tax then?

Perhaps, a protest at City Hall is long overdue. But would Stanton be willing to listen even then? Maybe, it’s worth a try.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Law Will Give Cats Their Own Restrooms

It looks like cats are joining the fight for inter-species equality and wanting their own bathrooms in every public building in Arizona. SB 2287, will give cats the right to have their own restrooms separate from humans and will allow businesses to dictate their own policies regarding which restrooms a cat can use.

One small business owner says they’re all for accommodating a cat’s need in their establishments. They said they plan to install self-cleaning litter boxes in every restroom area and believe this will be good for business. The Arizona House Appropriations Committee says they’ll be voting on the bill this week. Cat lovers have said they plan to attend the meeting and voice their support for the proposed legislation.

Not everyone is thrilled with giving a cats their own special area to do their business. Dogs and their owners are barking heavily about this one and are claiming discrimination, because instead of being allowed to use the indoor restroom facilities dogs will still have to go outside to relieve themselves.

Dogs and their owners plan to hold a protest outside the State Capitol to try and stop the bill. However, cats and cat lovers say they plan to also show up and counter protest the dog people. SB 2287 also will give cats the right to also access changing areas and locker rooms that are also used by humans regardless of their sex.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Could The Bathroom Bill End Up Being A Lesson In Tolerance For The Liberal Left?

 

It’s been an interesting week for the State of Arizona. Earlier this week, the House Appropriations Committee passed a bill (SB 1045) that would allow a business to decide what rules they have in place in regards to their restroom, locker room and changing areas. The bill came in answer to the anti-discrimination ordinance pushed through and was passed last month by the Phoenix City Council, which states that a business can’t discriminate against a person because of their sexual orientation which would include gays, lesbians, bi-sexual, and transgender individuals. Opponents of the ordinance felt that businesses could be the target of easy discrimination lawsuits if they were to fire an employee or refuse service to customer. All they would have to do is cry that their needs weren’t met because of their sexual orientation.

Now, nobody likes to be discriminated against, but the issue isn’t just about that anymore. The issue both opponents and supporters of SB 1045 decided to focus on is bathrooms which is the smallest part of the issue. Opponents state that transgender people have a right to use whatever bathroom, locker room or changing area they want as long as they associate themselves with a particular gender. In other words, if a transgender man thinks of himself as a woman and dresses as such (despite still having male parts) then they feel they should still be allowed to use the women’s restroom. The same thing goes for trans-women who prefer to use the men’s room.

While Phoenix’s ordinance is far reaching and can hurt businesses who will now be powerless to enforce their own privacy policies, there is another more pressing issue here, individual rights. When Phoenix’s ordinance came to a vote, its supporters tried to claim it was for the good of everyone. They said discrimination of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and in particular transgender individuals had to be stopped. Of course, during that City Council meeting when opponents of the proposed law spoke their mind, some of them were booed and heckled. The concerns of opponents were valid. The way the law was written gave an advantage to those with some very bad intent because with every law created there are those who will exploit it.

Pedophiles and rapists could dress as women, enter a restroom where there victim is and intend to do harm to them. Supporters scoffed at the idea as utter nonsense. Regardless of the valid concerns by the opposition, the ordinance was passed despite much of the public not knowing about it or even being allowed to testify their feelings publicly. The liberals cheered while conservatives walked away shaking their heads in disbelief. It was simply one group in the minority feeling the need to push their position on the majority. Believe it or not, that is not only intolerant but a form of discrimination.

Fast forward a month later. SB 1432 was put forth to neutralize the Phoenix bill at least in the part that dealt with bathrooms. This time members of the State Legislature put forth a bill that would make it crime for a person to be in the restroom of their opposite gender. In other words a man couldn’t use the woman’s restroom and vice versa. If they did they faced arrest and a $2500 fine. This didn’t sit well with the transgender community and their supporters who thought the bill was mean spirited and outright discrimination. The bill’s main sponsor Representative John Kavanagh (Dist, 23) decided to kill the bill and re-drafted a new one. This time he decided to meet opponents of the bill half-way and decided to dump the criminal portion of the bill.

In the new Bathroom Bill aka SB 1045 it gave businesses the right to set their own rules for restroom, locker room and changing room use. It also states that a business can’t be sued if they remove someone from a particular bathroom that doesn’t match their sex. It seems reasonable enough. If you were born a man or a woman then use part of the facility that matches your gender. All is well since that’s the way things are now.

You’d think that after dumping the criminal portion of the bill, it’s opponents in the would be happy right? Wrong. This time they claimed that now businesses would be able to legally discriminate. Forget a business being allowed to do everything in their power to make sure their customers are safe from the bad guys who could easily dress as a woman to gain access to a locker room or restroom area to assault their victims. Yes, even a child can fall victim to a predator dressed as a person of the opposite gender. I’m not talking about an innocent transgender person wanting to use the bathroom like every other human to do their natural business,  but a vicious predator who’s main intent is to do bad things to their victim. Did you know a business could be sued or lose business if they don’t make some kind of effort to keep their customers safe?

Now, this might be the lesson in tolerance here for the NO ON SB 1045 people that attended the recent AZ House Appropriations meeting. When SB 1045 was being considered, both sides had their position and were ready to do battle.  Some people wrote to the Committee members with their concerns, while others showed up to personally comment as well. While transgender people and their supporters attended the meeting to speak against the bill, one person came in support of it. Whether you support it or not, the biggest entity that gets put in harms way over this type of issue are businesses themselves. They have to worry about the costs involved to make accommodations for a certain group’s need. To add a gender neutral bathroom (or a uni-sex bathroom) or re-design an already existing bathroom area to accommodate a particular group costs money. Also, businesses that have locker room areas have to worry about their kids seeing a man’s or woman’s private parts especially if they have shower areas. Businesses have to think about safety first with their customers.

Another problem for businesses owners is when they hold special events at other facilities. Yes, not all businesses are brick and mortar these days and when you host an event at a large facility, you have to enforce policy, especially when its a public safety issue. That is an easily forgotten legal boundary because if a business hosts a function at another establishment then they could be held liable for what their attendees do. In many instances a business wanting to host an event at a private facility has to sign all sorts of documents including one for insurance and liability.

Now, one of the biggest arguments heard at the AZ House Appropriations Committee was how SB 1045 would give business owners the right to legally discriminate. Actually, that isn’t true. It only gives businesses the right to put together their own set of rules to protect their patrons and keep things safe. If you ask me, this is a unique opportunity for transgendered folks to work with business owners to find a common ground. Instead of forcing business owners to bend to their will (which is the minority not the majority) they could offer businesses that have separate bathrooms, the money to make the necessary accommodations.

In both the Phoenix fight and now the AZ Legislative fight the opposition never mentioned how they’d be willing to help a business monetarily to solve the problem.  Instead of finding a solution the NO ON SB 1045 saw only a problem that affected them and not willing to see it from the other side’s viewpoint. That often happens in a fight.

This whole bathroom battle brings up another case which happened several years ago. A business owner in Scottsdale received several complaints about a transgender individual dressed in women’s clothing in the women’s room. Yes, it was women that complained and the business owner had to do something to protect his other patrons. The owner then banned the transgender individual from the establishment and they in turn sued the business owner for discrimination. The matter was eventually settled but not before it set off a media hailstorm and cost the business owner thousands of dollars to fight the matter.  Also, to help curb the few acts of violence against gay, lesbian and transsexual citizens the City Council voted and passed an ordinance that would prevent discrimination against them on the city level and cover Scottsdale employees and facilities.

However, the key point was city level. The mayor at the time Mary Manross felt that city government had no right to impose the rule on privately owned businesses and allowed them to enforce their own policies and decide how to handle it. Phoenix could’ve learned something from the City of Scottsdale. Remember, Scottsdale is pretty conservative and yet they passed a law which met the LGBT community half-way and gave businesses the right to put together their own policies regarding how bathrooms and other issues are handled.

Phoenix’s ordinance should have done the same thing. Keep things on the city level and not demand that businesses conform. Instead, because one group demanded equality and were the minority they pushed through a blanket law which put businesses in a no win situation. In fact, if the Phoenix City Council hadn’t overreached and forced business owners in such a tight position, SB 1045 probably wouldn’t have been created in the first place. No doubt, Representative Kavanagh like the other Republican members of the Appropriations Committee heard from many business owners and citizens on this issue.

What the NO ON SB 1045 advocates probably don’t realize is that there is more than just one person who was for the bill. One business person did show up in person to express their support, but it wasn’t to attack transgenders or even label them as bad people. It was because they had a concern about business rights being protected and they wanted to be heard. While that person faced some anger by the opposition after the vote came down, it takes a real act of courage to make a stand against what is seemingly overwhelming odds. There were about 100 people from the public in that room who were against the bill and one stood for it, said their peace and walked out.

Yes, they like the opposition were frustrated, but what isn’t known is that this individual being on the opposite side of the line had a pleasant conversation with a few NO ON SB 1045 people outside the House building, and one of them was a transgender person. Neither side showed anger towards the other. Neither side threatened the other and they didn’t get into a verbal altercation that spilled out into the streets. In fact, in a brief moment outside the halls of state government there was a bit of peace and civility that happened. Both sides were tired and frustrated as it had been a long day. However, even though they were on different sides of the line, they could talk to each other without one fearing the other.  In one small moment there was a moment of peace and the realization that while they differed in position, they didn’t really hate each other. They just had a difference in opinion and both sides felt it was OK to have it.

I think this issue has brought out one lesson for the liberal left. It’s about tolerance. If you want to gain acceptance and want to end discrimination then you have to be tolerant yourself. Conservatives have learned to be tolerant because the golden rule, a sense of family values, a solid base of communication, and of course the need to work for what they want is a mainstay. Conservatives believe in the rule of Constitutional law and while it may seem like we’re stubborn at times, we just are fighting for what we believe in.

SB 1045, the Phoenix anti-discrimination ordinance, gay marriage and other issues like them will always be hot issues. The liberal left will always claim they’re looking out for our greater good by insisting that the public embrace their logic and position. They’ve played every card they can think of, from race to disability, but pushing and bullying to get your way won’t get you anywhere. Eventually, the other side pushes back. This is how things like SB 1045 came to exist. If Phoenix had done what Scottsdale did by leaving businesses alone, the state never would have stepped in. In fact, after Scottsdale voted on their less intrusive discrimination ordinance, the state never stepped in to propose their own bill to stop it.

Here is a thought for the liberal left. If you are going to use government to push your position, don’t complain when at some point the opposition uses it to push back. Government is a two way street and if you give it more power, it becomes a road, then eventually a freeway. You’re getting a lesson in tolerance here, because in order to have it you have to be tolerant. Discrimination unfortunately happens in the human world but forcing someone to believe what you believe is never the answer in ending it. This is something the liberal position has never understood.

As for the LBGT community, you’re struggling for acceptance and its understandable. Nobody likes discrimination, but boycotts against businesses for not building you a special bathroom, stall or giving you that special changing area isn’t the answer. The best way to get a business to offer something you want is by suggesting it. If a business can’t do it (usually any re-design requires money) then ask why and offer to help. Demanding a business change the rules for the minority never works. Remember Chick-fil-A? The LBGT community boycotted them demanding a policy be changed, yet they had more consumers come out in support of the business and they had a record breaking day financially.

Finding common ground between opposing sides isn’t easy, but it can be found. To bully those who disagree with your position results in nothing more than black and blue marks.  SB 1045 was bound to cause a rift between people just like anything else that government proposes. With all the media attention on these types of issues it’s no wonder we all don’t fight each other for the rest of our lives.

One of the biggest issues brought up by the left is equality. They suggest that the reason they’re fighting for gay marriage (for example) is because they want equality. Little did they realize that their demands weren’t met with it. The same thing happened with SB 1045.  In all their fighting to stop it in the name of equality they may not have realized just how much they hurt their cause. When one group of people puts their feelings and values over another it isn’t equal at all. However, when you solve the problem together without government (no the Phoenix bill didn’t help matters) involvement then that is more equal and you certainly get more accomplished.

I think the liberals would be surprised just how much conservatives want things to be equal for everyone in this country. The United States Constitution was all about equality and that is a rule book conservatives value. But equality requires everyone to treat each other with civility. When you hate, fear grows. Everyone is different, but when you force your differences onto another person, you’re bound to get resistance. This is why things like the Phoenix ordinance, gay marriage and every other liberal proposal has been met with so much anger and stopping power. It’s similar to creating what seems like the perfect product. When you rush things into production and demand people or even machines to work faster to get it out of the factory, the more problems you face withe quality of it. You’re also not going to get everyone to buy it either.

This is what liberals and even some conservatives need to learn. You won’t get everyone to think the same way you do. Sure, it’d be great if they did, but we don’t live in a perfect world. There are going to be rules we don’t like, people we can’t stand and decisions that are unpopular. However, when you come together to solve a problem that both sides have, then progress can happen. It has happened in our country but until we realize that life isn’t perfect then we’ll be stuck fighting what always seems to be a no win situation. Right now there is one thing both sides can agree on and that’s to disagree. I guess we have to start somewhere.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phoenix Business Hosts Save The Economy Day To Get Consumers Across The United States To Buy Local

There’s no question that the economy is in pretty bad shape and that the government doesn’t have a good plan to save it. However, one small business owner in Phoenix says it’s up to consumers to decide whether or not they want the United States economy to turn around and is hosting a Save The Economy Day on March 30th to encourage them to buy local.

Nohl Rosen, who owns Panther TEK a local computer repair company is hoping every consumer across the country as well as small businesses will take part in the event. He believes that by supporting local businesses that we can bring back Main Street USA back to its former glory. Rosen also believes that while it’ll take more than just one day to turn things around that it also could be a good first step for consumers to support local businesses every day.

“Small businesses create most of the jobs, opportunities and services in this country and is the backbone to our economy.  If we want things to turn around economically then we need to support local small business. We can’t look to government to solve our economic crisis. We need to solve the problem ourselves,” Rosen said.

For more information about the event call Panther TEK at 480-980-8541.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Local Computer Repair Company Offers Discount To Cat Lovers

Are you having computer problems and need to save some money? One Phoenix IT company has a discount which is slowly becoming the purrfect hit with its feline loving clientele. No, it’s not an offer for senior citizens but in fact a discount for cat lovers. Nohl Rosen who owns Panther TEK which specializes in computer repair and troubleshooting for residential and small business customers says this new offering is slowly becoming a favorite amongst its customers. Rosen himself has two cats so naturally it was an easy decision.

“The word is getting out there slowly and we wanted something that truly set us a part from the rest of competition. I love cats and figured I’d try it out. We also wanted to save some of our customers money as the economy has become a bit tighter,” Rosen said.

Panther TEK is probably the first computer repair company to offer a discount like this which Rosen says is temporary at the moment but it could become permanent.  So, the next time your computer has problems you may want to call Panther TEK. When you end up saving money on the bill, remember to thank your cat as well. You can reach them at 480-980-8541.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anti-Discrimination Bill Passes In Phoenix But The Fallout Is Just Beginning

Recently, the Phoenix City Council voted 5-3 in favor of an ordinance that makes it illegal for businesses to discriminate against someone because of their gender identity and sexual orientation, especially if the want to use their bathroom facilities. In other words, a human man that identifies themselves as a human woman can freely use that gender’s bathroom. The same goes for a woman that identifies themselves as a man. This piece of legislation was deemed The Bathroom Bill as a result.

While members of the LGBT community in Phoenix cheer the new law being passed, it puts business owners in a very awkward position because there is also another portion of the bill that makes them easy targets to discrimination lawsuits. Yes, if a person is fired from a job and just happens to be gay they could easily claim that was the reason for being let go. The same thing goes for businesses that refuse to serve a customer as well. Overall, this was once again a push by government on our private lives and private industry. Even more disturbing it was the government’s support of the minority over the majority and one group thinking their needs is more important than another’s.

At times, the City Council meeting which happened on February 25th got heated and there was little doubt that those who supported the ordinance had little tolerance for those who opposed it. In fact, at times the supporters of the bill made up largely of members from the LGBT community booed and heckled many who spoke out against the ordinance. Even City Council member Sal DiCiccio was a target when he pressed that the matter be tabled so every citizen and business owner in Phoenix had a chance to read the ordinance and publicly comment as well.

Of course, this didn’t sit well with liberals who insisted that the matter be voted on immediately, and that they waited 20 years for gay, lesbian and transgender individuals to have more freedom in Phoenix. Never mind that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 already stated that you can’t discriminate against someone due to race, color, sex, disability, and national origin. The liberal supporters were clear. They wanted their own special addition to the law. However, none of the supporters were concerned about the bad guys taking advantage of this ordinance by easily dressing up as a woman in order to gain access to the woman’s restroom and possibly harming a child or raping a woman. I’m not saying all transgender people are bad but the laws nowadays can be easily exploited for bad intentions.

There has been early fallout because of the bill passing but it’s light right now. On one side, a few that opposed to the Bathroom Bill are now stating they plan on boycotting Phoenix businesses because it passed. The other side also had a few people stating that they’ll boycott businesses that opposed the bill. On the deeper political front, some people have said that they want to have Mayor Greg Stanton who lead the city’s effort to get the bill passed (and was also backed and supported on the measure by many members of the LGBT community) recalled. One of the biggest problems was the Mayor signing the ONE Community’s Unity pledge. This alone showed his caving to special interest and thus he shouldn’t have been allowed to vote on a bill that would affect so many citizens and businesses. While the supporters claimed it would be good for business, it will in some ways be disastrous. The biggest being the discrimination lawsuits and the money businesses will have to spend to accommodate one group’s needs. Another is the push by big government to create rules backed by special interest.

There were a lot of problems when it came to voting on the new ordinance. At the last minute (24 notice anyway) the meeting was moved from the Phoenix City Council chambers to the Orpheum Theater. Also, holding the meeting at 2:30pm while most people were at work and therefore had no chance to comment on the matter was another bad plan. It makes one question if the vote was rushed on purpose or if the supporters of the bill were afraid to have it go to a public vote? There are a lot of questions but so few answers. However, those that opposed the bill feel their voices weren’t heard and many business owners never even got to review the ordinance

As you can certainly tell, the City Council meeting had a lot of drama with the liberals pulling out all the stops. They played the gay card, the race card, and even the disability card. Those who opposed the bill were painted as a religious nuts and fear mongers by the liberal left. Even lawyers got involved with the show. Business owners that had indeed known about the bill (which was small) also got their two cents worth in, but one stood and said they wanted less government involvement involvement in the private sector and to let businesses decide whether or not they create their own added discrimination rules governing sexual orientation in their establishments.

Another interesting portion to all this was the media. The liberal left and the LGBT community got a lot of news coverage. Their stories saw airtime while the conservatives got very little. Yes, the media wasn’t too friendly to conservatives because many of their comments got buried. Immediately after the vote (and even before the meeting started) the media swarmed around the LGBT community members that showed up. They were picked for interviews and were seen in their most celebratory mood. It truly showed just how far left the media has gotten. No wonder grass roots media outlets like Breaking News Journal have cropped up in the last few years. It’s pretty obvious that when it comes to roadway of news, there are way too many left turn lanes.

The passing of this new ordinance also brought another question to the table. Just how tolerant is the LGBT community? Well if you want the scoop on that, just talk to its conservative members. We did, and also read stories online about how gay and lesbian conservatives were outed by a majority of the LGBT community. They felt like they were not allowed to express their conservative views so therefore don’t see themselves as members of that community. Gay and lesbian conservatives  don’t see the need for laws like the one that just passed in Phoenix. Just like many other conservatives they want less government in our lives. They believe in the founding principles of the United States Constitution.  There are LGBT conservatives in the Tea Party and other similar groups because they believe they have a voice there.

Yes, LGBT conservatives have it tough but after talking to two lesbian conservatives on the matter they clearly indicated just how much discrimination they faced from the LGBT community by being conservatives. They indicated that the majority of LGBT community is quite liberal and feel that this new push for things like gay marriage and special laws regarding transgender bathrooms and anti-discrimination ordinances aren’t needed.  They don’t like pushing their sexual views on people and believe that nobody’s views or position should be seen as more important than another. Pretty much the conservative members of the LGBT community are all about tolerance and unlike the liberal left members, they practice what they preach.

However, the price they pay for standing up for conservative principles is being outed by the LGBT community. Regardless of that, the conservative members of the LGBT community press on and surround themselves with like minded people. They’re happier and therefore much more tolerant of those who stand up to bigger government and bills that are pushed by the liberal left members of the LGBT community which make up the majority. Perhaps the vote on the Bathroom Bill would have been less of an easy victory if many gay and lesbian conservatives had known about it and thus shown up at the meeting in large numbers.

Ultimately, the passage of the so-called Bathroom Bill will have repercussions. While it may seem light now, the fact that one group pushed their agenda on another and got the government to help them is disturbing. The fallout over this and other similar ordinances being rushed and then passed into law will have a bit of a rocky beginning but in the end will create a rift that might not be so easily repaired. Whenever government involves itself in the private lives of its citizens and starts telling business owners how to operate their companies it’s never good.

I wonder how long it will take before the liberal left realizes that its plan to force everyone to conform to their ways not only will have dire consequences but also will result in themselves becoming victims to the very rules they set? A lot of times they never see it before its too late. Right now the liberal left is thinking they have nothing to be concerned about by growing the government and getting them to set the laws they want. However, Thomas Jefferson said it best.

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. “

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Media Shows Fear Of Second Amendment And Responsible Gun Ownership

When a local computer repair company called Panther TEK here in Phoenix decided to host a Second Amendment Appreciation Day, gun owners welcomed the idea of such an event. Thought it happens only a couple of days away and the buzz online about it, the liberal media has avoided it entirely. Which begs the question, if a business hosted a day celebrating gun control would the media consider that newsworthy? It’s starting to look that way. Yes, it certainly seems that he mainstream media wants gun control and has a real fear of anything that’s conservative based. This is probably why stories that involve someone using a gun to save a life is aired or shown so infrequently.

The media seems to like negativity and often dwells on it thinking this is the stuff the public wants to see. In their minds, the more negative situations like school and office complex shootings, the better. Lately, whenever there’s a story involving the pressing for gun control or to end what the liberals call gun violence (yes, the liberals are trying to make it appear that guns are responsible for any type of violence that happens) it multiplies. The media is very quick to focus on the fact that if a violent act takes place that the word gun needs to be somehow involved in the story. In fact, the media focuses so much on someone getting killed by gun fire that any story that talks about responsible gun owners is almost non-existent.

The liberals and the anti-gun lobby seem to feel that it’s not people that kill people, it’s guns that kill people. Why else would they insist that we have more gun laws (like the ones we don’t have in the books aren’t tough enough) or create anti-gun violence and anti-gun campaigns? The media seems to share their views because every time you turn around they’re airing and posting stories about gun control or how Obama is going on a tour to combat gun violence. Could it be that the reason the media fails to show the positive side of guns and gun ownership is because they fear the Second Amendment? It’s an interesting question but it’s certainly starting to look that way.

Here’s the bottom line and it’s something the media and the liberals fail to grasp. Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. It takes a person to fire the weapon. Another fact, responsible gun owners far outnumber those who use them for malicious intent. The media fails to report about about it and instead we get stories about how guns need to be regulated even further and make it appear that majority of gun owners are irresponsible and crazed killers that shoot up schools, move theaters and office complexes.

Responsible gun owners believe in the positive uses for guns like protecting themselves, their families and even their businesses. The mainstream media doesn’t seem to like or want to hear that, but it’s true. Guns have saved lives and the majority of responsible gun owners are being unfairly targeted by not only anti-gun lobbyists and their supporters but by a liberally controlled and charged media as well. It’s time they learn that the Second Amendment and the rest of the United States Constitution means something and it isn’t just a simple piece of paper being on display in Washington DC.

On February 8th, Panther TEK hosts it’s very first Second Amendment Appreciation Day and giving a special discount on their computer repair and troubleshooting services to responsible gun owners and their regular customers. If you want to know more or need computer help, give them a call at 480-980-8541.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment