IT HAD TO BE HOMOPHOBIA, RIGHT? RIGHT? Seattle closed the door on the subminimum wage for people who work for small businesses, earn tips, or enjoy medical benefits under a punishing new minimum wage law.

"I hate to close a safe space for queer people at this time," Bebop Waffle Shop owner Corina Luckenbach explained on Instagram, "but the money just isn’t there after the minimum wage increase (which I fully support)."

In honor of Occam's Razor, stupidity is a better option....

ANOTHER REASON why we no longer live in Virginia.

AMMO GRRRLL We are finally able to see 2024 in the rearview mirror.

WHAT YOU MEAN “WE,” KEMO SABE? Allstate presents as yet another example of woke corporate stupidity.

Yeah, just pay the bills you contracted for and leave me the hell alone otherwise. I don't need -- or want -- your 'advice'.

HEH: The world's largest flying Pez dispenser will make the first trillionaire.

I'll welcome that.

NEW YEAR, same as the old year.

Well, maybe not. We'll see.

[PJMedia VIP site] CUSTOMER SERVICE IS IN DECLINE: Are these companies just too big to care?

Too true. The "you've gotta login to your acccount on our website to to 'talk' to our computer's chatbot" makes customer service a contradiction in in terms. I've closed several store credit accounts in the past and just cut up the credit cards for another account that I've held for nearly 50 years. The company responded almost immediately with a letter a giving me the number of their website chatbot. Needless to say, I haven't responded....

FIVE PREDICTIONS for higher education in 2025.

A shake-up at the Education Department. Closing it is the better option.

Artificial Intelligence will continue to provide new opportunities — and frustrations. My suspicion is that frustration will come to the fore during the next few years. AI is fast but not intelligent. That will become more evident as time passes.

DEI programs will continue to take a hit. As above with education, vanish is the better option.

A ban on men in women’s sports. Absolutely. Chromosomes matter.

Campus culture wars will continue. Probably, but violence should be cause for immediate expulsion of students and firing of faculty/staff. Tenure is well past its expiration date and adults should be put in charge of course offerings.

I'm optimistic that at least some of this will happen during the Trump administration.

I CAN BREATHE AGAIN: Rep. Mike Johnson [R-LA] has been re-elected as Speaker of the House.