In December of 1925, the Spanish-revival doors of the Milestone Mo-Tel Inn swung open to motorists mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, offering a luxurious overnight stay by any standards. https://www.messynessychic.com/2023/06/01/the-bittersweet-story-of-the-worlds-first-motel/

Holiday gifts for friends — homemade lemon curd made is the sous vide — is ready!

Some corrupt Mexican police are now using card terminals to make collecting bribes at traffic stops more convenient. https://restofworld.org/2023/mexico-police-accused-taking-bribes-payment-apps/

The Kikkoman Soy Sauce Bottle Is Priceless.

"The bottle’s value among resellers and fans — specifically American superfans — speaks to the brand’s particular juggernaut cultural power in the U.S. Specialty bottles don’t just feature Japanese cultural signifiers, but American ones too, from Mickey and Minnie Mouse to the American bicentennial."
https://www.eater.com/23991405/kikkoman-soy-sauce-america-history

Yearning for baseball

From a menu in Budapest, a few years ago

“Doctor, My Eyes” Performed by Jackson Browne and Musicians Around the World
https://www.openculture.com/2023/09/doctor-my-eyes-performed-by-jackson-browne-musicians-around-the-world.html

Yak sharing

Your moment of zen

The inability to save images with right-click is one of Google Maps’ limitations, and getting one saved may seem impossible. But there are ways to bypass this limitation. https://www.makeuseof.com/save-google-maps-images/

President Joe Biden announced Friday he's issuing a federal pardon to every American who has used marijuana in the past, including those who were never arrested or prosecuted. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/12/22/biden-marijuana-possession-conviction-pardon/72009644007/

In infrared wavelengths, Webb is revealing a strange and dynamic ice world filled with exciting atmospheric features. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-rings-in-holidays-with-ringed-planet-uranus/

Ohio gives historical status to building that once housed internet service pioneer CompuServe
https://news.wosu.org/2023-12-21/ohio-gives-historical-status-to-building-that-once-housed-internet-service-pioneer-compuserve

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PEN America has released a new report containing a “cumulative data summary” that tracks the almost 6,000 public school book bans it has documented since July 2021. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/93944-new-pen-america-report-documents-scarlet-letter-effect-of-book-bans.html

Until the fourteenth century, women dominated the field of beer brewing. (I knew this but maybe you did not. Anyhow, it's an excuse to talk about beer.) https://daily.jstor.org/a-pint-for-the-alewives/

Early On-Demand Music Streaming Required Lots of Nickels
The brainchild of Seattle inventor Ken Shyvers, Multiphones came onto the scene in 1939.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/shyvers-multiphone

Space start-up Privateer, co-founded by the famed Apple technologist Steve Wozniak, will begin orbital tests of its ride-sharing orbital module Pono in January.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/steve-wozniaks-start-up-privateer-develops-ride-sharing-spacecraft-to-reduce-orbital-clutter