Stay true to the dreams of thy youth

• An Iran Hawk's Case Against New Iran Sanctions - Bloomberg

  "For years, Iran hawks have argued that only punishing sanctions, combined with the threat of military force, would bring Tehran to the nuclear negotiating table. Finally, Iran is at the table. And for reasons that are alternately inexplicable, presumptuous and bellicose, Iran hawks have decided that now is the moment to slap additional sanctions on the Iranian regime. "

  tags: goldberg bloomberg iran sanctions republicans senate israel aipac lobbying

• Hops & Grain Brewery to release 12 versions of same IPA this year to showcase hops diversity - Craft Brewing Business

  "The latest year-round can release from Hops & Grain Brewery, the Greenhouse IPA, hit select retail shelves on Jan. 13 in Texas and feature a couple of fun wrinkles for craft beer fans. After brewing more than 18 different versions of an IPA over the past two years in the brewery’s Greenhouse 3-barrel (bbl) pilot system, owner Josh Hare decided upon the canned version, a light copper-hued IPA with a grain bill that delivers a hefty, lasting foam head and just a hint of malt flavor to balance out the generous hopping. "

  tags: beer hops grains food beverages alcohol

• Kalashnikov’s remorseful letter ponders impact of his AK-47 invention.

  "Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the Kalashnikov rifle, better known as the AK-47, died at the age of 94 last month, but not without regrets about the impact of the assault rifle that carries his name. In a 2012 letter published in a pro-Kremlin newspaper on Monday, Kalashnikov wrote to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, expressing anguish and remorse about the impact of his invention. "

  tags: ak47 weapons russia military-industrial militarization

• Bacteria in the media: Toilet seats aren’t germy, and cellphones aren’t dangerous.

  "Contrary to popular belief, toilet seats are quite clean! They are of no use as a metric of how many bacteria you might find on a surface. Why is that, you might ask? Two reasons. One is that there just aren’t as many microbes on the part of your body that actually sits on the toilet seat: Your thighs have many fewer bacteria than, say, your hands. Additionally, we clean toilet seats. Often. With bleach."

  tags: random health toilets cellphone technology

• Spain GDP grows at fastest pace in almost six years - FT.com

  "The Spanish economy grew at its fastest pace in almost six years in the final quarter of last year, raising hopes that the recession-scarred country is finally on the road of recovery. "

  tags: spain europe europeanunion gdp growth recession

• Barcelona Discloses $55 Million Payment Made to Neymar’s Parents - Bloomberg

  "Spanish soccer champion Barcelona said it paid 40 million euros ($55 million) to a company owned by Brazilian playmaker Neymar’s parents as it comes under pressure to give more details about one of last year’s biggest soccer trades. "

  tags: brazil barcelona football soccer business

• Egyptians Vote on New Constitution in Key Referendum - NYTimes.com

  "Egyptians began voting on Tuesday in a two-day referendum on a revised constitution which the country’s top military officer has cast as a potential precursor to a bid for the presidency. Tens of thousands of soldiers and police officers were deployed to shield the vote from protest by opponents or disruption by militants. Just before polling started, an explosion occurred outside a courthouse in the teeming neighborhood of Imbaba, damaging the building but causing no casualties, witnesses said."

  tags: egypt constitution middleeast revolution authoritarianism

• Palestinians mull plan for day after breakdown in peace talks - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz

  "The Palestinian leadership met on Monday night to discuss scenarios in the event of a breakdown of talks with Israel, Haaretz has learned. A senior Palestinian official said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is intent on keeping to the timeframe allocated for the talks, but in the event that a deal is not reached, which could include an agreement to extend the deadline, the Palestinian leadership will have no option but to turn to unilateral actions at the United Nations."

  tags: palestine israel colonialism middleeast

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.