Hot off the Press: Taking down democracy edition

The BBC wonders what it is like to be asexual: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16552173.

FIFA and officials in Brazil are at odds over selling beer at World Cup stadia during the tournament: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16624823. I like this quote:

"Alcoholic drinks are part of the Fifa World Cup, so we're going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that's something we won't negotiate," he said.

People need beer, damn it!

Meet Aredale, Iowa's 18-year-old major: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videonetwork/1396027977001?odyssey=mod|tvideo2|article.

The BBC Test Match Special crew had to resort to Plan C to broadcast their commentary of England's cricket match against Pakistan in Dubai: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adammountford/2012/01/englands_collapse_in_dubai_cau.html.

Iowa City's famous Hamburg Inn discovered its recycling is going to the landfill: http://thegazette.com/2012/01/20/trashtalk/. I can see the disposal company's point, and am willing to bet the stoners down at Hamburg would do a poor job of cleaning contaminated recyclables, but that apparently does not matter; it all gets melted down in the end, especially plastic and glass. Either way, we live in an age when business is always right.

Four Interstate rest stops in the Des Moines area — which may have been among those completely renovated in recent years — will be razed to make room for nearby interchanges: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120124/NEWS/301240090/Popular-rest-stops-on-I-80-to-be-removed. It looks like there are no immediate plans to replace them. Poor planning. [Sigh.]