Frosted Flakes: Super Corn, Beauty Filters and a Foot Fetish

Things are pretty much getting back to normal in Panama. Although everyone is still required to wear a mask and there is still a curfew from 10pm-4am, which means supermarkets, pharmacies, bars, restaurants, convenience stores and other businesses have to close at 9pm. However, last week, I noticed there were still quite a few cars on the main roads at 10:15pm when I scrambling to get home in an Uber after a weekly trivia night at a local craft brewery.

Panama officially declared itself opened for tourism on March 1st, older citizens are being vaccinated and there doesn’t seem to be another signs that there will be a sharp spike in cases anything soon (knock on wood). Last Thursday, I took a day off work for a nice beach day at Playa Blanca and Venas Azules. I’m not really a beach guy but I do enjoy a trip there every once in a while. Next week, I will be escape the heat and humidity of Panama City for a few days for some hiking and adventures in Anton Valley as I begin my last month in Panama before I leave.

Things are looking promising. I’m hoping to get back to the United States in the next month or two to receive my first coronavirus shot. Stay tuned for more adventures…onto Flakes.

Running Back Transfer Markese Stepp Among Others to Miss Spring Football with Injuries | Football | Corn Nation

After Wednesday morning’s spring football practice, Scott Frost announced that running back Markese Stepp, defensive end Ben Stille and defensive back Marques Buford will be out of spring practice with undisclosed surgery.

Will the Seniors Return for the Huskers? | Wrestling | Corn Nation

In my opinion, the two guys Nebraska would most greatly benefit from bringing back are Taylor Venz at 184 pounds and Eric Schultz at 197. This is based on two things. Both kind of seem to have some unfinished business, and their returns would allow Nebraska to redshirt the freshmen behind them in preparation to start in 2022-23.

Nebraska Recruiting: JUCO Football Could Provide Unique Opportunity This Spring | Football | Hail Varsity

“Well, obviously, a lot of them are playing in the spring,” Held said. “That’s my Saturday nights, when my kids go to bed. I’m watching games on my phone which is fun. There’s gonna be some kids that are going to be May guys. There’s going to be some kids, that will definitely be December guys the next year…”

Nebraska Path to a National Championship | Volleyball | Hail Varsity

When Nebraska’s fall seasons got pushed back, it left us with nothing to cover. We had a brainstorming meeting and decided we’d dive fully into covering the only sports we thought would happen: those at the high school level. Derek Peterson, Erin and I joined Greg on the high school football beat.

Huskers Qualify for NCAA Championships | Men’s Gymnastics | Huskers.com

The Huskers enter the competition with a No. 4 ranking behind Oklahoma (1), Michigan (2) and Stanford (3). NU will compete during the first pre-qualifying competition on Friday, April 16 at 1:00 p.m. CT. No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 Illinois, No. 9 Navy and No. 12 William and Mary will all be a part of the first session.

Huskers Host Terps for Three-Game-Series | Baseball | Huskers.com

The Nebraska baseball team (13-5) returns to Hawks Field this weekend for its second home series of the 2021 season, as the Huskers welcome the Maryland Terrapins (9-10) to Lincoln. The Huskers are 4-0 at home this season, while the Terrapins are 4-7 away from Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium, including a 3-2 record in true road games. The series is scheduled to open on Friday night at 6:30 PM.

Huskers Host Illinois This Weekend | Softball | Huskers.com

The Nebraska softball team hosts the Illinois Fighting Illini this weekend for a four-game series at Bowlin Stadium. The series begins with a single game Friday at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Noon doubleheader on Saturday. The final game of the series is set for 11 a.m. Sunday.

Sipple: Held Emphasizes RB Becoming Position of Strength, You Know, Like Old Times | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

The returning running backs’ numbers were modest. Rahmir Johnson, Marvin Scott, Ronald Thompkins and Cooper Jewett last season combined to rush 38 times for 118 yards (3.1 ypc) and one TD. “We have to get more production out of that position,” Held said. “We have to. We have to be able to run the ball and be consistent in seeing our cuts and being able to really be an asset to our offense.”

Red Report: Williams Says NU’s Decision to Skip Bowl Was Culture Issue That Needs to Be Fixed | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

“Other than that, it is what it is,” Williams said of the team’s vote to skip playing. “But we have to change that. That’s something we’ve got to change here. Deep inside here. It’s a culture thing. We’ve got to change it.”

For Ty Robinson and Husker Defensive Line, Taking the Next Step is Child’s Play | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

“Not a good idea,” Robinson cracked (in reference to taking 18 credit hours). “I highly don’t recommend that. You learn to balance it out. There really is no time off, is what I’ve realized, but you find time off. You find time to take a little break,” Robinson said. “But … my days are pretty full. I’m usually not going to bed until around 11, midnight from schoolwork, practice, film.”

For Nebraska’s Defensive Line, Good Isn’t Nearly Good Enough | Football | Omaha World-Herald

“Some might think it’s a big jump, but for me, I just see it as a normal jump,” Robinson said. “It’s the thing we do. It’s the way our culture has been changed. The culture is finally becoming what they said it was in the beginning. It’s all here. We’ve finally got all the right pieces.”

With Turner Corcoran and Bryce Benhart, the Future is Now For Nebraska’s O-Line | Football | Omaha World-Herald

Benhart said he and Corcoran watch film of NFL offensive linemen like Mike McGlinchey, Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown to further develop their game. Benhart (6-9, 330 pounds) also said he and Corcoran communicate and help each other because they both know the requirements of being a freshman starting on the line.

Chatelain: Tim Miles is Exactly What San Jose State Needs | Basketball | Omaha World-Herald

“It’s funny, when you travel with the team, you have your assistant coaches and your team. When you travel for TV, you travel alone. For me, I was like a fish out of water. I was looking to hang out with people and chat it up and do all that. It was just me and the bellman. I just missed the camaraderie.”

The Most Popular Bucket-List Activities In Each State | Travel | Scott’s Cheap Flights

Nebraska: Hiking at Scotts Bluff National Monument or Chimney Rock National Historic Site. First runner up: Attending the annual Nebraska Star Party in Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area, one of best spots for stargazing in the Midwest. Second runner up: Watching the spring migration of more than 500,000 Sandhill cranes over the Rowe Sanctuary or Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Cente.

The Rise of the Adult Gap Year | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

For those with the time and resources, taking several months to travel, volunteer, or simply relax is one way to reset before pursuing higher education or entering into the workplace. But some adults are breaking the mold by embarking on their own long-term adventures in the form of an adult gap year, also known as a career break.

7 Countries That Offer a Passport Through Ancestry | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

If you can dig up the birth certificates and other required documentation that proves your family ties are legitimate, and you are willing to pony up the administration fees, you could be looking at dual citizenship between six months to three years.

8 Waterfalls Worth Traveling to in the USA | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

While you may have seen some of America’s best-known waterfalls already, what follows are eight other favorites from coast to coast, all worth a stop on your next road trip.

Norwegian Cruise Line Will Require Vaccinations for All Passengers and Crew | Travel | Travel + Leisure

Beyond mandating vaccines for anyone boarding a cruise ship across all three brands that NCL operates — Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises — the company also points to its multilayered SailSAFE Health and Safety Program as evidence that cruising can resume.

Australia and New Zealand’s Travel Bubble Will Launch This Month | Travel | Lonely Planet

New Zealand has had just 26 COVID-19 deaths among its population of five million people, while Australia has had fewer than 1000 deaths among its population of 25 million people. The move comes six months after Australia allowed New Zealand residents to fly into selected states without the need to quarantine.

Volcano Tourism Is Booming, But Is It Too Risky? | Travel | National Geographic

In late March 2021, thousands of people in Iceland hiked into the Geldingadalur valley to watch fiery lava splutter and spill from the crater of the Fagradalsfjall volcano after it erupted for the first time in nearly 800 years. As white ash clouds puffed above trails of glowing, molten rock inching through craggy black stones, some visitors took photos, others sat in quiet awe, and a few toasted marshmallows over the lava flows.

Where to Find Warrior Queens, Fairies, and Castles in Scotland | Travel | National Geographic

For centuries, colorful tales have shaped the Isle of Skye—and are still deeply intertwined in its landscapes and legends.

The Crucial Legacy Missing From US Food | Travel | BBC

Native American food, if it’s recognized today at all, usually only materializes on the Thanksgiving table, where it is represented by a token squash or a pumpkin centerpiece. How did such a rich heritage go missing?

The Enduring Allure of Lost Cities | Travel | BBC

Tales of mysterious ruins have long enchanted travelers from afar, but those stories may hide something even more fascinating – and adverse.

Bhutan’s 350-Year-Old Recipe for Well-Being | Travel | BBC

In this secluded kingdom, a secret incense formula believed to promote healing and happiness is known by only two people.

How to Learn a Language (and Stick At It) | Culture | Psyche

Forget about fluency and how languages are taught at school: as an adult learner you can take a whole new approach.

Scientists Used Gene Editing to Make Super Corn | Food | Future Human

To make their super corn, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York and the University of Massachusetts used the gene-editing technique CRISPR to tinker with corn kernel numbers. They targeted a group of genes in the maize genome involved in the promotion of stem cell growth. Like in humans, stem cells provide plants with a source of new cells to regenerate damaged or diseased tissue.

The Wannabe Food Influencer Who Is Wanted By The FBI | Food | The Guardian

When a man calling himself Gavin Ambani tried to make his mark on the London food scene, the story of a fraud hunt stretching from Hollywood to Indonesia followed in his wake.

How Beauty Filters Took Over Social Media | Artificial Intelligence | MIT Tech Review

The most widespread use of augmented reality isn’t in gaming: it’s the face filters on social media. The result? A mass experiment on girls and young women.

Some of Europe’s Oldest-Known Modern Humans Are Distantly Related to Native Americans | Science | Smithsonian Magazine

Genome sequencing shows some individuals share family ties with surprising populations, and all boast plenty of Neanderthal relatives.

Why Are People Stealing Legos? | Crime | NPR

Three suspects were caught taking boxes of Legos from a toy shop near Paris, with the goal of selling them in Poland, according to Le Parisien. And it’s not just Europe. Lego robberies have happened in the United States as well. Last month, a man in Oregon was arrested after local police suspected he stole $7,500 worth of Lego toy sets. There’s a lot of money in Legos. Lego sets come out in limited editions and they soon become collectors’ items.

A Mother, A Son, And A Wartime Secret | Culture | Elle

Back then, Selma was living in a ruin of an apartment on the outskirts of battle-scarred Sarajevo. Tormented and destitute, she counted herself as one of what was estimated to be more than 20,000 women who were raped during the four-year conflict. She had become pregnant and given birth to a baby boy. She saw the baby as an extension of the man she says raped her, a reminder of the pain and torture she had endured.

An Interview With the Man Who Keeps Uploading My Feet to WikiFeet | Anatomy | The Cut

The discovery was surreal; I wasn’t offended or unnerved, though I can understand why someone would be. I mostly thought it was funny, and posted a video of me wiggling my painted toes in a flattering filter to my story “for my fans,” as a joke. Within minutes, a screenshot of it showed up on WikiFeet.