Thursday Flakes: Airfare Prices, Soy Sauce and Being Kind to Each Other

The United States officially qualified for the World Cup last night. That’s something to be excited about after shockingly missing out on the last World Cup. Now if you’re bored like me, you can spend the next 24 hours playing with a World Cup group draw simulator before the official draw on Friday morning. Which teams are the Americans playing in your simulation?

I also read a BBC article this week about being kind (also shared below) which discusses the lengths some people go to be kind to each other and also what stops being people from being kind. This brought me back to a situation that happened on Monday. A Tapatia (lady from Guadalajara) and I were walking together down the street when we got to an intersection. While we were at the crosswalk waiting for the light to turn green, my friend noticed two people (guy and girl) arguing with each other. They were a few meters away you could tell from the look on her face that the girl appears to be in a bit of distress and the guy was making threatening motions. My friend decided she was going to help out this lady.

After explaining me (in Spanish) about the situation unfolding next to us, she walked over to the lady and said a couple things to her before they walked off away from the guy. Then the three of us walked together for a few blocks until we arrived at a major intersection and the lady went her own way. My friend’s awareness of the surroundings and incredible kindness likely saved this lady from having a bad night. She remained humble about the whole situation and just said it’s just who she was…being a good person and doing the right thing. It made me stop and think if I should be doing more to help out others. And then I found the BBC article.

Have you gone out of your way to be kind and helpful recently? Do you love soy sauce? Do you love your pickup truck? How often do you use ‘lol’, ‘omg’ and other chat speak? Have you noticed airfare prices going up recently? Let’s hear your answers in the comment section below.

Anyways onto Flakes…

Whipple Discusses Progress In Offensive Position Groups | Football | Huskers.com

“They are taking care of the ball better which I thought we were a little loose with the ball earlier at quarterback,” Whipple said. “Today we had an interception in the red zone. We are getting more work in the red zone which will help us in the tight windows and third downs and things like that.”

Husker Bowlers Earn NCAA Bid | Bowling | Huskers.com

Nebraska, the No. 2 overall seed in the 16-team field, is the top seed in the four-team Rochester Region and will be joined by Wilmington (Del.) University. Fairleigh Dickson and Sacred Heart. Competition will take place beginning Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9. The double-elimination format will advance one winner from each of the four regionals to the National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship in Columbus, Ohio, on April 15-16.

Davis, Colombo Headed to Seattle for NCAA Regionals | Women’s Gymnastics | Huskers.com

Nebraska’s representatives will battle for a spot at the NCAA Championships later this month. Sophomore Kinsey Davis will compete on vault, uneven bars and balance beam at 3 p.m. (CT) while junior Clara Colombo will perform on uneven bars at 9 p.m. (CT).

Huskers Ready for Big Ten Championships | Men’s Gymnastics | Huskers.com

Ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten conference, the Nebraska Huskers are headed to Penn State University where they are set to compete in the Big Ten Championships for a chance at the title. All five teams competing in the Big Ten Championships are ranked among the top 7 in the NCAA.

Nebraska Recruiting: Returning Players’ Development Critical to Boost Huskers in 2022 | Football | Hail Varsity

Scott Frost is also seeing a change in his role. He is taking on more of a CEO role as the team searches for ways to improve on his tenure so far. The impact of how he handles that will not fully show itself until the games start in the fall. It is a critical offseason ahead of a year that Frost’s team must show improvement.

Padding the Stats: A Good Day for Husker Hoops | Women’s Basketball | Hail Varsity

In addition to the value she’ll provide on the court, Haiby is also one of the team’s leaders. I think she’ll be particularly beneficial for Allison Weidner, the Humphrey native who had a promising freshman season and shares a lot of similarities with Haiby in terms of the way she plays the game.

United States Books Spot to 2022 World Cup in Qatar | Soccer | ESPN

The United States finishes the 14-game qualifying cycle with a record of 7 wins, 3 losses and 4 draws for 25 points. That total left the U.S. three points behind Canada and Mexico, and level with Costa Rica, with only a goal differential of +11 ensuring the Americans finished ahead of Tuesday’s hosts (+5).

Wedding Day Blues: Duke, Carolina Fans Getting Married This Weekend Face Incredible Predicament | Basketball | Yahoo Sports

When Boehmer took Sullivan to dinner for their first date in 2018, the conversation between the recent University of Northern Iowa grads soon shifted to basketball. Boehmer gritted his teeth and stayed quiet when Sullivan revealed that she was a big Duke fan because he “wanted the date to go well.” Then he pulled out a Tar Heels-themed wallet to pay for dinner, and Sullivan’s face went pale.

Masters 2022: Tiger Woods on Field List Amid Speculation He May Return at Augusta National | Golf | CBS Sports

Woods has made comebacks at Augusta National before, and given how good he looked at the PNC in December — and how much time he had to get back into playing shape — it’s feasible that he could tee it up at the first major of the year.

US Airfare Prices Are Up 40% from January, Still to Increase | Travel | Travel Pulse

According to analysts at travel comparison company Hopper, U.S. domestic airfare has risen by 40 percent since the start of the year. Roundtrip domestic flights are now averaging $330, as compared to $235 at the beginning of 2022.

India Reopens, Lifting Two-Year Ban on International Flights | Travel | Travel Pulse

At the beginning of the month, India’s central government had announced that it was extending the ban on overseas flights indefinitely but later decided to allow the restart of commercial international passenger service as of March 27. Prior to Sunday, India had only been allowing chartered flights into and out of the country, making international air travel inaccessible to most.

Sweden Set to Remove All Entry Restrictions For Non-EU Travelers | Travel | Travel Pulse

Sweden is preparing to lift its ban on non-essential travelers coming from so-called “third countries”, which refers to those outside of the European Union (E.U.), on April 1. The decision was announced by the Swedish Ministry of Justice last week.

What is Coral Regeneration and How Can I Help? | Travel | Lonely Planet

Destruction of reefs – such as mass coral bleaching – is the result of a combination of factors including climate change and pollution. Scientists and communities are dedicated to protecting these marine environments, and in some destinations, travelers can help too by taking part in coral regeneration schemes.

Australia Adopts Indigenous Place Names For Cities to Celebrate Aboriginal Culture | Travel | Lonely Planet

To celebrate and acknowledge Australia’s Aboriginal cultural heritage, Tourism Australia has announced it will be adopting a dual-naming approach for capital cities and other major locations.

White House and Capitol Building to Resume Tours in April | Travel | Travel + Leisure

According to Maj. Gen. William Walker, the House sergeant-at-arms, and Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol’s attending physician, tours will be limited to 15 people and led by members or staff for those who have registered ahead and school groups.

Nine Credit Cards That Cover Global Entry and TSA PreCheck Costs | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

So many travel credit cards will reimburse you for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck costs that there is no longer any excuse not to submit an application for one of these programs. Below, you’ll find nine credit cards that cover the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and have other benefits that make them worth applying for.

Japan’s Humble Birthplace of Soy Sauce | Travel | BBC

Soy sauce is ubiquitous throughout Japan and the world. But few know about the ancient origins of the holy grail of Japanese cuisine.

Sri Lanka’s Last Indigenous People | Travel | BBC

The Veddas were traditionally forest dwellers, who foraged, hunted and lived in close-knit groups in caves in the dense jungles of Sri Lanka. But most people haven’t heard of them.

Me and My Truck: A Love Story | Auto | Texas Monthly

For fifteen years, my 2005 GMC Sierra has, through good times and bad weather, taken me to every corner of Texas. It might be time to say goodbye, but it won’t be easy.

What Stops People From Being Kinder? | Psychology | BBC

The Kindness Test is the world’s largest survey on what it means to be kind. It’s shed light on the barriers that stop us being kind – but also that empathy truly is international.

Here’s How An Algorithm Guides a Medical Decision | Health | The Verge

Artificial intelligence algorithms are everywhere in healthcare. They sort through patients’ data to predict who will develop medical conditions like heart disease or diabetes, they help doctors figure out which people in an emergency room are the sickest, and they screen medical images to find evidence of diseases. But even as AI algorithms become more important to medicine, they’re often invisible to people receiving care.

How Deaf DJs Are Revolutionizing the Club Experience | Music | MIXMAG

Nightclubs for many are a place of togetherness, where clubbers can come together and dance. This is no different for the deaf community, who have always been a part of the scene —moving to the heavy bass of a sound system while enjoying the bright lights of a smokey venue.

The Hunt For the Horse-Killer Gang That Never Was | Mystery | Input Mag

When horses across France started turning up dead and mutilated, amateur sleuths got to work on Facebook. A nationwide panic ensued.

Inside the Rise of the Niche Twitter Expert | Lifestyle | VICE

Here’s why your timeline has been taken over by specialists touting their knowledge of Russian tank tires and Ukrainian geopolitics.

Why We Use ‘LOL’ So Much | Technology | VICE

In the 1980s in Canada, Wayne Pearson laughed at a joke his friend typed into an pre-Internet digital chat room called Viewline. “It had me bursting out laughing almost to the embarrassment of doing so in a house by myself sitting at a computer,” Pearson told the Calgary Herald in 2015. Instead of writing “hahaha,” as he had done before when he found something funny, Pearson unknowingly made history by typing “LOL,” becoming—apparently—the very first person to do so.

Two great stories in the sports world.

Mind Over Matter

The Legend Becomes Immortal