Frosted Flakes: If at First You Don’t Succeed...

Last summer was an interesting one around the ranch. Ranchhands 2 and 3 both signed up for baseball.

Ranchhand 3 made it to one practice before breaking his arm in a “that hay bale didn’t look slippery when I decided to jump on it” moment. His season was over before it started.

Ranchhand 2 made it through the early practices unscathed. At the first game however, he was inserted into the lineup in one of the middle innings. He trotted out to take his spot at second base and...a ground ball took a wicked hop and smacked him in the mouth.

He wears braces.

Our dentist saved the teeth but Ranchhand 2 had to be held out at least six weeks. We were told that if he took a hit to the mouth again before he healed, the teeth would have to come out. After the investment we’d made in braces, it was a no-brainer. He sat out.

Both boys are signed up for baseball again this summer.

I have stocked up on bubble wrap. And a mouth guard.

Now, it just needs to stop raining.

Several of the stories below are about persistence. A couple are about stupidity (this is Flakes after all) but persistence is the main theme. Some people are succeeding in their persistence; others may not.

Enjoy.

Frosted Flakes

Big Red Blitz Tickets to be Distributed in Fremont and Norfolk - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Nebraska fans in Norfolk and Fremont should mark their calendars for Thursday, May 16 for their opportunity to get tickets for the 2019 Big Red Blitz presented by First National Bank.

Burroughs, Green Victorious at Beat the Streets - Wrestling - Huskers.com
New York, N.Y. - Olympic and World Champion Jordan Burroughs dominated UFC star Ben Askren with an 11-0 technical fall (3:16) in the 79 kg/174 pound Main Event at Beat the Streets.

Krapfl to Retire as Husker Women's Golf Coach - Huskers.com
Nebraska Women's Golf Head Coach Robin Krapfl announced on Monday, May 6, that she will retire this summer after a 32-year run leading the Husker women's program.

Nebrasketball Reportedly Set to Host Transfer from Nevada This Weekend | KLIN-AM
Shamiel Stevenson, a transfer from Nevada, will visit Nebraska this weekend.

'I'm 100 percent happy with Nebraska': Pius X standout Easley will walk on with Huskers | Huskers | fremonttribune.com
As Charlie Easley waited to see who would be the next head coach of the Nebraska men's basketball team, he heard an interesting comparison to his own game.

Two in-state walk-ons for Hoiberg now. What will Nebrasketball be like next year?

Different. It will be different.

That is the only safe prediction.

Former coach: Huskers recruit Dedrick Mills might not be academically eligible | | siouxcityjournal.com
LINCOLN, Neb. — Jeff Sims would like to tell you that he's certain Dedrick Mills will be cleared academically to compete for the Nebraska football team in 2019.

Former Husker Jermarcus 'Yoshi' Hardrick fulfills dream, becomes first-generation graduate | Football | starherald.com
Almost eight years after he finished his playing career at NU — he's now an offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League — Hardrick became one 70 Husker student-athletes to

Good for Yoshi! He went from Lavonte David’s tagalong in the recruiting process to pro football player, father, and now college graduate. He embraced everything about Nebraska and the fans seemed to return the affection.

Palmer Invited to NBA G League Elite Camp - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Nebraska senior guard James Palmer Jr. will have another opportunity to showcase his skills in front of NBA teams, as he was selected to the first-ever NBA G League Elite Camp in Chicago next week.

JPJ didn’t get a combine invite, but he will still get a shot to impress.

Sportsin’ Stuff Outside the 402/308

U.S. Soccer denies USWNT's discrimination claim
The U.S. Soccer Federation has formally denied allegations of gender discrimination made by players of the U.S. women's national team.

P.J. Tucker is making the NBA role player fashionable - SBNation.com
Opponents have no answer for his dirty work on the court and his smoothness off it.

College football, take note: Georgia is showing you how scheduling should be done
Maybe he has, like most fans, gotten sick of staring at college football schedules and seeing a bunch of mismatches and blowouts.

If you look at the permalink/URL of the story above, there is a ‘subliminal’ message. All of college football doesn’t need to improve their scheduling, just one power conference that is noted for its affinity for cupcakes.

Joe Namath, in new book, says he nearly drank himself to death
Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath revealed in his new autobiography that he drank so excessively during his post-playing life that he nearly died.

I haven’t read the book, but I’m going to guess that battling addiction required more persistence than becoming a pro athlete. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, don’t give up. People usually don’t admit they need help at first. Most relapse more than once even after they do try to stop.

More Noise and Other Disturbances

Stanford researchers identify brain region activated by Pokémon characters
If your childhood involved countless hours spent capturing, training and battling Pokémon, there may be a wrinkle in your brain that is fond of images of Wobbuffet, Bulbasaur and Pikachu.

Now I want to see a scan of my little brother’s brain.

How grunting influences perception in tennis
While fans react to these impressive exhalations with either annoyance or amusement, the habit has also been a source of intense debate among professionals.

Why you love coffee and beer -- ScienceDaily
But to scientists' surprise, the study showed taste preferences for bitter or sweet beverages aren't based on variations in our taste genes, but rather genes related to the psychoactive properties of these beverages.

ASU researchers find water in samples from asteroid Itokawa | ASU Now: Access, Excellence, Impact
Two cosmochemists at ASU have made the first-ever measurements of water contained in samples from the surface of an asteroid. Up to half of Earth's ocean water may have come from impacts by asteroids as wet as Itokawa.

The Man Who Survived Two Atomic Bombings: Tsutomu Yamaguchi
Tsutomu Yamaguchi was present for both of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II and managed to survive each one.

This guy takes the cake when it comes to persistence.

Bubonic plague deaths from marmot meat in Mongolia spark quarantine
A Mongolian couple died from the bubonic plague after eating raw marmot meat, sparking a quarantine that trapped tourists for days, officials said.

Then There’s This

Old mascara wands are saving adorable Appalachian animals | Popular Science
From cosmetics to cuddly squirrels, used mascara wands find new life at the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. The small, non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center in western North Carolina receives thousands upon thousands of old eyelash implements from people around the country.

I can’t help it, but the thought of grooming wild animals with mascara wands bring to mind an old song about a squirrel in a church...

Florida woman pulls alligator out of pants during traffic stop
A Florida woman pulled an alligator out of her pants during a traffic stop in Charlotte County Monday morning.

Now this song will be in your head all day. You’re welcome.