Frosted Flakes: The Days Are Getting Longer

The days are getting noticeably longer here on the ranch. You know what that means, right?

Of course, time to start planting things!

Not outside of course, but it is time to get some of the more stubborn plants seeded indoors. Some flowers and pepper plants seem to take longer for me to grow, so I will start them even in January.

I’m lucky to have a couple sets of large south-facing patio door in the basement and a heated floor. It is a great place to start plants...assuming I remember to go down there and water them regularly...

Frosted Flakes

NU men’s basketball started well, but falling short in conference play | Sports | dailynebraskan.com
Head coach Tim Miles is off to his best start ever at Nebraska. The Huskers finally beat Creighton and have been ranked multiple times this season, but the Big Ten

It is an annual ritual with which to welcome to the new year...worry and angst about the state of Nebrasketball.

Only two possible matchups can end the Huskers' 25-year Super Bowl streak | Football | starherald.com
There has been a former Husker on a Super Bowl roster every year since 1993.

All of the teams the ranch crew follows are out of contention already, so all we got left is to cheer for former Huskers.

ESPN’s college football Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2019
Clemson is the new king, but Alabama will be back, along with Georgia, Ohio State and Notre Dame, while a couple of teams from Texas elbow their way into the top 10.

I think the Huskers will be an improved team in 2019, but I’m not yet ready to put them in this list.

Huskers looked at favorably for the 2019 season | KHGI
For those who haven't bought in to Scott Frost and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, now's the time. The "way too early for odds" odds came out recently and depending on the outlet putting the numbers out, the Big Red is one of the big names to win the 2019 College Football Playoff championship. Granted, at 25-1, it's still an extremely outside chance compared to the likes of Alabama and Clemson. Even Big Ten foes Ohio State and Michigan are heavier favorites.

A look back: These Huskers were named to FWAA's freshman All-America Team | Photo galleries | journalstar.com
On Monday, Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez was named to the FWAA freshman All-American team following his standout season in Lincoln. He joins a small list of former current and former

Nebraska wrestling rallies for victory over Northwestern | Beatrice News Channel
Nebraska won the final six matches to rally for a 26-14 Big Ten dual win

Sportsin’ Stuff Outside the 402/308

MLB free agents: Almost no one is interested in second basemen - SBNation.com
The offseason is slow for everyone, but don’t expect the second-base market to pick up at all.

NFL Draft 2019: Would Trevor Lawrence be the 1st pick if eligible? - SBNation.com
Trevor Lawrence is already being talked about as a generational draft prospect, but NFL teams will have to wait.

Q&A with new 76ers vice president of player development, Annelie Schmittel
The Philadelphia 76ers have hired Annelie Schmittel as their new vice president of player development, making her the highest-ranking woman in their organization.

Position U | Clemson O-Line | By Clemson Football Offensive Line
Members of Clemson Football's offensive line take fans behind the scenes of their lives off the field.

The Draw Play Is Dying In The NFL — But It Shouldn’t Be | FiveThirtyEight
The play is more successful than other running back rushes.

Spain’s elite female bullfighter - BBC Reel
Becoming Spain’s top female rejoneador requires a massive amount of dedication and sacrifice.

More Noise and Other Disturbances

It’s the golden age of traditional retail, not its end days | TechCrunch
A lot of people that will say that traditional retail is dying.

I can’t say that I agree with this article, but maybe “golden age” is really just code for “about to start dying”

World's loneliest snail dies, and a species goes extinct
One famous snail’s death highlights the plight faced by diverse Hawaiian snails, of which there were once hundreds of species.

Myth of Mona Lisa’s Magical Gaze Debunked
In science, the “Mona Lisa Effect” refers to the impression that the eyes of the person portrayed in an image seem to follow the viewer as they move in front of the picture.

Can artificial intelligence tell a polar bear from a can opener? | UCLA
How smart is the form of artificial intelligence known as deep learning computer networks, and how closely do these machines mimic the human brain? They have improved greatly in recent years, but still have a long way to go,

News Release: NREL Details Great Potential for Floating PV Systems | News | NREL
Researchers estimate that installing floating solar photovoltaics on the more than 24,000 man-made U.S. reservoirs could generate about 10 percent of the nation’s annual electricity production.

Mixing electricity with water....didn’t someone warn us not to do this?!?

Then There’s This

Kentucky Police Escort Fresh Doughnuts After Krispy Kreme Truck Fire : NPR
A delivery truck caught fire — not just any delivery truck, but one emblazoned with the green-and-red logo of the Krispy Kreme doughnut company.

A police department with a great sense of humor