Looks like the competition is getting even more fierce at the country’s elite universities.  In a follow-up to an old post about the admission rate, I took a new look at the undergraduate numbers:

As you can see, these three schools have become increasingly selective over the past ten years.  What’s driving this?  Well, it isn’t a change in the number of admittance offers:

Instead, the trend can be seen in a stark rise in the number of applications:

Why the increase?  I’m not sure.  It’s well known that graduate school applications track the unemployment rate, but I’m not sure about undergraduate applications.  One possible explanation is that while the population continues to grow, the number of slots available at the super-selective universities remains relatively constant.  Another is that self-selection might not be as strong an influence, i.e., that less-qualified students are giving it a shot.

(I would also like to note that acceptance rates have been declining for universities in general, not just the so-called elites.)

Where will it end?  Will the crushing cost of a year of university education finally halt the rise? (Unlikely, given the generous financial aid packages these well-endowed schools are offering “low” income students.)  Will fewer students bother applying once they see the bleak odds of gaining admittance?  Will students decide to apply to fewer universities, thereby decreasing the total number of applications and increasing the university yield rates?  Time will tell.

(Data collected from press releases from the individual schools)

I have a weakness for baked goods.  Muffins, scones, breads… mmm.  It would be really nice to be able to enjoy a warm muffin after hiking through the woods.

Unfortunately, the minimalist backpacking style of which I am so fond is in opposition to such luxury.  My skin-out dry weight is less than 20 pounds, so throwing in a 15-pound Dutch oven is a non-starter.  Sure, there are gizmos like the Outback Oven that are designed to convert stoves into ovens, but they’re not compatible with my backpacking stove, expensive, bulky, and heavy.  The Bakepacker looks promising, but it seems expensive, and I’m not fond of the idea of heating foods in Ziploc-type plastic bags.  What to do?

The solution: steam baking.  I ran across the instructions and had to give it a try.

There are just a few simple steps.  Get two small (about 1″ tall) pieces of aluminum foil, put a small slit in each of them, and put them together to form an “X”.  Place the X in the bottom of a small pot (I used an 850 ml MSR titanium kettle).  Pour water into the pot until the X is nearly covered.  Place a foil muffin cup on top of the X.

Fill the muffin cup about 2/3 full with your favorite “just-add-water” mix (to which you should have added the usual amount of water).  Put the lid on the pot, put the pot on a stove, and fire up the stove.  Let the water boil about 5 minutes, then turn the heat off and let eveything sit for at least another 10 minutes.  After that, open and enjoy!

I tested this on my backpacking trip at Big Basin Redwoods State Park last Friday night.  The blueberry muffin tasted fantastic after a long day on the trail, and there was no mess.  True, the muffin wasn’t as brown as it would have been in a conventional oven, but it was warm and fluffy.

Delicious.

I was reading yet another article about the going-out-of-business sales at Circuit City stores.  Even though they’ve been trying to clear out the merchandise for several weeks — heavily discounted, no less — there’s still a bunch of junk sitting around.

Sure, it’s difficult to predict what will sell and what won’t.  It can be even harder to find the appropriate price.  Regardless, Circuit City seems to have done a rather poor job on both accounts.  Might the fact that the stores carried large amounts of undesirable merchandise have had something to do with the failure of the chain?  Might the fact that the stuff is still around indicate that even the lowered asking prices are still far too high?

It’s not just Circuit City.  The same phenomenon can be seen in after-holiday clearances.   Bags upon bags of disgusting Halloween candy, 50% off.  Hideously tacky Christmas tree ornaments.  Revolting Easter-themed sweatshirts, invariably in size XXXL.  I can’t fathom what must have been running through the store buyers’ heads.  Were they stoned?  Stuck in the 1980s?  Doing a favor for a mob boss?

The mind boggles.