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If You Are What You Eat, Then Call Me a Book

As a Nutrition major at Arizona State University, I am naturally drawn to stories that are related to food. I can't help it. You know that guy that you saw at the grocery store last week? The one who spent 15 minutes comparing the nutrition labels of the peanut butter? That was me. (Side note: Choosey nutritionists choose Jif the one that's lower in trans fats and refined carbohydrates.)

So if I get this excited about peanut butter, you can imagine my surprise when I was contacted yesterday by Chegg.com about a new edible textbook product they are launching called text-a-licious. For those of you following this blog, you know that I recently received a stimulus package from them. (The chocolate is very tasty, by the way.) Edible text books?!? Yes, boys and girls. Edible text books. The initial release includes over 20 different flavors.

Apparently they have figured out a way to alter the chemical structure of paper so that it can be broken down by the human body. As part of my coursework for my degree at ASU, I've been learning about this. There are some plants that the human body simply cannot digest because we don't have the right enzymes. During photosynthesis, plants make glucose. These glucose molecules become bound together to form something called cellulose. Cellulose cannot be digested by humans. We recently completed an extensive section about fiber. Fiber is basically different types of carbohydrate (glucose, galactose, and other sugars) that cannot be broken down or digested by the human body. The Wikipedia entry for paper says that

Paper is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets.

So if paper is just made of plant material, it would seem like this could work. I am curious to know how they did it. Maybe they added some enzymes to the paper to help it be digested, or maybe they figured out a way to remove or replace the ß-1,4 bonds in the cellulose. (These are the chemical bonds that humans can't digest.)

Not to start a lame conspiracy theory, but here goes. Anytime you rent/sell/buy a book from Chegg, they plant a tree. What if the trees they are planting are the ones which have been chemically altered? Like one big cycle. They plant the trees, they control how they're fed and grown, and then they cut them down to make these text-a-licious books. Just a thought.

At any rate, this is way cool. With the way the economy is these days, everyone is looking for ways to save a buck. Now you can get your textbooks really cheap, and then eat them when you're done.

You can read more about the new product and see all the new flavors on their homepage. There's an official press release along with the typical sharing buttons so you can spread the word to your friends on Twitter and Facebook. I am definitely going to give this a try next semester.

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Filed under  //   ASU   chegg.com   college   food   save money   textbooks  
Posted April 1, 2009
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Chegg.com Sends Out a Stimulus Package

I'm a sucker for a good advertising campaign. My wife has to remind me to fast forward through commercials when we're watching a show through the DVR. I can't help it. I like commercials. I can spot a poorly crafted slogan, lame logo, or ineffective billboard from a mile away. So I just couldn't help myself when I opened my front door last night.

I don't normally leave the house through the front door. We usually park our vehicles in the garage, I don't need to buy a vacuum or magazine subscription, and I'm already LDS (sorry Jehovah's Witnesses), so there's rarely a need for us to open the front door. To make matters worse, there is a persistent group of yellow jackets that have decided to claim our front porch as their home. No matter how many times we spray, they always come back. So I avoid the front door. Until last night.

I had left my iPod in my car which was parked on the driveway, so I quickly ran outside to grab it. When I opened the door, I was greeted by a familiar bright orange box. I had seen this box before at the beginning of the semester when my book rentals from Chegg.com arrived. Curious, I picked it up. Here's what went through my head:

We're halfway thru the semester. I've received all my books. Why they would be sending me another package? I wonder if they messed up and sent me my book again. Why is this box rattling when I pick it up? Great. Broken merchandise. Wait, how do you break a book?

I grabbed my iPod, and hurried back inside to chegg things out. On the cover of the box, there was a sticker that said "Free Chegg Promo." Inside the box was a bounty of book-related booty. Here's a breakdown of the contents. There's pictures at the end of the post as well.

  • 3 mini buttons | Two that say "I {heart} Chegg.com," and one that says "I planted a tree by renting a book from Chegg.com"
  • 2 bars of chocolate | Made through partnership between Bloomsberry & Co. and Terrapass. Helping to reduce carbon emissions has never been so tasty.
  • 1 package of Tic Tacs® | Orange flavor. My favorite.
  • 1 package of gum | Stride® brand, Always Mandarin flavor. Also orange.
  • 1 coffee cozy | I'm not a coffee drinker, so I think this is what it's called. You know - those cardboard covers that you slide over your $5 morning coffee? Except this one has a coupon code for $3 off a textbook rental.
  • 2 pens | Who doesn't need a new pen once in a while?
  • 20 bookmarks | These are no ordinary bookmarks. Each one has a coupon code for $3 off a textbook rental.
  • 20 Chegg.com stickers | Clear stickers featuring the Chegg.com logo. Suitable for sticking on a laptop.

For a company that relies on business from college students, this promotional package was genius. A sticker will be going on my laptop today. A button will possibly find its way to my backpack. I will be using the pens to take notes in class. It will take me a couple weeks to finish the package of gum and Tic Tacs®. It will take a few minutes to polish off the chocolate. And I'm offering up the rest of the stuff to anyone who's interested.

So, if you would like a discount on a book rental from Chegg.com, send me an email at alan [dot] bradford [at] asu [dot] edu, or you can send me a tweet. I've got 21 coupons to give away. If you're not familiar with this company, you can go read a post about Chegg I wrote for ASU last year. Basically, you rent your books instead of purchasing them. It saves you crazy amounts of money (well over 50% in most cases). You don't have to worry about selling your books back to the bookstore or on Half.com or Craigslist. They plant a tree for every book. 

Seriously kids. Go Chegg it out. I'll be right here eating my eco-friendly chocolate. For breakfast.

         

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Filed under  //   bookstore   Carbon emissions   chegg.com   college   Half.com   iPod   promotion   rent   save money   stimulus   Terrapass   textbooks  
Posted March 27, 2009
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Arizona Woman Challenges 'Ace of Cakes' to Baking Duel, Wins

In what is being described as the biggest culinary shocker since the alleged extra-marital affair between Chef Boyardee and Aunt Jemima, Duff Goldman -- star of Food Network's Ace of Cakes -- was officially demoted to 'Court Jester of Cakes' after loosing Friday night to up-and-coming cake decorator, Jenny Bradford.

The International Baking and Decorating committee (iBAD) holds the competition every 13 years. Although this schedule has been the subject of scrutiny over the years, iBAD board members are quick to point out that the number reflects the longstanding core principle of baking: A baker's dozen shall never include 12 items, rather 13, lest a small orphan child be left out of cookie consumption whilst gathered in a quorum of 12 orphans to discuss their socioeconomic plight.

This year, competition sponsors included the International Space Station, Lyons Club International, Toastmasters International, International House of Pancakes, and various other international organizations. Participants gathered in the mold-free cafeteria of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona. Students, faculty, and this blog were given exclusive access to the proceedings. Following iBAD tradition, video, flash and non-flash photography, cell phones, tweets, Facebook status updates, diggs, stumbles, general chit-chat, murmuring, peanut gallery input, and gum chewing was strictly prohibited. In an effort to secure the campus, Heavy Strength Reynolds Aluminum Foil was used to cover cafeteria windows. Additional security was provided by dozens of highly trained laser-shooting feral cats which were placed at strategic locations throughout the school.

Despite being visibly intimidated throughout the event, Bradford proved a worthy competitor to Goldman. Bradford's Wilton Method instructor, Bonnie, was not surprised:

From the day she walked into the all-purpose classroom at Michael's Crafts with her $60 non-refundable deposit, I knew she was something special. Normally students will take Course 1: Discovering Cake Decorating before they jump into Course 2: Flowers and Borders. When I found out she had not completed Course 1, I was hesitant. But then I remembered that instinctive tingly feeling that rushed through my lower extremities when I saw her walking into the all-purpose classroom at Michael's Crafts with her $60 non-refundable deposit. Either that tingly feeling was the result of frosting-induced type 2 diabetes, or that I was in the presence of a superstar. After tonight's competition, I think I have my answer. As soon as my endocrinologist gets back with me, I'll let you know about the diabetes.

Using her recently-honed skills from the grueling Wilton Method Class: Course 2, Bradford stunned the crowd with the simplicity of her design. From the basket weave border to the color explosion of flowers, her cake had it all. Oreo cookie connoisseur and veteran english teacher, Michael Wherli, was thoroughly impressed with Bradford's skills.

I've eaten a lot of cake in my day, but I've never seen a cake like that one. The way she leveled the layers and smoothed out the buttercream frosting was a sight to behold. It was like watching Cats or Disney's Toy Story on Ice. It was magic. Pure magic.

At the end of the day, the decision was clear. Some say that Goldman was simply having a "down day." Others believe he finally "got what was coming to him." Still others believe that he "should be required to wear a hair net over his silly little attempt at facial hair." Opinions aside, one thing is clear: Goldman simply did not bring his A-game. His frosting was lumpy, his cake was not moist, his hands were shaky, and his pants had a conspicuous brown stain in the back and front. When asked to analyze the situation, Goldman's response was simple:

I should have worn my brown pants.

Bradford intends to use this competition to launch herself into the mainstream. Rumors are already flying about the creation of her own clothing line, iPhone application, interactive website with social network features, as well as a perfume and daytime talk show. When asked about what the future holds, Bradford was coy:

I don't know for sure what the future holds. That depends on if the future is using a glass bowl or if it is simply holding something in its hands. If it is holding a glass bowl, then it is probably holding a mixture of flour, water, sugar, and salt. If it is simply holding something in its hands, then it could be any number of things. It could be a cell phone, or a stapler, or possibly even a stack of documents that need to be filed. I just don't know.

When asked to speculate on her role in the cake decorating world, Bradford was extremely hard to understand:

Mfffrd ish nounbly or phe gugenhoophl.

When asked to speculate on future interviews with Bradford, this blogger knows exactly what he's going to do:

I'm pretty sure I'll wait until she's done sucking on her frosting bag before I ask her any more questions.

Watch out world. For the next 13 years there's a new Ace in town. And her name is Jenny Bradford. And don't call her Ace. Because she prefers Jenny.

         

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Filed under  //   baking   cake   cooking   Corona del Sol High School   Duff Goldman   food   Food Network   IHOP   Michael Wherli  
Posted March 7, 2009
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What Happens When Two Greats Come Together

Thanks to Ari Herzog for this amazing musical gem. I just had to pass it along...

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Filed under  //   bobby mcferrin   music   robin williams   the beatles  
Posted February 28, 2009
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Reposting: ASU is Backward Bound

Since hearing the news last night, I can't stop thinking about what a crappy situation this is. The ripple effect this will have on Arizona cannot even be imagined right now. We've basically been told by our local politicians that our education is not worth saving. That research is not worth funding. That academic progress needs to take a backseat while they figure out how to balance their damn check books.

I don't like it one bit.

Although, now that my program has been moved to the Downtown campus, I will get a chance to try out the Light Rail. So I guess that's cool, right? I will also have the opportunity to...um...um...can't think of another pro right now.

If something comes to mind for anyone reading this, please leave a comment so I can cheer up.

In 2002, Michael Crow took over as president of ASU. In his inauguration address, Crow set out a vision for a university unlike any other. He called his personal vision for ASU “the new American University.”
The rest was history — literally.

Behind Crow, the New American University catchphrase quickly developed into a wide-ranging project with eight objectives set to change the face of public education in both the state and the nation.

It didn’t take long for ASU to begin doing so.

Crow’s University took off. According to ASU statistics, 14 transdisciplinary schools were established after 2002, 601 tenured and tenure-track faculty joined ASU after 2002, the school hit the top 20 list in research expenditures for schools without a medical school, and such ventures as the Biodesign Insitute and Downtown Phoenix campus were launched.

Within a remarkably efficient five-year period, ASU became known as one of the nation’s top up-and-coming research universities rather than one of the nation’s leading party schools.

The concept of the New American University was hastily becoming a reality.

The plan’s mission statement that ASU would be “a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, broad access and impact” was sounding closer to completion every year.

Crow’s insistence on access — meaning there is no financial barrier to attending the school — has led an enrollment increase of more than 11,000. Over the past six years, ASU has rightfully taken pride in which students it includes, rather than which students it excludes.

In early 2008, that plan seemed destined to grow further. With the soon-to-be-ironic intention of growing the state’s economy and translating Arizona’s new influx of high-school graduates into highly-skilled college degree-holding workforce, the University announced plans to grow enrollment to about 100,000 by 2020, including 15,000 students at each the West, Polytechnic and Downtown campuses.

Last fall, Crow reiterated his commitment to access to The State Press editorial board, saying that ASU would not separate itself from the people of Arizona. “A public university should admit every student that has the capability to do university-level work,” he said.

As we broke for winter recess, the innovative and commendale vision of the New American University was still going strong — even in the face of a $30 million cut in state funding — and the state of Arizona stood to reap the benefits.

And then that sunny outlook was no more.

In a non-forward-thinking move, the state legislature’s focus in solving a $1.6 billion budget deficit was almost entirely centered on education. The results were not going to be pretty.

In the end, the final cut to the university system totaled $143 million for fiscal year 2009 alone, meaning since June 2008, ASU has been asked to sustain a $88 million financial hit.

Yesterday, the University announced the final implications of the cuts. On top of the more than 750 positions eliminated, 10- to 15-day mandatory unpaid furloughs and more, ASU announced that enrollment will be capped, four-dozen academic programs will be shut down and the Polytechnic and West campuses will be scaled back to one college each.

Meanwhile, the next fiscal year stands to be worse; yet, ASU’s years of progress have already been upturned.

Academic excellence has been thrown a major roadblock. Access has been stopped in its tracks. Impact has been significantly lessened.

The New American University has died; welcome to the Neutered American University.

via asuwebdevil.com

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Filed under  //   ASU   budget   light rail   raillife.com   tragic  
Posted February 11, 2009
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Take a Stand and Save a Sun Devil

The future of higher education in Arizona is grim. Due to several factors that have become exacerbated by the serious economic downturn of recent months, state legislators are proposing cuts to programs across the state. These proposals include a massive 40% cut to the operating budget of Arizona State University.

A small portion of an email sent this morning by ASU President, Dr. Michael Crow helps to dispel some of the myths that may be surrounding these proposed cuts:

The actual percentages are 35 percent of the 2009 state General Fund budget that is remaining for the year and when the proposed 2010 cuts are added, it totals 40 percent of the university's state General Fund appropriation in 2008 on a Full-time Equivalent (either a full-time student or its equivalent of two part-time students) basis.

The percentages quoted by some state legislators are based on a total budget that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding as well as bookstore and meal plan purchases and even football ticket sales. ASU's research enterprise and its ancillary operations from the bookstore to the football team are -- and must be -- financially self-sufficient and in fact, these activities subsidize a substantial portion of the instructional budget.

If ASU were to close its dormitories and bookstore and stop doing federally funded research and stop playing football, the revenue associated with those activities would also end. So, it is a fiction that ASU has other revenue that could begin to replace the loss of state revenue.

State revenue and the tuition paid by students account for 79 percent of ASU's instructional budget. To make up the loss of state funding, tuition for in-state students would need to be almost doubled to $11,000 a year.


There is much more explained in the email, and a PDF copy of Dr. Crow's full email can be downloaded or viewed here.

Stand and Fight
As students and faculty, we cannot simply sit on the sidelines and allow this to happen. The future of higher education hangs in the balance with these proposals. Please take a stand for your education. Here is how you can help:

  • The Polytechnic Campus Student Government, led by its President, Kelley Stewart, is participating in a rally at the State Capitol tomorrow.
  • There will be a bus leaving from the Polytechnic Campus Student Union Building tomorrow at 9:30 am.
  • There will be a press conference at the State Capitol at 11:00 am, and the ASA rally begins at 12:00 pm

Because we are students, this can obviously cause some scheduling conflicts with our classes. Kelley Stewart has drafted a letter to the professors of the Polytechnic Campus regarding this. A PDF copy of the letter can be downloaded or viewed here.

I would encourage you to email this letter to your professor and encourage them to let you attend the rally. If you are unsure how to ask, feel free to copy the text of the email I sent and use it as your own:

Hello,

In light of the recent legislative proposal to cut ASU's budgets by up to 40% over the next two years, I am concerned about the future of this Polytechnic campus.

I would love to attend the student protest/rally that is being organized by our Poly student government. Unfortunately it falls during your class. I have attached a letter that was drafted by our Student President that addresses the professors on this campus. While I can't tell anyone how to think, hopefully you can consider point #2 in this letter.

I take my class attendance very seriously, so I do not want to miss your class if it will cause problems with my grades.

Please let me know if I have your blessing to attend, otherwise I will see you in class tomorrow.


C'mon Sun Devils. Let's keep education strong in Arizona. If you need to put a little more pep in your protesting step, here is the ASU fight song. Hopefully this will turn your blood to Maroon and Gold:

Fight, Devils Down The Field
Fight With Your Might and Don't Ever Yield
Long May Our Colors Outshine All Others
Echo From The Buttes, Give 'Em Hell Devils!
Cheer, Cheer For A-S-U
Fight For The Old Maroon
For it's Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here
And It's Onward to Victory!

2006 Sun Devil Marching Band  

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Filed under  //   ASU   budget   Dr. Crow   gold   higher education   maroon   tragic  
Posted January 27, 2009
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Help Save Indie Entrepreneurs!

If you've ever been looking for the perfect unique gift for a friend or family member, chances are you've poked around at Etsy.com. If you haven't heard of it, this is a website where regular folk like you and me can sell handmade items. They've got everything from clothing to ceramics. It's filled with stuff that you won't find in the aisles of your local Walmart. (Translation: you will not risk being trampled to death while shopping on Etsy.com) If you've got a niece or nephew, this is an amazing place to find some cool handmade toys as well.

So you can imagine that I was pretty peeved when I received an email from a friend about the potential financial burden for small businesses and individuals who sell stuff like this. If you remember back to the 2007 toy fiasco when toys from China contained harmful parts and pieces and lead and all that jazz. Well, in typical big-government fashion, there are some laws that are about to be passed that: 
mandates third party testing and certification, and requires manufacturers of all goods for children under the age of 12, to permanently label each item with a date and batch number. (source: change.org)

I'm not saying that unsafe toys should be sold. These laws are GREAT for large corporations and manufacturers who have the resources for this sort of stuff. But to require the same level of testing and certification and fees of a simple mom-and-pop merchant on Etsy.com, or Ebay.com, or any other innovative seller-driven marketplace? Ridiculous.

Watch the video from a small business owner trying to spread the word:

If this gets you all fired up, please go vote in support of small business at Change.org.

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Filed under  //   help   shopping   toys  
Posted January 9, 2009
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The Coolidge, AZ Car Payment Adventure of 2009

It took me a while to convince my wife of the benefits of online bill pay. Since she converted a couple years back, it's been a relatively error-free experience. The new year started off with a rather unfortunate mistake that resulted in an unplanned road trip to the thriving metropolis of Coolidge, Arizona. Allow me to explain.
 
We have an American Express card through the local Costco. We also have a car loan through an obscure California-based bank. Sure, there are branches in Arizona. All of them conveniently located several miles from civilization. My wife made (or so she thought) our car payment at the end of December. When she logged into our bank account a few days later, she realized that instead of sending said payment to the bank, it was instead applied to our American Express card. And the payment had already cleared. Not reversible. Not cool.
 
I called the bank to see if we could just make our car payment over the phone using our American Express card. No such luck. We could pay with a check over the phone, with a $10 processing fee added on. How lovely. So we decided to track down a branch and make the trek.
 
Because we didn't pack a lunch, we had to stop in town to replenish our electrolytes. In order to turn this into a bona fide adventure, I insisted that we eat at T&M Pizza instead of the Coolidge Pizza Hut. There's just something about eating at a unique hole-in-the-wall that turns a road trip into an adventure.
 
The food was mediocre, the tattoos were stylish, the bullet holes in the window above our booth were fear-inducing, and the soda refills were 75 cents. Overall, this was a life-changing experience. We're thinking of moving to Coolidge.

                   

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Filed under  //   adventure   online banking   pizza   road trip  
Posted January 8, 2009
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Popping a Wheelie On My Lappy

<drool>


Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

</drool>

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Filed under  //   apple   the onion  
Posted January 7, 2009
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Jack Frost Biting Off My Nose

It's a brand new year, filled with wondrous possibilities, lofty goals, and really cold wind. Thanks to me wifey, all parts of my body (except my nose) are protected against the elements while riding my scooter to-and-fro around the wintery Valley Of The Sun.
 
My hands are now neatly enclosed in my fancy wind-proof gloves, like toasty little cocktail weenies waiting to be pierced by a party toothpick. I am also sporting a new riding jacket, valued at $100 that was acquired at a recent "going-out-of-business-everything-must-be-sold-total-liquidation-incite-public-panic" sale at the local Mervyn's for the low, low price of $30. It is also wind-proof, aerodynamic, and includes a built-in toaster oven and panini sandwich press. It's a site to behold.
 
While it isn't snowing here in Arizona, it is still quite frigid. Especially when driving a scooter, exposed to the elements. I'm glad it doesn't snow here. Otherwise I might go crazy and start playing Monopoly like my brothers:
 

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Filed under  //   Mervyn's   monopoly   scooter   snow   winter  
Posted January 5, 2009
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