He may not be teacher's pet, but New York artist Michael Scoggins is certainly the darling of the art world with his torn out line paper renderings of below average math work, graded by instructors seemingly aggravated by his carelessness.

At last, redemption for us creatives tortured by grade school math. I, myself, remember missing long division because I was so preoccupied with my fashion sketches. I was horrified when looking up at the board one day to see a foreign, 7-shaped diagram that I was supposed to know. Oops!

I guess this is why Scoggins pages with spiral-bound edges and hand drawn blue lines resonates with so many of our generation and tickled me greatly when I saw it recently at the San Francisco 2008 Designer Showcase House. A large, 57"x51" work called Multiplication Quiz ® was displayed in the Gentleman's Guest Room designed by Hepworth + Howard. At the bottom in script it read: "Be careful not to make so many stupid mistakes. Mrs. C."

What genius, I thought, to blow up these sheets and elevate the ubiquitous arithmetic dilemma into fine art, art which sells in the $14,000 range (not bad for a newcomer!). Perhaps that is why his work has been swept up by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and purchased by savvy collectors such as Manhattan's Mugrabi.

"Anyone who went to school and used line paper can relate to it," argues Cynde Adler, whose Adler & Co. Gallery represents the contemporary artist. "His work is authentic and autobiographical and very reflective of contemporary times."

Apparently, Scoggins' mom saved all of his papers (yes, even the embarrassingly bad ones) and the artist taps this original homework to recreate his art, then sends the worksheets to his friends to grade. His friends are the ones who play crabby teacher, marking them up and adding those familiar, demeaning  criticisms.

Making these larger than life images even more familiar, Scoggins often tears, crumples and folds the sheets, stopping just short of letting the dog eat them. And to think, I could have made millions enlarging and framing all of those sad math sheets of my past.

There's a damning documentary that you're not likely to see in the multiplex or your local video store.* Monsanto, the company that gave the world Agent Orange, Bovine Growth Hormone (RbGH), Roundup, and PCBs, also owns 90% of the planet's genetically modified seeds. Through this patenting of life they hope to own and control all of the world's food production.

French journalist and filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin uncovers the company's many shady dealings - like the fact that Monsanto falsely claimed for years that their popular herbicide, Roundup, was safe and biodegradable. She uncovers the ease with which Monsanto has been able to infiltrate the FDA with its own people, who then make policies and decisions, bribes and threats, hirings and firings to benefit guess who?

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the film is the damage to small subsistence farmers and the environment, worldwide, when Monsanto takes over the market for seeds that were once saved and handed down for generations. The people lose the ability to feed themselves and we lose a wealth of biological diversity. Ever wonder why Indian farmers are committing suicide? Monsanto. Of course, Monsanto's official line reads a little differently: "We apply innovation and technology to help farmers around the world be successful, produce healthier foods, better animal feeds and more fiber, while also reducing agriculture's impact on our environment."

Watch and order the DVD here. Please spread the word: pass this along to your friends.

Image: Kapungo
*It was aired on French TV in March.

Editor's update 5/12/08: the video is no longer available at YouTube; you can still catch it here.

Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen
By Anna Lappé and Bryant Terry

Grub isn't just the title of this book; it's a whole new way of eating. In the first section of the book, the authors lay out what is wrong with our modern industrial food system: Factory farming, GMOs, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, dependence on petroleum, hunger, and poor nutrition in our land of plenty.

The idea is well-supported: for example, only three vegetables constituted nearly half of all vegetable servings in the US in 2000: Iceberg lettuce, potatoes (fresh, fried, and potato chips), and canned tomatoes. So much for eating our greens.

Lest you think that Grub is just a lament about what's wrong, the second half of the book is a truly stellar guide for remaking one's eating habits,  including tips for eating at home more often, supporting community-based food systems, outfitting your kitchen sensibly, stocking your pantry, saving money on healthy, local, organic foods, and starting or reviving traditions for sitting down and dining together with friends and family. It's a realistic, practical, and thoroughly inspiring guide.

And what I found fun, of course, was the extra cooking section of the book! Grub provides seasonal menus with fun, catchy titles. Afrodiasporic Cookout includes recipes for Grilled Corn and Heirloom Tomato Salad, Good Grilled Okra, and Ginger Beer. More Than One Side (Dish) to Thanksgiving has recipes for Roasted Yam Puree with Coconut Milk, Walnut and Cheddar Casserole, and Brussels Sprouts with White Wine and Thyme (mmm). My favorite part: each menu thoughtfully includes a suggested soundtrack and sometimes a poem. And the text is sprinkled with quick, useful cooking tips. The recipes lean toward the meat and dairy free end of the spectrum, but it's refreshingly non-dogmatic. The authors successfully make the point that healthy food is food you enjoy, making it healthy on every level. Grub is a positive book with a fresh approach to healthy eating, for you and the planet. Highly recommended.

Image: Eat Grub

Act Natural is the blog sponsored by the Loomstate denim company - a 100% organic, ethical and sustainable design group partnering with Barneys of New York.


I love Loomstate. The spring collection is inspired by the classic American roots style emblematic of the youth subcultures of positive activism since the 1940s.
Their cotton pieces are pre-washed and softened to achieve the character of utilitarian ease associated with environmental and social sustainability movements.

From the drawing board to the fabric mills, cut-and-sew facilities and laundries, Loomstate carefully manages the creative process. Ethical labor standards and low-pollutant manufacturing are the cornerstone of this denim company - part of a successfully blossoming crop of organic-only cotton designers in an industry expected to surpass $2.6 billion in sales this year.

Loomstate is forging alliances with companies extending beyond the fashion retail world, going deeper by opening dialog with fuel providers, energy providers and those involved at all levels of production.

All while looking quite natural.

Image/Purchase: Loomstate

Not a chore; a chance to slow down.

If you spend any time at all thinking about where "away" is when you throw things there, you probably realize that there really is no "away".

Take, for example, the dilemma of shaving. 2 billion disposable razors are purchased annually in the U.S. and I think we all know where they end up.

If you aren't about to part with shaving, here are some other alternatives:

Straight Razors
Not just for the boys (or are they?). Live dangerously while enjoying the ritual of swirling the brush into the bar soap before lathering up. Honestly, if you've ever heard of a woman using a straight razor, I want to hear about it. They're "fetishy" and quite expensive.

"Safety" Razors
Definitely our mother's razor; not quite as adventurous as the straight razor. You will have to dispose of the blade, but compared to all that plastic, this seems a small sin. Typically about $25.

Recycline Recylables
Made of recycled plastic from yogurt containers and, in its next incarnation, your razor is destined to serve as building material for plastic decks and stairs; the company has a mail back program. $7.25 for a pack of four.

Wally Rubber Shower Razor 
Good in theory and approved by PETA, but this one left me in hot water. It wouldn't stick to my shower and every time it fell, the blade would pop out and I'd have to pick it up, risking injury. Finally - mercifully - the plastic that held the blade in place broke. Not my finest moment in the shower. $6.95/blades sold separately.

Solar Shaver: Now here's a great idea: an automatic shaver you don't ever have to throw away! All roads lead to the U.K. for purchase.

Don't forget your eco-friendly organic shaving cream!

Image: Scott Feldstein