A Mixed Bag (11.03.09)

Nicholas Potter's "Enterprise Dog Power" treadmill, designed to power butter churns and other small farm machines, ca. 1881. Courtesy Cabinet Magazine.

Most Anticipated Performa 09 Event by Artists I've Never Heard of: Speed Reading -- a 90-minute relay race featuring 25-35 writers and artists who will read aloud short texts related to the theme of speed while running on treadmills. Presented by Cabinet Magazine at Definitions Gym (Union Square). Nov. 14 @ 6pm.

All Kinds of Wrong: The CEO of Safeway has inspired an insurance plan that discriminates according to body size.

A Full Plate: Writer Paula Crossfield reflects on President Obama's first year in food system reform.

Loan Evaluation: James Gardner (formerly of the New York Sun) analyzes the Obamas taste in art one slide at a time.

Going Local: How contemporary art collectors are staying closer to home.

Pipilotti Rist with a twist (of orange and brandy).

Curious Sex: A gay man accounts his "experiment" with a woman, writing "I found that boobs only served to confuse me."

Strange Fruit in the Streets: Artist Malachi Farrell uses shoes hanging on wires in the streets as metaphor for poverty and recession: Are we hanging by a thread? Opens Nov. 13 at Jane Kim/thrust projects.

Vamp Wear: Taking the term "fang banger" to a new low.

Pomegranate Coconut Quick Bread with a dollop of strength training and a dash of cardio.

Congrats and Corn: The visual art website Glasstire has won first prize for New Projects in the National Arts Journalism competition. Check out their current video feature The Corn Crib.

Growth Spurt: Divine Caroline's comparison of portions sizes in the past vs. today has sparked a lively discussion in her comment forum. Who's responsible for what we eat?

Bliss: The Messy Cook shares a recipe for Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate-peanut butter glaze.

On Shaky Ground: Hard to believe it's been 20 years since Loma Prieta. How disaster-ready are you?