Wednesday, June 11, 2014

FASHION : MADE Fashion Community G+


Tech Problems Continue in MADE Fashion Community

Fashion Bloggers and Fashionistas alike, are all complaining about the shoddy maintenance in this Google plus community  

With over 60,000 members, one would think that basic quality standards were being observed in service to the Google public

So far, I've received numerous stories where bloggers and retailers have spent several hours putting a post together only to find out ..

A- Hashtags have been deactivated 
B- The URL, a link that connects a photo to its original source do not always work. When you click on a photo, it gets routed to a Google 400 Error page

After testing the links myself, this writer has no doubt the issues exist and are real. So what's up guys?   

In their defense, it's always possible the Moderators who developed this community are presently on vacation. However, new posts are being added almost daily to their page 

That said; maybe MFC administrators simply lost interest in the project and see no further reason to maintain it, demonstrating a considerable lack of regard for its members and their time  

UPDATE: In a recent conversation with community members, I was informed that several letters were sent to the MFC Administrators, informing them of these issues

To date, there has been no response to these efforts and the problems continue to haunt Fashion contributors  

Either way, both Fashion Bloggers and Sellers are very unhappy with the lack of Notifications and the deactivation of useful Hashtags 

By including Hashtags in your post, it automatically connects the product or item of interest to alternative sources and like-minded people. Why defer to a lesser standard ? 

Editorial 
What's Wrong with MADE Fashion Community ? 

Nougat Melange - Fashion Editor  
Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator  

Monday, September 16, 2013

Rossy de Palma

Like a finely cut gem, Fashion has many facets. These images transport the viewer to a Hinterland of shadow, 
baroque gestures and at times obscurity

It is there, hidden amongst the Beautiful People 

that humor and personality thrive

Where photographs converse in a language 
of unspoken words via shapes, texture and color 

Ron Maubidea 

Henri Abidaux - Publicist
Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator 

Monday, August 19, 2013

Intimate Conversations

Séraphine to Joshua - Speak To Me In Whispers  
 Portrait (detail) 2012

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator 

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Absinthe Journal

A good quality Absinthe (served straight up), is a little like Tequila if it were a cordial though not necessarily. Its consistency and texture, can be somewhat dense with a light herbal aftertaste depending on which brand you buy and as a rule .. 

The better the quality, the more enjoyable the drinking experience 


My personal preference is to imbibe gracefully, as one would with a fine liquor. The traditional method of adding ice cold water (filtered through a sugar cube), will thin the natural flavors and often result in tasting watered-down and artificially sweetened   

First- let's approach the Absinthe Mythology with a grain of salt 

Face it guys, if you drink enough of anything and your consumption reaches a toxic level.. SHIT WILL HAPPEN

Standards and Uniformity
Back in 18th century Switzerland, the standards for production and control were universally non-existent. Distilleries were producing spirit's with as much as 74% alcohol by volume meaning, 90-148 proof and was patented by the French doctor, Pierre Ordinaire c.1797

His goal, was to concoct an elixir that contained the medicinal properties of Artemisia Absinthium or Wormwood. At this point in history, Wormwood was used as both Remedy and household utility

Early use includes (but not limited to) a natural insecticide used by man and hunters to ward-off pelt eating critters, an anti-venom for stinging sea creatures and as an antidote to counter the effects of hemlock and toadstool poisoning

Due to its availability and abundance in many 18th century countries, Absinthe was far cheaper to produce than gin and vodka, pandering specifically to the lower and middle classes of Europe

To date, the precise origin of Absinthe remains unclear ..

The medical use of wormwood dates back to ancient Egypt and is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus, circa 1550 BC

Wormwood extracts and wine-soaked wormwood leaves, were also used as remedies in ancient Greece. Moreover, there is evidence of
a popular wormwood-flavored Greek wine (Absinthites Oinos) in the same time period.. Ron Maubidea      

 Kitchen Prep Table
Photography: Alexia Martinez (c) 2013
 
Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Gallery News: The Chinese New Year


For so many of us, the untimely death of a loved one 
is a tragic and inconceivable event 

Following the death of his long-time friend and writing partner, Don Greene (galerie post: January 22, 2012) were the passing's of Ron's father Albert and girlfriend-muse, Beth Young  
  
Like most of the people in his immediate circle, 
the latter was unknown to me and according to close friends
and family... the healing process is over

What would make these tragedies so difficult for anyone,
is the fact they all happened just a few months apart 

After more than a year, Ron Maubidea 
will be returning to the Gallery from an extended sabbatical 

The new work will include a series of Fictional Stories (in photo essay) and his collaborations with French writer Henri Abideau, Toggio Castillo and photographers Allison and Robert Jeffries

On behalf of all those affiliated with the gallery,
I would like to extend our appreciation for the beautiful cards
and thoughtful words ..

Festive Chinese New Year Celebration - San Francisco 
http://www.asianweek.com/2012/01/31/city-celebrates-chinese-new-year-with-parade-and-festival/ 

Suzanne Horowitz - Publicist

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Preface: The Devil and Don Greene

*****
Hidden Cabin: Birnam Wood... Macbeth

From the first moment we met… I knew that my relationship with this charismatic over-achiever was going to be unique

He was musically intuitive (couldn’t read a note),
had never played an instrument and possessed the uncanny ability to paint mental pictures with words

Artistically speaking, Don was fearless and unrelenting…
and lived his Life in much the same manner

He was a natural leader and loved taking charge. His years of excellence in both Hotel Management and the Broadcast Industry, are but a few examples of his impressive talents 

Perhaps one of his greatest qualities,
lie in Don’s determination… because once he set his sights on something, no entity in the universe or natural disaster could ever deter him from reaching that goal

To say he was an enigmatic personality, all-encompassing and sometimes confusing would be an understatement…

Donnie could be both gentile and understanding while remaining cold and distant, more often than not (respectfully speaking) brutally honest and self-deprecating in the same conversation 

These characteristics which I believe in part,
were due to his cynical overview of the world as observed

A larger than Life sort of guy in the truest sense-
Often times perversely witty- and had a constant aura of energy
that seemed to attract (and influence) most people

The attitude behind his words were like a double edge blade
and cut both ways simultaneously-

As a poet and performer,
he would snarl, whine and growl at the audience...
Could spit out verse like a $10 crack-ho on a Jones!

And in the aftermath... 
make you believe that every word was part of a gospel

Ron Maubidea

The Devil and Don Greene

*****
Blue Mango Garden - Udine

On January 11th, I received an email informing me
that my best friend for over fifteen years had passed away-
We lost touch sometime back in 04’ when life in the Big City      began to get complicated 

It was the mid to late 1980’s when I first met Don Greene. I was working in Cable Television when an ad was placed in the Village Voice reading, Electronic Musician (that would be me) seeks similar or opposite for compilation recording. Send demo tapes to...

A few days later, the music of Verbal Drama
was being pumped though the studio

His music was a mix of Punk and “Socially Conscious” high energy New Wave. That was the beginning of a long friendship, an artistic collaboration and thousands of unforgettable moments

A Few Select Memories

Re: The Santa Cruz video…
Not exactly MTV quality (replete with photo montage and hi-end special effects) but a rather whimsical, moody vehicle
for an elegant song written by Don Greene and Billy Cote

Re: The Stone Pony performance with Hole
Our friend's band (Madder Rose) with Mary Brett Lorson and BIlly Cote had just left the stage… Courtney Love was standing off to my left holding her baby and looking rather annoyed-

Where’s the MC, she asked… where’s the fuc*in MC!!

She then passed the kid to her nanny and took off in a huff-
This place is run like sh*t someone declared and under the circumstances, I couldn’t have agreed more

I ain’t goin’ on that stage without an introduction, Courtney grumbled… LIKE NO FU*KIN’ WAY

That’s when Donnie turned to me with a peculiar look in his eye and I started to laugh. At this point, the energy between us was kinetic

He then raised an eyebrow, did a complete about-face and took off for the stage like a soldier on a mission

He made no announcement nor did he ask-
just did what had to be done in typical Don Greene fashion

Without hesitation he grabbed the mic and shouted,
YOU PEOPLE WANNA HEAR MORE MUSIC?

The audience went crazy… I CAN’T FUC*IN HEAR YOU, Don repeated

IF YOU WANNA HEAR MORE FUC*IN MUSIC…
MAKE SOME FUC*IN NOIIIIIIIIISE and the place lit up
like a terrorist in Baghdad

Body parts (metaphorically speaking) were flying everywhere!
The guy next to me… got hit in the face with a bloody lung or maybe a bottle of beer (still undetermined)

The show was one of those “Outdoor - Indoor” events. There were people shimmying up the poles that supported the tent
to get a better look at the stage…

After all, we were in New Jersey and this sort of behavior was generally expected from the locals. Have you even seen the Jersey Shore… my point exactly (no disrespect intended)

Somewhere amidst the mayhem,
Hole took the stage and Donnie returned to Earth

How’d I look up there… do you think anyone heard me (laughing)
You were great man… absolutely great!

We later heard that the missing MC was discovered “nursing a nod” in one of the dressing rooms. Or maybe found dead… face down,
drowned in a toilet and I don’t recall which

*  *  *

Re: The Witch Hunt video story-
Cinéma Vérité at its most challenging and as they say in Brooklyn,
If you got the stones for it… go for it and if not, get out of my face! To be posted at a later date…

Re: Letters to Serial Killers by Don Greene
What I recall most was a cold winter afternoon…
I had stopped by Don’s apartment to play catch-up when he handed me a half dozen letters

What are these I asked? It’s the beginning of my correspondence with serial killers; you may recognize one of the names-

This guy is famous, but why are you writing to these people? I have a new book project in mind… what do you think? I think it’s strange and possibly dangerous… a unique concept indeed

This one is from a gang member on Death Row. He seems pretty cool about the idea of a book and doesn’t mind me sharing his thoughts with the world. Why is he on Death Row, I inquired?

He kills people for the gang, I guess he’s a Hit Man
Don, I really don’t think this is cool at all. The guy is a contract killer… and that is “uncool”

Don: You know what really gets this cat off… killing cops
But before he shoots them or however he decides to kill them,
he slowly humiliates them in the most heinous ways imaginable…
and loves doing it!

Ron: On second thought, I think you should drop the whole idea
There are other books you can write that are safer and can offer a more constructive reading experience

That’s when Don’s phone rang...

It was the serial killers mother (Mama), and she was asking Don to send her some money. It was never clear what sort of deal Donnie struck with her son regarding his part of the book

Apparently, there were favors being dealt from a West Coast prison to New York’s Rikers Island and my boy was smack in the middle of it

Here Ron (handing me the phone)… she wants to speak with you
What do you mean; she wants to speak to me?

She asked to speak to Ron, that’s you
Yeah... but how does she know my name?
I told her about you, and she knows that we’re close friends…

- As a Final Thought - 
Gang members, their affiliations and relatives are simply everywhere… and in every city and state. From the supermarket to the Post Office, the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security and in every branch of government including the military

They are patient and methodical and can track a person… anywhere, which may include International travel

From a former address… a place of work, the names of friends and family etc. I say this because one day after the fact… SK’s Mama found me just to say hello, and my phone was unlisted 

For those of a different mindset…
if you search long enough for trouble, it will find you and that’s a fact

To some readers
the idea of writing letters to serial killers may seem a bit odd if not terrifying, but to someone the likes of Don Greene-

It was a stroll thorugh the gardens of a Countryside Manor,
serving tea with crumpets at four

To be lovingly continued… R.I.P. my Dearest Friend Don

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator