ART OF THE ANCIENTS.

First two: Nubians. Third image: Egyptian women.

MORE DUNYA ATAY: "ANIMALBOOK."

A duck's quack doesn't echo. Hearspray. Rats can't vomit. These are just a few of Dunya Atay's latest wisdoms shared through her "animalbook" project, which was published last February.

Dunya's work is a dream. No really, it reminds me of what I can recall from my dreams. She somehow captures familiar subject matter amidst phrases, texts, and objects that may not relate but overlap one another for unknown reasons. I'm a huge fan. Animalbook and Dunya's other mixed media work can be found in her Behance portfolio.

Follow Dunya Atay on Twitter and Facebook for more updates and info.

SPRINGTIME IN PARIS.

Parisian style is poppin' this spring! I'm impressed, the use of color in these photos is fantastic. Watch the video in full screen to catch all details.

Added: RIP Elizabeth Taylor.

OBAMA, ET AL: WHAT IS YOUR OBJECTIVE IN LIBYA?

The US government has been an embarrassing excuse for a  "superpower" in regards to the crisis in Libya. Some members of our brilliant government have said that the no-fly zone is not an attempt at regime change but instead a quick response to the danger posed against the civilians. Then others say that we (the Western powers) are liberating the Libyans of their forty-year-old dictatorship, kind of like the United States "liberated" Iraqis not too long ago. Indeed, Obama declared, "Gaddafi must go," although members of his military have stated otherwise. And of course, Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul are on television arguing that the President has no right to impose a no-fly zone without congressional consent. The conversation is a mess. Who is right in this debate over the future of Libya?

Nobody. American politicians are doing what they do best: nothing. Instead of making a clear decision, members of the US government insist on babbling back and forth and contradicting one another. Does this mean that a no-fly zone is the best decision that the West should have made a long time ago? Absolutely not. The United States could have made an acceptable and respectable decision weeks ago, to either: 1) intervene in support of the revolutionary rebel groups [in other words, protect the oil market], or 2) let Libya fight its own battle. Both of these decisions come with their costs and benefits, but it makes sense to choose either one, provided the decision is made by a group of strong leaders who have carefully assessed the pros and cons.

Read my lips: the United States' intervention in Libya is a politicized decision-- one that will boost Obama's image (despite his ridiculously slow decision-making skills) and provide future presidential candidates with the soap box to critique the military strategies that are materializing at the moment. And because it's politics as usual here in the US, our government has not set a clear and rational objective in imposing a no-fly zone in Libya. The country's future is hence increasingly cloudy. Think about it, because our government isn't.

[Sourced image: Boston.com's Big Picture story on the UN air strikes in Libya.]

FIRST TUNIS, NOW CAIRO.

The Associated Press just released a video of a man being shot in an impassioned Egyptian protest that spread to the outer-suburbs of Cairo. There's not much more to say; the video has a jaw-dropping effect.

MILAN KNOWS PRINT: ETRO SPRING 2011.

Ethnic funk with a lingering sizzle. Etro brings a wide array of African-inspired print to spring and summer fashion. From florals to zig-zags to intricate texture, there's something for everyone in this mix of cohesive crazies.

Click for more on MILAN KNOWS PRINT.

[Sourced images: ELLE.com]

THE ARAB WORLD ATTRIBUTES TUNISIA'S UPRISING TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF DEMOCRACY.

There are those who say democracy is impossible where Islam is the predominant ruling force. "Those" are usually naive or politically-inclined Westerners, plus the Islamic fundamentalists that the West secretly hopes remain in power. The Arab press disagrees wholeheartedly with this assumption, and they aren't being quiet about Tunisia's revolution linking to democracy. It's a good point; Tunisia is a strong model for other Arab countries that are striving for democracy. But no one explains this as accurately and powerfully as Arab journalists, who understand that democracy does not necessarily need to replace local pride with cliched and culturally-exclusive American values. Writes al-Arabiyya:

“Are the Western values of justice, freedom, and democracy suitable for Arabs? There can be no denying that they are. As the second caliph Umar bin al-Khattab is said to have asked: ‘How can you enslave people when their mothers bore them as freemen?’...If an iconic figure like Umar promoted such values as freedom, justice, and accountability, do the Arabs really need to imitate the West? ... But whereas the West translated these values into tangible laws and civil institutions, the Arabs and Muslims merely touted them without following their spirit. And this is the fundamental difference between Western and Arab civilization. But now, with the Tunisian uprising, no one knows what direction their compass will point them. In any case, those Arabs who sincerely care for their country should study what is happening in Tunisia and do what needs to be done immediately to recreate the same set of facts in
their own land.”

[More Arab newspaper quotes found in the Economist.] 

Image Source: CHRISTOPHE ENA / AP (TIME Photos.)

MILAN KNOWS PRINT + PATTERN.

It's MLK weekend! Let's take a moment to thank Martin for the extra day off. For me, the "three day weekend" concept equates to hours of quenching my thirst for an interest that I may have set on the back burner. This weekend, that interest has been keeping up with today's definition of style. I'm not a huge fan of the latest trends, mainly because they inhibit my ability to push my style limitations. But on occasions, there is one trend that takes a necessary risk to introduce a new approach to style, and for this reason, it's important to observe trends and take note of when and how they may surpass a season.

In the January issue, ELLE listed "Mexican Riviera" as an up-and-coming trend that will be prevalent in spring and summer fashion. Among the pieces in this trend were incredible prints that skillfully blended color, pattern and texture into a gorgeous silhouette. Brilliant print overload isn't just found in "Mexican Riviera"-inspired pieces, though. And the style that should be noted is not the very specific idea of what is Mexican. That will come and go. Let's pay closer attention to prints and pattern, and how to couple them with solid color.

When flipping through the Spring/Summer collections for 2011, I concluded that the Milan shows kept it real. From Etro's ethnic to Missoni's mayhem to Moschino's Americana (featured in this post)-- each designer draws from a traditional notion of identity and transforms it into a slightly more accessible piece of modern fashion. Milan inspires and challenges what is considered "timeless style" by looking to very specific inspirations and coloring outside the lines with them. And while lot of people have complained about some of Milan's costume-like attire and mind-boggling pattern usage, there is enough variety for every individual to appreciate at least one look that opens him or her up to new horizons.

Milan's spring shows represent a sort of punk scene in the fashion industry, but certainly not in the cliched "dark and angry anarchist" way. Today, Milan's outfit stands out, it questions us and keeps us curious for more. And because CAKE BATTER is oh-so-hardcore, we're dedicating a series of posts to who we think are Italy's best designers and the brilliance that they have showcased in their spring/summer lines. MILAN KNOWS PRINT will feature the aforementioned designers' use of print and pattern, along with Pucci, Fendi, and a couple other innovative Italian lines.

For now, here is a closer look at Moschino:

[Sourced images from elle.com and fashiongonerogue.com.]

BRAZIL TO HOLD PALESTINE'S FIRST EMBASSY IN THE WEST.

After Brazil's historic recognition of the conflict-laden region, a Palestinian embassy is in the works.

Recap: Brazil and a number of other South American countries have publicly recognized Palestine within "pre-1967 borders." Israel has deemed this decision as "seriously harmful." America is mad, too (shocking). Meanwhile, the rest of the world is happy to see some sort of progress materialize. More information can be found in Al Jazeera's article.

[Sourced image contains an excerpt from Joe Sacco's Footnotes in Gaza.]

DUNYA ATAY: VISUAL GENIUS.

Word on the street is Turkish mixed media artist Dunya Atay is pretty incredible. CAKE BATTER agrees. According to Trendland,

“Dunya Atay does not use any glue, scissors or photoshop! The Istanbul based illustrator uses only ink and markers on various fashion magazines to create her beautiful art.”

I flipped through her portfolio and was in love with both her old and new work. Her older stuff has a cartoon-like quality to them, whereas her recent pieces contain a lot of the original magazine elements. It's cool viewing the natural progression, see for yourself.

[Source: Dunya's e-portfolio.]

JET GRIND RADIO.

Best soundtrack. Best characters. I love this game.

BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT-ELECT DILMA ROUSSEFF IS THE FIRST OF HER KIND.

Writes the New York Times:

Voters who supported her in São Paulo, where [Rousseff's opponent] Mr. Serra won, said Sunday that they were willing to look past her lack of experience. “If it were only about experience I would never vote for her,” said Denilson Quintino, 43, an electrician. “But she has a good team behind her. Today the country is much better off because of the Lula government. [Lula da Silva] did more for me than any other president.”

 [Source image: CBC News.]

CHINA'S NEW YEARS REVOLUTION.

Fireworks portrait of Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen from the celebration in Taipei, Taiwan.

This is pretty fucking sweet. CAKE BATTER wishes you a happy 2011.
[Source material and information: Gawker and AP.]