Suggested by Shaker yazikus: "Condiments! Which is your favorite—is mustard your jam? Mayo or veganaise or Miracle Whip? Mustard with seeds or no seeds? Ketchup on eggs? Basically, I love hearing people's strong feelings about condiments, and everyone seems to have something they are really particular about."
I rarely meet a condiment I don't like: Ketchup, mustard, mayo, guacamole, salsa, sriracha, wasabi, soy sauce, duck sauce, gravy, aioli, chutney, tartar sauce, tzatziki, HP sauce—bring it on!
The only thing I don't love is picked condiments. Relish, Branston pickle, etc.
And I strongly prefer having control over how much of any condiment gets added to what I'm eating. On the side, please!
Question of the Day
The Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by leaves.
Recommended Reading:
Fannie: Lady Love Actually
Atrios: [Content Note: War] A Truly Great Partner
Juliana: Latina Women Crush(ing the Patriarchy)
Claire: [CN: Racism; violent imagery; appropriation; dehumanization] Movement Veganism Has a Serious Race Problem
Jenn: Locs and Twisted Hairstyles Have Been Approved for Women in the Marines
Cameron: The Women of American Ninja Warrior Challenge Gender Stereotypes
Teresa: Bill Hader on Playing BB8 in The Force Awakens. Yes, You Read That Right. (For the Parks-n-Rec Heads among us: Hader's BB8 compatriot Ben Schwartz played Jean-Ralphio!)
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
Hung Jury in Baltimore
[Content Note: Police brutality; racism.]
I mentioned earlier that jurors in trial of William Porter, the first officer tried in death of Freddie Gray, were on day three of deliberations after telling the judge yesterday that they were deadlocked. After another day of deliberating, they were still deadlocked, so the judge has declared a mistrial.
The jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the trial of Officer William Porter, who was charged with manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.That this result is unsurprising to anyone who is paying attention does not mean it is not utterly rage-making.
Porter was the first of six officers to be tried in the 25-year-old Gray's death from a broken neck after he was arrested and thrown into the back of a police van in April.
...The 12-person jury is comprised of four black women, three white women, three black men and two white men.
Already, all kinds of racist garbage is being spilled all over social media, particularly with regard to expectations of protests.
All I can say is that if profound injustice isn't worth protesting, then I don't know what is.
This Isn't Feasible
[Content Note: Guns; racism.]
Earlier today, a friend emailed me the following, which I am sharing with her permission:
I just drove to town to get some groceries. On the way home, I drove past a white man with a big beard, wearing shorts, some kind of shiny jacket and cowboy hat, a backpack, and with a HUGE holster and some kind of pistol sticking out.So fucked.
I fucking hate open carry. No way should this be legal.
It's also so racist. If he were black, he'd be getting hassled on some pretense. We know this.
I really hope nothing bad happens and he's just walking around like a privileged asshole. Because if he does something bad I wish I'd called the police, but he's not doing anything illegal yet.
In short: this is fuuuuucked.
How is "if you see something, say something" even supposed to coexist with open carry?
How are we supposed to know if the guy casually walking down the street with a gun hanging out is someone fixing to harm someone, or someone who is just "exercising his Second Amendment rights"?
How are any of us from the no-gun culture supposed to feel safe, when our safety looks like No Guns, not More Guns?
This doesn't work. It's not working now, and it never will.
Very Important F#@king News for Probably Almost Every F#@king Person Reading This F#@king Post
Kimberly Ricci: "Your Foul Mouth Proves That You're Smart, Says Science."
No fucking shit.
[H/T to Elle.]
Daily Dose of Cute
This is what 98% of my photos of Livsy look like, because she is such a busybody, lol. She's either sound asleep or moving around like a shark, hunting for food or trouble.
It's basically a miracle if I can get a picture of her both awake and still.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: Police brutality; racism] Yesterday, the jurors in trial of William Porter, the first officer tried in death of Freddie Gray, told the judge they were deadlocked. The judge ordered them to resume deliberating. We now wait to see what happens during their third day of deliberations. All of Porter's legal fees are being paid by the Baltimore police union, and as Kira Lerner reports at Think Progress, the police union's "involvement in the case extends beyond paying the officers' defense fees. A number of safety valves enshrined in the union's contract all but guarantees that accusations of misconduct will never reach a criminal court."
[CN: Police brutality; racism] "Darrius Stewart, the unarmed black 19-year-old shot and killed by a white Memphis police officer in July, was moving away from the officer when the second shot was fired, according to several eyewitnesses quoted in the official investigation. The investigation, conducted by the Tennessee bureau of investigation and released by the Shelby County district attorney general on Tuesday, includes two eyewitness accounts of the incident that describe Stewart as turning to run from the officer, contradicting the officer's account that Stewart advanced at him." Again, and again, and again.
[CN: War on agency; anti-choice terrorism] "Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) President, Eleanor Smeal, today called on the House Select Investigative Panel of the Energy and Commerce Committee to either redirect its focus to violence against abortion providers, or to disband. This select panel, which has subpoena powers, was set up to investigate 'big abortion providers' in response to the now debunked videos produced by the so-called Center for Medical Progress (CMP), which falsely accused Planned Parenthood of illegal activities. But the real threat is anti-abortion extremism. 'How can House members investigate abortion providers and ignore the activities of key CMP official and Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, or the routine harassment and intimidation of abortion providers?' asked Smeal. 'The House Select Investigative Panel must call on Newman and other CMP officials to answer questions under oath about how their activities may have contributed to anti-abortion harassment, intimidation, and terrorizing of abortion providers,' Smeal continued. 'Anti-abortion violence isn't just about lone wolves. It is also about the wolf packs that harass and terrorize abortion providers.'" In fact, one might argue that it isn't about lone wolves at all, since no one who engages in anti-choice terrorism acts outside of the context of a culture with institutional hostility to reproductive agency.
Welp: "The Federal Reserve looks almost certain to raise short-term borrowing rates on Wednesday, ending an extraordinary period of government intervention in the financial markets that started at the height of the recession. ...Earlier this month, [Fed Chair Janet Yellen] signaled to Congress's joint economic committee that the US economy was now strong enough for the Fed to raise rates. The unemployment rate now stands at 5% and economic growth appeared stable, she said." That's the official unemployment rate, however, which does not include people who have given up on job hunting, and doesn't speak to the large number of people who are underemployed and/or making unlivable wages.
[CN: Misogynoir] Because everything is terrible, a throng of dirty assholes decided to register their complaint about Serena Williams being named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year by suggesting Triple Crown-winning horse American Pharoah should have won instead of her. Rage. Seethe. Boil. Naturally, Williams did not let that pass without comment during her acceptance address: "I'm not standing here because I've just kind of cruised on. I've had my share of ups and downs. I've had many struggles. I've had blood clots in both my lungs at the same time. I've lived through tragedies and controversies—and horses." Fuck off, haters.
[CN: Video may autoplay at link] LOLOLOL! "MPs sing David Bowie's Space Oddity to celebrate Tim Peake's successful ISS launch." Because of course they did!
Here is just a perfect picture of Beyoncé dressed up like a Christmas tree.
Adele continues to rule the world: "Adele Special Goes Platinum for NBC, Biggest TV Concert in a Decade: At 10 p.m., Adele Live in New York City averaged an impressive 3.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 11.3 million viewers. The last primetime concert special to pull in such a strong showing with adults 18-49 was in 2005 with the airing of—wait for it—The Eagles Farewell Tour."
Whoa! "Chinese scientists say they have discovered a nearly 5-foot-long Giant Salamander in a cave in southwestern China which may be close to 200 years old, which would make it the oldest living creature on Earth (besting this tortoise, which is said to be 183). The creature, a species which is critically endangered, was transferred to a facility for observation. It's unclear what effect removal from its natural habitat may have on its health, but our guess is not great." Sadface.
[CN: Moving gifs at link] And finally! "36 Animal Moments That Changed the World in 2015." I don't know how I managed to miss #31, but omfg I am laughing SO HARD.
Congress Reaches Deal on Spending Bill
[Content Note: Class warfare.]
Last night, Congress reached a tentative agreement on a $1.1 trillion spending bill "that would end the threat of a year-end government shutdown and fund federal agencies through most of 2016." And, naturally, it's bipartisan garbage. Everyone loses! Unless you're rich, of course. The good news is that federal employees will keep getting paid.
Details of the massive bill had still not been posted online by the House or Senate appropriations committees late Tuesday, but House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told GOP members that an agreement had been reached. Democratic leaders cautioned that final details were still being worked out.And of course they'll be "creating jobs" by extending massive tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations, to the tune of $750 billion.
Funding to keep the government running is set to expire at midnight Wednesday. Ryan said lawmakers will vote Wednesday on an extension to keep the government open until Dec. 22. That gives Congress time to approve a long-term bill to fund agencies through September.
Ryan promised that there will be no government shutdown and said the House will vote Thursday on a long-term agreement. The Senate will vote on Thursday or Friday, just in time for Congress to adjourn for the holidays.
Republicans wrangled with Democrats over proposed policy riders on issues ranging from the environment to the Syrian refugee crisis.
"We didn't win everything we wanted," Ryan said on Fox News, without offering details. "Democrats got some things they wanted. So that's the nature of compromises in divided government. But all told, we'll make sure that we keep government funded and that we advance some of our priorities and, namely, that's to create jobs."
Ryan said that extending tax breaks for businesses will help create jobs.We already know, because it has been repeatedly demonstrated over and over at the expense of poor and working class people, that trickle-down economics doesn't fucking work. And, as of October 2013, 10% of the companies on the S&P 500 already had an effective tax rate of 0%.
"We're going to have some good things in here for job creators," he said. "We're going to have good tax policy that helps send us in the right direction for tax reform, that helps provide certainty for businesses."
These tax breaks to corporations and wealthy individuals aren't an incentive to "create jobs." They're an enticement to corporations whose massive profits will remain unchanged and wealthy individuals whose passive earnings will keep making them richer to keep funding the Republican Party.
And they're an excuse for the Republican Party to justify cuts to federal social programs because there isn't enough revenue to fund them.
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., said last week that extending the tax breaks would cost the U.S. Treasury billions of dollars that could be better used for social programs for struggling Americans.This is what class warfare looks like.
Ellison said it is part of a long-term Republican strategy to shrink government. With huge tax breaks in place, "It will be harder for us to pay for things next year," he said.
"We're not getting any new revenue so what is there left to do but cut, cut, cut?" said Ellison, who is co-chairman of the House Progressive Caucus.
A Failure of Politics and Decency
[Content Note: Abuse; illness; class warfare.]
Once upon a time, my friend Lance Mannion wrote a post about politics and morality, in which he described how everything is political, even the ability, or lack thereof, to access clean water:
Americans have a habit of talking about politics as something apart from the normal doings of our lives. Kind of strange of us, considering that the normal doings of our lives are only possible because of politics. Turning on the tap to get a drink of water is a political act if only because the water flows and is relatively clean because of decisions made by politicians who owe their jobs to political decisions made by us.That post is ten years old, and I still think about it a lot. I thought about it again this morning, when I read about the city of Flint, Michigan, declaring a state of emergency because its water supply, serving 100,000 residents and commuters, is contaminated with lead.
The Flint authorities had switched the public water supply in April 2014 from Lake Huron to the Flint river. The river flows through the city but had not been used for consumption since the early 1960s because of industrial pollution.Lead is especially dangerous for children, but is harmful to adults, too. Its toxicity has been known for decades, and it is almost unfathomable that political leaders could be so colossally irresponsible, so callously indifferent, to delivering water tainted with lead to the people they were elected to serve.
After the switch, many residents immediately reported that the water coming out of their taps was yellowy, cloudy and odorous.People reported suddenly breaking out in rashes or losing their hair.
Public protests followed, but the authorities repeatedly said the water was safe, despite stepping up water treatment and occasionally issuing advice to residents to boil it.
But in October 2015, the city returned to its previous supplier, the city of Detroit, which treats water from Lake Huron then passes it on to Flint, 66 miles to the north-west.
By that time, experts at Virginia Tech university, called in by activists, had already issued an alarming report about lead levels in the river water, while a pediatrician at Flint's Hurley Medical Center hospital, Dr Mona Hanna-Attisha, had discovered elevated levels of lead in blood tests carried out on local children.
The water was so toxic that General Motors stopped using the Flint water at one of its engine plants six months after the switch "because it was rusting the machinery."
Flint-based attorney Tracelle Young, who is assisting residents trying to organize a class action lawsuit, says: "The whole city used that water supply."
Young said the city took almost a year to acknowledge publicly that there was a problem with the water.Young suggests that the catastrophic failure to protect the people of Flint should result in a federal investigation, resignations, and possibly criminal charges. I hasten to agree.
"The city and state knew. And we believe they knew before they made the switch from Detroit water to the Flint river that the water was no good," she said.
...Julie Hurwitz, another lawyer working on the lawsuit, said that city and state authorities had repeatedly scoffed at Flint residents and worried parents who complained that the water was making them and their children ill, only now to see the city declare an emergency.
She accused the authorities of a cover-up, having known that the water was dangerous.
Naturally, people in poverty have been the worst affected, as they could not afford, as some more affluent residents, to purchase bottled water to use in lieu of the evidently contaminated water.
You may recall that, last year, the city of Detroit made international news because of "the 'unprecedented scale' of water shut-offs taking place" in the city, because people could not afford to pay their water bills, leaving about 27,000 households without running water. A year on, at least 4,000 homes still have not had their water turned back on, and many of those residents rely on charity to provide bottled water, and/or collect rainwater.
This is all happening in Michigan, a Great Lakes state surrounded by the largest source of fresh water in the world.
The problem is not that there isn't water, even clean water. The problem is that there isn't the political will to ensure that the people of Flint and Detroit have access to it, nor the decency to prioritize human lives over money.
Round Five Wrap-Up
[Content Note: War; killing; Islamophobia.]
Last night was the fifth Republican debate (only six more to go!), the focus of which was terrorism, and I did end up watching it and live-tweeting it, which naturally I deeply regretted. And I regretted it even more than usual, because listening to nine aggressively vile cowards fearmongering about radical Islam and promising to be the Ultimate Murder Lord of America to Keep Us Safe absolutely sickened me to the depths of my being.
It was just a nonstop onslaught of violent rhetoric, as each candidate tried to convince US voters that s/he would be the most ruthless slayer of terrorists and civilians, the most bloodthirsty avenger, the most reflexive unleasher of mass killing in our names.
Honestly, the only people I can imagine sitting around enthusiastically talking about killing people more than these jerks are IS.
The Washington Post has the complete transcript of the debate available here.
It's tough to choose a single clip from the debate that summarizes its revolting tone. There was Ted Cruz talking about "carpet bombing" IS, and John Kasich talking about punching Russia in the nose, and Donald Trump saying, well, anything. But perhaps this moment with Dr. Ben Carson, a pediatric neurosurgeon, was the most incredible of the evening:
Questioner Hugh Hewitt: People admire and respect and are inspired by your life story, your kindness, your evangelical core support. We're talking about ruthless things tonight—carpet bombing, toughness, war. And people wonder: Could you do that? Could you order air strikes that would kill innocent children by not the scores, but the hundreds and the thousands? Could you wage war as a commander-in-chief?I mean. What is this question?! "Sir, do you have THE BALLS to murder children by the hundreds and thousands?" And what is this answer?! "Children with brain tumors understood I had to operate on them to save them, so children will understand FROM HEAVEN that I had to murder them in order to save us." What is this nightmare even talking about?!
Carson: Well, interestingly enough, you should see the eyes of some of those children when I say to them we're going to have to open your head up and take out this tumor. They're not happy about it, believe me. And they don't like me very much at that point. But later on, they love me. Sometimes you—I sound like him. [gestures toward Trump; he laughs, Trump smiles, and the audience laughs] You know, later on, you know, they really realize what's going on. And, by the same token, you have to be able to look at the big picture and understand that it's actually merciful if you go ahead and finish the job, rather than death by 1,000 pricks.
Hewitt: So you are OK with the deaths of thousands of innocent children and civilian? It's like— [audience boos]
Carson: [to the audience] You got it. You got it.
Hewitt: That is what war— Can you be as ruthless as Churchill was in prosecuting the war against the Nazis?
Carson: Ruthless is not necessarily the word I would use, but tough, resolute, understanding what the problems are, and understanding that the job of the president of the United States is to protect the people of this country and to do what is necessary in order to get it done. [audience applause]
This is what the Republican primary has become: Who is willing to be the most ruthless murderer of children? And also defund Planned Parenthood because they totes kill babies?
I have never witnessed such a repugnant display of casual suggestions of genocidal rage.
Further, the entire debate was peppered with an excessive amount of sniping, bickering, and insults, accompanied by the usual failures of serious policy suggestions. None of these people are remotely qualified to be president—in experience, competency, or temperament.
It is utterly chilling to imagine any one of them empowered with the stewardship of this nation.
Fuck this whole cruel, vile, cowardly party.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Amarie, and since it's apparently International Tea Day: "Do you like tea? If so, do you have any favorite flavors?"
I've only developed a taste for tea rather recently, and I don't have a particular favorite. Iain is a big tea drinker, and I basically just drink whatever he buys, lol.
Round Five
Tonight is the fifth Republican presidential primary debate, which will be hosted by CNN and Salem Radio at the Venetian in Las Vegas, a perfect location for a bunch of shitheads who are desperate to gamble with the nation's future.
Are you so excited for another presidential debate?! If you are so excited about another presidential debate that you can barely contain your enthusiasm, please check this box: □
Tonight's debate will feature fully nine candidates on the main stage: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump.
Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki, and Rick Santorum aren't polling high enough to make the cut, so they'll be relegated to the also-rans pre-debate.
Is Jim Gilmore even still running for president? Apparently! "Jim Gilmore 'ain't going anywhere,' insists he has a path to victory in presidential race." Maybe he should dial it down a notch and just work on finding a path into a debate.
Am I going to watch the debate? Maybe! Am I going to live-tweet it? Maybe!
Irrespective of my debate decision-making, here is a space for discussion about the debate, before and during. Spoiler Alert: Donald Trump is going to say a lot of garbage words!
Quote of the Day
"When you combine an Arctic oscillation along with a strong El Niño, this is what you end up with."—Mike Halpert, deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, explaining the extraordinarily warm winter temperatures across much of the US.
The weather outside is delightful, but the consequences could be frightful—depending on how long this anomalous weather lasts and how much it affects next year's crops.
Fatsronauts 101
[Content Note: Fat hatred.]
You cannot be at war with your body and be at peace with yourself.
Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime
[Content Note: There are some flickery light in this video.]
The March Violets: "Turn to the Sky"
Today in Manclaiming
Dude Wipes for your "dude regions." Because regular old nongendered wipes don't have the goddamn decency to acknowledge and celebrate your masculinity!
Photo by and posted with the permission of my friend The Captain, whom I told: "I expect to see these when I visit your house, so I can emerge outraged from your bathroom, demanding equality wipes for my lady nethers!"
Daily Dose of Cute
Titchy Sophs takes a nap.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: Threat of violence] Damn: "Officials closed all Los Angeles Unified School District campuses Tuesday morning after receiving a 'credible threat' of violence involving backpacks and packages left at campuses. Authorities said they plan a search operation of all of the LAUSD's more than 900 schools. The nation's second-largest school district has more than 700,000 students. 'I think it's important to take this precaution based on what has happened recently and what has happened in the past,' LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said. ...Officials said the threat came in electronic form and was made to numerous but unspecified campuses. As a result, they made the decision to close all campuses for the day. The Los Angeles Police Department and FBI were assisting with the threat investigation, Los Angeles School Police Chief Steve Zipperman said. 'The threat is still being analyzed,' he said. 'We have chosen to close our schools today until we can be sure our campuses are safe.'"
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has promised a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, if she is elected: "Speaking in Brooklyn, New York, Clinton outlined a progressive immigration agenda, vowing to waive application fees associated with naturalization, while repeating calls to expand on President Obama's executive actions and push to create 'a path to full and equal citizenship' for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. 'If you work hard, if you love this country and want nothing more to build a good future for you and your children, we should give you a way to come forward and become a citizen,' she said."
[CN: Police brutality; racism] The jury in the trial of the first officer being tried in the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore is on its second day of deliberations. I am sick with worry; please please please do the right thing.
[CN: Slavery; abuse; exploitation] Fucking hell, this investigation by the AP is incredible and so upsetting: "From Whole Foods to Red Lobster: Stores, restaurants sell shrimp peeled by slaves, AP finds." I'm not even going to excerpt it; just go read the whole thing.
[CN: Violence; misogyny; racism] A white man angry about his credit card being declined by a hotel drove his pickup truck into the hotel lobby, causing extensive damage and nearly hitting two women working at the front desk, who dove out of the way just in time to avoid injury. The manager "told investigators that 'Parsley stated it wasn't his first bad experience with a hotel manager who was also Indian,' according to the incident report. It said Parsley then told the staff that he was going to 'run his truck over them and the property.'" So, white man nearly kills two women because of racism. Just another day in America.
[CN: War on agency] "Attorneys from the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court last week urging it to turn away a case designed to re-criminalize abortion nationwide. ...'Since this Court first recognized constitutional protection for abortion before the point of viability, two generations of Americans have come of age, depending on constitutional protection for their dignity in making reproductive decisions,' the brief notes." If you're a person who can become pregnant, you cannot take your right of bodily autonomy or agency for granted. Just another day in America.
[CN: Corporatocracy] "If you're a business looking for new ways to squeeze money out of your consumers without having to worry about whether doing so is illegal, than you had a very good day in the Supreme Court on Monday. In its first divided decision of the current Supreme Court term, the Court held in DIRECTV v. Imburgia that the satellite television company DIRECTV could effectively immunize itself from many suits claiming that they charged illegal fees, despite the fact that this decision cuts against language in DIRECTV's own contract." The Supreme Court gives more power to corporations to exploit and abuse consumers. Just another day in America.
Tattoo artist Dad updates Mom's tattoo to "fully represent" their transgender son. "Steve created a new portrait of Ace that better captured his son's identity. The pink dress was turned into a blue T-shirt and shorts while the purple flower was transformed into a slingshot. ...Once the new portrait was complete, Steve and Lindsay surprised Ace with the fresh ink. The teen, who came out to his family about a year ago, was over the moon. 'It made me really happy. I didn't realize how much she believed me. It finally fits,' Ace told Global News." Blub. Just another day in America. ♥
Welp: "Climate change is causing a large number of bad things to happen to the planet and this new study, cited on weather.com, says the loss of the weight of the polar ice caps will relieve some of the pressure on the rocks below and allow the rock to rebound towards the surface. And, according to the researchers, this will make the world more round and will allow for the planet's rotation to accelerate, and could even make a difference in the length of our days. Don't be planning new outings to take advantage of the extra time in the day, however. Researchers say it will only be thousandths of a second, and they don't predict the faster spin will have any damaging effects on the planet."
Heads-up (no pun intended) if you use Wen hair products: "Wen is currently embroiled in a class-action lawsuit brought by more than 200 people who claim they lost their hair after using Wen's product. ...The group of mostly women, who hail from multiple states, filed the lawsuit in March after they said they suffered 'severe injuries' to their head and scalp. Some of the women were representing their children, who are minors." Yikes!
Awww: "Dick Van Dyke Celebrates 90th Birthday With 'Mary Poppins' Flash Mob." Adorbz!
Cool: "Dog DNA study reveals the incredible journey of [human]'s best friend."
And finally! Baby Okapi!!! "Zoo Antwerpen's royal resident, Yenthe the Okapi, recently gave birth to a new princess. The new calf, Qira, was born November 15. She weighed in at 24 kg (53 lbs) and was 85 cm (2.7 ft) tall. Antwerp Zoo has a special connection to this beautiful animal. The Zoo is coordinator of the European breeding programme for the Okapi, and the prolific stripes of this endangered species are used in the Zoo's logo."
