Z is for zapatazo

"This post brought to you by the letter Z" over at The Mex Files.

The Young Turks bring us this update on M. Al Zaidi (who is still in custody, although it is not clear whose, or where, but his brother says that he has been savagely beaten and he faces trial) and the reaction to his act both in the Arab world and elsewhere.

Estimates on the number of civilians who have died as a direct result of violence during the course of the war in Iraq vary widely:

In November 2006 Iraqi health ministry estimates ranged from 100,000 to 150,000 dead. This contrasts with a survey of Iraqi households in the Lancet, which suggested about 655,000 Iraqis had died as a result of the war by July 2006.

A survey published by a UK-based polling agency Opinion Research Business in September 2007 suggested up to 1.2m people might have died because of the conflict.

The campaign group, Iraq Body Count, said the civilian death toll by October 2007 was between 74,000 and 81,000, although it has warned many deaths may have gone unreported.

Another survey, published by the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2008, said approximately 151,000 civilians had suffered violent deaths between March 2003 and June 2006. This World Health Organization study was based on 9,000 interviews across Iraq.(BBC Special Report, Aug. 2008).

Bush's reaction? To laugh, make jokes, and leave. Never a word to acknowledge that at least 200 civilians have been murdered in Iraq this month alone. Dick Cheney admits that he authorized waterboarding and torture on national TV. WHY have these men not been impeached? Kucinich presented articles of impeachment earlier for both Cheney and Bush earlier this year.
Why no impeachment?

Oh, yeah, we had to elect Obama.

Nine centuries of Japanese Art at the MIA.

Today is the last day of the exhibit of John C Weber collection of Japanese art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Because I had such a great experience with the San Francisco Asian Art museum exhibit in March, I've been meaning to see it. The MIA's holdings in Asian art are quite rich, and there is now more exhibit space for Japanese art, with six galleries added since the building was expanded in 2006.

There are so many other great exhibits ongoing at the MIA, including the natural history paintings from Suriname of Maria Sybilla Merian, but we are just going to see this one because we have to do some shopping for pants. Someone has grown three inches in the last year, and it wasn't me. I am now one of those moms who is shorter than her lanky daughter. We wear the same shoe size, but she doesn't like any of my shoes, for which I am thankful.