Updating, Downsizing, Right-of-Center, Left-Leaning

Updating (in which you, the reader, are, well, updated):
a. Well, my trip is planned. I'm leaving next June for an 8-day cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver, and then staying an extra day in Vancouver. I'm psyched, but I'm also in a sudden rush to make sure everything is in order. I've got to get my passport, I've got to save money for the next 10 months, which means I'll only get to eat 1 meal a day from October to April.
b. The most worrying part of this excursion is the very real possibility that air travel will remain mucked up because of the mad mullahs who can't stop blowing themselves up and killing innocents in the name of Allah and the peaceful religion of Islam.

Downsizing (in which I try to break it down for you):
a. I've copied this from http://www.drudgereport.com/ , "88-year-old CBS journalist Mike Wallace says Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a 'reasonable' man on Sean Hannity's ABC radio program... Points out Ahmadinejad not anti-Jewish... just anti-Zionist state. Says many Jews in Iranian Parliament, in great positions in Iranian life... Believes Ahmadinejad sincere in his hope for peaceful coexistence between Iran and West... Troubled by comparisons of leader to Hitler... Marvels at Ahmadinejad's civil engineering degree, 'intellect', 'savvy'... Asks viewers not to bring 'prejudices' to Sunday night '60 MINUTES' broadcast..." Okay, that's a little troubling. I'll admit, I have not fully verified this myself, I leave that to you (yes, it's basically homework). Ahmadinejad has said that Israel must be eliminated. He's questioned whether the Holocaust ever actually happened. He's pointed to August 22nd as a day of "fire and terror from Heaven." He's said Israel's destruction is the only key to peace in the Middle East... and Mike Wallace calls him reasonable. Not anti-Jewish, just anti-Zionist state. You have to realize that in Islam, a caliphate is the most reasonable state of government. Non-Muslims would be subject harsh oppression. There would be no such thing as a Muslim raping a Jew of Christian, but if a Jew or Christian so much as struck in Muslim in defense, it would be considered a crime punishable by death. Ahmadinejad is sincere in his hope for peaceful coexistence between the West and Iran... yeah, and pigs are flying out of O'Hare today. How can anyone believe he wished for peaceful coexistence when he denies and outright disobeys the vaunted GLOBAL COMMUNITY at every turn?
b. The terrorist plot foiled by the Brits, the US, and Pakistan is a great event. Word leaked over the last 24 hours that President Bush was briefed on the plot over a week ago, and I've already some some of my left-leaning friends questioning why we waited so long in moving against the potential attackers. The reason is simple. If we had moved the moment the intel came through, a big portion of the terrorist would've disappeared and we'd never have captured them. Still, great achievement. I'm happy to see the sharing of intel actually working.

Right-of-Center (a couple of quotes from conservatives or Libertarians):
a. "This nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation." - President George W. Bush
b. "Yesterday morning, hundreds of lives-- maybe thousands -- were saved, many of them innocent American lives. It should be a time of great relief....of gratitude toward the British government for foiling the plot along with anybody else who contributed." - Neal Boortz
c. "I grew up in New York and used to drive by the building all the time. It represented a much larger world for me. [But I came to see an] unbelievably yawning chasm between the ideals of [the U.N.'s] charter and how it operated in reality. When you see its lack of effectiveness with genocides, and its corruption ... it's not simply that they were ineffective, it's that in many cases they were abetting the injustices." - Actor Ron Silver, on the UN

Left-Leaning (quotes from Democrats and Liberals):
a. "This latest plot demonstrates the need for the Bush administration and the Congress to change course in Iraq and ensure that we are taking all the steps necessary to protect Americans at home and across the world." - Harry Reid
b. "We believe this is an ill-advised term and we believe that it is counter-productive to associate Islam or Muslims with fascism..." - CAIR (Council for American Islamic Relations), in regards to President Bush's quote (listed previously).
c. "When I go to the airport and they try to take my MAC Plushglass away from me, it's going to be World War III!" - Comedienne Sandra Bernhardt
d. "Well, I wanted to open a window towards the light for the president so that he can see that one can look on the world through a different perspective. … We are all free to choose. But please give him this message, sir: Those who refuse to accept an invitation will not have a good ending or fate. You see that his approval rating is dropping every day. Hatred vis-à-vis the president is increasing every day around the world. For a ruler, this is the worst message that he could receive. Rulers and heads of government at the end of their office must leave the office holding their heads high." - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
e. "Well, please look at the makeup of the American administration, the behavior of the American administration. See how they talk down to my nation." - Ahmadinejad
f. "We have worked a lot, especially on two points, the force to deploy and the withdrawal of the Israeli forces. We want to succeed and we must now check with the parties." - French UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere (on the biggest mistake the UN had made in a long time).