Victoria's Secret Model's Bro: Bottle Bomber?

Abdul Wahid, a recent Caucasian convert to Islam and formerly known as Don Stewart-Whyte, is the 19 y.o. brother of top 1990's Victoria's Secret model Heather Stewart-Whyte. (She has been a runway model for various elite fashion houses and is the former wife of Yannick Noah, erstwhile French tennis star and current rock/reggae performer.) Also, Abdul Wahid is the son of now deceased Tory activist Douglas Stewart-Whyte. Wahid (or Wah-hid), described as a "mummy's boy" by a neighbor, was arrested by coppers on suspicion of being involved in apparently a jihadist attempt to bomb approximately nine airliners heading from various U.K. cities to sundry U.S. ones.

Cf. http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2006/08/12/1154803147123.html; http://www.answers.com/topic/heather-stewart-whyte; and http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=400012&in_page_id=1770.

Terrorist Threat Thwarted

Police report that they thwarted a terror plot by at least 21 (up to 50) young Brits of Pakistani origin to down up to ten planes on flights from the U.K. to the U.S. (The cities of departure were London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow.) If successful, it would have exceeded 9-11 in its scope in the number of lives taken. The plan apparently involved liquid chemical cannisters that were to be carried onto the planes in carry-on luggage and later explode in midair. Passengers on flights from Heathrow to the States are prohibited from taking carry-on luggage or liquid onto planes: however, exceptions are made for mothers with infants. (Mothers are being made to taste the baby milk before being allowed to board.) Most European and all Tel Aviv flights into Heathrow other than ones already in the air have been cancelled. The U.K.'s Home Office raised the public risk level to "critical" from "severe." The U.S. has raised the alert level on flights from Great Britain to red and on other commercial aviation within or into the U.S. to orange. American officials believe that there was a very serious Al Qaeda connection.

Cf. Sky News and FNC.

Lieberman Loses

Joe Lieberman lost his bid for the Connecticut Democratic primary yesterday to Ned Lamont, a vocal anti-war and anti-Bush advocate. Lieberman, the "moral voice" of his party, has combined a liberal domestic policy with a hawkish foreign policy (in the Middle East) during his tenure as senator. However, the lib blogoshere and the Moveon.com gang were not as willing as Bush Republicans (e.g., as to Specter) to give their black sheep pol unwavering support. Former Prez Clinton and his wife gave Joe their lukewarm backing: they were undoubtedly grateful that he decided not to call for the President's impeachment or punishment during Monicagate but still a bit miffed that he sermonized about Bill's sin. Also, George's kiss of death didn't help things either.

Raul in Charge: Fidel at Large

Gramna, Cuba's paper of record, stated, "Raul is firmly at the helm of the nation and the armed forces." The front page of the Communist Party organ lionized Raul as a hero in its account of his arrest at the tender age of 22 after the daring assault in 1953 on the Moncada garrison in Santiago led by his elder brother. Rumors of Fidel's demise have reverberated thoughtout the Cuban community in the States, and the recent statements and stories emanating from Gramna are not dampening the speculation.

Cf. http://reuters.myway.com/article/20060804/2006-08-04T113749Z_01_N04409825_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-CUBA-CASTRO-DC.html.

Swedish Sweetie Stymies Soldiers

According to Aftonbladet, a Swedish bathing beauty caused a bit of a stir when she decided to bask in the sun in an Albanian village in the European manner. Abashed local women fled the shore with their children in tow and alerted the police to this strange siren. Soldiers were sent to the scene but were unable to accomplish their mission because they were not conversant in the lovely's language. Doubtless, these keepers of the peace lingered at the scene to insure that the public order was not disturbed.

Cf. http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=4465&date=20060730.

Kerry Advocates Universal Health Care

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) advocates universal health care for U.S. citizens by the year 2012. After Hillary's misguided and failed attempt to bring coverage to all American citizens which had so many tethers as if to make each soul a marionette, one would think that the very idea would be an anathema to candidates of either party. Perhaps, Kerry ruminated over the idea with George Soros over martinis in a jacuzzi or sauna in Davos but, at least, he came up with an idea whose time has come. It seems self-evident that all Americans regardless of their financial situation, ethnic extraction, or any other classification should have the right to affordable health care. It is time that the government intervenes on the side of those who cannot afford health insurance and/or those who simply cannot provide the "pound of flesh" demanded by the medical industry from those who are not insured, are not members of an HMO, and are not covered by Medicare/Medicaid/and/or other governmental assistance. One begins to think that voting Democratic may have a merit or two.

Cf. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2255918&page=2.

Mel Gibson Death Wish?

According to Hollywood Daily, a source very close to Gibson's situation said, "[Gibson] was really on the verge of suicide because he felt he was helpless to alcohol and didn't know what to do with it." He/she added, "This was a death wish." Gibson was stopped last Friday at 2:36 a.m. in Malibu going 87 mph (in a 45 mph zone) on Pacific Coast Highway with a half-full bottle of Tequila in his back seat; he was charged with a D.U.I. after his blood-alchohol level tested at 0.12 (over CA's legal limit of 0.08); and then he was handcuffed and later booked after he tried to flee. (Pictures by an InTouch mag photog showed him bleary-eyed amid a bevy of beauties at Moon Shadows, a popular Malibu restaurant, earlier that night before the arrest.) Allegedly, Gibson made derogatory statements in re Jews to deputy Mee, a veteran of 17 years who is Jewish. Mee stated, "That stuff is booze talking." Gibson's publicist averred, "[Mel Gibson] is fighting for his life [in his struggle with alcohol]." The ramifications in Hollywood which has a significant Jewish influence is unclear: his Passion of the Christ engendered few new friends but its blockbuster status insured his continued viability.  Thus far, ABC has cancelled Flory, a Gibson Holocaust-related miniseries, but it's parent company Disney still intends to issue his Apocalypto. UPDATE: For Mel Gibson's personal apology in his own words, go to http://drudgereport.com/flash3.htm.

Cf. http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/exclusive-mel-gibson-was-really-on-the-verge-of-suicide-before-his-dui-arrest-this-was-a-death-wish; http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/31/D8J79VN80.html; http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,19622,00.html; and FNC's Fox News Live.