[mountaineer]

This spring's hottest fashion garment - Martha Stewart's prison poncho - was made by a convict who crochets while serving time behind bars. Stewart premiered the poncho everybody's talking about at her first public appearance in five months - her release from Alderson prison in West Virginia last week.

"This is not from a fancy store," she revealed yesterday. "It's from Alderson."

Stewart's garment was made by a fellow inmate she didn't name. The yarn, she said, came from the prison commissary.

"She crochets 12 hours a day," Stewart said of her jailhouse buddy. "It's her thing. The night before I left, she handed it to me and said, 'Wear it in good health.' I hope she is reading the news and watching TV because I'm so proud of her. This is a beautiful thing."

The poncho made headlines after its debut early Friday. And fashion experts are predicting copies will soon become a hot seller in stores. Mr. Blackwell, famed for his annual worst-dressed celebrity lists, said, "I don't think Martha intended this to be a fashion statement, but shawls and ponchos will now become very popular. It was warm and kind of her to wear that, and it showed an appreciation of friendship."

[Timeout]

Have you left yet? If not, are you watching the scenes from Beirut on Fox? Looks like the people have turned out despite Hezbolah's plans to march today.

Q:
Who are these thousands of people who march every day? (God bless 'em).
Is Lebanon still on general strike?

[Timeout]

Today's front page of The Independent, U.K.:

I hope Robert Fisk choked on his porridge when he saw that headline.