Report: Stewart loses decorating contest in prison

NEW YORK (AP) — Martha Stewart, who has regaled audiences with countless holiday decorating tips in her magazine and on television, reportedly was unable to lead her team to victory in a prison decoration contest.
Stewart and a team of fellow inmates at a federal prison camp in Alderson, W.Va. crafted paper cranes to be hung from the ceiling, People magazine reported in an article posted on its Web site Wednesday. They lost out to a competing team that built a nativity scene showing "pictures of snow-covered hills and sleds and clouds on the wall," the magazine quoted an inmate as saying.

Each team was given $25 worth of glitter, ribbons, construction paper and glue to build a display based on the theme "Peace on Earth," the magazine said.

Stewart, who built a billion-dollar empire in homemaking, was convicted along with her stockbroker of lying about why she unloaded shares of ImClone Systems Inc. stock in 2001, just before the price plunged.

She is due to be released in early March from Alderson, then must spend five months confined to her home in Bedford, N.Y.

Following the house arrest, she is scheduled to begin shooting a daytime talk show with a live studio audience.


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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince release date announced

J. K. Rowling's eagerly awaited new book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is scheduled to be released on July 16, 2005. I'll be the first in line!

Radiation Therapy

Went to see a Radiology Oncologist on Friday and he said I'll be getting radiation therapy only where they removed the tumor. I'm going to get treatments Mon-Fri every week for 6-7 weeks. Treatment only last 5-10 mins. The doctor said the only side effects are skin irritation, sort of like a sunburn, sometimes I may feel tired and the hair will never grow back where on that part of the back. I go to see the doctor on Friday to get pictures taken by x-ray or catscan, maybe both? They do that to find out what area they will treat. I also will get little dots, they will look like small moles, tattooed on my back so they can position me for the treatments and have me lined up just rights. The doctor said there is around a 1 in 3 chance I could have a reoccurrence if I did not get this done, but there is a 1 in 24 chance of reoccurrence if I do get the radiation. That's why I opted to get it done.

Just thought I'd keep everyone updated on how everything is going on all of this. I'm in good spirits, after the holidays, going on a diet. I'm going to get myself in better shape so I can stay around for as long as I can. I have a lot to be thankful for and going to have the best Christmas ever.

Hope everyone has a great holiday and, to those who get days off, enjoy the time off from work.