Final Word from Friday, March 11, 2005
The release of Martha Stewart into home detention has raised new debate about whether she should have gone to prison in the first place. The wealthy good-living advocate was found guilty last year of securities fraud and spent five months in the slammer. Our investigative reporter spotted her as a fraud long before the feds did. Stewart appeared on TV three years ago and demonstrated how to iron a dress shirt. After pressing the back of the collar, she folded it over and ironed the crease. Our informal poll found that this is sacrilege to more than 90% of Czech women, who say the crease should never be ironed. Don't mess with Czech women and their ironing! They're experts. They even iron towels and underwear, because it feels better. If Martha Stewart can't get her stock-trading or shirt-ironing right, the authorities should examine her cookie recipes next. [Czech Republic home economics prison television]