US Open Women's final - yes and yes! Serena must really appreciate it this time PLUS now she's number 1.

ION, US Open news - when was the last time a Brit - male or female was in the finals of a grand slam? Did Henman ever make one? Was it Margaret Court? Or somebody else really key that I'm forgetting?

Britney Spears is 27?? That is bananas.

Hivemind: what do you bring as a symbolic gift for a bachelorette party? I'm going to my first one this weekend, and I have no idea what to bring.

Hmm. I think I've tended not to bring a gift to bachelorette parties, partly because I'm already giving gifts for a shower and the wedding if I'm close enough to the bride to go to a bachelorette party, and partly because bachelorette parties IME tend to be drunken bar crawls, and it's a pain to carry stuff around. That said, I'd go on the silly/dirty end of gift-giving, assuming the kind of bachelorette party you're talking about is the kind I'm thinking about....

If there is a portion of the bachelorette party that's at a home or hotel (usually the start), I bring some piece of lingerie. But if it's strictly a bar-crawl, I don't gift in that situation. I judge the naughty factor by the bride's sense of humor.

Not everyone finds edible underpants funny.

Oh, I should have explained myself: my friend is hosting that party mostly because they're gonna have a very small wedding, for family only (under 50 people). And they still would like to do something with their friends.

First I suggested to organize a wedding-celebration-picnic and thought that that would be my gift, but they're under a tight schedule and it won't happen.

But this party, which will probably involve alcohol, but not strippers or anything like it, is the way to celebrate with friends.

And I need to find a symbolic gift. Hummm.

candlesticks always make a nice gift, and uh, maybe you could find out where she's registered and maybe a place-setting or maybe a silverware pattern.

t /Bull Durham

If you think that Britney Spears being 27 is astounding, consider that Michael Jackson just turned... 50.

Michael Jackson just turned... 50.

As did Prince and Madonna. Helluva year.

maybe you could find out where she's registered

They don't have one. Besides, it has to be all creative and shit. I don't know the first thing about romantic relationships, not alone handling them, so I'm not sure I find something symbolic enough for it.

If hell break loose, I think I'll appear with a bottle of wine and say: "here. Drink. You'll probably need it".

I guess Britney being 27 still makes me 7 years older than her -- I think the problem is that I'm older than I think!

Besides, it has to be all creative and shit.

Ah, that's the problem. So, not lingerie or a wooden salad bowl, then.

I just got a coworker all of the cooking utensils off her registry because the only other things left that I could afford were like literally one wine glass. (The affordable ones had already been purchased...)