Such dedication! Such self-sacrifice! From the first moment the world first noticed this dapper gent, desperately clinging to a palm tree as Nature herself tried to wipe him off the face of the planet, the world has been in love with Anderson Cooper’s quiet charm and understated courage.

But now, he faces the most frightening fate yet, right there in the Friday Caption Contest. And it’s time to announce who nailed it (I hope they nailed it down well; jealous meteorological forces are massing!).

Jennie Says:
May 30th, 2008 at 10:37 pm

We agreed that since California had finally legalized same sex unions, that we would come out and defend our right to muppet marriges. I love him so….

Shocking, yet true. At least his mother is not alive to witness him marrying so far below his station; Elmo’s reputation rivals that of Britney Spears at this point, and we can only hope that since Coop has made an honest muppet of him that his personal life will turn a corner.

But we have not much hope, it must be admitted. KFed on line one…

Enough! It is time to award the coveted hypothetical trophy of the virtual riches to the honorary winner, and here it is, something superfantasatic and sexy enough to keep the spirit of YSL alive and gladden the hearts of all in these dark days…

I always thought he’d save himself for me, you know. But enough of that…to the prize (and then to the merlot)!

Last week’s poll about educating boys and girls separately got a fairly mixed response. Thirty six percent thought it was a great idea, while only one percent more felt it wasn’t. Twenty five percent weighed in with it being ok for certain classes only. I happen to think that it is fine, and I had the experience of attending an all-girls high school, which was fabulous. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’m not sure I agree with the whole “then they will never know how to interact with the opposite sex” rationale. I never seemed to have a problem getting a boyfriend, am now happily married, and I can converse just fine with members of the opposite sex.

Now, onto that subject which, along with politics, is not supposed to be discussed. Well, I’ve never been one for social conventions, so on with the religious talk! Religion is one of those touchy subjects that people usually seem to feel rather heated about, no matter what their religious, if any, persuasion.

This isn’t on my traditional Mommyblogging beat, but it has to be said.

Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest forces in fashion history, has died at the age of 71. His career was a testament not only to beauty and to women but also to his tenacity and struggle with disabilities both physical and mental. That he created so much of enduring worth is an eloquent legacy, thanks to his sometimes-victories over those challenges, and culture itself has been enriched by his body of work.

Here is some of it: His second collection, from 1962.

I was never a Saint Laurent woman, nor ever will be, but the immaculate, sexy, unattainable, vaguely bondage-inclined goddess is an icon of the Twentieth Century and such women as Catherine Deneuve, Loulou de la Falaise, Gisele Bundchen, and Linda Evangelista owe a large part of their fame to their ability to inspire and collaborate with YSL.

The YSL Manifesto. Let his own work stand as his eulogy:

I don’t remember the mountain expedition part (was that down past Mr. Hooper’s store?) but this was too good to miss. More in the continuing moral decline of the once-innocent Cookie Monster.

From SeeMikeDraw

Er, well, maybe these are just games I’ve never heard of before. These games are fun for the whole family, and perfect for those game nights! They all promise to not be boring for the older set, as there comes a point when you can play Candyland or Monopoly only so many times.

Quiddler Ages 8+ Sort of like Scrabble, but with cards. And a little more complicated.

Five Crowns Ages 10+ It comes closest to rummy, with five suits. Start with 3′s, and they are wild. Go on to 4′s and 4′s are wild, and so on…

Blokus Ages 5+ A game of strategy, in which your blocks may not be adjacent to anyone else’s blocks, but yet touch at least one corner of one of your other blocks. And once the block is down, that’s it!

SET Game Ages 6+ A card game where the object is to find specific sets.

Pass the Pigs Ages 7+ A game of chance in which you accumulate points by rolling two cute pink piglets.

Wild Planet Hyper Dash Ages 7+ An electronic game that gets the players moving! The game gives commands as to specific targets, and you have to run around the house or yard to get them! Has four different levels and four different game modes to challenge memory, coordination, and teamwork.

Mayfair The Settlers of Catan Board Game Ages 12+ Catan is an imaginary island that is different every time you play the game! The players are explorers and settlers who develop things on the island.

ThinkFun Rush Hour Ages 7+ Set up cars and trucks and try to maneuver your way through rush hour! Forty “road block” cards and four difficulty levels keep this game challenging!

Ticket to Ride Ages 8+ Claim your own railway route across the United States before your opponents get there first!

Deluxe Pit Ages 8+ A card game where you “corner the market” of a certain commodity. You’ll feel just like a stockbroker. But you’ll still be able to feel good about yourself in the morning.