For Those Of You Celebrating the Bra's Birthday

Women's underthings aficionados everywhere know 2007 is the centennial of the brassiere. As a public service, here is a short list of things to do to celebrate the invention of one of male American's primary fetish objects:

• Try to break the world record for unhooking the most bras in a fixed period. The record is either 17 in 20 seconds, 45 in 30 seconds, or 56 in 60 seconds, depending on who's doing the counting. There are one-handed and two-handed divisions. Observers are divided on whether any of these records should stand. As one bra unhooking fan said, "The record also appears to have been achieved under ideal conditions, for example taking no account of mood or angle." Mood being a critical variable in achieving successful bra unhooking, at least in my experience. The same video you'll find everywhere else, here.

• Read Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures, a compendium of women's travel writing edited by Jennifer Leo. It's described by it's completely objective publisher as "the funniest book of the year," and it must be, since it was assembled by the same people who brought you Who's Panties Are These? and The Thong Also Rises. Or, if none of those impress you, how about Hoorah For the Bra, which is a pop-up book.

• Visit Atlantic City, New Jersey, the site of the first bra burning. Poet Robin Morgan and members of the Women's Liberation Party tossed their bras into a burning trash can, transforming what were then cone-shaped monstrosities into symbols of women's oppression. Men, on the other hand, thought bralessness a terrific idea, up to a point. Morgan's current website makes no mention of her pyrotechnic youth and it is not known whether she will be joining the centennial festivities.

• At Studio Place Arts (SPA) in Barre, Vermont, this is the last week of exhibition for "Bra Ha Ha," described here as "fun takes on brassieres." How much work does it take to make a bra fun?

• Click through to this gallery of bras designed to raise money to help the uninsured get breast cancer treatment.
• Try to track down the criminal gang that is stealing bras in Fairfield, Connecticut.
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• Have two sundaes with cherries on top, side-by-side.

Happy 100th Birthday, Bra. Keep up the good work and thanks for your support.