Maybe I didn't read this carefully enough, but are researchers talking about how much porn women purchase? How are we not counting? I once worked in an adult video store, and we had as many women as men renting porn.

However, if we somehow aren't doing our part to support the adult entertainment industry, here's my theory on the issue:

1. Romance novels are very pornographic. Countless women doubtlessly enjoy these one-handed reads as a way to relax. They probably don't get counted, though, when it comes time to tally porn purchases.

2. Women might be more afraid of being "caught" with a history of viewing porn. I've always been nervous, for instance, that should I one day want to, oh, I don't know... run for political office? - that my history of pornographic purchases could somehow be dredged up. And can you imagine? Knowing that a male politician watched porn throughout his adult life would probably blow over in the press, but a female? I can just hear Rush Limbaugh now.... double-standards, yes. But these things do affect some women's decisions.

I don't know - I think the number of people really protesting Christmas decorations is fairly small in the US. I'd be more prone to protesting the Ten Commandments being posted by a government branch in a public place than a nativity scene, and I think most Americans feel the same way. I feel like Keillor is doing what he usually does, which is to serve up some sort of comfy, homey idea that is also perfectly obvious ("Children are precious! Don't kill puppies! Singing is fun!") and then make it sound like there are multitudes of humorless people in the world who disagree.

As to the idea that one letter writer mentioned, about how strange it would be to hear someone complain about Jewish decorations, - dude. The reason that sounds strange is because Jewish holidays are not overwhelming to the majority of the American public. It's not because we all just LOVE to bash Christianity that people complain about Christmas - it's because it can be so overwhelming for people who DON'T want to get into the Carols, the Cookies, and the Crass Commercialism. If Hannukah or other holidays were half as commerical-ridden as Christmas is, I think people WOULD be sick of them as well.

Did someone select Ann Coulter's... excuse me... Pandora's letter as an editor's pick? Did Bill O'Reilly join the editorial team at Salon without me finding out? Good lord.

But Goldberg doesn't actually say the N-word. He says something closer to "neegh". I've listened to it several times from different sources, but he doesn't say it.

When was the last time a plane was hijacked by an Irishman? I mean, really (seriously, though, if an Irishman did hijack a place within the last 50 years, please do let me know).

Hell, I lived, breathed, studied, and swore allegiance to conservative (not fanatical) Islam for YEARS, and I would still be nervous if I got on a plane with a bunch of Muslims who were making a big deal about praying in/on/around a plane.

You CAN pray while on a plane, but Islamic law gives you reprieve from praying while traveling - you can either do it while sitting in your seat or save it until later. Muslims know this, and anyone who makes a big show of praying in an airport or an aircraft is probably looking to make a political point. Well, they made it. Bravo. No sympathy here.

Isn't exactly the mark of the humorless. It really wasn't a funny article. But I don't think that it was jarringly offensive, as hard as he tried.

"As every father knows, the placenta is made up of brain cells, which migrate southward during pregnancy and take the sense of humor along with them."

Yawn. That's like a Cathy cartoon gone wrong.

But I found hilarity. Thanks! This has been a really, really good week at Salon. I'm actually forwarding articles all over the place.

If this story ends up being a hoax. Bless them both if it isn't, but something about the grainy pictures and the vague coverage strikes me as odd.