I wonder how much it is that there's a narrower range of expression that is considered 'funny' in women - in other words, it's the audience side of the equation that's out of joint.

I know an assload of women funnier than that guy, that's for sure.

I do think it's about incentive, mainly. Funny was so not an issue at my all girls school. There was absolutely nothing to be won by it, either from teachers or other students.

The male freshmen that showed up to try out in their first year were either nerds trying to overcome life's stage frights or class clowns who wanted a bigger stage. The women? Some fell into the nerd category, and most of the rest were looking for attention, but not willing to take risks (or look ugly) to get them. Which hamstrung them right there.

That having been said, if a woman got into On The Spot during my tenure, she was basically assured every gig in the world because a) rarity and b) she was typically at least the second best in the entire troupe. It's the middle level that was missing -- women seemed to be incandescent, or not that good. No journeymen, no "pretty goods."

We were lucky to rarely have to come up against quota requirements.

Young girls who want attention have other weapons — they can scream, they can cry, they can grow breasts. They can be heartbreakingly beautiful and call me a nerd for imitating the Coneheads all the time. Learning to be funny would seem, for girls, to be more of a last resort.

That up there? Is the problem. That's how we can get attention. Scream, cry or be attractive. Perhaps it's not that being funny is a last resort, but not a generally (meaning societally) valued characteristic in women. Which is, er... funny because most guys I know, once they get past their crushes on the heartbreakingly beautiful women who make fun of them, would rather have the girl who chuckles whenever someone says "I didn't expect..." and makes fun with them.

Kristen Schaal will be huge

That whole crop of Mee-ow-ers is doing fantastically. (SNL a few weeks ago was practically a reunion show -- Seth in the cast, Liz in the monologue, and Ryan as Prince Harry during Weekend Update.) Schaal wasn't even close to being the funniest in her cast, but she's got a quirky look and voice that'll take her really far.

t /Mee-ow likes carrots

It makes so much sense to me that the IRS would want people filing online -- it's got to be so much easier for them.

I think the savings was so much last year that they're extending it to everyone instead of just select taxpayers.

Nora, DON'T MELT YOUR BRAIN! You may need it later.

My company has its own version of Turbo Tax that it markets, so they let us use it for free. Unfortunately, since I own nothing, I just file at the state and federal websites using the EZ forms, so I don't need to use the very convenient corporate benefit, nor do I need to access the "Ask the tax expert!" discussion board that they have from Feb. 1 to April 15, staffed by co-workers whose regular job is to write tax analysis for the Federal Tax Reporter we publish.

If I go down for chai now, I'm scared that "Doing The Butt" will be lodged in my brain. Better by far than "Say My Name" which was my only companion coming in (rental doesn't have a tape drive).

Must wait. Earworm will eat me.

I have this urge to buy stuff. Like right now. It is so silly. I do not need anything and certainly do not need to be spending money. Where does this come from?

I don't want to beat up on this guy too much-- although the section Heather quoted was remarkably stupid, for the following reasons among others:

1. Men have just as many weapons at their disposal for attracting women, if not more;
2. Women can "grow breasts" if they want to get attention? WTF?!
3. And I don't think female social development is predicated on attracting males.

I have this urge to buy stuff. Like right now. It is so silly. I do not need anything and certainly do not need to be spending money. Where does this come from?

I've got that feeling, too. It's caused by my anticipation of a tax refund check. I have about three different things I want and I'm trying to justify buying them.