Brotherhood is a powerfully discrete concept, and such places must not be talked about freely.

But four and a half years of keeping things on the down-low is all out the window now, thanks to the revelatory article "Top 10 Spots for Singles" posted Monday at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21598230.

"Looking to pair up, hook up or shack up?" the article asks. "We've got you covered."

Indeed, they do. Juneau is No. 4 - out of all the cities in the world.

If coverage was judged by blanket-size, then MSNBC just threw a quilted, wool-filled comforter over the issue and won every single Pulitzer Prize for the next three centuries.

Thanks for blowing our secret wide open.

Amsterdam is No. 1, for obvious reasons.

I haven't been there. But friends who have visited will invariably return with two or three pictures of a sidewalk "cafe," followed by blurry shot after shot of trees, clouds, the colorful interplay of light and reflective surfaces.

My sense is that it's a relaxing destination, where cheap thrills can be obtained through little effort.

"At sea" is No. 2, which seems weird.

It's hard for me to think about cruise ships without picturing Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio doin' it in the back of a steamed-up Model T Ford. As history has shown us, that caused the Titanic to sink.

Buenos Aires rolls in at No. 3, and that's legitimate.

Chocolate, tango, beaches, asado. Arrange it in any order, and you still end up in a bathtub full of dulce de leche.

Juneau clocks in next, with this explanation:

"Burly outdoorsmen who can build a cozy fire (without Duraflame) and take on a grizzly abound," the article says, "particularly in 'bush Alaska' where miners, trappers, and fishermen live."

That's the downtown scene in a nutshell. It's like Tuntutuliak on PCP.

When I think of No. 5 Las Vegas, I think of nightclubs with bubbles, chickens at Circus Circus, throwing $25,000 on black 24 and drinking afternoon mai tais at the topless pool.

No. 6 Miami conjures up crack deals gone awry, burning cop cars, locking oneself in an upstairs office with a grenade launcher and fending off waves of hired assassins.

I've never had similar experiences in Juneau, yet we're holding strong at No. 4. That speaks volumes about the unfettered, carnal lust and exploration lurking around every corner of triple-X-rated Chicken Ridge.

Let's play it safe out there.

• Korry Keeker can be reached at 523-2268 or korry.keeker@juneauempire.com.