Hi raincoaster, thanks for writing.
I'm looking for the easiest way to put up a "non-blog", a static web site so to speak, but I'd like a little more flexibility. While I don't want the sidebar to display, I'd still like to be able to display my content side-by-side. An article on the left, a different one to its right - that's what I meant by adding a column. You mention that you cannot create your own theme at Wordpress.com, but someone must create them, no? I see that there's also this Sandbox theme - that's modifiable, but I imagine not for newbies.
It's clear that I'm new to the site, and I'm also looking into the Wordpress.org option, which apparently is more flexible. But Wordpress.org requires you to acquire a domain name and hosting before you even start on the design, and I'm concerned that I might be overwhelmed by the technology and the time needed to master it.
To sum up, what do you recommend to someone who wants a static web site, hidden sidebar, and side-by side articles?