Evan Hoover

"It's easy work for great pay and I like computers."

The lumber industry — rich in history but poor in pay and working conditions — along with the ever-evolving software industry play crucial roles in the Pacific Northwest’s economy, however, these two essential industries couldn’t be further apart in virtually every aspect.

They also couldn’t be further apart on CareerCast.com’s best and worst job ranking for 2012. Software Engineers top the charts as this year’s best job while lumberjacks, ranked at 200, is called the worst job in the U.S.

Don’t be too quick to say no to that dream house because of the registered sex-offender next door – he may not even be there.

According to a University of Washington study it turns out that there are actually fewer sex-offenders living in communities around the nation than are listed on online registries for individual communities.

"Nationally, Seattle is fairly high in heroin use."

Last week Washington state saw a spike in heroin-probable deaths. Seven people in King County overdosed on the drug with in just four days.

The spike stands out against a general decline in deaths due more to a decrease in the purity of the drug than a drop in usage, said one researcher. In fact, use among the young has risen by 74 percent.

Two interesting young men from opposite sides of the country ran into each other in southern Louisiana last week.

Both men coincidently crossed paths in Franklin, La. as they trekked across the country east-to-west and west-to-east.

23-year-old Andrew Forsthoefel of Chadds Ford, Pa. and 36-year-old George Throop of Vancouver, Wa shared stories of their journeys over bananas and water in a true vagabond nature.

Forsthoefel began his journey on Oct. 14, 2011 for one reason in particular—to celebrate the stories that each individual has to offer.

'We have reached the tipping point between apathy and activism and we can no longer ignore these tragedies.'

Signaling the power of viral marketing, an army of young people have sprung up overnight to fight against the infamous African warlord Joseph Kony and his militia the LRA. Millennials across the Northwest are becoming motivated by the video campaign to join the Invisible Children, the group behind the viral video detailing Kony's atrocities.

Alison Guajardo, Vice-President of the University of Washington’s Invisible Children chapter told KPLU about the club’s exponential growth that occurred practically overnight.

Divorce is a nasty business and this time of the year business is booming.

“Divorces spike shortly after the holidays. That’s the time when people have finally made the decision get a divorce,” lawyer Mark Ohnstad told the online site Findlaw.

The Website reported it sees a surge in searches for divorce information that starts in January and tops out in March, and divorce searches are growing year over year as well.

Pepper Schwartz – sociology professor at the University of Washington, a sex columnist for magazines and the author of more than a dozen popular books about love and relationships – speculates that the spike in divorces during this month can be attributed to a seasonal enlightenment.

Live music, great local beers, food, dancing and prizes all in the name of bringing clean water to families in Ethiopia. Where do I sign up?

Tonight the non-profit organization Water 1st is hosting their annual “Water 1st — Beer 2nd” fundraiser at the Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion. The event begins at 7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

This event welcomes like-minded individuals who are passionate about ending global poverty and providing the opportunity to share humanitarian aid to families in Gonbisa Kussaye, Ethiopia, all the while enjoying an evening of fun (you man even see grown men in grass skirts).

Cars and pedestrians collided fatally in Seattle 90 times between 2001 and 2009 – killing 104 pedestrians. The advocacy group Walking in Seattle reports that 28 of the fatal incidents could have been prevented by rechannelization or road diets.

The pedestrian-friendly group says Seattle should consider putting the streets where these 28 collisions occurred on a road diet. The city of Seattle has one street on the books.

The lack of clean drinking water and unsanitary living conditions widely affects communities stretching across the globe, and for Rick McKenney standing by idle while people die from water-related illnesses every day is not an option.

“In the States, water is there when you turn the faucet on and in a lot of places it isn’t,” said McKenney, founder of the Washington-based Water for Humans organization.

Kathleen Flenniken has been named Washington State’s Poet Laureate. (Click the listen button to hear her read a poem from her most recent collection).

“This is a dream job — speaking in support of the arts and humanities, and of poetry in particular, getting the chance to organize poetry events around the state, visit schools, reach kids and teachers and remote communities,” said Flenniken.

Focusing on how the disparities between rich and poor and environmental practices have changed diets around the world – and how they played out here in the Northwest among the Coast Salish tribes – The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture created an exhibit curators hope will lead to more conversations about the ethics, culture and practices of food production around the globe.

Seattle may once again become a NBA city, but we’ll have to steal a team to do it.

“The diabolical nature of pro sports means that you have to do bad unto others as they have done bad unto you,” said KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel. “And it puts the city of Seattle in the same business of ruthless poacher, pirate, stealer of another city.”

In other words, it’s déjà vu all over again for a city that had its team – the Sonics – ripped from its collection of pro sports.

The beloved Bobo had Seattle gripped in a celebrity frenzy over the details of his life, specifically his sex life with Fifi, in the 1950s and '60s.

And, while some celebrities are honored with wax figures, after his death Bobo was stuffed and set up in the Museum of History and Industry. The question now is will Bobo make the cut and be moved into a prime location in MOHAI's new building next year, or will he be mothballed?

"These aren't the droids you're looking for."

The passion for Star Wars characters and trivia has burned through the decades. And now, Seattle artist James Monosmith displays his own enthusiasm for the cult trilogy via his pop art exhibit at the L|td. A Contemporary and Pop Art Gallery on Capitol Hill.

Last Wednesday, Dec. 7, Everett Herald photographer Mark Mulligan caught a rare sight on camera – a stellar sea lion feeding on an octopus. (See video inside.)