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Favorite Things Weekend: Here are the 12 top KPLU stories in 2012

Justin Steyer
/
KPLU

Today is the last day of our Favorite Things Weekend. Join us as we celebrate December and all the things listeners love most about KPLU. 

In the spirit of the season we hope you will consider making an online gift this weekend in any amount to KPLU.

'Tiz also the season for lists – best of lists, most of lists, longest lists, naughty and nice lists … so, here’s ours in honor of the 12 days of Christmas. Here are the 12 most-read stories of 2012 (so far):

No. 1:  Arturo Sandoval: Happy, with a heart full of music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1nOfbQ_GwU

Read the story.

No. 2:  Why most people get divorced in March

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.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 3:  Why is the 'Seattle Freeze' so hard to melt?

Is Seattle a great but lonely place to live?

The city often ranks pretty high on those lists of the best places to move to – There’s the food, the water, the mountains, the music. But once people get here, they find it’s pretty tough to make friends. There’s even a name for it: The Seattle Freeze.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 4:  How Marilyn Monroe changed Ella Fitzgerald’s life

If asked “Who  played an important role in the musical career of Ella Fitzgerald?” you might respond with names like Chick Webb, Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, and Dizzy Gillespie.

The name Marilyn Monroe (who passed away 50 years ago this August), however, might not come to mind.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 5:  Mysterious sensory organ found in whale's chin

If you came face to face with a great whale, you might find a few surprises in its chin: Like whiskers, if you look closely at the surface.

And, hidden inside the chin, lies a mysterious sensory organ, unknown to centuries of whalers and biologists.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 6:  Westboro Baptist Church to picket Seattle shooting victim’s funeral

The St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle has been told that members of the anti-gay church known for its belligerent protest tactics plans to be present at the funeral of Gloria Koch Leonidas on Thursday. Leonidas was one of the shooting victims in last Wednesday's massacre in Seattle.

A St. Demetrios administrator confirmed that a Seattle police officer and another church pastor told them the protest has been scheduled by the Westboro Baptist Church.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 7:  Marijuana legalization initiative becomes law in Washington

Washington voters have made their state the first in the nation to legalize recreational pot use, setting up a showdown with a federal government that backs the drug's prohibition.

No. 8:  Things you'll find from the Japanese tsunami on NW beaches

If you visit a Northwest ocean beach this summer, you’ll likely run across objects from last year’s Japanese tsunami.

The things you’ll likely see include milk jugs, detergent bottles, tooth brushes and bottles for water, pop or juices with Japanese stamps, marks and labels. Perhaps a soccer ball or a volleyball -- two that washed up on an Alaskan island have beenclaimed by their Japanese owners.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 9:  Is Seattle full of snow wimps?

The LA Times ran a story yesterday that accused Seattle of being "snow wimps."  So we decided to take a look at what else people on the Web are saying about Seattle folks in the snow, both from around the country and here in Seattle.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 10:  Wintertime vomiting disease strikes Seattle

Don’t be surprised if you notice a few co-workers are out sick, or if a stomach bug seems to be hitting your family. Winter is peak time for sharing germs – and right now, at least, most of those are NOT the flu bug.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 11:  8 simple rules for staying sane in Seattle (now the rain is back)

With the spring rains descending upon us, ushering in the "June Gloom" a little early, Crosscut.com's Knute Berger has come up with eight simple rules to preserve your sanity while living in Seattle.

Read the rest of the story.

No. 12:  Why the Alaskan fishing fleet is based in Seattle

On the reality TV show “The Deadliest Catch,” you see the crew of the Northwestern enduring storms and other dangers while crab fishing in the Bering Sea in the middle of winter.

You might be surprised to learn that the Northwestern and the hundreds of other boats that make up the North Pacific Fishing Fleet are not based in Alaska. Rather, they travel thousands of miles south each year to tie up in Seattle.

Read the rest of the story.

As part of the celebration, we remind listeners that December is traditionally a month when many people support a variety of organizations that affect their lives all year long and that KPLU is a service used by thousands of people every single day.

In the spirit of the season we hope KPLU fans like you will consider making an online gift this weekend in any amount to KPLU.