Looking back at last week

Many people were out of town, or otherwise occupied, during the Thanksgiving holiday, so I'm going to start off by recapping some of the more interesting/important news before going on to the lists:

• Boeing fired chief financial officer Mike Sears for ethical misconduct. Ironically, Sears is co-author of a forthcoming book on management that, among other things, discusses how to be an ethical business leader. The book's release has been "postponed," according to the publisher.

• Gary Ridgway's wife told detectives that she suspected nothing, according to newly released documents. On a related matter, a former FBI profiler tries to explain why he originally dismissed a letter Ridgway wrote to the P-I, declaring it not the work of the Green River killer.

• Declaring that she found him "amazingly arrogant and not contrite," a federal judge sentenced Znetix founder Kevin Lawrence to 20 years in prison for his role in the largest stock swindle in state history.

• Two men accused of murdering three members of a Bellevue family in July 1994 finally went on trial.

• Local law enforcement agencies are developing a system to facilitate the exchange of information that might be useful in fighting terrorism, raising alarm bells from some quarters.

• On the lighter side, we also examined the recent influx of homeless people to Ballard (basically, it's a good neighborhood, even for the homeless), and how more people are trying to get rid of those tattoos that seemed like such a good idea back in college.

Now, onto the lists of most read and most e-mailed stories -- which, for the most part, include very different stories:

1. Life with Gary Ridgway: Police reveal wife's story
2. Under doctor's care, tragedy strikes a woman and her family
3. Play under the pile leaves Hasselbeck fuming
4. The bottom of the barrel is depressing to see
5. 'Huck Finn' a masterpiece -- or an insult
6. Go 2 Guy: Bowing down getting routine
7. Deputy's ex-wife who sought protection order denied pension
8. In statement game, Seahawks left speechless
9. College Football: Beating WSU puts false glow on poor season
10. Huskies, Bruins battle for bowl

1. Dell to stop using tech support in India
2. Under doctor's care, tragedy strikes a woman and her family
3. Tragic end to a life devoted to helping
4. Frosty and the TV holiday gang are all here -- ah, it's a wonderful life
5. 'Huck Finn' a masterpiece -- or an insult
6. Physicists push for lab under Cascades
7. Jones' Turkey & Gravy Soda to be sold online only
8. 20 years in prison for Znetix chief
9. Saddam/al-Qaida connection exposed
10. Deputy's ex-wife who sought protection order denied pension