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Microsoft announced its earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 31, reporting revenue was nearly $16.4 billion, up a whopping 30 percent, and earnings per share were 50 cents, better by 4 cents than the high end of management forecasts and the Wall Street consensus estimate. Read the company's 10-Q and press release online. [24x7]

The Best Blog in Seattle, circa 2008
Metroblogging Seattle is now accepting nominations for the 2008 version of Blarch Badness, its annual contest inviting Web users to vote for the best blog in Seattle.

The "weird regionals" category has been dispensed with (boo, hiss) in favor of broad categories this time, like "art, fashion, photography" and "the hood" (for neighborhood blogs).

The preliminary category list: Art, Fashion, Photography (sorry it's all one category); Food and Drink (blogs about eating/drinking); The Hood (the blogs in your neighborhood); Music; Religion, Politics, and the Great Pumpkin (the three things people are passionate about here in town -- religion, politics, and environmentalism); People; Sports; None of the Above/Enemies of Metblogs (everyone who doesn't fit in one of the above groups and/or hates us)

Nominate your favorites on the Blarch Baldness blog. Or, if you're one of those shameful sorts that wants to nominate yourself, you can do it anonymously by using the "suggest a story" button or sending an e-mail to seattle.metblogs@gmail.com. [24x7]

Wireless Auction Posting Record Numbers
While we can't say who in the Northwest is doing the bidding, of the four or five wireless gorillas in our midsts, the FCC's wireless auction is officially underway and generating numbers that exceeds some $2.4 billion in bids during the opening round.

Want to view the onslaught in pixelated panavision? Click here and then click on "View Auction Results." You can see the clock countdown on the time left during a given round. You can even see what bids have been placed, but the entire process is anonymous. [24x7]

Crocodile Cafe may have a buyer, Groupee Venues, Inc
A deal to replace the historic Crocodile Cafe, which closed abruptly in late December, may be in the works.

Groupee Venues Inc., a privately held Seattle-based Internet software company, founded by Ted and Rosemary O'Neill, inventor of the Ultimate Bulletin Board (UBB) and other online dicussion group technologies, has applied for a restaurant and lounge license for the site of the former Crocodile Cafe and Live Bait Lounge, a popular Belltown venue that opened during the grunge explosion of the early 1990s.

Among the many famous bands that played there were R.E.M., Nirvana, Hole, the Beastie Boys and Mad Season, featuring Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and the late Layne Staley of Alice in Chains.

The application was received Friday and will take about 45 to 60 days to process, said Liquor Control Board spokeswoman Anne Radford. Assuming there are no objections from local authorities, the license could be approved this winter. No announcements of on-site user forums or cyberr-cafe-oriented discussion groups were leaked. [24x7]