Soft Money
According to the "Leading Annual Advertiser List" in the September 24 Advertising Age, last year Microsoft jacked up its U.S. advertising budget 45 percent over the previous year. The local software giant spent $854.8 million, which ranks them 37th out of the top 100 companies in advertising spending.
Microsoft's network television spending more than doubled to $202 million, and cable TV spending grew 137 percent to $155 million. Advertising for Microsoft's upcoming video-game console, X Box, plus ongoing image upkeep from the government monopoly hearings, could help explain the jump in spending. PAT KEARNEY
Professionally Homeless
Each night since October 1, between 30 and 45 people have camped out in front of the King County Administration building, at 500 Fourth Avenue, to protest King County Executive Ron Sims' decision to delay the opening of the county's annual winter shelter by two weeks, until October 15.
"When they left in the morning, it was cleaner on their side of the tape than it was on ours," said one of the King County security guards paid to watch over the group each night from behind police tape.
The homeless group SHARE, which ran the county shelter for the past nine years, and is organizing the nightly protests, offered to run the winter shelter again this year, but they haven't heard back from the county.
"We just feel that it's best that we [run our shelter] with a professional provider," says Elaine Kraft, Sims' spokesperson. On October 9, the county chose The Salvation Army to run the shelter. Kraft declined to say whether SHARE, which runs the largest network of shelters in Seattle, with 12 sites, is a "professional" provider. AMY JENNIGES
Crime Wave
Law-and-order guy and mayoral candidate Mark Sidran, who subscribes to the theory that cracking down on smaller crimes now prevents bigger crimes later, was seen committing a small crime downtown on Tuesday, October 2.
Home builder Mike Burdo was turning onto Seneca off Fifth in his 1987 BMW when he slammed on his brakes: Seems a certain someone talking on a cell phone started walking through the intersection against the Don't Walk signal.
According to Burdo: "What with the general peace-and-love deal going on, I don't run him over--but he gives me this butt-yuppie hand signal to halt while he continues to walk across the street--ILLEGALLY!! This flagrant breaker of Seattle's sacred jaywalking laws is none other than the street reamer himself, Mark 'Butt-Yuppie Boner-Phone Talker' Sidran. I can't bear to think of the lawlessness that would sweep our city if such scum were to rule it. Please tell me it won't come to pass, and--did I make a mistake not crushing him?" NANCY DREW
