This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from SeattleIAM where you will find the best blogs from Seattle, Washington as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring.

Return of the Salmon… to Polluted Waters

In the Seatle P-I blog Dateline Earth we get a report on the return of salmon to the Northwest. Reports of salmon returning to the streams around Seattle and Bellevue have piqued streamwatchers’ interest. As blogger Lisa Stiffler recently noted, salmon have already retuned to Piper’s, Thornton, Longfellow, and Taylor creeks. Although the news is exciting, “some of their behavior can be a tad unnerving… NOAA Fisheries Northwest Science Center have tracked coho returning to urban streams that die before spawning.”

The post reveals that they exhibit unusual behavior like loss of orientation, gaping mouths and splayed fins. “We've seen it every year, in every stream we've been monitoring,” said Nat Scholz, head of research. The cause of the pre-spawning death is not certain and it only affects adult coho, not young coho or chum. “The likely culprit is pollution that runs off roads and parking lots and roofs and landscaped gardens” and rain seems to affect the mortality rate, due to more pollution running from the areas.

A Day in Placekicker History

Blogger Seth over at Seattlest sends a big huzzah to Seahawk placekicker Josh Brown. Seth reminds us that in general “placekickers are held in no regard by their football teammates.” But on Sunday, Brown made what the blogger claims to be “a play that may go down as the greatest non-foot-related play in placekicker history when he tackled the Bears' Devin Hester on a kickoff.”

That itself is not that unusual, the post goes on to say, but it’s usually the kicker diving and tripping the return man as he streaks towards the end zone. “Brown's tackle Sunday was a legitimate coverage play--he downed Hester at the Bears 27-yard-line.” Not only that, Seth points out, Hester is considered the best kick returner in football with “the NFL record for most touchdown returns in a season.” Photos of the tackle are available on the blog.

Romney Talks Big on Trade

In Postman on Politics, David Postman reports on Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney’s visit to Seattle. Romney brought up the subject of “trade,” which we haven’t heard much about on this campaign. “He said his strong support for free trade distinguishes him from Democratic candidates… [and] he would push beyond what President Bush has been able to accomplish in lowering barriers for U.S. commerce.” Romney also stated that he’s willing to work separately with countries if the WTO “stymies the United States.”

The post relates that Romney met the press at a private air terminal at Sea-Tac. He opened with his talk about trade, pointing out that some Democrats have “been reluctant to expand free trade.” Romney views it as a time to open markets for our goods “making sure the agreements constitute a level playing field.” He stated that Washingtonians know many of our jobs are dependent on world-wide selling goods and services, and he’ll ensure that continues. The blogger says it’s the kind of rhetoric “presidential candidates used to talk about when visiting Washington.” However, Senitor Patty Murray says it's getting harder to stay optimistic, “even the most parochial supporters of trade.”

Wal-Mart: to Build or Not to Build in Tacoma?

John Gillie at the Biz Buzz informs that Wal-Mart has never formally announced any plans to build a store near downtown Tacoma, despite the strong rumors last spring. A Wal-Mart spokesperson had even confirmed the interest. The blogger asks, “Could that ardor have cooled in Wal-Mart's concern that it is over-expanding?”

In the post, Gillie reveals that last June the company “announced it was slowing its expansion plans nationwide.” For instance, Wal-Mart abruptly canceled plans “to become the centerpiece of a major mixed use development” east of downtown Tulsa, Okla. As well, the store decided against turning “a former Von's grocery store in Garden Grove into a Wal-Mart,” where the community had actually welcomed the store.

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