Raptors Take Trailblazers in Double-Overtime, Toronto Tops at Scrabble Championship: TorontoIAM

This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from TorontoIAM where you will find the best blogs from Toronto, Ontario as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring

Raptors Win Third Straight Game in Double-Overtime

NBA.com’s Raptors News gives us the run-down of Toronto’s double-overtime “thriller” against the Portland Trail Blazers this weekend, in which Toronto gave the Trail Blazers their second loss in 19 games. Chris Bosh, playing 55 minutes, had 38 points and 14 rebounds. He gave Toronto a 93-89 edge with two free-throws and 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, “but Jamario Moon fouled Travis Outlaw on a 3-pointer and Outlaw converted from the line, tying it at 93 with 16.6 seconds remaining.” Bosh went in for a “game-winning basket,” but was unsuccessful.

In the first overtime, “a 3-pointer by Calderon gave Toronto a 104-101 lead with nine seconds to go,” writes our blogger in the post, but Brandon Roy “rebounded Outlaw's miss and drained a 3-pointer.” During the second overtime, “Calderon and Parker each made a pair of free throws” and Bosh scored six points “to lead Toronto to its third straight victory.” Rookie of the year Brandon Roy, who has had limited playing time in his last two games due to a sore knee, was Portland’s star with “a career-high 33 points and 10 assists.”

Toronto Takes Montreal at the Kingston Cup Scrabble Match

Roger at Blog T.O reports that Toronto took Montreal when they battled it out over the weekend in the annual Kingston Cup Match. “Canada's got some of the top Scrabble players in the world” and Toronto and Montreal have a longstanding rivalry. Adam Logan, a math lecturer and 2005 World Scrabble Champion, led Toronto’s team. Montreal’s team had two former Canadian and World champs, David Boys, a programmer analyst, and Joel Wapnick, a music professor “who recently placed 4th at the World Scrabble Championships in Mumbai, India.”

Our blogger participated in the event in Toronto's B division, “which edged out Montreal for the 401 Trophy.” During the event, everyone played 12 games “in a spirit of friendly rivalry,” which is a motto “coined by the late Michael Wise, co-founded the Toronto Scrabble Club.” The club’s current director, John Chew, organized the tournament. According to Roger’s post, “Toronto kicked Montreal's ass, sweeping all three divisions.” If you’re interested in competing, the North American Scrabble Tour (NAST) “is hosting a satellite tournament January 18 as part of a series of events to determine the qualifiers for the NAST Final Event this summer.”

Annual Gastronomical Extravaganza Comes to Town

James Chatto, blogging on Toronto Life, invites all readers to the “mother of all food parties,” a three-day “gastronomical extravaganza” being held on February 7th, 8th and 9th. Each evening features “an extraordinary, no-holds-barred culinary competition between seven of the best chefs in Canada,” as well as “some terrific little escapades for food and wine lovers.” It culminates on Saturday night “with the mother of all food parties and the coronation of the 2007 Canadian Culinary Champion.” First held last year in Whistler, the Canadian Culinary Championships are “where the chefs who won gold at the Gold Medal Plates events across the country do battle in a series of grueling competitions.” A senior food writer or restaurant critic from each represented city form the panel that chooses the winner.

This year the events take place in Toronto. A VIP Reception kicks off the Championships on February 7th, in which “amidst much fanfare and rejoicing” the competitors and their sous-chefs are introduced. Then the chefs will be led into the “cone of silence” and “brought forth one by one to the competition kitchens… [and] handed the dreaded ‘Black Box’ containing five secret ingredients.” Chefs have one hour to create two dishes for the judges, “using all the ingredients from the box and anything they wish from the communal pantry.” Other events include a Niagara Wine Tour, Mystery Wine-Pairing Competition, Chinese New Year Dim Sum Lunch, Whiskey Tasting, and the CCC Grand Finale on February 9. Details and contact info are available in the post.

Planet in Focus Film Festival Expands to New Digs

CHEV Local News announces that the Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival, “Canada’s premiere environmental film festival,” will expand its venues to the Regional Municipality of York Administrative Centre starting Tuesday, January 29th. “The Regional Municipality of York Administrative Centre is located at 17250 Yonge Street in Newmarket and is easily accessible by public transit.” Viewers arriving by transit receive a $2 discount with valid transfer. “All proceeds will be forwarded to the not-for-profit Planet in Focus International Environmental Film and Video Festival.”

The screenings at the new venue begin on Tuesday, January 29 with Conflict Tiger, about the tigers fighting to retain their habitat as a village in eastern Siberia expands into the forest. Later screenings include Radiophobia, in which “town residents and workers of the Chernobyl power plant in Prypiat, Ukraine, return to the scene of the world’s worst civilian nuclear disaster,” and Thanks for all the Fish, about how the Aborigine people of Stradbroke Island, Australia “call to their local dolphins by striking the surface of the water in a coded rhythm.” Further information and film details are available in the post.

About TorontoIAM

TorontoIAM is part of a groundbreaking network of city-focused blog aggregation, user generated media and social networking websites currently rolling out across North America. Each IAM website filters and organizes blog content as well as offering video upload capabilities, social networking, blog authoring, favourites lists and rumours. The IAM Network is a division of SoMedia Networks Inc which also operates Inveslogic.com, Greenedia.com, Healthedia.com and Blabaloo.com. For more information or to register an account, visit TorontoIAM.com.