TorontoIAM Daily Blog Report: Belak's Surprise Performance, Markham Survey a Hit, Blue Jays Make Offer to Lo Duca

by Inveslogic | December 5, 2007 at 11:02 am

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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

Taken Aback by Belak

At The Splog, sports blogging from a new perspective, our splogger is astonished by Wade Belak’s recent performance during the Leaf’s game against the Nashville Predators last night (Toronto 3, Nashville 1). “For the first time since December 20, 2003, Belak accomplished the unfathomable. The one-man punchline scored a goal.” All sarcasm aside, our blogger points out that the 31-year-old Belak looked as surprised as anyone else “after his shot at 2:48 of the third period found its way through Nashville Predators goaltender Chris Mason.”

“To say that the 31-year old was expected to join the offensive resurgence currently being enjoyed by Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov would be foolish,” states our blogger in his post, however, Belak is now only two goals behind “$20 million free-agent signee Jason Blake. Belak will earn the monumental sum of $625,000 this season.” Belak’s goal-scoring career high came in 2004-2005 when he scored seven goals. Traditionally, “Belak has never scored more than three goals in an NHL season.”

Positive Response to Markham Online Survey

A recent post on CHEV, local news from Markham and York, announces the results of last month’s “click with Markham” on-line review “on the Town's proposed strategic priorities,” which was responded to my more than 3,600 people who live or work in Markham. The priorities identified by the review are: “Growth; Transportation; the Environment; Municipal Services; Park, Recreation, Culture and Library master Plan/ Public Safety; and Diversity.” Mayor Frank Scarpitti said that this process produced far more participants than “any other public consultation program we've held in Markham or at the Region.”

The post details the themes indicated in the priority areas. Under “Growth Management” some of the themes were on investing in roads and transit while keeping taxes down. For “Environment,” the participants want “more emphasis on recycling, composting, waste disposal” and well as preservation of green spaces and wildlife habitats. Under “Diversity” they indicated a desire to “focus on unity and inclusiveness…youth and those with disabilities.” Once a detailed analysis has been completed, Councillor Joseph Virgillo says they will make adjustments to their action plans and “provide regular updates on the plans and actions taken and keep… public dialogue going.”

Blue Jays Interested in Lo Duca

A recent post from The Globe on Baseball Blog reports that the Blue Jays met yesterday afternoon with Andrew Mongelluzzi, agent for 35-year-old catcher Paul Lo Duca. Their “interest” is limited to $2.5 million, but Lo Duca is showing interest. He “has developed the reputation of being a bit of a clubhouse lawyer, but he was an All-Star for four years up to 2007, when he hit .272 with nine home runs and 54 runs batted in.” The Blue Jays are interested in tag-teaming the position “with switch-hitting Gregg Zaun to allow Curtis Thigpen and Robinzon Diaz time to develop.”

Blair states that Lo Duca praised of A.J. Burnett in an interview two springs ago “following the Blue Jays signing of Burnett, whom Lo Duca knew from their time with the Florida Marlins.” Lo Duca is quoted in the post as saying he’d put Burnett “in the top three in terms of fastball velocity, top three in fastball action and top three in terms of his breaking ball, which, probably, isn't as good as his change-up.”

Group Restaurant Field Trips

Renee Suen of Taste T.O. recently posted on her “new definition in group dining.” She considers herself fortunate to have met a group of “local food enthusiasts… brought together by our common interest, tastes, and apparent obsession with photo-documenting what we eat.” Their backgrounds, training, and cultures are varied and it is their “eagerness to find tasty treats” that brings them together. Some are in the industry, some are food bloggers, others participate on eGullet and Flickr. “An open invitation to others who also professed a love for all things edible resulted in amalgamation of our scattered selves into a grand dozen.”

The post details their weekend dinner at Zen (2803 Eglinton Avenue East, Scarborough). “At the appearance of the first plate, cameras make their grand entrance and flurries of digital images are captured.” The servers make an extra effort to assist the process, “sensitive to [their] interest in documenting everything possible.” As “newbies” try their first taste of “natto” – a fermented bean – the group discusses the main dishes “plating, the floral nuance of the fresh wasabi, the freshness of the silky squid, the sweetness of the uni, and love for the toro.” After dinner, it’s off to Manic Coffee (426 College Street) for evening drinks. Suen says the online food community grows steadily and for those who have exhausted their food resources, she recommends becoming “part of a dining group.”

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.