Daily Quote

"Sprayed with reflective paint, this barrier shimmers in the sun, making it impossible to take pictures of things on the other side. On the elevator a colleague and I were discussing the fact that it was impossible to shoot through. I felt compelled to explain to the other passengers that I meant "shoot" as in video camera. Though I suspect these metal fences would do a good job of deflecting bullets as well."

- Don Pittis, CBC News reporter
Describing the G20 security fence that now surrounds the Canadian Broadcasting Centre (headquarters of the CBC).

Read the full article here.

Daily Image

A city worker puts the finishing touches on the three-meter high security wall surrounding the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in preparation for the G20 Summit this weekend (June 26-27). The wall is just one of the more visible signs of the intense security being put in place in Toronto, which includes thousands of uniform and plain-clothes offices, snipers, traffic diversion, a sound cannon, and now a water cannon.

Michael Jackson worth more dead than alive

Yes, it's true. Michael Jackson's estate has grown by over $250 MILLION since his death almost a year ago on June 25, 2009. The executors of his estate, John Branca and John McClain, have used some of that revenue to pay off Jackson's remaining $70 MILLION worth of debt. The rest is payed to his children and various children's charities.

As was the case of the estates of both Elvis and Yves Ste. Laurent, Jackson's death has spurned renewed interest in the King of Pop's music. A Sony Music deal to distribute unreleased tracks by the late artist worth $200 Million over seven years has already contributed $125 MILLION to the estate. The Jackson film This Is It grossed $252 MILLION worldwide last year. Sony Pictures paid the estate an advance of $60 MILLION with more to come from DVD sales. Merchandise deals and a Ubisoft video game have added $26 MILLION. Jackson's music catalogue made $25 Million over the last year. And the Beatles' catalogue, of which Jackson's estate owns 50%, made an addition $11 MILLION. There is also the $25 MILLION from the rerelease of Jackson's autobiography, Moon Walk.

The months leading up to Jackson's death, when his mounting debt became much publicized, led many to speculate that he would be worth more in spirit than in the flesh. It would appear that this is indeed the reality, making this fallen icon of pop culture and entertainment an even more tragic figure dead than he already was alive.

How ironic.

Daily Image

I was going to post a photo of Graeme McDowell winning the US Open yesterday, but this shot trumped it.

As Tiger Woods was hitting his second shot out of deep grass on the Par 4 third hole yesterday at Pebble Beach, this banner flew overhead. I was glued to the broadcast of the US Open all day yesterday and I definitely don't remember seeing this. Apparently Tiger did however, because he wound up shooting a 75 in the final round - disappointing after his very impressive 66 in Round Three on Saturday.

Personally, if I was a caddy and saw that plane flying over head, I would be doing everything in my power to prevent Tiger from looking up. EVERYTHING.

Lamborghini Reventón

Yes, it has been a day of automobiles here on Create & Commerce. Here is another mouth-watering machine: the 2010 Lamborghini Reventón. Lamborghini makes the most beautiful supercars in the world (according to me) and the Reventón is no different. It is an edgier, meatier, more powerful beast in the vain of the now retired Diablo and more modestly-priced Murciélago, and one of the most expensive models by the Italian automaker to date - with a base price of around $1.25 MILLION US.

Could somebody please hand me a towel?

Audi A9 concept car

Here is an incredible concept car design by Spanish commercial/music video director and graphic designer Daniel Garcia, the Audi A9.

Sprint "Firsts" commercial

I first saw this commercial for Sprint's new 4G network during the broadcast for Game 7 of the NBA Finals and it has also been getting a lot of airplay during NBC's broadcast of the US Open. The ad is visually-stunning and excellently conceived, although slightly anti-climactic in the end when you learn what the product is. Comparing the Sprint EVO 4G network to, say, the Saturn V rocket is a bit of a stretch, but still, the commercial is excellent.

Ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners under Creative Director Aladino Debert has conceived a great 30-second epic reminding us of the milestones leading up to our way of life. Art Director Nick Spahr has then visualized the concept as a domino-effect: each "first" breeds the next, and the next, and so on. Truly a brilliant campaign for Sprint.

Vernacular Hero: "blogosphere"

Vernacular Hero is a new series targeting the worst offenders in the English vernacular - words, phrases, slang - anything overused, abused, outdated, or just plain stupid that should be completely stricken from the language altogether. I am very excited to launch this new series because it lets me exercise my editorial muscle while doing some serious venting. Boom.

First act of vernacular heroism is:

blogosphere
n. The social network made up of the blogging community.
Example: "It caused quite a stir in the blogosphere."

I hate this term despite the fact that I technically exist in it. It sounds amateurish and gives off this pretentious vibe as if the blogging community has somehow reached a level of atmospheric importance.

It also sounds like a quote from Apollo 13: "Houston, we have cleared the blogosphere."

The word is essentially creating an organic entity out of bloggers, which is redundant, except it is a lot easier for pundits to say than "it caused a lot of controversy in the blogging community." If "blogosphere", than why not "webosphere," or "pornosphere," or "newsosphere?"

It is time to retire this snobby term and call the "blogosphere" what it is - a bunch of people that write blogs. I'm cool with that. I don't need some fancy title to feel self assured of what I do here. I just throw some words and images together and post it on the internet. It really is not that glamorous.

Effen Vodka

I don't like vodka - at all. I never drink it, except when it is heavily veiled in a chocolate or lychee martini. But I do love good branding.

Effen Vodka is good branding. Imported from Holland, the name "Effen" is actually Dutch slang for "smooth." It is distilled, designed, and marketed specifically for the club scene - the original 120 year-old recipe was given to a panel of bartenders to refine into a blend that young people would find most appealing and the bottle has a rubber non-slip sleeve around it for when the bartender's hands are wet, which also acts as an insulator, keeping the bottle colder longer.

And let's face it, the name is brilliant. It is the kind of brand name that is so universally-appealing, you can just hear anyone ordering it. Frat boys: "Bro, let's do another Effen shot!" Snobs: "Oh my God, I totally need an Effen cosmo right now!" Or even our favorite vodka connoisseur, James Bond: "I'll have an Effen martini - shaken, not stirred." I think we can all hear ourselves waking up the next morning: "Oh man, I had way too many Effen drinks last night."

Pure genius!

Daily Quote

"I found that Mr. Dziekanski had been compliant and was not defiant or resistant, did not brandish the stapler, did not move towards any of the officers. I concluded that the constable was not justified in deploying the weapon and that neither the constable nor the corporal honestly perceived that Mr. Dziekanski was intending to attack any of the officers."

- Thomas Braidwood, B.C. Court of Appeal justice, ret.
Today, upon releasing his report on the Taser death of Robert Dziekanski by RCMP officers at Vancouver International Airport on October 14, 2007.

Read the full story here.