best of 2015

Top Ten 2015 bonus +4

14. Another tailings dam bursts. (San Marco, Brazil)
13. Referendumb!
12. David Letterman retires.
11. Chickenfuckers are chickenfuckers.
10. Another chancellor, another douchenozzle. (UNBC)
9. Oil prices.
8. Gas pump prices.
7. Errant DOD radar blimp takes out power lines. (Raytheon: $2.7 billion dollar project)
6. Off-label ingredients in hot dogs include human DNA.
5. Federal Conservative candidates avoid public debates.
4. Then again, there is sense in that. (E.g., Peegate)
3. Earthquake swarms in Alberta.
2. Canada's Finance Minister Joe Oliver delays 2015 federal budget (see #9) and sort of um, hides.

1. Volkswagon. Das Fraud. Das Daddy's Diesel.
11 million cars, the cover-up was wider than previously ... | Silicon Valley. diesel Volkswagens, diesel Audis, diesel Jettas... | Noxious admissions...

mining the mint

Copper is slumping, down 5% in the last month, due to increased inventories (doubling in three months). The mint stopped distributing pennies on February 3rd, 2013. It's Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's bid to save Canadians more money lol, since a penny was 1.6 cents. Financial institutions will get reimbursed for collecting the metal. (Prediction: banking windfall) 
One Cent Coins to look for: (1) 1953-1979, (2) 1980-1981, and (3) 1982-1996

 

Years	Mass	Diameter/Shape	Composition
2000–2012	2.35 g	19.05 mm, round	94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating
1997–1999	2.25 g	19.05 mm, round	98.4% zinc, 1.6% copper plating
1982–1996	2.5 g	19.1 mm, 12-sided	98% copper, 1.75% tin, 0.25% zinc
1980–1981	2.8 g	19.0 mm, round	98% copper, 1.75% tin, 0.25% zinc
1978–1979	3.24 g	19.05 mm, round	98% copper, 1.75% tin, 0.25% zinc
1942–1977	3.24 g	19.05 mm, round	98% copper, 0.5% tin, 1.5% zinc
1920–1941	3.24 g	19.05 mm, round	95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc
1876–1920	5.67 g	25.4 mm, round	95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc
1858–1859	4.54 g	25.4 mm, round	95% copper, 4% tin, 1% zinc (bronze)

Penny production ceased on May 4th, 2011. So far, I think I'm down 10-15 cents on penny-rounding at stores.