So today, as I was stepping onto the elevator at work, I saw a penny lying on the ground. Now I’ll admit that, normally, I would leave it there. After all, it’s just a penny, right? But I picked it up.
It turned out to be a 1962 penny. Knowing that in 1983, the U.S. government dramatically reduced the amount of copper in pennies, I went online and looked up its’ “melt value“.
$0.0254826 is the melt value for the 1909-1982 copper cent on March 31, 2008.
I doubled my money. I think I may have to go and see what’s lying in the change drawer at home.
**Melting down U.S. Currency is illegal. Here’s your legal disclaimer, compliments of Wikipedia:
Extreme difference between fiat values and metal values of coins causes coins to be removed from the market by illicit smelters interested in the value of their metal content. In fact, the United States Mint, in anticipation of this practice, implemented new interim rules on December 14, 2006, subject to public comment for 30 days, which criminalize the melting and export of pennies and nickels.[1] Violators can be punished with a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisoned for a maximum of five years.
My first thought: How tragic. Man, what an idiot.
My second thought: Huh. A .22 wouldn’t make a very large hole in the wall. I think he’d want to use a larger caliber for that.
By now, you’ve probably heard of the Stuff White People Like blog. I’ve visited it a couple of time, and it’s… okay, I guess. It’s just not my cup of tea.
But today I visited Stuff Christians Like. Now this site is hilarious. Please realize that it’s tongue in cheek humor - I hope. Otherwise, how could you explain Joel Osteen & John & Kate Plus 8? But some of them are spot-on.
“The United States has outsourced the manufacturing of its electronic passports to overseas companies - including one in Thailand that was victimized by Chinese espionage - raising concerns that cost savings are being put ahead of national security, an investigation by The Washington Times has found.”
I’m sorry… but aren’t there some things that outsourcing just doesn’t work for? I read this article in complete disbelief. Is some government bureaucrat so blind to think that there’s no security risk here?
As I’ve mentioned before, we are currently hooked on the My Big Redneck Wedding TV show. It’s like watching a train wreck… you just can’t turn away. Part of me is saddened and stunned. But part of me is also thinking, “Man… If only I’d thought of doing that at my wedding!”
Well, for any aspiring redneck bride and grooms out there… Here’s your chance to propose marriage in style.
Caleb took the news like a little trooper last night. There were quite a few tears, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. He wanted to see Caleb one last time in his aquarium, and then we removed him. However, instead of receiving a “burial at sea”, Caleb the fish will be interred in our flower bed this afternoon.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, ESV)
