In 2008, the aftermath of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis created the perfect storm for the emergence of Bitcoin. Here is all five years of history for the famous crypto-currency. Click the image to view the full-sized infographic.

>>From the VC Market Trends Blog It is often said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme. Bitcoin, in just nine months, has done something absolutely tremendous in that respect. Even by just checking out sites like Bitcoin.co.uk, seeing how much of an impact Bitcoin has had and continues to do so for… Continue Reading

While gold and platinum are almost equally as rare, the amount of platinum mined through history is only a mere fraction.  Learn about the history of platinum in the first part of The Platinum Series. Full infographic on the Visual Capitalist website.  

The Color of Law in last week’s New Yorker covers the US Civil Rights movement. Author Louis Menand captures the scene of the day emotionally, and at times, horrifically. Particularly fascinating was Dr. Martin Luther King’s rise to the leadership and symbolic position he held during the movement. I was surprised to learn that some… Continue Reading

The top ten political foibles by former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi Born in 1936 Silvio Berlusconi started out as a vacuum salesman by day, and earning a reputation by night singing at nightclubs on cruise ships. In 1961 he graduated from law school, and started a residential housing construction company based in his native… Continue Reading

Another gem from PBS exploring three generations of Rockefellers, featuring interviews with American historian Ron Chernow and others.

Watch the latest American Experience episode from PBS.

Our current system of education judges individuals against a preconceived idea of the optimal academic mind. In this RSA Animate video Sir Ken Robinson claims that our conformist method of education is antiquated, and needs to be updated if we are to reach our full potential. Robinson illustrates how our children are “living in the most intensely stimulating period… Continue Reading

To some, Vancouver is a collision of condo towers, a mecca for mining companies or a promoters’ paradise. It is all of these, of course, and much more. Last night I tweeted this photo of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland from space, courtesy of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Twitter account (a must-follow). Hadfield has been tweeting unearthly photos and… Continue Reading

In 1863, electrician Edward A. Calahan invented the stock ticker, a telegraph receiver capable of printing letters and numbers onto paper tape. At first, almost all ticker customers were brokers and bankers. By around 1880, however, the ticker had spawned a new kind of business, called bucket shops… Continue reading at Bloomberg ->

Christo and Jean-Claude are known for producing some of the largest public art in the world over the last 50 years. The scale, vision and determination of the couple are exceptional in today’s art world; there is truly no one else doing what they do the way they do it. And all on their own… Continue Reading

By James Kwantes, World of Mining Second in a series (Read Part 1 here) “Opportunity can go by in a day.” Norman Bell Keevil, Sr. Norman Bell Keevil was born on a Saskatchewan farm in 1910. In his first life, Keevil was an academic, studying math, chemistry and geology at the University of Saskatchewan before getting… Continue Reading

This is best business documentary I’ve ever seen (hat tip Tekoa), chronicling the rise and fall of tycoons and takeovers in London starting in the 1960’s. Get to know “Capitalist” Jim Slater, Sir Jimmy Goldsmith, Roland “Tiny” Rowland “The Unscrupulous”, Mike Milken, Mohamed El-Fayed, Mrs. Thatcher and many more. There are four episodes, broken into… Continue Reading

Starting an investing blog covering the junior mining sector requires some preparation. So I trekked up Howe Street and east on West Georgia to the Vancouver public library, where I borrowed Fleecing the Lamb: The Inside Story of the Vancouver Stock Exchange, by David Cruise and Alison Griffiths. Published by Douglas & McIntyre in 1987, two… Continue Reading

“The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth—But Not Its Mineral Rights.” -J. Paul Getty Lived From 1892-1976 Billionaire Industrialist, Oil Magnate Founder of Getty Oil Memorable Quotes: “If you can count your money, you don’t have a billion dollars.” “Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.” “There are one hundred men seeking security to… Continue Reading