Gold – The Yellow Metal

Since time immemorial human kind has been obsessed with the yellow metal called gold. History has seen murderous plots hatched, countless throats slit and many wars fought over this precious metal. The reasons behind man’s propensity to possess this metal are unfathomable. Many learned men have tried to explain this phenomenon over the years and failed. Even to this day we see that investing in gold is the safest option that most long term investors are still eager about, unlike the stock markets which have let people down countless times in the past. Moreover, gold prices are shooting up each day owing to the lowering of crude oil prices, all thanks to the global economic downslide which is in full swing right now.

Man’s constant obsession with the yellow metal gave rise to popular myths revolving around alchemy and the philosophers stone, which was professed to bear the power to turn into gold, any metal which came into contact with it . During ancient times, the kingdoms of the orient, particularly Persia and India were renowned for their huge gold reserves. Even today one can find golden temples in India. Gold in its most common form is used for crafting jewelry. Gold jewelry has been in vogue for centuries now and its popularity continues unabated. Even though Platinum and diamond jewelry have also gained popularity among consumers, they have not eroded the gold market, but instead have created their own niches in the jewelry industry. The metal also finds uses in technology as well, especially space and satellite technology and is also used as a raw material in the manufacture of computer components.

Metal Alloys and their uses

A metal alloy is a compound that consists of more than one element. It is usually made by combining two or more metals to produce an entirely new compound metal with unique properties that might be different from the parent ingredients. Although there are quite a few alloys that have been around for some time, the most popular ones being bronze and cast iron, technological advancement has seen countless alloys being developed in the last half a century alone, primarily for industrial application. There are some rare alloys too, that occur in nature without mans intervention.

Metal alloys have many varied and wonderful used in today’s world. Most of the metals that we see around today are alloys and are found in diverse places ranging from your kitchen cabinet to a space shuttle. Alloys find useful application in the manufacturing industry, particularly in the manufacture of automobile parts and in aviation technology. Alloys have also been developed for use in the packaging industry as packaging materials.
Based on the parent metals that they are derived from, alloys can be classified as alloys of aluminum, copper, gold, iron, silver or other metals. Alloys often have more stability than their parent metals as well as increased strength and resistance to corrosion. Steel is a classic example of an alloy being superior in every respect from its parent metal, iron. Unlike iron steel does not rust, is malleable and ductile and possess great strength. Metal alloys are in wide spread use in today’s world and find practical applications in every walk of life.

Metals and their role in the advancement of human civilization

The discovery of metal is widely touted as the most significant milestone in the history of mankind since the invention of the wheel. Had it not been for metals and the fillip they gave to the advancement of civilization, mankind would have been stuck in the Stone Age for ever, using crude stone weapons for hunting and crafting stone tools and utensils for daily use.

Gold was the first of the ancient metals to be discovered, followed by copper, silver, lead, tin, mercury and iron. The ancients could not find any practical applications for gold and silver in their day to day life as they were soft metals with low boiling points. But instead of being relegated to the background they were used to make jewels due to their high malleability and ductility. It was not until copper was discovered that mankind found practical applications for metals. Copper was ideal for crafting weapons and tools and led to significant advancement in metallurgy post its discovery.

In time, other metals like tin and mercury were also discovered and found application as additives for making alloys. Bronze an alloy of copper, made by combining it with tin, found significant utilitarian value in the life of the ancients and were used to craft utensils and statues. Mercury was given the name of liquid silver due to its high lustre and resemblance to molten silver and is said to have been worshipped by the Egyptians. The last of the ancient metals to be discovered was iron and its discovery had momentous implications for the growth of civilization by bringing about unprecedented advancements in the field of weaponry and tool manufacture.

The Obsession with Precious Metal

The obsession with precious metal and the jewelry that it can create has provided many a socialite with the basic standard of appropriateness. However, our obsession with precious metal has also led us away from the simplicity and uniqueness that other gifts and tokens can offer us. When there isn’t enough money to purchase a precious metal, there is a sense of shame that the would be purchaser suffers rather than pride in finding the most perfect gift that can be afforded. When precious metal becomes more important than the motivation for the bestowment, haven’t we lost sight of something important?

While the precious metals of the world will forever be a better quality and outlast the cheaper metals that we can obtain as part of the gift giving experience, their prices and their status leave some people desperately without, as though somehow they are not quite as good as those who are adorned with much precious metal. This is an inaccurate view but one that many of us still cling to like the belief that money creates status. What creates the most happiness is a freedom to express love and intention in the best way possible. Going into debt for years is not always the best way to care for a loved one, and an engagement ring crafted from the more expensive precious metal is not necessarily the most loving option. Would you rather make payments for years because you sprung for the precious metal or would rather have a little extra cash over the years to find other ways to express your love and devotion?

Metal

Metal pins were once thought to be the answer to many of yesterday’s medical problems. Orthopedic surgeons placed metal pins into people’s legs, arms, heads, and spines with the intention of relieving pain and fixing medical problems. It was initially thought to be a good idea. However, over time the metal can cause just as many problems as the original problem did. The older metal pins are likely to eventually break down inside the body. The newer ones can cause distinct problems with the blood stream and the immune system. The body has proven over time that the metal we like to stick into people in an effort to fix them has backfired. We now have a whole host of people who are walking away with metal body parts waiting for the day that their metal fails them.

Insurance companies are denying additional surgeries to help fix the problem before it becomes debilitating. Old injuries and health problems are now creeping back up and because of the medical implants many insurance companies are calling it a preexisting condition and refusing to pay for additional surgery. This leaves tens of thousands of people looking toward their future in a wheelchair or without the use of a limb. It is compounded when the metal is implanted in the head or the spine. These unfortunate individuals are looking at paralysis or worse. The metal that was once considered a huge gift is now a curse. DO we sue the doctors, science, or the original insurance company in order to get a little help to return to the functional world?

Ballads

Those are the most beautiful and magnificent songs when it is about metal music. You know, from time to time we are tired of all those banging songs and we need something that calms us down and something that is nice and slow. We need slow music and low tunes and we need some kind of mystery in those and this whole stuff we can find in mental music ballads. You know, those are songs way different from all other slow songs. In most cases songs are written by people about love and romance and feelings and so on. And the same is often true for ballads, but those are songs of way different feelings. It is also all about love but it is some kind of different love. It is more like true love that penetrates the very heart of people and those are words that really mean something great and you can feel it somewhere inside of you. Ballads are songs you listen with your heart but not with your ears and that is why you will never find songs better than those of metal ballad kind. I adore those songs and I guess my adoration is reasonable.

Nothing but metal subculture

There is nothing bad in music and the genre if this music doesn’t matter but there is something bad people can bring in music by their behavior. They recognize music as the way to step aside and to walk away from other people and to say “Hey, I’m different”. They are people who don’t really need music but they are people who are extremely lonely and this is their way to attract attention of society, they really need attention of their parents and they need attention of people around them and that is why they silently scream for that attention they need. They are not music lovers but they are more like fanatics. They have different clothes and different hairs and different make up, in other words they do anything to make other people notice them and gear them. It is the problem inside of people and music has nothing to do with it and so it is wrong when people say that metal subculture drives teens mad, this subculture is just the result of loneliness. This loneliness they have inside makes them act like that in order to attract your attention.