Whether he is your husband, father, brother, boy friend or just a friend, getting him a men's gold watch would be an excellent gift. Because there is such a wide variety in men's designer watches to choose from, I will give you some considerations when trying to decide which brand or style might be the best choice for the man in your life.
First, you want to choose a designer watch that will match his personality. Is he outgoing and flashy or does he tend to be more calm and passive? There are men's designer watches that are flashy and say "Look at me!" and there are men's gold watches that imply "I am more concerned with quiet quality than flash."
Don't only consider the watch face, but take into consideration the watch band. For the extrovert, you might want to consider a band of gold, silver or titanium. For your more introverted friend, consider a band of brown or black leather.
Some men's designer watches have more of a "fashion" reputation, like the Swiss, German, French and other European brands. Others are known for a more "casual" look.
Another consideration in choosing a man's designer watch is whether the person is athletic or sports oriented. Yes, there are men's sport watches that combine high fashion, style and rugged durability. These watches are waterproof and designed with the sports oriented person in mind.
Taking into consideration the personality of your male friend or relative, you will, no doubt, choose the right men's designer watch for them and they will appreciate your consideration.
read more »
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Silver Mining: The Lure of South Australia
Australia is mineral-rich country. It is one of the major exporters of silver to the world market. During British colonization, silver mining was the main attraction of South Australia, making it one of the most populated regions in the subcontinent.
Accidental discovery
Historically, silver was discovered by Cornish migrants Thomas and Hutchins in Glen Osmond in 1841. the story of the discovery was an accidental one. During one day in February, the two migrant's were travelling around Glen Osmond when their passing dray's wheel broke off a rock and exposed silver deposits underneath it. That very same year, the first mine named after Governor Gawler was established in the area. At the time, silver was a low value metal but the mine provided a big boost to a struggling colony on the verge of failure. The following years saw several more mines that greatly increased the economic standing of South Australia.
The silver production from South Australia has since then exceeded those of Mexico, Canada, and the USA. Today, Australia is already the leading producer of silver even after years of over a century of continuous production.
Processes
A large chunk of Australia's silver production is derived from silver-bearing lead mineral, galena. Other sources of silver come from gold and copper mining. At present, the method of silver mining in Australia are sophisticated and mechanized-digging deep underground by using earth tractors and drills that can penetrate miles beneath the ground. Ores are crushed and blown up in huge quantities, then loaded up to supersized loaders and trucks. On the ground, these ores are further processed by crushing and pulverizing them. Afterwards, galena is separated from tailings and waste rock particles using flotation method to produce pure concentrate.
Concentrates are then grounded, mixed with water and other chemicals, and stirred for a certain period in flotation cell banks. During this process, air is also blown to produce froths on the surface made up of fine silver bubbles. The waste products sink below. The bubbles are collected and skimmed to produce silver-lead sulphide pure concentrate of 0.8-1 kg of silver.
That's not the end of the process. The extracted silver concentrate is then partly melted to form lumps and eliminate sulphur dioxide. Them another smelting process follows in a blast furnace to create lead metals. Further refinement of crude lead will produce silver at last.
One of the most famous smelting plant and silver refinery is the Port Pirie. Silver mining is still considered the most lucrative business in Australia today. Years ago, silver mines and businesses made it to morning Australia news when the previous administration initiated large taxes for mining businesses all across the board. However, one thing remains in the coming years--that silver mining will continue to be a major economic force in the country, just like when it first started during the early years of Australia as a British colony.
read more »
Accidental discovery
Historically, silver was discovered by Cornish migrants Thomas and Hutchins in Glen Osmond in 1841. the story of the discovery was an accidental one. During one day in February, the two migrant's were travelling around Glen Osmond when their passing dray's wheel broke off a rock and exposed silver deposits underneath it. That very same year, the first mine named after Governor Gawler was established in the area. At the time, silver was a low value metal but the mine provided a big boost to a struggling colony on the verge of failure. The following years saw several more mines that greatly increased the economic standing of South Australia.
The silver production from South Australia has since then exceeded those of Mexico, Canada, and the USA. Today, Australia is already the leading producer of silver even after years of over a century of continuous production.
Processes
A large chunk of Australia's silver production is derived from silver-bearing lead mineral, galena. Other sources of silver come from gold and copper mining. At present, the method of silver mining in Australia are sophisticated and mechanized-digging deep underground by using earth tractors and drills that can penetrate miles beneath the ground. Ores are crushed and blown up in huge quantities, then loaded up to supersized loaders and trucks. On the ground, these ores are further processed by crushing and pulverizing them. Afterwards, galena is separated from tailings and waste rock particles using flotation method to produce pure concentrate.
Concentrates are then grounded, mixed with water and other chemicals, and stirred for a certain period in flotation cell banks. During this process, air is also blown to produce froths on the surface made up of fine silver bubbles. The waste products sink below. The bubbles are collected and skimmed to produce silver-lead sulphide pure concentrate of 0.8-1 kg of silver.
That's not the end of the process. The extracted silver concentrate is then partly melted to form lumps and eliminate sulphur dioxide. Them another smelting process follows in a blast furnace to create lead metals. Further refinement of crude lead will produce silver at last.
One of the most famous smelting plant and silver refinery is the Port Pirie. Silver mining is still considered the most lucrative business in Australia today. Years ago, silver mines and businesses made it to morning Australia news when the previous administration initiated large taxes for mining businesses all across the board. However, one thing remains in the coming years--that silver mining will continue to be a major economic force in the country, just like when it first started during the early years of Australia as a British colony.
read more »
Friday, October 8, 2010
Investing in Gold and Silver Coins
Just like stocks and shares, gold is a trade commodity and therefore the price is not fixed but related to demand and supply. It is often seen as a safe haven for capital, especially in times of fluctuating markets and crisis. Therefore during these unstable times, demand outstrips supply and the price of gold increases. After a peak of the gold price in the 1980's, supply was increased which bought the price of gold down to realistic levels. However following the worldwide credit crunch of 2009 / 2010 the price of gold has increased again to a near all-time high.
This has important implications for the man in the street particularly if you are wondering is gold a good investment? According to Stephen Leeb, Ph.D the only time gold investments under performs the stock market is in conditions of low inflation and high growth. With the world's finance ministers wary of what happened in the credit crunch, these conditions are unlikely to be allowed to happen again. Gold does not go out of fashion, even investing in gold and silver in the early 2000's and selling them at the recent high prices means you have quadrupled your money. Many experts also point out that these "so called" highs are still below peaks in the 80s, giving plenty of room for profit taking.
Gold coin investing is also a separate market whose price is not only governed by the price of gold but the supply and demand of individual coins. Pre 1933 coins are becoming more and more sought after and an ideal investment opportunity, particularly when you think of today's demand for both the individual coins and the coins actual worth in gold. Investing in gold and silver coins is an ideal way to spread the risk of your investment portfolio and affords the investor the opportunity for a more relaxed investment. Consumer fashions, technology, weather and accidents don't affect the price of your gold coins investment as they would influence an airline stock for example, leaving the investor free of worry from the majority of external factors and not tied to The Wall Street Journal.
The gold and silver coin investment community is just that - a community. With a wealth of friendly information, tips, companies and internet sites available for the potential investor you do not have to be alone.
read more »
This has important implications for the man in the street particularly if you are wondering is gold a good investment? According to Stephen Leeb, Ph.D the only time gold investments under performs the stock market is in conditions of low inflation and high growth. With the world's finance ministers wary of what happened in the credit crunch, these conditions are unlikely to be allowed to happen again. Gold does not go out of fashion, even investing in gold and silver in the early 2000's and selling them at the recent high prices means you have quadrupled your money. Many experts also point out that these "so called" highs are still below peaks in the 80s, giving plenty of room for profit taking.
Gold coin investing is also a separate market whose price is not only governed by the price of gold but the supply and demand of individual coins. Pre 1933 coins are becoming more and more sought after and an ideal investment opportunity, particularly when you think of today's demand for both the individual coins and the coins actual worth in gold. Investing in gold and silver coins is an ideal way to spread the risk of your investment portfolio and affords the investor the opportunity for a more relaxed investment. Consumer fashions, technology, weather and accidents don't affect the price of your gold coins investment as they would influence an airline stock for example, leaving the investor free of worry from the majority of external factors and not tied to The Wall Street Journal.
The gold and silver coin investment community is just that - a community. With a wealth of friendly information, tips, companies and internet sites available for the potential investor you do not have to be alone.
read more »
10 Very Powerful Reasons Why Gold Prices Will Soar and You Should Be Buying It
The Stimulus Effect: Including $1 trillion in cash infusions, the stimulus proposal will pump $9.7 trillion into the economy, according to Bloomberg. As the Globe & Mail reports flatly, "Many believe that the monetary stimulus efforts will cause a spike in inflation," driving gold higher and higher.
COMEX Traders Predict $1,600 Gold by December: If gold trades at or above $1,600 by December, some 100,000 call option contracts will be "in the money." Big-money players Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are apparently helping to drive the action, ahead of a huge purchase of gold futures contracts.
"Big Money" Inflows: In 2008, NYC-based hedge fund Paulson & Co's flagship fund returned 37%, as the world markets crashed bitterly. Paulson's is extremely bullish on gold, including the March 17 purchase of 39.9 million shares of AngloGold, worth $1.28 billion. Other major hedge funds are buying up gold, too, including Eton Park Capital, Greenlight Capital and Hayman Advisors.
China's Doubling Down! China just revealed that it has doubled its gold holdings to 1,054 tons. Yet that still barely equals 1.6% of its overall reserves. As China moves out of U.S. Treasuries and into gold, this will help fuel the subsequent leg of the run-up.
Demand Building across the Board: Global demand for gold jumped by $29.7 billion in the first quarter, a 36% bolt, according to the World Gold Council. Demand for gold ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) rocketed 540%... another trigger for the imminent gold boom.
The Paper Dollar's 30% Drop: Since 2001, the U.S. Dollar Index has tanked 30%... while gold has risen 300%. With all the downward pressure on the dollar, and inflation on the way, this trend is about to really pick up momentum
Gold/Dow Ratio Signals $8,000 Gold: During major gold bull markets (and corresponding equity bears), gold and the Dow converge at a 1-to-1 ratio. During the last gold bull, the Dow sank to 850 and gold rose to $850. The Dow is now over 8,000... But even if it fell to 4,000, we could see gold at $4,000 an ounce before this bull run comes to an end.
U.S. Treasury Dept. Signals $5,468 Gold: Currently, the U.S government holds about 286.9 million ounces of gold. It has printed about $1.569 trillion worth of paper dollars. If each dollar had to be backed by gold, that would put the current price of gold at a whopping $5,468.80 an ounce.
Riding the "Commodity Super Cycle": Jim Rogers expects the Commodity Super Cycle to drive commodity prices higher for at least another eight years...and that include gold. Roger's is stockpiling the yellow metal by the day. Every pullback, says Rogers, is another buying opportunity. Considering he's been correct on every major trend of the past 40 years, it isn't wise to bet against him.
Historic Model Predicts $6,214 Gold: During the last gold bull, the yellow metal ran from $35 an ounce to $850, a phenomenal 24-fold increase. This bull started with gold at $255.95, meaning that if historic trends hold, the price target could reach $6,214 an ounce.
read more »
COMEX Traders Predict $1,600 Gold by December: If gold trades at or above $1,600 by December, some 100,000 call option contracts will be "in the money." Big-money players Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are apparently helping to drive the action, ahead of a huge purchase of gold futures contracts.
"Big Money" Inflows: In 2008, NYC-based hedge fund Paulson & Co's flagship fund returned 37%, as the world markets crashed bitterly. Paulson's is extremely bullish on gold, including the March 17 purchase of 39.9 million shares of AngloGold, worth $1.28 billion. Other major hedge funds are buying up gold, too, including Eton Park Capital, Greenlight Capital and Hayman Advisors.
China's Doubling Down! China just revealed that it has doubled its gold holdings to 1,054 tons. Yet that still barely equals 1.6% of its overall reserves. As China moves out of U.S. Treasuries and into gold, this will help fuel the subsequent leg of the run-up.
Demand Building across the Board: Global demand for gold jumped by $29.7 billion in the first quarter, a 36% bolt, according to the World Gold Council. Demand for gold ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) rocketed 540%... another trigger for the imminent gold boom.
The Paper Dollar's 30% Drop: Since 2001, the U.S. Dollar Index has tanked 30%... while gold has risen 300%. With all the downward pressure on the dollar, and inflation on the way, this trend is about to really pick up momentum
Gold/Dow Ratio Signals $8,000 Gold: During major gold bull markets (and corresponding equity bears), gold and the Dow converge at a 1-to-1 ratio. During the last gold bull, the Dow sank to 850 and gold rose to $850. The Dow is now over 8,000... But even if it fell to 4,000, we could see gold at $4,000 an ounce before this bull run comes to an end.
U.S. Treasury Dept. Signals $5,468 Gold: Currently, the U.S government holds about 286.9 million ounces of gold. It has printed about $1.569 trillion worth of paper dollars. If each dollar had to be backed by gold, that would put the current price of gold at a whopping $5,468.80 an ounce.
Riding the "Commodity Super Cycle": Jim Rogers expects the Commodity Super Cycle to drive commodity prices higher for at least another eight years...and that include gold. Roger's is stockpiling the yellow metal by the day. Every pullback, says Rogers, is another buying opportunity. Considering he's been correct on every major trend of the past 40 years, it isn't wise to bet against him.
Historic Model Predicts $6,214 Gold: During the last gold bull, the yellow metal ran from $35 an ounce to $850, a phenomenal 24-fold increase. This bull started with gold at $255.95, meaning that if historic trends hold, the price target could reach $6,214 an ounce.
read more »
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Gold Mining and Its Effects on the Environment
Few people are aware of the immense waste of natural resources involved in the mining of gold. The production of a single gold ring requires up to eighteen tons of ore. A jewelry box full of watches, bracelets, and chains represents an environmental impact that would stun most people. It involves dynamiting mines, allowing drainage of hard metals into the ecosystem, and sometimes, dumping the remains of the process into streams and other natural habitats.
These facts aren't widely-publicized. If they were, there would likely be far fewer people buying gold jewelry. Below, we'll describe the mining process, so you'll understand the enormous environmental cost it entails.
How Gold Is Mined
Mines are either blasted or dug in order for workers to gain access to gold-laced ore. Open pit mines are typically created with the liberal use of explosives (e.g. dynamite). Large pieces of land are blown open, wreaking havoc with the nearby ecosystem. Tunnel mines, on the other hand, are created via excavation. While seemingly less destructive than open pit mines, tunnel mines also cause environmental problems.
Once a mine has been created, the challenge then turns to digging up, and getting rid of, waste rock.
The Problem With Waste Rock
While both mining methods (e.g. open pit and tunnel) produce a significant amount of waste rock, much more is produced during the creation of an open pit mine. In both cases, however, there is so much rock produced that removing it is cost-prohibitive. So, it is piled near the mine. Several tons, rich with sulfur, sit out in the open. This is thought to contribute to the production of acid rain.
Acid rain poses another environmental issue. The rain washes over the rock, which contains lead, mercury, and other metals that can be harmful to the ecosystem. These metals are released from the rocks, and can eventually drain into the environment.
Heap Leaching Explained
Heap leaching is the process used to separate precious metals from ore. It is usually done by first grinding the large ore-rich rocks excavated from the mine into smaller pieces. Then, these pieces are irrigated with cyanide. The cyanide "leaches" out the gold and other precious metals, all of which land in a liner located beneath the small rocks.
This process can require several weeks, and usually involves a significant volume of cyanide. As you might expect, there is a negative environmental effect.
Getting Rid Of Cyanide
The "pregnant solution" (i.e. the mixture of cyanide, gold, and other metals) is taken to a processing plant for chemical treatment and separation. Recall from earlier that the production of a single gold ring takes several tons of ore. Once the gold has been separated, the waste material (called tailings), must be dumped.
These tailings include the cyanide used during the heap leaching process as well as other harmful hard metals. They are often dumped into the environment, which causes additional problems for the surrounding ecosystem.
Selling Your Gold Is Good For The Environment
The mining process described above produces a stunning amount of waste. Most people who buy gold jewelry have little idea regarding the environmental impact their purchase decision poses. You can reduce this impact by selling your old gold jewelry online.
When you sell your pieces to a refiner, the gold content is extracted and smelted. It is then sold to jewelry and product manufacturers for use in new products. Your gold is essentially recycled, which makes mining new gold less necessary for meeting the market's demand. While new customers will remain unaware of the recycled gold, you'll know that you're improving the environment.
Another reason to sell your gold is to take advantage of the recent high price. Not only will your decision help preserve the environment, but you'll be able to enjoy a healthy injection of funds in the process.
read more »
These facts aren't widely-publicized. If they were, there would likely be far fewer people buying gold jewelry. Below, we'll describe the mining process, so you'll understand the enormous environmental cost it entails.
How Gold Is Mined
Mines are either blasted or dug in order for workers to gain access to gold-laced ore. Open pit mines are typically created with the liberal use of explosives (e.g. dynamite). Large pieces of land are blown open, wreaking havoc with the nearby ecosystem. Tunnel mines, on the other hand, are created via excavation. While seemingly less destructive than open pit mines, tunnel mines also cause environmental problems.
Once a mine has been created, the challenge then turns to digging up, and getting rid of, waste rock.
The Problem With Waste Rock
While both mining methods (e.g. open pit and tunnel) produce a significant amount of waste rock, much more is produced during the creation of an open pit mine. In both cases, however, there is so much rock produced that removing it is cost-prohibitive. So, it is piled near the mine. Several tons, rich with sulfur, sit out in the open. This is thought to contribute to the production of acid rain.
Acid rain poses another environmental issue. The rain washes over the rock, which contains lead, mercury, and other metals that can be harmful to the ecosystem. These metals are released from the rocks, and can eventually drain into the environment.
Heap Leaching Explained
Heap leaching is the process used to separate precious metals from ore. It is usually done by first grinding the large ore-rich rocks excavated from the mine into smaller pieces. Then, these pieces are irrigated with cyanide. The cyanide "leaches" out the gold and other precious metals, all of which land in a liner located beneath the small rocks.
This process can require several weeks, and usually involves a significant volume of cyanide. As you might expect, there is a negative environmental effect.
Getting Rid Of Cyanide
The "pregnant solution" (i.e. the mixture of cyanide, gold, and other metals) is taken to a processing plant for chemical treatment and separation. Recall from earlier that the production of a single gold ring takes several tons of ore. Once the gold has been separated, the waste material (called tailings), must be dumped.
These tailings include the cyanide used during the heap leaching process as well as other harmful hard metals. They are often dumped into the environment, which causes additional problems for the surrounding ecosystem.
Selling Your Gold Is Good For The Environment
The mining process described above produces a stunning amount of waste. Most people who buy gold jewelry have little idea regarding the environmental impact their purchase decision poses. You can reduce this impact by selling your old gold jewelry online.
When you sell your pieces to a refiner, the gold content is extracted and smelted. It is then sold to jewelry and product manufacturers for use in new products. Your gold is essentially recycled, which makes mining new gold less necessary for meeting the market's demand. While new customers will remain unaware of the recycled gold, you'll know that you're improving the environment.
Another reason to sell your gold is to take advantage of the recent high price. Not only will your decision help preserve the environment, but you'll be able to enjoy a healthy injection of funds in the process.
read more »
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Instructions for Inhaler and Spacer Use
The diagrams and instructions presented here illustrate the use of various currently available inhaler and spacer devices. These instructions can be viewed, printed, and downloaded for use in patient education.
Health care workers should demonstrate the use of any device prescribed to patients, and should have the patient demonstrate back to the health care worker.
Health care workers should also check the status of approval and indications in their country for use of the medications delivered by the various devices.*
The inhaler instructions below may differ somewhat from those provided with the products; the full instructions should be consulted when using them.
*Not all devices are available in all areas, and new devices in addition to the ones included here are constantly becoming available. If you have information about an approved device that is not included here, please contact us.
GOLD would like to acknowledge the National Asthma Respiratory and Training Center (NARTC), UK, which provided many of the illustrations included here.
Click here to download a document containing all of the inhaler and spacer diagrams. Click on the links below to view, download, and print information about individual devices.
read more »
Health care workers should demonstrate the use of any device prescribed to patients, and should have the patient demonstrate back to the health care worker.
Health care workers should also check the status of approval and indications in their country for use of the medications delivered by the various devices.*
The inhaler instructions below may differ somewhat from those provided with the products; the full instructions should be consulted when using them.
*Not all devices are available in all areas, and new devices in addition to the ones included here are constantly becoming available. If you have information about an approved device that is not included here, please contact us.
GOLD would like to acknowledge the National Asthma Respiratory and Training Center (NARTC), UK, which provided many of the illustrations included here.
Click here to download a document containing all of the inhaler and spacer diagrams. Click on the links below to view, download, and print information about individual devices.
read more »
Spirometry Quick Guide
Assessment of airway obstruction plays a key role in the diagnosis and assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The spirometric criterion required for a diagnosis of COPD is an FEV1/FVC ratio below 0.7 after bronchodilator.
How to perform spirometry: Explain the purpose of the test and describe it clearly to the patient. It may help to demonstrate or mimic the procedure yourself . Emphasize the need to take a full breath and blow out as fast and hard as possible. Record the patient’s age, sex, and height, and time of last bronchodilator use.
read more »
How to perform spirometry: Explain the purpose of the test and describe it clearly to the patient. It may help to demonstrate or mimic the procedure yourself . Emphasize the need to take a full breath and blow out as fast and hard as possible. Record the patient’s age, sex, and height, and time of last bronchodilator use.
read more »
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