A Full Life With Empty Barrels :: essays research papers

A Full Life With Empty Barrels Robert Lee Frost, legendary American poet whose poetry was written to be easily understood and reads similar to everyday speech, wrote several poems that are frequently recited and quoted. Frost's arduous life is reflected in his poems; his poetry is both simple and complex. Frost uses deceptively simple strategies, imagery, metaphors, small details, nature, and traditional verse to convey feelings and intent, making him America's most beloved and esteemed poet, both by the common man and the critics. Robert Lee Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" reflects Frost's life, his mistakes, regrets, and experiences, using a nostalgic tone. Frost, born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874, lived in California until he turned eleven, and his father died, which compelled his family to move to Lawrence, Massachusetts to live with his paternal grandparents. " Because Frost is so intimately associated with rural New England, one tends to forget that the first landscape printed on his imagination was both urban and Californian. That he came to appreciate, and to see in the imaginative way a poet must see, the imagery of Vermont and New Hampshire has something to do with the anomaly of coming late to it. It's as though he were dropped into the countryside north of Boston from outer space, and remained perpetually stunned by what he saw," Robert Penn Warren observed. "I don't think you can overemphasize that aspect of Frost. A native takes, or may take, a place for granted; if you have to earn your citizenship, your locality, it requires a special focus" (Parini 5). Frost resided in pastoral New England for most of his adult life, and his laconic expression and focus on individualism embody the heart of this region. "An essentially pastoral poet often associated with rural New England, Frost wrote poems whose philosophical dimensions transcend any region " (Biography 1). Many of Frost's poems utilizes nature and are written in understandable language to express his admiration for the hard-working individual. "Mr. Frost has dared to write and for the most part with success in the natural speech of New England; in natural spoken speech, which is very different from the "natural" speech of the newspapers, and of many professors" (Bloom 21). Frost had an extensive education. He was taught by his mother, "Frost received much of his early education at home, and his mother often read aloud from the works of Shakespeare, Poe, Emerson, and Wadsworth, as well as others" (Bloom 12).

Food And Us Essay

Introduction Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for our body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism’s cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth. Historically, people secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering, and agriculture. Today, most of the food energy consumed by the world population is supplied by the food industry. Food and the nutrients obtained from food are vital to keep the body healthy and alive. Nutrients are required in order to build and repair cells and body tissues, maintain the organs and bones in optimum working condition and to provide energy, fuel and warmth. Good nutrition is essential for good health and eating nutritious food can help to prevent against common ailments, as well as more life threatening illnesses and diseases. Foods from plant sources Food sources All food has its origin in plants. Some food is obtained directly from plants; but even animals that are used as food sources are raised by feeding them food derived from plants. Cereal grain is a staple food that provides more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop. Maize, wheat, and rice – in all of their varieties – account for 87% of all grain production worldwide. Most of the grain that is produced worldwide is fed to livestock. Other foods not from animal or plant sources include various edible fungi, especially mushrooms. Fungi and ambient bacteria are used in the preparation of fermented and pickled foods like leavened bread, alcoholic drinks, cheese, pickles, kombucha, and yogurt. Another example is blue-green algae such as Spirulina.[3] Inorganic substances such as baking soda and cream of tartar are also used to chemically alter an ingredient. Below are pictures of Oats, barley, and some food products made from cereal grains, Maize, Wheat and Rice. Food From Plants Many plants or plant parts are eaten as food. There are around 2,000 plant species which are cultivated for food, and many have several distinct cultivars. Seeds of plants are a good source of food for animals, including humans, because they contain the nutrients necessary for the plant’s initial growth, including many healthful fats, such as Omega fats. In fact, the majority of food consumed by human beings are seed-based foods. Edible seeds include cereals (maize, wheat, rice, et cetera), legumes (beans, peas, lentils, et cetera), and nuts. Oilseeds are often pressed to produce rich oils. [pic] Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume and freshly dug peanuts Fruits are the ripened ovaries of plants, including the seeds within. Many plants have evolved fruits that are attractive as a food source to animals, so that animals will eat the fruits and excrete the seeds some distance away. Fruits, therefore, make up a significant part of the diets of most cultures. Some botanical fruits, such as tomatoes, pumpkins, and eggplants, are eaten as vegetables. Vegetables are a second type of plant matter that is commonly eaten as food. These include root vegetables (potatoes and carrots), bulbs (onion family), leaf vegetables (spinach and lettuce), stem vegetables (bamboo shoots and asparagus), and inflorescence vegetables (globe artichokes and broccoli and other vegetables such as cabbage or cauliflower) Varieties of Fruits and Vegetables Food From Animals Animals are used as food either directly or indirectly by the products they produce. Meat is an example of a direct product taken from an animal, which comes from muscle systems or from organs. Food products produced by animals include milk produced by mammary glands, which in many cultures is drunk or processed into dairy products (cheese, butter, et cetera). In addition, birds and other animals lay eggs, which are often eaten, and bees produce honey, a reduced nectar from flowers, which is a popular sweetener in many cultures. Some cultures consume blood, sometimes in the form of blood sausage, as a thickener for sauces, or in a cured, salted form for times of food scarcity, and others use blood in stews such as jugged hare. Some cultures and people do not consume meat or animal food products for cultural, dietary, health, ethical, or ideological reasons. Vegetarians do not consume meat. Vegans do not consume any foods that are or contain ingredients from an animal source. Fish also provides a good source of high quality protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. It may be classed as either whitefish, oily or shellfish. Various meet types, animal products and Fish. Why We Need Food Food is important for humans because it contains all the nutrients and vitamins that we need in order for us to function correctly. If we didn’t eat food then we would become too skinny and ill, we would constantly be weak and we wouldn’t be able to grow. To be healthy, we must have enough food and the right kinds of foods. Not enough food, not enough different kinds of food, and even too much food can make us unhealthy. How much is just enough food? People need different kinds and amounts of food. We need more food if we are in a stage of growth, such as infants, children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are. We need more food if we work and play hard. And we may need more food if we are sick. Your body needs fuel to run. That fuel comes from nutrients. Nutrients come from food. There six classes of nutrients found in food. They include: carbohydrates fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, and water. By giving your body the proper amounts of nutrients and energy, you’re giving yourself a better chance at staying healthy. Healthy Foods Healthy Foods vs. Unhealthy Foods Healthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life. Diet is often referred to as some dietary regimen for losing weight. However, diet simply means what food we eat in the course of a 24-hour, one week, or one month, etc. period. A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A good diet must include several food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a human needs for good health. The crucial part of healthy eating is a balanced diet. A balanced diet – or a good diet – means consuming from all the different good groups in the right quantities. Nutritionists say there are five main food groups – whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein, diary, and fat & sugar. Unhealthy or Junk food is an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value (i.e. containing â€Å"empty calories†); to products with nutritional value, but also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten; or to those considered unhealthy to consume at all. Junk foods are typically ready-to-eat convenience foods containing high levels of saturated and / or trans fats, salt, or sugar, and little or no fruit, vegetables, or dietary fiber; and are considered to have little or no health benefits. Common junk foods include salted snack foods like chips (crisps), candy, gum, most sweet desserts, fried fast food and carbonated beverages (sodas) as well as alcoholic beverages. High-sugar cereals, particularly those targeted at children, such as Fruit candies, are also classified as junk food. Summary In summary, we need to understand that our bodies are like a machine. What we eat and what our bodies turn our food into is the fuel our bodies run on. The healthy food choices you make can determine if your body runs smoothly or bumpy. Scientific studies have shown that what we eat does in fact impact our health. We all know we need to make healthy food choices when we eat and when we grocery shop. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are healthy. Trans fat or hydrogenated oils are two fats to stay away from. So where do I start making healthy food choices and what do I need to think about when I am out at the grocery store?

A Beginners Guide to Economic Indicators

An economic indicator is simply any economic statistic, such as the unemployment rate, GDP, or the inflation rate, which indicate how well the economy is doing and how well the economy is going to do in the future. As shown in the article How Markets Use Information To Set Prices investors use all the information at their disposal to make decisions. If a set of economic indicators suggest that the economy is going to do better or worse in the future than they had previously expected, they may decide to change their investing strategy. To understand economic indicators, we must understand the ways in which economic indicators differ. There are three major attributes each economic indicator has: Three Attributes of Economic Indicators Relation to the Business Cycle / EconomyEconomic Indicators can have one of three different relationships to the economy:Procyclic: A procyclic (or procyclical) economic indicator is one that moves in the same direction as the economy. So if the economy is doing well, this number is usually increasing, whereas if were in a recession this indicator is decreasing. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an example of a procyclic economic indicator.Countercyclic: A countercyclic (or countercyclical) economic indicator is one that moves in the opposite direction as the economy. The unemployment rate gets larger as the economy gets worse so it is a countercyclic economic indicator.Acyclic: An acyclic economic indicator is one that has no relation to the health of the economy and is generally of little use. The number of home runs the Montreal Expos hit in a year generally has no relationship to the health of the economy, so we could say it is an acyclic economic indicator.Frequency of the Dat aIn most countries, GDP figures are released quarterly (every three months) while the unemployment rate is released monthly. Some economic indicators, such as the Dow Jones Index, are available immediately and change every minute.TimingEconomic Indicators can be leading, lagging, or coincident which indicates the timing of their changes relative to how the economy as a whole changes.Three Timing Types of Economic IndicatorsLeading: Leading economic indicators are indicators which change before the economy changes. Stock market returns are a leading indicator, as the stock market usually begins to decline before the economy declines and they improve before the economy begins to pull out of a recession. Leading economic indicators are the most important type for investors as they help predict what the economy will be like in the future.Lagged: A lagged economic indicator is one that does not change direction until a few quarters after the economy does. The unemployment rate is a lagge d economic indicator as unemployment tends to increase for 2 or 3 quarters after the economy starts to improve.Coincident: A coincident economic indicator is one that simply moves at the same time the economy does. The Gross Domestic Product is a coincident indicator. Â   Many different groups collect and publish economic indicators, but the most important American collection of economic indicators is published by the United States Congress. Their Economic Indicators are published monthly and are available for download in PDF and TEXT formats. The indicators fall into seven broad categories: Total Output, Income, and SpendingEmployment, Unemployment, and WagesProduction and Business ActivityPricesMoney, Credit, and Security MarketsFederal FinanceInternational Statistics Each of the statistics in these categories helps create a picture of the performance of the economy and how the economy is likely to do in the future. Total Output, Income, and Spending These tend to be the broadest measures of economic performance and include such statistics as: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [quarterly]Real GDP [quarterly]Implicit Price Deflator for GDP [quarterly]Business Output [quarterly]National Income [quarterly]Consumption Expenditure [quarterly]Corporate Profits[quarterly]Real Gross Private Domestic Investment[quarterly] The Gross Domestic Product is used to measure economic activity and thus is both procyclical and a coincident economic indicator. The Implicit Price Deflator is a measure of inflation. Inflation is procyclical as it tends to rise during booms and falls during periods of economic weakness. Measures of inflation are also coincident indicators. Consumption and consumer spending are also procyclical and coincident. Employment, Unemployment, and Wages These statistics cover how strong the labor market is and they include the following: The Unemployment Rate [monthly]Level of Civilian Employment[monthly]Average Weekly Hours, Hourly Earnings, and Weekly Earnings[monthly]Labor Productivity [quarterly] The unemployment rate is a lagged, countercyclical statistic. The level of civilian employment measures how many people are working so it is procyclic. Unlike the unemployment rate, it is a coincident economic indicator. Production and Business Activity These statistics cover how much businesses are producing and the level of new construction in the economy: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization [monthly]New Construction [monthly]New Private Housing and Vacancy Rates [monthly]Business Sales and Inventories [monthly]Manufacturers Shipments, Inventories, and Orders [monthly] Changes in business inventories is an important leading economic indicator as they indicate changes in consumer demand. New construction including new home construction is another procyclical leading indicator which is watched closely by investors. A slowdown in the housing market during a boom often indicates that a recession is coming, whereas a rise in the new housing market during a recession usually means that there are better times ahead. Prices This category includes both the prices consumers pay as well as the prices businesses pay for raw materials and include: Producer Prices [monthly]Consumer Prices [monthly]Prices Received And Paid By Farmers [monthly] These measures are all measures of changes in the price level and thus measure inflation. Inflation is procyclical and a coincident economic indicator. Money, Credit, and Security Markets These statistics measure the amount of money in the economy as well as interest rates and include: Money Stock (M1, M2, and M3) [monthly]Bank Credit at All Commercial Banks [monthly]Consumer Credit [monthly]Interest Rates and Bond Yields [weekly and monthly]Stock Prices and Yields [weekly and monthly] Nominal interest rates are influenced by inflation, so like inflation, they tend to be procyclical and a coincident economic indicator. Stock market returns are also procyclical but they are a leading indicator of economic performance. Federal Finance These are measures of government spending and government deficits and debts: Federal Receipts (Revenue)[yearly]Federal Outlays (Expenses) [yearly]Federal Debt [yearly] Governments generally try to stimulate the economy during recessions and to do so they increase spending without raising taxes. This causes both government spending and government debt to rise during a recession, so they are countercyclical economic indicators. They tend to be coincident to the business cycle. International Trade These are a measure of how much the country is exporting and how much they are importing: Industrial Production and Consumer Prices of Major Industrial CountriesU.S. International Trade In Goods and ServicesU.S. International Transactions When times are good people tend to spend more money on both domestic and imported goods. The level of exports tends not to change much during the business cycle. So the balance of trade (or net exports) is countercyclical as imports outweigh exports during boom periods. Measures of international trade tend to be coincident economic indicators. While we cannot predict the future perfectly, economic indicators help us understand where we are and where we are going.