Currently in some circles there is this “new” idea, that education should serve workforce development. In this approach, the primary role of education is to produce workers for the economy– in essence, employees. Not surprisingly, these arguments generally come from the business community.

It is not clear that this strategy is the best. One question that immediately emerges is, What job are we training our students for? The “Did You Know” video that is popular on the Internet points out that the average worker will hold about a dozen jobs before the age of 40. So if we are training a workforce, for what job are we training them? And how could we ever train them for that many different jobs?

Even if we were to take the unreasonable approach that we are training “workers” who would spend an entire career in one kind of work, technology changes. The abilities required today of the lowest-skilled jobs are far different today than they were 20 years ago. Even janitors need to be able to order supplies on-line, handle new equipment, and understand the proper use and disposal of dangerous chemicals; for jobs more complicated than custodial work, the needed skills expand exponentially. So if by some chance we could successfully train our students for one job that they would keep their entire careers, we will still need to spend large sums of money constantly re-training them. Unless, of course, our workers could train themselves. And that provides our first clue.

Another problem that emerges is that in traditional educational approaches, we have to decide whether we wish to train leaders or employees. The education of the doctor, the engineer and the attorney focus on broad, theoretical education and in-depth analysis. By contrast, the training of the nurse, the mechanic and the paralegal, focus more on practical skills, narrow guidelines, and clerical tasks. And even minimal experience has shown us that it is impossible to predict where any student will end up in the business. So if we train the employee, we fail the leader; and vice versa. This supplies us with another clue.

Next, there is a problem of accountability here. Businesses want our schools to train workers. Why should we have to pay for that out of our personal taxes? Corporations have much more money at their disposal than you or I do. Let them pay for their own expenses.

And that brings us to a more fundamental question. Businesses frequently clamor for smaller government, and insist that private entities can do almost anything better than public bodies. Why then should government pay for the needs of businesses? If for-profit initiatives are superior to public bureaucracies, then let each business pick up the cost of worker training, and give us the most efficient, economical solution. Otherwise, it appears that business’ interest in education is not truly educational, but purely mercenary: shift the costs to someone else. If businesses can do everything else better than government, why not train their own workers? This insight focuses on the origins of the workforce argument, rather than the conclusions, but it a crucial understanding nevertheless.

Another consideration is whether the concept of job training is consistent with the needs of the democracy. Police states want job training for the populace– and nothing else (and more than a few businesses operate like police states). Whether in the state, the workplace, or in the church, dictatorial leaders want no one of independent mind. Police states hardly want challenges to their competence, much less, probity. Autocrats want quiet, unthinking, but efficient workers, who do, and do not ask. Job training as opposed to citizen training is the final insight, and strongly points to the problem of turning our schools into centers of workforce development.

The idea that our schools are places for workforce training is entirely inadequate for a strong democracy. In our country, we say that any boy or girl can become the President some day. But this is untrue, because they ALL do. When they vote, every one of us is the Commander-in-Chief; all citizens govern the nation.

There is an irony here. Socrates warned us of the danger when all hands control the ship of state; in fact, it is from Socrates’ warning that we receive the idea that government is a ship. But his fear has been proven wrong: democracy turned out to be the great strength of America. It is when all of us decide together, that we are the strongest.

But that is true only if the citizens are a hardy group of equals, of free, self-reliant, thinking citizens. Democracy fails in illiterate, impoverished countries of the world, where it quickly declines into an autocracy. Democracy only flourishes where the citizens are independent-minded.

Given these consideration, workforce development is entirely insufficient; employee training hardly prepares one for the rigorous demands of the citizen. For free nations to thrive, they need– no, they require– trenchant, well-rounded citizens. But this equally is true for the town, the temple, and even the trades.

We should not be educating a workforce; we should be educating a citizenry. We should be educating a population who have a grasp of history, economics, the sciences, and particularly, a grasp of the many complex cultures of the world. America is at war in two countries, and though the country is divided on the necessity and management of those wars, it is clear to everyone that grave errors were committed because we did not understand the history and the cultures we were dealing with. Since we cannot possibly prepare our citizens for every eventuality that might arise in our nation’s future, we should also educate a population who will continue to educate themselves throughout life.

We need citizens who are flexible and broadly educated, who have a grasp of how science and history and literature and traditions commingle to produce cultures, communities– and citizens and nations. And yes, the citizen will also be able to hold a job; but she will also be able to hold down many different jobs, because she will be able to quickly learn and re-train herself to the accelerating changes in the modern market.

And once we have educated the enlightened citizen-worker, she will also work for equally well-educated citizens, those who are mindful and respectful of the critical skills of their employees and their customers. And these enlightened managers will be able to take the input from all of these diverse viewpoints, and synthesize them to create business models that look less and less like the outmoded aristocratic structures of the past, and more and more like the democratic structures of today, and of the future.

We do not need workers, at least not first. We need independent-minded citizens, critical thinkers, fast re-learners: in our community, in our political process, and in our businesses. If we train employees rather than voters, then government and communities will fail, and business will fail with them.

But if we graduate broadly-educated citizens, all will flourish.

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The last few days of the year usually bring in a lot of food, feasting. Unfortunately, calories will be feasting on your toned abs too. Get the best cheap treadmill to start the 2008 New Year right.

While it’s generally true that the better the quality of the treadmill, the higher the cost. This is also true if you only know little and you are in a hurry to get the purchase done right away. Take your time and understand what you are buying.

First of all, do not believe in sales hype especially if it’s coming from the manufacturer or dealer. Getting the best cheap treadmill essentially requires you to figure out how the entire system works.

All treadmills do the same thing. As soon as you turn it on and use it, you are aiming for a cardio vascular exercise, weight loss, and burn calories. That’s just basically it. The price of the treadmill now varies on competitive features.

1. The treadmill motor is one of the most important thing you should consider when selecting a treadmill. The ideal minimum should be 2.0 horsepower and anything lower than that may not be worth your money.

2. Professionals and physical trainers are the best persons to give a review. The treadmill guru’s personal ratings and recommendations may help you a lot in deciding which ones to buy. The premise of course is that these pros may favor at the more expensive ones.

3. Product reviews from consumers are helpful too. There are so many websites that allow treadmill users to comment on the products they use. Their opinions can also help because they have used the equipment themselves.

4. A manual treadmill doesn’t qualify for best cheap treadmill. Yes manual treadmills are cheap but if you can afford to buy the better ones, then do so. You should buy equipment that can last longer and is much convenient to use.

5. Treadmill belt should be checked if it is in good condition. This is another piece in the treadmill that is important to look into. Make sure the belt is perfect for you to use. Check on the safety as well.

6. When choosing a treadmill, make sure you choose the one with the best warranty and service offers. Most reviews tell you that a good warranty should be at least 5 years on the motor, 2 years on frames and parts, and a year on service.

There are several other points in the treadmill that you also have to consider before buying. There’s the framework, cushioning system, and other extras like the accessories and stuff. Manufacturers take advantage of improving these treadmill extras because the standard treadmill gets more expensive when more features are added.

The bottom line is that there is no real best cheap treadmill. It all depends on what you know and how much you are willing to spend. At the end of the day, you will know that what matters most is your own judgment. It is understanding which treadmill is really worth your money.

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Acid reflux is actually quite common among individuals and highly treatable. However, people still want to know the best cure for acid reflux. There’s a lot of medication and oral treatments that can be used to cure acid reflux. However, they usually cannot be used as long-term treatment. This is why many turn to a natural cure for acid reflux, whether it is used in conjunction with conventional treatment or simply as preventive treatment.

There is no medical study yet that has proven stress as a direct cause of acid reflux. However, many experts agree that stress is a major factor in contributing to the symptoms of the condition. Because physical activity has been known to reduce stress, those suffering from acid reflux can benefit from it. Let’s talk about the three major activities that can help treat acid reflux, naturally.

Activity 1: Conventional Exercise

There have been studies that show obesity as a worsening factor for acid reflux. When you overeat, your stomach will need to secrete more acid to digest all of the food you consumed. This means that excess acid can build up in the stomach. Therefore, exercise is needed to maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise may cause acid reflux, but this is because some exercise positions like bending can bring acid up to the esophagus. It’s a myth that exercise in general causes acid reflux-you just need to know which exercises you can and cannot do. Avoid bending (i.e. sit ups), bouncing, and applying too much pressure on the abdomen while exercising.

Aerobic and anaerobic exercises like step exercises, bicycling, stair climbing and stretching are some of the conventional exercises that help treat acid reflux. When doing weight training, use weight machines instead. As you can see, these exercises don’t require a lot of bending and bouncing, so acid is kept below the esophagus.

Activity 2: Yoga And Stretching

Because of Yoga’s ability to reduce stress, it is also known to treat many conditions. Certain poses like the Sukhasana are designed to straighten the spine and help reduce metabolism and therefore over-activity in the digestive system. Different poses actually enhance each other. There are poses that incorporate breathing exercises that help further reduce stress while other poses improve your overall physical health. Because yoga mainly utilizes your own strength with very little force or exertion, you’re able to easily maintain yoga exercises and therefore easily treat acid reflux in the long run.

Activity 3: Meditation

Although meditation isn’t able to change much of anything, physically, it can soothe and alleviate acid reflux symptoms. Try closing your eyes and releasing all kinds of thought from your mind. Simply breathe deeply and feel every sensation accompanied by your breathing, including your muscles loosening up and your whole body entering into a more relaxed state. You may then start to visualize something positive, like being in a tranquil place or simply looking at a perfectly blue sky. These simple techniques have been shown to reduce stress remarkably and so can naturally sooth nasty symptoms of acid reflux.

As you can see, an effective natural cure for acid reflux has a lot to do with you being proactive. While taking medication can treat you for now, think about what other things you can do to prevent acid reflux. Before trying out any of the methods in this article, consult your doctor first.

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The abdomen is one of the common body parts subjected to liposuction. This usually involves a person’s upper and lower abdomen as well as a person’s love handles. Love handles are referred to the fat deposits that sits on the sides of one’s hips.

Men are more likely to have love handles but an increasing number of women with love handles are now reported. This can destroy the figure of a male’s torso, while it also destroys that waist appearance as well as the curved profile of the hips. Even with men or women with great bodies, love handles may hinder one from wearing fashionable bare tops, midriffs, body hugging clothes, among others. One may opt to undergo liposuction on love handles when necessary.

To prevent developing love handles, proper exercise and diet is necessary. Fluid retention due to having diets which are rich is fluids and water is possible. One must exercise regularly using difficult twists which are performed regularly. If one doesn’t have the time to exercise the love handles, liposuction on the love handles is a very good option.

Love handles liposuction must be your last resort if ever you want to lose those flabs. This is recommended for people who are near their projected weight and they want to remove the excess fats.

In order for your love handles to qualify for the procedure, regular and rigorous exercise is required before the procedure. Aside from that, solid mental as well as physical health is needed in order for one to cope with the operation. Some people may not be able to handle it because they are not accustomed to a lot of responsibility.

The liposuction procedure on your love handles is the same as any other kinds of liposuction. It simply involves the insertion of a cannula where the fats are suction. Local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia is used for the surgery. The tumescent method of liposuction on love handles has been used by most practitioners today. It involves a person injected with a certain solution that numbs the skin, swell the fat and prevent the excessive bleeding on the skin. This is quite safer than ordinary traditional, because it allows for easier and faster suctioning.

Fluid from the area is usually drained after 3 days. Swelling and bruising may last for a few weeks to several months. When one is performing tumescent liposuction, the swelling is only an anticipated outcome of the surgery which one should keep for a few weeks. Patients are advised in perform light tasks while under the cleanliness part.

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