April 20-26, 2014 is Administrative Professionals Week (formerly National Secretaries Day), when bosses and businesses honor the work their admins perform all year long. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, 4.3 million administrative assistants and secretaries, along with 1.4 million supervisors of office and administrative support staff, were employed in the United States in 2010. Nearly 500,000 administrative assistant and secretarial positions will be added in the U.S. between 2008 and 2018, representing growth of 11 percent.  

IAAP is the world's largest international association of administrative professionals. IAAP offers professional development, leadership training and networking opportunities for administrative professionals. IAAP is a non-profit, volunteer association.  

The Quad City Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals will be holding their 2nd Annual Administrative Professional's Day Luncheon/Seminar at the iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. Details are as follows: When: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 Where: i-Wireless Center  1201 River Drive - Moline, IL Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Cost: Only $25 Per Person  

To Register, go to our website at http://www.iaap-quadcity.org/meetingsevents Registration Deadline: Friday, April 18th - For more information contact 309.489.6122  We would appreciate any support you can offer to publicize our event. If you would like more information, please contact me at my email address: thekatriley@gmail.com or by phone at 309.489.6122.

Thank you for your support.  

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In 2003, 23-year old human rights activist Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer in the Gaza Strip as she tried to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian family's home.  Rachel's parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, motivated by their daughter's work and example, have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of justice and peace in the Middle East.  The Corries will share their family story on Friday, April 11 at 7:00pm at The Canticle - home of the Sisters of St. Francis - 841 Thirteenth Avenue North in Clinton.  This event from the Center for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking is free of charge and open to the public.

Cindy and Craig Corrie, both raised and educated in Iowa, have made numerous visits to the Middle East region, most recently in fall 2012 leading Interfaith Peace-Builder delegations to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.  "Rachel wrote of the importance of making commitments to places and initiated this one to Rafah and Gaza. The commitment she made continues," said Cindy Corrie.  

The Corries have continued to seek accountability in the case of their daughter and to promote changes in U.S. foreign policy in Israel/Palestine through efforts with the U.S. Congress, U.S. Departments of State and Justice, the Israeli Government, the Israeli and U.S. court systems, and at the corporate headquarters of Caterpillar Inc. 

It is the continuing policy of the U.S. Government that the matter of Rachel Corrie's killing has not been adequately investigated and addressed by the government of Israel.  Encouraged by U.S. officials, the Corrie family in 2005 filed a civil lawsuit in Israel in their daughter's case.  On March 10, 2010, seven years after Rachel Corrie's killing, oral argument in the case began in Haifa District Court.  It proceeded with sporadic court dates until a final hearing on July 10, 2011.  In an August 28, 2012 ruling, Judge Oded Gershon absolved the Israeli military and state of all responsibility.  The Corrie family has filed an appeal with the Israeli Supreme Court.  A hearing is scheduled forMay 21, 2014. 

Rachel Corrie was a prolific and gifted writer. With their daughter Sarah, the Corries co-edited Let Me Stand Alone: the Journals of Rachel Corrie, a collection of Rachel's poetry, essays, letters and journal entries, published by W.W. Norton & Co in 2008. The Corries speak widely of their daughter's story and experience, and of their own work with the people of Palestine and Israel   They are frequent guests at post-performance discussions of the playMy Name is Rachel Corrie, co-edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner, and produced in theaters across the U.S. and world. 

The Corries have resided in Olympia, Washington, for over thirty-five years where with community supporters, they now carry on the work of the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.  In December 2010, the foundation was recognized for "outstanding service for Human Rights-Unique Achievement" by the Thurston County Diversity Council. The Corries are recipients of a Human Rights Advocate of the Year Award from Seattle University's Human Rights Network and a Pillar of Peace Award from the Pacific Northwest Region of the American Friends Service Committee.  In October 2012, they accepted the LennonOno Grant for Peace on behalf of their daughter Rachel.  

For more information about the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice visit http://rachelcorriefoundation.org.  

The Center for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking was created by the Sisters of St. Francis as means for integrating Franciscan spirituality with the mission of promoting active nonviolence and peacemaking, as well as advocating for social justice issues and care for the earth.  Most recently, the Center has focused on immigration reform, human trafficking, abolition of the death penalty, domestic violence and sexual assault, poverty, environmental concerns, and active nonviolence. Through special events, our weekly Action Alert Digest and website, the Center reaches out to involve the community at large.  For more information about the event at The Canticle, call 563-242-7611 or visit www.ClintonFranciscans.com.

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Physician-Chef Points Out the Pros, Cons of 3 Suggested Changes

It's nothing new to the American consumer that food packaging emphasizes only part of a product's health story, and the fact that the nutritional labeling hasn't been overhauled in 20 years hasn't helped, says cardiologist and professional chef Michael S. Fenster, MD.

A proposed update, which could take a year or more to appear on store shelves, is being driven by first lady Michelle Obama, as part of her "Let's Move" campaign.

"Our current nutrition labeling is the same as that implemented in the 1990s, except with the 2006 addition of trans fats information. It's based on nutrition data and eating habits from the 1970s and 1980s," says "Dr. Mike," author of "Eating Well, Living Better: The Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food," (www.whatscookingwithdoc.com).

From the perspective of physician and foodie, he analyzes what's good about the first lady's proposed new label, and what could be improved.

• Good: Calorie counts would be displayed in a bigger, bolder font.Emphasizing calories allows consumers to think with a helpful "energy in / energy out" baseline. Do I really need the calories in this product when I could stand to lose a few pounds? That's a reasonably good question to promote.

***Basing the value of food primarily on calories over-simplifies the evaluation process. An energy drink may have zero calories, but it's not better for you than an apple, which may have 100 calories. We cannot overlook nutrition!

• Good: Serving sizes would be determined from real data reflecting the portions real people typically eat. A serving of ice cream is expected to increase from a half cup to a full cup, and a one-serving muffin would be 4 ounces instead of 2 ounces, reflecting the obvious fact that people generally consume the whole scoop of ice cream and the whole muffin.

***Food producers may simply change the size of pre-packaged portions to skirt the rules. Industry experts suggest some food manufacturers may just reduce the package size to make their labeling more seductive. When food is parceled into smaller packages, the price per unit usually increases - it becomes more expensive for consumers.

• Good: New labeling would have listed separately, "added sugar."The grams of sugar added, irrespective of whether it's pure cane sugar, corn syrup, honey, sucrose or any other source, would be shown as one listed value. This is good because it starts to get into the quality and composition of the food product, at least indirectly. Many public health experts say "sweet creep" has been a major contributor to obesity, certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

***This will likely be wildly controversial, prompting aggressive lobbying efforts that may have already begun. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and other industry groups note that the current label already includes the total amount of sugar in the product. The food industry argues that natural sugar and added sugar are chemically identical and that the body doesn't differentiate between the two. However, a significant amount of research shows this is not completely true.

About Michael Fenster, MD

Michael Fenster, M.D., F.A.C.C., FSCA&I, PEMBA, is a board-certified cardiologist and former Assistant Professor of Medicine at the NEOUCOMM. Dr. Mike is a passionate teacher who has addressed numerous professional organizations and he has participated in many clinical trials. He has published original research featured in peer reviewed scientific and medical journals. He worked his way up to executive chef before medical school and later received his culinary degree in gourmet cooking and catering from Ashworth University; where he graduated with honors. He has combined his culinary and medical expertise to deliver delicious cuisine to delivers us from the disability and diseases of modern civilization through his Grassroots Gourmet™ approach to metabolic health.  Dr. Mike's first book  "Eating Well, Living Better: The Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food,"  is currently availability. His next book, The Fallacy of the Calorie is slated for release Fall 2014. (www.whatscookingwithdoc.com).