Hawaii drops LaSalle for core real estate - Pensions & Investments

Hawaii Employees' Retirement System, Honolulu, terminated a core real estate portfolio managed by LaSalle Investment Management, said Vijoy Chattergy, chief investment officer.

The $12.3 billion pension plan wanted to reduce its number of core real estate managers to two from three; Mr. Chattergy said all three managers have performed well. The $120 million managed by LaSalle will be moved to the other core managers, Heitman and Invesco (IVZ). The transition should be completed by the end of September.

Real estate consultant Courtland Partners recommended the move.

The pension plan has about $700 million invested in core real estate, all in separate accounts. LaSalle will continue to manage about $36 million for the system in its Income and Growth Fund V, a valued-added real estate fund.

? Contact Kevin Olsen at kolsen@pionline.com | @Olsen_PI

Source: http://www.pionline.com/article/20130730/DAILYREG/130739996/hawaii-drops-lasalle-for-core-real-estate

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Israel Hayom: PMW documentation reveals PA demonization of Jews

? ? ? Commentary article uses PMW documentation to show Palestinian intentions regarding peace? June 3, 2013 - Commentary Magazine.com "How can Israel possibly make peace with people who consider its very existence 'illegal and null and void?' Nor has anything much changed in 49 years, as anyone who follows Palestinian Media Watch would know. Just last month, for instance, another senior PA official widely considered a ?moderate? in the West, Jibril Rajoub, told a television interviewer, 'We as yet don?t have a nuke, but I swear that if we had a nuke, we?d have used it [against Israel] this very morning.' PA officials and the official PA media still consistently deny the Jews? historical connection to the land of Israel, teach their people that the ultimate goal is a world without Israel, and glorify those who murder Jews." (June 3, 2013)? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

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Source: http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=91&doc_id=9349

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Evangelical College's Acceptance Of LGBT Group Creates Ripples

PASADENA, Calif. -- Nick Palacios struggled to get his conservative Pentecostal parents to accept him as a gay evangelical Christian for nearly a decade before his family found a common ground through faith.

Now, as an openly gay seminarian, the 29-year-old hopes to carve out a similar acceptance for other gays in the broader evangelical community through his role as president of the nation's first LGBT student club sanctioned by a major evangelical seminary. The group, called OneTable, formed last fall at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, one of the world's largest multi-denominational seminaries, and has attracted about three dozen students.

"It quickly became apparent to me that I was going to be OK and that I wasn't going to have to forsake my faith for my sexuality," Palacios said of his struggle for acceptance.

"I really hope that people will see Fuller and OneTable as a model of what the body of the church is supposed to do in this situation."

Fuller's stance has created ripples in the larger world of Christian colleges and seminaries, where a growing number of gay evangelical students are asserting their dual identities with underground clubs and nascent political activism. Last year, for example, a group called the Biola Queer Underground was quashed by Biola University, a small, conservative Christian school in nearby Orange County.

This fall, the LGBT group plans on staging rallies to combat the Biola's longstanding policy on homosexuality ? that sexual relationships are reserved for heterosexual marriage ? and address what many students call a campus climate of fear and shame.

Some activists have hailed the approach taken by Fuller as an important step forward for gay rights. Others say it's an empty gesture unmasked by the school's fine print: Students can "come out" but they can't have sex, be politically active or challenge a school policy that states homosexual sex is "inconsistent with the teachings of Scripture."

Richard Flory, a researcher at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California, said Fuller's acceptance of the group, while unique, is more about symbolism than about a move toward true tolerance.

"It sounds like they want to have it both ways: Jesus loves you as you are, however there are limitations to what you can be," Flory said. "It's like sticking your toe in the deep end of the water to see what happens."

Fuller's community standards states that "sexual abstinence is required for the unmarried" and marriage is between one man and one woman.

Nevertheless, Fuller's decision not to push back against OneTable is a critical step toward acceptance for gay evangelical students, said Justin Lee, the executive director of the Gay Christian Network, which tracks the burgeoning movement. An increasing number of young people have been coming out on Christian campuses nationwide, whether they are accepted or not, and Fuller's move acknowledges that and provides a touchstone for students who would otherwise keep their sexuality a secret, he said.

While some Christian colleges across the country have accepted LGBT student groups, Fuller is the first evangelical seminary to do so, Lee said. In February, one prominent evangelical school, Wheaton College in Illinois, officially recognized a support group for students who have questions about their sexual orientation.

Fuller has a total of about 4,500 students, with 100 denominations represented. In addition to the main campus in Pasadena, regional campuses are located in Menlo Park, Sacramento and Irvine in California; Colorado Springs, Colo., Phoenix, Seattle and Houston. OneTable is only on the Pasadena campus.

Palacios and other Fuller students say they aren't out to be political ? they are aware of the group's limitations, and choose to accept them.

OneTable fits into the greater conversation at Fuller, which is committed to helping students understand that sexuality is part of being human, said Juan Martinez, who oversees the approval of the seminary's student groups. Martinez does not take issue with Fuller's LGBT students as long as they accept the school's guidelines of being both celibate and non-political, he said.

"If you are ready to make that kind of commitment, then we're ready to walk with you," Martinez said. "We're not going to turn around and say, `No. You can't be here because you like girls or you like guys as opposed to the opposite sex.'"

Many evangelical Christians disagree with Fuller's decision to allow the club, however, and say that it's simply not possible to be both gay and evangelical.

Fuller is not acting in the students' best interests by sanctioning the group and should instead be teaching reorientation as the students' best option, said the Rev. Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian organization.

"It's possible to change any or all of these attractions," said Sprigg, a former Baptist pastor.

OneTable's genesis comes at a time when gay rights and the intersection of faith and homosexuality are at the forefront of national ? and global ? conversation.

The Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the federal law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman in June. The same month, the president of Exodus International, a Christian organization once dedicated to helping homosexuals repress same-sex attractions, apologized to the gay community for inflicting "years of undue suffering" and shut the group down.

For Palacios, Exodus' end struck a personal chord. Ten years ago, after confronting him about his sexuality, Palacios' parents saw Exodus as a chance for their son to change ? they thought the organization could "reorient" him.

For years, Palacios armed himself with biblical verses and religious texts he could use to defend his identity as a gay Christian. Now, after years of their son refusing to repress his sexual orientation, Palacios' parents have become more accepting and were even amicable toward a former boyfriend.

"Just as it has taken me the better part of 20 something years to figure out the blend of faith and orientation I can't expect my friends or family to get it that quickly," he said.

Some straight students at Fuller have also embraced the chance to discuss faith and homosexuality openly. Samantha Curley, 25, the group's former president, said hearing about her friends' struggles made her a better Christian. Before starting at the seminary, she said, she didn't have any gay friends.

"I think that's ultimately what faith does," she said. "Jesus wanted us to experience the full expression of humanity. I'm fearful of what will happen if we don't learn to do that in the church."

_____

On the Web:

Fuller Theological Seminary: http://www.fuller.edu

______

Follow Sarah Parvini on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/parviniparlance

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/13/fuller-theological-seminary-lgbt-onetable_n_3593237.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay%20Voices

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Man of Steel Featurette: Go Behind the Scenes

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/man-of-steel-featurette-go-behind-the-scenes/

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Colorado Wine Press: Colorado Wine Week, 2013

Next week (June 2-8) marks the third annual Colorado Wine Week. In 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper proclaimed the first week of June to be Colorado Wine Week to coincide with the first ever Colorado Urban Winefest. Both the Urban and Mountain Winefest (in September in Palisade) are put on by the Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology (the wineries' and vineyards' trade association). The Urban event has changed venues three times the past three years, but has also grown in scope beyond just the Saturday afternoon festival and may soon surpass the original festival in importance for the local industry.

The kickoff event for the week's festivities is billed as a "Farm-to-Turntable" Party on Sunday, June 2. The idea behind this event is to combine a farm-to-table passed appetizer gathering with music from a DJ. It is nice to see a fresh approach for Colorado wineries to reach a different audience. Almost all of the wineries are run by retired Baby Boomers and the younger generation is often overlooked as an important consumer base. Not surprisingly, perhaps Colorado's most successful winery, Infinite Monkey Theorem, has focused on the "farm-to-turntable" type of crowd. I am looking forward to seeing how successful this event is.

Sticking with the hipper crowd and bringing back a theme from last year's Wine Week, local alcoholic beverages other than wine will be celebrated as well. There will be a Colorado Cocktail Celebration (June 4) at Green Russell where Denver's top mixologists will use local wines in creating unique mixed drinks. Also, on June 6, organizers have developed a wine, beer and spirits food pairing competition they've dubbed "Craft Colorado" at Root 25 Taphouse & Kitchen. I think it is an important step for the industry be considered on the same level as the highly successful craft breweries and distillers in Colorado. Too often wineries complain that they're not as successful as the breweries instead of trying to place nicely with them and support everyone.

One of the highlights of the week for me (because I helped organize the Governor's Cup) is the Governor's Cup Awards Presentation Reception and Tasting at the Hospitality Learning Center at Metro State University on June 7. Only medal-winning wines from the competition will be allowed to be poured; so attendees won't have to worry about getting a mouthful of vinegar or horse manure. I was able to taste many of the winners during the competition and can say that there will be some really nice wines poured. And for the second year in a row a cabernet franc won best of show. This year, Creekside Cellar's 2010 Cabernet Franc succeeded the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey as earning the Governor's Cup. As I've said before, I think Colorado could really make cabernet franc its signature variety.

The week concludes with the Urban Winefest breaking in its new digs at Infinity Park in Glendale. More than three dozen wineries will be sampling and selling bottles. The rugby stadium and park are near the high-rent Cherry Creek North so the walk-up crowd should be sizeable and affluent. The venue is not as centrally located as last year's, but the space is bigger and parking is more ample. If the festival stays at Infinity Park in 2014 I'd say this year's event was successful.

Perhaps the most important part of Wine Week isn't the proclamation or the events, but the buy-in from area restaurants and retailers. Along the Front Range, from Boulder to Colorado Springs, restaurants and wine shops are now involved in the local industry like never before. Dozens of restaurants will be offering Colorado wine and appetizer pairings all week. The restaurant tier has been a tough cookie for most Colorado wineries to crack, but Wine Week has been a boon for getting on wine lists and in consumers' mouths. And getting Colorado consumers to see that Colorado has a growing, quality local wine industry is the goal of the whole week.

Tickets for all events can be purchased here. Use the promo code "WINEWEEK" for $10 off (25%) your ticket to the Urban Winefest.

Source: http://www.coloradowinepress.com/2013/05/colorado-wine-week-2013.html

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Andre 3000 Gets Support From Hip-Hop Community After Mother Passes Away

Sharon Benjamin-Hodo reportedly passed away on her son's 38th birthday on Monday.
By Rob Markman

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708152/andre-3000-mom-mother-dies-passes-away-support.jhtml

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Lamar Alexander Unveils His Maverick GOP Vision for Energy Future

A Republican senator from a deep-red state gave a high-profile speech Wednesday laying out a GOP vision for America's energy future?a blueprint that includes a direct acknowledgment of the problem of global warming caused by carbon pollution and that calls for more, not less, government spending on clean-energy research.

The senator is Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, a moderate with serious energy-policy chops: He is the top Republican on the Senate panel that funds the Energy Department and represents a state that's home to a major Energy Department research lab, Oak Ridge.

The speech, which he delivered at the Oak Ridge facility, is in keeping with views Alexander has long espoused. But it's in stark contrast to the energy and climate positions taken by his party's leaders since 2010. After the tea party helped fuel the Republican takeover of the House, denying the science of climate change went from a fringe to a mainstream Republican view. Super PACs such as Americans for Prosperity, which has ties to the oil conglomerate Koch Industries, targeted Republicans who acknowledged climate change and supported renewable energy. During the 2012 presidential campaign, every Republican candidate but one, Jon Huntsman, questioned or denied the science concluding that carbon pollution causes global warming. And the Republican Party's national platform, unveiled last August at the GOP convention in Tampa, Fla., mentions climate change only once?when it criticizes President Obama for making the issue a matter of national security.

Alexander's speech highlights the widening schism on energy and climate change between moderates like himself and party leaders like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, often named as a likely 2016 presidential candidate. At a speech in March, Rubio said, "The people who are actually closed-minded in American politics are the people who love to preach about the certainty of science with regards to our climate but ignore the absolute fact that science has proven that life begins at conception." Alexander himself has acknowledged the divide?last year, he stepped down after five years as the chairman of the Republican conference, criticizing the party's increasing ideological partisanship.

Republican strategists are paying attention, and say that Alexander's bold remarks could signal that the party is pulling away from its hard-right positions on energy of recent years.

"Lamar has always been one of the Republican Party's most creative thinkers on energy issues," said Republican pollster Whit Ayres, who has worked for both Alexander and Rubio. "He's never been one to follow somebody else's talking points. He thinks for himself....?Tennnessee has a long record of electing and supporting creative thinkers who tend to become national leaders."

Of the fact that Alexander's energy message differs so profoundly from last year's official party platform on the issues, Ayres said, "That's where the party platform was. It's very important to make a distinction between the party in 2012 and where it will be in 2016. It will not look like the same party."

Michael McKenna, a Republican energy lobbyist and strategist who has worked closely with House Republican leaders to craft their energy and climate messages in recent years, said he'll listen closely to Alexander's message.

"Lamar is a pretty interesting guy. Given his swingy nature, lots of people are going to pay attention to what he is saying," McKenna said.

Since 2010, many formerly moderate Republicans have shifted far to the right on energy and climate positions, in part to avoid attacks from groups such as Americans for Prosperity ahead of reelection campaigns. But although Alexander is up for reelection next year, he is not backing down from his long-held energy positions. The former Tennessee governor is not facing a primary challenger and is expected to maintain a comfortable lead over Democratic challenger Larry Crim.

Five years ago, Alexander gave a similar energy speech at Oak Ridge, laying out seven "grand challenges" on energy, including finding ways to promote plug-in electric vehicles, capture and use carbon emissions, help solar become cost-competitive, safely manage nuclear waste, make biofuels competitive with gasoline, make new buildings green buildings, and create energy from fusion. At the time, those goals were well in line with the views of the GOP's presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Alexander's speech on Wednesday offered a progress report on those goals?and proposed a plan for a Republican energy future.

Alexander directly acknowledged climate change and the need to reduce carbon pollution. "While the United States has made more gains in reducing the use of carbon than any other industrial country, the National Academies of the U.S. and 12 other countries have warned that human activity has contributed significantly to climate change and global warming," he said.

He presented "four grand principles" to "help the United States end an obsession with taxpayer subsidies and strategies for expensive energy and instead focus on doubling research and allowing marketplace solutions to create an abundance of clean, cheap, reliable energy."

His four principles are: cheaper, not more expensive energy; clean, not just renewable energy; research and development, not government mandates; and a free market, not government, picking winners and losers.

More specifically, he praised the U.S. boom in development of natural gas, a source of electricity that produces half the carbon pollution of coal. While acknowledging the role renewable-energy sources such as solar play in the nation's energy mix, he also pushed for development of low-carbon electricity sources such as nuclear and hydropower. He praised the work done by the Energy Department lab ARPA-E, which researches high-risk, high-reward breakthrough clean-energy technologies?a move that comes on the heels of a GOP campaign railing against President Obama for the bankruptcy of the solar company Solyndra, which took $500 million in an Energy Department loan guarantee.

Alexander's message wasn't all along green lines. He criticized President Obama's effort to pass a cap-and-trade climate-change bill?although his criticisms were of the policy mechanism, not the goal of reducing carbon. He called for an end to government subsidies on wind energy, a policy he's long opposed. The proposals don't line up exactly with President Obama's green agenda, but with their clear focus on low-carbon energy, they are a far cry from the stance of many in the GOP.

"I've been fascinated with the progress we've made on the seven grand challenges I suggested five years ago," Alexander said. "Perhaps by focusing on these four principles, we can capitalize on this progress toward cheap, clean, reliable energy."

Republicans say that a voice like Alexander's will have serious heft as the GOP reckons with its energy and climate future.

"Lamar is a strong and credible voice for Republicans on energy issues," said Republican strategist Mark McKinnon. "He has standing to make the case."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lamar-alexander-unveils-maverick-gop-vision-energy-future-165610841.html

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