Sony reportedly planning Gran Turismo movie with producers of The Social Network

While it's not the Mario Kart movie we'd all been hoping for (c'mon, right?,) it's arguably the next best thing. Sony is reportedly developing a film about that other petrol head game -- Gran Turismo. It's claimed that Mike de Luca and Dana Brunetti (The Social Network / Fifty Shades of Grey) are onboard with the project, which no doubt hopes to capitalize on the PlayStation title's solid following. That or Sony got sick of waiting for a certain other series to end before pursuing the idea. While we're not suggesting that our plot expectations are low, there's still hope other game crossovers might give us some faith in the format first.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Via: Eurogamer

Source: The Wrap

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/PJLO9LtUCBU/

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Offenses dominate as Lamar outscores Union Pacific, 10-9

A number of players on the Lamar team capture fourth straight state title in their careers

The Lamar 13 year-old All-Star team poses with the championship plaque they captured after a come-from-behind 10-9 victory over Union Pacific in the 2013 Colorado Babe Ruth 13 Prep State Tournament on Monday, July 22 at Merchants Park. The two teams also met on Sunday afternoon in the winner's bracket with Lamar coming from behind to post an 8-7 victory. It was the fourth state championship for many of the players on the Lamar team. It also was the third straight time that Lamar had defeated Union Pacific for the state title. Front row, l-r, Graham Robbins, Tyler Geddes, Valentin Flores, Lucas Watson, Nicholas Navarrette, Davin Jacobs, and Max Carere. Back row, l-r, Coach Blake Carere, Andres Guevara, Carson Carere, bat boy (top), Ryan Hernandez, Colton Eberhardt, Brand Chavira, and Coach Brian Kane. (John Contreras/The Lamar Ledger)

Lamar catcher Andres Guevara has the ball roll off his arm but was able to bring the ball in for the catch and an out in the bottom of the sixth inning during the championship game against Union Pacific on Monday, July 22 at Merchants Park. Lamar trailed the game, 9-6, heading into the top of the seventh inning when they rallied with four runs to take a 10-9 lead and then hold on for a nail-biting victory. It was fourth state championship for many players on the Lamar team. Lamar now advances to the Midwest Plains Regional Tournament to be played in Fountain, Colo. on (John Contreras/The Lamar Ledger)

Lamar and Union Pacific lit up the scoreboard on Monday, July 22 as they combined for 19 runs in the championship game of the 2013 Colorado Babe Ruth 13 Prep State Tournament at Merchants Park.

In the end, Lamar won the offensive battle 10-9 in seven innings. The teams totaled 18 hits (nine apiece) in the game.

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The teams traded runs for most of the contest, leading to five lead changes.

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Lamar finally managed to grab the lead after a strong seventh inning. A two-run error scored Max Carere and Nicholas Navarrette and gave Lamar the lead for good.

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"It was same as the game we played against them on Sunday (a come-from-behind 8-7 win)," said Lamar coach Blake Carere.

Lamar's Colton Eberhardt delivers to home plate during the championship game against Union Pacific on Monday, July 22 in the Colorado Babe Ruth 13 Prep State Tournament held July 19-22 at Merchants Park. Trailing 9-6, Lamar rallied with four runs in the top of the seventh and then held on for a 10-9 victory. Eberhardt picked up the win as he pitched the final four innings and allowed three run on three hits with three strike outs and five walks. At the plate, Eberhardt had two hits and two RBIs. (John Contreras/The Lamar Ledger)

"We had to battle from behind but our kids never gave up. It was crazy. We knew it was a bad sign, when we looked over and the grounds crew and they were ready to do the field for the next game. That's how close we let it get. But we hung in there and won it!"

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Navarrette racked up two RBIs on three hits for Lamar. He singled in the third and sixth innings and doubled in the seventh inning.

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Colton Eberhardt had two hits and two RBIs and Andres Guevara had two hits and three RBIs. Tyler Geddes also had two hits.

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Eberhardt recorded the win for Lamar. He allowed three runs over the last four innings. He struck out three, walked five, and gave up three hits.

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Navarretted pitched the first two innings and allowed one run earned on two hits. He had two strike outs and one walk.

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Geddes pitched one inning and allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits before he gave way to Eberhardt.

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In defeat, Jake Miller played well for Union Pacific. He had a hot bat as he went 3-5 and scored three runs. He singled in the third, fourth, and sixth innings.

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Alex Orozco was the starting pitcher for Union Pacific and threw three innings. He gave up three earned runs on four hits.

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Jesse Rodriquez pitched two inning and gave up two earned run on three hits. Mike Akers pit 1/3 of an inning and gave up one earned run on one hit. Blake Swanson pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on one hit. Miller saw duty in the seventh inning with two outs and allowed no runs on no hits.

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After a scoreless first inning, Union Pacific took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.

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With one out, Orozco singled, stole second and scored on a single by Swanson.

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Lamar answered with three runs in the top of third to take a 3-1 lead.

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With two outs and runners at first and third, Eberhardt hit a slow roller to the shortstop and beat out throw as Carere scored from third. Guevara then came to bat and ripped a fly ball to left field that scored Navarrette and Eberhardt.

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Geddes took over for Navarette on the mound to start the bottom of the third.

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Union Pacific greeted Geddes with five runs to regain a 6-3 lead. The five runs came on four hits and three costly errors by Lamar.

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The first run was scored on an RBI single by Rodriquez. Three runs then came across on a single by Swanson combined with an error. The fifth run also came on another Lamar error.

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Union Pacific added another run in the bottom of the fourth for a 7-3 lead as they looked to have Lamar on the ropes.

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Lamar scored two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI triple by Eberhardt and an RBI single by Guevara to cut the deficit to 7-5.

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In the top of the sixth, Akers took to the hill for Union Pacific. He issued three walks with one out to load the bases when he was lifted in favor of Swanson.

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Eberhardt greeted him with a sacrifice fly to center field as Carere scored and Lamar trailed by only 7-6.

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Union Pacific countered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead 9-6. Both runs scored on bases loaded walks by Eberhardt.

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In the top of seventh, the roof caved in for Union Pacific as Lamar rallied with four runs and took advantag of three errors to take a 10-9 lead.

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Lucas Watson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Following a walk to Brandon Chavira, Swanson retired the next two batters as he struck out Davin Jacobs and Watson was thrown out attempting to advance to third base after a slow roller by Dillon Nieschburg.

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With runners at first and second, Carere reached on a walk to fill the bases.

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Navarrette then came to bat and ripped a pitch on a full count to deep center field for a two-run double to pull Lamar to within 9-8.

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Union Pacific made another pitching change and brought in their ace Miller.

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With Geddes at the plate, he came through with a ground ball to the shortstop that resulted in a big error that allowed two runs to score and give Lamar a 10-9 lead.

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Eberhardt then reached on an error to put runners at second and third. Guevara then hit a ground ball to third and Eberhardt was put out on a run down to end the inning.

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In the bottom of the seventh, Union Pacific threatened with runners at first and second with two outs.

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Eberhardt was able to end the threat when he struck out Kaleb Diedrich swinging to end the game.

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With the thrilling win, it marked the fourth state championship in a row for many of the players on the Lamar team.

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It also was third straight time that Lamar had defeated Union Pacific for the state championship.

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"This is unbelievable and it feels great to win the state title for a fourth year in a row," said Guevara after the game. "We work together as a team and we never gave up. We worked our magic at the end."

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"This is amazing," said Eberhardt. "Union Pacific is a good team and we had to crawl our way to the top. When they had runners and second and first in the bottom of the seventh inning, I was a little worried. But when I threw that final pitch to strike out the batter for the third out it was great."

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Lamar now advances to the Midwest Plains Regional to be played in Fountain, Colo. on Aug. 1-7.

Source: http://www.lamarledger.com/ci_23710628/offenses-dominate-lamar-outscores-union-pacific-10-9?source=rss_viewed

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Gold Bottomed? Watch Silver | Silver Investing News

Mineweb reported that for investors that are confident that gold has bottomed, silver should be considered as a purchase as well.

As quoted in the market report:

Silver is not beset by quite the same strictures though.? It?s not a metal the central banks care about overmuch so is thus even more open to overt manipulation by the big money than its yellow sibling.? Regardless, it still tends to move with gold, but in a more exaggerated manner.

To view the whole Mineweb report, click here.

Source: http://silverinvestingnews.com/18290/gold-bottomed-watch-silver.html

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LG 55LA8600

Never let it be said that LG doesn't know how to make a fashion statement. Not only is their 55LA8600 LED backlit HDTV one of the sharpest-looking 55-inch LCD sets to grace the labs, it's a solid performer and loaded with features, although one or two of those features are not quite ready for primetime. As always, you'll pay big bucks for a top-of-the-line HDTV ($2,699.99 list), but if you want a big-screen set that offers all the latest technologies, including a 240Hz refresh rate, passive 3D, and a wealth of Web services, the LA8600 deserves a spot on your short list, right alongside our Editors' Choice plasma screen, the Samsung PN60F8500.

Design and Features
The 55LA8600 uses a so-called bezel-free design on the top and sides that gives the impression of a floating screen. However, the LA8600 isn't completely bezel-less; there is a thin (0.7-inch) glossy black bezel at the bottom edge of the panel done up in a glossy black finish and sporting a small LG logo. A band of textured metal trim around the cabinet's perimeter completes the look. While visually stunning, the 55-inch panel is susceptible to damage due to the lack of bezel support on the edges, so be careful when un-boxing this beauty.

Edge-mounted LED backlighting allows for a slim (1.3-inch) cabinet that juts out a bit at the bottom to accommodate a pair of down-firing 12-watt speakers that, aided by a rear-mounted subwoofer, deliver loud audio with a good amount of bass response for HDTV speakers. The 51-pound cabinet comes with a u-shaped stand featuring a unique swivel mechanism that actually swivels the entire stand rather than the just the cabinet. Of course, you can use the VESA-compliant mounting holes to hang the set on a wall.

There's no shortage of I/O ports here. On the left side, facing outward, are four HDMI ports and three USB ports, one of which supports the speedy USB 3.0 standard. Down-facing ports include shared component/composite AV jacks, an optical digital audio output, a LAN port, an antenna/cable jack, and a headphone/external speaker output. On the right side of the cabinet are Volume and Channel Up/Down, Settings, Select, Input, and Power buttons.

A flip-up camera and microphone array sits at the top of the cabinet, behind the screen. It can be used for Skyping as well as for gesture and voice commands. As with the Samsung PN60F8500, you have to enunciate voice commands clearly and slowly in order for them to be recognized. The voice search feature worked well enough, but it's much quicker to just change the channel and raise or lower the volume level using the remote. Likewise, the motion gesture feature is supposed to let you use your hands to turn the set on and off, raise and lower the volume, and change channels, but we were unable to get this feature to function at all. The camera was able to take somewhat blurry video and grainy stills, but is clearly intended more for video chat than recording.

Instead of a conventional, button-filled flat remote, the 55LA8600 uses the motion-sensing LG Magic Remote. The 5-inch remote is very similar to the one that ships with the LG 55LM6700, only this time around it has a shiny silver finish and sports a built-in microphone (for voice recognition) and Microphone button. It also has a 3D, Channel and Volume Up/Down, and Mute buttons, and a scroll wheel surrounded by a four-way directional pad. The Magic Remote can be used as a pointing device, similar to an air mouse, to navigate the menus, change settings, and select Web apps, but it takes some getting used to. For example, the on-screen cursor tends to stray off course quite often and can result in accidental menu selections if you're not paying close attention. After 15 minutes or so I got the hang of the remote, but like the PN60F8600's touchpad remote, it can have a frustrating learning curve if you're not patient.

The LA8600 is equipped for wired and wireless networking, and its catalog of Web apps is impressive. Streaming video apps include Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, YouTube, MLB.com, CinemaNow, Crackle, and Skype. There's also a Game World channel loaded with 2D and 3D games and LG's Smart World portal, which includes hundreds of paid and free movies, TV shows, games, and lifestyle and education apps. You can also access videos, photos, and other content stored in the LG Cloud, which requires a membership.

Picture settings abound. There are seven picture presets including Vivid, Standard, Eco, Cinema, Game, and two professional calibration (ISF Expert) modes that offer extensive picture adjustments in addition to the usual assortment of picture settings. In ISF mode professionals can calibrate the set using the White Balance, CMS (Color Management System), Color Filter, and Expert Pattern options. The menu system also offers several TruMotion (de-judder) settings, as well as Black Level, Local Dimming, and Audio presets.

Performance
To test peak brightness, black level, and color accuracy we use a Klein K10-A colorimeter, SpectraCal's CalMAN 5 software, and the DisplayMate diagnostic utility. The LA8600's peak brightness topped out at 259.12 cd/m², which is decent but not quite as bright as the Panasonic TC-L55ET60 (304.34 cd/m²). However, the panel produced a relatively dark black level of 0.027 cd/m² for a strong contrast ratio of 9,597:1. In comparison, the plasma screen Samsung PN60F8500 reached a black level of 0.0054 cd/m² for remarkable 55,779:1 contrast ratio?.

Out-of-the-box color accuracy was good, although reds ran a little hot, as shown in the CIE chromaticity chart above (the inside of each box represents the ideal color coordinates for its corresponding color). Fortunately, the warm reds do not result in any tinting or an oversaturated picture. Viewing angles are good but not perfect; the panel dims slightly when viewed from a side angle of around 80 degrees (off-center).

Image quality on the 1920-by-1080 panel was superb. Underwater scenes from the movie Piranha on Blu-ray appeared sharp with good shadow detail, and the picture was squeaky clean with no noticeable background noise. Motion blur was also non-existent, so there's no reason to crank up the TruMotion de-judder settings.

The LA8600 uses passive 3D, and comes with four sets of glasses. The panel provided good 3D depth without sacrificing background detail or luminance, and the lightweight glasses were comfortable. The 3D imagery in Sharks 3D on Blu-ray was convincing; in fact, a colleague remarked that he felt like he was watching the movie from the inside of a fish tank. As with nearly every passive 3D HDTV we've tested, the LA8600 does exhibit a trace of crosstalk when viewed from an extreme side angle, but the artifacts are not blatant enough to be considered an issue.

In Standard mode, the LA8600 consumed 106 watts of power during testing, which is on par with the Panasonic TC-L55ET60 (100 watts). With Eco mode enabled it used only 68 watts, while the ET60 used required 79 watts. With the Picture Mode set to Cinema, the LA8600 consumed 81 watts of power. The Samsung PN60F8500 consumed three times as much power for only five inches more diagonal screen size thanks to its plasma panel, eating 320 watts with Eco mode set to low.

Conclusion
Outstanding HD picture quality, solid 3D, and copious features are all characteristics of any flagship HDTV line, and the LG 55LA8600 doesn't disappoint. It may not get as bright as the more affordable Panasonic TC-L55ET60 and its picture isn't quite as stellar as the Editors' Choice Samsung PN60F8500, but it does produce dark blacks and accurate colors, is one of sharpest looking HDTVs around, and consumes much less power. Granted, neither are exactly affordable, but top-of-the-line HDTVs rarely (if ever) are. You may have to invest in a little training time to take full advantage of the remote and voice recognition feature, but these are minor annoyances, not deal breakers. If your budget doesn't allow for a $2,800 expenditure, our Editors' Choice for mid-range big-screen LCD HDTV, the Panasonic TC-L55ET60, is a stellar performer with a much more palatable price tag.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/B1QeUMxMiPY/0,2817,2421929,00.asp

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UN chemical weapons team arrives in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? A U.N. delegation tasked with investigating the reported use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict arrived in Damascus on Wednesday to discuss terms of a possible probe into alleged attacks.

This is the first such trip by international experts and the talks are expected to focus on about a dozen incidents in which chemical weapons were allegedly used. The rebels, the U.S. and others have blamed the regime for attacks, while Damascus and its ally Russia say the rebels have used chemicals.

Damascus has requested the U.N. to investigate one of the reported attacks ? a March 19 incident in the northern village of Khan al-Assal in which both rebels and the government accuse each other of using chemicals ? but refused inquiries at other alleged attack sites in the central city of Homs, Damascus and elsewhere.

Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake Sellstrom and U.N. disarmament chief Angela Kane arrived from neighboring Lebanon and are scheduled to meet with senior Syrian officials during their two-day visit to Damascus, the U.N. said in a brief statement issued in the Syrian capital.

Khan al-Assal, which lies on the southwestern edge of the embattled city of Aleppo, was under government control in March but was captured by the rebels earlier this week. Even if the U.N. team does get access to Khan al-Assal from both sides, it may be difficult to find evidence from the attack because so much time has passed.

In June, the United States said it had conclusive evidence that President Bashar Assad's regime used chemical weapons against opposition forces. That crossed what President Barack Obama called a "red line," prompting a U.S. decision to begin arming rebel groups, although that has not happened yet.

On Tuesday, U.N. Mideast envoy Robert Serry told the Security Council that the U.N. has received 13 reports of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria. He said Sellstrom's team is studying this and other material.

"There is a growing body of limited but persuasive information showing that the regime has used and continues to use chemical weapons, including sarin," said British U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant.

Russia, Syria's close ally, has called the chemical weapon allegations facing Assad's regime groundless, claiming Russian experts determined that Syrian rebels made sarin nerve gas and used it in the Khan al-Assal attack, in which 31 people died.

More than 93,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict started in March 2011, according to U.N. estimates.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-chemical-weapons-team-arrives-syria-093702713.html

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Kessler sets out to win title of mayor

By CHRIS BOURNEA

ThisWeek Community News Tuesday July 23, 2013 11:21 AM

Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler would like to keep his post, announcing he intends to meet the deadline for filing petitions for the fall election.

Candidates must file petitions with the Franklin County Board of Elections by Aug. 7 in order to appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.

"The job of working for the city is one that, for me, is really gratifying," Kessler said. "I'm really passionate about it."

Bexley City Council selected Kessler to fill the role of mayor in February 2012 after previous mayor John Brennan died of cancer. Prior to serving as mayor, Kessler was twice elected to Bexley City Council and served as chairman of council's Zoning and Development Committee and Finance Committee. He also served as council president in early 2012 before becoming mayor.

Kessler also worked in commercial real estate development for 10 years before taking on the full-time job of mayor. Working in development proved to be valuable experience for city administration, Kessler said.

"A lot of what you do as a mayor, there's a management side to it for sure, there's a community relationship side to it, a communications side to it," he said. "Development is a huge piece of it, because if we want to push the community forward in a positive direction, we have to be developing in the right way."

Developments and accomplishments that Kessler cited during his tenure as mayor include:

* Negotiating a Joint Economic Development Zone agreement with Liberty Township and the city of Powell, which is projected to bring in an additional $180,000 per year to the city of Bexley if the agreement is approved by Liberty Township voters in November.

* Working on a balanced budget for 2013, the city's first budget in recent years to reflect an increase in the general fund at the end of the year. Kessler said this was accomplished with the help of not only a change to the city income tax, but also the elimination of almost 10 percent of the city's general fund operating expenses.

* Enhancing city communications, with a redesigned website, creation of the "Bexley Blast" call-in telephone hotline and weekly email updates, a revamped annual budget report that now includes a general annual report, and the creation of "blue signs" that are now placed at properties that are the subject of public hearings.

* Helping to create the summertime "Main Event" monthly outdoor movie series and Main Street celebration.

Kessler and city council also worked toward implementing the 2011 Bexley Land Use Strategy, which included the formation of the Bexley Community Improvement Corporation and the redevelopment of the Bexley City Hall site.

The City Hall redevelopment will involve the demolition of the existing structure and relocation of city offices to make way for a new Giant Eagle store, which council approved in June. A new grocery store is one of the amenities that Kessler said he has heard requested most often from Bexley residents since he became mayor.

"It's actually in the Land Use Strategy -- find a quality neighborhood grocery store for the city. It was in our 2012 Bexley Community Survey," Kessler said. "It's the sort of stuff that matters to people. People move to Bexley so they can walk to these things."

A native of Bexley, Kessler moved to Connecticut with his mother at the age of 8 after his parents divorced, returning periodically to Bexley to visit his father. Kessler moved back to Bexley in 2002 after attending college at Ohio State University. He and his wife, Julie, have three young children.

If elected to a full term in the fall, Kessler said he would focus on the following issues:

* Infrastructure modernization, including water and sewer lines; electric, natural gas and telecommunications systems; and increased tree maintenance, especially involving trees near power lines.

* The revitalization of Livingston Avenue, which currently includes discussions with the city of Columbus and area businesses.

* The modernization of the Southwest Bexley Master Plan, with an emphasis on strengthening the business and residential base in southwest Bexley.

* Completion of the Livingston-to-Main Alum Creek Park, which is in the early planning stages.

* Greater use of data-driven policing, which involves analyzing incident reports using map-based software that the city implemented earlier this year.

Kessler said he has maintained a productive working relationship with council and city administration throughout his time as mayor, and plans to continue to do so if elected.

"I think at the end of the day, everybody's really motivated by what's best for the city. And while people disagree with things and get frustrated with each other sometimes, it's really over the actual issue, not over some other ulterior motive," he said. "And that's kind of consistently been the culture in Bexley and it's continued that way, and I think it's a good thing."

Source: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/bexley/news/2013/07/23/mayor-ready-to-run-kessler-sets-out-to-win-title-of-mayor.html

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Netflix's 2Q report flops despite soaring earnings

This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey in a scene from the Netflix original series, "House of Cards," an adaptation of a British classic. The program was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding drama series on, Thursday July 18, 2013. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Emmy ceremony will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. It will air Sept. 22 on CBS. (AP Photo/Netflix, Melinda Sue Gordon)

This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey in a scene from the Netflix original series, "House of Cards," an adaptation of a British classic. The program was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding drama series on, Thursday July 18, 2013. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Emmy ceremony will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. It will air Sept. 22 on CBS. (AP Photo/Netflix, Melinda Sue Gordon)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Netflix's revival of the comedy series "Arrested Development" didn't reel in as many subscribers to the Internet video service as Wall Street had hoped, turning a solid second-quarter earnings report into a reality check.

Even though Netflix's profit more than quadrupled, the report released Monday flopped among investors because it didn't live up to the lofty expectations propelling the company's high-flying stock. The shares have nearly tripled since the beginning of the year, raising the pressure on Netflix Inc. to deliver specular numbers.

That didn't' happen during the three months ending in June, despite the much-anticipated return of "Arrested Development" after a seven-year absence. Netflix's stock slid $15.11, or 5.8 percent, to $246.80 in extended trading after the numbers came out.

"It was a very good quarter, by most standards, but that doesn't cut it when your stock has risen by 200 percent," said Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargeaves.

Netflix picked up 630,000 U.S. subscribers during the three months ending in June. That performance was slightly above the mid-range target set by Netflix Inc.'s management in April. But the Los Gatos, Calif., company also had predicted it might end the period with as many as 880,000 more subscribers ? a goal that many investors evidently were hoping would be reached.

Expectations had been raised by the Memorial Day weekend release of 15 new "Arrested Development" episodes. The comedy starring Jason Bateman and Michael Cera had built a cult following before its cancellation by the Fox network in 2006, after three seasons.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings credited "Arrested Development" for providing a "small but noticeable bump" in subscribers. He praised the company for being able to add more subscribers during the first half of this year than it did last year, despite intensifying competition from other Internet video services run by Amazon.com Inc. and Hulu.

Netflix has added 2.7 million subscribers so far this year, up from 2.5 million at the same time last year.

The company received a major boost during the opening three months of the year when it released another series made for Netflix, the political drama "House of Cards." That series earned nine Emmy Award nominations, including for outstanding drama, best actor and best actress. No Internet-only series had previously been nominated in those marquee categories.

"Arrested Development" also garnered three Emmy nominations.

No one was counting on "Arrested Development" to attract as many subscribers as the February release of "House of Cards" because the comedy came out during the second quarter, a period when Netflix has more trouble signing up new customers. That's because the longer daylight hours and the start of the summer vacation season translate into a smaller pool of people interested in subscribing to a video service.

The second-quarter gains leave Netflix with 29.8 million U.S. subscribers to an $8 monthly service that streams video to Internet-connected devices.

Netflix also added 605,000 international subscribers in the second quarter to boost its total customers outside the U.S to 7.75 million.

Those figures, particularly the U.S. subscriber count, have become Wall Street's focal point, said Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia. "This is not about the earnings at this point," he said. "It's about how much of the market for Internet video that Netflix can grab."

Netflix's company's DVD-by-mail rental service continued a gradual demise as more people embrace the convenience of Internet streaming instead of waiting for discs to be delivered. Netflix lost another 475,000 DVD subscribers in the second quarter, leaving the company with 7.5 million on that side of its service. Netflix has been pushing people toward streaming because the company believes DVDs are destined for obsolescence and it doesn't want to spend a lot on the business any longer.

Most investors pay little attention to the DVD service either, even though it remains highly profitable.

Netflix earned $29.5 million, or 49 cents per share, in the quarter, up from $6.2 million, or 11 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast earnings of 40 cents per share.

Netflix's revenue climbed 20 percent from last year to $1.07 billion, mirroring analyst projections.

In the current quarter ending in September, Netflix predicted it will add 690,000 to 1.49 million U.S. subscribers.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-07-22-Earns-Netflix/id-76cd675c6b0e41d390446dee4b9ee7df

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