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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

How To Vote In Texas This November

#INQFact: How to Vote in the Philippine elections

Dear Mr. Premack: I have always been eager to vote, but this year at age 82 I let my driver"s license expire and moved from Austin to San Antonio to live with my daughter. I want to be sure I am all set to vote with ID and Registration. What should I do, and how soon? W.T.

Registration is required in order to vote in the upcoming November election. People can register in person or by mail. The Texas Secretary of State says the deadline to register is October 11. If registering by mail, the application must be postmarked on or before October 11. Don"t wait for the deadline; give yourself and the county as much time as possible to be sure your registration is proper. An application can be obtained online, but there is no way to actually register online. Registration must be done in person or by mail.

If a voter has moved or changed their name, their registration must be updated. According to the Secretary of State: If you moved within the same county where you are currently registered, you must file the new address information in writing with your voter registrar (for Bexar county, visit http://www.bexar.org/1706/Registration-Changes).

If you moved to a different county you must re-register in your new county of residence. So, W.T., you must re-register in your new county by October 11 to be eligible to vote.

Anyone who wants to confirm they are properly registered may verify online at https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do. Those who are properly registered receive a registration card in the mail. The Secretary of State highly recommends presenting the registration card at the polling place. If you do not present your registration card but your name is on the list of eligible voters, you can still vote with proper ID. If you have no registration card and are not on the list of eligible voters, you may be denied the vote.

Registered voters also need to present one of the seven forms of photo ID, or present some other acceptable ID along with a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (which they will provide at the polling place). See my August 29 column for more information on Voter ID (http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/life_columnists/paul_premack/article/Court-Order-relaxes-Voter-ID-requirements-9191400.php). W.T.: if your driver"s license has been expired less than four years you should be able to use it as ID to vote.

Vote Early or by Mail

Once properly registered, consider Early Voting (open from October 24 November 4, a tight squeeze if you are not yet registered). Also, consider Voting by Mail if you are age 65 or older on election day, are disabled, or will be out of the county on election day. You must apply for a mail ballot. In Bexar County, you can request an application by phoning the Elections Office at 210-335-0362 or by mailing them a request. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the county by October 28 (so if you are not yet registered, you may be too late to apply this year).

Candidate Forum

The League of Women Voters is holding a Candidate Forum on October 5 at 6 pm. Candidates for Civil and Criminal Judgeships and for Sheriff will attend. The Forum is free, and will be at the UTSA Downtown Campus.

Paul Premack is a Certified Elder Law Attorney with offices in San Antonio and Seattle, handling Wills and Trusts, Probate, and Business Entity issues. View past legal columns or submit free questions on legal issues via www.TexasEstateandProbate.com or www.Premack.com.

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/life_columnists/paul_premack/article/How-To-Vote-In-Texas-This-November-9645955.php

Outdoor Giant Bass Pro To Acquire Rival Cabela"s For $4.5 Billion

Bass Pro Shops wants to buy Cabela"s

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Outdoor gear giants Bass Pro and Cabelas will combine in a $4.5 billion deal announced Monday.

Bass Pro is paying Cabelas shareholders $65.50 cash per share. The deal creates uncertainty about jobs in Cabelas home state of Nebraska. The combined companies plan to keep some operations in Sidney and Lincoln, Nebraska, but its not immediately clear how many jobs might be lost.

Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris says he hopes to continue growing the Cabelas brand alongside his own Springfield, Missouri, based chain.

Capital One will take over running Cabelas credit card unit as part of the deal. Activist investment firm Elliott Management began pushing for significant changes at Cabelas last fall. Cabelas employs about 2,000 people in the western Nebraska town of Sidney, which has about 7,000 residents.

Source: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/10/03/bass-pro-buys-cabelas-rival-merger/

Is Lauren Bushnell Still Jealous Of JoJo Fletcher? Warns "The Bachelor" Nick Viall Against Saying "I Love You" To ...

JoJo - Mad Love. [Official Audio]

The Bachelor alum Ben Higgins has some serious advice for new Bachelor, Nick Viall. His fiance, Lauren Bushnell, also has a few things to say to the reality show veteran.

After unsuccessfully finding love on two seasons of The Bachelorette, then going on Bachelor in Paradise, Nick Viall is ready to give it another shot on The Bachelor. In an interview with E! News, Ben Higgins, who also experienced heartache on The Bachelorette, told Viall that the best advice he could give is to be yourself and enjoy the journey.

Be honest, be open, be ready for one of the most exciting but also most emotionally taxing experiences of your life. Stay true to yourself, and if you do that, at the end of this, no matter what happens, itll be worth it, he said.

His fiance, Lauren Bushnell, however, made things a little bit awkward when she decided to give Viall advice herself.

Dont tell two women you love them both. Even if you feel it, just dont say it, she said.

Mi amore.

A photo posted by Lauren Bushnell (@laurenbushnell) on Sep 29, 2016 at 5:32pm PDT

In one of the episodes of The Bachelor, Higgins surprised fans when he said I love you to two of the final three women, Bushnell and JoJo Fletcher. The Bachelor Nation was surprised with Higgins declaration, thinking that he somewhat broke the rules. Higgins, however, insisted that the producers never told him that he couldnt drop the L-word to any of the contestants.

During The Bachelors Women Tell All special, Higgins explained that he went on the reality show with the full intention of being true to himself, and that includes telling the women how he truly feels about them.

Maybe Im confused, but when I started this experience no one gave me a playbook or rules to follow. They say, Do this how you think you should do this, and you dont always know the best answer to questions and sometimes you do develop feelings you dont expect. What I committed to was expressing those feelings, but no one ever said, Dont do that, dont do this!"

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ben Higgins shared that he made the right decision choosing Lauren Bushnell over JoJo Fletcher. The 27-year-old reality star added that he never doubted his love for her, adding that he could not wait to put the past behind him and start the rest of his life with Bushnell.

Although there was a time when he was in love with two women, Higgins insisted his feelings for Bushnell were definitely stronger. He also explained that they addressed the issue right away to prevent further conflicts from arising. Even though hearing her fiance admit that he loved two women at the same time on the show was clearly painful, Higgins said Bushnell never left his side.

Understanding its not always easy, right? Weve put her through h**l and back sometimes, but shes never ceased to love me and support me through it. Thats why were standing here today, and I am so excited, he said.

Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell recently celebrated their first anniversary. Apart from the wedding plans, the couple is also busy prepping for the premiere of their new Freeform show, Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?. The spin-off will follow the couple as they prepare for their big day while navigating the real world together. Bushnell assured fans that they will see both the highs and lows of their relationship, adding that they will not hide anything from them.

We dont want it to be all just happy and go-lucky, we really want it to be real, and with that, Ben and I are human beings, we have our downs, we have our arguments. I dont want any of our struggles to be censored. I want it to be very real.

Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? premieres on October 11 on Freeform.

[Featured Image by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images]

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/3558403/is-lauren-bushnell-still-jealous-of-jojo-fletcher-warns-the-bachelor-nick-viall-against-saying-i-love-you-to-two-women/

Monday, October 3, 2016

Reform Jews to campaign against Israel on Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah Rock Anthem

(Israel National News) Reform and Conservative congregations in the US have launched a campaign of protest against the government of Israel.

The Reform and Conservative movements cited as reason for the effort the ritual bath (mikvaot) bill banning use of public facilities for conversions not performed by recognized authorities -which passed its second and third readings in the Knesset the governments decision not to implement an agreement establishing a Reform prayer section at the Western Wall, and the issue of conversion. In each of these cases, the non-Orthodox movements were denied official state recognition.

According to a report in Haaretz on Sunday, the protest campaign is being led by the JFNA, the Jewish Federations of North America, the largest Jewish organization on the North American continent. The campaign is to include sermons on the subject during the High Holidays.

Source: http://www.wnd.com/2016/10/reform-jews-to-campaign-against-israel-on-rosh-hashanah/

2016 MLB Playoffs: Giants, Blue Jays, Orioles clinch on final day of regular season

MLB Playoffs 2014: Every Home Run

So much for any Game No. 162 chaos in baseball: The San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles grabbed the last three playoff spots Sunday, and the October matchups are set.

Neat and clean, no need for all sorts of tiebreakers. Too bad that kind of final-day scramble might"ve been fun for fans.

Instead, they could sit back, savor Vin Scully"s farewell call and prepare for the postseason. It opens Tuesday night when the Orioles visit Toronto in the AL wild-card game.

"All we asked for is an opportunity, and right now, we have an opportunity," Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones said after a 5-2 win over the New York Yankees. "So, let"s celebrate and enjoy this and get back to work."

No official word yet on the starting pitchers at Rogers Centre. Figures to be Chris Tillman for the O"s against Marcus Stroman.

On Wednesday night, aces duel as Madison Bumgarner starts for the Giants vs. Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets at Citi Field in the NL wild-card game.

"We found a way to get back to where we need to be," Bumgarner said after his team"s 7-1 win finished off a sweep of the Dodgers. "If we play like we have been the last three days, we"ll be tough to beat."

On Thursday, the best-of-five AL Division Series begins: David Ortiz and Boston at Cleveland, and the wild-card winner at Texas.

"I guess I wish Ortiz would consider retiring early," said Indians manager Terry Francona, who previously guided Big Papi with the Red Sox, "but I don"t see that happening."

On Friday night, Clayton Kershaw starts Game 1 for the Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington, and the NL wild-card winner plays the best-in-the-majors Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Going into Game 162, Detroit and St. Louis also had a chance to reach the postseason. That raised the possibility of multi-team, multi-city tiebreakers going into early next week.

The Tigers were in the middle of that mix. They hoped to win at Atlanta and have either the Orioles or Blue Jays lose then, they would"ve needed to win a makeup game at home Monday against Detroit to force a tiebreaker for an AL wild-card spot.

"I would not have enjoyed the travel," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, "but I would have relished traveling."

That kind of drama never developed as the teams holding leads took care of business.

Manager Buck Showalter and Baltimore sealed their spot, winning at Yankee Stadium. When the Tigers later lost 1-0 at Atlanta in the last game at Turner Field, they were out and Toronto was back in for the second straight year.

Later, the Blue Jays" 2-1 victory at Fenway Park meant they would host Baltimore.

With All-Star catcher Buster Posey getting three hits and driving in three runs, San Francisco beat the Dodgers and eliminated the Cardinals.

The Giants have enjoyed a recent run of even-year success, winning the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

The last time they reached the postseason, Bumgarner pitched a shutout at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game and went on to become the World Series MVP. So another cross-country flight to begin the playoffs was fine by them.

"I don"t think it bothers anybody that we go on the road to win these games. It"s actually a lot of fun," first baseman Brandon Belt said. "With Bumgarner on the mound, we"re going to have a good shot."

Source: http://www.syracuse.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/10/2016_mlb_playoffs_giants_blue_jays_orioles_clinch_on_final_day_of_regular_season.html

Colts" Antonio Cromartie brings national anthem protest to London

T.J. Yeldon"s Spinning Catch & Hurdle on 4th Down | Colts vs. Jaguars | NFL in London

Antonio Cromartie has taken the national anthem protest across the pond.

Cromartie, the former Jets cornerback who became the first member of the Colts to join the Colin Kaepernick-led protest last week, raised his fist and kneeled during The Star-Spangled Banner Sunday at Londons Wembley Stadium.

He then stood for Britains anthem, G*d Save The Queen, before kickoff against the Jaguars in the NFL"s first international game of the season.

No other players were seen engaging in the trend sparked by Kaepernick, the 49ers backup quarterback who first sat during the anthem in August. His stance, which has faced both backlash and support, has garnered followers throughout the NFL and elsewhere, and has begun to inspire new methods of protest against police brutality and oppression of minorities.

On Saturday, Washington wide receiver DeSean Jackson announced plans to wear custom cleats during his team"s pregame warmups against the Browns on Sunday. The cleats show a caution-tape design, which he said symbolizes an abundance of senseless killings by police.

"I"ve seen enough caution tape and it"s time for a stand and a change in our community and society," Jackson told TMZ Sports. "...As a young black leader with a stage and platform I"m starting awareness to help prevent these killings, and hopefully get justice to these cops who have taken lives of innocent human beings."

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Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/colts-antonio-cromartie-brings-national-anthem-protest-london-article-1.2814696

Is "Westworld" HBO"s Next Big Hit?

In The Weeks Ahead: Westworld (HBO)

Because theres so much mystery surrounding the show and because it seems so ambitious, its probably easy for people to assume its just a disaster, said Ms. Wood, who plays an increasingly skeptical host named Delores. But I think theyll be pleasantly surprised.

Early reviews have been mostly raves, praising the transportive quality and sophisticated themes about human nature and consciousness. And the performances, especially from Ms. Wood, Mr. Hopkins as the possibly malevolent mastermind Dr. Robert Ford and Ms. Newton as the madam Maeve, are nuanced and layered.

The show has taken a premise that could be seen as sort of primitive and simply about revenge and explored it on an emotionally complex level, Mr. Abrams said.

He had been pondering a Westworld reboot off and on since discussing the concept more than 20 years ago with Crichton, who died in 2008. But Mr. Nolan, who goes by Jonah, and Ms. Joy werent interested in taking on big television projects in 2013, when Mr. Abrams proposed reimagining it as a cable drama. Mr. Nolan, who had worked on films like Interstellar, The Dark Knight Rises and Memento with his brother Christopher before creating the CBS series Person of Interest, hoped to direct feature films. Ms. Joy, who wrote for shows like Burn Notice and Pushing Daisies, was developing a movie version of Battlestar Galactica.

Ultimately, they were drawn in by the chance to explore issues surrounding artificial intelligence and the idea that humans are getting ever better at immersing themselves in their narrative fictions, Mr. Nolan said.

Photo Anthony Hopkins, left, and Jeffrey Wright in Westworld. Credit John P. Johnson/HBO

While the movie Westworld was a campy predecessor to the Terminator movies as well as Crichtons more successful Jurassic Park with Yul Brynners black-hatted gunfighter in the inexorable predator role later filled by terminators and velociraptors the series takes its cues from headier sci-fi like Blade Runner and Ex Machina. It flips the main perspective of Crichtons story, and thus viewers sympathies, from the human guests to the robot hosts. And it poses provocative questions about the depths to which humans will sink when there arent consequences.

In Westworld, generally its the people, not the robots, who are the monsters; an early scene finds an Old West bro shooting an android cowboy in the back of the head for sport and exclaiming, Now thats a [expletive] vacation! In the most explicit inversion of the source material, Brynners mechanical outlaw is now a veteran Westworld tourist with a taste for cruelty and a mysterious agenda. He is played by Ed Harris in his first substantial series television role.

It was Jonah and Lisas commitment and passion for their idea that kind of sold me on it, he said. Theyre using the future of artificial intelligence to explore the nature of what makes us who we are.

Other actors were drawn by expansive roles I got be to a cowboy and a robot at the same time! Ms. Wood recalled with glee that gave primacy to characters most westerns leave on the margins, like the madam or the frontier girl next door.

If this wasnt an empowering role for women, it was going to be a major problem, Ms. Newton said. Because Im n**e for so much of the film.

Ah yes, the nudity. As suggested by the trailers, it is abundant, and it became a flash point during the production when a Westworld casting notice informed would-be extras that they may be required to perform genital-to-genital touching or pose on all fours while others who are fully n**e ride on your back, among other indignities. HBO disavowed the notice, saying it was never requested by the producers. (SAG-Aftra, the actors guild, protested at the time, but a spokeswoman confirmed that it received no complaints from members about the shoot.)

Photo James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood in Westworld. Credit John P. Johnson/HBO

In general, the nudity is more clinical than titillating, mostly relegated to the gloomy laboratories as well as the trailers. The s*x and violence is easy to market, but its not the stuff thats very interesting, Mr. Abrams said.

Given the uproar over sexual violence on HBO shows like Game of Thrones, the most controversial scene in the pilot is likely to be an implied rape that happens offscreen. But those involved with Westworld defend it as a key, and non-gratuitous, part of the narrative. The cost of such actions is something these guys take incredibly seriously, Ms. Newton said.

Ms. Joy and Mr. Nolan met at the premiere for Memento, the 2001 indie thriller Christopher Nolan wrote and directed based on Jonahs short story. Though they consulted on each others work for years, Mr. Nolan and Ms. Joy had never officially worked together before Westworld, the development of which happened to coincide with another collaboration: their first child. (Theyre currently expecting their second.)

They have sketched out several seasons worth of story, but HBO has committed only to the one. Coming off of Vinyl, I think the one thing were going to do is take our time in making a decision about renewing Westworld, Mr. Bloys said.

That means it will be some time before anyone knows whether the show can in fact be the networks next flagship series, even as everyone involved swats away the inevitable Game of Thrones comparisons. But HBO executives do want enough viewers, positive reviews and cultural buzz for Westworld to justify a price tag that, while they wont divulge it, cant be cheap, considering the decorated cast and breathtaking scope on display.

Is it the next big HBO thing? I dont think it benefits any show to work under those expectations, Mr. Bloys said. Its getting into really interesting themes that are relevant today, so hopefully it catches on.

Mr. Nolan added: We have a dark, strange, hopefully compelling story were telling here. You never know what people are going to make of it until they do, but were incredibly excited to put it in front of an audience.

Correction: September 30, 2016

An earlier version of this article misstated the title of a film Jonathan Nolan worked on with his brother Christopher Nolan. It is The Dark Knight Rises, not The Dark Knight Returns.

Continue reading the main story

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/02/arts/television/is-the-ambitious-westworld-hbos-next-big-hit.html