Texas

By Rich Klein Last weekend, I attended a local show near my house in Richardson, Texas. The show was promoted by Awesome Collector Shows and from reading the promotional material I guessed the promoter was formerly known as JIMV Enterprises based on the similarities between the verbiage used by JMV and the verbiage used by Awesome. When I arrived at the show on Sunday, my guess was correct as sure enough James was collecting the admission and at least there were free old SMR magazines at the door. One thing that absolutely shocked me was every table was occupied. If you have ever read my reviews of previous JMV shows, you might recall the declined credit card episode that shut one show down almost before it started. That incident actually led to what we now call the Craig Ranch card show in McKinney, Texas to a room in which perhaps half the dealer tables are sold. It’s always good to see show tables occupied and buyers making the rounds. One aspect that really helped the attendance at the most recent show was the appearance of Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Renfro (who is among the nicest retired football players you will ever meet) and former boxing champ Reggie Johnson.  Reggie was displaying some of his World Championship belts and I will assure you those belts were incredible looking. I asked him who he fought during his career and he said he fought such luminaries as James “Lights Out” Toney and Roy Jones Jr. He said although he was not awarded the decision, he actually beat Toney and when I checked BoxRec.Com and saw that was a split decision I'm willing to believe he has justification in thinking he won that fight. Johnson fought all the best from his era and was competitive in almost any fight. In fact this weekend, I will probably watch some of high fights on you tube because now I'm curious as to his abilities. In between the two guests was the Beckett booth. I spent some time talking to Advertising Director Bill Dumas about hobby events past and present and discussed some of my recent Ramblings that involve Beckett memories from years past….like flying to an east coast card show that wasn't. You see, unbeknownst to us at Beckett, the dates posted in our Convention Calendar were incorrect and this show had actually taken place the weekend before.  I had flown from Dallas for a show that had packed up a week earlier. Fortunately, I knew the area well enough and had a back-up plan in place.  So, I called our “travel coordinator”, explained what happened and asked her to cancel the hotel reservation. Luckily, there was a back-up plan:  a two- hour drive to the always successful White Plains, N.Y. show and I knew exactly how to get there.   Staying with my dad in my old stomping grounds would mean not having to pay for a room. Needless to say, my father was shocked when I dropped my bags off and explained the whole situation but he was also thrilled to see me and realized we could spend a little bit of time together. The White Plains show always featured some market makers in newer cards and there were always many dealers and collectors on hand so any excuse to go was welcome. I spent all day Saturday at White Plains and then left Sunday morning. And in case anyone wondered why I never moved back to New Jersey even after leaving Beckett, the 6 A.M. news on New York’s CBS-FM clinched the deal. There is nothing like hearing these words to begin your day:  “The morning temperature Is three degrees with a wind chill of 30 below,” said the announcer.  I thought that temperature was only that bad when I used to go to the Albany show. Other than that little weather issue (which thankfully did not include any precipitation), having a back-up plan again helped to save the day, even though it wasn’t as famous as the “Puerto Rico” back-up plan discussed here yesterday.  Thus, a good lesson is if you are thinking of going to any card show always have another plan ready in case option number one does not exist. I know in today’s wor

This month marks a milestone for chip juggernaut Intel . The largest chipmaker in the world by revenue has transitioned to new CEO Brian Krzanich, following the planned retirement of Paul Otellini. One of the most important tasks that Krzanich is faced with will be positioning Intel within the mobile market, an area that Otellini fumbled even as the outgoing exec had his fair share of accomplishments as well. To that end, Krzanich has reportedly set up a "new devices" division in an internal reorganization. That could mean almost anything, and there's not much other detail surrounding the leaked memo. For context, Intel currently has five operating segments: PC client group, data center group, other Intel architecture, software and services, and all other. Segment Revenue (MRQ) % of Total Revenue (MRQ) PC Client Group $8 billion 64% Data Center Group $2.6 billion 21% Other Intel Architecture $978 million 8% Software and Services $588 million 5% All other $437 million 3% Total $12.6 billion 100% Source: 10-Q. MRQ = most recent quarter. Figures may not sum because of rounding. The PC and data center segments tend to generate all of Intel's operating income. The focus on getting Intel silicon into new devices is also precisely what helped Krzanich score the top position, according to The Wall Street Journal. Intel Chairman Andy Bryant was quoted as saying that the pitch "absolutely" helped Krzanich become CEO. We're not just talking about traditional mobile devices like smartphones and tablets either. "New devices" could include entirely new product categories like wearable devices, among others. The highest-profile wearable device en route to market is Google Glass. The high-tech spectacles strangely use a Texas Instruments OMAP processor, even after TI famously ditched mobile last year. Still, Google has expressed openness toward using Intel's chips, optimizing Android for the company's x86 architecture a couple of years ago. That partnership hasn't translated into meaningful smartphone wins, even though Intel has a couple of Android devices under its belt now. Like most things, Google is relatively agnostic and just wants to broaden its reach by whatever means necessary. Apple is also expected to get into wearable devices soon with an iWatch. Rumors surfaced late last year that Intel and Apple were collaborating on a smart watch. The odd part about that rumor is that Apple has also allegedly explored moving Macs away from Intel chips in favor of its own designs. An Intel-powered iWatch is a possibility, even if a remote one. Will Krzanich's mark on Intel be broadening the company's horizons to new product categories? When it comes to dominating markets, it doesn't get much better than Intel's position in the PC microprocessor arena. However, that market is maturing, and Intel finds itself in a precarious situation longer term if it doesn't find new avenues for growth. In this premium research report on Intel, a Motley Fool analyst runs through all of the key topics investors should understand about the chip giant. Click here now to learn more.

Erica Nigrelli, a Texas high school teacher, was 36 weeks pregnant when her heart stopped beating, causing her to collapse inside a co-worker’s classroom at Elkins High School. That’s when the school nurse, her assistant, and the school’s athletic trainer sprang into action and began to administer CPR. The trio of lifesavers also used a defibrillator to jumpstart Nigrelli’s heart. “I wasn’t scared … I knew what I had to do and my team was incredible,” said school nurse Jennifer Longoria. Trainer June Tomlin added that she “got the scissors and cut off [Nigrelli's] shirt.” Assistant Maxine Reeves said Nigrelli’s husband Nathan was “freaking out” (understandably so), saying, “Save my wife, save my wife.” Their efforts managed to keep Nigrelli alive long enough for paramedics to arrive, but baby Elayna would need to be taken immediately via emergency C-section. When doctors made the call to proceed, Nigrelli’s heart was still not beating, resulting in the postmortem delivery. “There were two lives hanging in the balance the whole time,” said Nathan Nigrelli, who in one day went from being a husband and expecting father to almost losing wife and daughter. Despite the stress levels, Nathan did manage to call 911. “My wife is having a seizure,” he said in comments reported by KHOU. “She’s on the floor … Oh my God! She’s pregnant and she’s foaming. Unresponsive.” According to Click2Houston, which first reported on the story, Erica was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in which the heart muscle thickens. Erica Nigrelli later explained, “Nine times out of 10 most people die from the initial collapse … It was literally a ticking time bomb.” The child is now three months old and weighs nine pounds. Doctors expect her to be taken off oxygen as soon as next week. Missouri City, Texas, the town where Elkins is located, honored Longoria, Tomlin, and Reeves, at a city council meeting on Monday night. “Thankful is not a strong enough word for what they’ve done for us,” Erica said. Here’s baby Elayna: video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player It wasn’t clear what technique was used to bring Erica Nigrelli back from death, but earlier this month, an Australian man who suffered cardiac arrest was resuscitated thanks to a method using both a mechanical CPR machine performing chest compressions and a portable heart-lung machine keeping oxygen and blood flowing within the body. The man was technically dead 40 minutes before life was restored. Do you think what happened to Erica Nigrelli was modern tech, modern miracle, or a little of both? [Image via Facebook] Erica Nigrelli Dies Before Giving Birth, Comes Back To Life is a post from: The Inquisitr

A report shows responders didn't adequately train for the situation.

The Dallas Cowboys Women’s Association raised $37,600 for a local non-profit with its recent fashion show. Nexus Recovery Center specializes in helping women, and adolescent girls ages 13 to 17, overcome substance abuse. Counseling, parenting classes, family education and life skills … [visit site to read more]

Tornadoes can form anytime of year, but occur most frequently in April, May, and June, due to favorable weather conditions. Earlier this week a massive 200-mile-per-hour EF5 tornado hit Moore, Okla., killing some two dozen people, damaging thousands of structures, and causing an estimated $2 billion in damage. This year, twisters have already touched down in Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and Alabama. ( 46 photos total)A woman carries a child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., on May 20. A tornado as much as half a mile wide with winds up to 200 mph roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press)

Bold Prediction: #Bama vs Texas A&M BCS Championship via @Bama @SDS

If conference realignment has had you confused and in a tizzy the last few years, just wait until next season. It's mostly over; now we just have to learn who is where. A quick rundown of some of the big basketball-related changes: Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame are off to the ACC. Louisville gets to play one season in something called the American Athletic Conference with the likes of Houston and Central Florida before also jetting to the ACC. Creighton, a school in Omaha (still in the middle of the country last I checked), and Butler (also very much in the Midwest), now play in what is the Big East, only it's not that Big East that you know but a new one. Memphis and Temple are in the league that (as of now) they're calling the American Athletic Conference, which includes Connecticut and Cincinnati. It’s like someone decided to mix up the alphabet without any rhyme or reason, mostly just so we could relearn it and get angry in process.(A big thank you to Chris Dobbertean over at Blogging the Bracket for putting together this handy list of the changes. It’s actually something you can follow.)The question that was rarely (if ever) asked during all this mess: Do any of these changes make sense for basketball? The answer is frustrating for basketball fans. No. The motivating factors behind conference realignment have been well-documented: football and money. Geography, rivalries and history, the realigners simply don’t care about you.Syracuse and Georgetown, that rivalry was fun, but there’s no need for it. The Border War between Kansas and Missouri, a lot of hatred there, but let’s leave those battles to the message boards. The backyard brawl between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, it made sense for those two to be in the same conference, but not as much sense as West Virginia traveling to Lubbock, Texas every year! I live in Kansas City, and when Missouri left for the SEC, I had a lot of MU fans tell me that they were happy about the move. It made sense for their school. They needed stability.I can understand the fear that realignment caused. If Missouri had been patient, the school would have been just fine in the Big 12. Some of those fans have even admitted to me since that they wish they would have stuck around. But I understand what felt like an impending implosion of the Big 12—thanks Dan Beebe—motivated MU to be proactive.Proactive is a nice way of explaining the motivation for athletic directors and conference commissioners. At least it sounds a lot better than “money grab.”What has been refreshing in the last year is that some moves are finally being made because of basketball; anything the Atlantic 10 does, for instance. The new Big East is a basketball league and every acquisition was made because of basketball. But it would not have been necessary for those schools to join forces if the old Big East had been able to stick together.And that’s what the basketball coaches in that league would have preferred. Ask Jim Boeheim, whose team ended up just fine in the ACC, what he thinks of all the movement, and his answer would still probably be the same as it was last November (via Syracuse.com): Maybe they should just have a draft. Each conference just draft teams because it doesn’t make any sense who they’re getting anyway. So they might as well just have a draft, except then they’d have to make a decision and they probably wouldn’t be able to figure that out. … It’s like I said, If these guys were running the United States in Colonial times, Brazil and Argentina would be states. Because they have something we need. It’s hopefully finished now, as Dennis Dodd from CBSSports.com explained in this piece last month. The ACC joined the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 by its members agreeing to a grant of rights, meaning you leave now and you cost yourself a lot of money. There might be a few moves here and there, but

Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo (Photo from Messina Hof Winery) News: Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo Receives UC Davis Winemaking Certificate The credentials and winemaking accolades of Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo, son of Paul V. and Merrill Bonarrigo and heir-apparent at Messina Hof Winery, continue to grow. As reported in a recent Messina Hof Winery Newsletter, Paul Mitchell has just received a Winemaking Certificate from the University of California, Davis extension program. Paul began apprenticing under his father, Paul V. Bonarrigo, as a child and teenager, and he grew up working in all of the areas of the winery. For the past three years, Paul V. and Paul M. have been collaborating on winemaking duties here at Messina Hof all while Paul M. and their knowledge and expertise have grown that much stronger. An example of their combined winemaking ability is the recently awarded Messina Hof (Texas Appellation) Tribute to Heritage, Father and Son Cuvee, Naturally Sweet, Riesling 2012. This wine garnered a gold medal in the 2013 Dallas Morning News – Texsom Wine Competition (click here for more information) The wines of Messina Hof appear to be in good hands now and for a long time into the future! Congrats to Paul Mitchell.

Rangers 3, A's 1 As everyone expected, the Rangers lost the game in this series Yu Darvish started, and won the game that Ross Wolf started Wolf, brought up today as an emergency starter when Nick Tepesch's blister kept him from being able to go, made his first major league start (and just his 19th professional start) a memorable one, as he picked up his first major league win by going 5 innings and allowing a single run, walking two, striking out three and allowing three hits. Wolf was perfect through the first three innings, before the A's started getting to him the second and third times through the order. Still, Wolf pitched into the sixth inning, getting lifted with two on and no one out in the sixth after walking John Jaso to start the inning, followed up by Elvis Andrus making an error on a Yoenis Cespedes grounder. I don't think the Rangers could have asked much more from Wolf than what they got from him today. Of Wolf's 19 career professional starts, 11 came in 2002 (the year he was drafted), 1 came in 2005, and the other 7 have come this year. Stellar work from the Ranger bullpen, retiring 12 of the 13 batters they faced. Neal Cotts fanned three in two innings, allowing a hit, and then Robbie Ross and Joe Nathan each pitched a scoreless inning. Ross's ERA is now down to 0.42 on the season. The Rangers were up 2-0 after the first two Ranger hitters came to the plate, and were up 3-0 with one out in the bottom of the first. They failed to plate another run all game. In the three game series against Oakland, they scored in just three different innings, and logged a total of six five runs in the series. After Elvis Andrus singled and David Murphy and Adrian Beltre homered in the first, the Rangers picked up just four baserunners the rest of the game -- an Elvis walk, and singles by Jeff Baker, Leonys Martin and Leury Garcia. There was some discussion on Twitter before the game about the decision to sit Mitch Moreland in favor of Jeff Baker, with a righthander pitching today and a lefty going for Seattle on Friday. My initial reaction was that that didn't make much sense, that Moreland should sit on Friday. However, Baker is going to start on Friday either way, and you can either sit Moreland against Joe Saunders then or you can sit David Murphy against Saunders. Either way, a lefty is going to start. Moreland went 0 for 3 with 3 Ks yesterday, and Ron Washington said today that he thought Moreland, who is leading the majors in games played, needed a break. If Moreland is worn down, playing him today, in a day game after a night game, so you are sitting him Friday (and playing Murphy Friday) against a lefty, probably doesn't make a ton of sense.