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2019-2020 Football Season
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Posts posted by Francisco 2.0
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Steely Don
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Judas Pence.
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Public Enemy
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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/04/us/politics/second-trump-whistleblower.html
QuoteA second intelligence official who was alarmed by President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine is weighing whether to file his own formal whistle-blower complaint and testify to Congress, according to two people briefed on the matter.
The official has more direct information about the events than the first whistle-blower, whose complaint that Mr. Trump was using his power to get Ukraine to investigate his political rivals touched off an impeachment inquiry. The second official is among those interviewed by the intelligence community inspector general to corroborate the allegations of the original whistle-blower, one of the people said.
QuoteThe inspector general, Michael Atkinson, briefed lawmakersprivately on Friday about how he substantiated the whistle-blower’s account. It was not clear whether he told lawmakers that the second official is considering filing a complaint.
A new complaint, particularly from someone closer to the events, would potentially add further credibility to the account of the first whistle-blower, a C.I.A. officer who was detailed to the National Security Council at one point. He said that he relied on information from more than half a dozen American officials to compile his allegations about Mr. Trump’s campaign to solicit foreign election interference that could benefit him politically.
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Pence & The Subversionaries
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The Fat Boys.
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The Grifters.
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28 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:
That just means the fucker is coming back to Texas.
Cornyn decides not to run. Perry takes his place.
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36 minutes ago, henrygandorf said:
in the least surprising news of the week, we find out that the reason trump was so brazen today on live tv while he publicly stated that he would ask china to investigate biden - was because he so clearly already has. that's his new thing. he throws out some half-baked idea to gauge the reaction, only now, it's not stuff crazy he's considering, it's crazy stuff he's already done.
who knows what all is in that secure server, but it's unlawful to keep political or embarrassingly stupid stuff in there. whatever is in that server should rightfully wreck this administration. which leads me to believe nobody will ever get to see it.
p.s. why in the fuck would he be talking to china about warren? i mean, the biden stuff is stupid, but at least there's a thread connecting hunter biden to china/ukraine. come the f on with this.
He wants Warren investigated for...something. But other than that, he's probably floating a trial balloon to the Chinese (gee, imagine what a President Warren could do to the global economy or some shit like that? I bet our two countries relationship would probably worsen!) and seeing if the Chinese took the bait.
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The leaks, they keep a-coming.
QuoteWhen President Donald Trump suggested — without prompting — that China should investigate Joe Biden and his son, he thrust another political grudge into what was already the world's most complicated and consequential relationship.
The move startled Chinese officials, who say they have little interest in becoming embroiled in a US political controversy. And it amounted to the latest extraordinary effort by Trump to openly request political assistance from foreign governments
QuoteThursday's comments weren't the first time Trump has injected Biden into his relationship with China, though he said Thursday he has never pushed Xi to investigate the former vice president. Nor is it the first time he has sought to trade favors with Xi, who this week celebrated the 70th birthday of his ruling communist party with a note of congratulations from Trump.
During a phone call with Xi on June 18, Trump raised Biden's political prospects as well as those of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who by then had started rising in the polls, according to two people familiar with the discussion. In that call, Trump also told Xi he would remain quiet on Hong Kong protests as trade talks progressed.
QuoteThe White House record of that call was later stored in the highly secured electronic system used to house a now-infamous phone call with Ukraine's President and which helped spark a whistleblower complaint that's led Democrats to open an impeachment inquiry into Trump.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters at the White House he'd consider asking his counterpart in Beijing to investigate the Bidens, adding to a growing list of foreign leaders he's tried to enlist in his attempts to bring down a potential Democratic challenger.
Spoiler"It's certainly something we can start thinking about," Trump said when questioned whether he would seek the help of Xi in investigating Biden. "Because I'm sure that President Xi does not like being under that kind of scrutiny."
Scramble for clarity
Trump's comments sparked confusion and a scramble for explanation from Chinese officials.
"Are you asking about the comments that Trump just made? I don't think I can tell you anything in this regard right now," said one Chinese diplomat when questioned on Thursday about Trump's remarks.
"This is quite chaotic," the diplomat said. "We do not want to get in the middle of the US politics."
One Trump ally outside the White House described receiving a message from Chinese government officials asking if Trump was serious when he suggested China open an investigation into Biden. The response: investigating corruption is an easy way to earn goodwill with Trump.
The Chinese did not immediately clarify if they would be launching an investigation -- or if they would make it public if they do.
Looming trade talks
As trade negotiators prepare for another round of talks and as Xi contends with domestic challenges like the Hong Kong unrest, the Biden matter throws another wrench into tangled but high-stakes diplomacy.
Trump's reluctance over the summer to speak out against a crackdown against pro-Democracy protesters in Hong Kong has frustrated officials at the National Security Council and State Department, who had been advocating a firmer US stance.
While Trump eventually did tweet out a call for Xi to find a "humane" resolution to the Hong Kong unrest, he did not issue a forceful call to uphold human rights in the former British colony. And as protests again erupted this week as massive celebrations were underway in Beijing for the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, Trump offered Xi his congratulations.
"Congratulations to President Xi and the Chinese people on the 70th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China!" Trump wrote, adopted a drastically different tone than his Republican allies, who used words like "ghoulish," "authoritarian" and "horrors" to mark the occasion.
Trump's remarks Thursday have caused consternation among some of his aides, who have privately pined for an end to a trade war that is starting to take a toll on the US economy.
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Ahem.
https://www-1.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/kansas-state/article235629222.html
QuoteFor some Kansas State football fans, the most frustrating part of their team’s 26-13 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium had little to do with the game itself.
Upset as they were that the Wildcats lost for the first time under new coach Chris Klieman, their emotions ran much hotter about the subscription-only streaming network that broadcast the contest — ESPN+.
After paying $5 to view the game online, their complaints ranged from blurry picture quality to poor camera angles and unprepared announcers ... when they could watch the action. ESPN+ was slow to return to the game when it resumed following a lightning delay, and viewers missed the final minutes of the second quarter. They stared at the words “technical difficulties” while Skylar Thompson hit Sammy Wheeler for a 39-yard pass up the right sideline and the Wildcats scored their first points on a field goal from Blake Lynch.
Quote“Those things just wouldn’t happen if the game was on ESPN or ESPN2,” K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “We were told any conference game on ESPN+ would be produced at that level and it clearly wasn’t at that level. We do a better production job when we do games in house than they did at Oklahoma State.”
QuoteThe Big 12 and ESPN+ blew their chance to make a good first impression at the mainstream level.
ESPN explained some of the issues in a statement to The Wichita Eagle.
It read: “During Saturday’s Kansas State at Oklahoma State game, our production encountered issues that affected the viewing experience of our fans during brief portions of the game. We apologize for the problems. The issues were offsite routing and transmission issues, as well as lightning in the Stillwater area, and were not related to our Big 12 Now on ESPN+ platform. We are working to ensure these isolated issues do not happen again.”
SpoilerStill, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is preaching patience with anyone looking to cancel their $5 monthly subscription because of those hiccups.
“I am very enthusiastic about it,” Bowlsby said. “I don’t mean to be flippant about change. I realize it is difficult. But we really feel that it is going to be excellent for our schools and ultimately excellent for our fans, as well.”
GETTING STARTED
Streaming games on ESPN+ instead of broadcasting them on traditional cable or over-the-air TV is a new practice for the Big 12.
The conference announced several months ago that it was starting its own conference-wide streaming network (called Big 12 Now) and that a large chunk of games and original programming would be available on it. But some glossed over the details when it was assumed only a small number of football and men’s basketball games would appear there.
The Big 12 originally sold ESPN+ as a place to stream a handful of football games (one home game per participating school) and nonconference men’s basketball games. But both KU and K-State have already played two football games on the platform. And the Wildcats are scheduled to play 13 basketball games on ESPN+, while the Jayhawks will make eight appearances online.
Like it or not, the only way for KU and K-State fans to watch every game their favorite teams play now involves ESPN+.
How did the Big 12 get here? The journey began when Bowlsby realized a traditional network wasn’t in the cards.
With only 35 million people located within the conference’s footprint — compared to 91 million for the Atlantic Coast Conference, which recently launched its own cable network through ESPN — he says “the numbers just don’t work.” So he began searching for an alternate platform at about the time the conference negotiated TV rights for the return of its football championship game.
A streaming network and a partnership with ESPN+ seemed like the best option for the Big 12.
There would be no carriage fights with cable and satellite companies that most other conference networks are currently experiencing, programming would be easy to watch and it would all theoretically be available to anyone with an Internet connection. He subscribed with “four clicks of a mouse.”
“This is about getting more exposure for our institutions and conference, not less,” Bowlsby said. “We recognize it require some changes in viewing habits but we think those changes are consistent with the direction that technology and tomorrow’s viewing are headed.”
In its first year, the Big 12 asked four schools (Baylor, KU, K-State, Oklahoma State) to begin showing home games on ESPN+. Next year, four more schools (Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia) will join them. Oklahoma and Texas will also play games on ESPN+, but not to the same degree until their individual agreements for third-tier rights expire.
Bowlsby said all 10 conference schools voted to begin streaming games on ESPN+. It isn’t a money-maker at the moment, but Bowlsby thinks that will change.
“We expect we will profit from it,” Bowlsby said. “That is one of the ways our conference has to keep pace. We sent almost $40 million per school to each of our members last year. In order to keep up and give them the tools to compete nationally we have to constantly look for ways to optimize our revenue.”
Another positive: Big 12 schools dictate when they play games on ESPN+.
Bowlsby hopes playing games on ESPN+ will help the Big 12 most when the conference begins negotiating new TV deals. The Big 12 will continue to play its biggest games on Fox and ESPN networks through 2025. After that? Who knows.
Perhaps a streaming network could put the Big 12 ahead of the curve.
“This is the first time we have had all of our properties aligned,” Bowlsby said. “We think we are on the front side of technology. It’s cutting edge and, frankly, by the time we renegotiate our tier-one deals, I expect that digital distribution and the platforms that go with it will be a big part of that strategy and a very valuable part of that strategy.”
FIXING THE PROBLEM
That’s all well and good, but long-term visions won’t do much to quell the frustration levels of K-State fans that are displeased with the production quality of online games.
Taylor said he received dozens of emails from upset fans about the K-State/OSU stream and devoted a staff meeting to its issues Monday morning. When it was over, he put together a list of issues from the game and sent them to Bowlsby.
According to Taylor, the complaints included the following:
No yellow line to digitally indicate the first-down marker.
Blurry picture.
Unprepared announcing team that failed to promote K-State, Oklahoma State or the Big 12.
Fewer replays than traditional TV broadcasts.
Poor camera angles.
Sideline reporter displayed the Big 12 Now and ESPN+ logos upside down on his microphone during an in-game interview with Klieman.
Technical difficulties during the game.
The ESPN+ team was also caught criticizing the crowd at the KU/West Virginia game last weekwhen they didn’t realize their microphones were on.
Taylor said he was surprised by all the issues, because he has never experienced them while watching other events on ESPN+.
“If this is our platform and they want people to buy it,” Taylor said, “and they want to drive our fans to it, it has got to get better.”
The ironic part about those problems, Bowlsby said, is that the Big 12 asked ESPN to handle the production at football games in hopes of getting the best stream possible. Schools handle the production for non-revenue games.
ESPN agreed to treat Oklahoma State’s win over K-State as the game of the day on cable.
“I don’t have an answer for you as to why that would be,” Bowlsby said, “probably something was malfunctioning, because the production is exactly the same as they are doing on every other game. At least it’s supposed to be.”
MOVING FORWARD
ESPN is contractually allowed to stream any Big 12 football game it desires on ESPN+, Bowlsby said, but K-State fans can rest easy knowing the Wildcats will be on traditional TV until basketball season.
Taylor said the Big 12 has assured K-State its remaining eight football games will not be on ESPN+.
The Big 12 is scheduled to hold meetings with its athletic directors next week, and Taylor expects ESPN+ to be a main topic of conversation. He said ESPN executives are supposed to be on hand to hear any and all concerns.
Taylor will have much to say.
“We expect something different,” he said. “That is what we bought into and they need to uphold their part of the bargain. If they go back and really review the Oklahoma State production there is no way they can say it was done at the level we expect. They are going to have to fix it.”
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9 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:
So, yesterday I drew the short straw and received a two-paged double sided
letterform plea from Ronna McDaniel, the RNC Chairwoman asking me to fill out a survey (also included) and donate to "help re-elect President Trump" yada yada yada. The survey lacks room for me to properly express my dismay in the GOP although it does have a nice example of how to properly fill it out (since it will likely be computer scanned). I am contemplating writing across it in Sharpie and sending it back, but am also considering fill it out in all seriousness. Or, I could go all psy-ops and fill it out as a Trumpkin and give them a sense of security so they don't spend any money in Texas. The GOP is no longer a party I can support based on their convictions or lack thereof.Did any of you receive one of these? Toss it in the trash? It will cost me a stamp so I have to consider my pain and suffering.
you could, oh, I don't know...scan it and post it somewhere and let potentially thousands of people taint the survey.
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Just now, 4th&Five said:
I assume this his him asking for it.
Hmm. QAnon folks are going to be working overtime on this one.
All caps. Correct spelling. An exclamation mark.
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45 minutes ago, sachick said:
Totally normal.
Well, you see, the federal government already has a news network. VOA. It would just need tweaked a little to fully support the President's vision, and voila!
I expect the EO calling for the overhaul tomorrow morning.
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Let's assume for a moment this 24 year old, highly virile, full of testosterone American-made GI decided he did want to tag a 70-year old grandmother.
Kudos for him. And kudos to her for being able to pull in a sidepiece who is 46 years younger than she is. You go girl.
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- Popular Post
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1 hour ago, horncyclist said:The decision allowed for the imposition of tarriffs on $7.5 billion of goods. There was no award. He mostly just spews complete nonsense these days.
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As requested, it's high time he had his own. If that dumbass Wohl has one, so does Rudy.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/world/europe/pompeo-trump-italy.html
QuoteSecretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed on Wednesday that he had listened in on President Trump’s telephone conversation with the president of Ukraine — a call that has become the subject of a whistle-blower’s complaint and is at the heart of an impeachment inquiry by House Democrats.
“I was on the phone call,” Mr. Pompeo said at a news conference in Rome — the first time he has addressed the topic publicly since reports surfaced that he had heard the exchange.
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2 minutes ago, Message Board User said:
Imagine, for a minute, that Trump remains in office throughout 2020 but loses on Election Day.
Does anybody think he'll be a gracious loser, concede, and ride off quietly into that good night?
The next 12-15 months are going to be sporty and the conventions are going to be insane.
Oh hell no.
He would send out hundreds of tweets in all caps screaming about deep state, illegals voting, Clintons, Mueller, fake news, etc. In other words, nothing different than today.
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Totally normal.
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Hmmm. Seems out of the ordinary.
Donald Trump 2019
in Cloak Room
Posted · Edited by Francisco 2.0
Trump Öyster Cult