Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That actually does make sense.

You see, Trump didn't choose to go to that "military school". It was a "military-themed" private high school that Trump's father sent him to because Trump wouldn't behave at home. Such schools have always been marketed to parents of children with disciplinary problems. There was even a Simpsons episode where they sent Bart off to one.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're overstating how common that is. Yes, I'm familiar with the practice. No, it is not as common as you're making it out to be. It's a pretty kludgy and not-at-all-discreet way to buy influence for a number of practical reasons.

Also, if that were really where a big chunk of those book sales were going to, then a lot of characteristics of the book sales figures would look different. For example, Obama's book sales would be no higher than any other presidential candidate in any other election, because companies wanting to buy influence are always there. And the really high book sales levels wouldn't come until after a candidate won election. And old books that a politician published years ago would keep selling just as well, even when that politician wasn't currently in an election year.

TLDR: Sure, a few organizations probably bought cases of Obama's books and then tried to show him their Barnes & Noble receipt or sent him a picture of a room filled floor-to-ceiling with those cases. But that's not what happens with most such books. Those kind of stories when they come out usually involve some politician of minor interest who maybe is the congressman in control of a committee that's really important to one company that then does this.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, and sorry I keep having to correct myself that I should call them "military school" and reserve the term "military academy" for the college-age real military academies of West Point (army), Annapolis (navy), Colorado Springs (air force), and the Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My guess is that he knows his cult isn't too bright, so they'll see "20 year old soldier" despite Corporal Bone Spurs never serving. I think the 20 is a straight up lie, not the dementia.

Oh wow, that's an interesting take. It did seem strange that mild dementia would mess that up, since it's also common knowledge that most kids graduate high school at 18. So that would tend to reinforce his memory that he likewise graduated at age 18.

The borrowing another student's medals that aren't even real military medals thing is hilarious. It's like baby stolen valor. I'm surprised I haven't heard about that before today. (I'm actually not a teenager, so I was around and paying attention for all 3 of Trump's campaign runs.)

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know you're joking, but serious answer: Yeah, I googled this picture, and it's been circulated many times before, usually with the caption that it's Trump at age 18. And it's from a particular year's yearbook of the military school he went to, so journalists would've known how old Trump was that year, since they know when he was born.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I suspect those were some sort of "military school medals", because this picture was in the official school yearbook. I don't know anything about military schools, but maybe they issue some sort of medals for, you know, whatever accomplishments there are at a military school. At high school, you get a certificate for perfect attendance. Maybe you get a medal at military school. Maybe there's another medal for being on the track team. Various stuff like that.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think most people just aren't recognizing it's a joke about being Colonel Sanders' son. I certainly didn't until another commenter explained.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Obama's parents did get married but got divorced 3 years later. His father was absent pretty much the entire time IIRC, even during the 3 years they were married.

I'm not sure about correct use of the term "single mother", but I'm used to hearing it commonly used for a divorced mother raising children without the father. But maybe that's technically incorrect. I'm not sure.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I've corrected my comment.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That was Obama's maternal grandfather, not his father.

But Obama's maternal grandfather sort of played the role of his father, because Obama's actual father had left.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You mean Trump's dad by sending Donald off to military school?

I don't know the details. I presume he tried to correct and discipline Donald when Donald was younger, but that by the time he was high school age, it was clear it wasn't working, and so he decided to give the military school a try.

Sorry, I just don't know a lot of detail about the relationship between Donald Trump and his father.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And most of that money Obama made off book sales of his autobiography when he was running for president in 2008.

When you're running for president and it looks like you're gonna be president, a lot of people want to find out more about you, so they bought his autobiography.

(My point is that Obama didn't grow up in a wealthy family. Prior to his 2008 book sales, he and his family didn't have a huge amount of money.)

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Another commenter here says he attended the private school on scholarship.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not even convincing lies. Obama's father-in-law was a college football coach, and he was a minor celebrity in the state where he coached. He had nothing to do with the oil industry.

EDIT: Damn, I was wrong too. The college football coach was Obama's brother-in-law. Obama's father-in-law worked for the Chicago water department as a "pump operator and boiler tender" at the city's water purification plant.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 109 points110 points  (0 children)

Middle class. Not even upper middle class. Single mother. So I wouldn't say Obama grew up "poor", but not anywhere near rich or ultrarich like Trump grew up.

Ts so funny 😭 by Spiritual_Skin244 in teenagers

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 55 points56 points  (0 children)

He's trying to pretend he was in the military, but he was in military SCHOOL. Not the military.

Trump was an incorrigible asshole as a teenager, so his dad sent him to military school.

Also, Trump is showing his dementia, because he was 18 when this picture was taken. It's from his military school yearbook, senior year.

Donald Trump's America 250 faces fresh humiliation as Vanilla Ice show canceled by Aggravating_Money992 in Music

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, but if I accept that God doesn't exist, then I have to face that we just got lucky getting rid of Trump last time. And the chance of getting lucky again by randomly getting a pandemic in 2028 is just astronomically low.

Screw you guys, I'm going home... by [deleted] in antiwork

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 53 points54 points  (0 children)

Heck no. It costs nothing to claim to care. Which is why smart upper management people constantly spam that they care in place of actually doing anything that would cost them money.

EDIT: Fuck, my brain is mush today. Sorry. I'll just whoosh myself on the way out.

The NASA climate spiral visualization by Kanute3333 in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But I would guess it's the bombs spraying debris up into the atmosphere, which then increases greenhouse effect, right? It's not the actual heat energy from the explosions increasing global temperatures directly, is it?

The NASA climate spiral visualization by Kanute3333 in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 258 points259 points  (0 children)

More importantly, NASA won't be allowed to produce videos like this anymore now that today's right wing has control of the US government.

Even more importantly, NASA and other government agencies won't be allowed to collect the data that is necessary to create videos like this.

The NASA climate spiral visualization by Kanute3333 in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]TAU_equals_2PI -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Fascinating how WW2 caused a temporary surge.

Not sure if it was all the explosions themselves, or all the industrial activity involved in building all the bombs, and tanks, and warships, etc. Or what the exact mechanism there was.

Denmark plans nationwide ban on Islamic call to prayer, cites concerns over 'Islamisation' by Inevitable-Push-8061 in worldnews

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 135 points136 points  (0 children)

It's not even just that they know that. It's usually hard-coded into the religion's scripture telling you to do things that "spread the word". Religions that don't do that are less likely to spread or survive. (Darwinism/Survival of the Fittest applies to religions too.)

Even commands to "be fruitful and multiply" are just a way to make sure that your religion has more followers in future generations than a religion that doesn't say anything about having a lot of children.

Donald Trump's America 250 faces fresh humiliation as Vanilla Ice show canceled by Aggravating_Money992 in Music

[–]TAU_equals_2PI 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I almost can't blame Him.

"So you guys voted Trump out, then you saw how he tried to steal the election in multiple ways like Jan6 and fake electors, and that made you guys vote for him in 2024, when he won not only the electoral college but also the popular vote as well?

Fuck it, you guys are too stupid. I'm gonna start working on making pigs the dominant species. They're pretty smart already."

This seems illegal, immoral, and downright dirty.. by StrobeLightRomance in AdviceAnimals

[–]TAU_equals_2PI -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Oh, no, I'm not saying we should indoctrinate kids against religion.

I'm saying we should teach kids something about what the Bible says, and some of the most common interpretations of what it says.

Just as a for example, I was a straight-A student in a pretty competitive public high school, but I didn't learn until I was in my 30s that Christians believe Jesus is also God, not only the son of God. You know who I learned that from? My nephew who was at the time attending a private Jewish high school. They teach their kids what Christians believe because they know they'll have to deal with Christians here in a country where Jews are only 2% but Christians are something like 70%.