I’m trusting TomCat to provide you with plenty for comment from Iowa’s caucuses, and results, so these are important stories that may get less attention than on other days.
Social Security would have all the money it needs were there greater income equality 
“Social Security would have all the money it needs were there greater income equality in the United States. Put differently, the majority of working people have contributed less than expected to Social Security because their earnings have not grown as quickly as the highest earning Americans or as quickly as the federal government had projected. Had people’s wages increased more evenly, Social Security would be adequately funded.”
http://justcareusa.org/social-security-would-have-all-the-money-it-needs-were-there-greater-income-equality/
Stunning video of the Leuser Ecosystem
“Many people have likely heard of the Amazon or the Congo, but the lesser-known Leuser Ecosystem on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, is just as biologically diverse, just as important to the continued survival of species, and just as important for our global climate.”
Latin America to top professional working women league by 2025-Mercer
http://news.trust.org/item/20160127000319-pbaai/?source=hpOtherNews2
Brutal Repression in Egypt Exceeds Conditions Under Mubarak (video and text)
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=15527
President Obama Roasts Donald Trump At White House Correspondents' Dinner! (2011 but worth a repeat)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TwRmX6zs4
Julianna Forlano: Headlines! Sean Penn's Secret Weapon to Bring Down El Chappo! (video)
http://kpdailyfunnies.blogspot.com/2016/02/julianna-forlano-headlines-sean-penns.html#.Vq9L_lMrI1g
9 Responses to “Terse Tuesday Tidbits February 2, 2016”
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cross posted to Care2 at:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/663679641/3951003
Social Security is doing amazingly well considering how much it has been attacked and stolen from. And the tweaks which would keep it doing even better for much longer are simple, just, and practically painless. But in order to have a Congress that understands that, we need changes in voting pattern which, while also just, will be difficult and painful to achieve.
There is a very good parody of a Doritos commercial which may not be as fact-filled and rational as this, but which is designed to kick people in the gut. It was originally made for last year's Super Bowl but has been updted or just brought back, I'm not sure which. Pepsico is not the only guilty party by a long shot, but the ad is very clever.
Juliana's description of "The Revenant" sounds exactly like grand opera. I mean, what's not to like?
That commercial is indeed good-thanks for including it here Joanne.
Some nice terse tidbits there, Judi. Thanks for posting.
Social security: This explanation – general income has lagged behind, and hence it's contribution to social security, due to growing income inequality – makes a lot more sense than the standard Republican "blame welfare junkies aka the poor for eating up more than they deserve" explanation. It once more puts the blame where it due: the 1% have gained in income what the 99% has lost, but do not pay any contributions to Social Security over this gain and over most of their other income, making them the real Welfare Queens.
"The Leuser Ecosystem on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, is just as biologically diverse, just as important to the continued survival of species, and just as important for our global climate.” and is just as much endangered if not more! Al because of palm oil. Ban palm oil, stop its import, do not buy product with palm oil in it (which is almost impossible, I know, because it's in almost everything, especially cheaper foods).
Latin America to top professional working women league: This sounds pretty good to me and I certainly hope it is so, but I've a hard time seeing this come to fruition when so many women in Latin America are so badly treated, abused and murdered, their rights far from equal to that of their men, and culturally seen as less then men. This is of course also the case in America and Europe to some extend, equality there not what is should be either, but it seems Latin America needs a lot more doing to reach this point in the next 10 years, given the oppression of women in macho cultures and by religious institutions.
Egypt: Never has a spring turned into such a bitter cold winter. Strategically Sisi has played a brilliant game, using the secular Spring uprising to get rid of Mubarak, then playing the secular movement against the powerful sectarian movement , having at one point the secular movement even ask the military to help them fight the Brotherhood – and now Sisi is in full control by oppressing both in a most brutal way. With tourism dwindling out of existence by sectarian (bomb) attacks, the economic lifeline is severed and Egypt is on its way to turn from a prospering, secular country headed for democracy into just another tyranny in the Middle East/North Africa. Appalling.
Obama roasts Trump: Obama isn't just terribly funny – he surely must be the president with the best sense of humor by far – he also shows great foresight in predicting in 2011 that Donald would want the presidency for himself in 2015.
Thanks! Big Hurry Today!!
Social security would, also, be in healthier shape, if the income cap were to be raised, so that those making more money would continue to be paying into the system.
True–as long as the related benefits to the high earners do not consume it all.
If the federal government would pay back the money it has "borrowed" from Social Security it would be in better shape, too. The article makes sense to me.
I haved signed numerous petitions to the Indonesian government to protect this area, doubtful they will listen. They would lose too much money.
I didn't really see an explantation of why Latin American women were doing so much better than the rest of us.
I have a Care 2 friend from Egypt. I have not heard from her since shortly after the Arab spring and there has been no activity on her profile page. I hope she is not one of those affected by the current repression.
Loved the Obama roast. The Donald looked unhappy every time the camera was on him.
Julianno Forano: I enjoyed this a lot. Thanks, Judi.
you are welcome Edie