The latest report from the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor shows that first time unemployment insurance claims increased by 2,000 last week. According to the report, there were 366,000 initial claims in the week ending August 11.

"When the facts change, I change my mind. what do you do, sir?" -- John Maynard Keynes.

As the fastest growing social network ever, Pinterest has positioned itself nicely to become the next "big thing" in political campaigning, with candidates finally recognizing the easy-to-use nature of the platform and the number of politicians on Pinterest on the rise. While the platform is stereotypically known for it's abundance of wedding themed boards, it is evolving into a platform ample for sharing personal and political images.

Big news Thursday out of the United Kingdom:

Over the next several weeks I will be posting content from a paper written earlier this year regarding the implementation of an online election in America. The general thesis being that an online election could be conducted and would likely create an increase in voter turnout.

First the paper will evaluate voter turnout rates in recent national elections. Comparing both mid-term to presidential elections.

I live in San Diego. Home of sun, fun, and pension fiascos. Like most places in America, we periodically elect a Mayor. This happens to be one of those years. And, boy, have things gotten serious.

If the UK goes ahead with their threat to storm the Ecuador embassy in London, it will do so in complete and deliberate violation of international law. This would allow other countries to do the same, and make a mockery of the UK's pretension of supporting democracy and rule of law.

There are many factors prospective voters take into account when deciding among candidates. What are their policies? What is their experience in government? Are they a charismatic leader? Will they be knowledgeable in all aspects of the job? Voters ask these questions in an effort to ascertain how competent the candidate will be in office.

In what has become a depressingly normal occurrence in California, the state makes rosy estimations of projected California tax revenue in order to get a balanced budget passed, only to discover a few months later that revenue is less than expected.

It is election year in America. This means that voters and potential voters are deluged with all the muck PACs and action groups can dig up. The parties scramble to manage the image of their candidates. In Congress and in state capitals across the nation, politicians stop their partisan bickering over laws of substance-- and engage in partisan bickering over laws about the election itself.