Democracy is changing before our eyes - more elected posts, more voting systems, more choice as the two-party system continues to break down and, above all other things - more unpredictable than ever.

BBC: Elections - Reading the runes

Every month it appears more likely that the pay-TV system will break down.

ECONOMIST: The future of pay-television

In addition, he said, the background-check system tends to break down on weekends, when gun shows often swell traffic.

WSJ: Systemic Gaps Hinder Background Checks for Gun Purchases

He says elected officials may be hesitant to create yet another victims fund, but without a fund, he says, battered New Orleans court system could break down under the strain of post-Katrina lawsuits.

NPR: Lawsuits Filed Over New Orleans Levee Breaks

So the company has teamed up with a small venture-backed company that has developed a system that can break down some of that trash fast and turn it into natural gas, electricity, compost or all of the above, making some of that trash even more valuable.

FORBES: Waste Management's New Way of Managing Waste: Speed Composting