News you might have missed: July 2016

From Justin Trudeau to Owen Smith, and from FOSIS to Pokemon...

Here's the news you might have missed in July...

Engaging Citizens - Week 3 - Public Service Delivery

I am studying an online course called Engaging Citizens: A Game Changer for Development? and trying to blog as I go. Although the course is focussed on international development, I want to try to apply the ideas to UK politics (both national and local) and also to student engagement in higher education.

Here are my thoughts on week 3:

Video 1: The Role of Accountability in Service Delivery

Governments are meant to be elected by and serve the people. The Accountability Triangle: Poor people communicate with Policymakers who communicate with Service Providers (Long route of accountability), or Poor people directly communicate with Service Providers (Short route of accountability). Preconditions of the short route of accountability are Information (from providers) and Feedback (from citizens). Information needs to be Relevant, Localized, Accessible, Reliable and accurate, and Sustained and consistent. The benefits of feedback on service delivery include the ability to identify problems quickly, and ability to identify what is going well and who is making things work. If you ask for feedback and don't take it seriously, then you breed cynicism. Common myths of citizen engagement include: 1) Citizen engagement will solve all problems, 2) Technology is a game changer, 3) We can avoid politics. 

Reflection: My perception is that people feel that services are not accountable to them at UK and local government level. There is annual information from local government about council income and expenditure in council tax bills. I don't think there is an equivalent at UK level. There is no opportunity to give feedback on government information. There are occasional consultations on developments but nothing sustained over time. My perception is that students do feel closer to services in higher education (or at least they are regularly surveyed about them and know how to complain about them). Student feedback is sought on academic but not management issues. Could students and members of staff help make better management decisions?

Video 2: Methods and Tools for Accountability in Service Delivery

Services are normally the outputs of a cycle of Legislation, Design, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, Legislation etc. Citizens can engage at all stages. Tools for accountability include: 1) Right to Information laws (used by NGOs to inform citizens about elected representatives). 2) Social audits (citizens use information from the state to place direct demands for accountability on the state i.e. at public meetings). These can raise awareness, empower citizens in engaging with the state, but addressing grievances can be slow. 3) Monitoring outcomes (regular surveys can inform debate).

Reflection: Both UK and local governments have Freedom of Information processes but not really an equivalent to social audits. NGOs (and others) can get some information but I'm not aware them collecting data to inform policy. In higher education, the Freedom of Information act also applies. Student forums are similar to social audits but I am not sure what information they actually receive (some student survey results?). External organisations do use the information (e.g. newspaper league tables, surveys of appeals and complaints etc.). The people that run the services do want student feedback but i am not sure how often the feedback loop is closed (e.g. "You said..., we did...").

Video 3: Case Study: Twaweza's Uwezo Initiative

There has been a huge increase in enrolment at primary and secondary schools in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, but are children learning? 20% students in grade 7 could not pass a grade 2 test! The Uwezo initiative is a standard test across countries to measure attainment. Local residents volunteer as citizen researchers. Paid district co-ordinators organise the volunteers. Parents are given immediate feedback to encourage action to challenge low achievement in schools. However parents were not as active as expected in response. This was because they already knew the problem and were already trying to improve things on an individual basis but they felt that they had no power over teachers. However making the national information public gave parents collective power. The result was a national dialogue about the issue. 

Reflection: It is hard to apply the initiative to the UK where there is effective state education. However there are some principles to reflect on: 1) Local residents can be local data collectors. 2) Giving people information does not necessarily make people activists. 3) People already know local information but not necessarily national information. 4) National information/data makes a problem less personal and therefore more likely to be approached impartially. None of the four principles seem to be applied in UK government, local government or higher education.

Video 4: Breaking Views UNICEF Interviews Danny Sriskandarajah

African governments have traditionally had a lack of resources and lack of trust by their citizens. There has been a growth of citizen collective action to fill gaps. The role of citizens and civil society organisations has expanded over time. Some citizens have been given tools to hold state accountable (e.g. reporting that a teacher has not turned up). If there is no response by the state then frustrations build up, possibly into violence. Young people are active in using tools to hold governments accountable between formal elections.

Reflection: Even in UK, there have been some developments between elections, e.g referenda (AV and devolution at national level, council tax at local level). Higher education still uses periodic student surveys rather than students providing data on a more continuous basis. 

Quiz

1st attempt 8/10

2nd attempt 10/10

Short answer question

There was an assessment due this week - 600 words on:

Is citizen engagement a game changer for development? Argue your case by referencing the concepts, theoretical frameworks and examples highlighted in this course.

Although i would like to have attempted this, i have not had the time to do most of the reading this week, let alone additional writing. I might do a blog post on this at the end of the course, to summarise my thoughts. On reflection, I could have set some reminders and planned the assessment in advance of the deadline.

Engaging Citizens - Week 2 - Improved Policymaking

I am studying an online course called Engaging Citizens: A Game Changer for Development? and trying to blog as I go. Although the course is focussed on international development, I want to try to apply the ideas to UK politics (both national and local) and also to student engagement in higher education.

Here are my thoughts on week 2:

Video 1: How Citizen Engagement Improves Policymaking

Public engagement in policy making is the key to unlocking citizen capacities within government decision-making. Thick engagement tactics involve large number of people, in small groups, learning, deciding and acting. They are intensive, informed and deliberative (e.g. town hall meetings, wikis, participatorial budgeting). Thin engagement tactics are faster, easier, more viral (e.g. petitions, facebook likes). Best approach is probably a combination of both tactics. A large critical mass of participants is usually crucial for affecting policy. 

How does participation improve policy making? 

1) People become more informed about issues

2) Engagement can bridge divides

3) Engagement increases the accountability of elected officials

4) Sustained engagement (global south) is generally better than temporary engagement (global north)

Reflection: UK political campaigns tend to use thin tactics (e.g. 38 degrees petitions) but is that because the thick tactics are less visible to me? I'm not sure what happens in local politics - local petitions? In higher education, focus groups can have huge impacts but are they representative? Does anyone ever check unless they want to challenge the outcomes?

Video 2: Strategies for Recruitment and Participation

Four questions to think about:

1) Who should participate and how will participants be recruited? Recruitment strategies include promotions via broadcast media, pro-actively via networks, and random lottery.

2) How will participants interact with each other and with decision makers? One-way, two-way or deliberative? Features of deliberative communication include being focused on problem solving, open and accessible conversations, careful reflections, weighing alternatives, and making decisions based on facts and values.

3) What information do participants need? High quality information that contains context and history, is neutral and objective, and includes all perspectives.

4) How will participation impact policy decisions, problem-solving efforts, or other kinds of public action?

There is a spectrum of public participation: Inform -> Consult -> Involve -> Collaborate -> Empower.

Six common participation scenarios: Inform the public, gather feedback, generate new ideas, support volunteerism and problem-solving, policy decisions, and plan a budget.

Reflection: National politics only informs, local politics informs and consults, whilst higher education informs, consults and involves. Basically, the smaller the population, the easier it is to organise participation.

Video 3: Crowdsourcing Public Policy

What makes citizen engagement work? 

1) Start with a problem. 

2) Think of engagement as a way of expanding the tool kit available to solve problems. 

3) Don't only ask for opinions, ask for suggestions. 

4) Use citizens to gather data. 

5) Consider task-based engagement. 

6) Try crowdfunding. 

7) Employees and civil servants can also be engaged. 

8) Share what you know by opening data. 

9) Hold live events in real space. 

10) Create incentives for people to participate. 

11) Implement what you learn. 

12) Crowdsource wisely, not just broadly. 

Reflection: In the UK, national and local governments rarely use any of the approaches. Where there is engagement, it is always about opinions and not solutions. That is also true for political parties. When I used to organise student engagement activities in a students' union, I used two of the approaches at most. My current employer (a university) does try staff engagement (not just staff surveys but also Dragons' Den style events) but I don't know how effective they are.

Video 4: Why People Participate

Most theories relating to participation are based on the rational choice approach - people will only participate when the benefits of participating (the outcomes of event) are greater than the costs of participating (material and opportunity costs). People are more likely to participate if they can see that participating makes a difference. However, knowing that participation makes a difference is not the only factor determining participation. Studies have shown that online participation lowers the cost of participation and increases participation by previously unengaged citizens (e.g. younger). However there is a paradox of increased participation by both lowered and increased costs! Therefore there must be other factors that increase participation - thought to be "good citizenship"  and "a sense of belonging". 

Techniques to increase participation: 

1) Show results and communicate them, 

2) Design multiple channels of interaction, 

3) Provide multi-tiers of participation, 

4) Get personal, target and customise, 

5) Reinforce sense of civic duty and collectiveness, 

6) Get pre-commitment from citizens, 

7) Learn to experiment, and experiment to learn.

Reflection: I knew most of the theory and have certainly tried to apply the seven techniques when I could. In UK national and local politics, it is generally left to the political parties to get out their vote, rather than there being a general "please vote" campaign. In student elections, it is also normally left to the candidates to get people to vote. "None of the above" or "Re-open nominations" options do not encourage people to vote. There should be centrally funded campaigns to encourage voting.

Quiz

The MOOC includes weekly quizzes. There are ten questions. For my first attempt, I took a closed book approach and got ten correct!

Previous MOOC blog posts:

Engaging Citizens: A Game Changer for Development? - Week 0

Engaging Citizens - Week 1 - Theories and mechanisms

Engaging Citizens - Week 1 - Theories and mechanisms

I am studying an online course called Engaging Citizens: A Game Changer for Development? and trying to blog as I go. Although the course is focussed on international development, I want to try to apply the ideas to UK politics (both national and local) and also to student engagement in higher education.

Here are my thoughts on week 1:

Video 1: Citizen Engagement: History and Definitions

Citizen engagement has a long history from Athenian democracy to Islamic Shuras to modern participatory budgeting. The basic concept is that governments derive their authority from their people so have a responsibility to respond to their needs. The course defines citizen engagement as "the two-way interaction between citizens and government or the private sector that gives citizens a stake in decision-making, with the objective of improving development outcomes". The course defines citizens in a non-legal sense i.e. everyone in a geographical area (including minorities and excluded groups).The simple model of citizen engagement is: government shares information, then citizens give feedback, then finally government takes action. There is a scale of engagement from consultation to collaboration to participation to empowerment. 

Reflecting on the video, I can identify the various groups of citizens in my examples: for UK politics - all residents, for local politics - residents and workers, and for higher education - students. It is easy to identify residents and students but much harder to identify workers. I work in Coventry but don't live in the city. I have lots of opinions on local issues (mainly about transport) but I have never been asked my opinion and doubt I ever will be.

Video 2: Citizen Engagement: Theories and Mechanisms

The long-standing mechanism for citizen engagement is elections but this is a blunt instrument. A alternative mechanism is "invited spaces of participation" (e.g. making constitutions and budget making) - basically activities that take place between elections. The role of civil society organisations (NGOs) is to channel the citizen voice to elected officials. Is the value of citizen engagement an intrinsic good (i.e. an objective in itself) or an instrumental good (i.e. a tool to meet other objectives)? Mechanisms for feedback do not automatically lead to engagement.

In UK politics, there are elections but there aren't any invited spaces of participation. In local politics, there are elections and there are some invited spaces e.g. planning inquiries and council petition. In higher education, there are elections to student representative positions (in Students' Unions and as course reps). There are also regular invited spaces such as student forums and focus groups. I think all the mechanisms treat citizen engagement as an intrinsic good - engagement is beneficial to residents and students, whatever the outcome.

Video 3: Context and the Enabling Environment

Citizen engagement is not a set of activities that can be replicated in any country - the national context matters. Social accountability is the extent and capability of citizens to hold the state accountable and make it responsive to their needs. This is not the exactly the same as citizen engagement but related. There are five elements of citizen engagement: Citizen action, State action, Civic mobilization (e.g. by NGOs), Citizen-State interface, and Information. The process is iterative and non-linear. The role of the state is to be an enabling environment, offer diverse avenues of accountability, and support citizen engagement approaches. The capacity of the state to respond to citizen demands will determine the outcome of citizen engagement initiatives. The national context will include political society (the nature of the state and rule of law), the state-society relationship, civil society (the capacity and networking ability of civil society organisations), cultural norms and global factors. Drivers of citizen action include awareness and salience of issue, intrinsic motivation, efficacy, capacity for collective action, and the cost of inaction. Drivers of state action include awareness, ability to resolve issue, attitude to responding to civil society demands, intrinsic motivation, and the cost of inaction (for elected and non-elected officials). Drivers of information include accessibility, framing of the information, and trustworthiness. Drivers of interface include awareness, credibility, mediation, and capability. Drivers of civic mobilization include awareness, capability, networks and credibility.

On reflection, citizen engagement is an iterative process with multiple actors. It is easy to identify the five elements in UK politics and higher education. There is a lack of civic mobilization in local politics as political parties and campaign/resident groups are patchy.

Video 4: Rethinking The Evidence: Tactical vs. Strategic Approaches

Studies on the impact of citizen engagement show mixed results. There are basically two approaches: Tactical (short term, using one tool at a local level) and Strategic (long term, using multiple tools and scaled up from local). The tactical approach assumes that providing more information will result in local action which will stimulate national action. Studies of engagement with low impacts has shown that information is not enough, that bottom-up oversight does not limit corruption and that imposed local decision making can be captured by local elites. The strategic approach assumes that actionable accessible information can motivate action, only democratic decentralisation bring government closer to the people, and community monitoring can reduce corruption when paired with oversight from above. The concept of Voice - the aggregation and representation of the views of under-represented citizens. The concept of Teeth - the government capacity for responsiveness. There is a need for both voice and teeth - citizen engagement paired with reforms to encourage government responses.

On reflection, too many citizen engagement initiatives are tactical, box-ticking "consultations" - in UK and local politics and in higher education. We should want a strategic approach to citizen engagement - reflecting the intrinsic benefit and a long term approach. We should beware of local elites (e.g. residents' group, students' union sabbatical officers) - are they representing all citizens?

Video 5: Does Citizen Engagement Really Make a Difference?

Citizen engagement increases citizen voice and power AND helps groups work together. There is an impact at both the macro and micro levels in multiple dimensions. The barriers to citizen engagement include how citizens engage (traditional) AND how institutions respond (the biggest issue). Changing national policies takes time (15-20 years!). Citizens create their own spaces (formal and informal) to develop voice. National contexts matter.

On reflection, citizens need to see positive reinforcement of citizen engagement. Institutions must be seen to be responding. Campaigns should identify quick wins to keep up momentum. I'm glad I live in (a mostly) democratic society so change does happen (e.g. same-sex marriage in five years thanks to the Lib Dems).

Localizing Development: Does Participation Work?

John Stuart Mill said "universal suffrage and national participation are of little use unless citizens have been prepared for participation at a local level". Preparation makes citizens able to understand the public good. Mohandas Gandi described the village-republic model, emblematic of perfect democracy. The colonial legacies of decentralization was local administrative rule. In the 1950s international aid was community development. This was perceived to have failed - not sure why - elite capture or lack of partnership. In the 1960s and 1970s international aid focussed on agricultural and industrial growth. This was centralized and representative democracy (governments) rather than participatory democracy (citizens). By the 1980s top-down development was seen as performing poorly with significant environmental damage and poverty. There was a move to community-driven development. In the 1990s there were pro-democracy movements and radical redistribution of power in some countries. This resulted in democratic decentralization and better governance. Organic participation includes bottom-up social movements (including trade unions). Induced participation include top-down structures. These can be scaled up organic structures. Possible participation structures include political decentralization (local elections), deconcentration (local administration), and community-driven development (external funding of projects).

On reflection, the UK should look at supporting political decentralization at home as well as abroad!

Quiz

The MOOC includes weekly quizzes. There are ten questions. For my first attempt, I took a closed book approach and got six correct. I did some revision and tried again with a closed book approach and got nine correct. On reflection, i might try an open book approach in future weeks!

Previous MOOC blog posts:

Engaging Citizens: A Game Changer for Development? - Week 0

News you might have missed - March 2014

From Clegg vs Farage to Ben Summerskill vs Pink News and from MOOCs to Muppets, and finally if World War I was a bar fight…

Here's the news you might have missed in the last month... 

News you might have missed - December 2013 and January 2014

Political

Revealed: spy agencies' covert push to infiltrate virtual world of online games | World news | theguardian.com
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/nsa-spies-online-games-world-warcraft-second-life

The NSA declined to comment on the surveillance of games...

Google acquires Boston Dynamics, maker of BigDog, Atlas, and Petman DARPA Robots. (video)
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/12/16/google_acquires_boston_dynamics_maker_of_bigdog_atlas_and_petman_darpa_robots.html

First "do no evil", then...

Cameron's internet filter goes far beyond porn - and that was always the plan
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/12/camerons-internet-filter-goes-far-beyond-porn-and-was-always-plan

Why am I not surprised...

The Lib Dems must make tackling long-term youth unemployment their mission
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/01/lib-dems-must-make-tackling-long-term-youth-unemployment-their-mission

Great post by my friend Mathew on tackling long-term youth unemployment

What Would Happen If Paddington Bear Tried To Immigrate To The UK Today
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jimwaterson/what-would-happen-if-paddington-bear-tried-to-immigrate-to-t

It's not promising for him...

Lord Rennard sex case: Westminster's sexist treatment of women is stuck in the 1950s
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10576363/Lord-Rennard-sex-case-Westminsters-sexist-treatment-of-women-is-stuck-in-the-1950s.html?fb

Parliament needs to be modernised in so many ways

MPs smiling when visiting a food bank - All parties are guilty!
http://viewfromtheshire.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/mps-smiling-when-visiting-food-bank-all.html

MPs from all parties smile when visiting food banks - here are the pictures to show it...

Canada orders Briton to stop selling Marmite and Irn-Bru
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25867613

Irn-bru is banned in Canada for its links to hyperactivity...

Jane Merrick offers some reasons for the Lib Dems to be cheerful, counts the cost of a free TV licence, and naming names

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/jane-merrick-offers-some-reasons-for-the-lib-dems-to-be-cheerful-counts-the-cost-of-a-free-tv-licence-and-naming-names-9085328.html

How We Can All Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Lib Dems

Rufus Hound in Euro elections NHS bid
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25900089

I respect the fact that he is willing to do something for his political beliefs (unlike Russell Brand)

LGBT

Olympian Tom Daley’s mystery man: Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/12/olympian-tom-daleys-mystery-man-oscar-winner-dustin-lance-black/

More gossip...

76 countries where same-sex relationships are illegal: A depressing U.N. map.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2013/12/09/_76_countries_where_same_sex_relationships_are_illegal_a_depressing_u_n.html

Looks like a colonial legacy...

I'm Gay, LGBT, 'Whatever': The 53 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2013
http://www.towleroad.com/2013/12/50.html

I missed some of these (Loki, Raven Symonè!) and have never heard of some of these americans but they all seem a happy bunch :)

India top court reinstates gay sex ban
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-25329065

Sad news...

Couples in civil partnerships ‘disappointed’ to have to wait longer to convert to marriage
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/12/11/couples-in-civil-partnerships-disappointed-to-have-to-wait-longer-to-convert-to-marriage/

Count me as one of the 'disappointed'...

Same sex rulings in India and Australia - the struggle goes on
http://viewfromtheshire.blogspot.com/2013/12/same-sex-rulings-in-india-and-australia.html?spref=fb

Yes, opposing gay marriage makes you a homophobe
https://www.facebook.com/Slate/posts/10152074044776438

Ugandan MPs pass life in jail anti-homosexual law
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25463942

More sad news...

Thomas Hitzlsperger: Former Aston Villa player reveals he is gay
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25628806

Progress

Gay marriage in 2013 - A reflection
http://viewfromtheshire.blogspot.com/2014/01/gay-marriage-in-2013-reflection.html?spref=fb

Nigeria’s president has made ‘Jail All The Gays’ bill law
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/nigerias-president-reported-have-made-jail-all-gays-bill-law130114#sthash.V6mTsbbJ.gbpl

Sad news...

US judge strikes down Okla. same-sex marriage ban

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-judge-strikes-down-okla-same-sex-marriage-ban/2014/01/14/17e5e444-7d6d-11e3-97d3-b9925ce2c57b_story.html

Good news...

Putin anti-gay Olympics: Russian president tells gays to leave the kids alone.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/01/17/putin_anti_gay_olympics_russian_president_tells_gays_to_leave_the_kids_alone.html

Sadly I am not surprised...

Olympics staff assault gay protester in Russia for waving rainbow flag
http://americablog.com/2014/01/olympics-staff-tackle-gay-protester-russia.html

And so it begins...

UK Government launches consultation into future of civil partnerships
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/24/government-launches-consultation-into-future-of-civil-partnerships/

Decisions, decisions...

Holocaust Memorial Day: The lessons we should learn from the Nazi persecution of gay people
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/27/holocaust-memorial-day-the-lessons-we-should-learn-from-the-nazi-persecution-of-gay-people/

Comment: Stonewall’s complicated relationship with trans activists is based on old arguments
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/27/comment-stonewalls-complicated-relationship-with-trans-activists-is-based-on-old-arguments/

A bit of a history lesson

Russia: Newspaper editor fined under anti-gay law for printing ‘being gay is normal’
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/30/russia-newspaper-editor-fined-under-anti-gay-law-for-printing-being-gay-is-normal/

Worrying

Entertainment

Dancing On Ice reveals line-up for final series
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/25319818

Previous contestants returning include Gary Lucy, Kyran Bracken, Sam Attwater... and Bonnie Langford

Where (not) to go in Guildford: 8 clubs and bars to avoid like herpes
http://noiseontrial.com/2011/07/01/where-not-to-go-in-guildford-8-clubs-and-bars-to-avoid-like-herpes/

Guildford is "a hyped-up prep hole that thinks its a mini Kingston" - it's clearly gone downhill since my time there ;)

Paul Dini explains why execs don't want girls watching their superhero shows
http://boingboing.net/2013/12/16/paul-dini-explains-why-execs-d.html

Because cartoons are for selling toys to boys...

Why Marketers Fear The Female Geek

http://howtonotsuckatgamedesign.com/2013/12/marketers-fear-female-geek-2/

We are all slaves to marketers...

Murder, She Wrote remake is scrapped by US network NBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25840830

Good

Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall name baby daughter Mia Grace Tindall
http://metro.co.uk/2014/01/23/zara-phillips-and-mike-tindall-name-royal-baby-daughter-mia-grace-tindall-4274968/

Zara becomes Mamma Mia...

Science

Universal Lessons From a Dude With Two Penises - The Cut
http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/01/universal-lessons-from-a-dude-with-two-penises.html

You learn something new every day --> Universal Lessons From a Dude With Two Penises

255th anniversary of the British Museum: Google Doodle celebrates institution's opening
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/255th-anniversary-of-the-british-museum-google-doodle-celebrates-london-institutions-birthday-9060397.html

Am due a visit... ;)

New device makes wheelchairs obsolete
http://www.wimp.com/newdevice/

Wow

Fridge sends spam emails as attack hits smart gadgets
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25780908

Headline of the day: Fridge sends spam emails!

Why Audio Never Goes Viral
http://digg.com/originals/why-audio-never-goes-viral

"It’s hardly a fair fight, audio vs. cat video, but it’s the one that’s fought on Facebook every day"

Higher Education

Autumn Statement: Cap on student numbers to be lifted
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25236341

Good news - even if i don't quite see how the numbers can add up

And finally…

Motorists lose badge of superiority to cyclists
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/motorists-lose-badge-of-superiority-to-cyclists-2013120681761

Waitrose Free Coffee Or Tea Scheme 'Draws Wrong Sort Of Shopper'
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12/31/waitrose-coffee-tea_n_4522724.html

No comment...

Which 'Star Wars' Character Are You?
http://www.zimbio.com/quiz/Ukldm8Pi5Ub/Star+Wars+Character?result=lR7oWcH3DZp

I can live with this result :)

Married gays to tour drought-hit countries
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/married-gays-to-tour-drought-hit-countries-2014012082721

The Daily Mash strikes gold again

Which BuzzFeed quiz are you: QUIZ!
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/low_concept/2014/01/which_buzzfeed_quiz_are_you_quiz.html

No comment! ;)