And if you allowed her to connect to the social web without exiting the mobile banking application, you might get to know how she felt about your services, what products she came looking for, who her friends are and whether they should shop for another bank offering a better deal.

FORBES: Show me your mobile, I'll show you who you are

She said questions had been raised "about who'd pay for what" if she hosted an event for the visiting team, which came from Palin's home territory outside Anchorage.

CNN: Palin e-mails show routine work, running feuds

And then, at around the half way point of the campaign, came her call for what she dubbed "the United Welsh Alternative" a grand alliance of left-wing, anti-cuts parties and organisations - principal among them, Plaid Cymru and Labour, working together to oppose the UK Government.

BBC: State of Play 2 - Plaid Cymru

Clayton High School principal Louise Losos came up with what she thought was a clever idea for keeping an eye on the students at her Missouri school.

FORBES: From The Bad Idea File: Creating A Fake Facebook Account To Spy On High School Students

And she wasn't at all prepared for what came next.

CNN: Let's talk about sex ... and cancer

Had she and her husband ever taken the time to examine their retirement assets together, she would have been much better prepared for what came next: a complete lifestyle change that included moving in with an adult child to cut housing costs.

FORBES: Retirement Planning And Its Challenges For Women

Next came a two-year stint at McKinsey for what she considers a welcome dose of American directness.

WSJ: The Arnault Legacy

Conservative education spokeswoman Elizabeth Smith attacked the Scottish government for what she regarded as procrastination over the future of education since it came to power.

BBC: Higher education statement