Am I the only one who despairs at the extent of involvement in our private lives the social media now facilitates? As I’ve said umpteen times before I am not a big fan of Facebook, Twitter and techno means of communication.

Sit on any bus, train or subway. Walk into restaurants and cafes. All you see are heads bowed over and fingers waxing lyrical on various devices. I am often bemused watching couples out on a date using their respective phones instead of talking to each other. It almost appears as if we have forgotten how to actually talk to one and other. Surely we can’t let the art of conversation die. Having a good gab is what keeps the world revolving. Let’s keep the human contact that talking demands, even if it is only on the phone.

Glasgow Times:

Over the weekend Tommy was guilty of cyber blabbing. He posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages that we would be staying overnight on Saturday in Dundee to celebrate a very special anniversary.

The response was both incredible and humbling. Over 2,000 messages of congratulations flooded in over 24 hours. Problem is everyone assumed it was our wedding anniversary when in actual fact we were 15 years married on 17th June earlier this year.

The actual anniversary we were celebrating is one even more special to us. Exactly 11 years ago on October 3, 2004 I phoned Tommy from London while I was awaiting my flight home as I was on duty. He was in the Gorbals Leisure Centre playing tennis with a friend. The news I relayed to him was a game, set and match moment. I had taken two pregnancy tests 10 minutes earlier and both indicated I was pregnant. What a life changing moment. That date is oh so special to me. It was the day we graduated from being a happy couple to becoming an even happier family. But thanks to keyboard happy Tommy now his thousands of Facebook friends and Twitter followers all know about it. Another problem with social media? Keeping a secret, especially with ‘Talkative Tommy’ on the loose! No harm done. The amount of warmth and kindness which was sent our way was truly uplifting. So thanks to those who sent us such lovely messages.

Glasgow Times:

Tories in Manchester

At the weekend, tens of thousands gathered in Manchester to give the Tory delegates attending their annual jamboree an earful of abuse for their hard-hitting austerity and welfare cuts.

Apparently some good eggs were even wasted on some of the Tory toffs as they waltzed in to cheer their leaders as they announced even more cutbacks which will drive millions more below the breadline as things like tax credits are slashed by an average of more than £1,300 a year.

Only those already on low incomes qualify for tax credits so the fact around 3 million will suffer from them being reduced really is the political equivalent of rubbing salt into wounds.

I can't believe they announced yesterday they were now the party of the “workers”.

They never have been and never will be the party of the workers. As far as I am concerned they are the party of the rich, the wealthy, the selfish, the narrow-minded and often the chauvinists who think they are better than others.

Osborne and Cameron are more like the Laurel and Hardy of politics getting everyone into a financial pickle but refusing to accept responsibility than being the champions of ordinary workers. I only wish we had voted YES last year and these people would never again be allowed to run Scotland.