<description>&lt;p&gt;Scotland heads into an election while housing, public services and the cost of living pile pressure onto people’s lives. In that climate, the Greens are trying to set out what they stand for – after time in government and time out of it – and explain the role they believe they can play in Scotland’s future.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Against the rise of the far right across Europe and growing political frustration at home, clarity is important. I’m here to ask direct questions, listen properly, and give guests the space to explain themselves without distortion. You can decide what you think for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/game4padel/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Game 4 Padel comes to Dundee!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Improving lives before climate politics.

Scotland heads into an election while housing, public services and the cost of living pile pressure onto people’s lives. In that climate, the Greens are trying to set out what they stand for – after time in government and time out of it – and explain the role they believe they can play in Scotland’s future. Against the rise of the far right across Europe and growing political frustration at home, clarity is important. I’m here to ask direct questions, listen properly, and give guests the space to explain themselves without distortion. You can decide what you think for yourself. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/game4padel/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Game 4 Padel comes to Dundee!</a> contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Ross Greer on Why Improving People’s Lives Must Come Before Climate Policy

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;u&gt;Recorded live at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Aye Write 2025 book festival&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;This episode digs into why so many young men are being drawn into the darker corners of the internet, and what’s actually happening inside those spaces. I sit down with journalist &lt;strong&gt;James Bloodworth&lt;/strong&gt; and author &lt;strong&gt;Chris McQueer&lt;/strong&gt;, whose new books approach the same world from different angles. One through investigation, the other through fiction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;We examine how loneliness, identity, class, online culture and modern masculinity collide. There are pressures pushing young men toward isolated digital communities, the narratives they find once they’re there, and the sinister influences filling the gaps left by real-life connection and purpose.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s a grounded, honest and unflinching look at an issue affecting families, schools and communities across the country – and what it might take to bring these young men back into the world around them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=lost+boys+james+bloodworth&amp;amp;oq=lost+boys+james+blood&amp;amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyBggCEEUYOTIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjINCAcQABiGAxiABBiKBTIKCAgQABiABBiiBDIKCAkQABiABBiiBNIBCDQxMzNqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Lost Boys by James Bloodworth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0LKsyssxNji8wYPQSyUgtys0sUUjOKMosVshNLixNTS0CAN8yDJw&amp;amp;q=hermit+chris+mcqueer&amp;amp;oq=hermit+chris&amp;amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBEC4YgAQyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQLhiABDIHCAIQLhiABDIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjIICAcQABgWGB4yCAgIEAAYFhge0gEIMzI4MWowajmoAgCwAgA&amp;amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Hermit by Chris McQueer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/ManOnInverclyde/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;The Anchor Inverclyde&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

How men get drawn into online extremes – and who meets them there.

Recorded live at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Aye Write 2025 book festival This episode digs into why so many young men are being drawn into the darker corners of the internet, and what’s actually happening inside those spaces. I sit down with journalist James Bloodworth and author Chris McQueer, whose new books approach the same world from different angles. One through investigation, the other through fiction. We examine how loneliness, identity, class, online culture and modern masculinity collide. There are pressures pushing young men toward isolated digital communities, the narratives they find once they’re there, and the sinister influences filling the gaps left by real-life connection and purpose. It’s a grounded, honest and unflinching look at an issue affecting families, schools and communities across the country – and what it might take to bring these young men back into the world around them. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=lost+boys+james+bloodworth&amp;oq=lost+boys+james+blood&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyBggCEEUYOTIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjINCAcQABiGAxiABBiKBTIKCAgQABiABBiiBDIKCAkQABiABBiiBNIBCDQxMzNqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lost Boys by James Bloodworth</a> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0LKsyssxNji8wYPQSyUgtys0sUUjOKMosVshNLixNTS0CAN8yDJw&amp;q=hermit+chris+mcqueer&amp;oq=hermit+chris&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBEC4YgAQyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQLhiABDIHCAIQLhiABDIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjIICAcQABgWGB4yCAgIEAAYFhge0gEIMzI4MWowajmoAgCwAgA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hermit by Chris McQueer</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ManOnInverclyde/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Anchor Inverclyde</a> contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

What’s Pulling Men & Boys Into the Internet’s Dark Corners – And Into Andrew Tate’s Orbit?

<description>&lt;p&gt;Colin Brown is the founder of Gambling LEAP, which stands for Lived Experience, Education, Awareness and Prevention.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Colin lived with gambling addiction for over 25 years, eventually finding the strength and resolve to turn things around, but not before a number of intense challenges and setbacks throughout his life.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;He now hopes to use his experience and relative success in managing his addiction, to serve as a help and signpost for anyone currently going through the same experience.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, Colin explains how addiction crept in and how it manifests itself in every facet of life, work and relationships… We discuss the predatory nature of the gambling industry itself, and how football and entertainment are complicit in its destruction And Colin offers his insight into tackling gambling addiction, both for those suffering with the affliction, and also for those close to gambling addicts.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast, there are some helpful links in the episode notes, but more importantly, there are some genuinely helpful points and information throughout the conversation. If you enjoy it or find it helpful, then don’t be shy in sharing it with others. You never know who might benefit from seeing it.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/thegamblingleap?igsh=MXRld3d6N2R2ZjBvcA==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Gambling LEAP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.gamcare.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;National Gambling Helpline&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://gamfam.org.uk/for-the-family/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Support for Families of Gambling Addicts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A story of gambling, collapse and the hard road to recovery.

Colin Brown is the founder of Gambling LEAP, which stands for Lived Experience, Education, Awareness and Prevention.&nbsp; Colin lived with gambling addiction for over 25 years, eventually finding the strength and resolve to turn things around, but not before a number of intense challenges and setbacks throughout his life.&nbsp; He now hopes to use his experience and relative success in managing his addiction, to serve as a help and signpost for anyone currently going through the same experience.&nbsp; In this episode, Colin explains how addiction crept in and how it manifests itself in every facet of life, work and relationships… We discuss the predatory nature of the gambling industry itself, and how football and entertainment are complicit in its destruction And Colin offers his insight into tackling gambling addiction, both for those suffering with the affliction, and also for those close to gambling addicts.&nbsp; If you’re affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast, there are some helpful links in the episode notes, but more importantly, there are some genuinely helpful points and information throughout the conversation. If you enjoy it or find it helpful, then don’t be shy in sharing it with others. You never know who might benefit from seeing it.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thegamblingleap?igsh=MXRld3d6N2R2ZjBvcA==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gambling LEAP</a> <a href="https://www.gamcare.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Gambling Helpline</a> <a href="https://gamfam.org.uk/for-the-family/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Support for Families of Gambling Addicts</a> contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Don't Gamble With Your Life // with Gambling Campaigner Colin Brown

<description>&lt;p&gt;Dr Benji Waterhouse sits at an intersection of acute psychiatry and stand-up comedy. A consultant psychiatrist and comic, his book &lt;a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=you+don%27t+have+to+be+mad+to+work+here&amp;amp;oq=you+don%27t+have+to+be+mad+to+work+here&amp;amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBggHEEUYPNIBCDQ0MzZqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;You Don't Have To Be Mad To Work Here&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;offers a sharp, humane account of what really happens inside our mental-health system – and the toll it takes on those working within it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, recorded live at the Aye Write 2025 book festival in Glasgow, we explore the thin line between illness and ordinary life, how humour becomes a coping tool, and why some of our most familiar stories about "chemical imbalance" may be causing more harm than good.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A forensic, funny look at modern psychiatry with Dr Benji Waterhouse – and why our common mental-health myths don't hold up.

Dr Benji Waterhouse sits at an intersection of acute psychiatry and stand-up comedy. A consultant psychiatrist and comic, his book <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=you+don%27t+have+to+be+mad+to+work+here&amp;oq=you+don%27t+have+to+be+mad+to+work+here&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBggHEEUYPNIBCDQ0MzZqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You Don't Have To Be Mad To Work Here</a> offers a sharp, humane account of what really happens inside our mental-health system – and the toll it takes on those working within it. In this episode, recorded live at the Aye Write 2025 book festival in Glasgow, we explore the thin line between illness and ordinary life, how humour becomes a coping tool, and why some of our most familiar stories about "chemical imbalance" may be causing more harm than good. Contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Laughing In The Dark // with Dr Benji Waterhouse: Live in Glasgow

<description>&lt;p&gt;From the Aye Write Book Festival 2025 in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall – a live conversation with Scottish authors &lt;strong&gt;Irvine Welsh&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;John Niven&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;We get into their latest books and dive deep into the big stuff: existential questions, the chaos of the digital age, addiction, love, masculinity, and plenty more in between.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Live in Glasgow — Irvine Welsh and John Niven on masculinity, love, addiction and the modern world

From the Aye Write Book Festival 2025 in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall – a live conversation with Scottish authors Irvine Welsh and John Niven. We get into their latest books and dive deep into the big stuff: existential questions, the chaos of the digital age, addiction, love, masculinity, and plenty more in between. contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Irvine Welsh & John Niven: Live in Glasgow

Glasgow & Barcelona based podcast, hosted by Sean McDonald. Sean interviews people from various segments of society, discussing serious topics with Scottish humour. From life stories, to social commentary and discussion on current topics, modern culture and more. Contact at seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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