Part 1 of Blethered Live at SWG3 in Glasgow, with former MI6 Spy Aimen Dean.

Aimen talks about his early life in Saudi Arabia and how religious clerics shaped his young mindset...

His decision to go and fight in Bosnia at 16 years old, in defence of Bosnian Muslims, and the horrors that he saw...

And about when his path first crossed with Osama bin Laden.

And as always, there's plenty more.

Contact: seanmcdonald,podcast@gmail.com

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The pervasive, mendacious and downright malevolent diatribe directed towards immigrants in the UK – or those wrongly categorised as such – irrespective of their social, economic or citizenship status, is at what feels like an all time high.

So who better to hear from than someone who’s experiencing this continuing embarrassment to Britain. Step forward, Aarti Joshi.

Aarti is a good friend of mine and was previously a guest on Blethered back in 2021, where we discussed what it’s like to be a Scottish-indian woman in a so-called man’s world.

Aarti is a strong-willed, intelligent, Scottish woman who is fiercely proud of her heritage, and so she should be. I knew she’d give me a no-holds barred account of what life has been like lately.

The trigger point for this sit-down was the sudden appearance of flags hung from lampposts, all over North Glasgow, where I’m from. This was irrefutably and undeniably an attempt to intimidate those deemed to be nonindigenous from Scotland and the UK in general, and it succeeded in its attempt to instil fear in those it was aimed at.

In the face of bullies, and especially in that vein, neutrally is not an option. It’s silent support of the systematic bullying and scapegoating of people who do not deserve it. I’m not standing by and watching it happen without doing something, and neither should you.

To claim you’re apolitical, in the face of grotesque unfairness and injustice, is an intrinsically political choice.

Don’t sit this one out. Believe it or not, after such a morally indignant monologue from me, this chat is genuinely full of laughs. It’s two pals chatting about the state of the world as we see it, and we’ve pulled up a seat for you, as well.

contact: seanmcdonald.podcast@gmail.com

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We all know someone who brags about never stopping, but what looks like productivity is often burnout – and it quietly erodes health, relationships, and enjoyment of life.

Dr Aisan joins me to explain what burnout really is, how to recognise it before it takes hold, and why recovery starts with reframing rest as strength, rather than weakness. We discuss practical steps for spotting the signs, breaking the cycle, and building a healthier, more sustainable way of living.

While burnout has a devastating personal impact, it also carries a wider cost for businesses and the economy – draining creativity, productivity, and staff wellbeing. Understanding and addressing it benefits us all.

Dr Aisan's Instagram

Watch on YouTube

contact: seanmcdonald,podcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.