Heather McGilvary

Scotland and dogs heal the soul. Kindness matters.

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

Benjamin Moser, author of Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History, told Rashid Khalidi that his 80-year-old mother, who had all but called him a Hamas member, apologized after reading his book: “I’m ashamed I ever said I was a Zionist.”

His book traces Jewish opposition to Zionism over the past century and challenges their exclusion in discussions over Palestine. “No, you don’t get to set the rules anymore. We’re setting the rules now,” Moser said.

Khalidi added that he had never seen so many people change their views so rapidly, noting that major publishers are now embracing books on Palestine that would have been virtually unpublishable just three or four years ago.

[Adrian Bliss @adrianbliss]

Follow your heart 💓

[News to Remember @allchronology]

I believe this will be considered one of the most important videos in US history from this time.

[CUBS WORLD @CubsWorld80]

Barack Obama decided to hit Pete Hegseth with the elbow from the top rope. Absolutely brutal takedown.

[Paul Lewis @paullewismoney]

OMG. So beautiful.

[Heather McGilvary @Gilv09]

@MDSUJON85265037 where is number 7

[Fick Nerrari @FickNerrariLBC]

Absolutely cooked this BBC propagandist. More of this 👏

[The National @ScotNational]

The SNP have hit out at the BBC ahead of a Question Time show which is due to debate Scottish oil and gas without any Scottish representation on the panel

SNP MSP Laura Mitchell said the BBC line-up was the 'perfect representation of the story of Scotland’s energy – zero Scottish say over our own resources'

[E. R. Davis @bluzoan]

You open by clarifying that you do not want trans people dead. Thank you for the spoiler. The rest of the piece, however, treats the existence of people like me (trans women who have medically transitioned, live as women, and ask only that our material reality not be legislated out of every public category) as an existential threat to the very concept of “woman.” That is not a statement of concern. It is a demand that we vanish into a pure biological definition you control.

You repeatedly describe the “dominant strain of trans activism” as the claim that any man who declares himself a woman is literally a woman, entitled to every female space, every sports category, every rape-crisis room, and every lesbian’s dating pool. This is a useful caricature. It lets you collapse a wide range of people and practices into a single predatory figure: the heterosexual male who retains male pattern criminality, male strength, and male sexual orientation while demanding entry. Some such individuals exist. Some have committed terrible crimes. Safeguarding against them is necessary. What you refuse to grant is that this figure is not coextensive with the category “trans woman,” nor that the policy response must be the categorical erasure of sex-based recognition for everyone who has transitioned.

I am a trans woman. I am also a lesbian and a mother of daughters. I have been on estrogen for years. I pass as a woman in public spaces. My body is not that of an unaltered adult male, and my social existence is not that of a man who has simply announced a new title. When you write that “if a man can be a woman, there is no such thing as a woman,” you are not describing a logical necessity. You are describing the conclusion you have already chosen: that any acknowledgment of transition must dissolve the category entirely. That is not how categories work when material reality is more complicated than the binary you prefer. Intersex conditions, hormonal variation, and long-term medical transition produce bodies and social positions that do not fit cleanly into the pre-transition male template you treat as permanent. Acknowledging this does not require pretending that sex is a costume or that every male who says “woman” must be housed in a women’s prison. It requires refusing the claim that the only alternative to total self-ID is total exclusion and denial.

You note, correctly, that not all women are equally affected by these policies, and that elite women can afford private security and the luxury of abstract slogans. Working-class women and rape survivors cannot. This is true, and it is a reason for careful, case-by-case safeguarding rather than a reason to treat every trans woman as an undifferentiated male risk. It is also a reason to notice who else is made more vulnerable by the rhetoric you advance. Trans women are disproportionately victims of violence. Many of us are also survivors. The women-only rape crisis center you fund is a legitimate response to a real problem; the accompanying insistence that the only coherent feminism is one that defines us out of womanhood is not. When institutions over-reach (placing an intact male in a women’s prison or a rape-crisis role without regard to pattern of offending or medical status), they create the scandals you document. Those scandals do not license the reverse over-reach: the claim that any recognition of transition is “Stonewall Law” and must be rolled back in full.

You invoke Orwell and the freedom to say that two plus two is four. The freedom to state biological facts is real and has been threatened in some workplaces and institutions. It is not the same thing as the freedom to decide, by fiat, that medical and social transition changes nothing about the person who has undergone it, and that anyone who disagrees is participating in a top-down elite plot to abolish women. Past movements for rights expanded recognition without requiring that the prior category be dissolved. (1/2)

[Occupy Democrats @OccupyDemocrats]

BREAKING: George W. Bush's brother Neil just dropped a BOMB on MAGA by proudly announcing that he voted for James Talarico in the Texas Senate race.

This just gave Republicans a flashing green light to vote blue...

"I have never posted a political message on Facebook not wanting to offend friends whose views may be very different than mine. I'm breaking that tradition because I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate," Bush, the child of the late President George H.W. Bush wrote on Facebook.

"My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton's record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico," he continued.

"I have been deeply troubled by Paxton's conduct as Texas Attorney General, particularly his decision to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in other states in an effort to help Donald Trump remain in power. I believe that effort was an affront to our democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power. My concerns about his judgment and conduct are hardly mine alone. He was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House, although subsequently acquitted by the Texas Senate."

"More broadly, I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party. I worry about a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle, and where those who hold power begin to believe they are no longer accountable."

"But my vote today was about much more than opposition to Ken Paxton."

"I've never met James Talarico, but I have been enormously impressed by the way he approaches complicated and controversial issues. He speaks with respect, seeks common ground, and seems genuinely interested in bringing people together rather than driving them apart. His faith appears to be a deeply rooted source of humility, compassion, and conviction rather than a political weapon."

I see in him the qualities I admire most in public servants: integrity, civility, humility, and a willingness to listen to those with whom he disagrees. My impression is that he is a principled, pragmatic leader who understands that public office is a responsibility to serve, not an entitlement to power."

"I have been a Republican for most of my life, and I still believe deeply in many traditional Republican principles. But character matters more than party affiliation. Our democracy depends on leaders who respect our institutions, tell the truth, accept accountability, and seek to unite rather than divide."

"Today, I voted against a style of politics that I believe has damaged our country. More importantly, I voted for the kind of character and leadership I hope will help heal it," he concluded.

Bravo, Mr. Bush! We commend you for speaking out boldly during these crucial midterm elections. Ken Paxton is a stone-cold crook who was impeached for bribery by his own party as state attorney general. He has zero interest in serving the people of Texas if he wins and will instead work to line his own pockets, accumulate personal power, and rubber-stamp Trump's destructive agenda.

Meanwhile, James Talarico is a devout Christian who is committed to fighting for better healthcare, an end to pointless wars, livable wages, more housing construction to restore the American Dream, and banning Congressional stock trading.

The Bush family still wields a great deal of influence in Texas, so this announcement is sure to cause political shockwaves. If you're a Republican who genuinely loves this country, it's time to cross the aisle and vote for James Talarico.

Please ❤️ and share to thank Neil Bush!

[Jonathan Cook @Jonathan_K_Cook]

The idiot’s guide to states – and their ‘rights’:

1. States exist. Some 200 of them.

2. States are the political arrangement in which a people express their self-determination. That arrangement can and does change.

3. States enjoy rights, but only against each other. They have the right, for example, not to face unprovoked aggression from another state.

4. No state has some enduring, abstract “right” to exist. Otherwise bad ones like apartheid South Africa would be unreformable.

5. Peoples, by contrast, do have a right to exist. That’s why states that commit apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide are so gravely violating international law. Because they are violating a people’s right to exist.

6. When people argue Israel has a “right” to exist, they are trying to dupe you into believing international law is fine with apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide. It isn’t. For obvious reasons, international law prefers the rights of peoples over those of states. Otherwise, no state could ever be illegitimate. Its rights would trump those of the people it rules over.

7. When someone refuses to agree that Israel has a “right” to exist, they are not being antisemitic, whatever the media keeps telling you. They are upholding international law: the precedence of peoples’ rights over those of states.

8. The claim that Israel has a “right” to exist is not what it seems. It’s really the claim that the current reality of extreme inequality between Israelis and Palestinians be set in stone. It’s the diabolical claim that Israel has a right to commit apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Palestinian people.

[Vladimir Petit Medina @vladimirpetit]

Como viejo crítico de cine, recomiendo sin reservas la cuarta temporada de La Diplomática (The Diplomat) en Netflix.

La trama está muy bien llevada. A ratos es suave, a ratos compleja, tan compleja como la discusión geopolítica que retrata. Pero ilumina algo esencial: la relación de aliados y confidentes que Estados Unidos y el Reino Unido han sostenido desde siempre, y lo que está en juego en el orden geopolítico donde se mueve la OTAN.

Hay una crítica soterrada, innegable, a estilos como el de Trump. Por ello ridiculizan algunos de sus rasgos como mandatario, encarnados por una presidenta francamente desagradable, curiosamente rubia, que no parece estar del todo en sus cabales. Esta parte la critico por innecesaria e injusta en buena medida.

Pero las fortalezas de la serie siguen siendo mayores. Keri Russell @kerirussell construye una embajadora peculiar. Su aspecto desaliñado está bien estudiado y le da al personaje una naturalidad que efectivamente está ahí. Atractiva, de porte atlético, resulta convincente como buena persona, buena diplomática y alguien con vulnerabilidades, en un plano nada común: es embajadora ante el Reino Unido y a la vez esposa del vicepresidente americano. Rufus Sewell , por su parte, logra un papelazo. Su vicepresidente tiene varias capas: diplomático de carrera, vicepresidente improvisado pero ampliamente preparado para el cargo, un esposo que no fue el mejor y hoy es más comprensivo, un tipo que juega a todo pero que al final juega a lo que tiene que jugar.
Allison Janney, como la presidenta Grace Penn, logra lo que sin duda buscaban los productores: que uno llegue a detestarla con toda intensidad. Eso también es actuar bien. Bradley Whitford, el "primer damo", retrata a un hombre de otro mundo que no encuentra su lugar en la vida presidencial y termina como enviado especial de la Casa Blanca en Londres. Me recordó a aquel ministro de Estado para todo lo que se le encomendara: este es enviado especial para lo que se le encargue. Y además… lo hace mal. No por maldad sino por ingenuidad de novato.

Me encanta Vaughn, la nueva primera ministra británica: aplomada, sencilla, cordial. Todo un contraste con su antecesor en la serie, un personaje obtuso y compulsivo, tan desagradable como la presidenta.

Las crisis y las tensiones están muy bien manejadas. La escena final deja entrever dos cosas: que viene una quinta temporada, y cuán fracturado está el Estado profundo norteamericano frente a sus propios modos diplomáticos. Aun siendo potencia, una parte importante de Estados Unidos resiente el uso de mecanismos de imposición.

En un momento en que buena parte del mundo puede cambiar, o seguir como está, según lo que decida Washington, esta serie llega como anillo al dedo para entender lo que hay, lo que puede haber y cómo podría terminar todo esto.

Véanla.

[Linwood Barclay @linwood_barclay]

The Diplomat is sending a subtle (or not) message to the GOP. Have the guts to stand up to your lunatic leader. But the message comes wrapped in a stunning piece of entertainment.

[MSM Monitor @msm_monitor]

Scottish care home residents received their vaccinations first unlike residents south of the border. Nicola Sturgeon saved hundreds of lives by beginning with the logistically more difficult group. BBC Scotland sought to portray our initial slower rate as a failure.

Scotland's vaccination and booster programme ended up the fastest in the UK. Our front line staff were heroes.

[Mussab Ali @MussabAliJC]

I think this might be the first time in American history you’ve seen a Muslim candidate demonstrate a part of their prayer in an ad like this.

In response to attacks about his faith, Abdul doubles down on who he is.

Takes courage to do this.

[MP Arizona☀️🏳️‍🌈💙🌵🐕🐕‍🦺🫂💦🏜🐟🌴🎙🌎🌻♍️🌊 @AzPetrich]

We have reached the point where a former President of the United States has to remind the current president that criticizing him isn't grounds for deportation.

[Debbie @glenys1971]

Well after today’s announcement from the Bank of England, there is something very, very, very wrong in the system.

So … let me get this straight:

* British Gas made a profit of £1.3bn between January & June

* BP announced profits of £6.95 billion between April and June alone

* Shell has profited by £9.4bn in a year

The MEN at the top:

* John Pettigrew, boss of National Grid received £6.5m bonus on top of his salary

* Chris O’Shea, chief executive of British Gas owner Centrica was paid almost £2m last year in salary and benefits

* Centrica's non-executive directors were paid almost £1m

* Scottish Power's CEO Keith Anderson is on £1.15m.

* E.On boss Michael Lewis is on £1m

* EDF's Simone Rossi is also on £1m

* And their top execs enjoyed a share of £4.65m

* Peter Simpson of Anglian Water earned a £1.3m pay package

* Welsh Water bosses awarded themselves bonuses of over £930,000

* Severn Trent bosses awarded themselves bonuses of £5.56m

* Thames Water's Sarah Bentley, received a £727,000 bonus on top of her £2m annual salary

Meanwhile there are...

* People who haven't had breakfast and/or lunch TODAY, because they can't afford it.

* People using FoodBanks because food is becoming more of a luxury than a necessity.

* Children celebrating a birthday without presents.

* Parents worrying about new school uniforms - and some schools enforcing rules which are not cost-effective.

* People who can't get to work because they can't afford to put petrol in their cars/pay for public transport anymore.

* People who are working so much they're making themselves ill, and they STILL CAN'T AFFORD to pay their bills.

* People who have been given fines by these same energy/water companies because they couldn't afford to pay their bills in the first place - increasing their debt.

* Customers being told to do STAR JUMPS TO KEEP WARM for crying out loud!

* Hose pipe bans when gallons of water leak away everyday.

* Elderly people NOT DRINKING because they're worried about running out of water!!!

All this and energy prices are set to rise up to 75% in October...

THIS IS MADNESS!.. I'm all for supporting profits … I'm not for supporting greed at the cost of lives of others.

Something needs to change.

Why is customers' money being used to make life more comfortable for those who are making life more intolerable for the rest of us?

I actually don't understand how the energy companies are allowed to get away with this and why the government aren't stopping them instead of handing out money.....

[Ale @aliasvaughn]

That scene is a masterpiece. One of the many of S4 of #TheDiplomat And he is so talented! Yet another cast member who must win all the awards. How they don’t win ensemble in favor of clearly inferior shows is beyond me.

[Heather McGilvary @Gilv09]

@alanferrier The Ben looks like a brooding monster.

[Alan Ferrier @alanferrier]

One of those rare photos that makes you stop in your tracks and whisper, "Wow..."
"Lochaber at Night" - wintery scene of Loch Linnhe, Caol Shore and Ben Nevis, taken from Corpach Pier by Mark Gillies.