Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad

What if a geneticist decided humans were parasites (p. 1) and rewired our DNA so that nobody lives past age 22? In this episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, we sit down with Central Michigan commercial insurance agent turned author T.A. Thompson to unpack his brutal, rated-R adult dystopian thriller, The Mark. Thompson shares how his career assessing "worst-case scenarios" inspired a terrifying...

What is it really like to be an investigative journalist at the center of the world's most dangerous conflicts? In this episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, we sit down with 4-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and former CBS News / 60 Minutes producer Amjad Tadros. Amjad shares unbelievable stories from his 33-year career and discusses his new book, "The Fixer: A Journalist's Accidental Journe...

What is it like to fly in an F-16 or watch the Cold War collapse right before your eyes? I sit down with former F-16 Squadron Executive Officer and author Michael Makatura to discuss his book, The Fightin’ Tenth. They dive deep into what the mainstream media gets wrong about military stockpiles, how the "NATO shield" actually works, and why Americans struggle to understand foreign adversaries. If...

In this powerful episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, I sit down with former news reporter and 18-year veteran police constable Andrew Mclean. Andrew opens up about his raw, cumulative experiences serving with the Waterloo Regional Police Service in Ontario, Canada, and his subsequent diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He shares his deeply personal journey detailing the warning...

Are government cover-ups and deep state secrets connected? In this episode, scientist and historian Bob Doti joins the show to discuss his new book, Layers of Complicity, and deconstruct the shocking hidden history behind the Martin Luther King assassination files. We pull back the curtain on declassified documents from Operation Lantern Spike, the CIA, and the FBI's intense surveillance of Dr. Ki...

Ex-Preacher Turned FBI SWAT Agent Reveals Shocking Interrogation Secrets & Bureau Myths! In today’s episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, I sit down with retired FBI Agent and SWAT team veteran Eric Robinson. Eric shares his fascinating journey of going from the pulpit to federal law enforcement—or as he calls it, "from preacher to breacher" We pull back the curtain on what life is really like i...

Are you worried about today's youth? In this episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, we dive deep into the real reasons why modern teens and families are struggling with anxiety, social media pressure, and identity issues. Our special guest is Dr. Carla Caturia, an experienced educator, former principal, and teen mindset coach. Together, we break down what is actually happening with today's youth...

Fighter jets, government UFO files, hidden history, and the deep flaws of our public education system—this episode covers it all. In this full episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, Ricky sits down with veteran Air Force Wizo Terrence Rotering, who flew the F-111 and F-15e Strike Eagle during massive global operations. Terrence shares his journey from military aviation to writing a massive 6,000-...

In this deep and honest conversation, author and missionary Paul Granger joins me to talk about faith, hope, Christianity, authenticity, mental health, parenting, purpose, and what it means to truly be present in modern life. We discuss:• Finding hope during difficult times• Christianity and modern culture• Faith vs religion• Tribalism and division in society• Parenting, family, and sacrifice• Psy...

36 Days. 500 Miles. Zero Internet. Art historian and author Briana Gravat did what most wouldn't dare: she rucked the entire WWI Western Front alone. In a world obsessed with constant connectivity, Briana unplugged to walk through the literal trenches of history. In this deep-dive episode of Coffee with Bearded Baghdad, we explore the haunting reality of the battlefields, the "consumerism lie" tha...

In this episode, I sit down with historian and author Bryan Mark Rigg to discuss his transformative book, Conquering Learning Disabilities at Any Age. Bryan shares his personal journey from failing first grade twice to earning a PhD from Cambridge, proving that ADHD and dyslexia are not "defects," but evolutionary advantages. We dive deep into:• The Hunter vs. Farmer Theory: Why ADHD traits made o...

Are we chasing money, success, and status at the cost of meaning? In this deep conversation, we dive into philosophy, spirituality, mysticism, consumerism, and the search for truth in modern life. My guest, author John Bliss, discusses his book The False Paradigms of Today and the Timeless Truth of Tomorrow and challenges mainstream beliefs about success, religion, and purpose. We also explore:• W...

What really caused World War I — and how does it connect to today's global conflicts? In this episode, author Gerald Everett Jones joins us to discuss his novel Jonathan’s Journal, inspired by a real WWI soldier’s diary discovered after his mother’s passing. We dive into forgotten history, geopolitical power struggles, propaganda, and how the past still shapes modern conflicts. This conversation e...

In this powerful episode, we dive deep into what’s missing from modern life—and why so many people in the Western world feel disconnected, overwhelmed, and unfulfilled. Scottie shares his journey from building a successful music and healing platform to discovering the true power of community, ancestral wisdom, and indigenous living in Colombia. After facing one of the hardest years of his life—inc...

Historian Bryan Rigg reveals the shocking, hidden history of the "Mischlinge"—men of Jewish descent who served in the Nazi military during WWII. From high-ranking generals to front-line soldiers, how did 150,000 men with Jewish ancestry navigate the Third Reich while their families were being persecuted? In this episode, we dive into:• The true story behind "Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers."• How Hitler...

Michelle Stiles, author of One Idea to Rule Them All: Reverse Engineering American Propaganda, joins the podcast to break down how propaganda shapes public opinion in the United States. We explore the history of propaganda from World War I to modern social media, how elites influence narratives, and why truth in politics can take decades to uncover. If you've ever wondered how media narratives are...

Is modern academia ignoring biology in favor of ideology? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Marc Defant, professor of geology and geochemistry at the University of South Florida, to discuss his controversial paper examining the lack of empirical rigor in feminist scholarship and the resistance to evolutionary psychology in universities. We break down: • What evolutionary psychology actually say...

In this episode, I sit down with Jenny Chan, historian and author, to uncover one of the darkest and least-taught chapters of World War II — the atrocities committed in Asia and the long-term consequences that still shape global politics today. We dive deep into Unit 731, Japan’s secret human experimentation program in occupied Manchuria, where civilians — including children — were subjected to bi...

In this episode, I sit down with John Mleziva, founder of State Line Distillery in Madison, Wisconsin, to talk about the real journey behind building a craft spirits brand from the ground up. John shares how a love for homebrewing and fermentation science turned into an award-winning distillery, what it’s really like running a small business, and why creating something with your hands is deeply ti...

In this episode, I sit down with actor, veteran, and author Dean Davidson to discuss his new book, The Amir, the Tora Bora VendettaDean shares his personal journey, from his own ADHD diagnoses to his experience serving in the military during the Cold War and working as a military contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan. This wide-ranging conversation dives into global politics, American exceptionalism,...

In this episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, I sit down with Shaun Dawson, tech entrepreneur, father, and host of the Raising Men podcast, for an unfiltered discussion about modern fatherhood, masculinity, and the growing crisis facing men today. We talk about:• Why so many fathers feel disconnected — and why no one admits it• The quiet loneliness men experience after marriage, kids, and career...

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Mahoney, a former NYPD detective and author of The Land of Broken Toys, a gripping fictional thriller based on real war crimes and UN police missions in Kosovo. Mike shares what it was like serving as an armed American police officer with executive authority in a post-conflict war zone alongside officers from 60 different countries, responding to real crimes t...

What happens when you’re diagnosed with autism at 40—and it finally explains your entire life? In this episode, I open up about a late autism diagnosis, parenting a child with autism, and how that discovery changed the way I communicate, listen, and navigate difficult conversations—especially around politics. I’m joined by artist David Deighton, this conversation explores curiosity, open dialogue,...

What the hell is a doula? In this episode of Coffee with Bearded Bad Dad, I sit down with birth and postpartum doula Suzzie Vehrs to demystify the birthing process and discuss the "missing village" in modern parenting. Suzzie breaks down the vital difference between a midwife and a doula, explaining how she provides physical, emotional, and mental support for both moms and dads. We dive deep into...

Are we on the brink of a global conflict? In this episode, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman—famously known as the "Terrorist Therapist"—breaks down the chilling links between the U.S. immigration crisis, geopolitical tensions, and the psychological state of the nation. Dr. Lieberman also pulls back the curtain on her fascinating career, explaining the difference between a psychiatrist an...