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This week on Beach Talk with Betsey Newenhuyse, we’re reflecting on Memorial Day from Betsey’s visit to Ft. Sheridan Cemetery—where memory and meaning converge. We’ll share personal thoughts about our dads and how sensational politics and shallow discourse often diminish this solemn day.

Betsey brings us a notable message from Pete Buttigieg that cuts through the noise. We dive into the bizarre age obsession—“Biden’s old!”—while so many political leaders are aging out.

We’ll also head down a rabbit trail: Young Earth creationism, QAnon, and my latest Substack post on the Scopes Trial. Anti-science. Anti-expertise. Anti-intellect. The Ark Encounter. The clergy survey. The 1960 film, Inherit the Wind. When faith becomes a box-checking exercise—what’s left?

I’ll touch on Diarmaid MacCulloch’s brilliant insights in his history of Christianity and sex. I’ll talk about my professor’s lecture on the difference between astrology and astronomy—it tells us a lot about Christian Nationalism’s current dogma.

Finally, we’ll confront the attack on universities (hello, Harvard), Jemar Tisby’s Roadmap to Ruin, Project 2025, and what it all means for the Church—and for our democracy.

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The Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com

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I’m pleased to welcome Tracey Gee to the podcast — author, coach, keynote speaker, and the thoughtful spirit behind The Magic of Knowing What You Want. Tracey brings clarity, warmth, and wisdom. You’ll love this conversation - it’ll help you, too, as it did me.

Tracey holds degrees from UCLA in Anthropology and Business, a Master’s in Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary, and certifications in StrengthsFinder, Cultural Intelligence, the Enneagram, and Working Genius. She serves on the coaching faculty for LEAP and works with incredible organizations like Coca-Cola, Amazon, UC Berkeley, and the Miami Heat.

We first connected at a leadership conference at the JB Duke Hotel, where Tracey was in her element — speaking, coaching, and gifting her book to every participant.

In this episode, we talk about the “desire fog” so many of us feel, and why it can be hard to name what we really want. Tracey shares her own journey — from piano to dance, ministry to coaching — and her four-part framework for rediscovering purpose: Calibration, Expansion, Experimentation, Integration.

I open up about my own season of loss and rediscovery — and how desire and purpose are deeply connected.

Tune in for a rich, encouraging conversation.

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Become a Patron - Click on the link to learn how you can become a Patron of the show. Thank you!

Ken’s Substack Page

The Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com

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Today’s episode connects ancient Viking history to today’s global headlines.

This is my seventh conversation with historian and political commentator Martyn Whittock—this time we dive into his brand-new book, “Vikings in the East: From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin.”

Martyn joins us from Bath, UK, where he’s been tracking the strange but powerful ways history is being used—and misused—in modern politics. We explore how Viking warriors, Norse myths, and the baptism of Vladimir the Great in 988 C.E. are showing up in Putin’s speeches and statues… and even in his justification for war.

We’ll ask: Is Russia the “true” heir of Western values? What’s the story behind that giant Vladimir statue in Moscow? And why does ancient Kyiv play such a central role in today’s geopolitical storm?

We also turn our lens on the U.S.—trade wars, tariffs, Bitcoin, Christian nationalism, and wild predictions about our political future.

Anyone who is thoughtful and just a little bit skeptical about the stories we hear will want to join us for this insightful, instructive exploration of history.

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Support the show

Become a Patron - Click on the link to learn how you can become a Patron of the show. Thank you!

Ken’s Substack Page

The Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com