Timesuck with Dan Cummins

Dan Cummins
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Dec 29, 2025 • 2h 20min

487 - Chris Gardner & the Pursuit of Happyness

The year-end inspirational Timesuck is here! We wrap up 2025 with the incredible true story of Chris Gardner — a man who survived poverty, abuse, foster care, and homelessness (along with his toddler son) before becoming a multimillionaire stockbroker and global philanthropist. If he could rise from that kind of hardship to build a life of purpose and generosity, what might the rest of us be capable of overcoming?Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Dec 26, 2025 • 1h 1min

Short Suck #48: The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young

Dive into the legendary Barkley Marathons, an ultra-race designed to break even the toughest of runners. Meet Lazarus Lake, the eccentric mastermind behind this brutal event, where secret applications and bizarre rituals keep participants on their toes. Discover the race's origins, inspired by a notorious prison escape, and learn about the harrowing terrain that tests endurance and grit. With no finishers in its inaugural run, this race is not for the faint-hearted, leaving behind a cult-like community of adventurers.
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Dec 22, 2025 • 2h 50min

486 - Vigilante Justice: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (A Lot)

What happens when ordinary people decide the legal system isn’t enough — and to take justice into their own hands? From real-life “superheroes” to tragic misfires, from folk-hero avengers to catastrophic citizen’s arrests, this episode explores the wild, messy, often dangerous world of vigilante justice. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes horrifying, sometimes darkly hilarious, these stories reveal just how quickly “doing the right thing” can go very wrong.Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Dec 15, 2025 • 2h 40min

485 - The Family: Australia's Most Notorious Cult

In the 1960s and ’70s, yoga teacher–turned–self-proclaimed messiah Anne Hamilton-Byrne built one of Australia’s most shocking cults—an LSD-fueled blend of New Age mysticism, stolen children, and her own delusions of divine destiny. With doctors, psychiatrists, and academics convinced she was the Second Coming of Christ, Anne created The Family, a secretive compound where kids endured years of isolation and abuse. Be VERY thankful you’re not in this CULT! CULT! CULT!To help Cody, go to: https://halodentalnetwork.org/nominate/#nominateYou'll need to add the following info: Name: Cody Allen  City:  Bridgeport  State: Pennsylvania  DOB: 02/02/1989 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Dec 12, 2025 • 43min

Short Suck #47: The Business Plot - When Bankers Tried to Topple the White House

Explore the shocking tale of The Business Plot, where powerful bankers allegedly sought a fascist coup against FDR. Discover Smedley Butler, the decorated Marine turned activist, who faced suspicious bribes and sinister proposals. Delve into attempts to rally veterans for a government takeover and the creepy connections to European fascist movements. Hear about the congressional testimony that revealed the conspirators but left them unnamed, and the mysterious death of a key player that adds intrigue to this historic conspiracy.
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Dec 8, 2025 • 2h 30min

484 - The King of Beaver Island

Dive into the outrageous saga of James Strang, a con artist who claimed the mantle of leadership after Joseph Smith. Discover how he forged letters and created brass plate legends to entice followers to Beaver Island, where he crowned himself king. Learn about the bizarre community dynamics, internal rebellions, and even a murder aboard a naval ship. This story is filled with scandal, piracy, and political intrigue that leaves you wondering how one man's deception led to such wild events.
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Dec 1, 2025 • 2h 52min

483 - Addiction: Most Misunderstood Condition Ever?

Delve into the fascinating history of addiction and how various cultures have grappled with it over time. Discover the surprising ways addiction extends beyond substances, affecting behaviors like shopping and phone use. Explore ancient practices involving psychoactive substances and learn how societal fears shaped the narratives around addiction. Hear about the evolution of treatment and the emergence of Alcoholics Anonymous. This enlightening discussion urges compassion and understanding for those struggling with dependency.
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Nov 28, 2025 • 59min

Short Suck #46: Mutiny on the Bounty!

We sail back to 1789 and find out why the real Mutiny on the Bounty was way less “noble sailors vs brutal tyrant” and way more “horny, possibly rapey young officer snaps on his short, cheese-hoarding, coconut-obsessed captain.” In today's Short Suck, we dig into the petty ego clashes, disastrous decisions, and deeply messed up sexual dynamics that led to one of history’s most infamous mutinies.For Merch and everything else Bad Magic related, head to: https://www.badmagicproductions.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Nov 24, 2025 • 2h 44min

482 - The Hunger Killer: Inside the World of the Starvation Doctor

Linda Hazzard - self-proclaimed “fasting specialist” and actual sadistic fraud - ran one of the most disturbing medical scams in American history. At her Washington State sanitarium, later nicknamed “Starvation Heights,” she starved countless patients under the guise of curing everything from aches and pains to cancer. Her brutal regimen of near-total fasting, daily enemas, and bizarre “massage” beatings left a trail of emaciated victims...Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Nov 17, 2025 • 2h 59min

481 - Go Ask Alice: When a Fake Diary Helped Launch a Real War on Drugs

In 1971, Go Ask Alice shocked parents across America - marketed as the real diary of a teenage girl swallowed alive by drugs, addiction, and death. Terrified moms and dads bought the book by the millions, used it to police their kids, and fueled a cultural panic that helped justify the War on Drugs. But there was just one problem: the entire book was a lie presented as truth...Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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