Step into the curious, often dark, but always entertaining world of “Timesuck with Dan Cummins,” where the veteran stand-up comedian transforms deep research into captivating storytelling that will make you laugh, think, and occasionally question humanity’s collective sanity.
Since 2016, Cummins has guided his loyal “Meatsacks” through over 450 episodes covering everything from infamous serial killers and historical atrocities to bizarre conspiracy theories, fascinating historical figures, and supernatural phenomena.
It’s all delivered with his signature blend of humour and thoughtful commentary. Whether you’re a longtime Space Lizard seeking to revisit the podcast’s greatest hits or a newcomer wondering where to dive into this vast catalog of the weird and wonderful, I’ve created the ultimate list of must-listen, top Timesuck episodes. Hail Nimrod!
179 – Ruby Ridge
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The 1992 Ruby Ridge armed confrontation pitted the Weaver household against federal authorities. The incident resulted in three fatalities and sparked the contemporary American militia movement. Questions remain regarding whether governmental agencies employed disproportionate violence when addressing Randy Weaver, who declined to attend his judicial proceedings concerning firearms allegations. Alternatively, one might consider if Randy Weaver’s persistent suspicious mindset and unfortunate choices invited intense governmental scrutiny upon his residence. This particular event provoked strong emotions in the narrator, who reports excessive exposure to discussions about this occurrence while being raised in Idaho, and following thorough investigation, felt deceived by previous accounts. The narrator wonders if others will share their perspective on the matter.
262 – The Jehovah’s Witnesses: Doomsday Cult
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Dan discusses the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, characterizing it as a doomsday-focused group despite their mainstream appearance. Dan asserts that the organization’s “Two Witness Rule” and the Governing Body’s policies discourage reporting crimes to authorities, instead directing allegations through internal channels where incidents without multiple witnesses are often dismissed.
57 – The Butcher of Rostov: Serial Killer Andrei Chikatilo
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This episode explores exceptionally disturbing territory through an analysis of Russian serial murderer and persistent sadist Andrei Chikatilo, a brutal individual who claimed between 53-56 lives spanning men, women, and predominantly children from 1978 through 1990 across Southeastern Russia using horrific methods that included ocular extraction. Dan additionally investigates the psychological foundations behind society’s fascination with serial killers and questions why true crime entertainment maintains such popularity and widespread appeal.
164 – The Manhattan Project
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The Manhattan Project endeavor involved the United States assembling premier intellects available to create nuclear armaments before Germany or Japanese forces could develop similar devastating capabilities during the global conflict. Following the defeat of German and Italian military forces, American authorities deployed nuclear devices upon the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This action raises significant ethical inquiries regarding its justification. Additionally, considerable mystery surrounds how American officials maintained confidentiality around such an extensive weapons development program for its extended duration.
219 – Annie Oakley
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During the peak of her prominence, Annie Oakley stood as America’s, perhaps the world’s, most recognized female figure, captivating spectators with extraordinary marksmanship feats including clay target elimination and seemingly impossible precision demonstrations. Born Phoebe Ann Mosey, her firearm proficiency developed from necessity following her father’s death, when hunting became essential for her destitute family’s survival. Her exceptional talents later enabled her to eliminate her mother’s property debt. At a shooting competition, she defeated her future spouse Frank Butler, an immigrant from Ireland, initiating a remarkable romance. Annie ultimately achieved unprecedented financial success as a female performer during an era when women rarely functioned as primary household providers.
403 – The Moonies Cult: Sex, Control, and Marrying the Dead
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Within the capital city of South Korea, Seoul, during 1954, Sun Myung Moon established the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, a novel spiritual organization that rapidly acquired the designation “Unification Church” and developed into one of contemporary history’s most significant cult movements. Its followers eventually received the label “Moonies,” adhering to the restrictive doctrines of an individual who proclaimed himself a messianic successor. This authentic narrative encompasses ritualistic sexual practices, physical and psychological mistreatment, monetary impropriety, and numerous additional controversies, unfolding like a dramatic non-fictional chronicle.
123 – Serial Killer Ed Kemper: The Co-ed Killer
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Edmund Kemper was born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California. At just 15 years old, he murdered both of his grandparents, claiming he wanted to find out what it would feel like. After committing the crime, he turned himself in and was placed in a state psychiatric institution. There, this towering killer, standing 6’9″ and weighing 280 pounds, used his exceptionally high IQ to deceive mental health professionals into believing he was rehabilitated. Once released, he quickly embarked on a horrific series of killings marked by disturbing acts of necrophilia.
70 – The Jersey Devil
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The Jersey Devil. What exactly is it? Some accounts describe a creature resembling a kangaroo, but with the head of a goat, a horse, or even a dog. While reports vary, most witnesses agree it bears wings, cloven hooves, horns, and a long tail. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, and many depict it as a dragon-like being. Others claim it moves upright on two legs. There are stories of it soaring through the sky. Folklore insists it has taken lives. One tale even claims it survived being struck by a cannonball. It’s said to release a scream so horrifying it chills the blood.
448 – The Delphi Murders
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On the afternoon of February 13, 2017, in the quiet town of Delphi, Indiana, home to around 3,000 residents, two close friends and local junior high students, 13-year-old Abigail Joyce Williams and 14-year-old Liberty Rose Lynn German, vanished near an old, abandoned bridge on the outskirts of town. The following day, their lifeless and brutally murdered bodies were discovered, but the person responsible would evade justice for more than five years. When the killer was finally identified, the community was stunned once again, he had been one of their own, blending into everyday life while hiding in plain sight.
168 – Killdozer
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Killdozer. It’s the tale of Marvin Heemeyer. A man who transformed a Komatsu D355A bulldozer into an armored vehicle of destruction, and in 2004, unleashed over two hours of calculated devastation across the quiet town of Granby, Colorado. What drove him to do it? The answer is both incredibly complex… and surprisingly straightforward.
358 – The Mysterious Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
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On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board, headed for Beijing. It never arrived. Instead, it vanished over the Indian Ocean and has never been found. This episode explores the story of the passengers, the investigation, theories, and other mysterious flight disappearances.
232 – The Great Emu War
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The Great Emu War, one of history’s strangest conflicts. After World War I, Australia gave land to returning veterans to farm wheat in Western Australia. Then the Great Depression hit, and things got worse when 20,000 emus invaded the fields, devouring crops. Desperate, the farmers asked for military help. The government sent three soldiers, two machine guns, and a film crew… but the emus proved to be surprisingly tough opponents.
181 – Oklahoma City Bombing
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On the morning of April 19, 1995, at exactly 9:02 AM, a Ryder rental truck packed with explosives detonated outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, right beneath the building’s day-care center. The massive explosion killed 168 people, injured more than 500, and obliterated a third of the structure. It stood as the deadliest act of terrorism in U.S. history until September 11, 2001, and still holds the grim title of the worst case of domestic terrorism on American soil. Who was responsible, and what drove them to commit such a horrific act?
141 – Albert Fish: NY Killer and SUPER Creep
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Albert Fish, also known as the Boogey Man, the Gray Man, and the Brooklyn Vampire, was a sadistic killer, cannibal, and child predator. Captured in 1934, he confessed to abusing hundreds of children and murdering three. Executed for one of those killings, Fish shocked the nation with his horrific crimes. This is one of the darkest true crime stories out there.
19 – Flat Earth Theory F*ckery
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Welcome to the Flat Earth Society episode of “Timesuck!” Believe the planet is a flat disc shooting upward through space for some mysterious reason? Think gravity’s just made up? Not too fond of science or, say, basic evidence? Then brace yourself, because this episode is about to unload a hefty dose of reality on those absurd ideas. Get ready for a fact-filled, sarcasm-heavy journey into why the Earth only makes sense when it’s round.
170 – Nazi Search for the Holy Grail
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The Nazis’ Hunt for the Holy Grail. This episode dives into that bizarre mission, and explores a whole collection of strange, occult beliefs held by Heinrich Himmler, Hitler, and other mystically obsessed Nazis. From hollow earth theories and ice giants to Atlantis and ancient myths, we’re going deep into the wildest corners of Nazi ideology. We’ll also trace the roots of the Aryan supremacy myth and Himmler’s desperate search for anything that might give the Nazis the power to dominate the globe.
265 – The Dolphin Point Experiment: LSD, Aliens, NASA, and Dolphin Sex
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In the summer of 1965 on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, neuroscientist John C. Lilly and assistant Margaret Howe conducted a startling experiment: Margaret lived intensely with a dolphin named Peter, engaging in sexual activity to teach him English. Dr. Lilly’s goal? To learn telepathy from the dolphin to talk with aliens he believed controlled him.
163 – The Church of Satan
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How many infants do they actually offer in rituals? Does it matter if the babies are Christian? How many pure maidens are given to men dressed in dark robes, devil horns, or goat masks during their gatherings? Do any of these assumptions actually reflect real Satanism? In this discussion, we’ll focus primarily on “LaVeyan Satanism”, the most widespread and recognized form of Satanic practice, and its creator, “Anton LaVey”. Will your expectations about what Satanism entails align with reality?
210 – Alexander the Great!
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Alexander III, king of Macedon/Macedonia, known as Alexander the Great, was an undefeated commander who conquered an empire from Greece to India and Egypt in a decade. His military tactics are still studied. While Alexander’s will led to destruction, his unparalleled conquests raise the question: what was his greatness?
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