Podcasts about Grand Theft Auto V

Stroke With No Warning Signs: What Tom Ballo Wants Every Survivor to Know Tom Ballo was 65 years old, nine years into a retirement he’d earned across three decades as a telecoms litigator, when a massive hemorrhagic stroke put him on the floor of his own home. There was no dizziness the week before, no slurred word he brushed off, no doctor’s visit he postponed. “It just hit me out of the blue,” he says. “There were no warning signs or anything. No. Very sudden.” His five-year-old granddaughter was the one who found him, ran to get her father, and called 911. That single fact- a stroke with no warning signs is the hardest one for a survivor’s family to sit with, and it’s the reason Tom’s story matters. We’re trained to look for a prodrome: the TIA that precedes the “real” event, the slurred speech, the drooping face, the classic FAST checklist. Those signs save lives when they’re present. But a meaningful share of hemorrhagic strokes, including Tom’s, give no such courtesy. Understanding this isn’t about inducing fear; it’s about removing the false comfort of “I’d definitely see it coming,” which quietly stops people from taking risk factors seriously simply because they feel fine right now. Eighteen Months Later: “I Had Like One Bad Day” What makes Tom an unusual guest isn’t just the suddenness of his stroke — it’s what he says about the recovery. Eighteen months out, he offers a claim that stops most interviewers in their tracks: “Ever since I had the stroke, as far as bad days, I had like one. One bad day, I guess.” For a show built around the long, uneven work of recovery, that’s either the most useful sentence a newly diagnosed survivor will hear all year, or the most worth interrogating. We chose not to resolve that tension neatly, because Tom doesn’t either — and that honesty is more useful to you than a tidy takeaway would be. “Ever since I had the stroke, as far as bad days, I had like one. One bad day, I guess.” — Tom Ballo Part of what underwrites his outlook is a framework he leaned on well before the stroke: self-actualisation, drawn from Abraham Maslow’s 1943 hierarchy of needs. Tom describes himself as someone who had already done the internal work of knowing who he was — a foundation he credits with much of his composure now. It’s worth a caveat here for accuracy: Maslow’s hierarchy is a theory of motivation, not a diagnostic instrument, and there’s no validated test that certifies someone “self-actualised.” What Tom is really describing is a stable sense of identity going into the hardest thing that ever happened to him — and that’s a legitimate, replicable idea, whether or not you use Maslow’s language for it. The Part That Doesn’t Get Easier “One bad day” is not the same as “no hard days,” and the interview doesn’t pretend otherwise. Tom is candid that spasticity the stiffness and involuntary muscle tightness that often follows a hemorrhagic stroke is getting worse, not better, as he moves further from the event. This is a pattern a lot of survivors will recognise, and few outsiders expect: the assumption is that time only heals, when in practice some deficits plateau, some improve, and some, like spasticity, can progress. If you’re eighteen months, three years, five years out and still watching a symptom evolve, Tom’s experience is a useful, unglamorous data point that you are not doing recovery wrong. There’s a quieter data point too, and it cuts the other way: Tom says he hasn’t had a bad night’s sleep since the day of the stroke. For an audience where post-stroke fatigue and insomnia are close to universal, that’s a genuine outlier worth naming precisely because it complicates any single story about what stroke recovery “typically” looks like. What Changed at Home The practical texture of Tom’s recovery runs through his family: the granddaughter who acted fast, the wife who stepped in to run the household during the hardest stretch, the shift from being the one who handled everything to being the one who’s learned, in his words, that “it’s kind of a blessing” to do less. He’s candid that he hasn’t driven since the stroke and says he doesn’t feel a pull to change that. There’s no performance of getting back to “normal” here — just an honest account of a life that reorganised itself around new limits, some of which he’s made peace with and some of which, like the spasticity, he’s still working out how to hold. Why This Story Is Worth Sitting With If you came to this looking for a checklist of warning signs, Tom’s story won’t give you one, and that’s the point. Some strokes, including major hemorrhagic ones, arrive without a warning a person could reasonably have caught. What you can control is what happens after: how quickly the people around you act (his granddaughter didn’t hesitate), how you rebuild a working identity in the aftermath, and how honestly you track what’s actually getting better versus what’s quietly getting harder. Tom’s “one bad day” isn’t a promise you’ll get the same outcome. It’s permission to notice what’s still working, even while something else spasticity, driving, the parts of independence you used to take for granted hasn’t resolved yet. If Tom’s story raises questions about your own recovery, or a loved one’s, that’s exactly the conversation this show exists to have. You can go deeper into the ideas behind post-traumatic growth after stroke in Bill’s book, The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened (recoveryafterstroke.com/book), and if this kind of interview is valuable to you, the show runs in part on listener support at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. Stroke With No Warning Signs – Tom Ballo’s One Bad Day in Eighteen Months He had zero warning signs before his stroke at 65. Eighteen months later, Tom Ballo says he’s had exactly one bad day. Highlights: 00:00 Stroke with no warning signs03:25 What kind of stroke was it08:18 Learning to talk and walk again11:42 Does he have aphasia?17:46 One bad day in eighteen months27:15 The symptom that’s getting worse33:20 The one thing that hasn’t changed Transcript: Stroke with no warning signs Tom Ballo (00:00)it just hit me out of the blue. It hit me out of the blue. There were no warning signs or anything. No. very sudden. luckily, my youngest granddaughter was there. My young granddaughter, she was five years old. She was there and I guess she saw me and she went and got her dad, who’s my son-in-law. They were living with us. At the time we had a big house and he told him, she told him and he came down and called 911 right away. Bill Gasiamis (00:39)Welcome back to Recovery After Stroke. I’m Bill Garciamas, and today’s guest is a genuinely different kind of conversation for the show. Tom Ballo spent 32 years as a telecoms litigator, retired at 56 to actually enjoy it, and nine years later, at 65, a massive hemorrhagic stroke hit him with absolutely no warning. His five-year-old granddaughter is the one who found him and got help. What you’re about to hear is a conversation that moves differently than most on this show. Tom takes his time, getting to his words, and there’s a real compassion and openness in the way he talks about what happened to him. No performance, no polish. Just the man being honest about where he’s landed 18 months on. Stay with the pace of it. That pace is part of what he’s telling you. We’re going to get into what he calls one bad day in 18 months, what’s actually gotten harder rather than easier, and what he’s learnt about who he already was before any of this happened. Remember to grab a copy of my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best. thing that happened at recoveryafterstroke.com/book It’s the 10 tools I used to build my own recovery. And a lot of what Tom describes today connects straight back to it. And guys, if this show has helped you, remember you can support the show directly at Patreon by going to patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke and making a small monthly contribution. It helps cover costs of recording, editing and hosting the podcast. Bill Gasiamis (02:16)Tom Ballo, welcome to the podcast. Tom Ballo (02:18)Thank you. Glad to be here. Bill Gasiamis (02:19)Tell me a little bit about what occupied your time before stroke. Tom Ballo (02:24)Well, I retired, retired 10 years ago. So I was well acclimated to that. And I mostly doing, I had a YouTube channel. It it’s called GTA5 and Squirrels. And I said, make recordings of Grand Theft Auto V video game, really interesting videos. And then I got some squirrels that were living next to the house and one of them started was really… friendly. He kept walking up to me and finally started climbing up me and I started feeding him and I was making videos of videos of that. What kind of stroke was it Tom Ballo (03:19)I had over 1500 subscribers and 1 million views. And the whole channel just hit 1 million. Bill Gasiamis (03:30)And y you used to play GTA, Grand Theft Auto. Was it your favourite game? So you’re doing that in your retirement before you retire retired, what were you doing for a living? Tom Ballo (03:40)I was a lawyer for a real, real large telephone company for 32 years. I was a litigator and regulatory law, so it was administrative law, I was, it was just, it was cases, and they were the biggest cases that affected the company. About nine years. Bill Gasiamis (04:06)Yeah. Tom Ballo (04:07)That was one reason I retired early. I retired at age 56 and I just wanted to make sure I had time to enjoy retirement. I didn’t want to work until I died or would have had the stroke when I was working. That’d be different. I had enough time to do a lot of things. for the stroke happen. Bill Gasiamis (04:35)What what was that day like? What what did you notice? Tom Ballo (04:39)nothing, you know, it came out of nowhere. I was playing a video game and about seven o’clock at night and I got up and was getting ready to walk in, go into the other room. I was done and it just hit me out of the blue. It hit me out of the blue. There were no warning signs or anything. No. very sudden. Bill Gasiamis (05:07)What kind of stroke was it? What what was the Tom Ballo (05:09)Is it hemorrhagic? And it was, they say massive, it was a massive one. You know, I pretty much started trying to tip over to my right side. That was the side that started effecting. And I think I made it into the bathroom and over towards the sink. I mean, mean the tub. And that’s the last I remember. luckily, my youngest granddaughter was there. My young granddaughter, she was five years old. She was there and I guess she saw me and she went and got her dad, who’s my son-in-law. They were living with us. At the time we had a big house and he told him, she told him and he came down and called 911 right away. It just hit like a ton of bricks. Bill Gasiamis (06:19)How did you experience it? Was it painful? Was it were you dizzy? What happened? Tom Ballo (06:27)I had about 60 seconds that I was aware of it. It just hit me and I don’t have any pain recollections from it, but… Apparently I hit my head pretty hard, had bruises and all kinds of things. Bill Gasiamis (06:47)Do you have the details about how you ended up in hospital? You they called nine one one. You’re you’re in hospital. Do you have Tom Ballo (06:54)right, heat called. Bill Gasiamis (06:55)any recollection of that? Tom Ballo (06:57)Well, I don’t have any recollection of the ambulance coming or anything about the hospital for about, I don’t know, 10 days. And even then, even my memory then is very, very generic. Like, you know, I knew I was in a hospital. That kind of thing. And then Bill Gasiamis (07:20)Yeah. Tom Ballo (07:21)I don’t have much of a memory of it. The interesting thing, my wife was in Germany. One time she’s gone to Germany or somewhere abroad. marriage and just happened to be there. Luckily, granddaughter, know, had seen me in the bathroom. Bill Gasiamis (07:47)You woke up in hospital and you had some awareness of your deficits. Did you kind of notice that s certain parts of your body weren’t working the way they were prior? Learning to talk and walk again Tom Ballo (07:56)Well, yeah, I mean, it, you know, I don’t know, it’d just be like a car wreck or something. I knew all kinds of things were wrong. my, Half my body was numb, exactly right down the middle from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes, straight down the middle. You know, like over here, could feel everything, right at the halfway point, now it’s, this is all numb. The right side of me. So I knew that I couldn’t, you know, I had… Obviously I had not paralysis, numbness on the whole right side of my body. So I wasn’t able to do much, know, although they kept me in the hospital for six weeks. And, you know, therapy. was inpatient. Bill Gasiamis (09:04)Yeah, because your body was dumb, did that mean you couldn’t walk or use your arm? Tom Ballo (09:08)I couldn’t walk. They put me in wheelchair and it would take me down to a… call it therapy. And there they would get me out of the chair at least and I did speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Worked on my head, my arm. That was the occupational therapy and then physical therapy with the right leg. So I couldn’t really talk that well in the very beginning. eventually got it, pretty much. Bill Gasiamis (09:46)Is that cause your speech was slurred? Tom Ballo (09:48)Yeah, it was, it was slurred. was real soft and, which just wasn’t my normal voice. It still isn’t, still is not really my normal voice. Bill Gasiamis (10:01)And has it impacted your memory and the way that you recall things? Tom Ballo (10:05)has not affected me in that regard, in that manner. I was always, I was very, I still am, but very intelligent person. I don’t mean to sound odd with that, but I just have always been, you know. I’ve always had a good, really good, you know, brain, so to speak. Bill Gasiamis (10:34)Yeah. So it hasn’t affected your capacity cognitively, but it’s affected other things. And your voice is not your original kind of sounding voice. You sound a little different. And your right arm is a out of action. Tom Ballo (10:47)No, I mean, this is my right hand here. You know, I can, I can live, but I don’t, I don’t use it for stuff like, you know, it’s kind of a hassle cause I’m right-handed, but to have a right hand apparently affected, you know, affected by the strokes. Bad luck essentially. You know what I mean? Bill Gasiamis (11:15)Yep. Tom Ballo (11:16)now I do a lot of things with my left hand Bill Gasiamis (11:19)Yeah. And what about your right leg? How are you up and about? Can you get around? Does he have aphasia? Tom Ballo (11:27)I can walk for sure. Yeah, I don’t have any kind of walking assistant and I can pretty much. I take care of everything. my wife once was gone for I think four days. And so I was able to take care of myself for four or five days straight by myself. So I’m able to get around. But walking, you know, I’ve fallen a couple of times. I know you’ve talked about that. I have been following, I’d say now it’s been like three or four months. Probably the longest stretch ever. But I was always really good at tripping and catching myself. And people would say, man, I thought for sure you were going down. I was always able to… catch my own balance, I still have that ability so but you know I have to be careful walking around close and there’s a lot of obstacles on the ground they’re close to me to be kind of careful if I’m walking around that. Bill Gasiamis (12:48)And what about driving, Tom? Are you driving? Tom Ballo (12:52)I haven’t driven yet. You know, I want to. I’ve talked about it. Just haven’t had to, haven’t done it. You know, my wife is, she’s great. She does so many things that I haven’t, I haven’t, you know, I don’t really need to drive. Don’t have any need to. Bill Gasiamis (13:12)Yeah. So you have access Tom Ballo (13:13)Yeah, it’s just. Bill Gasiamis (13:14)to transportation even even though you’re not driving, you can still get around. with regards to the speech challenges after the stroke, was there any aphasia or anything like that that also surfaced? Tom Ballo (13:27)I’ll finish ya. I’m gonna go to the set. Bill Gasiamis (13:30)that’s when you’re unable to get words out. You know what the words are, but then you can’t generate the the sound in your mouth. Tom Ballo (13:37) don’t know. Not really. I think I can get everything out. don’t… There’s no… systematic problem that I’m aware of. know, finding… A lot of times won’t talk that much. I don’t have to. But if I do, I don’t have a problem saying things. Bill Gasiamis (14:06)Yeah. How long ago was a stroke now? Tom Ballo (14:08)That’s happened March 1st of last year. about a year and half. happen. Bill Gasiamis (14:18)About a year and a half ago. Tom Ballo (14:20)Yeah, you know, it was interesting when I was in, I was in therapy in-house for six weeks. And so I was about the middle of April, had the stroke on March 1st of last year. I was on with the hospital in middle of April, they sent me home. But, and then I, for the rest of the year, I came in two or three days a week for out, I guess, outpatient therapy. People used to see me and I wouldn’t, it was pretty odd. A lot of people, I don’t know, I’d say at least 10 people over the time. you know, seeing me and I didn’t know them, but they knew me somehow. And they all said, I’m doing a great job, you know, being able to, in their recovery. I guess they had seen me in the very beginning and thought there’s, you know, this guy is going to be messed up bad for life, you know? And I, overcame all that and people would just say all the time I’d get stopped, you’re doing great, you’re just doing wonderful, you It always surprised me that they didn’t even knew. Bill Gasiamis (15:46)So were they family members or? Tom Ballo (15:48)Now they were just total strangers. They were just people who also go to the hospital. Yeah, there was a lot of therapy in that building. It wasn’t really, yeah, it’s… had really good people thought I made a lot of progress. Surprise everybody. Now if you talk about family, my daughters and my wife and pretty much everyone’s that’s seen me. Just this beginning, you know, just can’t believe I’m doing as well as I’m doing. Bill Gasiamis (16:24)What would you say were some of the toughest challenges at the beginning of your recovery? Tom Ballo (16:30)I would say going to the bathroom by myself, was always hard to do in the beginning. And then… I would say walking, you know, I had to use a wheelchair for a while, then a hemi, they called it a hemi walker. Used that for long time and then eventually, you know, learning how to walk again. That was the hardest thing. Bill Gasiamis (17:05)How did your idea of of who you were begin to shift during those early months? Tom Ballo (17:10)That is not a problem that never has been for me. Bill Gasiamis (17:14)Uh-huh. Tom Ballo (17:15)I’ve been me before and during and after stroke. It’s not affected anything about how I feel about myself. It’s Bill Gasiamis (17:25)Mm-hmm. One bad day in eighteen months Tom Ballo (17:29)one thing I had been working on throughout my whole life was working on the mental side. of things and I had, you know, eventually, you know, according to every test I’ve ever seen, I passed them all that said I was what they call self-actualized, which is very rarely accomplished. Bill Gasiamis (17:57)What is self actualized? Tom Ballo (17:59)Well, it’s a theory of psychological development by Abraham Haslow or somebody. the highest, say people are on this pyramid or a triangle and the very top, chip top, the top one or two percent. They say are self-actualized. They become really just means you know yourself. Whereas most people are down near the bottom of the pyramid, focused primarily on survival and belonging and material things. I’ve been very blessed that I was self-actualized long before this stroke happened. it was, it did not affect who I, who I who I am, really. Bill Gasiamis (19:01)So you didn’t change in any way, y even though you have less mobility or you have challenges with your arm, you don’t see yourself as different in any way or not you. Tom Ballo (19:13)Yeah, correct. I’d say out of all, ever since I had the stroke, as far as bad days, I had like one… One bad day, I guess, where I just felt like, man, it’s too hard on this, not try or something. And just felt kind of down. But I felt better the next day and I’ve been the same. So I’ve had one bad day. Yeah, Bill Gasiamis (19:47)One bad day in a year and a half. Not bad. Tom Ballo (19:50)you know, was talking and I’ve talked to a therapist. And was talking to her at the time and I just kind of unloaded. I felt bad and all this. was, I thought I’d kind of given up, I got out of it. Bill Gasiamis (20:09)Just a quick pause. You’re listening to my conversation with Tom Bellow, sixty-five, when a massive stroke hit him with no warning signs at all. And who says that in eighteen months of recovery he’s had exactly one bad day? Before we get back into it, a couple of things. If you’re already a Patreon member, a YouTube member, or you’ve left a super chat or a super thanks on this channel, you’re the reason this show exists. And the reason I can keep covering what it costs to make it. Genuinely thank you. And remember, if what Tom’s describing, rebuilding a sense of who you are after everything’s changed, is something you’re sitting with yourself. That’s exactly what I work through one on one with people at recoveryafterstroke.com/momentum. It’s lived experience coaching, not therapy or medical treatment, and it’s built around getting you moving again when you’re not sure how to start. Let’s get back to Tom. Bill Gasiamis (21:07)Do you miss doing any of the things that you’re not doing at the moment? Your Tom Ballo (21:13)Well. Bill Gasiamis (21:13)for example, your GTA Tom Ballo (21:15)GTA 5? Yeah, I do, although I had a way of playing it now, I still play the game in other video games as well as best I can, but it’s really hard even just to try to keep my finger on the gas pedal in the cars. It’s tough. And it even started hurting after a while, you know. And I stopped. I still play with them. you know, I miss that I’m trying to think. I don’t do the squirrels anymore. We moved. And we don’t have squirrels here. So. It’s been kind of good in a lot of ways. Bill Gasiamis (22:15)How? How has it been good in a lot of ways? Tell me. Tom Ballo (22:20)watch TV, I guess, is I’m trying to get around. I don’t watch normal TV at all, you know, but it has commercials, Bill Gasiamis (22:29)Yeah. Tom Ballo (22:29)anything like that. It’s primarily YouTube and movies, but… Content has to be very truthful and non-deceptive. And I’ve been able to watch and learn a lot of things. I’ve been able to watch these YouTube videos and find, been very active with that. And then in a lot of ways, I used to do everything and now I don’t. And that’s kind of a blessing, I guess. I don’t know. I used to do my own laundry and… I did dishes for everyone and mowed the lawn and all these things that I used to do. Now I don’t have to. Bill Gasiamis (23:34)So now you have somebody else doing those tasks and you have more free time on your hand? Tom Ballo (23:39)Yeah, nobody expects me to do them. You know, really, my wife has been real good. She has picked up the slack, so to speak. It’s not her favorite stuff. I used to do it all. A lot of things. And I don’t have to really do much of anything. We recently moved and moved… couple hours away from Austin to Houston. And I didn’t have to do anything with the move. It doesn’t move a thing. Whereas, I don’t know, just, it’s kind of nice. I try to do dishes whenever I can, but it’s not like, used to be. People would expect me to do everything and I didn’t mind doing it. It’s kind of nice not having to. Bill Gasiamis (24:38)Yeah. Are you living at home with your wife and is it just you and her? So it’s ju just you and your wife at home now. Tom Ballo (24:46)Yeah, as far as living here now, it’s pretty, it’s real quiet because for about two and a half years, we had a really, really full house with my daughter and her husband and three daughters, granddaughters. Bill Gasiamis (25:05)Yeah. A and has your wife ever perhaps mentioned how things have changed for her, how she experiences her the new way that she interacts with you or the differences in the interaction with you? Tom Ballo (25:18)Hmm, not really. Pretty much she… very, pretty much the same. Even when I, even beforehand, I would, pretty much do my own thing and so would she. I’d be playing video games or out with the squirrels. I was on my own anyway. Bill Gasiamis (25:42)Yeah. Tom Ballo (25:43)So really, it’s not really been a big problem. Bill Gasiamis (25:47)Yeah. When you got back from home, were you totally kind of independent? Were you able to toilet yourself and do all those things or did you need support for that? Tom Ballo (25:55)No, I’d say when I first came home, I was still in a wheelchair and still using a flask to go to the bathroom for the first, I don’t know, I’d say about two months at home. until I learned how to walk and then with the hamming walker and then eventually put that thing away and walked by myself. So I’ve had to kind of learn slow. I’ve had to, I’ve made improvements in that regard. Bill Gasiamis (26:45)Yeah. Your wife sounds like she definitely stood by you. Who else was around? How did your kids get involved in those early days? Tom Ballo (26:53)Well, the first week my daughter and her husband were taking care of me or coming to see me in intensive care and stuff like that at the hospital. And then, my wife was in Europe for the first week of my, first week of the stroke. But then, The symptom that’s getting worse And you know, my daughter lived with us. She would occasionally, well, I don’t know, she had to think back on it. Pretty much once my wife, Linda, you know, had come back, she took care of me. yeah, she took care that care me. Bill Gasiamis (27:45)Yeah. took care of all of your needs, I would say. I Tom Ballo (27:50)Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (27:51)would imagine. Is that right? Like everything you needed to sort of be able to get in and out of bed and to get food and to get showered. Did you guys have any help come from any services like nursing or anything like that? Tom Ballo (28:04)I never had that, did not need that. We fixed, well, we completely redid one of the bathrooms at my last house and made it so I could do a walk. It ended up being a really nice bath area with a bench and a. Handheld nozzle not a tub, but walk in kind of a thing. So we fixed a shower because at first… Bill Gasiamis (28:41)like that. Tom Ballo (28:42)No, I don’t think I have. It was primarily me just each day trying to get a little bit better. But I’ll tell you, one of the problems that I’ve had is that I’m getting more more spasticity, spasticity and Bill Gasiamis (29:05)Yeah. Tom Ballo (29:08)muscle tightness. I mean, it’s gotten, I’d say. Every day it gets like one thousandth worse every day. It doesn’t automatically get better even if you work out or anything. Bill Gasiamis (29:24)Yeah. Do you have s massage or anything like that to help relieve it? Tom Ballo (29:33)Well, I didn’t know for that. I haven’t had anything yet. I’m thinking of. don’t know. I don’t know if it’ll work. Find a hospital and start and see what they say. There’s something that they can can do. It’s. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (29:54)Challenging. Tom Ballo (29:55)I thought that it would, you know, just you. It would just get better each day, but it’s not quite that way. I used to be able to close my hand, I can still do that. But now it feels like it’s just a lot tighter. It’s not really painful, but it’s borderline painful. I don’t know, it’s not really pain, but also my feeling is much more sensitive. Like when I yawn, I can feel a tremendous amount of tingling. throughout my entire, my whole right leg from my hip down to my foot. Bill Gasiamis (30:49)When you yawn. Tom Ballo (30:50)when I yawn, for some reason it just energizes my leg. I don’t know, or like, if I don’t, okay, like if I just don’t move my right arm at all, but they put it at rest, I don’t feel anything. There’s no tingling, there’s no sensation. As soon as I start moving it, and if I touch anything, I can really, really feel it a lot more now than I did at the beginning. It’s very sensitive to touch. Bill Gasiamis (31:27)Yeah. I know what you mean. did you ever feel like your like your autonomy or your dignity were being challenged when you went through this? How did you navigate that part of it? Tom Ballo (31:38)Well, see, gets back into my being self-actualized. Bill Gasiamis (31:47)Yeah. Tom Ballo (31:49)My dignity was never affected by any of this. Now it’s been, I don’t know, like if people see me in a store or in a market, they’re always more than willing to want to talk or they make me feel special in a way. So that doesn’t, it doesn’t bother me. And people like to hear, they have a lot of questions. It doesn’t affect my dignity at all. I haven’t fallen down in public, Bill Gasiamis (32:28)Okay. Tom Ballo (32:29)so it hasn’t happened. I’ve heard people say that bothers them. That’s Bill Gasiamis (32:32)W what it doesn’t sound like there’s much that would affect your dignity that you seem pretty mild mannered and calm about many things. Tom Ballo (32:41)Yeah, I’m very… I don’t know how to put it. I’ve just been, people have commented and have noticed by themselves that I’m not like normal. There’s something about me, I really know myself more than most people do. Bill Gasiamis (33:02)Yeah. Your what about your message for people who are just starting their stroke recovery? If they were listening, you know, w what would you say to them? You’re a a year and a half in, so you have some insights and some awareness. What would you share with the people who are just starting their recovery? The one thing that hasn’t changed Tom Ballo (33:18)Well, you know, one thing I do is I watch a lot of videos about strokes surviving. So and every stroke is different. That’s one thing. It’s kind of stroke recovery is different and the severity of the strokes are different for everybody. it’s kind of hard to say for everybody how to how they can get along. But I would say, of course, would try to tell people to try to become, have as much confidence in yourself as you possibly can and stay positive. And, you know, it’s hard to do if you want that way to begin with. I’ve been lucky that I was been positive before I started this, before I had the stroke. some benefit to me after the stroke. It didn’t affect it. So I would say keep on trying. It’s going to be something to work on all the time, every day from here on out. Bill Gasiamis (34:40)Yeah. What are you hoping to work on in the next say twelve months? What’s on your on your list of things to get done or to continue to do? Tom Ballo (34:48)Well, the main thing for me is hopefully spasticity, it’s hard to say for me now, spasticity, doesn’t get any, just hopefully that’s. I can get that out of control. That’s all I worry about in the future, so to speak. All I think about is hoping that that doesn’t get a lot worse. You know, if you… Bill Gasiamis (35:32)Just want such a some improvement in the deficits. Tom Ballo (35:35)Yeah, improvement in… You know, I was always, I had stretched every day or every night for 30 minutes. For my whole life, I’ve been into stretching. And… Now, you know, it’s the opposite. I got stiffness like you’ve never seen. But luckily it has not affected my sleeping at all. Matter of I haven’t had a bad night’s sleep since day of the stroke. Every evening or every night, sleeping is perfect. Bill Gasiamis (36:17)Yeah, that’s excellent. Tell me, Thomas, do they know what caused their brain hemorrhage? Tom Ballo (36:23)No, they really don’t. And no one ever came to me and ever once wanted to or wanted to tell me or wanted to find out about what caused it. They were always seem like they were always more like in the moment trying to get just trying to get everything better, doing the best thing. to recover. as far as what might have happened, no real idea. I would just say it overall. got, I mean, the stroke I had was probably about as severe as anybody had. It’s really not, you know, it’s not completely debilitating. It’s not too bad, really. Bill Gasiamis (37:26)Yeah. Hey Thomas, I really appreciate you reaching out. Thank you so much for connecting with me and sharing your story. Tom Ballo (37:34)Thank you for having me on. Bill Gasiamis (37:37)Well, that was Tom Bellow, thirty-two years a litigator, eighteen months a survivor, and someone who will tell you straight that some things, like the spasticity he’s living with, have gotten harder rather than easier. Even while he’s had by his own account just one bad day. That kind of honesty is rare. And it’s exactly why this conversation moves the way it does. Tom’s not performing recovery for you. He’s describing it at his own pace. And that’s worth sitting with rather than rushing past. That’s really the reason these episodes get made at all. Not to hand you a formula, but to let you hear what recovery actually sounds like from someone living it. Because the version you carry in your head before you’ve heard someone like Tom is almost never the real thing. If this conversation gave you something, a moment of recognition, a reason to keep going, a way to explain your own recovery to someone who doesn’t get it yet, the most useful thing you can do is share it with one person who needs to hear it today. Remember to check out my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened. It’s available at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And on that note, my new book is out now. And this one’s a bit different. It’s not about stroke specifically, it’s about what happens after any kind of trauma reshapes your life and how you rebuild even when you don’t feel ready to. It’s called Your World Doesn’t Have to Stay This Small. And if your world has gotten smaller since your stroke, fewer places you go, fewer things you say yes to, fewer people you see. That’s the book I wrote for you. Remember to grab your copy on Amazon, search the title, or use the link in the show notes. If this show has helped you, remember you can support it at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. Thanks for listening. I’m Bill Gasiamis and this is Recovery After Stroke.     The post Stroke With No Warning Signs – Tom Ballo’s One Bad Day in Eighteen Months appeared first on Recovery After Stroke.

Anthony "Citric" Campos is a multi-talented actor, comedian, musician, and entrepreneur. He is best known for playing the role of Manolo in the TV series "Lopez" and for "Idiocracy". Anthony brings the character of Emilio to life in Hulu's Emmy-winning revival of King of the Hill, lending not only his voice but also his likeness and personality to the role. With the series' new season, which is now out, exclusively on Hulu, Campos returns as Emilio for the next chapter of the Hill family's story, reuniting with creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels on one of television's most beloved animated franchises, now renewed for two additional seasons. Known for his authentic comedic style and commanding screen presence, Campos brings depth, warmth, and cultural relatability to a series celebrated for its honest portrait of American life. Campos pursued music in earnest. As frontman of the hip-hop group Brown Town Looters, he found his voice and his direction; the group earned international recognition and headlined Japan's annual Lowrider Super Show. In 1994, the birth of his son Eric marked a turning point. Campos stepped away from touring life to support his growing family, but when a new wave of Spanish-language hip-hop began to rise, it reignited his passion for the stage. He returned with a new creative project, Pueblo Café, blending cultural roots with a fresh sound that reflected his evolution as both an artist and a father. His artistic journey soon led him to acting. After early background roles and a stint hosting a hip-hop television show, Campos landed his breakout comedic role as the Secretary of Defense in Mike Judge's cult classic Idiocracy, the beginning of a creative relationship with Judge that has now come full circle with King of the Hill. Campos has since built a diverse career across film, television, voiceover, and gaming. He starred as Manolo, George Lopez's driver and confidant, in TV Land's critically acclaimed series Lopez, and has appeared in projects including Harsh Times opposite Christian Bale and Eva Longoria, and HBO's Silicon Valley. His voiceover credits span King of the Hill, Squidbillies, and the blockbuster video game Grand Theft Auto V, a testament to his range as a performer and his deep connection to gaming culture. Most recently. Campos has channelled his lifelong relationship with sound into entrepreneurship as the proud co-owner of Obsidian Headphones, which he leads alongside business partners Wendy Pineda and Veronica M. Buenrostro. A one hundred percent Latino-owned company, Obsidian was built on a simple mission: deliver premium sound at a price everyone can afford. For Campos, the venture is a natural evolution of a career spent behind the microphone, drawing on his years as a recording artist, his training as an audio engineer, and his voiceover work in gaming to create headphones made by people who live and breathe audio. Obsidianrepresents the full-circle moment of a life in sound, from the stages of East LA to ownership of the technology that cares music and games to the next generation of listeners. Beyond the screen, the stage, and the studio. Campos is dedicated to mentoring youth. sharing his story of resilience and perseverance to inspire the next generation to forge their own positive futures. Today, he continues to grow as a dynamic performer and Entrepreneur, and proud representative of East LA. We chat about his big break and life changing call from Mike Judge, the return of King of the Hill, being a security guard for Snoop Dog & Master, getting into rap and touring in Japan, walking away from his stable well paid job to pursue entertainment, stand up, collaboration and when the band ends, good and bad record labels, Lopez and The Hip Hop Show + plenty more!   Check Anthony out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigcitric/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigcitric Obsidian Headphones: https://obsidianheadphones.com/ Website (out soon): https://www.bigcitric.com/ ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

Anthony “Citric” Campos is an American actor, comedian, musician, and producer of Latino heritage whose career spans film, television, music, and stand-up comedy. Born and raised in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, he overcame early involvement in gang activity, a period that included time spent in Nayarit, Mexico at his family's direction, before channeling his energy into performance following the birth of his son. In the early 1990s he emerged in the hip-hop scene as a member of Brown Town Looters, a group that scored a hit single in Japan and performed at the Japan Lowrider Super Show, later continuing with the Spanish-language ensemble Pueblo Cafe. His acting breakthrough arrived with the role of the Secretary of Defense in Mike Judge's cult comedy Idiocracy (2006), a part secured after a casting director noticed him through his music promotions and one that established a lasting professional association with Judge while showcasing his natural comedic timing. He subsequently portrayed Manolo, the kindhearted and capable sidekick to George Lopez, across 24 episodes of the television series Lopez (2016–2017), a character written with him in mind and infused with semi-autobiographical themes of mentorship and support for formerly incarcerated individuals. Most recently he has voiced Emilio, Bobby Hill's sous chef, mentor, and voice of reason, in the 2025 revival of the Emmy Award-winning animated series King of the Hill, a recurring role that continues his collaboration with Judge and places him among a select group of Latino performers in a major returning franchise. Additional credits include supporting work in Harsh Times opposite Christian Bale, appearances in Silicon Valley, contributions to Grand Theft Auto V, stand-up performances across the United States, and producer involvement in independent projects such as Big Citrics Big Break. Through these accomplishments Campos has built a body of work that reflects both personal resilience and a consistent commitment to authentic Latino representation in mainstream entertainment.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a massive failure on PS5. It didn't even crack 500K sales at launch, and it's getting beaten 32 to 1 by bare bones Call of Duty Black Ops reissues. And also Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V and Palworld. Watch the podcast episodes on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://more.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629 MORE CLOWNFISH TV - Official Merch Store: http://ClownfishMinus.com Facebook - https://facebook.com/ClownfishTV X - https://x.com/ClownfishTVcom Clownfish TV subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClownfishTVOfficial/ Disclaimer: This series is produced by Clownfish Studios and WebReef Media, and is part of ClownfishTV.com. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of our guests, affiliates, sponsors, or advertisers. ClownfishTV.com is an unofficial news source and has no connection to any company that we may cover. This channel and website and the content made available through this site are for educational, entertainment and informational purposes only. These so-called “fair uses” are permitted even if the use of the work would otherwise be infringing. #Halo #Games #Podcast #Commentary #News #Reaction #Gaming #Comedy #Entertainment #Hollywood #PopCulture #Tech #Anime #FYP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we talk about the books, movies, and shows we consumed. Mr. Pold - The Wheel of Time, The Dresden Files, Young Washington St. Jimmy - The Boogeyman, Project Hail Mary, Baron Trump's Marvelous Underground Journey, Gunpowder, Ruthless, Moonfall, Do Not Enter, The Long Walk, Werewolves, Grand Theft Auto V, Grimm, Mortal Kombat II, Tusk, M*A*S*H D'Viddy - Young Washington, The X Files, Moonfall, Alita: Battle Angel, The Man with the Golden Gun, Riddick, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Masters of the Universe, The Running Man, A Fistful of Dollars, Mortal Kombat II, For a Few Dollars More, American Ultra, The Dresden Files Master Z - They Will Kill You, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash Music Provided By: Greg Gibbs / Most Guitars Are Made of Trees Monk Turner / Bad Luck

This week, **30nstillgaming** and **Sgt Mclusky** dive into some of the biggest stories shaping the gaming industry. and the rant along the way. In Generation X Gaming Podcast Episode #496, 30nstillgaming and Sgt Mclusky break down the latest major shifts happening at Sony and Xbox, while discussing why the gaming industry increasingly feels driven by corporate priorities instead of player experience.We start by discussing reports that Sony may stop producing physical game discs by 2028, and what that could mean for ownership, preservation, regional access, and the growing push toward digital and subscription-based gaming. The conversation also touches on recent restrictions affecting players in certain countries and why many gamers are concerned about losing control over the products they buy.The discussion then shifts to Xbox, where we react to Asha Sharma's reported company-wide reset, significant layoffs, and ongoing restructuring. We talk about the challenge of managing massive gaming organizations, the problem of excessive management layers, and the lack of accountability when projects fail. Studios like Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs are also discussed as part of the broader Xbox conversation.Throughout the episode, we share our frustrations with the increasingly corporate direction of gaming, where subscription revenue, guaranteed returns, and safe business decisions can often overshadow the creation of innovative, fun, and memorable games.We also talk about what we've been playing lately, including Grand Theft Auto V and Marvel Rivals, give brief thoughts on recent movie releases, and finish the show with a community Q&A about Xbox's future, studio acquisitions, and the overall direction of the industry.#podcast #gaming #podcasting ⏱️ Chapters00:00 Intro

Our irregular GTA series reaches its finale with the most recent game in the series: 2013's Grand Theft Auto 5. From the heists to the torture mission, what holds up well in 2026?This week's music is from the GTA 5 soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you heard the "autopilot" fear currently running through the creative world? It's the nagging thought that says: Why bother training for a career in voiceover when an AI can clone a voice in seconds? Many aspiring artists are stalling before they even begin, convinced that the machine has already won the race. But is a cloned voice actually the same as a human story? Or are we confusing "data" with "connection"? Let's make the case that while AI can create realistic digital avatars, it currently lacks the emotional depth, spontaneity, and "soul" that define human performance.  The solution isn't to ignore AI, but to double down on the one thing a machine cannot replicate: authenticity. This is the philosophy of Tish Hicks. A classically trained opera singer and legendary voice actor with over 30 years in the industry, Tish has voiced everything from high-profile Subaru campaigns to iconic roles in Grand Theft Auto V and World of Warcraft.  As the "Master Sensei" of The V.O. Dojo, she is a self-described "educational rebel" who is proving that human-made art isn't just surviving—it's thriving. In this episode, Tish shares how she maintains a six-figure career in an era of digital clones. We discuss why the "human premium" is becoming more valuable as the market gets flooded with AI, and why now is actually the most important time to master your craft.  If you've been hovering on the edge of a creative career but are held back by the fear of technology, Tish's insights will provide the mindset shift you need to find your own authentic resonance. She will also share the 5 rules of voice over and get you in the right mindset for thinking this is actually possible. Sharing our conversation could be the spark that helps a talented voice find the courage to speak up in a world of digital noise. Find Tish Hicks here: https://www.thevodojo.com/cwd Watch our interview here:  https://youtu.be/V1-9Viv2bmw  

According to TechCrunch, a Grand Theft Auto V cheat service was hacked, exposing thousands of gamers. In this episode, host Paul John Spaulding, Kyle Haglund, VP, Audio Engineering at Cybercrime Magazine, and Sam White, Video Producer at Cybercrime Magazine, discuss this story, alongside several others making news in the gaming industry recently, including a report on the total number of gamers in the United States, and more. • For more on cybersecurity, visit us at https://cybersecurityventures.com

If you own a digital copy of Grand Theft Auto V on Xbox One or any kind of copy on PS4, you'll be entitled to a free upgrade to the current-gen versions of the game starting tomorrow, June 18. Plus, GTA Online is getting its next big update in just a few weeks. Daemon has all that and more on your Daily Fix.Presented by Universal Orlando Resort, and its newest theme park, Universal Epic Universe.

The Cybercrime Wire, hosted by Scott Schober, provides boardroom and C-suite executives, CIOs, CSOs, CISOs, IT executives and cybersecurity professionals with a breaking news story we're following. If there's a cyberattack, hack, or data breach you should know about, then we're on it. Listen to the podcast daily and hear it every hour on WCYB. The Cybercrime Wire is brought to you Cybercrime Magazine, Page ONE for Cybersecurity at https://cybercrimemagazine.com. • For more breaking news, visit https://cybercrimewire.com

Rejugando 304: Forza Horizon 6, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Summer Game Fest y el regreso del ReJuniando Nuevo programa de Rejugando, en un episodio 304 marcado por el ambiente previo al Summer Game Fest, el regreso de la actualidad fuerte de la industria y una RetroBarcelona 2026 que dejó anécdotas, conciertos, encuentros con oyentes y muchísimas conversaciones sobre videojuegos clásicos y actuales. El programa arranca repasando precisamente todo lo vivido en RetroBarcelona, una edición especialmente multitudinaria donde el equipo coincidió con gran parte de la comunidad de Rejugando, otros medios y figuras históricas de la industria japonesa como Yoko Shimomura y Michiru Yamane. Entre conciertos, charlas, trivials y encuentros improvisados, el ambiente retro volvió a convertirse en uno de los grandes protagonistas del programa. Juegos que cumplen años: Pac-Man, Mario Galaxy 2, Persona 5 Dancing y más clásicos Como ya es tradición, el equipo repasa videojuegos que celebran aniversario durante esta segunda quincena de mayo. El listado deja momentos muy nostálgicos: Pac-Man cumple 46 años. Dragon's Dogma alcanza los 14 años. Odin Sphere llega a los 19 años. Super Mario Galaxy 2 cumple 16 años. Persona 5: Dancing Star Night cumple 8 años. Infamous alcanza los 17 años. Pandora's Tower celebra 15 años. Daikatana vuelve a salir a escena junto al nombre de John Romero. La conversación deriva también hacia cómo RetroBarcelona sirve precisamente para tomar conciencia del paso del tiempo en la industria y de la enorme cantidad de sagas históricas que siguen vivas décadas después. State of Play de PlayStation: Wolverine, Ghost of Yotei y apuestas para junio Uno de los grandes bloques del programa gira alrededor del anuncio oficial del próximo State of Play de Sony, fechado para el 2 de junio y situado estratégicamente justo antes del Summer Game Fest. Las apuestas del equipo giran alrededor de varios nombres: Marvel's Wolverine como gran protagonista del evento. El nuevo Horizon Online. Posibles novedades relacionadas con Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Rumores alrededor de Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3. El equipo también comenta el contexto general del “junio jugón”, con el Summer Game Fest de Geoff Keighley y el showcase de Xbox como piezas clave de las próximas semanas. PlayStation Plus sube de precio y PlayStation sigue generando debate Otro de los temas principales del episodio es la nueva subida de precios de PlayStation para los planes mensuales y trimestrales de PlayStation Plus. Se comenta especialmente: La subida del modelo Extra y Premium. La estrategia de mantener intacta la suscripción anual. El malestar generado por el anuncio de última hora. El encarecimiento generalizado de todos los servicios digitales. A esto se suma el debate sobre la política de comunicación actual de PlayStation, la estrategia respecto a lanzamientos en PC y el movimiento de mantener ciertos juegos first party exclusivamente en consola. También se habla de la reciente brecha de seguridad en PlayStation Network y de los problemas relacionados con recuperación de cuentas y autenticación. Xbox y la nueva etapa liderada por Sarah Bond El bloque dedicado a Xbox se centra en la reorganización interna de la compañía y en los movimientos liderados por Sarah Bond. El programa repasa: Cambios en la estructura directiva. La nueva interfaz de Xbox. El debate sobre la necesidad de recuperar exclusivos fuertes. El estado actual de la marca tras la generación Xbox One. Las expectativas alrededor del próximo showcase de junio. También se analiza cómo Xbox intenta reconstruir parte de la identidad perdida durante los últimos años mientras Game Pass sigue siendo uno de los pilares del ecosistema. GTA VI, Rockstar y cifras absolutamente descomunales Durante la grabación llegan además datos financieros actualizados de Rockstar Games y Take-Two Interactive. Las cifras comentadas en el programa son gigantescas: Grand Theft Auto V supera los 230 millones de copias vendidas. La saga GTA alcanza los 470 millones. Red Dead Redemption 2 llega a 85 millones de unidades. La franquicia Red Dead supera ya los 115 millones. A partir de ahí el equipo debate sobre: El posible precio de Grand Theft Auto VI. El futuro de GTA Online. La transición entre GTA Online y el nuevo GTA VI. Los rumores sobre bundles con PlayStation 5. El impacto económico gigantesco que sigue teniendo Rockstar. Análisis de Forza Horizon 6: Japón, coches, libertad y obsesión por conducir Uno de los análisis centrales del episodio está dedicado a Forza Horizon 6. El programa profundiza en muchos aspectos del nuevo juego de Playground Games: Japón como escenario principal El cambio de ambientación respecto a México es uno de los puntos más celebrados. Japón aporta: Carreteras urbanas inspiradas en Tokio. Zonas montañosas alrededor del Monte Fuji. Cultura automovilística japonesa. Mayor protagonismo de coches JDM. Estética más sobria y nocturna. Rendimiento técnico El equipo destaca: 60 fps extremadamente sólidos en Xbox Series X. Rendimiento espectacular en PC. Tiempos de carga rapidísimos. Excelente modelado interior de vehículos. Efectos climáticos y cambios meteorológicos muy avanzados. Jugabilidad y estructura El juego vuelve a apostar por: Mundo abierto gigantesco. Libertad absoluta. Eventos arcade. Derrapes, velocidad y exploración. Personalización de coches. Compra de casas y decoración. Desafíos online y rankings entre amigos. También se comenta cómo el juego funciona incluso para jugadores poco interesados en coches gracias a su enfoque accesible y relajado. La banda sonora recibe mención especial por incluir música japonesa contemporánea y temas de YOASOBI. Primeras impresiones de Yoshi and the Mysterious Book El otro gran análisis del episodio gira alrededor de Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Las primeras impresiones destacan: Un enfoque muy distinto al esperado. Mucho menos centrado en plataformas tradicionales. Mecánicas experimentales. Puzles y exploración. Sistema de descubrimiento de criaturas. Estética infantil muy cuidada. Música especialmente destacada. El juego sorprende por romper con la idea clásica de un plataformas de Yoshi y apostar por una estructura más experimental. Kingdom Come Deliverance 3 y el RPG de El Señor de los Anillos El programa también comenta el anuncio de: Kingdom Come: Deliverance III. Un nuevo RPG basado en The Lord of the Rings desarrollado por Warhorse Studios. La conversación gira alrededor del potencial de un RPG realista y detallista dentro del universo de Tolkien y del enorme reto que supone adaptar una licencia tan querida. Dungeons & Dragons cancela uno de sus proyectos También hay espacio para hablar de la cancelación de un nuevo videojuego de Dungeons & Dragons por parte de Hasbro. Aunque el proyecto desaparece, el estudio sigue trabajando junto a Hasbro en otros desarrollos relacionados con la licencia. Música, RetroBarcelona y comunidad Rejugando El episodio termina dejando claro el peso que sigue teniendo la comunidad alrededor de Rejugando. RetroBarcelona vuelve a convertirse en el punto de encuentro perfecto para oyentes, amigos y aficionados al videojuego clásico. Las actuaciones musicales inspiradas en sagas como: Castlevania Kingdom Hearts Final Fantasy XV ponen el broche a un programa cargado de actualidad, nostalgia, análisis y muchísimo ambiente de junio videojueguil. Y ahora sí: comienza oficialmente el “Rejuniando”. Antes de cerrar, recuerdan que la comunidad puede unirse a las partidas online de Forza Horizon 6 buscando a “RafaValencia137” y compartir impresiones del programa tanto en Twitch como en iVoox. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Llévate un GTA 6 y un Marvel's Lobezno haciéndote Patreon de Reconectados, y ayúdanos a seguir adelante con el podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reconectados LEGO Batman: El Legado del Caballero Oscuro es probablemente el mejor juego de LEGO que se haya hecho, y todo un homenaje al superhéroe de DC en todas sus apariciones y formatos, con el humor de los ladrillos de plástico. Lo analizamos junto a Zero Parades for Dead Spies, el nuevo e imprescindible videojuego de rol y decisiones de los creadores de Disco Elysium. Además, comentamos los filtrados planes de PlayStation para dejar de sacar sus juegos principales en PC, quedándose en exclusivas en consola PS5, un cambio radical de estrategia, noticia que viene acompañada con otros movimientos como la subida de precio de PS Plus o la confirmación oficial de que los creadores de Kingdom Come Deliverance están con un juego de El Señor de los Anillos. Por otra parte, Borja nos cuenta sus impresiones con el precioso y más que apetecible The Adventures of Eliot: The Millennium Tales, y llega por fin el Re-Análisis de Grand Theft Auto V, el juegazo que votaron los Patreons para que volviéramos a jugar y que salió hace 13 años pero que todavía se mantiene impecable y completamente referente en su género. ¡Muchas gracias por escucharnos, por apoyarnos, y os leemos en comentarios! Time stamps: (00:00:00) - Introducción, se viene nuevo y prometedor State of Play (00:06:45) - PlayStation cambia de estrategia con los exclusivos (00:20:34) - Subida de precio del Plus (00:26:53) - Kingdom Come Deliverance con Galdalf y Frodo (00:32:16) - Análisis LEGO Batman: ¡todo es fabuloso! (00:54:24) - Análisis Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, otra obra maestra (01:18:18) - Impresiones The Adventures of Eliot: The Millennium Tales (01:27:13) - Re-Análisis Grand Theft Auto V (02:01:39) - Despedida y el mes de mayo "flojo" ¡Apoya Reconectados, decide y participa en todos los sorteos! ✅ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reconectados ️ ¡Sigue nuestro canal de Twitch! ️ ✅ Suscríbete a Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/reconectados ¡Únete a nuestro grupo de Telegram de ofertas! ✅ Canal de ofertas: https://t.me/ofertasvideojuegosreco ️ ¡Escucha Reconectados cada semana: Jueves 07:00am! ️ Ivoox: https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-reconectados-videojuegos_sq_f1467878_1.html Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TzgUfUZppavUlKeRreIXL Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/reconectados-videojuegos/id1304330116 ¡Síguenos en redes sociales! X-Twitter: @ReconectadosPod Jabote: @Jabote22 Manu: @ManuGmn Paula: @paulacroft02 Borja: @borjaruete TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reconectadospod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReconectadosPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reconectadospod/

Randy plays his 1 millionth hour of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. Meanwhile, D.J. finally walks away from his life of crime to join the anime police in Neverness to Everness. Also: Sledding Game. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro (4:24) - Stream announcement: Vampire Survivors (9:27) - Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Part XIXXVIIICVMVVX (33:55) - Grand Theft Auto V (37:57) - Neverness to Everness (1:00:40) - Sledding Game (1:15:07) - Outro

D.J. returns (virtually) from Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival with some actual good news. Randy escapes a futuristic dystopia in Replaced, before immediately going back for more dystopia. Also: Cast n Chill, and our latest check-in with everyone's favorite crime simulator. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro (12:41) - Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival (37:14) - Cast n Chill (44:45) - Replaced (1:04:07) - Grand Theft Auto V (1:18:19) - Outro

ITPM Flash provides insight into what professional traders are thinking about in the markets RIGHT NOW!   Consumer sentiment is collapsing… yet one sector may be perfectly positioned to benefit.   In this week's ITPM Flash, Dieter breaks down why a weak consumer backdrop doesn't necessarily mean weak spending — and how the "substitution effect" could drive demand toward lower-cost, high-engagement entertainment.   That leads us to a compelling opportunity in Take-Two Interactive — the company behind one of the most successful franchises in history, Grand Theft Auto V.   With Grand Theft Auto VI set for release and hype already building, Dieter explores why this could be a powerful catalyst — and how to structure a limited-risk options trade to capture the upside.

Följ med Fredrik och Poki på GOTY-resan, där vi återvänder till klassiska – men fortfarande moderna – spelår och ser hur väl titlarna står sig i dag. Har tiden gett dem en ny innebörd, eller cementerat deras legendariska status?Den här gången är det 2013 som står i fokus. Dags att utse årets bästa spel – retroaktivt.Upplägget är som vanligt:Vi börjar med att lyfta årets bubblare, fortsätter med våra personliga topp 10-listor och avslutar med det tuffaste momentet av alla – att enas om en gemensam topp 5. En lista av spel som ska stå emot all kritik och förbli ohotade över tid.Och högst upp?Ett spel som för oss definierar året. 2013 års Game of the Year.

Essa semana, Jurandir Filho, Felipe Mesquita, Evandro de Freitas e Bruno Carvalho batem um papo sobre um dos maiores fenômenos da história dos games: Grand Theft Auto V. Treze anos após o seu lançamento original, como o jogo da Rockstar ainda consegue ser tão relevante e presente nos rankings de vendas? Relembramos o impacto técnico absurdo no fim da geração PS3 e Xbox 360, a transição para os consoles seguintes e o sucesso avassalador do GTA Online, que transformou o título no produto de entretenimento mais lucrativo da história. Analisamos o enredo cruzado de Michael, Franklin e Trevor e como a sátira social de Los Santos continua atual mais de uma década depois. Por que GTA V se tornou esse monstro imparável e o que o seu sucesso dita para o futuro da franquia?Esse é mais um episódio da nossa série Remakes!⭐ Quer mais 99Vidas? Apoie e escute + de 300 episódios exclusivos. Assine agora em ⁠⁠⁠99vidas.com.br/bonus⁠⁠⁠Acompanhe o 99Vidas:➡️ ⁠⁠⁠Site⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Youtube

Our first draft episode of the year is here! Who can pick the best levels out of Samuel, Matthew, Dave and Ash? You decide. Vote for the winner in the announcements channel of the Discord.This week's music is from the Sonic 2 soundtrack by Masato Nakamura, the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack by Tangerine Dream and Woody Jackson, the Super Mario 64 soundtrack by Koji Kondo and the Mario Kart World soundtrack by Atsuko Asahi, Maasa Miyoshi, Takuhiro Honda and Yutaro Takakuwa.These are the categories if you need a refresh:First-person shooter level (singleplayer)First-person shooter level (multiplayer)Lightgun stageMultiplayer level (can't be an fps)Platforming levelMission in an open world or larger gameBonus levelBoss battleWorst level and location I'd doom my worst enemy to live in Free pick Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Travis Chappell and his producer Eric kick off 2026 with a tongue‑in‑cheek look at “getting rich” in Grand Theft Auto V versus actually building wealth in real life. Using a viral GTA video that breaks down the “five best businesses to buy” in the game, they unpack why it's so tempting to grind for fake money while feeling stuck financially—and where that logic breaks down if you're unhappy with your real bank account. Along the way, they swap stories about ultra‑strict childhood rules on movies and games, why sleepovers now feel like a hard no as parents, and how leisure fits into a healthy, ambitious life.​ On this episode we talk about: A GTA V creator teaching “five businesses that will make you rich online” and how his million‑view content is actually an example of turning play into a real income stream.​ The difference between enjoying games as a hobby versus pouring five hours a day into them while complaining there's “no opportunity” in real life.​ Childhood stories about not being allowed to watch certain movies or play certain games, calling parents from sleepovers, and the weird logic of which ratings were “okay” and which weren't.​ How becoming parents has flipped their perspective: less concern about temporary tattoos and game ratings, more concern about letting kids sleep at other people's houses at all.​ The rise of creators who build channels around nostalgic games, movie tie‑in titles, or walkthroughs—and how that can turn low‑effort fun into a monetized side project.​ Why modern games and social platforms are engineered to keep you in an endless loop, and how that “vortex” quietly delays people from ever taking real swings at their goals.​ The nuanced take: you don't have to be “grinding 24/7,” but you also can't expect big financial changes if every spare hour goes to escapism.​ A brief tangent into IP consolidation (Saudi money, Activision, Bond, DC, Lord of the Rings) and how massive ownership shifts change what shows, games, and stories get made.​ Top 3 Takeaways Hobbies are fine—until they clash with your goals. Playing GTA or Call of Duty isn't a moral issue; the problem is when you're miserable with your finances yet still spend all your free time in virtual worlds instead of building real skills and income.​ You either monetize the passion or own the trade‑off. The GTA creator in the clip turned his obsession into a channel with hundreds of thousands of subscribers; if you don't want to do that, that's fine—but then you have to accept slower financial progress without blaming “lack of opportunity.”​ Most “successful people” aren't gaming all day. High performers might still play, but usually after they've already put in serious work; expecting similar results while investing most of your energy into entertainment is a mismatch in inputs and outcomes.​ Notable Quotes “If you're spending five hours a day playing video games and also complaining there's no opportunity, you can't be mad at the results you're getting.”​ “That guy grinding GTA businesses is actually making real money—because he turned his gameplay into content, not just a way to escape his own life.”​ “Do whatever you want in your downtime, but don't be shocked when the people who spend that same downtime learning and building get very different outcomes.”​​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️

Summary In this episode of the Slightly Above Average Gaming Podcast, hosts J007tv and Subone KD reflect on their holiday experiences, discuss family traditions, and delve into the gaming landscape, including the enduring appeal of Mario Kart, the identity crisis of Call of Duty, and the success of Grand Theft Auto V. They also explore the evolution of extraction shooters like Arc Raiders and the future of gaming, emphasizing the importance of catering to core player bases while navigating the challenges of casual versus competitive gaming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Straturday Night Live, we're kicking things off with a brand new intro — and this one's been four years in the making!

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGameYoutube.com/RememberTheGameFacebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcastTikTok.com/@MemberTheGameAnd if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!Patreon.com/RememberTheGameI like to save big games for every 50th episode, and they don't come much bigger than Grand Theft Auto V. I FINALY played this one for the first time and damned if it isn't the most impressive video game I've ever played.I didn't love Vice City back in the day and kinda checked out from the GTA series after that. But hosting this show got me to play San Andreas, GTA IV, and now GTA V, and with each entry I like the series more and more. IV and San Andreas are fun, but V takes it to a whole new level. Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are awesome, the missions are entertaining, the story is interesting, and the world of this game is just, I know I keep saying it, impressive!Our GTA guy, Andre, joins me this week to break down the story mode of Grand Theft Auto V. We spoil everything, get into the quest for The Big One, talk about our favourite plot points and side missions, and heap as much praise as we could squeeze into a 75 minute review onto GTA V this week. A rare-perfect score is in contention on this episode.And before we theft autos, I put together another (super-sized) edition of the Infamous Intro!This week we talk about the crazy number of remakes and remastered we're getting these days. Did I score Mario kart World too high when I reviewed it?? And what 5 games do I consider 'must buys' from the last couple years??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Rockstar games: Red Dead Revolver, Bully, and Manhunt.Thanks for getting us to 350!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The October Spooktacular continues as we sit down to watch Dark Match (2024), a Shudder original horror film about pro wrestling in late-80's Canada. This one is directed by Lowell Dean (Wolf Cop), starring Ayisha Issa (Brick Mansions), Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead, Trevor in Grand Theft Auto V), and Chris Jericho (Sturgis Motorcycle Rally). Dark Match is a simple tale about a crew of wrestlers invited to perform at an off-the-grid private party that quickly becomes a satanic nightmare. It's kinda like regional wrestling meets Green Room and also Mortal Kombat. We're talking about grisly special effects, extremely dark lighting, wildly shifting tones, and Chris Jericho's time at the Steven Seagal School of Acting While Sitting. Folks... it's a good one. Music featured on this episode: Black Magnet – Spitting Glass This program is available on Spotify. It is also available on iTunes or whatever they call it now, where you can rate, review, and subscribe. Give us money on Patreon to get exclusive bonus episodes and other cool shit.

In this episode, we peel back the layers of Grand Theft Auto V to spotlight the lesser-known details hiding in plain sight. From scrapped single-player DLC and secret underwater wrecks to the bizarre reasons behind GTA Online's alien gang wars, we're digging into the game's forgotten corners, hidden mechanics, and development oddities. This isn't your average GTA trivia—it's the stuff you probably missed, the things Rockstar never told you, and the facts that make Los Santos even weirder than it already is. Whether you're here for the lore, the laughs, or just looking for a reason to replay it again, we've got you covered. For Part 2 of this episode, go to: patreon.com/thegtapodcast

It's the episode you've all been waiting for. An entire 45 minutes of us sharing our hottest takes on things that you likely disagree with. One Piece and Grey's Anatomy need to stop, Peter Capaldi is the best Doctor, the galaxy would have been better with the rule of the Empire, and more.Chapters00:00 Introduction02:13 Movie one takes need to stop08:37 Stop talking about One Piece11:13 How is Grey's Anatomy still on??12:24 Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi is the best23:02 Grand Theft Auto V sucks28:56 The Empire in Star Wars was right32:43 Thanos was right34:27 Captain Janeway is great (and a criminal)39:46 Sam Mendes was Oscar snubbed for 191741:50 Christopher Nolan is hit or miss

Have you ever heard of the 'Nemesis System?' No? That's not surprising! The 'Nemesis System' is a patented game mechanic that was only included in two games in the mid 2010s. Despite the mechanic only existing for about 50 hours of gameplay, it's impact runs deep. For nearly a decade, gamers have been begging for another Nemesis-ed game to get their grubby little paws on. Well, lucky for those gamers, we're here to pitch the best games to get 'Nemmy." Matt is adding consequences to a game that's never had them. Andrew is adding more cards to a game that already has them. Todd is adding cultural relevance to a game that's never had it. Have you seen out Patreon? patreon.com/debatethiscast Have you seen our Instagram? instagram.com/debatethiscast Have you seen our Threads? threads.net/debatethiscast Want to send us an email? debatethiscast@gmail.com MERCH! We have that! Right now you can go on the internet and order things that say Debate This! On them! All you need to do is head to MerchThis.net and give us your money! Ever wanted socks with the DT! logo on them? Well now you can get em! One more time that website is MerchThis.net! Properties we talked about this week: Middle Earth: Shadows of Mordor, Shadows of War, Warner Bros., Grand Theft Auto V, Magic The Gathering Arena, Spore, Wii Sports Music for Debate This! is provided by composer Ozzed under a creative commons license. Check out more of their 8-bit bops at www.ozzed.net!

Achieving Success with Olivia Atkin Episode 127 "From Stage To Hollywood To Self-Care: Redefining What It Means To Achieve with Actress Angel Parker"Olivia talks personal and professional achievements with Actress Angel Parker. Angel has been captivating audiences with her performances across television, film, and voice acting for over two decades. She got her start at just 16 years old when she was accepted into the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Since then, she has built an impressive career with standout roles in Marvel's Runaways, The Rookie, Lab Rats, American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, and Netflix's The Recruit. Beyond television, she has also taken on powerful roles in films like You Are My Home and Prisoner's Daughter.Angel's versatility shines through her work in both drama and comedy, and she has lent her voice to major video game franchises like Saints Row and Grand Theft Auto V. In addition to her on-screen presence, she has remained connected to her theatrical roots, performing with the British American Drama Academy and The Blank Theatre.Join Olivia every Tuesday as she brings on top notch guests to talk about how they are Achieving Success! Career Development Book and More at Achieving-success.comStay Connected With Us:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/achieving-success-llcInstagram: @_achievingsuccessTwitter: @_achievesuccessFacebook: @Achieving SuccessBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/achieving-success-with-olivia-atkin--5743662/support.

Sam Crane is the director and star of “Grand Theft Hamlet” — a documentary about how he mounted a full production of Shakespeare's “Hamlet” inside the hit video game “Grand Theft Auto V.” Sam joins Tom Power to talk about the project, what the process of making it looked like, and why Shakespeare translates so well to the ultra-violent world of “Grand Theft Auto.”

In this episode, we dive into a wild mix of pop culture topics that are sure to excite fans across all types of media. First up, we unpack the latest buzz surrounding Ted Lasso Season 4, discussing where the characters are headed next and what new twists we expect from the beloved feel-good sports series. Then, we shift gears to the world of gaming with Skate—the highly anticipated return of the classic skateboarding franchise. Will it live up to the hype? Of course, no gaming discussion is complete without talking about Grand Theft Auto V, one of the most iconic open-world games ever created. What makes it still so relevant years after its release? Finally, we dive into the eerie world of Silent Hill F, exploring the new direction the franchise is taking and whether it can recapture the terrifying magic of the originals. Whether you're a sports fan, a gamer, or just love a good thriller, this episode has something for everyone. Tune in for lively discussion, theories, and a few surprises along the way!

This month, Darrin takes a look at a PS3 game that was unfortunate enough to release in the same time window as Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us, Chad tries out Flint: Treasure of Oblivion, and Justin gets frustrated with Angry Alligator. Sponsored by Gamefly. New customers can get a 30-day free trial by clicking on the GameFly link at the top of GeekCavePodcast.com. Like the show? Please leave a rating wherever you found us! Download and listen today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon, Stitcher, Goodpods, and more of your favorite podcast services! 

Movies and the entertainment industry often portray intimacy in reckless and unbiblical ways. The Plugged In team discusses how Hollywood deals with sex and how you as a parent can springboard from that to teach the truth about God’s design. They then look at 2025’s upcoming video games and what your family needs to know about them. Get your copy of Plugged In’s helpful book Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family today! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the full review: · Civilization Revolution · Civilization Revolution 2 · Civilization Beyond Earth · Sid Meier’s Civilization VI · Civilization V · Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Rise and Fall · My Sims · Sims 2 · Sims 3 · Sims 4 · Sims Medieval · Grand Theft Auto IV · Grand Theft Auto V · Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City · Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas · Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars · Fable · Fable II · Fable III · Fable: The Journey Check out the Plugged In Blog! · Living in a Sims-ulation · GTA’s Nasty Hidden Hot Coffee is Back…Why Should Parents Care · Grand Theft Agony The Plugged In Tech Guide Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

Noel catches up with founding member and keyboardist, Marcus Vere, of Living In A Box. The band's breakout hit, "Living In A Box," reached number five in the UK and number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1987. Marcus discusses which came first, the band name or the song title. He also talks about whether or not the band name hurt them. Living In A Box released two albums and broke up in 1990. The song "Living In a Box'" found new life as it was featured in the video game, Grand Theft Auto V. In 2016, Living in a Box reformed with British soul singer Kenny Thomas replacing Richard Darbyshire. In 2022, they announced that they have a new singer, Bryan Chambers. Since they have reformed, the band has appeared at live festival events in the UK such as Let's Rock, Rewind and Flashback.

Remember the first time Saints Row: The Third pulled you into its wild, unpredictable world? We do too, and it's that nostalgia we're revisiting today. This episode is all about reliving the glory days of this iconic game that dared to break away from its predecessors and the shadow of Grand Theft Auto. Once hesitant about the Saints Row series, we found ourselves unexpectedly captivated by its third installment, which redefined what fun meant in an open-world setting. It's a celebration of the Xbox 360 era, where the blend of chaos and humor left an indelible mark on our gaming journey.As we explore the series further, we reflect on the mixed sentiments surrounding Saints Row: The Third and its successors. Despite its success, the series' pivot towards exaggerated humor and sci-fi madness in later games, particularly Saints Row 4, was a divisive move. Some cherished the evolution, while others yearned for the gritty narrative and emotional depth of the earlier titles. We also touch on the broader gaming landscape of the time, dominated by giants like Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us, and how these titles influenced our gaming preferences and choices.Wrapping up, we take a critical look at the franchise's decline and the eventual reboot that left fans wanting more. The attempt to recapture the magic with the 2022 reboot fell flat, failing to resonate with both old and new audiences. We discuss what could possibly revive the Saints Row series to its former glory and its place among other open-world legends. Alongside this, we reminisce about other classic titles like Crackdown and Sleeping Dogs, and look forward to future gaming hits, acknowledging the ever-evolving nature of our gaming tastes and the nostalgia that keeps us coming back for more.Interested in watching us play games? Follow us on Twitch! Want to hear more about how we got into gaming? Listen to the interview we did with Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamers!