Podcasts about sioux city

McGowan, Dawson to debate issues of Iowa 4th congressional district race tonight in Sioux City.

State archeological dig in Sioux City turns up possible 1916 discovery when railroad terminal constructed.

As naming rights for Tyson Events Center end, Sioux City mayor says no hurry to get next naming rights finalized.

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links —Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.

Sioux City naming rights for Tyson Events Center could end this week; City wants United Express flights to keep Essential Air Service status.

The new facility will consolidate its current locations in Iowa and California.A century-old Iowa honey producer has broken ground on what it says will eventually be the largest honey bottling plant in the world.The Sioux Honey Association Co-op held a ceremony Tuesday to officially start construction on a 440,000-square-foot facility in Sioux City. The $130 million project, KTIV-TV reported, would consolidate Sioux Honey's current operations in Sioux City and Southern California into a single location; officials expect the plant to eventually create nearly 40 jobs in the area, according to KSCJ-AM.The plant on Sioux City's far south side will feature a raw material warehouse, processing equipment and five bottling lines. Sioux Honey President and CEO Kevin Hueser told KTIV that the plant will make its current lineup of Sue Bee brand honey and sauce products, as well as provide additional innovation capabilities.The cooperative expects to begin production in the spring of 2028.Sioux Honey dates back to a group of five Northwest Iowa beekeepers in 1921; today, it includes more than 150 beekeepers across the country.#Manufacturing #Honey #FoodManufacturing #Iowa #SiouxCity #FoodProcessing #Factory #ManufacturingJobs #SupplyChain #Agriculture #Beekeeping #FoodIndustry #AmericanManufacturing #ManufacturingNow

Committee working to review Sioux City public high school facilities meets first on Oct. 6.

[00:00:34] Iowa weather history: Justin looks back at September 24, 1985, when snowflakes mixed with rain in Des Moines—among the earliest observations of snow in Iowa history. [00:01:19] Weather trivia: Which Iowa sector is most vulnerable to climate variability impacts? [00:01:44] Forecast headline: "endless wet": The team discusses a soggy seven-day outlook, including at least 1.5 inches of statewide precipitation and possible 2–4 inch totals south of a Des Moines-to-Sioux City line. [00:02:50] Near-term forecast details: Showers continue through Sunday morning, followed by a brief early-week break before rain returns Tuesday. Temperatures remain in the 60s, with mild overnight lows. [00:03:18] Hurricane Polo and the quiet Atlantic: Justin explains how Pacific Hurricane Polo's remnants may influence Upper Midwest weather, while the group discusses El Niño, wind shear, and the lack of an Atlantic hurricane so far this season. [00:05:12] 8-to-14-day outlook: Madelynn reviews the early October outlook, which favors above-normal precipitation while keeping temperatures near normal around Iowa. [00:07:16] Hazards outlook: No notable hazards are highlighted in the 8-to-14-day hazards outlook. [00:07:32] Past-week weather recap: The group gives the week its "Flood and Furious" headline and talks about widespread wet conditions, and rain impacts across Iowa. [00:08:46] Iowa weather extremes: Justin reports the wettest location, North Liberty, with 6.75 inches of rain; the driest location, Randolph, with 0.15 inches; and temperature extremes ranging from 97°F in Clarinda to 42°F at Mason City Municipal Airport. [00:09:49] Summer Glory Index: Justin introduces the Summer Glory Index, a measure combining temperature, humidity, and precipitation to assess how pleasant meteorological summer was. [00:11:27] Des Moines' wretched summer: Des Moines recorded 43 disqualifying summer days out of 91, including a particularly oppressive July 27, leading to a Summer Glory Index score of 853. [00:12:07] Putting the summer in context: Dan compares Des Moines' score with Twin Cities history and recent Iowa summers, noting that 2026 skipped past "not glorious" into the "wretched" category. [00:13:31] Monthly Summer Glory breakdown: June scored 583 points, but July had negative 44.5, illustrating the sharp deterioration in summer conditions. [00:13:57] The "San Diego of Iowa": Justin identifies Northwood, Iowa, as the Iowa station whose summer temperatures most closely matched a San Diego-like climate. [00:15:55] Specialty crop impacts and high-tunnel work: Dan shares lessons from helping re-cover the Global Greens greenhouse, including methods for safely installing plastic over high tunnels. [00:17:16] High-tunnel covering techniques: Dan compares traditional plastic-pulling methods with a ridge-spool approach that can reduce billowing and make wet-weather installation more manageable. [00:19:04] Inflation-fan advice: Tips for two-layer plastic systems, including installing fans promptly, keeping a backup fan available, and using outside air to reduce interior condensation. [00:20:39] High-tunnel storm preparation: Dan emphasizes installing anti-billow ropes and keeping a utility knife in every tunnel to protect the steel structure during extreme snow or wind events. [00:22:25] Caterpillar tunnel inside a high tunnel: Dan discusses Andrew Phelps' planned experiment using a caterpillar tunnel within a high tunnel for added winter insulation. [00:22:58] High Tunnel Short Course: Registration is open for the November 11 short course at the Iowa Arboretum. [00:23:13] Hort Friday Field Day delayed: The Iowa Public Radio Hort Friday Field Day is postponed because saturated fields and rain make parking and field access impractical; a new date is expected no earlier than mid-October. [00:23:38] Trivia answer:  [00:24:24] A difficult growing season: The group reflects on a challenging year for growers, marked by a poor Summer Glory Index and persistently wet September weather. [00:25:06] Cloud cover and seasonal affective disorder: Madelynn discusses unusually cloudy conditions in Des Moines, with overcast observations occurring 42% of the time this September versus a climatological average of 26%. Podcast summary generated using perplexity.ai

19 juli 1989. Nästan 300 människor befinner sig ombord på United 232 när en kraftig smäll dånar genom kabinen. Planet börjar falla och i cockpit upptäcker kapten Al Haynes något som inte ska kunna hända: nästan all styrförmåga är borta. Med hjälp av de två återstående motorerna försöker besättningen ändå hålla planet i luften. Framför dem väntar en landningsbana i Sioux City, men ingen vet om planet går att landa.Detta är berättelsen om United 232. Om en flygkatastrof som ingen borde ha överlevt.Inläsare: Hilda HenzeResearch och manus: Carl HaegerFaktagranskning: Linn EkRedaktör: Hilda OlssonProducent: Oliver BergmanExekutiv producent: Victoria RinkousKällor:https://time.com/archive/6703074/brace-brace-brace/https://www.faa.gov/lessons_learned/transport_airplane/accidents/N1819Uhttps://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/27/us/al-haynes-united-airlines-pilot-obituaryhttps://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/12/rockies-announcer-jerry-schemmel-shares-how-plane-crash-changed-his-life/https://www.laurencegonzales.com/seatchart.htmlhttps://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/05/10/152402632/hero-pilot-in-1989-united-crash-dieshttps://web.archive.org/web/20120514055037/https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jUx1ilFc722X8gKdT8GxkSBsvvMA?docId=2ea8c6e257b84891a406e3148422948aIntervju med Jerry Schemmel i podcasten “Off the Ball” 20 juli 2020.Länk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_siB3mETYo

UMD wins at Wayne State for the first time since 2017. Jeff Papas joins to talk about it, and we also find out about his new name, thanks to UMD's hotel in Sioux City.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Pillars of Leadership Most Bosses Get Backwards You can’t cheat the harvest. Not in farming, not in funeral service, and not in leadership. That’s the line I kept coming back to after tonight’s conversation with Jay Jacobson, author of Lead by Legendary Example — a book forged inside a profession with zero room to fake competence: funeral service. Forty years of leading people through the worst day of their lives taught Jacobson something most executive coaches never pick up in a classroom. Leadership isn’t a title, a slide deck, or a TED Talk. It’s what you do when nobody’s applauding. Jacobson’s framework rests on six leadership pillars — Integrity, Presence, Vision, Servant Leadership, Adaptability, and Mentorship — and the mistake most bosses make is treating them like a checklist instead of a practice. They chase vision before they’ve earned presence. They demand loyalty before they’ve modeled integrity. Tonight, Jacobson walked us through a grandfather-and-grandson story that reframed what dignity in leadership actually looks like, and a piece of his own history — assisting families after the Sioux City air disaster and later testifying before the U.S. Senate — that shows exactly what these leadership pillars look like when the stakes are real and there’s no script to follow. Here’s the part that stuck with me most: trust isn’t built in the big speech. It’s built in the routine call you actually prepared for. I tell my coaching clients and hockey parents the same thing — character shows up in the boring repetitions, not the highlight reel. If you run a team, a business, or a household, this episode hands you a mirror. Which of these six pillars are you skipping because it’s inconvenient, and which one is quietly costing you the trust you’re trying to build? You don’t have to take my word for how it unfolds — watch it yourself. The full replay of tonight’s episode of A New Direction with Jay Jacobson is live now on YouTube and available everywhere you get your podcasts. If you lead people — at work, at home, or on a bench — block out 45 minutes and let Jacobson’s version of legendary leadership put yours to the test. Then tell me in the comments: which pillar are you getting backwards? Jay Jacobson‘s book, “Lead by Legendary Example” is a combination of real stories, and practical psychological and behavioral practices that anyone can employ right now.  You don’t have to wait to make things happen with these 6 pillars of leadership, you can start today, this very moment. This book is also special because not only is it a book that you will read, but at the end of each chapter he has simple practical exercises that you can do to change you.  And the second half of the book are 10 sessions that you can even train your team on. The real point of the book however is one that many of us struggle to comprehend.  Change does not come from performing better, real change occurs because we changed our internal selves.  We make a choice through our mind, will and emotions to change the way think so that we can become the leaders and practice the leadership that can be within all of us…if we make that choice. I loved this book.  It read so fast. The stories are real and the insights that Jay Jacobson pulls out of them are relevant and poignant. This book is for everyone.  Not simply “business leaders” it is for all of us who interact with others, because we are all leaders in one way or another.  This book is for you and me! Get your copy of Lead by Legendary Example by clicking here. A New Direction is so grateful to our sponsors, please reach out to them and tell them thank you, and please LIKE their social media pages. Linda Craft Team, Realtors for more than 40 years their customers call their customer service “legendary”. Linda and her team built their business on building relationships and understanding your home is full of memories that are important to you! It is about the relationship, not the transaction. So if you have a question, want a free market analysis of your home just click on over to www.LindaCraft.com and Check out their Facebook Page ABOUT YOUR HOST Meet Jay Izso Executive Performance Coach  |  Host of A New Direction Every week on A New Direction, I sit down with CEOs, founders, and the researchers behind the science of leadership performance. The conversations go deep. We talk about the decisions that built companies, the mistakes that nearly destroyed them, and the personal breakthroughs that changed everything. But here's what most people don't know about me: the show is an extension of the work I do every day with executives behind closed doors. Who I Am I'm an Executive Performance Coach. I work with CEOs and founders of $5M-$50M companies who have hit a wall they can't explain. The marketing looks fine. The team is capable. The market is there. But the business won't move. The problem, almost every time, is the person running it. I find the personal behavioral patterns that are driving the business dysfunction. Then I help the CEO disrupt those patterns so the company can grow. That's it. No motivational platitudes. No vision boards. Diagnostics, intervention, results. Where This Comes From My approach comes from two places most coaches never set foot in. The farm. I grew up as a farmhand in Ithaca, Nebraska—population 100. I started working at nine years old. By the time I left for college, I'd spent a decade learning that you can't cheat the harvest, pain is part of the job, and the work has to get done whether you feel like it or not. I was fourteen the first time I had to castrate boars. Nobody was going to do it for me. That lesson never left: sometimes you have to do things afraid. The forensic psychology unit. In graduate school at Washington State University, I trained under Dr. Thomas Brigham—co-author of the Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis—in a human behavior lab focused on real-world problems. I then served in a Clinical Psych II role at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake, Washington, a forensic setting where I conducted psychological evaluations of individuals charged with the most serious criminal offenses. Sixteen months assessing human behavior at its most extreme taught me how to cut through defenses, identify what's really driving someone's decisions, and see what they can't see in themselves.

Christopher Atkins, Curator Summer Amman, Development Coordinator The post Sioux City Art Center appeared first on KSCJ 1360.

The Warming Shelter in Sioux City gets first round of Iowa grants from opioid lawsuit settlement

Two debates in Sioux City, with Sand-Lahn and McGowan-Dawson for Iowa contests.

Community activist Scarlett has concerns on new Sioux City initiative to pinpoint homeless encampments.

Please join us for Episode 38: Sioux City Geek Con — Championing Historical Wargaming to the Greater Hobby World! We debrief our experience at Sioux City Geek Con, talk about running historical wargaming demos for the convention crowd, and discuss how we can continue bringing historical wargaming to the broader tabletop gaming community. Grab your spear, your belt-fed machine gun, and your event badge, and join us for this episode of On Patrol! Let's move out!

Look up in the sky, it's a bird! It's a plane! It's the color blue! It's Captain Obvious!Today we look at all the different kinds of preternatural and fantastical abilities most of us wish we had, and a few we're probably glad we don't.Today's root beer is Sioux CityIntro and Outro music by Stockmusic331 on Pond5.Send us Fan Mail

Night Listeners -  I'm cruising around the state still. In the last week I have been in Sioux City, Dewitt, Long Grove and Bettendorf. I got a bunch wild tunes tonight. We are way behind in our interview schedule right now so hopefully this fall we can pick back up.   Purplish - "Just Like Heaven" (Spencer) Younger - "Chlorophyll" (Iowa City) Dishwater Blonde - "Other Half" / Dishwater Blond (Cedar Falls) North to Alaska - "Owls" / Everything Right Now (Cedar Rapids) Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops - "Exoteric" / Slimephone Surveillance (Des Moines) Gossip Cult - "Boy Divine" / Boy Divine - Blood Ritual (Iowa City) True Commando - "Barbarian" / I Lurk in the Camo (Iowa City) Plague Relic - "The Funeral for Lord Zigrat" / Plague Relic (Jefferson) The Fabulous F Bombs - "Liar Liar" (Fort Dodge) Ill Omen - "Prove you are worth Saving" (Cedar Rapids) Anchoress - "Figuring Skating for Monster Trucks" / Sugarsong (Ames) The Siouxer Rats - "Machete Mamas" / Rat-tle and Shake with the Siouxer Rats (Sioux City) The Delstars - "Rocket" / Peel Out! with the Delstars (Des Moines) Brazil - "Everlast" / Love Lost Her Job Today (Cedar Rapids) Follow Iowa Basement Tapes on: InstagramFollow Kristian Day on: Instagram | Twitter (not doing much with it currently)Iowa Basement Tapes has its own archive of Iowa music. Be sure to check out iowabasementtapes.bandcamp.com and download any of the releases for free. If you would like to contribute any music please send an email to kristianday@gmail.com. BROADCAST SCHEDULEThursdays at 9PM on 98.9FM KFMG - Des MoinesFridays at 7PM on 89.7FM KRUI - Iowa CityWednesdays at 11PM on 90.3FM KWIT - Sioux CityWednesdays at 11PM on 90.7FM KOJI - OkobojiIf you miss the show please subscribe to the broadcast archives: https://apple.co/2MzdH5e

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met. Tackling anything from local to state to national, On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa.With various meats on a stick and butter-drenched ice creams now clogging our arteries, this week we're going to talk about candidates at the State Fair, the entire Trump administration in Iowa, another community talking data centers, and the world's most famous vacuum.This episode was hosted by Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy and produced by Gazette Deputy Digital Content Manager Bailey Cichon. It features Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton, Sarah Watson of the Quad City Times and Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal. Read the articles featured in this episode:(2:59) Chuck Grassley receives 'replacement vacuum' for 'Beth' from Sioux City staffer(9:03) In Rock Island, environmental, consumer groups advocate for state data center regulations(14:33) Salix City Council data center meeting delayed due to 'threats'(17:06) State Fair and Trump administration coverage

First female officer in Sioux City Police Department has died.

July runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, totaled two million acre-feet, or 61 percent of average, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. NAFB News ServiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Archeological investigation will be carried out at Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District in Sioux City.

Guest Pastor Tyler Sanchez brings a powerful message about the Breath of God in the valley of dry bones. Tyler and his family are planing a church in Sioux City.

Chris Hagenow welcomes ITR Foundation Research Director Sarah Curry back to the studio. The occasion: a debrief on ITR Foundation's second annual Local Government Symposium, and it sounds like it was the best one yet.Sarah and Chris walk through what the symposium is and why it exists — local elected officials don't have the same depth of resources available to state legislators, and too often the information they do receive comes filtered through national associations with agendas that don't match Iowa. ITR Foundation is trying to fill that gap with practical, Iowa-focused content for the city council members, county supervisors, and school board members who are running local government on a part-time basis while holding down jobs and raising families.The conversation covers the day's major themes: what the proper function of a city actually is (police, fire, roads — not homeless task forces or economic development grants), why the free market allocates resources better than government, and what local officials should take from the property tax reform law that is now on the books — namely, that relitigating it is a waste of time and energy. The symposium also featured sessions on communicating with constituents, local endorsements, open meetings law, and a school board track that introduced benchmarking — why comparing Waterloo to Sioux City makes more sense than comparing Waterloo to Waukee.Before and after the symposium discussion, Chris makes sure listeners know about the amendment one campaign. Vote yes. MakeTaxHikesHarder.com.0:12 Welcome & Sarah Curry returns1:14 Amendment one reminder — and Sarah goes on record2:13 What is the Local Government Symposium?3:33 Why local officials need a different kind of resource9:13 Free market vs. government in service delivery10:04 UBI and scope creep: what cities shouldn't be doing12:31 Property tax reform: stop relitigating, start implementing13:38 Communications and constituent outreach16:00 Local endorsements — more powerful than you think19:27 Open meetings law and legal guardrails22:15 School board breakout: benchmarking districts correctly25:06 Chris's legislative update: property tax law is settled30:08 What's next for ITR Foundation's local government work30:45 Sign off & vote yes

In this episode, Mike and Gibby examine the heartbreaking murders of 10-year-old Kendra Suing and 8-year-old Alysha Suing, who were killed by their stepfather, Lawrence "Larry" Harris Sr., in Sioux City, Iowa, in January 2008. Harris claimed the girls died after a magical ritual "went bad," but investigators uncovered evidence pointing to a calculated double murder motivated by revenge against his wife. The case explores mental illness, occult beliefs, and the difficult distinction between genuine psychiatric illness and criminal responsibility.You can help support the show at patreon.com/truecrimeallthetimeVisit the show's website at truecrimeallthetime.com for contact, merchandise, and donation informationAn Emash Digital productionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERETired of feeling like every decision in your firm has to run through you, and that “delegating tasks” never actually gets real weight off your plate? In this episode of Maximum Lawyer Live, Tyson Mutrux breaks down why your firm will stay fragile and founder‑dependent until you stop hoarding authority and start intentionally pushing it down through your team. Drawing on research from a 1974 Sioux City grocery store experiment and U.S. Army “mission command” doctrine in the 1970s, he shows that the most effective leaders are not the ones doing the most work, but the ones who decide who gets to decide, and who build systems that let others act decisively without waiting for permission.Tyson then introduces his “three bands” model for law firm owners, explaining how to design layers of protection around yourself so that front‑line team members own fully delegated decisions, mid‑level leaders handle issues with clear guardrails, and only truly strategic, irreversible calls ever make it to your desk. Using real examples from his own firm's negotiation process, he walks through what gets decided at the pod level, when issues escalate to attorneys, and the rare scenarios that reach him personally, while hammering home why you must get comfortable letting your people make small and medium mistakes if you want to scale, protect your time, and ultimately build a founder‑optional firm.What You'll LearnWhy research in grocery stores and the U.S. Army shows that pushing authority down beats “hero” leadershipThe key difference between delegating tasks and truly transferring decision‑making powerHow Tyson's “three bands” model creates layers of protection around the ownerWhat fully delegated decisions look like at the outer band, with zero escalationWhen and how issues should escalate to a mid‑band leader under clear guardrailsWhich rare, high‑stakes decisions should actually reach the law firm ownerHow Tyson's team handles settlement negotiations and bad‑faith issues without everything landing on his deskWhy allowing small and medium mistakes is essential to growth and owner freedomHighlights00:00 – Why every decision keeps landing on the owner01:40 – World Cup, leadership, and a new way to think about authority03:10 – Sioux City grocery store experiment and effective managers04:30 – U.S. Army “mission command” and distributed decision‑making06:00 – Waiting for permission vs. acting with intent07:30 – Rumsfeld's “snowflakes” and the limits of delegation09:00 – Handing marketing to “Tommy” and real authority10:30 – Tyson's three bands model for law firm decisions11:45 – Outer band: fully delegated, no escalation13:00 – Middle band: guardrails and clear escalation triggers14:15 – Inner band: rare, strategic owner‑level decisions15:30 – How negotiation authority and bad‑faith calls work in Tyson's firm17:10 – Letting your team make mistakes to gain owner freedom

On this episode I chatted with Lacey and Hank alongside cohost Matt Randall. Lacey is an Okie through and through. She grew up in the small town of Kiefer. Always fascinated with the sky, lightning, hail, and, yes, tornadoes. Most of her life she knew what she wanted to do when she grew up. She wanted to be a meteorologist. Lacey attended the University of Oklahoma, interned under the legend Gary England. Lacey's first job landed her in Sioux City, IA. After her time away, Lacey made it back to Oklahoma joining the News 9 weather team in 2011. Hank Brown attributes his passion for severe weather to his father who exposed him to it at an early age. One of Hank's first memories is standing on the porch watching a tornado with his dad while the rest of the family was in the basement calling them crazy. Hank's love of photography and severe weather brought him to NEWS 9 as a StormTracker in 1998. Since then he has traveled thousands of miles chasing tornadoes for Gary England and the NEWS 9 weather team. Hank has witnessed countless tornadoes including the May 3, 1999 tornado in his own neighborhood in Moore. Hank's chase partner is his wife Patty. https://www.instagram.com/okstormchaser/ https://www.instagram.com/lswope/ Huge thank you to our sponsors. The Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum telling Oklahoma's story through its people since 1927. For more information go to www.oklahomahof.com and for daily updates go to www.instagram.com/oklahomahof The Chickasaw Nation is economically strong, culturally vibrant and full of energetic people dedicated to the preservation of family, community and heritage. www.chickasaw.net Dog House OKC - When it comes to furry four-legged care, our 24/7 supervised cage free play and overnight boarding services make The Dog House OKC in Oklahoma City the best place to be, at least, when they're not in their own backyard. With over 6,000 square feet of combined indoor/outdoor play areas our dog daycare enriches spirit, increases social skills, builds confidence, and offers hours of exercise and stimulation for your dog http://www.thedoghouseokc.com Metro Ford of OKC is proudly serving Oklahoma City with vehicles you can rely on and service you can trust. It's also why they're Oklahoma's Number One Performance Dealership. Shop the inventory today at metrofordofokc.com where the difference is Real. #ThisisOklahoma

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met. Tackling anything from local to state to national, On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa.This week, as we celebrate the semiquincentennial we'll also discuss RFK Jr.'s overtures to Iowa Libertarians, national Democrats threatening penalties for potential primary rebels, and Sen. Chuck Grassley's visit to Sioux City.This episode was hosted by Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy and produced by Gazette Deputy Digital Content Manager Bailey Cichon. It features Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal and Gazette columnists Althea Cole and Todd Dorman.Read the articles featured in this episode:(5:29) Chuck Grassley talks tariffs, data centers, Iran during Sioux City visithttps://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/business/article_7dc05450-4a91-44be-b004-1c63c2237e80.html(14:21) Dems impose tougher penalties for states, candidates defying party's presidential nominating calendarhttps://www.thegazette.com/news/politics/dems-impose-tougher-penalties-for-states-candidates-defying-party-s-presidential-nominating-calendar/article_915d5284-842d-4bc0-9419-f95556aeaeac.html(21:29) RFK Jr. urges another Iowa Libertarian to leave House race, recording showshttps://www.thegazette.com/news/elections/rfk-jr-urges-another-iowa-libertarian-to-leave-house-race-recording-shows/article_17d774a6-03c7-4aec-8f11-efb8b92bb9da.html

Send us Fan Mail The leadership lessons that change you most rarely come from a boardroom. They come from rooms filled with grief, from high-pressure phone calls that rewrite the day, and from moments where the only real move is to show up with your whole self. That's the lens we bring to this conversation on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life with Jay Jacobson, a funeral director turned disaster responder turned entrepreneur who was called to testify before the United States Senate on funeral ethics and who now teaches leadership from the inside out. We dig into what funeral service teaches about emotional intelligence, empathy, and nonverbal communication. Jay explains how learning to read tone, body language, and what's left unsaid becomes a daily practice of presence and integrity, and why that's the foundation of servant leadership. We also talk about his earliest “training” as a paper boy, where dependability and face-to-face connection built trust long before any leadership title existed. Then we zoom out to the future of work. With AI making knowledge instantly available, Jay argues the real advantage is the ability to connect with people, especially as phones and screens reshape how teens learn communication skills between ages 13 and 18. Finally, he shares what crisis leadership looks like on the ground, including his experience responding to United Flight 232 in Sioux City, and how personal tragedy later shaped his book, Lead by Legendary Example, built around pillars like mentorship, vision, adaptability, presence, and integrity. If you want leadership that holds up in real life, press play, then subscribe, share this with someone who leads people, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Connect With the Guest:

Stores that accept federal food assistance will have to stock even more foods to meet the Trump administration's push toward healthier eating. Several Libertarian candidates face challenges to their attempt to appear on the November ballot in Iowa. And, this weekend is the first opportunity for people to see a restored Grant Wood mural in Sioux City.

Timing is everything and every outcome in history is the result of timing. This hour SIMON talks to Hollywood film director ANTHONY MARAS about his new movie 'PRESSURE' and how the success of D-Day all came down to timing of weather. And later, SIMON talks to Sioux City native, & 4th Congressional District candidate, CHRIS MCGOWAN, about how the timing is just right for his anticipated win this fall to hold the seat for the GOP that is currently held by Congressman RANDY FEENSTRA.

Dry conditions across the Missouri River Basin are continuing to reduce runoff and raise concerns about water supplies and navigation later this year. The Army Corps of Engineers reports May runoff above Sioux City, Iowa, totaled just 1.6 million acre-feet, or 46 percent of average. NAFB News ServiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's officially Horse Latitudes season. Chad Leistikow and Scott Dochterman dive into Iowa's latest scheduling news, discuss the pressure on Tyler Barnes as Iowa football's biggest recruiting weekend arrives, and debate whether it's time to feel sorry for Iowa State fans after a brutal offseason. Plus, they rank the best Iowa games from the past year to rewatch during the summer and break down the latest efforts to reshape college sports.

This week Tom & Zeus break down the Creatures Of The Night 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set Disc 5, "Bonus Live Performances & Bonus Creatures Tour Sound Effects." The KISS album Creatures Of The Night was released in 1982 and although not a success upon its release, has become a classic KISS album and worthy of the Super Deluxe Box Treatment. Disc 5 of the Box set is 12 live performances from the Creatures Of The Night tour from four different concerts (Rockford, IL & Sioux City, IA & Pine Bluff, Arkansas & Houston, TX) and 7 special effect tracks. This is SIOL's 13th live album review. The guy's discuss the album SIOL style and breakdown the album, the tracks and of course Paul Stanley's outrageous stage banter as well. They list their top 5 favorite tracks and rank the cover and the album against the 12 live albums by KISS that were previously reviewed. So tune in everyone and grab Paul's C@!K or like Paul, we're gonna tell you to F#$K OFF! To Purchase KISS' “Creatures Of The Night (40th Anniversary) Super Deluxe Box Set” on Amazon Click Below:   ⁠⁠Creatures Of The Night (40th Anniversary) Super Deluxe Box Set⁠⁠   To Purchase Shout It Out Loudcast's KISS Book “Raise Your Glasses: A Celebration Of 50 Years of KISS Songs By Celebrities, Musicians & Fans Please Click Below:   ⁠⁠Raise Your Glasses Book⁠⁠   For all things Shout It Out Loudcast check out our amazing website by clicking below:   ⁠⁠www.ShoutItOutLoudcast.com⁠⁠   Interested in more Shout It Out Loudcast content?  Care to help us out?  Come join us on Patreon by clicking below:   ⁠⁠SIOL Patreon⁠⁠   Get all your Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise by clicking below:   ⁠⁠Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise at AMAZON⁠⁠   Shop At Our Amazon Store by clicking below: ⁠⁠Shout It Out Loudcast Amazon Store⁠⁠   Please Email us comments or suggestions by clicking below: ⁠⁠ShoutItOutLoudcast@Gmail.com⁠⁠   Please subscribe to us and give us a 5 Star (Child) review on the following places below: ⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Podchaser⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Stitcher⁠⁠ ⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify ⁠⁠   Please follow us and like our social media pages clicking below: ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook Page⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook Group Page Shout It Out Loudcasters⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   Proud Member of the Pantheon Podcast click below to see the website: ⁠⁠Pantheon Podcast Network⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Black. Girl. Iowa. podcast, Emili sits down with community leader, advocate, and changemaker Monique Scarlett for a powerful conversation about Black history, civic engagement, and building bridges in Northwest Iowa. Born and raised in Sioux City, Monique shares what it was like growing up as one of the few Black children in her school during the 1960s and 70s, navigating racism at a young age while learning the importance of resilience, faith, and community. She reflects on the rich but often overlooked history of Black Iowans in Sioux City and the importance of preserving those stories for future generations. The conversation also explores Monique's leadership journey — from serving on the Sioux City School Board to becoming president of the Sioux City NAACP and founding Unity in Community, an organization focused on strengthening relationships between citizens and law enforcement through accountability, education, and dialogue. Throughout the episode, Monique shares wisdom on:The importance of civic engagementBuilding community in spaces where you feel unseenWhy Black women must continue speaking up and taking actionThe role faith plays in leadership and perseveranceCreating accountability instead of simply complaining about systemsWhy preserving Black history in Iowa matters now more than everOne of the most impactful moments of the episode comes when Monique reminds listeners:“A vision without execution is just another hallucination.” This episode is honest, empowering, emotional, and deeply rooted in the belief that change happens when ordinary people decide to show up for their communities.Growing up Black in Sioux CityRacism, resilience, and finding communityBlack history in Northwest IowaLeadership and public serviceUnity in Community and rebuilding trustAccountability and civic actionFaith, perseverance, and purposeA lightning round with Monique ScarlettUnity in Community Sioux City (Facebook)Sioux City NAACPTEDx Talk: “”Be sure to also check out Monique's powerful TEDx Talk, Tap Into the Power of One⁠, where she speaks about leadership, impact, and creating change in your community.Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, and YouTube.Website: Black. Girl. Iowa.Substack: @blackgirliowaEtsy Shop: Black Girl Iowa Shop#BlackGirlIowa #BlackWomenLead #IowaPodcast #BlackHistory #CommunityLeadership

Susan Hyde In 1978, the women's tennis team at California State University, Northridge was rocked by a grisly murder borne out of jealousy. Susan Hyde and her partner of several years, Janis Hasse, lived and worked together on campus, but Hasse's relationship with 21, Loni Andersen, carried on even though Hasse lived with Hyde. When Hyde was out of town, Hasse and Andersen would get together. Finally, Hasse ended the affair, and though Andersen seemed to move on, she was silently plotting and planning to get back together with Hasse, but it would all end in murder. Robert Evans In 1986, Robert Evans went missing until his body was found beaten, battered, and bruised. His killer would be a young man who had developed a penchant for cruising gay men and robbing them; in this case, a victim stood between him and what he wanted. The trial's ending might surprise you. Fred Pletka In 1977, the nude bodies of Robert Schmeckpeper and James King were found in their Sioux City trailer, setting off a case that would spiral into a brutal trial and a disturbing legal defense. Fred Pletka was eventually convicted, but the way the crime was framed says as much about the era's prejudice as it does about the murders themselves. The Black Cat On New Year's Eve 1966, undercover LAPD officers raided the Black Cat bar in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, triggering one of the earliest LGBTQ civil rights protests in U.S. history. There was another bar raided on the same night as the Black Cat, two patrons were arrested bring the total to 16. The protest against police violence across Los Angeles was one of the first protests where LGBTQ+ folks joined in common cause with members of the African American and Latino communities, also protesting violence at the hands of police. To watch any of these episode check out the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic 

SDSU is set to host the Siouxland Feedlot Forum this June in Sioux City, Nebraska. NAFB News ServiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Tom & Zeus break down the Creatures Of The Night 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set Disc 5, "Bonus Live Performances & Bonus Creatures Tour Sound Effects." The KISS album Creatures Of The Night was released in 1982 and although not a success upon its release, has become a classic KISS album and worthy of the Super Deluxe Box Treatment. Disc 5 of the Box set is 12 live performances from the Creatures Of The Night tour from four different concerts (Rockford, IL & Sioux City, IA & Pine Bluff, Arkansas & Houston, TX) and 7 special effect tracks. This is SIOL's 13th live album review. The guy's discuss the album SIOL style and breakdown the album, the tracks and of course Paul Stanley's outrageous stage banter as well. They list their top 5 favorite tracks and rank the cover and the album against the 12 live albums by KISS that were previously reviewed. So tune in everyone and grab Paul's C@!K or like Paul, we're gonna tell you to F#$K OFF! To Purchase KISS' “Creatures Of The Night (40th Anniversary) Super Deluxe Box Set” on Amazon Click Below:   ⁠Creatures Of The Night (40th Anniversary) Super Deluxe Box Set⁠   To Purchase Shout It Out Loudcast's KISS Book “Raise Your Glasses: A Celebration Of 50 Years of KISS Songs By Celebrities, Musicians & Fans Please Click Below:   ⁠Raise Your Glasses Book⁠   For all things Shout It Out Loudcast check out our amazing website by clicking below:   ⁠www.ShoutItOutLoudcast.com⁠   Interested in more Shout It Out Loudcast content?  Care to help us out?  Come join us on Patreon by clicking below:   ⁠SIOL Patreon⁠   Get all your Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise by clicking below:   ⁠Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise at AMAZON⁠   Shop At Our Amazon Store by clicking below: ⁠Shout It Out Loudcast Amazon Store⁠   Please Email us comments or suggestions by clicking below: ⁠ShoutItOutLoudcast@Gmail.com⁠   Please subscribe to us and give us a 5 Star (Child) review on the following places below: ⁠iTunes⁠ ⁠Podchaser⁠ ⁠Stitcher⁠ ⁠iHeart Radio⁠ ⁠Spotify ⁠   Please follow us and like our social media pages clicking below: ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠Facebook Page⁠ ⁠Facebook Group Page Shout It Out Loudcasters⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠   Proud Member of the Pantheon Podcast click below to see the website: ⁠Pantheon Podcast Network⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AVM Burst in the Brain: A Recovery Story of Patience, Aphasia, and Finding Your Way Back Jennifer Tomscha was 39, driving her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter home from preschool, when an AVM burst in her brain. She felt a wash of dizziness first. Then her vision started collapsing on the right side. She pulled onto a narrow verge on the highway between Greytown and Carterton in New Zealand, tried to reach her husband, got no answer, and dialled 111 instead. When the dispatcher asked what was wrong, she said something she still can’t fully explain: “I think I’m having a stroke.” She didn’t know yet that she had two arteriovenous malformations in her left frontal lobe — one discrete, one diffuse. She didn’t know that within hours she’d be helicoptered to Wellington Hospital for an emergency craniotomy, or that the following Monday a neurosurgeon named Dr. Woon would spend thirty hours trying to remove both malformations from her brain. She just knew something was wrong, and that her daughter was in the back seat, and that she couldn’t keep driving. That moment — pulling over, self-diagnosing, refusing the urge to simply lie down and rest — may be the reason she’s alive. What happens when an AVM bursts in the brain An arteriovenous malformation is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels that connects arteries directly to veins, bypassing the capillary network that normally regulates blood flow. Most people with an AVM never know they have one. But when an AVM bursts in the brain, blood floods into surrounding tissue at high pressure, and the consequences are almost always severe: haemorrhagic stroke, seizures, sudden neurological deficits, and in many cases, death. Jennifer’s first surgery controlled the bleeding. The second, five days later, was supposed to remove both malformations. It didn’t go as planned. The surgical team discovered that blood flow to the first AVM was feeding the second one, causing the brain around it to swell. Dr. Woon had to make an impossible decision in the middle of the operation: let her die, or remove a portion of healthy brain tissue along with the malformation. He chose to keep her alive. The surgery took thirty hours. When it was finally over, he called her husband and said, “Well, you’ll be lucky if she talks.” The six weeks she can’t remember Jennifer has no memories of the first six weeks after her AVM burst. She was in a medically induced coma for the surgery, then in intensive care, then transferred to rehabilitation. Everything she knows about that period has been told to her by other people. When her memory started returning, she found herself in a rehabilitation ward in Masterton, using adult nappies, unable to sit up in bed. The front of her skull had been removed and wouldn’t be replaced for months. She wore a protective helmet whenever she walked. And yet — she insists — she felt fine. [Quote block — mid-article] “I kept saying, ‘I’m okay, I’m fine. You guys should just take it easy around me.’ But of course, I wasn’t really fine.” — Jennifer Tomscha The honest recognition of what had happened to her didn’t come for almost two years. It took that long for her brain to have enough capacity to think about her brain. The myth of the one-year recovery window Most stroke survivors are told, either directly or by implication, that the first year matters most. That after twelve months, improvements slow. That after two years, you’ve plateaued. Jennifer’s experience — and the experience of nearly every long-term survivor interviewed on this podcast — contradicts that narrative. Four years after her AVM burst, she is still discovering what recovery means. Her academic writing, once her profession as the Director of the Writing Program at NYU Shanghai, doesn’t flow the way it used to. She can’t recall songs from memory anymore, or sing the ones she used to sing. Her aphasia shows up most at night, when she’s tired. She still takes an afternoon nap most days. But she’s also finishing a PhD. She can read as well as she ever could. She’s speaking, articulately, in a podcast interview eighty minutes long. And the parts of recovery she thought had stopped improving are, quietly, still improving. What Jennifer wants other survivors to know Her advice, offered near the end of the conversation, is short and unsparing: “You can rest, and that’s okay. You can be as slow as you want to be, and that’s also okay. But don’t give up. Just keep going — at whatever pace feels right.” It’s a rejection of both the productivity culture that tells survivors to push harder and the clinical culture that tells them to accept their limits. Recovery, for Jennifer, isn’t a race against a deadline. It’s a long, patient process of finding out what comes back and learning to live fully with whatever doesn’t. Bill’s book and community If Jennifer’s story resonates with you, Bill Gasiamis’s book — The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened To — explores the same territory: the slow, unexpected, sometimes beautiful work of rebuilding a life after a brain event. Get the book here Readers who want to support the podcast and connect with the community of survivors it serves can do so at Patreon. Support on Patreon 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. Jennifer Tomscha: An AVM Burst in Her Brain at 39, and the Four-Year Climb Back to Herself She self-diagnosed her own stroke while driving with her daughter. Four years on, she’s still discovering what recovery really means. Highlights: 00:00 Introduction and Background 10:00 Reflections on the Experience 18:00 Long-term Effects and Adaptations 26:45 Identity and Self-Perception Post-Stroke 38:48 The Long Game of Recovery 51:07 The Journey of Recovery 01:03:42 The Evolution of the Podcast Transcript: Introduction and Background: AVM Burst in the Brain Jennifer Tomscha (00:00) Dr. Woon was my neurosurgeon. And he just said, I’ll never do another surgery like that ever again. it was really long. And I think he definitely had made me worse. Like they had taken out. too much of my normal brain. when he called my husband after the surgery was over, Dr. Woon said like, well, you’ll be lucky if she talks. he was just so discouraged from how the AVM surgery went. when I finally talked to him on Zoom. was so you And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course I can. He was like, will you show me? and I walked up and down the room and he was like laughing so hard at my being able to walk. He was like so enthusiastic about it. Bill Gasiamis (00:44) Welcome back everybody. I am Bill Gassiomas and my guest today is Jennifer Tomche. In March, 2022, Jennifer was 39 years old living in New Zealand, finishing the first year of a PhD program when something happened to her brain that changed everything. What followed was a medical emergency unlike anything I’ve heard described on this podcast and a recovery story that quietly dismantles one of the most damaging myths in stroke survivor community. That after a certain point, the window for improvement closes. Jennifer is four years out from what happened to her. She still takes an afternoon nap every day. She still notices the edges of what her brain can and can’t do. And she is also finishing a PhD, raising two children and speaking with a clarity and warmth that will stop you in your tracks. This is a conversation about what it actually means to play the long game and why might be the most important thing any survivor can do. Before we get into it, if this podcast has been part of your recovery journey, I’d love for you to check out my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened, at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And a genuine thank you to everyone supporting this work on Patreon. If you wanted to support the show, you can go to patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. really helps me keep the conversation going. Let’s get into it. Bill Gasiamis (02:12) Jennifer Tomscha welcome to the podcast. Jennifer Tomscha (02:14) Thank you. I’m glad to be here. Bill Gasiamis (02:17) It’s lovely to have a local with me. Usually all my guests are from the United States or Canada or the United Kingdom. You’re just a hop, skip and a jump away in New Zealand. Jennifer Tomscha (02:20) Yeah. Mm hmm. Yep. Yep. I’m American originally, but we moved here in 2020. So ⁓ we I’m grew up in Iowa. And then and then I after but we were living in Shanghai for us for almost seven years, my husband and I were living in Shanghai and I was teaching at New York University, Shanghai and then when COVID happened in China. Bill Gasiamis (02:35) Where are we from in America? Jennifer Tomscha (02:54) they told us to leave the country because it was where it started. So, and we had two kids, so my husband didn’t want to go back to the United States. And so my sister lives in New Zealand. So we moved here and then we just stayed here. mm-hmm. So, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (03:11) So in China, was it just a request? Was it a directive? What was the situation? Jennifer Tomscha (03:18) From New York University, they said if you weren’t a Chinese national citizen, they strongly urged us to leave because they just didn’t know how they were gonna manage it. everyone, mean, in China, they had had SARS in the early 2000s, so they had already had it. And so right away, everyone had their masks on. They were ready to… go and I was like, I want to get out of here. So we went to New Zealand and they also had a lockdown, but it was just for a month and then everyone could wander around because the virus was not here. we just stayed and I got into this PhD program. So that’s why we’re still in New Zealand. Bill Gasiamis (04:00) Wow. That kind of brings us to the first question I ask most people these days is what was life like before stroke? So there was a little bit of stuff going on. was, work in China. There was a bit of, ⁓ travel from the United States to China. was children, but daily life. What, what was that like before the stroke? Jennifer Tomscha (04:21) When I saw my stroke happened in March of 2022 and at that time I had been in my PhD program for about a year. And I was just finishing up my research proposal. And so I was doing that during the day and my kids were both at, I have an older son who was in second grade year two. And then I have a daughter who was in preschool. And so my days were I dropped them off at their schools and then I would work for a little while. And then I would. go and get them. So, and then they would come home and we would do all the other stuff in parenting. And my husband at that time was working at the library. So he had, he was at the libraries from nine to five every day. So he was at work. And that’s what, that’s what we were doing. Yeah. When I had my stroke. I was busy trying to finish up this research proposal. And then, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (05:14) 39 years old at the time as well. Jennifer Tomscha (05:16) Yes, was 39. Bill Gasiamis (05:18) any signs, any kind of inkling that something was not right. Jennifer Tomscha (05:23) I didn’t, weirdly, so I’m trying to think about, my whole life I’ve had this thing where if, especially at just certain points if I hit my, this is maybe nothing to do with anything, but if I hit my elbow or my wrist, then I would pass out. And sometimes I would have like a little seizure while I was passing out. So wasn’t just like a regular fainting, it was like a seizure. And I had some of those in high school and I actually went to the, hospital for those at one point and I think they didn’t know what that was and they just did an EEG. I don’t even think we had an MRI where I lived. So I didn’t really know and then that sort of passed. But I was feeling when I have a daily journal that I was writing and when I go back and read that daily journal, the whole, for a couple months ahead of time, I was like, I just feel kind of weird. I don’t feel great. I feel like a little bit sick and I don’t know what’s wrong with me. And at that time they were allowing COVID to enter New Zealand. They were putting it in. So I was like, I think I might have COVID, but I took a bunch of tests. They were all negative. And then my stroke happened on Tuesday, but the Friday before I was so sick. And then that weekend I was really sick too. And then I got, like, I kind of felt like I woke up, I felt really nauseous. And then I felt better on Monday and Tuesday. And Tuesday was when my stroke happened. So I think that was all, it was all, think, my body reacting to, I was probably bleeding in my head at that time or something. mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (06:57) I got it. And we’re to have to go back and talk about how it was that when you got hit on your, on your wrist and your elbow, how hard was the hit? Jennifer Tomscha (07:05) I don’t know. Not super hard, I just, I don’t know what, I actually don’t know, and maybe it’s nothing to do with it. You know, maybe it’s something else in my body that I am prone to fainting. But I don’t know, I don’t really know why that, and maybe it wasn’t anything like that. But I had one day when I was 16 and I passed out three times and that did seem kind of funny. And I went to the doctor and I passed out while I was at the doctor’s office. So they were like, there’s nothing wrong with you. So they put me to the hospital. They did the EG. stayed the night. And then they were like, there’s nothing wrong with you. So that was it. But I think if nowadays they probably would have done an MRI, maybe, and they would have seen that I had my AVM and my whole life would have been different because I wouldn’t have done all the stuff that I’ve done now. Like my mom was like, if we had known you had had an AVM, you would have gone to school. in Sioux City, you know, or we would have done something to keep you nearby because we would be worried about you. Instead, I was just like, doing whatever I wanted to, which is good. Bill Gasiamis (08:14) Laze, but that’s kind of good. But also I get the preventative thing. One of the, my former guests had a daughter who had an AVM and I think she was five when she passed away from a bleed in the brain because of an AVM. That’s horrific. And one of the, it’s actually worth listening to that episode and it’s worth me interrupting this right now to jump on and find that episode so that I can share it with people. And this particular lady has made it her life’s mission to raise money, get an MRI machine and do preventative scans for people in case they have an AVM or some other undiagnosed neurological condition. I think it’s Gina. Gina Keely. OK, it’s. And her ⁓ foundation is now called the Paige Keeley Foundation, it’s the most heartbreaking story. It’s episode 141 and I’ll have the link in the show notes and I’ll have it in the YouTube description. So for anyone listening, jump back and have a look at that. And also maybe even consider supporting the foundation because the story is heartbreaking and the efforts that this lady is going to ensure that this doesn’t happen to other people is just amazing. So. I wanted to, I raised that because I had a, in 2011, no, no, in 2010, about 18 months before my actual AVM bled, I had a really terrible negative episode, nauseous, room spinning, like all the signs of stroke, but completely missed the, completely missed Jennifer Tomscha (09:47) Mm. Bill Gasiamis (09:55) the AVM when I went and actually had an MRI. So yeah, I went to the hospital, gave them my, rundown of what was happening to me and they were so switched on and they got me in and they did all the tests, but they didn’t find anything because they didn’t know what they were looking for. And there was no obvious sign of bleeding. So they didn’t dig deeper. And I have a friend of mine who is a radiographer who actually did my MRIs Jennifer Tomscha (09:58) ⁓ really? Mm. Reflections on the Experience Bill Gasiamis (10:22) when I was in hospital being treated after my AVM burst in 2012. And he said to me, the preventative stuff is very difficult because if you don’t specifically know what you’re testing for, you don’t know how to set up the machine and how many slices that it needs to take and at what resolution. So that when you deliver that to the radiologist and they’re looking at it, can they see an AVM and then pass that on? Jennifer Tomscha (10:37) Mmm Bill Gasiamis (10:49) that information onto the neurologist. They might even miss it, even though they’re doing MRI. But what Jena is doing, it sounds like they’re specifically going after aneurysms, AVMs, other malformations, and therefore they have kind of this better opportunity to find it. So if somebody is considering getting a preventative scan of their brain, you have to be very specific. Jennifer Tomscha (10:53) Bye. Bill Gasiamis (11:14) with the team of doctors, radiographers, neurologists, as to what you want them to look for and make sure that they adjust the scan so that it’s fit for purpose. Jennifer Tomscha (11:25) That’s interesting. That’s really interesting. Bill Gasiamis (11:26) Yeah. So what was the day of the stroke like? Was it, you said you’re feeling better on that Tuesday. Jennifer Tomscha (11:34) Mm-hmm. I had a good day. I have like lots of notes from my research proposal and I went to pick up. I don’t know why I did it this way actually. I went, my daughter’s preschool is in our town, Greytown, and I went and picked up her first and then I went to get my son. His school is a Montessori school. It’s in one town north. And so I went and got her and we were driving in the car and when I turned onto the highway that connects Greytown and Carterton, I just felt like a wash of dizziness and I started losing sight, I think, in my right eye. And it’s seven kilometers from Graytown to Carterton. And right before we got into Carterton, I pulled over onto the side of the highway. I tried, so by that time I think I had lost most of the sight in my one, my right eye. And so it wasn’t very long actually. And so I tried to call my husband, he didn’t answer. And then I just called 111 and I was like, I don’t know why I was like, I think I’m having a stroke, but I don’t know why I even thought that actually. Do know what I mean? I just, was like, something is wrong with me. And so my daughter was fussing in the back and, I don’t really remember anything after that. I don’t remember the paramedics coming. I don’t remember talking to anyone. but so when they, I think the police came first and then Then the paramedics came and they said I was nauseous, but talking a little bit. But then they moved me into the ambulance and, I started, choking and, or something, and they had to intubate me in the ambulance. And then they took me in. I was helicoptered off to Wellington hospital. So. Bill Gasiamis (13:12) How did you feel about it? I know you did the right things. You nailed it. But how did you feel? What were you thinking? I was completely oblivious to the risk I was at or in. Jennifer Tomscha (13:14) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I don’t know. just, let’s see, I think… I think when I was losing my vision, that was hard. I mean, I’m really lucky. There was a little ⁓ path on the side of the road right before you enter Carterton. So I pulled over there so I could still control the car. You know what I mean? I wasn’t so bad. And I could dial 111 on my phone. I could still think about those things. But it wasn’t very long after I dialed 111 and talked to those people that I’d that my memory is gone. So I think, I mean, I have spent a lot of time trying to like go back and figure out like, what was it? What could I have done early? know, like I was really lucky I was in the car, because honestly, because if I was at home, I might’ve like laid down and taken a nap and not called anybody actually, or called Dan and half have not answered. So then I could just see myself. Bill Gasiamis (14:14) you Jennifer Tomscha (14:22) It was actually really lucky that I was in the car with my daughter because it made me, I mean, I couldn’t keep driving very well. And so it made me pull over and it made me, I’d have to do something because I wasn’t in town. So I had to like figure out how I was going to manage the situation. And so I was really lucky actually that I was in the car and that I was in a public space where I was easy to find and like I could, so I felt like really lucky that all that happened. in that time period, but also that soul that my daughter was with me because it made me, I had this like parental responsibility that I had to, I couldn’t keep driving with her in the car. Like I just, I knew I had to do something and quickly. I feel like, I feel really lucky that that was the situation that I was in because I could see a different day where I didn’t go get the kids at that time. And I maybe would have tried to take a nap and it would have been totally different. So you know what I mean. Bill Gasiamis (15:19) It’s such a common thing for people to go, oh, I’m not feeling well. I think I’ll just go lay down and have a rest and see if I can just get over it, sleep through it or whatever. yeah. And then it just leads to even more and more trouble or problems. The fact that you said, I think I’m having a stroke, right? That is so cool and bizarre and amazing. Jennifer Tomscha (15:29) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. The guy was like, why? And I was like, well, I’m losing my sight. I was like, I mean, I don’t know how it was. I was like, why do you think you’re having a stroke? I was like, I don’t know. But there was something wrong. You know what I mean. Bill Gasiamis (15:52) Yeah, that’s such a good question for me. Why do you think I’m going to strike? I don’t know, but I just came up with it. What? That was enough though. Like that was such a response from you to say, I think I’m having a stroke. It’s very, very rare that people get there, but the fact that you got there kind of gave, gave them also like an understanding of how to attend the site and what to do. Jennifer Tomscha (16:01) Mm. Bill Gasiamis (16:18) And that saves time as well. That saves a ton of time. Jennifer Tomscha (16:21) Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (16:23) and gets them, even though you may have been wrong, right? Gets them looking in the direction because they’re already got that in their mind. And then, well, let’s look at that first and then let’s suss it out. She might be completely wrong. But I walked into the hospital after my, while I was having the third blade and said, I’m having a brain hemorrhage or something like that. And I was in the hospital upright, standing, looking normal and Jennifer Tomscha (16:27) Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s true. That’s ⁓ Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (16:51) They were looking at me like, okay, what are you on? This guy, this guy must be on something because it doesn’t look like he’s having a stroke. And then I had to try and convince them, but I wasn’t giving them my contact details. So they weren’t able to bring up my record. And all they were saying was just give us your name, give us your name. We’ll put it in the system. We’ll have a look. And eventually they got it out of me and, ⁓ and I was right. But yeah, such a good thing. Jennifer Tomscha (16:54) Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, uh-huh. no. Hmm. you Bill Gasiamis (17:21) I love those little bits and pieces that go well together because you often hear I often hear the bits and pieces that didn’t go well and and it turned out differently and how old was your daughter at the time? Yeah, wow. Jennifer Tomscha (17:30) Mm-hmm. She was three and a half. And so she was still in the backseat, know, backwards in her car seat. And then we stopped and she was like, why are we stopping or whatever in her three and a half year old voice? And I was like, I just had to make a couple of phone, you know, I don’t know what I said to her. And then I think when the police came, she was asleep. Like she fell asleep back in the car. then, and then. It’s just, I, I’ll, so then for the next six weeks I don’t have any memories of anything. So all, all of the information has been given to me by other people. But, so, yeah. Long-term Effects and Adaptations Bill Gasiamis (18:04) So was quite a large blade after all of that. Jennifer Tomscha (18:06) Yeah, it was large. They took me, so I flew in the helicopter from Masterton to Wellington and I think they, by then my sister had gotten to the hospital and they, yeah, I think they said, yeah, they did an emergency, is it craniac? Or what’s the? Bill Gasiamis (18:25) Craniotomy, Jennifer Tomscha (18:26) Yeah, they did an emergency cradionomy and they saw that I was bleeding. And then they saw that I had this large left frontal or frontal lobe AVM. So, and then they said that at that moment they couldn’t tackle that AVM. So they, controlled the bleeding and then they, and they left my skull out and then, yeah. And then, then they, they talked to the neurosurgeon and He, that was a Tuesday and he said, why don’t you, I was in a coma, just keep her in a medical coma. And then Monday they would do the, the, the surgery to get rid of the AVM. Bill Gasiamis (19:05) And then that surgery happened. Jennifer Tomscha (19:07) That happened and it was, had my, actually had two AVMs. One was really discreet and they could see all the endings of it. And the other one was diffuse. I don’t really understand it, but, the neurosurgeon said there was like parts of regular brain in and around the AVM. I don’t really understand how that happens, but, ⁓ so they started in the morning and they did, they got rid of the one AVM. They were taking it out. And then something about the blood vessels that had some of they had been putting blood into that AVM. They then started feeding into the other AVM. So then that AVM made my brain sort of swell where that AVM was. And so the neurosurgeons had to decide if, mean, basically it was like, let me die. because they couldn’t do anything about it, or they would get rid of that AVM and they would just take out the brain that was, the normal brain that was in the regular AVM. So they took, they decided not to let me die, thank goodness, and they decided to do that. so, but it was really long surgery, it was 30 hours, I think they just didn’t, yeah, it was really long. And… And I think Dr. Woon was my neurosurgeon. And he just said, when he went and sewed my head back together, he didn’t think I was listening, but I was in the other room and I could hear him after I had my skull put back in. And he was like, I’ll never do another surgery like that ever again. it was too, it was really long. And I think he definitely thought that he had made me worse. Like they had taken out. too much of my normal brain. when he called my husband after the surgery was over, like they didn’t call him. Dan, my husband was waiting for the whole 30 hours and they only called him one time at like 11 o’clock that night. And they were like, we’re finishing up. But then they had all this other stuff happen. So they didn’t actually call him again until noon the next day. And Dr. Woon said like, well, you’ll be lucky if she talks. Because we had to take out. he was just so discouraged from how the AVM surgery went. And so, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (21:24) Dr. Woon needs to give himself way more credit. Jennifer Tomscha (21:27) I know, I know, I also think that. I also think that, I mean, it’s, I mean, neurosurgeons, they’re, it’s amazing that you could, I’ve just, it’d be so weird if your job was to cut people up and go into their brains and try and fix something in that organ, which is so mysterious, do you know? Like, yeah, so. Bill Gasiamis (21:48) Wow. 30 hours. So he also is thinking in his career, he’s probably never going to come across another 30 hour surgery. Yeah. Well, only if it’s necessary to make somebody better, but yeah, we definitely want to avoid that if we can for every human on the planet and for Dr. Woon, but I just, I’m just completely in awe of these people. I bumped into my surgeon last year. Jennifer Tomscha (21:57) I hope not. mean, I hope, you know, yeah, I don’t think, yeah. Right. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (22:15) because I had another MRI, because I had another bout of headaches and all that kind of stuff. still, you know, it hasn’t ended. I still go through all these things. And I mean, I mean kind of, I get emotional when I’m around her and when I’m in the room with her. If she told me to jump off a cliff because there is something positive down there and I would do it. If she said, if she said punch a hole through that wall, I would do it. Like I would do whatever she said because Jennifer Tomscha (22:20) no. Yes. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (22:44) I just cannot get over the, know, when, you know, when you make a decision, some people, my phone is weird. I’ve never done this before, but you have a piece of fabric and it’s got some lines on it. And you know, if you cut it wrong, that you can’t use that piece of fabric for that pair of trousers anymore. You’ve got to use it for something else. Like that’s a pretty mild problem to happen. Like you cut wrong, you go in the wrong place. You pop that aside and. You’re useful. If you do that to a human, there’s no going back. And you’ve got to make that decision every single time you walk into the operating theater. And imagine his family. Like, I feel like we need to reach out to his family and say, is there anything we need to make up for? I know we had your husband for 30 hours, but like, how can we support your family now that he’s done that for my family? Jennifer Tomscha (23:40) Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (23:40) Do you know, like it’s so interesting that these people have been able to get to that level of capability. Jennifer Tomscha (23:49) Yes. Bill Gasiamis (23:50) with humans and helping people stay alive and be here with their family, be a mom, be a wife, be a daughter, be a member of the community. Jennifer Tomscha (23:51) Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep, exactly. It’s just, it’s amazing. It’s just so, and I’m so grateful to him and he had another neurosurgeon working with him and yeah, it did, I mean, yeah, it’s amazing. I always think though, I’m trying to think about like, did, why, if he cut out those parts of my brain, why weren’t they, why? I mean, I have some things I can’t do that I could do before. Like I can’t, this is so weird. I can’t recall songs very well and I can’t sing songs from memory, like at all. Like that part of my brain is done, which is fine, but I used to sing a lot. but I think because if the AVM is there when you’re in your, if it’s there when you’re in your mom’s womb, like if you’re, when you’re developing. It’s probable that my brain was like, there’s a little issue here in this brain. We’ll move some of the stuff away from, don’t you think that would be, yeah, because I just think like, I think where my AVMs were, my brain was like, we’re gonna move, we’re not gonna put stuff by those AVMs because yeah, because your brain is really adaptable. Like that’s one of the things that I’ve been reading since I had my stroke. Bill Gasiamis (24:59) Wow. Yeah, I’ve never thought about that. Why not? That makes sense, Jennifer. Because it’s… Yeah. Jennifer Tomscha (25:18) My mom’s like, your brain is so adaptable and flexible and it can do different things. You just have to try doing things, you know, and failing. Bill Gasiamis (25:26) And the blood flow is not right. So you imagine with blood flow not being right, then the brain’s not developing correctly in that spot anyway. And it’s just developing where there is blood flow. Jennifer Tomscha (25:37) Yes, exactly. Exactly. I just I feel like that makes sense to me. And that’s why if you’re the neurosurgeon, I mean, you really don’t know. Like Dr. Woon didn’t know what was there. But I just feel like maybe my brain when it was developing was like, well, this isn’t a good spot and this other spot isn’t a good spot. So we’ll just do everything in a different place. And the brain is really you can really do that. I think your brains are really plastic in the way that they can order themselves. And so I So it’s still all Dr. Woon. I’m just so grateful to him and everything that he did. Because honestly, I feel like I come from the States. I don’t know that a neurosurgeon, I just don’t know how long a neurosurgeon would have, they might be like, I’m done, I can’t do this anymore. I just don’t really know. It just all depends on the doctor and who sees you and everything. So I just felt so lucky to have been here. Bill Gasiamis (26:30) Imagine doing a 30 hour shift on any day for anything. Jennifer Tomscha (26:34) No. And the thing about neurosurgery is like you’re in, I mean you’re doing like, you’re in a microscope or whatever doing that little and you’re tying off a little blood vein and I don’t know, it’s nuts, it’s so nuts. mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (26:39) them. Identity and Self-Perception Post-Stroke Yeah. And they talk about, you know, how dangerous it is to drive when you’re off a take when you haven’t slept, when all those things. And these guys are going for 30 hours and they’re doing the most intricate, life altering surgery and it all goes perfectly well. So how wrapped was he when he realized how well it went. Jennifer Tomscha (27:09) I didn’t talk to him until June, so that was at the end of March. And then I was in the ICU for a while. then they moved me to Masterton and I did rehab. And then I went to this last clinic, this ABI, this brain clinic for people who had brain injuries. And that’s when I finally talked to him on Zoom. And he was like, so can you walk? And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course I can. He was like, will you show me? and I walked up and down the room and he was like laughing so hard at my being able to walk. He was like so enthusiastic about it. I was, you know, I mean, we can talk about this too. was, everyone was like, when I finally have my memory back, I was in Masterton and I was using a diaper. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t step in bed, but I remember being, actually, ⁓ I remember being like, I’m fine. I’m fine. Everyone is just fussing over me. But of course, they were right too. Do you know what I mean? But I was like, I’m okay. Everyone needs to just like, let me just relax around me. And everyone was like, everything I did, they would be like, you know, I couldn’t feed myself. And then, you know, there’s all this stuff. And I was like, I’m really okay. You guys should just. take, like, I’m fine. I kept saying that, like, I’m okay, I’m fine. You guys are all. But of course, I wasn’t really fine, but I felt like, Bill Gasiamis (28:36) It sounds like you weren’t physically there yet, but you were emotionally and mentally fine. Like it sounds like you were on the, you kind of knew that things were going to turn out or. Jennifer Tomscha (28:48) I think so. I think, or maybe, I always think like maybe you can only manage so much. like at that time I had my front part of my skull was gone because it had been taken out when they did both my surgeries. And so I had to wear like a rugby helmet or whatever when I walked. But otherwise I would sit in my room and it looked terrible. It’s just so terrible. but I just didn’t really recognize that. Like I didn’t, wasn’t, I couldn’t do all the things at once. So I think I was just thinking about like, and finally at the middle of May, my mom and sister, I still had my like long hair in the back and short in the front. So my sister was gonna cut the long hair in the back. And I saw myself in a mirror and I was like, that doesn’t look very good. You know, like I wasn’t, I don’t feel like I was totally aware. I wasn’t, my brain wasn’t. totally back in it. It’s a long time to recover and I feel like my brain only gave me, I don’t know, I felt like I couldn’t think about my own brain, maybe for like a year or something, really think about it in a second order way. Bill Gasiamis (29:59) allow yourself to kind of observe your state, your brain condition. Jennifer Tomscha (30:02) Yes. Yes, I think I was like, it was like that my it was like maybe in October of the next year, October of 2023, where I was like, Oh, I can think about my brain and what it is in a way that I couldn’t. Because I don’t know, you have to go through, you just have to relearn a lot of stuff. But I didn’t like I’m lucky, like, it didn’t affect my reading, so I could read right away. I’m not a very good writer, like, I don’t have good handwriting anyway, and my handwriting still maybe isn’t as good as it was before I had my stroke, but, yeah. I feel like, felt like, the actual healing was a longer process than I thought it was going to be, especially right when I first woke up, because I was like, I’m fine, but I wasn’t really fine, actually. Do you know what I mean? Bill Gasiamis (30:55) 100%, they can make doctors and neurosurgeons do a 30 hour surgery, find that part, fix it, ta-da-da-da-da, do all those things, but they can’t make a helmet for God’s sake look half decent after they’ve taken your skull out. Like as if it’s bad enough, have skull missing and then they put this terrible looking thing over your head. Jennifer Tomscha (31:11) No. It’s true. It’s true. It’s true. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (31:22) And I know for women like hair is a big deal and become. Jennifer Tomscha (31:27) It was really, I have always liked my hair and it was, I had short hair for about a year and a half maybe, you know, and I started growing out more and that was a little bit hard. I felt like that’s really vain, but I was like, man, I just did not like that short hair. Cause it’s not very, I don’t know. I just, wanted my old hair back. So I was lucky that it came back though. You know, everything, it’s not cancer. It’s a different thing. So you have a different, you know. Bill Gasiamis (31:51) I never would have told you that your hair didn’t look good, but my favorite hair is brunette curly hair. Yeah. My wife is a brunette naturally and she has curls in her hair and she straightens it all the time. I haven’t seen her brunette curly hair for 30 years. Jennifer Tomscha (31:57) Thank you. ⁓ yeah. no. Bill Gasiamis (32:13) I’m like, woman, that’s what I like. Like that’s my thing. you stop straightening your hair, but I can’t get it to stop. ⁓ Jennifer Tomscha (32:20) Yeah, that’s fine. Everyone has to do what they want with their hair and everything. you know, that’s something that one thing I think about my stroke is you just got to go live your life. Like you can’t and you’ve done that beautifully. You know what I mean? Like this podcast is amazing. it’s just like, you just got to go do what feels good for you at the time and what you want to do and just do it. and stop saying no, or you know what I mean. Bill Gasiamis (32:49) I’m trying. am. know exactly what you mean. One of the biggest things is identity is a big, big thing. And I don’t talk about me so much. I’ll talk about what happened to me, my stroke journey, but I don’t really give people a look behind the curtain. You know, sort of really understand what’s going on. This is just all a facade. And one of the challenges that I have is this painting company that I started 20 years ago was the main source of income. And it stopped abruptly seven years in when I became. Jennifer Tomscha (33:02) Hmm. Mm-hmm. Great. Bill Gasiamis (33:17) and it sort of still kept bubbling along. And then I got back to it in 2019 because my clients were still calling me and I was well enough after seven years of going through stroke and all the stuff of surgery, learning to walk again and all that. I was good enough to sort of get back into it. And of course in 2019, I only had six months and then we were in lockdown. And then in lockdown, we had two years of lockdown in Melbourne, and then I’m trying to keep that thing going again. And then there was this massive influx of work after lockdown because everyone’s going, I’ve been looking at these walls for two years. They look terrible. Let’s get them painted. They had spare money because they hadn’t spent anything for two years. And that was like, let’s do this and let’s do that. And there was this massive amount of work for about 18 months. And then that was done. It was gone. And it’s been a steady decline since as soon as Trump opened his mouth and did something in Iran and said what he said, and he plummeted like we’ve got no work. And I’m okay to have no work because I’ve been there before and we’ve managed our affairs so that we’re okay. But I can’t employ people right now at all. That’s gone. And getting people back and starting that again is going to be extremely difficult because the curve Jennifer Tomscha (34:27) Yeah. Mmm. Hmm. Bill Gasiamis (34:36) is not it’s not going to be a sharp dip and then it’s going to be a big spike of work and demand and all that kind of stuff. this podcast has been my saving grace every time I’ve needed to occupy myself with a project and make it so that I’m not thinking about me. The podcast was there. I did. I did an interview. It got me over the line. But now the biggest void that’s going to occur is not that I’m going to Jennifer Tomscha (34:47) Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (35:05) potentially not have work in this field and after shut it down, which is gonna be fine if I do that, I’m okay with that. I’ll kind of pass it on to my younger son who’s looking to do some work in a similar space. I’ll give him the phone number and he’ll be able to take those types of inquiries and then he’ll do it on his own, like very small, the way I started at the beginning. And is that I’m gonna have all the time in the world. Jennifer Tomscha (35:23) Mm. Bill Gasiamis (35:29) on my hands to do the thing that I’ve been avoiding doing because I had this business that relied on me and the thing was to do public speaking. Right. And to actually do it the way that I’ve wanted to do it for more than a decade, which was to talk about the topics that I want to talk about, which no one’s talking about post-traumatic growth, overcoming trauma, how that’s applicable in organizations. Jennifer Tomscha (35:38) yeah, yeah, Mmm. Bill Gasiamis (35:56) how to treat people better in an organization so they have less mental health issues, so they have less physical issues, so they’re sick less, so they enjoy their work, so they’re not hating their life. And now I’m going to have all the time in the world to do it. And I’m shitting myself. That’s the biggest issue, right? So that’s a little bit of a look behind the curtain. I am loving this. This is an amazing thing. And I do remember when I first started it, I was concerned about what people would say about me. You’re going to sound dumb, Bill. You you’re not going to, you know, what authority do you have? All those kinds of things, they were coming up in my head. And then when I wrote the book, the same thing, I wrote my first book, The Unexpected Way That a Strike Became the Best Thing That Happened to Me. Everyone has said, don’t write that book. Don’t write that. Jennifer Tomscha (36:27) Mm. Bill Gasiamis (36:39) Don’t let that be your title. It’s bizarre, it’s weird, like it’s strange, it’s too long and all these things. So I did it. And of course, the first time I spoke about it on YouTube, one of the first comments was a negative comment on my YouTube channel. It’s like, ⁓ okay. My God, that’s a kick in the guts. Jennifer Tomscha (36:44) really? ⁓ yeah. Bill Gasiamis (37:03) So those little kicks in the guts that I’ve had along the way have been few and far between, but they’re the ones that seem to persist the most. And they stay in that part of your head, which says, you know, that public speaking gig, you’re probably going to do the first one and they’re going to say you were terrible. And then you’re to feel all sad at 52 about, you know, yourself and all these things. Jennifer Tomscha (37:15) Yeah. you Bill Gasiamis (37:29) how you’re going to overcome that emotionally and mentally and all this kind of stuff. It’s like, Bill, relax. You’re gonna have time to build your new career at 52. You’re gonna have time to do it. So that’s like, all right. I find myself getting pushed into a corner and only then responding with, all right, all right, I better step up again. I better do this again. Jennifer Tomscha (37:33) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (37:58) Very strange, re-imagining yourself and recreating yourself after stroke is a huge thing because you’re also doing it with a stroke brain. Whereas before I had no excuses, I was doing it still. Like the pattern is the same. The stroke brain part of it is an obstacle that I wish I didn’t have, but somehow this stroke brain part has made me do things I’ve never done before. Jennifer Tomscha (38:14) You The Long Game of Recovery Bill Gasiamis (38:27) a podcast, a book. You know, I was a tradie. I was like, I didn’t study. didn’t read. In my, by the time I got to the age of 37, honestly, Jennifer, I reckon I’d read maybe seven books. And they were about this criminal underworld figure in Melbourne who had this, who had this career and of being like really terrible and somehow. He was the thing that I was interested in reading about. Like that’s the only thing that captured my imagination. Everything else, everything else I picked up from listening to podcasts or watching shows on TV and that kind of stuff. So I wanna just, I wanna make people understand that the battles that you’re fighting, I’m fighting, it’s real. Like you’re not doing it alone. Everyone’s fighting this. How do I reimagine myself? Jennifer Tomscha (38:56) Bye! Bill Gasiamis (39:20) after stroke, you know, I don’t tell people I’m an author. Still, this book has been out for three years. I’ve had amazing reviews. I’ve had a couple of, you know, negative reviews and that’s okay. I’m not, I’m not an intellectual. I haven’t, I’ve never studied how to write literature, any of that stuff. And it’s sold about seven or 800 copies just through the podcast. Jennifer Tomscha (39:21) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That’s pretty good. That’s actually quite a bit, I feel like. It’s quite a bit, actually. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (39:47) I feel like to like I don’t promote it. I don’t tell anyone about it just in the podcast. And it’s like, I still don’t say I’ve authored a book. Nobody knows. Jennifer Tomscha (39:56) You should say it. mean, I do think the what are you going to do after you have a stroke? How are you going to do it? It’s all very strange and scary, I think. And like, yeah, I, I totally get your feeling about it. And it’s just really tricky to know what is the You know, for me, I feel like I was in middle of my PhD, so I took 22 months or 20 months off of doing the PhD just to rest. And then I went back in and it was, it is still, it was really hard. I like, wasn’t very good at figuring out how to write in the academic way. Which was my position. I was director of the writing program at NYU Shanghai. So I was like, that was my thing. And it was very hard to figure out how to return to do the critical work of my thesis. was just, it’s just, I don’t know, my brain just couldn’t figure out how to do it right. It was really interesting. was like, the sentences I was writing weren’t as good. They probably still aren’t as good. You know, like when I look at what I was writing before I had my stroke, which is part of my thesis, and then the stuff I wrote after my stroke, I feel like I can tell a little bit of a difference in the fluency of my writing, for sure. So, yeah. And I just, so… Yeah, I don’t know. It’s tricky. It’s tricky to figure out. But I was really lucky, actually. I think the PhD was helpful because… I could just go at it on my own time and I could just take however much time I needed. And I, I had a deadline. but it was good to just, it was actually like a really good place to start to work my brain again, to be like, okay, I have to, I’m going to write on this author and what she thinks about character. And I’m just going to, and I have these other texts that I’m interested in and I have to figure out how I’m going to. Represent them in my own work. And so it was really good to do all that. It was a good stepping stone for me I think actually to get back into it and to see What I could and couldn’t do very well, like I feel like I’m a really good reader. I’m a really good Critic and I’m not so good at ⁓ writing down what I think anymore as well So I’m just I really have to work on and I don’t know how you get it back like Bill Gasiamis (42:26) articulating Jennifer Tomscha (42:28) Yeah, articulating what I mean and yeah, I feel like I can’t, I can’t say things as artfully or as proficiently as I used to. So I don’t know, this woman who is getting her PhD at Vic too, she’s like, she studies how people learn to read. And she was like, if you’re having problems with academic writing, you should get a, and I still haven’t done this, you should get an academic book and you should listen to it because a lot of learning to read is listening to how sentences sound. She was like, so you should listen to an academic book and that will help you think about how those sentences work and how they’re maybe different from like, I write fiction. So fiction is one thing and then this is a different way of writing. So she said that was one thing that she thought I should do to help. develop my proficiency in academic writing, which was really interesting. So. Bill Gasiamis (43:25) Yeah, it’s a different approach. You know, it’s coming from the auditory, you know, system and therefore the auditory digital system. Therefore you go in and you you, you pick up nuances that you wouldn’t have known were there if you’ve never heard an academic speak or if you’ve never read an academic document in that way. So you might read it. Jennifer Tomscha (43:28) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (43:51) to get something out of it. Like, okay, what is this academic saying about this topic? But that’s not paying attention to the structure of how it’s written. That’s a different filter. Jennifer Tomscha (43:55) Mm-hmm. No, exactly. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Exactly. So I thought that was an interesting way to think about, like, how I could get better at that thing. That was, like, a really important thing for me. That, for some reason, it did just get a little bit, I don’t know, stunted? Or I don’t know what happened, you know? Or I just haven’t been in academia as much. So you know what I mean? So, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (44:17) Yeah. Yeah, 100%. The skill is not as refined or, or practiced as your other skills. So it’s not the thing that you’re the best at. and you’re getting better at it. The thing about it is also, may I add you’re only four years out from all the drama that you had with your brain. So there’s a lot of healing to happen that is going to improve. That’s going to get better and better. And in four or five years from now, you will have Jennifer Tomscha (44:29) Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (44:49) turn the corner again, you’ll see that there’s more and more improvement. It’s really important for people to hear this, who are three, two, one, five, six years in, there’s still heaps of healing and recovery to come. So it’ll happen. Jennifer Tomscha (45:07) Yeah, that was something that my husband and I, in my first year after my stroke, he would be like, go to the gym. And he did. He, I went to the gym and I, had me lift weights and he wanted me to like exercise. And he was like, what are you doing to improve your mind and your body over this first year? And I was like, I’m, I’m again, I was like, I’m fine. I’m really fine. And, and, ⁓ he thought I wasn’t doing enough. Like he wanted me to just go at it with this intensity. I don’t know. was an, cause I was like, I am going at it with my own sort of intensity, but he wanted me to be more aggressive than I wanted to or something. You know what I mean? He wanted me to be like, he wanted to see me really working at it and like sweating or doing, you know what I mean? And I was like, I don’t wanna, I don’t know. Bill Gasiamis (45:59) He wanted it to be more masculine. Jennifer Tomscha (46:01) Yeah, I guess. And he’s not very masculine guy. I mean, he’s a masculine guy, but he’s like, he was just he just wanted to see me sweating it out or doing the really see my focus. And I just yeah. And that has been an issue because he’s like, yeah, he’s just like, are you going to work again? I was like, yes, I’ll work. I just don’t know what I’ll do. And I don’t know if I could do a full eight hour day right now. I still take a nap every day in the afternoon. So But yeah, it’s just, don’t, yeah, so. Bill Gasiamis (46:34) It’s easy for a caregiver to say that because they haven’t had a stroke. Thank God. Thank God. ⁓ Jennifer Tomscha (46:40) No, I know. Thank goodness. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Actually, I mean, I feel really bad for Dan and my mom and my sister. Like, it’s actually worse to be the caregiver in some ways because you just, you don’t go through it. So you, you don’t really know what it’s like. Bill Gasiamis (46:55) I and you, and if you’ve got an imagination, a wild imagination, you could turn it into something completely way worse than what it is. And if you’re ignorant, which most family members and caregivers are, let’s face it. And that’s okay. Then you do the other thing. You play it down and you assume she should be going harder than that or Jennifer Tomscha (47:11) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (47:19) If I was, if it was me, I’d be doing that. But your brain has actually been injured and in that space, perhaps where motivation is for some people. And there is no way that you can make that person more motivated by willing them on or telling them to go to the gym or whatever. That could actually be missing the motivation part. So there’s a whole bunch of things that caregivers and family members miss. And it’s for me, it’s when I’m surrounded, when, when the people that are around me are Jennifer Tomscha (47:33) Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (47:46) ⁓ people who don’t want to engage deeply in those types of troubles, life and all that kind of stuff. they’re great people. They’re just like, emotionally they don’t go deep, right? They love it that there’s ambiguity around like what’s wrong with me. Cause they look at me, I look right. And then they just go, everything’s fine. He looks amazing. I feel better now. And when I’m around him, I can just talk about dumb stuff. Jennifer Tomscha (48:07) Mmm, yeah, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (48:14) And we can talk about things that are not important and everything’s fine. And it’s kind of like head in the sand. It’s a, you know, one step, one emotional step removed from the actual goings on. And it kind of also helps me strangely enough, because then I don’t have to deal with their inability to handle actual life and the real things that are going on. Jennifer Tomscha (48:39) Mm. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (48:43) that can just be living in La La Land and I don’t have to deal with that level of complexity. So it’s kind of, they’re both situations are helping me in a way. Whereas at the beginning I was taking that negatively. The thing I do, the thing I would like to do is challenge caregivers to listen to the podcast, especially of the spouse who I’ve interviewed. Jennifer Tomscha (48:50) Yeah. Yeah, that’s true. Bill Gasiamis (49:09) You know, and then a couple more after that to get an insight so that they’re not guessing or second guessing or think they know better, et cetera. No doubt about it. they, know, they know some things about us that they can see that we’re not doing a pattern in behavior that we’re avoiding. Perhaps they know that part and all that type of thing. But we’ll say, we’re also dealing with a messed up brain. So have a bit of a kind of a Q Jennifer Tomscha (49:13) Hmm. Right, right. Bill Gasiamis (49:36) be curious about where that person’s coming from, not how you’re feeling about where they’re coming from. And that’s what family members and caregivers do. They make it about them. And I had to say a few times to people in my circles, like, it’s not about you. Jennifer Tomscha (49:43) Right. Ha Tomscha Tomscha! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (49:56) It’s actually really about me. cannot walk and I can’t use my left hand. It’s not about you. Like I know you woke up with a numb leg one day because you slept on it wrong, but it’s not the same. Jennifer Tomscha (50:05) Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s funny. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (50:14) My wife was dragging my foot in the wheelchair. It had fallen off the, you know, the rest where your leg, your feet sit. It had fallen off and I hadn’t noticed. This is like day three or day four after brain surgery. And it was dragging underneath the footrest. And she noticed that the wheelchair wasn’t moving and she was shoving it until we realized. Jennifer Tomscha (50:22) higher. Bill Gasiamis (50:40) My foot was stuck underneath the rest and we had a laugh. that kind of like, that’s one of those, if those people were there and they saw that, they would realize like, it’s not about your numb leg when you slept on it weird one night. take your stuff and just, you know, park it for now. So it’s interesting. That’s kind of why I think I do this podcast. I think it’s for those Jennifer Tomscha (50:44) Yeah, yeah, Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. The Journey of Recovery Bill Gasiamis (51:08) people if they, I’ve never told them that they should jump on, but if they, for example, get curious one day and they want to know what it’s like to be in Bill’s head, pick one of the 400 episodes. Just have a listen. Jennifer Tomscha (51:09) Mmm. I have a question for you. you, this is something that, so you think you could just, you can keep improving from your stroke. There’s not like a deadline. There’s not like a couple of years or any. Bill Gasiamis (51:36) One of the things I learned from my wife and my brother, my brother is my biggest nemesis. You he’s older and he’s the most loving guy. He’s the most supportive guy, but he has a weird way of doing it. Just, you know, we’re different characters, right? So he just is a bit different in the way. one, one of the things my brother said was that I picked up, I reckon it was five, six years ago is he’s in it for the long game. Jennifer Tomscha (52:03) Hmm. Bill Gasiamis (52:04) When I was young, I had 20 jobs in 10 years. He said two jobs in 40 years or 30 in 30 years. So he just chips away, works away, works away, works away. This is an analogy, right? But also a true story. My wife started her, her, her master’s in psychology. She only started that a few years ago, but the whole. Jennifer Tomscha (52:08) Hmm. Hmm. Bill Gasiamis (52:28) journey to get to the Masters of Psych started in I think late 2011 or early 2011, about a year before I ended up in hospital. She is just now finishing the last part of her Masters degree and she found a job literally a week ago in her field two days a week. Jennifer Tomscha (52:35) Mm. Mmm. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (52:56) to work as a provisional psychologist so that she can get the 1500 hours of work in the field before she actually gets her actual full psychology license. And I’m like, dude, I get it. So what you’re telling me is that if you just start and never stop, you’re gonna see some kind of progress. And I apply that to… Jennifer Tomscha (53:08) Right. That’s amazing. Mmm. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (53:27) stroke recovery. I know that people are dealing with far more deficits that perhaps you and I show visibly and that their hand may not specifically work the way that it always that they wanted it to work or that the way that it worked before. But that doesn’t mean the brain’s not continuously continuously healing that part of the brain might be gone. But as far as healing the parts around the brain that are still there, that’s continuing. Jennifer Tomscha (53:28) Uh-huh. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (53:58) And if, and, and one of the questions that I have for people is like, is what I’m doing supporting my recovery or is it hindering my recovery? Because I’ve met stroke survivors who have gone back to the smokes, who have gone back to alcohol. And if you’re doing things that are getting in the way of recovery, then you’re not allowing the brain to continuously do what it does best, which is overcome challenges, rewire. Jennifer Tomscha (54:05) Mmm. Bill Gasiamis (54:25) find new ways around, know, develop new neural pathways and adapt. And that’s kind of where I think it’s at adaption, right? And the great thing about understanding these days about neurodiversity and understanding what somebody with ADHD goes through is the one skill they’re really, really good at is adaption. Jennifer Tomscha (54:31) Mm-hmm. Mm, that’s interesting. Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (54:49) because and people with dyslexia. my God, like some of the biggest, most wealthy billionaires on the planet had dyslexia. Richard Branson is a classic example of that. Yeah. And they adapt. They find a way to somehow overcome the normal world and be weird in the way that they see letters and what letters do and how they move on a page and all that kind of stuff because their brain adapts and they can just continuously improve their adaption strategy. Jennifer Tomscha (54:57) really? didn’t know that. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (55:17) to get to a point where no one knows that they have this condition. So that’s what I’m really passionate about. That’s why the podcast exists. I’ve interviewed in my 400 episodes, I’ve certainly interviewed stroke survivors who I’ve had improvement 10, 11, 12, 13 years post stroke, got a finger movement back. Yeah, got sensation back, something rewired. So yeah. Jennifer Tomscha (55:19) Right. Mm-hmm. really? That’s amazing. Yeah, becau

Keith Murphy and Andrew Downs hold it down while Andy attempts (and fails) to join from a boat in Mexico.

Artists Tommy Riefe and Lexa Walsh join me to discuss the New Museum expansion and show, New Humans: Memories of the Future curated by Massimiliano Gioni and Gary Carrion-Murayari. We discuss the success of the building itself and then move onto the show's major themes—the history of the human body as mediated by technology.    Additional Resources:  Tommy Riefe Lexa Walsh  The New Museum, New Humans: Memories of the Future Jeffrey Deitch, Post Human, 1992   Boris Groys, Art Power, 2008 Jason Farago, The New Museum Reopens Asking: “What is Human?”, 2026, The New York Times   Artist guests:  Tommy Riefe  Riefe earned his BFA in Art History and Sculpture from the University of Northern Iowa in 2014, and later received his MFA from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis in 2017. He has been in numerous group exhibitions and has public sculptures in the collections of Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Ashburn, VA (2022) Fort Dodge, IA (2021) Lakewood, MN (2019), Iowa State University (2018), Minnesota State University (2018), Laneken, Belgium (2018), Cedar Falls, IA (2017) Rock Island, IL (2016), and Sioux City, IA (2016).   Lexa Walsh Lexa Walsh is an artist, cultural worker and experience maker.  With a background in both sculpture and social practice, Walsh makes site specific projects, exhibitions, publications and objects, using an array of materials including ceramics and textiles, employing social engagement, institutional critique, and radical hospitality to question hierarchies, power and value.   Walsh founded the experimental music and performance venue the Heinz Afterworld Lounge, and co-founded and conceived of the all women, all toy instrument ensemble Toychestra.  Walsh worked for many years as a curator and administrator at CESTA, an international art center in Czech republic, whose team created radical curatorial projects to foster cross-cultural understanding. She founded Oakland Stock & Soup for Social & Racial Justice, and the Bay Area Contemporary Art Archive. She is a graduate of Portland State Universitys Art & Social Practice MFA program and was Social Practice Artist in Residence in Portland Art Museums Education department. She was a recipient of Southern Exposures Alternative Exposure Award, the CEC Artslink Award, the Gunk Grant and was a de Young Artist Fellow. Walsh has participated in projects, exhibitions and performances at Apexart, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, FOR-SITE, Grand Central Art Center, Kala Art Institute, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, NIAD, Oakland Museum of California, SFMOMA, Smack Mellon, Walker Art Center, Williams College Museum of Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and has done several international artist residencies, tours and projects in Europe and Asia.