It&apos;s the 4th of July, and what better way to celebrate than with Louis Palena and Jordan Brennan, two of my dear friends from my days at the Bucks County Playhouse and beyond. We talked about their coming out stories; we talked about that time Louis went to Russia and almost got invaded by rebels (yuh huh); we talked about how difficult it can be for two kind, loving, DESERVING people like Louis and Jordan to adopt a child. And, most of all, we laughed. Happy Fourth! Louis and Jordan&apos;s theater company, Music Mountain Theater, is producing a live performance of Stars N&apos; Stripes, a 4th of July Cabaret, today (July 4th 2020) at 3:00pm EST. These are some supremely talented folks! Check it out here.Support the show (http://patreon.com/lightersidepodcast)

pm EST. These are some supremely talented folks! Check it out here.Support the show (http://patreon.com/lightersidepodcast)

Sara R - Substance Use in the Suburbs

It started as a weight loss podcast, which quickly became a mental health podcast, which somehow became a pandemic podcast.  Jay, your host  (anxiety/depression/OCD/childhood trauma/family addiction)  lost 185 lbs after having bariatric surgery.  Guests have ranged from actor Ken Marino to a woman you have never heard of who lost 250 lbs, to a recovering addict, to essential workers during COVID-19. In 2020, the show became daily and ran for 100 episodes in 100 days. The culmination of everything The Lighter Side strove to be, Jay created an oral history of the pandemic, as told through the voices of the people who lived through it. There's something for everyone on the Lighter Side.