The Lighter Side with Jay

Mike Studley is one of my oldest friends.  A neighborhood kid. We used to ride bikes together. Our paths have diverged since, and while I was off dealing with my own mental health issues, Mike has been on a decades-long struggle with addiction. 

But, he's still here. He's sober. He's funny as shit and I loved our talk. 

Please continue to spread the word about this show. Drop a review if you can! It really helps. 

Nicole and Rob live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the Smithfield Meat Plant, Rob's place of employment, has seen 783 cases of COVID-19. The building itself almost accounts for the majority of the cases in the state. 

We talked about that. They shed some light on what's really going on, which doesn't precisely line up with what you may have heard. 

They were also just a delightful couple, and it was an honor to speak with them. 

Please get the word out on this.

Katy Gray works as an HR Director for the supply chain of a major international retailer. She is in charge of the people who are in charge of making sure the stores have toilet paper. So, you can imagine. She lends her unique perspective, we chat about weight loss surgery, and special guest joins us for what I am sure is not the last time.

Please listen, share, and review. Reviews are super important right now, so please, drop one!

Music at the top by Steve Kupp
Music at the end by Jared Mancuso

Adam Pally has been in a lot of things (Happy Endings, The Mindy Project, The Mandalorian,The Main Event, Sonic the Hedgehog, Champaign, ILL,so many more) Right now, however, the only thing Adam Pally is in is his basement, where his family banished him after he got the sniffles. (HE'S OKAY!)

We talked about the f*cking Knicks, Adam's career, and gave some hot takes you won't want to miss.

Adam wrote an amazing article about parenting during the quarantine. You should read it.

Please continue to spread the word! This is a breather episode in between shows about essential employees/first responders/the helpers. Adam is a real mensch for doing it and helping get these stories out.

Insanely terrific music at the end of the show is by Remember Jones. 

Lisa is a respiratory therapist in the middle of a respiratory crisis in the middle of Chicago. She has performed CPR on COVID-19 patients. She has seen PPE disappearing en masse. Yet, somehow, she has the most positive attitude of maybe anyone I've ever spoken to.

 Please continue to listen and share. Our reach is growing by the minute.

Helen is an MTA Conductor for the NYC Subway system, an organization that is losing 3-people per day to Covid-19. She and her co-workers requested masks in January and were denied. 50 of her fellow MTA workers died before masks were distributed. 

We talked about fun things too, but I implore you to listen to Helen's story and remember that what you are seeing on the news is lacking in one thing: humanity. 

Please share. 

Aaron Kaburick is a seasoned Broadway performer, having appeared in Billy Elliot, Sister Act, Motown, Hello Dolly, and Mrs. Doubtfire, which gave precisely 3 performances before COVID-19 shut down Broadway.

He is a ray of sunshine and I loved every moment of this conversation. I am sure you will too. He tells stories about Bette Midler; you really can't go wrong.

Here he is performing Janet Jackson's Escapade in the middle of Times Square: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fy_hIWnH0g

Please keep on listening, and keep on sharing. 

Dr. Kashif Anwar is a Family Medicine Dr. in New Jersey, where COVID-19 has hit the 2nd hardest in the country. We spoke about changing landscape of family medicine, the anxiety that is overwhelming his patients, and what its like to be a father of three trying his best to keep it together while dealing head on with infected patients. 

We also talked about the f*cking Knicks. 

Please spread the word. These stories need to be told. And now. 

Jennifer is a Paramedic Firefighter in a Chicago suburb. The hospital has 4 floors full of COVID-19 patients. The ICU is 90% full. She is re-using PPE because the federal government intercepted her station's shipment. When we spoke, she had just returned from receiving a COVID-19 test, having been displaying symptoms. 

She told me how this is affecting the heroin addicts and victims of domestic violence she has come to know over the years of working in her town. 

I promise. We also laughed. 

Please share. Please review. Please help me get these stories told. 

Nicole is a cafeteria worker who is choosing to go into work to make lunches in a district where 61% of students are on free lunch. She has 2 of her own children. They are very flatulent. 

Stacy is holding down 2 jobs. One of them is as a manager of Chipotle. She is also recently 5 years sober, AND she just regained custody of her children. Whom she now has to homeschool. 

Listen. Share. These are the essential workers on our front lines. Their stories need to be told and soon. 

More episodes coming shortly.