Podcast appearances and mentions of david freund

The Sponsors We want to thank Underground Printing for starting this and making it possible—stop by and pick up some gear, check them out at ugpmichiganapparel.com, or check out our selection of shirts on the MGoBlogStore.com. And let's not forget our associate sponsors: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Human Element, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, The Phil Klein Insurance Group, Venue by 4M, Winewood Organics, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, SignalWire where we recorded this, and introducing to the podcast, Autograph: Fandom Rewarded, who just launched an app where you earn rewards for things like reading MGoBlog and listening to our podcast. Featured Musicians: Cracked & Hooked The Video: [After THE JUMP: The things to be said.] --------------------- 1. Alabama Preview: Offense starts at the top Milroe is a challenge—baby Vince Young who will destroy you with your legs if you let him. Georgia spied him and held him down; Brian wants to attack him, get got a few times, and keep them off-schedule. WRs are not as threatening as some we've seen; the Gattis generation is gone now. OL has blue chips but the center is wild and the left side is young, especially the left tackle. They use three TEs, one's a fullback, one's a Funchess, one's a Maryland transfer who's meh at both. 2. Alabama Preview: Defense starts at 25:17 The secondary is the best in CFB; the guy opposite the headliner is even better, and Seth loves their nickel-hybrid. True freshman safety is also excellent, free safety is just out there to be the help. They went back to basics this year with Saban's Pattern-Match hybrid system; Georgia really put it to the test and found the LBs are the most likely to break down. The DTs are not so scary, the pass rushers are: Do not get in long downs against these guys because they'll bring in both 1st rounders. On standard downs they'll play a 290-pound SDE instead. Linebackers are the weakness; they're athletes but mistake-prone. Brian wants this to be the Donovan Edwards game, Seth wants to run down the middle with Corum and Mullings. 3. Iowa After Review starts at 48:15 It was Iowa. 4. Texas/Washington Preview starts at 57:04 Hard to figure out this game. Texas is probably the better, Washington is the better big game team because Michael Penix is a big game quarterback. We'd rather face Washington because Texas has the two best DTs in the country and that's how to beat Michigan. They'll also have Xavier Worthy back. Quinn Ewers is really more of a true sophomore—think last year JJ—than the guy ready to take them to the pinnacle, but our Texas friend says they're having a This is the Year season and Washington is the last foe to vanquish on the Revenge Tour. About the Featured Musician: CRACKED & HOOKED This year we are partnering with The Blind Pig for bumper music, since that's where I've seen most of the bands I've been pushing anyways. Ypsilanti's David Freund didn't mean to start a band; he was just learning to play guitar during the pandemic. He started posting his songs, which are bluesgrassy with clever lyrics, on social media, gave himself a goofy name, and started picking up a following quickly. People wanted to see him perform the songs live, so he got some mates to play with him, and now they're a band. They recorded their first album, Wonder Out of Your Mind, over at Grove Studios a year ago Christmas, and put out a new song a few weeks ago. They're playing the Pig on January 31st wsg The City Lines and Good Man's Brother if you want to say you heard about them first. Song choices: Kicked by a Mule (the new one) Before the Dirt Gets Shoved Writer Also because Across 110th Street will get our Youtubes taken now now, the opener and outro: “The Employee is Not Afraid”—Bear vs. Shark “Ruska Vodka”—Motorboat

Episode 048: Plump up your pulse for the passion play! In this episode, we buff and fluff the Leo archetype, answer a birth chart Q about keeping the faith during all stages of the creative process, find frisky fun within the Tower's fiery force, and more. Our August convo covers connecting with constancy, uncovering eternal hope, feeling our heat without having to be felt, beholding beauty, staying in touch with trust, and showing up on the side of life with jazz hands up. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Leo Check In: We discuss how this little lovecat is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of full body and soul presence, mutual adoration, handling feelings of futility, the spontaneous emergence of fire and the imperative to just keep on existing, and tapping inexhaustible fonts of joy. Burning Birth Chart Q: We're making our slumber party super special this season, with a personal reading exchange between Bess and Sandy. In our birth chart segment, Sandy dives into Bess's astro landscape and answers her query about her creative process, maturing her artistry, and handling the “high highs” and “low lows” in the cycle of making. We touch on remaining in process with the 6th house, keeping connected to Martial power, finding acceptance in the emo processing of Chiron transits, stepping up into competence with the 10th house, and cultivating a hopeful mindset with Jupiter. Tarot Touchstone: Bess flips some cards for Sandy, who's curious about establishing habits that really last. We chat about Mars vs Saturn as reflected through the Tower card, and how to come alive to all the forces that want to ally with us without having to bear sole responsibility for “making” monumental change happen; and finding divinity in the sweet detail with the 10 of Pentacles, Page of Cups, and Ace of Cups. **We're taking a little paws from the podcast! Stay connected below and be sure to subscribe to Star Party for the latest and greatest. And have no fear of the void: you can always spin through the archives in the interim—all episodes are timeless evergreenies that are here to hold you no matter the season. Subscribe to Star Party: https://starpartypodcast.com/subscribe/ Explore the Archive: https://starpartypodcast.com/episode-guide/ Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 047: Steady your heart for the eternal return. In this episode, we come on home to the Cancer cove, answer a listener Q about how to pave your own way through a birth chart of oppositional energies, release the need to work it all out with the 8 of Cups, and more. Our July convo covers taking responsibility for our emotional landscape, releasing attachment to linear progress, holding the gift of life closer, finding forgiveness, and letting our love spill over without measure. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Cancer Check In: We discuss how this shellabratory sign is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of surrendering to the magnetic magic of water, becoming competent guardians of each element through the cardinal signs, and cultivating a relationship to what's timeless within us. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Cancer Sun/Pisces Moon/Capricorn Rising listener is feeling pushed and pulled between chart placements and wondering which signs to follow to reach her highest potential. We discuss how to use your internal authority to navigate astrology, the charge of the nodal axis, sloughing off the “shoulds” with the cardinal signs, meeting self through our Rising, and learning to define planets on the descendent in our own terms. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, where the 8 of Cups arrives to take us on a walkabout through our wild work—teaching us how to embrace ongoing journeys of growth that don't have to reach an end goal. Cancer Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 046: Bop along on the breeze of becoming. In this episode, we catch the Gemini current of crossings and chameleon shifts, answer a listener Q about handling a flurry of new life happenings, learn to lean into the porous process with the 8 of Pentacles, and more. Our June convo covers building confidence in our voice, losing the linear path to find our way, opening up to the unsettling, carrying energy across thresholds, and liberating life force in all directions. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Gemini Check In: We discuss how this prismatic channel is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of in-between spaces, reading and responding to the atmosphere, getting escorted through evolutionary change, and tapping our immortal truths. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Gemini Sun/Capricorn Moon/Cancer Rising listener is feeling into the flux of friendships and career prospects. We discuss how to handle the overwhelm of 12th house planets, make magic with the mutables without losing a sense of “mine,” rewrite the narrative for retrograde planets, power up Mars in water signs, and harness both the gravity and levity of the Capricorn-Gemini inconjunct. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, where the 8 of Pentacles teaches us how to open up to invisible shifts and ongoing processes, as we learn to let ourselves get worked on and led elsewhere by our own lives. Gemini Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 045: Spread your worthiness wide and lap up the lushery. In this episode, we sink into Taurus energy, answer a listener Q about how to hold ourselves in humanness, find familiarity in the Hierophant's inherent resources, and more. Our May convo covers trusting in empty-full cycles, regenerative potency, releasing attachment to everlasting attainment, self-worth that shifts with the seasons of our lives, magnetic attraction, and nurturing what's most natural. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Taurus Check In: We discuss how this ample, fruit-filled archetype is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of the width and absorption of the fixed signs, softening mental spins and settling into the body, cultivating steadiness, and allowing the world to respond to and change around us. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Taurus Sun/Pisces Moon/Virgo Rising listener is emerging on the other side of enormous loss and seeks self-trust in the face of uncertainty. We discuss the at-home humanness of the earth signs, soothing Saturnine self-critique, private processes and healing contexts in the water houses, equilibrating the Virgo-Pisces axis, Pluto aspects and control, and the IC's creative incubations. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, where the Hierophant steps forward to remind us of both the muscle memories that want massaging and the bone-deep knowings that can fuel our foundation. Taurus Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 044: Embolden your beginnings and big bang into being. In this episode, we ignite in Aries energy, answer a listener Q about how to handle fire for the long haul, harness our ability to engine-rev anew with the 3 of Wands, and more. Our April convo covers the creative process (and becoming part of creation's process), refining our relationship to friction, opening to the force inherent in everything, and getting out of our heads and into the meganess of this magic moment. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Aries Check In: We discuss how this out-of-nowhere spark plug is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of the Pisces/Aries edge and what it means to go “with” momentum instead of against; the relationship between cardinal signs and keeping our own time; catalyzing change and taking up our causes; and showing up in our still-here-ness to come ever closer to life itself. Burning Birth Chart Q: An Aries Sun/Aquarius Moon/Capricorn Rising listener is experiencing some Pluto transit apprehension and wants to figure out if the time is right for shifting away from temporary structures and towards the construction of something longer lasting. We talk outer planet attunements, the spontaneous genius of fire and finding ground in groundlessness, 1st house stelliums and resilient rebirths, the storm cycles of Uranus, and using Saturn and Capricorn to explore the internal motivation beneath external forms of security. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, where the 3 of Wands steps forward to remind us that Aries energy is here to break the success/failure paradigm and simply crack the eggshell and come to life, again and again. Aries Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 043: Slip and slide into surrendered sensitivity. In this episode, we plunge into Pisces energy, answer a listener Q about divining the difference between necessary retreat and hiding out, let organic boundaries arise with the 2 of Pentacles, and more. Our March convo covers befriending whatever beingness is before us, immersing in the present moment for as long as it lasts, letting go of expectation and artifice, and cultivating small acts of undoing and emptying. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Pisces Check In: We discuss how this atmospheric archetype is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of how we can use this energy to get “into it” instead of “out of it,” what letting go looks like through each of the four elements, how all signs secretly “lead” to Pisces, and how to give way without giving it all away. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Pisces Sun/Cancer Moon/Taurus Rising listener wants to learn how to value her deep need for retreat, while staying honest about how disappearing can also sometimes lead to disconnection. We talk 11th house group dynamics, creating safety through the Moon sign, the Pisces/Aries edge between immersion and emergence, taking ownership with Saturn and Jupiter, and the rhythms of water and earth. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, where the 2 of Pentacles steps forward to remind us that boundaries can also spring to life by backing the bigness of our emotions. **Enroll in Bess's 12-month Astro + Tarot Immersion for over 20% off with code STARSCHOOL through March 10th! http://thestarparlor.com/immersion-2023 Pisces Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 042: Renovate, rejuvenate, and return everything to its rightful place. In this episode, we follow Aquarius energy to its exhilarating edge, answer a listener Q about how to prepare for life's ultimate unknowns, recognize and reckon with the familiar in the unfamiliar through the Hierophant, and more. Our February convo covers building confidence in our grand plans, getting much needed perspective on the small stuff, making peace with the fundamental facts of existence, and showing up for the mystery of it all in complete presence. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Aquarius Check In: We discuss how this spacious, oracular archetype is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of this fixed sign's seeming paradox of transformation and the cycle of storms and stillness; the art of purification and emptying ourselves to beget new creative flow; and exploring the limits of the recognizable world. Burning Birth Chart Q: An Aquarius Sun/Aquarius Moon/Capricorn Rising listener relishes the strong, stable shapes he's put in place for his new baby, but wonders about his family's future ability to welcome the unexpected. We talk group astro dynamics, inconjuncts, Saturn transits of the Sun and Moon, and how the elements handle the unknown and unknowable. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, where the Hierophant's Taurus-ruled muscle memory helps us harness our pre-existing resources in the face of the unexpected. **Enroll in Bess's Astro + Tarot Immersion for over 20% off with code STARSCHOOL. Doors open February 3rd and the special savings end on February 17th! http://thestarparlor.com/immersion-2023 Aquarius Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 041: Let the weight of your world reveal what really matters. In this episode, we make more out of the majesty of Capricorn energy, answer a listener Q about how to carry on in the face of life's ultimate finale, soften into the shape of things with the Ace of Cups, and more. Our January convo covers doing the work and letting the world work through us, experiencing the zodiac archetypes in our physical bodies, and receiving the gifts of resistance and the accumulation of our efforts. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Capricorn Check-In: We discuss how this luxe, structured cosmic queen is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of willpower and the intermediary planets of Jupiter and Saturn, the more mystical side of Cap's materiality, the willingness to give our existence gravity and weight, and sheltering within the strong shapes of our lives. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Capricorn Sun/Taurus Moon/Virgo Rising listener faces life's ultimate question: how to find meaning and enjoy existence when it is all destined to evanesce, in the end. We talk Saturn rising, grand earth trines, 8th house cusps, 12th house planets, earth energy in water houses, each element's response to death, and more—as we explore the fight for constancy, facing the finite, and finding completeness. Tarot Touchstones: A card pull to support the season, which includes the Ace of Cups, 4 of Cups, and Death, and raises themes of effort as an act of devotion, taking the shape of emotional seasons, and tenderizing our tautness. Capricorn Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 040: Hit the open road on ready and willing hooves. In this episode, we set off in search of Sagittarius energy, answer a listener Q about how to stoke the bonfires of joy when hope is running low, uncover adventurous meaning with the Page of Pentacles, and more. Our December convos covers shedding external expectations, calming overanalysis, finding faith, amplifying our curiosity, and dealing with limits in the name of loosening and liberating. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Sagittarius Check-In: We discuss how this freewheeling, boundary-breaking cosmic force is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an exploration of the chameleon qualities of the mutable signs, environmental adaptation, the art of acceptance, self-expression without attachment to outcome, letting our carefully-laid plans have plans of their own, and the live-and-let-live-ness that respects the vital rights of everything that lives. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Sagittarius Sun/Aquarius Moon/Gemini Rising listener is on the hunt for how to inspire excitement and joy in moments when life seems devoid of meaning. We talk Venus and Mars placements; semi-sextiles; the interplay between the up-and-out currents of air and fire, and the down-and-in gravity of earth and water; the 5th house cusp; Mercury; and more—as we explore how to keep the wildness alive without having to turn our backs on the weight of the world. Tarot Touchstones: A card pull to support the season, which includes the King of Cups, the 7 of Cups, and the Page of Pentacles, and raises themes of compassion, creative expression, and finding signs of life all around us. Sagittarius Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 039: Dig in and dive daringly deeper. In this episode, we collide with the carnal callings of Scorpio energy, answer a listener Q about longing for a life partner, open to the already-enoughness of the 10 of Pentacles, and more. Our November convo covers the inevitability of endings; reckoning with patterns that may never be purged; conscious magnetics and surrendering to powerful pulls; and finding forgiveness in the face of finite finales. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Scorpio Check-In: We discuss how this raw and uncut cosmic force is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with an excavation of the interplay between the mortal and the eternal, drawing unprocessed matter to the surface, no-holds-barred intimacy, and bearing witness to deaths of all kinds. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Scorpio Sun/Cancer Moon/Capricorn Rising listener faces relationship turmoil on her quest to commune with an enduring life partner. We talk natal Saturn placements, Uranus transits and natal aspects, 8th house pulls, Venus in Libra, Jupiter Rising, and more, as we explore romantic autonomy and the courageous muscle-building journey to champion the heart. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, which includes the Chariot, 10 of Pentacles, and 9 of Cups, and raises themes of possession, desire, and conscious coupling with what's here. Scorpio Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 038: Clear your sightlines and lift it all into the light of day. In this episode, we refresh and reorient in Libra energy, answer a listener Q about periods of relationship isolation and asserting boundaries with friends, cut through the noise and raise the stakes with the Justice card, and more. Our October convo covers the journey towards aspirations; intimacy that's both refined and raw; making decisions from the rightness of our own minds and hearts; contribution and reflection; balance that's dynamic and standards that are liveable; and living in the reverb of decisions made. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Libra Check-In: We discuss how this curatorial cosmic force is showing up in our astrology practices right now, with a dive into the divide between reality and ideals, how to consider both sides without losing our center, and making moves that more fearlessly reckon with cause and effect. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Libra Sun/Virgo Moon/Virgo Rising listener is trying to understand shifts in her friendships and work relationships, and how her mode of relating is evolving. We talk the Midheaven, eclipses, Mercury signs, the North Node, Major Arcana birth cards, and more, as we explore new partnering patterns and how to feel more self-sufficient during life shake-ups. Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, which includes the Magician, Justice, and Strength, and raises themes of alignment, rightness, and creative reckoning. Libra Season Listener's Birth Chart Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 037: Welcome to a brand new season of the Star Party podcast woo hoo! We're changing the nibbles in the cosmic snack pack just a little, and are now serving a zodiac sign inspired fest each month that includes a listener's birth chart question (details on submitting yours below)! In this epi, we wild through the intricacies of Virgo energy, answer a listener Q about why change is so damn hard, discover a compelling connection between the Queen of Swords and Virgo's focalization, and more. As always, our September convo is full of ethereal exploration and emo excavation, and includes discussions about patience, getting fascinated, coiled power, solitary strength, full-body commitment, and balancing safety and big bold moves. Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Virgo: We discuss how this vestal creatrix is manifesting in our astrology practices right now, with a dive into what it means to be in attendance and to cultivate attention, what happens when we get the self “alone,” and how to develop our spidey sense. Burning Birth Chart Q: A Virgo Sun/Taurus Moon/Libra Rising listener is trying to wrangle big changes brewing in her world, and we're here to offer some celestial support. We talk Pluto, chart squares, the progressed Moon, Scorpio, Aquarius, and more, as we probe the possibilities of experiencing evolutionary shifts that still feel grounded (follow along with our reading at the link below!). Tarot Touchstone: A card pull to support the season, which includes the Queen of Swords, the Knight of Swords, and the Hierophant, and summons themes of decisiveness and clear seeing. Virgo Season Listener's Birth Chart: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bsofipjam37960g/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-09%20at%205.22.20%20PM.png?dl=0 Submit Your Birth Chart Question (*note that we'll be running these according to Sun sign, so feel free to submit anytime and await your birthday sign season to see if there's a surprise package for you!): https://starpartypodcast.com/question/ Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 036: With our gaze fully fixed on both the beasts and the beauts, what does it take to bring our furry form forward into each magic moment? In this episode, Bess and Sandy inhabit the now—using astro and tarot to immerse with immediacy and fill the room with good-to-be-here glow. The convo covers mindfulness; paying attention; showing up; full-bodied participation; holding space; creative flow; and facing emptiness with hereness. Come closer to the cosmic current and put your hands directly on whatever's pulsating! Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: The Fixed Signs: Using these four elemental “heavy pours” of the zodiac to close the gaps between us and what's unfolding—digging down to the root and learning to handle the dance between absence and presence. The IC + the MC: Traveling along this spinal axis during the creative process to equilibrate the give-and-take between going inside to spark our soul's hereness and turning it out to share generously with the world right now. The Tarot's 5s: Harnessing these hungry bump n' grind archetypes to explore how patterns of having and losing live within us, and to learn to stay with cycles of emptying and filling. Hypnosis for Conscious Creating: A meditation for embracing creative nowness—returning to the making as you're making, and communing deeper with the current moment. Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 035: Each packed with stardust parcels we long to safeguard for life, how do we shelter the sensitivities that want sanctifying? In this episode, Bess and Sandy fold into fierce fortresses and soft-shell shields—using astro and tarot to summon the cosmic guides that can help courageously keepsake our vulnerable bits. The convo covers the land between offense and defense; backing ourselves; softness and hardness; comfort zones; psychic and ceremonious preservation; and asserting our birthright to retreat and repair. Cover up and tuck in for a spirit shellabration! Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Moon Signs, Saturn Houses, and Chart Angles: Exploring our Moon signs as protective carrying cases for our precious parts; letting Saturn's country help us defend with dignity; and calling on our cardinal kids to step out in front of what needs shielding. The 12th House: Gently lifting the layers of psychological protection we've employed that may no longer need to safeguard us—drawing unconscious behaviors to the surface and softening into what we can't guard against. The Tarot's 2s: Allowing these cardinal-infused archetypes to assert the realness of their realm—sanctifying our space with each of their elements and taking a stand that honors our sensitivities. Hypnosis for Umbrella Folding: Noticing where we've erected outmoded shelters that may be keeping life out, and coming home to the habitats that want to hold our hearts steady in the here and now. Hot Tub Tracks: For extra inspo as you customize your conch shell, spin Massive Attack's Protection and Rihanna's Umbrella. Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 034: With antennae waving in the air like we absolutely care, how can each of us open towards the wild creations that are already longing to alight on our fingertips and course through our conduits? In this episode, Bess and Sandy lift their witchy weathervanes towards the sky and see what's ready to come through—using astro and tarot to become more available to the mini messages and maxi monuments that want to whisper their way into our lives. The convo covers how to wait and attend communiqués from the cosmos; escorting and getting escorted by energy; and new ways to approach our arts n' crafts. Open your hot-pocket portals to all the possibilities! Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Mercury Sign Glyphs: Adopting a viewmaster perspective towards your Mercury sign symbol, peering through its physical shape to envision new ways of looking, listening, and mediuming. Aspects + Planetary Intention-Setting: Attending to the “missing” legs of aspect patterns, and opening up to the planetary archetypes as ushers who want to walk alongside of you. The Knights: Moving and grooving with these mutable cuties—using their vibrations to both accompany the energetic currents of our lives and become more available to getting led by life. Planetary Partners Hypnosis: Take yourself on a psychic spin with your deity of the moment, and build confidence in your power to reach out and commune with the cosmos. Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Episode 033: With vital vittles blooming all around the garden, how can we build trust in our birthright to buffet them? In this episode, Bess and Sandy sink in and settle down—using astro and tarot to fill up on feeling good and lay claim to the comforts of living well. The convo covers being versus doing—and all the shades of sensations in-between; breaking ranks with the productivity push; choosing beauty as an act of boldness; opening our lips to life's moreness; and resting soft and steady in our inherent value. Triple-dip yourself in deservedness and plus-size whatever your pleasure! Inside Your Cosmic Snack Pack: Trines: Leaning back into these signs of the same element to fill out your luscious life-force and robustify your right to relish it. Venus: Flowering open to the senses of this very moment, and letting your claims to beauty become a radical act of amplitude. The King of Pentacles, the 10 of Pentacles, and the World: Harnessing this earthy trio to inhabit the world with greater ease—learning to absorb, assimilate, and accumulate ripeness. Hypnosis for Fullness: Lotioning yourself from the inside out by filling up on the physicalized experience of just feeling damn good. Star Party Podcast Website: https://starpartypodcast.com Bess Matassa: http://bessmatassa.com Sandy Sitron: https://www.sandysitron.com Sound Editor, David Freund: https://www.skywolfmusic.com/

Welcome to episode 70 of Activist #MMT. Today I talk with second-year MMT activist and graduate student Jane Ball. Jane earned an undergraduate minor in international economics at a conservative business school during the heart of the Iraq war and the first George W. Bush administration. Jane enjoyed the philosophy, theory, and history of economics, but strongly disliked the math and calculus. Because of the latter, they decided against pursuing an economics PhD. In early 2019, Jane discovered MMT in an episode of a podcast called Season of the Bitch. Jane then branched out to a MMT Podcast and Money on the Left, and into academic papers by Randy Wray and Stephanie Kelton. Only then did Jane realize that it was not their understanding of mainstream economics and its math that was faulty or lacking, but the economics itself that made no sense. After describing their journey to MMT, Jane then talks about the flaws of Marxism. Not as it actually is, but as it is popularly understood. Jane says this is primarily due to supporters inappropriately accepting and attempting to work around mainstream assumptions instead of rejecting them outright. An example is the flawed belief that at its heart, money is a scarce commodity. This is despite Marx’s own monetary theory of production, or M-C-M’, which, as I understand it, in turn implies chartalism and the state theory of money. The monetary theory of production and chartalism, which is supported by the overwhelming body of historical evidence, is in direct contradiction to the a-historical idea of barter, in which money is a commodity, or a tangible and scarce thing. If money were indeed a commodity, then as Jane describes, it means that money is a purely economic phenomenon and is inherently separate from the political world, and therefore outside of direct human control. All that said, I have studied little to no Marxism, so take this with as big a grain of salt as you see fit. We are all learning together. In part two, Jane and I discuss two of their academic style posts. The first documents studies that demonstrate the benefits of existing UBI-like programs, including the $5000 a year paid every Alaskan citizen by a fossil fuel company. The regular payment is clearly beneficial to its recipients, with the cruel irony being that the payments are being made by companies which are viciously predatory to those very same recipients in the long run. The second is a fascinating post documenting how racist zoning has been official United States government policy, starting soon after the Russian revolution. The policies were a deliberate effort by the government to prevent a similar kind of popular uprising. This was done primarily and essentially by dangling a nice home in the faces of white people, and by keeping black and brown people out via redlining and discriminatory ordinances. So not only was this country built long ago on the backs and with the blood of black and brown people, that virulent racism continues today in active policy, all around the country. A couple notes before we get started: First, Jane is a voracious reader. Several books they mentioned are listed in the show notes. Second, I mention how even the poorest countries can distribute their resources equally. I have since learned that there are many complications related to this, centering around the sovereignty of developing nations and how they are deliberately sabotage by more powerful nations. I am still learning. Now onto my conversation with Jane Ball. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Enjoy. Resources My interview with Marxist academic Jim Kavanagh (recorded after this episode Jane): Episodes 58 and 59: Jim Kavanagh: A Marxist academic and MMTer. My recorded Apple ID scam phone call Stephanie Kelton’s August 2020 appearance on Mark Blyth’s podcast. My interview with Ryan Mathis: Part one: Episode 21a: Millennial, first-year law student, and 5th year MMTer: The left-wing project to recreate our corrupt political, media, and educational institutions. Part two: Ep 21 [2/2]: Ryan Mathis: There is nothing “natural” about society’s laws Doug Henwood’s 2019 criticism of MMT: Modern Monetary Theory Isn’t Helping. Three responses by MMTers can be found in this post: My chartalism post Roosevelt Institute UBI study Warren Mosler’s state theory of money story: There’s a guy at the door with a gun. John Harvey’s August 2020 lecture with Modern Money Australia, summarizing his book: Exchange Rate Theory: Is it as Horrifically Boring as it sounds? Pocket homes by Ross Chapin Books: Empire of Cotton, Sven Beckart Books by Sylvia Federici Henry George’s Progress of Poverty David Harvey: A Companion to Marx’s Capital Richard Rothstein’s Color of Law by David Freund’s Color of Property Racial Taxation, book and my interview with the author, Camille Walsh [parts one and two]. My related post: The many reasons *why* the idea that “taxes pay for stuff” is deeply sinister. Christian Parenti’s Radical Hamilton: Economic Lessons from a Misunderstood Founder American-Canadian Marxist political theorist and historian Ellen Meiskins Wood

“Redlining” - it calls to mind the history of postwar segregation & wealth disparity. But there’s so much more to the story. Join us as David Freund guides us through it.

The post-war years are widely trumpeted as the golden era for America’s middle class. This is when we became a nation of suburban homeowners. Most would agree that federal programs - like the GI Bill and the FHA - contributed to this prosperity. Where some will differ is the extent to which the government is responsible. Our guest, David Freund, sets us straight.    David pierces through the propaganda and exposes the reality behind the sunny fantasy of the post-war economy. His book, Colored Property: State Policy & White Racial Politics in Suburban America, reveals the mechanics of the federal programs and the institutional racism built into them.    The racial politics of redlining are known to many of us, but there were also significant changes in municipal politics during this era. Among these was the rise in municipal zoning, giving local governments the actual power to legislate those decisions.  There was simultaneous growth of the planning profession and real estate industry. Taken altogether, David argues that these developments created the very familiar late 20th-century US landscape, where the majority of white people own their homes and where most growth is focused in suburban rather than urban areas, with remarkable disparities in wealth.   Interestingly, enormous effort was made to obscure this history from the people living it. There has been a specific political narrative intended to distort our understanding of the federal government’s role in creating segregation and wealth disparity. The mechanics are important to understand and those mechanics help us see why particular narratives were popularized.   The white beneficiaries of the boom became invested in a falsehood: that it was the free enterprise system that was producing the post-war prosperity and literally remaking the nation. It was the golden age of celebrating free-market capitalism. This was the cultural and political landscape. The image is one of bustling economic prosperity with a little bit of assistance from government programs. But the reality was something else entirely.   Prior to the boom, people were afraid of going into debt. A 30-year mortgage was seen as incredibly risky; bankers didn’t want to lend and borrowers didn’t want to borrow. The FHA needed to prime the pump so they applied aggressive marketing techniques. They did extensive groundwork educating the real estate and banking industries. They produced film reels and literature, and FHA officials went on speaking tours to professional conferences. They took their pamphlets door-to-door, contacting millions of households.  In the end, they successfully convinced banks to become debtors and consumers to go into debt. This was no small campaign; it went on for a quarter of a century -- all while insisting that these federal programs were not distorting the free market. At the same time, they perpetuated the mythos of the American dream and fed the narrative that anyone could achieve it. The 2020 campaign season has us talking about what it would mean to have a job guarantee, to create a green new deal, and to properly fund public education. As we do, David Freund cautions us to learn the lessons of history - the real history - else we be doomed to repeat it. David M. P. Freund is Associate Professor in the Department of History, University of Maryland, College Park. He is the author of Colored Property: State Policy and White Racial Politics in Suburban America (University of Chicago Press, 2007), which received the 2008 Ellis W. Hawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians, the 2007 Kenneth Jackson Book Award from the Urban History Association, and the 2009 Urban Affairs Association Best Book Award. @MpeterF on Twitter https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo5298959.html

Looking for a low-risk, high-result way to scale your agency? Want the flexibility to grow and scale at will? Freelancers are a great way to grab top talent in this gig economy. Using freelancers can help scale your agency faster and easier than bringing on permanent employees and the overhead that goes with them. But, the real key is knowing which roles to hand to freelancers and which roles you should not outsource. But, how about using freelancers as a core component of your workforce? I talk to an agency owner that uses both in-house employees and freelancers on almost every project. And it's helped him grow at the speed-of-light. How to win with freelancers Which roles you should never outsource. What not to do with agency freelancers. 3 reasons smaller agencies win big. Today, I talked with David Freund, Partner at Junto — a web design and content agency. David's agency doesn't just use freelancers on occasion... freelancers are a core component of his agency's growth strategy, with over 25 on his team. Vetting freelancers and leaning on them to deliver cost-effective results helps Junto stay competitive in the commoditized market. And, David's here to give us some tips on when and how to use freelancers the right way in order to grow your digital agency. How to Win With Freelancers Blending an in-house team with freelancers has a ton of benefits. Hiring a load of freelancers can help your agency go remote. And, it can definitely help you save on costs and onboarding headaches. But, the secret benefit is that it gives you insane flexibility to scale. With a core team of employees in place, you can hire and let-go freelancers at will. As your growth has ebbs and flows, your hybrid team of employees and freelancers has the flexibility to ebb and flow, as well. Need a new website designer? Hire a freelancer. Need fewer SEO specialists? Eliminate a few. With freelancers, you can grow and shrink at will. And, you don't have to worry about all of the junk that goes into hiring and firing. This gives you a huge advantage over your competitors who are stuck with less flexibility. Which Roles You Should Never Outsource As agency owners, the thought of outsourcing talent can be terrifying. Finding and vetting freelancers can be overwhelming. And, some freelancers can be unreliable or unpredictable unless. If you've been burned before you might be scared to work with others in the future. But, here's the secret — Dave says you have to outsource the right roles. For starters, keep strategy and project/account managers in-house. Keeping these roles strictly for permanent employees gives you the quality control that is necessary to grow your business. The last thing you want is to lose your agency's standard or sacrifice its reputation. Having a key team of managers within your walls is the secret to keeping a high standard and reaping the benefits of the gig economy. Your account managers act as a liaison between the agency and the client. You can structure your agency to have account managers work with the freelancers. That leaves you in charge of the big picture. But, you don't have to manage ALL of these freelancers and in-house team members at the same time. What Not To Do With Agency Freelancers It can be tempting to hire some freelancers, send them work, and then you deliver the end product to the client. Basically, your agency is just playing the middleman and reaping the rewards. Sounds like a win-win, right? Nope! Your agency needs to hold the reigns. You must have the systems in place to facilitate freelancers success and deliver consistent results to your clients. If the end product is a representation of your agency's work you have to have control over it from start to finish. Your job is to provide your freelancers with the systems they need in order to succeed. And, you or someone within your agency needs to have the skillset to understand and oversee the work you're outsourcing to a freelancer. So for example, if you don't know anything about web design, don't just hire freelancers and hand over a finished website to the client. At the very least, your account manager should have an understanding of web design and work hand-in-hand with the freelancer. 3 Reasons Smaller Agencies Win Big Size doesn't matter - no, really! :) There's never been a better time to be a small or mid-sized agency. You can be nimble and agile with your clients, and you can be far more flexible than the bigger agencies. If or when prospects question your agency's size, use these benefits to spin the story in your favor: Small agencies can leverage freelancers. Using freelancers for skilled roles helps cut costs and compete for big projects. Sure, big agencies could hire freelancers but, they usually don't. They have a huge in-house team. And, they're going to lean on that team to get jobs done in order to justify salaries. But, that additional overhead puts them at a pricing disadvantage. Your agency can do the job cheaper and deliver better value. You have access to an entire global network of talented professionals because you're not restricted to just a specific few employees. They're still flexible. The best thing about being a small agency is that you can flip-the-script at-will. Want to start adding new services? Go for it by bringing on a freelancer with that skill set. Thinking about some new processes or strategies? Sure! You can try out all your ideas without disrupting a massive ecosystem Despite size, small agencies can compete in a changing world. Smaller means you're not stuck. You have plenty of maneuverability to start adjusting to the new trends in marketing. There are plenty of new and interesting avenues to explore... chatbots, artificial intelligence and a bunch of other emerging technologies exist in sparse markets. And, you can start jumping into those markets immediately!

On this episode, we talk with David Freund, associate professor of history at the University of Maryland. David is the author of Colored Property: State Policy and White Racial Politics in Suburban America, an award-winning book that tracks how the language of racial exclusion was re-coded in terms of markets, property, and citizenship in the post-World War II era. Throughout the conversation, David speaks to his research on the history of public policy and economic ideology in the United States, and the role that heterodox economic thinking has played in shaping his research agenda. We talk at length about Colored Property, as well as his current book project, State Money, which offers a history of financial policy and free market ideology that unveils the repressed role of the state in the making of modern America.David Freund recently published a chapter in the edited collection Shaped by the State, titled "State Building for a Free Market: The Great Depression and the Rise of Monetary Orthodoxy" More info here: https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo31043679.html?fbclid=IwAR1oUDodC6uWVbLo_f71OUBqmCcuVRZhlaOGZfdzF9npqaj-mRNz7OuxlkkFreund also recently publish a piece on the role of money in historical inquiry for The Metropole: https://themetropole.blog/2019/05/21/money-matters/

Wow. Where to start? I met David Freund a few months back and was immediately struck by his genuine passion for people and spirit for collaboration. He's the kind of person you cross paths with in life and want to remain connected to. Of course it follows that Pat Ahern, David's co-conspirator fits that mold but in a perfectly complimentary way to David. Together they form Junto, Denver's unique digital marketing agency powered by planet earth's best free-lance digital marketing talent. What does this all mean? It means that a couple of sharp, young Denver based entrepreneurs have figured out a way to bring together the best digital marketing talent in the world to help businesses grow - at a reasonable cost. Pretty cool. In this candid interview, David & Pat talk about Junto's philosophy & how they came to this powerful business model and what's most important when it comes to marketing a business. For those Denverites that are thinking of starting a business, already in business or even massively successful, this interview is chock FULL of nuggets of wisdom to help you no matter where you are in your endeavors. And it provides another example of how kick-ass the people who make up the fabric of our great city can be. For more info on Junto: www.Junto.Digital

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the seventeenth and final episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the sixteenth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the fifteenth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the fourteenth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the thirteenth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the twelfth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the eleventh episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the tenth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the ninth, and what is often referred to as the “lost episode”, of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the eighth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the seventh episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the sixth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the fifth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the fourth episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the third episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the second episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

From an old converted barbershop inside the area’s largest all-nude strip club comes the inaugural episode of the Random Groove Generator with your hosts David Freund and Aaron Batzdorfer. Based on a series of complex algorithms and differential equations, this radio program dares to combine the new math with rock and roll. Each week a […]

Family Revival, David Freund