
March 1, 2021 Twitter exploded this weekend with images of the CPAC stage which is the shape of a common Nazi symbol; sexual misconduct allegations emerge about both Madison Cawthorn and Governor Cuomo; the FBI has singled out a suspect in the death of Capitol officer Sicknick; lawyers for an 18-year-old insurrectionist push to have him released to his parents; NASA officially names its DC headquarters after Hidden Figure Mary W. Jackson; plus Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) deliver Hot Notes and your Good News.
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AG
MSW Media. Hey everybody, it's Ag and welcome to Refried Beans where we play an episode of the Daily Beans podcast from the same week either one, two or three years ago so we can see how far we've come. So please enjoy this episode from days gone by and note the date in the intro. Refried beans. I like refried beans. That's why I want to try fried beans, because maybe they're just as good and we're wasting time.
Andrew Hamilton
J be jelly beans. Daily Beans.
AG
Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Monday, March 1, 2021. Today, Twitter exploded this weekend with images of the CPAC stage which is in the shape of a common Nazi symbol. Sexual misconduct allegations emerge about both Madison Cawthorne and Governor Cuomo. The FBI has singled out a suspect in the death of Capitol officer Sickn. Lawyers for an 18 year old insurrectionist pushed to have him released to his parents. And NASA officially names its D.C. headquarters after hidden figure Mary W. Jackson. I'm AG.
Dana Goldberg
And I'm Dana Goldberg.
AG
Quite a weekend in the news, Dana. How have you been? How's everything? How's your backs? How's your ribs? How's the stuff?
Dana Goldberg
Oh, thank you for asking about my backs and my ribs. Everything, knock on wood, is where it should be at the moment. Everything seems to be fine and so I'm just taking a deep breath, but not too deep of a breath because that seems to be what throws my ribs out of.
AG
That's kind of my refrain at this age. Right. Everything is where it's supposed to be today.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, that's how it feels right now. So thank you for asking. Right now I am pain free. I'm gonna just say that way. I'm pain free at the moment.
AG
I'm so glad to hear that.
Dana Goldberg
Thank you.
AG
We do have a really interesting show today. So the person, the guy who initially pointed out the shape of the CPAC stage being an Odell rune, which is a known Nazi symbol symbol, is a friend of mine, old dear friend of mine. He reached out to me with his tweet Friday morning, which I quickly tweeted out from all three accounts over on Twitter and his tweet caught fire. It went viral and even garnered the attention of Matt schlapp and Dinesh D'Souza, TMZ, Snopes. I mean it went gangbusters. And we're gonna be speaking with him because he knows what this symbol means and as does any kind of is knowledgeable of that iconography and that sort of symbology. And we're going to talk about the shape of that CPAC and not just whether or not it was intentional, because we don't know if it was intentional or not. I mean, if you pair it up with some other things that they've done, sure does seem intentional. But the reaction is concerning the non acknowledgement, non apology, not changing it, gaslighting side type of thing. So we're have that discussion a little bit later, but let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right. Lead story today, the FBI has pinpointed an assailant in its investigation into the death of Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who was injured while fending off the pro Trump mob that stormed the Capitol last month and he later died. That's according to two law enforcement officials who were briefed on the investigation. And the FBI opened a homicide investigation into Officer Sicknick's death soon after the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Investigators initially struggled to determine what had happened as he fought assailants. They soon began to suspect, though, that his death was related to an irritant like mace or bear spray that he had inhaled during the riot. Both officers and rioters were armed with such irritants during the attack. According to the story, Sicknick was taken back to the station and later collapsed and then succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. This is a significant breakthrough in the case. Investigators have now pinpointed a person seen on video of the riot who attacked several officers with bear spray, including Officer Sicknick. And that's according to officials. And video evidence shows that the assailant discussed attacking officers with bear spray beforehand. So intent established. Yeah. Now while investigators narrowed potential suspects seen in video footage to a single person this week, they have yet to identify the assailant by name. So they are looking into that. And it's not looking like they'll be homicide murder charges. It looks more like sort of an involuntary manslaughter type situation because they the bear spray, while it can kill, while it can be lethal, it might be hard to prove that this person intended to kill Officer Sicknick with the bear spray.
Dana Goldberg
Agreed. Agreed. Thank you so much for that. Ag. All right, ag this next story, this is about the 18 year old Bruno Qua who was allegedly seen in multiple videos standing in the Senate chamber of the U.S. capitol with a handful of other rioters. Now this is an interesting story. So the videos have since gone viral. Basically, there's a man in combat gear now identified as Air Force veteran Larry Brock Jr. Chiding the rioters, including Kwa, about why they shouldn't sit in Vice President Mike Pence's chair, which it seems like etiquette at this point, sort of gone out the fucking window, you know what I mean? So that's why I find that part very interesting. But Qua seemed confused because that's clearly not why they're there is to respect the Capitol. So Qua seemed confused by this and asked, well, they can steal the election, but we can't sit in their chairs. Now, in a defense motion filed On Friday, Bruno Quoz's lawyers said their client, quote, is an impressionable 18 year old kid who was in the middle of finishing his online coursework to graduate from high school when he was arrested. All right, so prosecutors for their part, see Qua through a very different lens. Obviously in a criminal complaint, they point to Qua's social media posts in the run up and the aftermath to January6 to suggest that he was someone who was genuinely inspired by the former President Trump and very intent on violence. So Qua's case is a stark example of just how powerful misinformation can be. So both prosecution and defense agree that he was radicalized by what he read online and the decision to embrace the falsehoods he discovered in chat rooms and social media changed the course of his life. So apparently social media is the new video game. Qua, who's believed to be the youngest person so far to be charged with storming the Capitol, allegedly assaulted a federal police officer. Obviously they can't say he did that without proof, but his lawyers say that as part of his conditions for release, he would be willing to stay off social media and be monitored in his parents house. Now I guarantee if this was a black young man, this would not be the concessions being made to systems of justice. It's a little infuriating that they're just going to be like, all right, they want a slap on the wrist and go back to mommy and daddy's house, which is apparently where this fucking problem started in the first place. So I'm not sure how that would benefit anyone at this point.
AG
Yeah, young, impressionable, innocent, naive kid storming the Capitol to overthrow the government and commit violence and assault officers. Okay. It reminds me of, remember the story of that Brock kid who wasn't let off?
Dana Goldberg
Of course I do, yeah.
AG
It's like, oh, he was a good student. He means well.
Dana Goldberg
This is good. This is gonna, this is gonna r his future. This is going to ruin his athletic career.
AG
Yeah, I know. He ruined his future. He's 18. He should be treated, charged and tried as an adult, period.
Dana Goldberg
100% agreed. 100% agreed.
AG
Even if he was 16, that's. That's an adult decision that you've made. Also in the news, a few stories about sexual misconduct. The first comes about Madison Cawthorn, the youngest member ever elected to Congress at 25, according to over three dozen people. However, Cawthorn, who is in a wheelchair because of a car accident he was in, was a menace to women. During his time at Patrick Henry College, he hung out with a bunch of dickbags. They were actually known on campus as the Douche Crew.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my God.
AG
Yeah, this is a group of fuckboys that would speed around campus in their stupid cars. Cawthorn had a Dodge Challenger, same car as the Duke Boys, by the way, and the Dukes of Hazzard, which, although this one was white, it didn't have a Confederate flag painted on it. But, you know, apparently Cawthorn would coerce young women into taking joyrides with him. He would drive recklessly out to the middle of nowhere while asking these young women very disturbing questions about their sexual history, making them extremely uncomfortable. Some women didn't think they were going to make it back to campus, but they did. It got to the point where dorm RAs. Remember those resident assistants.
Dana Goldberg
Mm.
AG
Would warn the women not to get in a car with Cawthorn because he was widely known to be dangerous. So this story is still developing, but check out the story in buzzfeed. It's called Danger Warning. Women say Cawthorn harassed them in college. So real gem of a man. And in a related story, Governor Cuomo of New York is under fire again. He now has a second staffer coming forward about his sexual misconduct, saying that he asked her questions about her sex life, whether she was monogamous in her relationships, and if she ever had sex with older men. The aide, Charlotte Bennett, who was an executive assistant and health policy advisor in the Cuomo administration until she left in November, told the New York Times that the governor had harassed her late last spring during the height of the state's fight against Covid, Ms. Bennet, 25, said. 25, said the most unsettling episode occurred on June 5 when she was alone with Mr. Cuomo in his state Capitol office. In a series of interviews this week, she said the governor asked her numerous questions about her personal life, including whether she thought age made a difference in romantic relationships and had said that he was open to relationships with women in their 20s. These are comments she interpreted as clear overtures to a sexual relationship. Cuomo said in a statement to the Times Saturday that he believed he had been acting as a mentor and had never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, he said. Nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate. He said he had requested an independent review of the matter and asked that New Yorkers await the findings before making any judgments. Now, Ms. Bennett's account follows another detailed accusation published Wednesday by Lindsey Boylan, a former state economic development official, who said that Cuomo harassed her on several occasions between 2016 and 2018, at one point giving her an unsolicited kiss on the lips at his Manhattan office. So that's what's going on with Governor Cuomo right now. We're watching this story as it unfolds. We'll continue to keep you apprised if anyone else comes forward, but this seems to be, we've got sort of a pattern now.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, I would agree. And I will say this, no matter what political party, if he's guilty of that, that he's being accused, he needs to be held accountable. Yeah, I don't care if he's got a D or an R in front of his name, so.
AG
And I'm kind of a little sick of people saying, oh, Trump has 26, Cuomo has two, and somebody commented, hey, these are human lives, not touchdowns, and his 26 doesn't make one.
Dana Goldberg
Okay, no, agreed, 100%. Thank you for stating that very clearly, Allison, and very succinctly, as you often do. Now, to end this big chunk, we have a feel good story and this is it. NASA's officially named its headquarters in the nation's capital after Mary W. Jackson, the agency, agency's first black woman engineer, with a ceremony honoring her Legacy on Friday. NASA's acting administrator said during a virtual ceremony Friday quote with the official naming of the Mary W. Jackson NASA headquarters, we ensure she is a hidden figure no longer. Jackson's story is one of incredible determination. She personified NASA's spirit of persevering against all odds, providing inspiration and advancing science and exploration. There is no denying that she faced innumerable challenges in her work, work that would eventually help send the first Americans to space. Jackson's work was spotlighted, and I hope everyone saw this, but Jackson's work was spotlighted in the 2016 Margot Lee Shutterly book Hidden the American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians who Helped Win the Space Race. The book was turned into the Oscar nominated movie Hidden Figures later that same year with actress Janelle Monae portraying Jackson. I love the repertoire presentation. She is so fabulous in so many ways, so this just. It brings me joy. This is long overdue. There's so many people of color that have built the history of this country in so many massive accomplishments in space and technology and so many other fields, arts, everything. It's so nice that these stories are being. Yes. That they're being brought to the forefront so they can have the honors that they so, so deserve.
AG
Yeah. And if I remember the film, she was qualified to apply for the engineering program, but then they changed the RUL rules, saying that you had to take certain night classes at a local college, which was a segregated college, so she wasn't allowed. And so she actually had to go to court to get permission and become the first black woman to attend those classes. She was only allowed to go to night school according to the script. But again, the perseverance. Absolutely incredible. That film, it just gives me the chills. And now they're naming NASA headquarters in D.C. after her. It's just so wonderful.
Dana Goldberg
I love it. I love it. And, you know, I just am so grateful that we have the administration we do now, because I honestly don't think any of this stuff. He would. Donald would find a way to block this shit, you know, even if it was just something as beautiful as this. So I'm just so glad that right now, and hopefully forevermore, he's not going to be in power. And we have an administration that is not just celebrating, but, like, raising up bipoc people in this community that have done such good things for the country. For the country. It's just for their country. It's amazing. I love it.
AG
Yeah. Wonderful. And if you haven't seen hidden figures, definitely take the time. It's well worth it.
Dana Goldberg
Indeed.
AG
And social media exploded over the weekend with a viral tweet from an old friend of mine, Hammy, about the unusual shape of the stage at cpac. We'll speak with the originator of the tweet. His name is Andrew Hamilton, after this break. Stay with us after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. Today I have the pleasure of being joined by the person who first pointed out the shape of the CPAC stage as an odal rune on social media. His name is Andrew Hamilton. Andrew, welcome.
Andrew Hamilton
Hi. How you doing, Zach?
AG
I'm doing well. So just to put this out here, you and I have known each other since what, like, 2013?
Andrew Hamilton
Yes, I think it was 2013.
AG
Something like that. About eight years. And for legal reasons, we don't want to go into what job you were doing or what you were working on. But that kind of gave you an insight into the shape of this stage. But can you tell us how you first saw or were alerted to just the shape of the stage? Where did you see it?
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah, I was just catching up the news Friday morning, looking at the news coming out of cpac, saw the footage of. I can't remember who it was, who was talking on the stage and that aerial crane down camera looking from the stage, from top down. Instantly my radar kicked off, went, that's not a good symbol. Because obviously I had experience of working with those ancient languages, the thutharks as they are. There's like three of them. And yeah, you just get used to recognizing the cliff edges that are when you work with those symbols and how, I guess how they've been misused in the past and the connotations that go along with them.
AG
Got it. So this project you were working on would have a lot of eyes on it and you, you were kind of using these ancient languages and you needed to make sure that you weren't using anything improper. Am I sort of getting that right?
Andrew Hamilton
Pretty much. We wanted to use these symbols as what they are. They're a language. And when. I mean, we wanted to use them as words and sentences. So we wouldn't use the runes or the glyphs as they are in isolation. And that's generally the rule of thumb that most people go by. I mean, the Germans have been quite clear on this since the 50s. They've got a whole section in their criminal conduct of. I think it's 68A of their law that outlines the symbols that you shouldn't use that have been associated with the Nazis in the past.
AG
So this particular symbol that. And I'm not saying that the stage resembles it. It is it just directly it is the shape. It's been outlawed in German.
Andrew Hamilton
The use of it is. You're not allowed to display it. Yeah, it's part of their criminal code is along with the swastika, there's another one called the sigurune, which is the S that forms the ss. And there's a few they add to it as it goes on. But those ones have been in there for quite a while.
AG
So can you tell us a little bit about. Because I know that you've looked into it, the history of how the odor was adopted by Germany and the ss. Can you talk about that?
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah. I mean, primarily the odor rune does the job of the letter O in the Roman Alphabet. But when the SS or that volunteer force in Yugoslavia used it as their symbol they added the serifs on the bottom of it, which make it, design wise, a much more balanced design. I mean, if you purely look at it out of its context, they've made it into a logotype.
AG
Right. So the O in the language that we're talking about now, I'm describing these upside down. So you'll put these together and then flip them over. But the regular O is like a V sitting on top of a diamond and then you flip that upside down. Now what the Nazis did was they took that and added serifs to it. So imagine a W sitting on top or underneath a diamond. Exactly right. And that is their propaganda. How they, how they sort of made their design out of it.
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah, like authoritarianism. It really only works if it's branded. You know, that goes dates back to Royal Seals. Royal Seals are branding of authoritarianism. So, you know, the Nazis did the same thing. Most authoritarian regimes need branding to subscribe, succeed.
AG
So you tweeted about this Friday morning. We're on the west coast. I think it was like 10 in the morning or something like that. And then you sent me a message saying, hey, have you seen this? Because I've worked with these symbols before. This is bad. This is bad news. And I was absolutely shocked. I recognized the symbol. It's been used back in the, and I've told the listeners this a lot. Back in the 80s, I was in a group called called Sharp, which was the Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice. And we had a bunch of other groups that we were opposing that were neo Nazis, including the hammer skins. And they would use this kind of symbology, Iron Cross, the eagle, hammers crossed together, obviously the swastika, the sig, which is the SS that you're, that you're very used to seeing with the, with the, the SS there. And then of course, this particular symbol as well, it's just iconography of alt right, far right, neo Nazis, and it's a clear utilization of them. So I was absolutely flabbergasted. Retweeted it, sent it out to a couple of groups that I'm familiar with, and it completely blew up. What's been the response?
Andrew Hamilton
My Twitter reach has increased 1 million percent for that tweet, which has been spectacular. But I mean, generally, from my view of it, the response has been agreement that I didn't expect when I tweeted it to get anything like this. I expected the few graphic design nerds and people in my industry would comment on it and it would be about five people talking about it. I didn't expect to have my workings checked by Simon Rosenberg.
AG
Right. And what did Simon Rosenberg reply to your tweet with?
Andrew Hamilton
Well, yeah, he actually went and looked into it. Check that. I guess that I wasn't just. It wasn't hyperbole or I'm imagining things and he was in complete agreement with me that it was what it appeared to be.
AG
Yeah. And it got picked up by a few other outlets as well. I know that Snopes actually did a poor framing on this saying that it was unproven, but basically they were saying it was unproven, that it was intentional.
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah. Which unless we're in someone's head, we don't really know. I mean the way I look at it, it feels at best a little at best tone deaf to history.
AG
Yeah. And also I know that it got tweeted out by. I tweeted out. Then Deborah Messing picked it up. I mean a lot of people when we were starting to call hashtags started trending like Hyatt Hitler and a lot of people started calling out the CEO and the owners of Hyatt Hotels because they're hosting cpac. Have you seen any. I mean, have you noticed that on your feed as well?
Andrew Hamilton
Oh yeah, no, I've never been tagged in as many posts as possible. And you just watch the anger spread as people realize that this is a very bad symbol and it doesn't. I mean when someone points out a mistake, mistakes are made. Yeah. Whether intentionally or unintentionally. But when someone points out a mistake, it's more about how you deal with that mistake than is the important thing. And it doesn't really feel that hard and ask go. Oh, I didn't see that. Thank you for pointing out. We'll change the stage of the state. We'll take the serif off.
AG
Yeah. I want to talk to you a little bit more about the response, including from Matt Schlapp who has. Has made public statements. But I have to take a quick break. Will you stick around?
Andrew Hamilton
Sure.
AG
Thanks everybody. We'll be right back. Everybody. Welcome back. We're talking to Andrew Hamilton. He's the person who originally pointed out the shape of the controversial, now very controversial shape of the CPAC stage. And just before the break, we were discussing people's response to this, including CPAC and Matt Schlap. What is Matchlap's his associates role with cpac?
Andrew Hamilton
Well, yeah, he's. He's the guy in charge of it as far as I'm aware. It's his conference, isn't it?
AG
Yeah. And do you recall his reply? I can pull it up here and I can read it.
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah, it was something about something. The conspiracy theories about the stage design are outrageous and slanderous. I think was his take on it, wasn't it? Just denying. Denying anything to do or not really addressing the shape at all.
AG
Yeah, no, he said stage design conspiracies are outrageous and slanderous. We have a long standing commitment to the Jewish community. Cancel culture. Extremists must address antisemitism within their own ranks. CPAC proudly stands with our Jewish allies, including those speaking from the stage. He didn't address that. You're right. He didn't address the shape, didn't acknowledge the error, didn't denounce neo Nazis by name. And so I found that to be very interesting. And we also got a response, sort of a mealy mouth response from Hyatt, although I think that came out before the stage shape was pointed out.
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah, I think that might. That. It's unclear whether that was a response to CPAC in general or the stage shape.
AG
Yeah, because they didn't even mention the stage. They just sort of mentioned CPAC itself. And since then, I mean, we've had a bunch of. Of people changing the Hyatt logo to have the Odell rune as the A. People changing the GOP flag to have the Odell rune as the O. It's really been quite an intense response. You even got Dinesh D'Souza annoyed.
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah, he managed to retweet himself, which always is a sign of annoyance.
AG
Yeah. So here's the Hyatt response is that Hyatt's most fundamental responsibility is to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all our colleagues, guests and customers. Our commitment to the principle is informed by our purpose as a company to care for people so they can be their best. We take pride in operating a highly inclusive environment. And we believe that the facilitation of gatherings is a central element of what we do. As a hospitality company. We believe in the right of individuals and organizations to peacefully express their views independent of the degree to which the perspectives of those hosting meetings and events of our hotel align with ours. Our own values support a culture that is characterized by empathy, respect, diversity of opinions and backgrounds. And we strive to bring this to light through what we do and how we engage with those in our care. So that seems to be totally bereft of any acknowledgement of the stage shape. And I believe that that was just about hosting CPAC in general. And I have yet to see a statement from them after this came to light.
Andrew Hamilton
Yeah, it's interesting because if you watch some of the opening stuff to CPAC where they were talking about the requirement to wear masks because it was private property and it's highest policy to wear masks, it does feel a little empty throated in addressing the issue that was brought to their attention.
AG
Yeah. And there was something else you pointed out to me too. Tell me about the Kiss logo. The band Kiss.
Andrew Hamilton
Oh yeah. I mean, so these aren't issues that CPAC aren't the first to full foul of, misusing some of these iconography. Top man in the UK about maybe roughly around 10 years ago had a jacket that had a nodal ring, one without serifs that was pointed out to them and they immediately pulled that off the shelves and issued an apology, as you would expect. But we can go back even further to I'm going to assume the 80s, maybe even the late 70s where when Kiss went to Germany the S's and the Kiss logo were deemed too similar to the Sig Room. And then they're not, they're lightning bolt S's but they're similar geometric shapes and they have a completely different logo in regards to the S's in the logo in Germany. Just to navigate around that German law. Because obviously they want to be sensitive to the history of where these symbols have been misused. I know you've in a word there.
AG
Yeah, yeah. And so I think it's important to go into this understanding that this isn't the first time these considerations have had to be made. I mean this, you know, like I said, I recognize that from the 80s, you know, going back when Neo Nazism was on the rise and the Southern Poverty Law center started tracking heads of Neo Nazi groups and Neo Nazi skinheads. And that was one of the prominent symbols that was used then at that point. And the way that going back to discussing how to confront this, I read you Schlapp's response, I read you Hyatt's response though. I think, like I said, that was before they became aware of the shape of the stage. But like you said, it's really simple. And I've just tweeted this out. If you're using a known Nazi symbol for the stage and it was unintentional, all you need to do is acknowledge, like you said before the break, hey, unintentional. And then clearly and strongly denounce neo Nazis. They haven't done that and they refuse to do that. And I think I can guess why.
Andrew Hamilton
I mean, yeah, we can all make conjecture of why they might want to do that. I mean, it's. I don't know, it just. It just feels like bad pr, however you deal with it, you know, I mean, there seems to be an easy out this situation, which is to go, oh, I'm very sorry, I didn't realize. We'll adjust the stage tonight. I'm not even sure what those side bits would be used for. Anyone. You're gonna have to pay extra money for those bits. So I haven't seen anyone use them yet.
AG
No, there's not like a dance number that goes out to the wings or anything. It's just got video screens above it and there's really no reason to be standing on that part of the stage. Yeah. And I think you can come back. Like, I've been dragged on Twitter by, I don't know, by the right wing. None of them. They all seem to deny it, but I guess this is kind of the way that the GOP operates, right? They don't acknowledge errors and fix them. They turn it around and gaslight. You say, no, you're the Nazi. I've been called a Nazi 100,000 times this morning because I know so much about this shape. That's sort of their comeback. And you sort of heard it in Schlapp's thing. Like you're all conspiracy theorists without. Without acknowledging anything. So I think that turning it around, projecting and gaslighting is just sort of the M.O.
Andrew Hamilton
Exactly. I mean, it's not. I don't feel it's that bizarre bit of knowledge to understand where these symbols have come from, you know, or how they've been misused. It's a proto Germanic language. The language we're speaking now, English, is derived from a Germanic language. You know, if you've got any kind of interest in etymology or typography or how we communicate, it's not that it's pretty sufficient. It's. It's right on the surface.
AG
Yeah. Well, we'll see if there are any further developments on the response, particularly from Hyatt. I'm really interested to see how they change because, you know, their. Their message of inclusivity and empathy and love just really kind of misses the entire point of using Nazi symbolism. So we'll see how they respond. I appreciate you coming on today, everybody. You can follow him on Twitter. Ami H A M I. I don't know how you got a four letter Twitter handle, but that's pretty amazing.
Andrew Hamilton
I did it very early and I'm very thankful that they changed their password reset policy because that was getting rather noisy.
AG
Well, I appreciate your time. Thank you for pointing that out. I think we have to call these things out where we see them and see how. See how people respond to it. So I appreciate your time. My pleasure, everybody. Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news?
Andrew Hamilton
Everyone?
AG
Then good news, everyone. Good news, good news. All right, good news for Monday, and it's the first day of March. And the good news is that I can almost guarantee that this March will not be as long as last March.
Dana Goldberg
You mean 12 months long. You mean 12 months long.
AG
It just ended, right? March just ended. And here it is.
Dana Goldberg
No, March has never ended. We're back to square. Hopefully, March will be over 12 months and 30. What? 30 days past September, April, May. 31 days. 31 days in March.
AG
Yep, 31 days. Yeah. And I think it's gonna be a good March. I think. Watch that. Watch that. Manhattan District Attorney's office this month. Beware the ides of March. If you're the former guy. I'm just saying, again, I don't really have any hard, like, factual sources on these things, but. But just my guess, based on all of the other indictments and investigations I've been covering for the last few years now, we have listener submitted good news and a couple of. We're playing a couple of great games. We'll talk about them as we come upon them, but you can submit your good news, questions, corrections, everything, by going to DailyBeansPod.com and clicking on Contact. We're doing misheard lyrics, which are always fun. We're also doing Guess that breed, where you send in pictures of your mutt, of your beautiful rescue mutts, or, you know, however you obtain your. Your mixed breed dog. And we try to guess what the breeds are.
Dana Goldberg
And I was telling ag it's so hard because normally we just look over, you know, the. The good news for, you know, for me, it's words that I may not be able to pronounce, like different locations in the country. But I'm not doing it now because I don't want to spoil any of the guess the breed game. So we'll see what happens with this. We'll see what happens.
AG
Yeah. And, you know, I want you to go first because this first one is from Albuquerque and that's your home. Stomachround.
Dana Goldberg
Yes, this is K in Albuquerque. No pronouns given. This falls in the category of misunderstood things. This One from a kid's point of view. I was born in San Antonio. We lived there until I was six. As many will know, the state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet. Now, we had some in our yard, but I wouldn't go near them as I was terrified I'd catch blue bonnet plague. Oh, Mike. Instead of bubonic clay. That is adorable. Also, during this time, I locked my sister out in the dark carport with a snake one night. To be fair, I was locking the snake out, not my sister, because every five year old knows snakes can open unlocked doors with an embarrassed face. That's hilarious. I'm not sure she's forgiven me yet. And this was over 55 years ago. These two memories prompted my dad to send me the attached picture a few years ago labeled, of course, bluebonnet plague. Oh, my God, Ag. Look at that fucking snake amongst all those flowers.
AG
Blue bonnet plague.
Dana Goldberg
Did you see the snake?
AG
I do. I see him. It looks like a rattler.
Dana Goldberg
How can you not? It does look like a rattler. Oh, my God.
AG
Blue bonnet plague. Okay, that's amazing. Thank you. That's another game that we're playing. Things that you got wrong.
Dana Goldberg
Yes.
AG
Like. Yeah, because I think it all started with this little piggy. Went to market, like, oh, not the market. Yeah. Oh. All right, next up from Adrienne Pronoun. She and her. My mom is a staunch feminist and would change the genders in the books she read to us as kids. So the hero would be the girl saving the poor boy in distress. And as it turns out, she would change the names of gendered objects, too. The worst was the lazy Susan. I grew up calling it a Lazy Larry because my mom didn't want us to associate domestic stick things with women or think with lazy. I was so confident. When I was in high school, I told a friend she could find the bowl she needed in. The Lazy Larry crumbled quickly as confusion and laughter took over. I was embarrassed then, but now I'm just proud of my mom. That is wonderful.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my God, Adrian, that is phenomenal. And I absolutely love your mother.
AG
That is so, so great. It reminds me of one of my exes. His mom at Sader would read and she would change the pronouns and change a few things around when she would read at Sater. So this is just absolutely lovely. I love this so much, I'm gonna start calling it a Lazy Larry.
Dana Goldberg
It's a Lazy Larry. There's nothing else. It's a Lazy Larry. That's amazing. All right, this next one's from Lauren Pronoun. She and her misheard song lyrics. First off, I love this segment and I die laughing each morning as I listen to to it. So please keep doing it. Here's my contribution to the segment. I played basketball in high school and they would play music in the gym while we warmed up before games. They played the exact same playlist every single game. So it became a bit repetitious. Anyway, one of the songs on that limited list was the Final Countdown. Okay, okay. One of my friends at the time would sing along every time. After a while, I started listening to her actual words instead of it's the final Countdown. She thought it was There's a fire downtown.
AG
I still fire downtown.
Dana Goldberg
Oh my God. I still sing that out now if I ever hear that song. And it will always make me giggle. Oh my goodness. Bonus pet tax. Guess my doggo's breed. Ooh. Two games in one. He is a half and half mix. One is obvious, the other not so much. Maltese. Look.
AG
Yeah, I say Maltese and poodle. Poodle.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, you. Yeah, we think the same one. Maltese poodle.
AG
I can't see the answer.
Dana Goldberg
Let's see answers below. Oh, because it wasn't given to us either. We.
AG
It's just like this empty photo.
Dana Goldberg
Even we forgot either we on our end forgot to include it in the. In the production part, which is a very good possibility because I have a feeling the person put it in there. So. Dun dun dun. To be continued.
AG
Mystery. To be continued.
Dana Goldberg
Mystery breed.
AG
Yeah, I think Poodle Maltese.
Dana Goldberg
Me too.
AG
Oh, so cute. Next up, from Chris M. In Portland. Pronoun. She and her song lyric confession. I've embraced this original mishearing. Every time I hear the chorus of the Vance Joy song Riptide I sing and the cow monster. I refuse to accept the lyrics as written. I don't know what song this is.
Dana Goldberg
Riptide is a very. It's an awesome song. I just can't remember the lyrics right now. If you don't know Vance Joy, you should look up his music. He's fantastic. I saw him in concert. Remember concerts? I saw him live in concert at. I think it was USC in Los Angeles, so.
AG
And the cow monster. And. And Chris M. Has embraced this mishearing and continues to say it. Here's a picture of a pair of squirrels on our feeder. The bolder one you can see more of. It's snacky. No time, no name yet for the shy one whose butt is peeking around the far side. Not pictured. Three of my cats pacing back and forth a foot Away behind the window in full view of Snacky. The kid has no fear. And I'll throw in a picture of Tenant and Moosey trying to figure out how to cuddle without killing each other. That's a great photo of the cat.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my goodness.
AG
They're cuddling, but they're like giving each other the. The look. The stink eye.
Dana Goldberg
Like a cat yin yang.
AG
It's so cute.
Dana Goldberg
It's a feline yin yang. That's what it looks like.
AG
I love it. I love it.
Dana Goldberg
Thank you so much for those. I love these. I really do enjoy these games. All right, this next one is from Anonymous Pronouns. They, them. Hello, Queens of the beans. You stay. You've. Excuse me. You've saved my sanity repeatedly since I found you through Ag's appearance on Trump Cast. First, my good news. After being cut to part time hours due to Covid cost cutting. That was. Was a. A lot a mouthful. I've just been restored to full time work. Congratulations. It's quite the relief, I must say. I was not looking forward to having to move in with my sister, despite how much I love her.
AG
Just don't lock her in the garage with a snake.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my good. Now the. If it was that snake. Oh my God, you should be sorry. Okay, now the gentle correction. My very southern grandmother won't stop rolling in her metaphorical grave until I tell you that at Falaya, despite its spelling, is pronounced Chef Alaya.
AG
Wow.
Dana Goldberg
So Atchafalaya is actually just chaffalaya.
AG
Okay. With the double accent on the chaff and the lie. Chaffalaya. Got it.
Dana Goldberg
Okay. Chafalaya. And the final syllable trailing off in gentle southern breeze. Chaffala.
AG
Chafalaya.
Dana Goldberg
That was too hard. Ag, a little softer. Chaffalaya.
AG
No, I can't do it. It.
Dana Goldberg
Come on, just think, think, think. Lindsey Graham.
AG
Chaff a lot.
Dana Goldberg
Chaff a la. All right. It was good. It was close.
AG
I'm trying to do. I'm trying to. I've got Dolly Parton in. In Steel Magnolias in my head. That's who.
Dana Goldberg
Chef alive.
AG
That's who I'm trying to emulate here.
Dana Goldberg
Now listen, so you're validated right now. Makes no sense, I agree, but there it is. It adds low color. Anyway, anyway, the pod text pictures are of my friend's rescue kitty, Gidget. She's wary and hard to capture, but so beautiful. I can never resist trying. Sending you tons of gratitude for all your hard work synthesizing the news for us. I think my mental health would be remarkably worse if not for all of you.
AG
Oh, look at this baby.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, pretty long hair.
AG
What a honey. Thank you for sending that. Oh, this is a beautiful coloration on this kitty. I don't even know what to call it. It's almost like a calico, like washed out. It's beautiful.
Dana Goldberg
Gorgeous.
AG
Next up, John pronouns he and him. I have great news. My parents, both over 75, were resisting getting their vaccines because they just didn't want to leave the house at all. But after a convincing phone call and getting both my brother and sister to bug them nonstop, and my wonderful wife who would check appointments every day, they both have appointments this Saturday to get their vaccines. My wife and I did little dances in the hallway. We were so excited. Also go US Women's National Team. They won the she Believes Cup.
Dana Goldberg
That's the game I was telling you I was gonna go watch after the podcast. They kicked ass. It was beautiful.
AG
Wonderful. John goes on. Not only do I love to watch them play, they're also a good example of the wage gap, which can you believe I still have to explain to my guy friends. Now I can believe it. For my pod pet tax, I've attached two pics of Misty, one in all her fluffy glory. Fluffy glory is hard to say. And one just after her yearly shaving. I love y'all. Thanks so, so much for doing such a wonderful show. Oh.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my goodness.
AG
The face.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my God, that cat face almost looks like the cat thinks it's naked. Like, how dare you?
AG
What have you done? What have you done to my coat?
Dana Goldberg
Okay, I hadn't scrolled yet. Oh.
AG
Oh, okay, go ahead.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, my goodness. That second picture is definitely of. What did you do? Oh, my God. What did you do?
AG
Oh, that's a guilty doggo, John.
Dana Goldberg
That's hilarious. John, not to brag, but this is one of. I'm a huge US Women's national team fan. So I actually went to France for the World Cup. It wasn't last year because everything was Covid last year. So 2019, and I got to see them play the semifinals in the finals when they beat the Netherlands. And it was so awesome. We got lottery tickets and so we ended up being in the area with the Outlaws, which is a group ag I'm just going to tell you. And for the rest of listeners, it's a group of women's us. US Women's National Team fan base that travels with them and everywhere and they always get the giant tickets behind their home net. So they call themselves the Outlaws and we happen to get seats right with them. So it was awesome. Amazing watching that. Yeah. Rose, Lavelle, and Pino, when they scored their goals, we were. We were on the half where they were scoring, so it was really awesome. Yeah, it's one of those things that, you know, I hope to get to see him again. The next Women's World Cup, I think, is in Australia, so we'll see what the world looks like then. John, thank you so much for that. Okay, this next one's from whale pronouns. He, him. Hey, y'all. I wanted to submit my parents dog, Charlie for the mixed breed challenge. He's 17 pounds and about five, six years old. We were so shocked when we got his DNA test results back. We actually asked them to double check, and they did, so. So I'm curious to see what you guys guess for him. He's the sweetest little guy and absolutely perfect match for my parents. For an additional pod pet tax, I also included some photos of me and my partner's pets. Winston, who's a shibu inu, and Osiris, a rag doll. They did not grow up together, as we each came with one of them, but luckily they get along pretty well. We moved to Nashville area last March. Perfect timing. I know. And Winston finally got to play in the snow for the first time, which he absolutely loved. Okay, so we are looking for Charlie's mixed breed.
AG
All right, is Charlie the one with the piggy?
Dana Goldberg
I'm gonna assume so. And I can tell you, I think I know two of them because Charlie looks a lot like my friend's dog, Abby, which is a shagal mix, which is a shepherd beagle. So I think there's shepherd beagle in Charlie of Charlie's. The one with the pig.
AG
Well, that tail is distinctly a schnauzer tail, but this dog does not look like a schnauzer schnauzer. But that is a schnauzer tail, like if I've ever seen one. But.
Dana Goldberg
Well, maybe there's schnauzer in there and that got the little tail on there, maybe.
AG
So you say shepherd beagle schnauzer. Anything else you're seeing in here, like a little husky or anything?
Dana Goldberg
Husky. Husky tail on the second one, actually, that's because it's curled.
AG
Oh, yeah, you know, you're right. You're right.
Dana Goldberg
I'm going husky on the tail husk. Shepherd beagle, husky.
AG
Shepherd beagle, husky. I like it. All right, here we go. Down.
Dana Goldberg
Oh, we have schnauzer.
AG
Schnauzer's in there, but that. But the tail, I was looking at.
Dana Goldberg
Straight on cocker spaniel. Poodle, Nothing.
AG
I said I don't see poodle, shih tzu, mixed breed groups, Terrier, companion, herding, sporting.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, I would have sent this one back too and been like, I think you need to run this test again.
AG
Yeah.
Dana Goldberg
If those are the results. Schnauzer and miniature schnauzer. Cocker spaniel, poodle. I think they gave you. Oh, terrier, companion, herding, sporting. Interesting.
AG
Yeah, I don't.
Dana Goldberg
I wasn't even close. I wonder if my friend's dog is not a shagle now.
AG
Yeah, I'm with you, Will. I'd have been like, can you check this again?
Dana Goldberg
I wonder what Will thought. If Will thought what we did. Well, you should let us know if you thought what we did. That, that, that.
AG
Yeah, I'm interested too, what Will initially thought, because you're right with the, with the shepherd beagle. It looks so like that. It's just does. And then you got the husky tail, right?
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, it is.
AG
With a little husky butt.
Dana Goldberg
All right. Another fun. Another fun day of guess that breed.
AG
Oh, and they did attach the. The MP3 of the cow monster. MP3. So we'll include that in the newsletter if you have anything you want to submit any of these fun, delightful games. And also, again, Lauren, tell us what your little Maltese poodle, your multipoo is because we didn't quite get the answer. It didn't translate over from our producer's notes. So anyway, you can send everything in@dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. This has been so much fun. It's going to be another wild week. Everybody stay tuned. And I appreciate you listening today. Do you have any final words?
Dana Goldberg
I do. I've got a show coming up, Facebook Live. So for the beans listeners that follow me on the Facebook, you can join my page. It's going to be Wednesday and I'll let you know for sure the time in the coming episodes, either 5 or 6pm Pacific Standard. I'll be doing a short comedy set and then I'm actually going to be having a guest because the series will be called behind the Curtain. And the guest is going to be Vicki Martinez. And some of you may know her from the Voice and others may know her from Orange is the New Black. She played Daddy on. On the last season of Orange Is the New Black.
AG
She's just an incredible actress.
Dana Goldberg
Yeah. Facebook Live show, so you'll get to hear some comedy. We're going to raise some money for another important charity and hopefully I'll have some of you back on board. So I'll have more information in the next two days for you.
AG
Wonderful. I will definitely be watching that. And also, I also said final words again. I need to stop doing that.
Dana Goldberg
That's hilarious. So many final words. And apparently I've been fired, so it's been nice knowing you all. And take care.
AG
I meant final thoughts. Everybody, we'll be back tomorrow. Please join us. Until then, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, and take care of your mental health. I've been ag And I've been tg and them's the beans. Refried beans. I like refried beans.
The Daily Beans Podcast Summary: "Refried Beans | Bluebonnet Plague (feat. Andrew Hamilton)" | Released March 1, 2025
Hosted by MSW Media, "The Daily Beans" is a progressive news podcast tailored for the morning commute. Women-owned and operated, it delivers social justice and political news with a healthy dose of wit and snark. This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode titled "Refried Beans | Bluebonnet Plague (feat. Andrew Hamilton)" aired on March 1, 2021.
[00:00 – 01:52]
AG (Allison Gill) welcomes listeners to "Refried Beans," introducing the concept of revisiting past episodes to track progress over the years. Dana Goldberg joins, engaging in a light-hearted exchange about their well-being, setting a conversational and personable tone for the episode.
[01:54 – 07:22]
The hosts delve into several significant news stories:
CPAC Stage Controversy:
AG: Introduces the issue where the CPAC stage design resembles the Odal rune, a symbol associated with Nazism. This sparked widespread attention on Twitter, with notable figures like Matt Schlapp and Dinesh D'Souza commenting.
FBI Investigation into Officer Brian Sicknick’s Death:
AG: Reports that the FBI has identified a suspect linked to the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who succumbed to injuries from an irritant during the January 6th Capitol riot. Dana notes the legal complexities, suggesting the possibility of involuntary manslaughter charges rather than murder.
Bruno Quoz’s Legal Battle:
Dana: Discusses the case of 18-year-old Bruno Quoz, the youngest charged for storming the Capitol. Quoz's lawyers argue he is impressionable and seeking to be released to his parents, highlighting the contentious dialogue around age and accountability in legal proceedings.
Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Madison Cawthorn and Governor Cuomo:
AG: Details allegations against young Congress member Madison Cawthorn, describing his misconduct during college, and against Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, who faces multiple accusations of sexual harassment. Dana: Emphasizes the importance of accountability regardless of political affiliation, criticizing partisan defenses of misconduct.
[07:22 – 29:03]
A significant portion of the episode focuses on the CPAC stage controversy:
Introduction to Andrew Hamilton:
AG: Introduces guest Andrew Hamilton, who first highlighted the resemblance of the CPAC stage to the Odal rune.
Andrew Hamilton’s Insights:
Andrew explains that his background in ancient languages, particularly the thutharks (runic alphabets), enabled him to identify the symbol. He emphasizes the misuse of such symbols and their historical connotations with Nazi ideology.
Historical Context of the Odal Rune:
Andrew: Elaborates on how the Odal rune was appropriated by the Nazis, modifying it to serve as a symbol of authoritarianism. He underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing such symbols to prevent their propagation.
Public and Institutional Responses:
AG and Andrew: Discuss the overwhelming social media reaction, including denials from CPAC representatives and Hyatt Hotels, the venue host. Matt Schlapp’s response is characterized by denial without addressing the symbol's implications. Andrew: Criticizes the lack of acknowledgment and proactive measures, likening it to poor public relations and dismissing the gravity of the symbol's misuse.
Comparative Analysis with Other Symbol Misuses:
AG and Andrew: Reference historical instances where similar symbols were misused, such as the band Kiss altering their logo in Germany to avoid Nazi associations. This comparison highlights the recurring challenges in combating the resurgence of extremist symbols.
Notable Quotes:
AG [00:45]: “Twitter exploded this weekend with images of the CPAC stage which is in the shape of a common Nazi symbol.”
Dana Goldberg [01:13]: “Quite a weekend in the news, Dana. How have you been?”
Andrew Hamilton [16:25]: “They wouldn't use the runes or the glyphs as they are in isolation. And that's generally the rule of thumb that most people go by.”
AG [23:05]: “Stage design conspiracies are outrageous and slanderous.”
Andrew Hamilton [29:03]: “It's part of their criminal code along with the swastika...”
[31:26 – 47:38]
Transitioning from the heavy news topics, the hosts introduce a lighter segment featuring listener-submitted stories and games:
Bluebonnet Plague Story:
Dana: Shares a nostalgic and humorous tale from her childhood about fearing bluebonnet flowers due to a snake encounter, leading to the "Bluebonnet Plague" moniker.
Pronoun Story – Adrienne:
Adrienne: Recounts how her feminist mother altered gender pronouns in books, humorously changing "lazy Susan" to "Lazy Larry."
Misheard Song Lyrics – Lauren:
Lauren: Describes mishearing Vance Joy’s "Riptide" lyrics as “the cow monster” instead of the actual words.
Dog Breed Guessing Game:
Listeners: Submit photos of their pets for the hosts to guess mixed breeds, engaging the audience through interactive fun.
Additional Good News Submissions:
Listeners share: Success stories like parents finally getting their COVID vaccines and celebrating the US Women’s National Team winning the SheBelieves Cup.
Notable Quotes:
Dana Goldberg [35:07]: “Don't lock her in the garage with a snake.”
AG [38:07]: “It's a Lazy Larry.”
Dana Goldberg [40:28]: “Atchafalaya is actually just chaffalaya.”
[47:38 – 48:31]
The episode wraps up with final thoughts and announcements:
AG and Dana: Encourage listeners to continue supporting each other and maintaining mental health, emphasizing the podcast's role in providing relief and joy through news and engaging segments.
Dana: Promotes her upcoming Facebook Live show featuring a comedy set and guest Vicki Martinez from "Orange Is the New Black," highlighting ongoing community engagement and fundraising efforts.
Final Quote:
AG [48:25]: “Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, and take care of your mental health.”
Recognition and Accountability:
The episode underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing extremist symbols, as highlighted by the CPAC stage controversy. The hosts advocate for accountability and proactive measures from organizations to prevent the normalization of such symbols.
Impact of Social Media:
The viral reaction on platforms like Twitter demonstrates the power of social media in mobilizing public opinion and holding institutions accountable, as seen with the swift backlash against CPAC's stage design.
Legal and Ethical Considerations:
The discussions around Bruno Quoz's case and Governor Cuomo's allegations emphasize the complexities at the intersection of age, accountability, and legal ethics, reflecting broader societal debates.
Celebrating Progress and Community Engagement:
The good news segment highlights the podcast's commitment to fostering a positive community by sharing personal stories, encouraging listener participation, and celebrating achievements, thereby balancing the often grim nature of political news.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
The honoring of Mary W. Jackson by NASA signifies a broader recognition and celebration of diverse contributions to science and society, aligning with the podcast's progressive stance.
Final Thoughts:
"The Daily Beans" episode "Refried Beans | Bluebonnet Plague" effectively balances serious political discourse with lighter, community-driven segments. By addressing contentious issues like extremist symbols and misconduct allegations while also celebrating personal stories and achievements, the podcast provides a comprehensive and engaging narrative for its listeners.