JBurd @Merrell_Street

Speaking of Down Syndrome: I am ETERNALLY blessed by the existence of my friend, Frederik in Mönchengladbach. Every time I walked into a room where he was, he wanted to sit in my lap. And there he would stay until it was time to leave. I feel the quiet honor of that gesture to this day.

@DavidJohnButler His book, Shakespeare: the Invention of the Human, is also excellent.

I said there was more to come re the connection to my grandfather, Captain Benjamin Merrill… Here’s where the story begins to unfold. Very much a work in progress. Would love you to come along for the ride! Here’s the table of contents so it’s easy: merrellstreet.substack.com/p/table-of-con… Subscribe and stay tuned for more! Trust me… there is so much more…

I’ve been working on something which was born in me after reading the Epic of Gilgamesh in high school (thank you, Helen Mulder!) which has been making its way since then. In a very real sense, you could say it’s been working on me… There is a vital piece connecting me and my grandfather (eight direct generations away), Captain Benjamin Merrill, and what happened to him in North Carolina on June 19, 1771…to a friggin magnolia tree in my favorite park in New York. A connection that only revealed itself yesterday, nearly eleven years after I left the city. It changes my perspective on all of it. I know this is a nebulous post. Intentionally so. I’m putting it here as a sort of landmark. More to follow…

keyboard_arrow_left Previous keyboard_arrow_right Next

Megyn, I keep tuning in because I have nostalgia for the days when you put on an honest show and talked with all sorts of people. It didn’t matter if I agreed with everything. I should have paid more attention to all the ‘mean girl’ vibes. And I’m lasting fewer and fewer minutes each time I tune in now. It’s sad to me. I don’t pick ‘teams’ but I value good-faith honesty and it’s more apparent than ever you are compromised in fundamental ways. Notice how ALL the comments here are angry at you? Your once-loyal audience feels betrayed and we’re all taking our leave…

There are many words and actions that a man might play… Yet it is a quiet spirit which tells our souls that Jesus rose and lives right now. The same spirit which led Moses and the Israelites out of the Red Sea onto dry land.

“We’re thankful for the steps we took yesterday. But we don’t stop there. We know we still have a long way to go, but we don’t let that discourage us. That is the essence of who we are as followers of Christ.” Uchtdorf speaks my language. For the record, though, sometimes I DO let it discourage me… just the way it goes…

This may sound nebulous, but sit with the idea a moment… —- Dress it up in whatever cause you like - and we can talk about the merits of each outfit - but the root fact remains: leaning into enmity is always destructive, for all involved.

@jk_rowling @KDansky As it should be. Ha ha ha! Amazing What I love most about this is you owning your own petty takes, and leaning in when teased. There now needs to be a hoodie with ‘the sorting hat has spoken’ proudly displayed on the front...! 😂

Just put this together and ate it. Sooo yummy! (I thought of the anchovy after I made it, and I don’t have any right now, but will make it again this week. I’m guessing it will add a fabulous layer of umami goodness).. JASON’S TANGY TOMATO SAUERKRAUT SALAD Salad: * 22 cherry tomatoes, diced * 2/3 cup sauerkraut (with some brine) * 1/3-1/2 cup white or red onion, diced Dressing: * 2 tbsp olive oil (slightly less if adding anchovy oil) * 1 tbsp sauerkraut brine * 1 tbsp champagne vinegar * 1 heaping tsp plain Greek yogurt * 1 anchovy filet finely minced, and add a tiny bit of oil from can. * Pinch Celtic sea salt * Pinch regular sea salt * Black pepper * Shake of cayenne Cheese topping: * 1/3 cup gorgonzola crumbles * Scant 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella DIRECTIONS: Dice cherry tomatoes and white or red onion. Add sauerkraut. Whisk olive oil, sauerkraut brine, minced basil leaves, champagne vinegar, Greek yogurt, both salts, black pepper, cayenne, and anchovy. Pour dressing over salad, toss gently. Let sit 10 minutes for flavors to meld. Top with gorgonzola crumbles and shredded mozzarella. (I like to mix it in a bit.) Delish!

Still one of my all-time favorite books. I love the Merchant Ivory film in nearly equal measure. To the quote below, I would add ‘the Henrys and the Helens are always with us.’ In some essential ways, they are mirrors of each other. “Forster wrote Howards End in 1910. He seems to have understood something about human nature and political life that we keep refusing to learn. The Helens are always with us. The Margarets are always rare and always necessary and almost never celebrated.”

@MrWinMarshall Made me very sad. M&S was my favorite band. I do miss that. But it’s also been quite a ride watching you find a new way to engage. Cheers!

For the record: I’ve basically been mad at the potus since some of Clinton and most of George W. Hasn’t changed how I feel about my country. Is it perfect or flawless? Nope. But I love the USA! 🇺🇸

@ZubyMusic @lastra_joe Have you seen Gina Brillon’s bit on ‘unhoused’…? Hilarious. That and ‘gardening.’

@MidActsLee @sharna_lg @Neptune112580 @Timcast Try again. Perhaps with context. And perhaps resist leaning into your ‘predatory weasel’ vibe. Good faith honesty is always an option. …Just a suggestion..

@sharna_lg @MidActsLee @Neptune112580 @Timcast The real deal? What do you mean? A real provocateur? Yes. Genuinely delusional? Who knows.

I thawed some chicken thighs that needed to be eaten. This is what I came up with. JASON’S ASIAN-FUSION PARMESAN CHICKEN INGREDIENTS Aromatics & Base: ∙ 1 clove garlic, minced ∙ Small piece onion, diced (~2-3 tbsp) ∙ 1 slice fresh ginger (~1/2-inch thick), minced ∙ 1-2 tbsp olive oil ∙ Pinch chili flakes Protein: ∙ 2 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces Sauce/Broth: ∙ 2/3 tbsp hondashi pellets ∙ 1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth ∙ 2-3 tbsp orange juice ∙ 1 tbsp tamari sauce ∙ 1 tbsp soy sauce ∙ Tiny shake cinnamon (~1/8 tsp) ∙ Shake cayenne pepper (~1/4 tsp) ∙ Celtic sea salt (to taste) ∙ Black pepper (to taste) ∙ 1/4-1/3 cup coconut cream ∙ 2-3 tbsp coconut water (use liquid from coconut cream can) Finish: ∙ 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (divided: ~6 tbsp to simmer in, ~2 tbsp for topping) METHOD: 1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, ginger, and chili flakes. Sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant. 2. Add chicken thigh pieces to pan. Sear on all sides, 3-4 minutes. 3. Add hondashi, chicken broth, orange juice, tamari, soy sauce, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 4. Add coconut cream and coconut water. Bring to gentle simmer. Cook 10-12 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 5. Stir in ~6 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Let simmer 2-3 minutes, stirring, until cheese melts into sauce and creates creamy texture. 6. Transfer to bowl. Top with remaining ~2 tbsp Parmesan. Microwave 30 seconds to melt top cheese. Serve immediately. YIELD: 1 generous serving CALORIES: ~1,100-1,200 PROTEIN: ~70-75g​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​s. —— I was being lazy and didn’t want to mess with other veggies this time, but adding some could be fun. Also ate it as is, but putting on top of a little rice would also be good methinks.. So yummy!

@MidActsLee @Neptune112580 @Timcast You mean disinfo like your silly post where you admit to never having listened to him, yet you ‘know’ things…? 🙄

Sure. You want to gage it by taste. First, by ‘good,’ I mean raw honey that isn’t sold in a bear-shaped bottle, and good dark maple syrup (not Mrs Butterworth type sugar water…). The ‘good’ versions of honey and maple syrup will give you trace minerals and other goodies that cane sugar doesn’t provide. I add just a dollop of honey and mix it in and then taste the drink. Then I add even less syrup to give the whole thing a bit of body, but you want to be careful because too much will take over all the other flavors. The objective is to add sweetness to balance the tart, and a little body to bring out the fruit flavors. For me, it ends up being maybe 1 or slightly more tbsp honey and ~1 tbsp syrup. But again, add a little at a time until it tastes great for you. I also add a few (maybe 4) cubes of ice and around 2 cups of water. I would start with 1.5 cups water and the ice and then gage the liquid level you want. Blend it all until it’s smooth. Hope that helps. :)

If your body wants a fruit acid/vitamin bomb: -6 pieces frozen pineapple -Juice from one lemon -1/3 cup orange juice -Handful of blueberries -Medium piece of fresh ginger -1/3-1/2 apple (I used pink lady) -Some good honey -A little dark maple syrup -Water and Ice Blend it well and yum yum yum! It’s a great recovery elixir if you’re resting from exercise or getting over something or you’re just depleted.