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Jen Mercieca

@jenmercieca.bsky.social

79K followers 7.6K following 6.3K posts

Explaining anti-democratic rhetorical tricks. Award winning #teamrhetoric professor & author. Very earnest. Democracy cheerleader. Views represent my academic research, not my university. I post things on substack: https://jennifermercieca.substack.com/

jennifermercieca.substack.com

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · Nov 10

We are the leaders we are looking for. 🫶

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 2h

Yes. Also, those audiences 38% of the nation, apparently, WANT to believe. They don’t want the lies to be disproven.

Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 3h

If you read it, you'll see that 69% say that Trump is using more presidential power, but many think that is good (not bad). The overlap of those who believe he's using more power AND it's bad is 49%.

Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 3h

@gelliottmorris.com do you have an explainer about how partisanship affects polling? Like, is there even a point at looking at public opinion when 38% of the nation has a partisan brain that cannot see (or admit) reality?

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 3h

The partisan brain is fascinating. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Most Americans think Trump is trying to exercise more power than previous presidents

49% of U.S. adults say Trump is trying to exercise more presidential power than previous presidents and that this is bad for the country.

www.pewresearch.org

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Reposted by Jen Mercieca

Nienke de Haan @nienkehaan.bsky.social · 6h

@jenmercieca.bsky.social, expert in politieke retoriek, analyseerde hoe gevaarlijke demagogen zoals Trump retoriek als wapen🔫 gebruiken. Ze ontdekte dat Trump een aantal basis-strategieën gebruikt.

Ik ben benieuwd welke we vanmiddag terug gaan zien bij het NL verkiezingsdebat.

Draadje🧵 /1

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 4h

Yes! 🥰

Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 15h

The more I talk to people the more I hear stories about how much harder everything is getting. Check on your people if you can. ❤️

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 16h

And if you never made this one, it is so good! bsky.app/profile/jenm...

Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · Nov 16

Zuppa!

A white bowl on a counter containing garbanzo bean soup.

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 16h

I honestly don't know. I'm more of a some of this and some of that cook. At my grocery store they sell the broccoli as big heads and I buy three of them. I don't think it's going to matter much if you use or more less. But I'm a wing it cook!

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 16h

Found it!

I don't follow a recipe, I'll try to recreate what I do here.

3 heads of broccoli
1 onion
1 box container of chicken stock
1 cup of milk
2 tbls flour
block of sharp cheddar
salt/pepper/tsp mustard powder

Chunk up the cheddar and whiz it in the food processor. You want it to be little bits that will melt fast. I've tried using pre-shredded, but I think they put something in it to prevent caking and it makes a grainy cheese sauce.

Chunk up one of the broccoli heads and whiz it up.

Rough chop the remaining broccoli into bite size pieces.

Chop up the onion.

Prep the ingredients for the cheese sauce (two tablespoons flour, salt & pepper, mustard powder) in a little bowl so you can dump them in when needed.
OK, you want everything prepped ahead of time because the timing here is a little tricky (for me).

Sauté the onion in olive oil in a large pot. Once it's softened add your whizzed up broccoli (I like it to get a little toasted, I think it adds a nice flavor).

At the same time: heat up 2 tbls of olive oil to make the cheese sauce. Once it's hot add your flour mix & stir, stir, stir. Let the flour cook for a minute or two.

Check your broccoli, it's probably getting burned. Add the chicken stock! Scrape the brown bits from the bottom.
You gotta add the milk to the flour and whisk/stir until smooth. Let it cook until it bubbles & thickens, then add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted in.

Add the cheese sauce to the broccoli pot and simmer for 15-20. Adjust seasoning to taste.

If the soup is too thick, add more milk or buttermilk or cream--whatever you have.

Can add sour cream. Spice with cayenne. Add bell peppers. Whatever you like.

Oh, and of course you can sub vegetable stock for chicken stock and butter for olive oil--or whatever you prefer for the oil.

Also, that cheese sauce is how you make homemade mac & cheese too.

I am now a broccoli cheese soup influencer.

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 16h

Oh when I was a soup influencer 😂

let me see if it's still there (I don't go there very often). brb.

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 16h

it was like a cheesecake cake! 😂

Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 19h

You can do it! I promise, it’s not that hard.

Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 20h

I read a bunch on the internet and they’re all knockoffs of the Libby recipe. Use that, but sub brown sugar for half the sugar.

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 20h

I made a pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling. It was good.

a pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling on a table next to an espresso

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 1d

George, did you ever read my take on this? Basically it's a unified theory of how to understand/predict Trump's second presidency (this will make sense to you because it's fueled by his narcissism). He's desperate for us to think of him as a hero: jennifermercieca.substack.com/p/trump-is-o...

Trump is or is becoming the Leviathan

And it's really not good

jennifermercieca.substack.com

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 1d

"America’s leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences." links.mit.edu/nl3/N5Jy2cKq...

Regarding the Compact

links.mit.edu

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 1d

MIT: "The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression & our independence as an institution...the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone."

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 1d

I TOLD YOU TO CHECK THE SASSAFRAS! 🙄

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 1d

Those frogs clearly have violent extremism in their three-chambered hearts

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 2d

Happy Friday to everyone who didn’t lose a peace prize today! 🤭

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 2d

there's a lot of layers there

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 2d

It's Nobel to protect democracy.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2d

Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado wins Nobel peace prize

Leader of country’s opposition receives award after intense public and private campaign by Donald Trump

www.theguardian.com

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 2d

😭🌈

WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · 2d

This is Manolo. His family invited strangers to spend time with him on his last day. His mom said, "This was such a perfect way to celebrate the life of a dog who truly loved spending time with people and their dogs. Run free and fast forever, Manolo. I will never stop missing you." 14/10 for all

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Jen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 2d

First rule of Antifa: if you TALK about Soros checks, you don’t receive Soros checks! Second rule of Antifa: NEVER SMOKE THE WORM. 🐍

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