This is the way

Here's a great article I came across this morning about Gavin Newson's brilliant (in my opinion) way of handling DT. This is how you defeat bullies. This is how to ultimately bring them down. 

 The Psychology of Trolling a Tyrant: Why Gavin Newsom Has Trump’s Number

By Jack Hopkins

If you’re still waiting for Democrats to grow a spine…look no further than California’s slick-haired governor…Gavin Newsom.

Now…before you roll your eyes…mutter something about French Laundry dinners or California crime rates…let me tell you why you need to pay attention.

Because in the high-stakes game of psychological warfare…optics…and manipulation…Newsom is the only Democrat who has cracked the code for getting under Donald Trump’s skin. And he isn’t just poking the bear…he’s making the bear dance.

The stakes aren’t about policy white papers or which candidate can rattle off the most bullet points on CNN. This is about who can win the mental war. Who can dominate the frame. Who can drive the other man insane under the hot lights of the biggest stage in the world.

And right now…Newsom is showing he’s the one guy in American politics who can step into the Thunderdome with Trump and make him look like the clown he is.

I know what you’re thinking.

“But Jack… Newsom has baggage. He’s too polished. Too coastal. Too California.”

Fair. But let’s not kid ourselves. Every candidate has flaws.

Biden’s age. Harris’s stiff style. Bernie’s socialist baggage. Even Obama had the “aloof professor” rap.

Flaws…are the tax of entry.

They don’t disqualify you unless they define you. And Newsom’s flaws don’t define him. What defines him is that he’s the first Democrat in 20 years to look Trump straight in the eye and smirk. Not lecture. Not fumble. Not cower. Smirk.

Because here’s the dirty secret of bullies: They can dish it out…but they can’t take it.

And Newsom knows it.

The Psychological Breakdown

Here’s where I step out of the consultant role and put on my behavioral expert and psy-ops hat.

Let’s break down why Newsom’s trolling works so damn well.

1. Trump’s Narcissistic Fragility

Trump is a textbook narcissist. Grandiosity on the outside…but brittle as glass on the inside. When someone challenges his dominance without playing his game…it destabilizes him.

Newsom doesn’t argue with Trump on Trump’s terms. He doesn’t moralize or rage. He needles. He mocks. He mirrors Trump’s energy…then flips it back with a sly grin. It’s like aikido for the ego.

Trump expects fear. Newsom gives him laughter. And nothing enrages a narcissist more than being laughed at.

2. The Frame War

Politics isn’t a debate club…it’s a frame war. Whoever controls the frame controls perception.

Trump usually controls it by branding his opponents (“Crooked Hillary,” “Sleepy Joe,” “Little Marco”). But Newsom doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t look wounded when Trump attacks…he looks amused. And when he smiles that California smile and tosses a barb right back…he steals the frame.

That smile says: “You’re not the alpha here. I am.”

3. Psy-Ops 101: Control the Battlefield

In psy-ops…you never fight the enemy where they’re strong. You lure them to where they’re weak.

Trump’s strength is in bluster and dominance. His weakness? Insecurity about his image. Newsom exploits this brilliantly…mocking Trump’s looks…his insecurities…his desperation. It’s not “presidential,” but it’s devastatingly effective.

When Newsom quips…he’s not just talking to voters. He’s inserting himself into Trump’s head rent-free. He’s making Trump waste precious bandwidth thinking about him.

4. The Group Dynamics Angle

Social psychology tells us: groups rally around leaders who look strong…calm…and confident under pressure.

Newsom…with his movie-star looks and smooth delivery…projects exactly that. When he goes toe-to-toe with Trump…he makes Trump look like the sweaty…flailing uncle at Thanksgiving.

And remember: perception is reality.

Why It’s Working

Let’s be blunt: Trump is rattled.

You can see it in his reactions. The rage posts. The extra insults. The way he breaks his usual script when talking about Newsom. That’s not control. That’s reactivity.

And in politics…reactivity is weakness. It’s prey behavior.

Voters don’t consciously parse this…but they feel it. When they see Trump barking and Newsom smirking…they instinctively sense who’s in charge of the exchange.

This is why trolling matters.

Not because it’s “nice” or “fair,” but because it signals dominance. And dominance is the real currency of politics in the Trump era.

This is exactly why…on occasion…on social media…I will cut a troll to ribbons. It’s not so much for them…as it is for other trolls who see it.

I do it in a way that humiliates and makes the troll appear ignorant. Even faceless trolls hate how that feels. As a result…I have fewer trolls than most larger accounts. This holds true on X…as well.

Newsom does it…and I do it…because it’s effective…when used strategically.

Why Newsom Is The Person to Beat Trump

Now let’s deal with the elephant in the room.

Is Newsom perfect? Hell no. He’s a walking opposition research file. He’s got ties… flaws…hypocrisies…the works.

But here’s the raw truth: defeating Trump won’t come from perfection. It’ll come from mastery of the psychological battlefield.

And Newsom’s the only Democrat who’s demonstrated that mastery.

Biden beat Trump once…but that was pre-insurrection…pre-indictments…pre-Epstein files…pre-authoritarian power grab. The game has escalated.

I’ve studied the assessments that have been done on the big players, as well as conducting my own.

You may not like what you see in a moment. You may disagree. However…behind closed doors…the people who drill down on this stuff…come to similar conclusions:

Harris? Too stiff. Too reactive.

Whitmer? Strong on policy…but untested in trench warfare.

Buttigieg? Brilliant debater…but comes off too clinical.

Keep in mind…that personally…I like all of the above. However…doesn’t factor in when I’m doing my assessment. For most of the “big dog” folks behind the scenes…it doesn’t matter much to them…either.

Newsom? He enjoys the fight. He relishes the mind games. He doesn’t just respond…he plays offense.

That’s the edge. That’s why…regardless of your reservations…he’s the one person who can meet Trump in the mud…get dirty…and still walk out looking clean.

What Now?

So what do we do with this?

If you’re serious about saving democracy…you stop searching for a flawless savior. You start looking for a warrior who can fight on the terrain the enemy has chosen.

Trump’s battlefield is trolling…branding…and psychological warfare. Newsom is showing he can not only fight there…he can win there.

And that changes the entire 2026–2028 landscape.

What Are Elections?

Let me wrap this up with the blunt Jack Hopkins truth:

Elections aren’t beauty pageants. They’re street fights. And in a street fight…you don’t want the guy who looks good on paper…you want the person who can bloody the bully’s nose.

Gavin Newsom…slick…smirking…flawed Gavin Newsom…is that guy.

So if you’re tired of watching Democrats bring a white paper to a knife fight…you better start paying attention. Because for the first time in a long time…we’ve got a fighter who actually enjoys the brawl.

And that…my friends…is how you beat Donald Trump at his own game.

Weekends

I wish the weekends didn't go by so fast. It seems like a blink between leaving work on Friday afternoon and going to bed on Sunday night. I can't wait for the long Labor Day weekend coming up.

Are there any other Dexter fans out there? I've been watching the new Dexter Resurrection and it's so good! * At first only getting to watch a new episode once a week bothered me (if I like a show, I'll binge watch given the chance) but it's become something to look forward to on Friday nights. We have pizza for dinner and then I have a drink or two to unwind while watching the return of one of my all-time favorite shows. The only bad part is there's only 3 episodes left, and I'll be sad when it's done. It's lots of fun!

Yesterday morning I met up with Marla for brunch. We do that once or twice a month, and it's also something to look forward to. There's a place in town that makes really good Eggs Benedict, and that's usually where we go. This time she brought Carsen with her, since her husband was busy with something out of town. She's growing up fast, and is a real cutie.

When we were leaving, I said, "Thanks for coming to breakfast with us, Carsen!" and she replied (with a cheeky grin) "It was my only option." haha!

*This new series is so well written, it reminds me of the first several seasons of the original. Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurmond, and Neil Patrick Harris are all guest stars, David Zayas is back as Angel Batista, and Michael C. Hall is amazing as usual. 

A step too far

What a week this is turning out to be. I'm still not feeling my best thanks to the lingering effects of this virus (or whatever it is) that I've had. Mostly I've just been very tired, but my mood has been pretty low, too. 

This morning in an effort to cheer myself up, I decided to check my upcoming direct deposit paycheck stub. It's going to be my first paycheck after getting a raise and a "step" * increase for the year, and I was eager to see how much of a difference it would make. I'd already made plans to squirrel the extra cash from each paycheck away to help save for a trip we're planning next spring.

Well, imagine my surprise when I pulled up Friday's paycheck information...and my net pay for two weeks was actually five dollars less than before. I mean, what the actual f*ck?!!!!!

After I rubbed my eyes a couple of times to make sure I wasn't seeing things, I looked a little closer, and it quickly became apparent what had happened. And I can't even be mad about it.

You see, one of the benefits our district offers is that they cover the cost of health insurance for lower earning employees and their families. There's a salary scale that pays 100% of the cost up to a certain number, then 50%, then 0. At my last school, my insurance was covered completely. Then when I transferred to my current school and position three years ago, I got a pretty good raise--even taking into account that that bumped me up to paying 50% of the cost. And now after a couple more salary increases, I'm finally on the hook for the full cost of the coverage. It's eaten up all of this year's gain.

I'm very, very grateful for the years of free medical insurance, and I don't really mind paying up now that I'm making more money. My salary has doubled from when I started eight years ago, and the state employee insurance rates are very reasonable. I have no reason to complain, and I won't.

But it was really disappointing at first.

*A "step" increase is the extra pay you get from each additional year of service.

This time of year

It's become something of a back-to-school tradition: the children return from summer break, and a week or so later I get sick. 

The kids came back two weeks ago, and seven days later I started to feel poorly. Sneezing, itchy throat, a burning in my chest. By that night I was coughing and aching all over, and my asthma began to flare. I ended up missing two and a half days of work last week and having to see the doctor. I'm still not 100% but definitely on the mend.

Yesterday a more recent back-to-school tradition took place: I had to go for jury selection. This has happened for the last three Augusts since I transferred to my current school. After missing half of last week, I hated to miss yet another day of work, but jury duty isn't negotiable. I'm just grateful that I didn't get selected, because they pulled jurors for cases for four hours. Almost everyone in the room got chosen for a case or two, so I guess I lucked out. 

This morning I'm finally back to work. Hopefully there won't be any further interruptions for awhile, because I have a lot of catching up to do.

Spoonerisms

 Just for fun. 

Good weather, lucky find

The weather this weekend has been wonderful. Friday saw the arrival of a cold front that blew away the "heat dome" that made July so miserable, and the air has been delightfully cool and dry since. The highs are only around 80F (26C) and the lows are in the mid-60s (18C) at night. According to all the forecasts, we're due for a full week of this reprieve. I sure hope they're right! It's actually been nice to go outside, and a few rain showers have made everything seem green and fresh again. 

Yesterday I went to Tractor Supply to buy dog food, and I noticed a shipment of trees off to one side of the parking lot. On closer inspection, I saw that they were young Crepe Myrtles, and wouldn't you know it, they had the "Muskogee" variety that we've been talking about planting beside the driveway. We already have five of them down the property line on the other side of the house, and we've been saying for months now that three more would be perfect. Not only did Tractor Supply have the variety we wanted, but they had exactly three! They were all sizeable, healthy, and an absolute bargain at $19.99.

Of course, they came home with me. How could I resist?

Since today was cool and overcast and that's supposed to continue for the next week, we went ahead and planted them this afternoon. Finding the trees was a lucky break, but so is the perfect weather for transplanting them--in August, no less! 

Today

There's a large spiderweb outside our bathroom window. It stretches from the edge of the roof over to one of the Crepe Myrtle trees beside the house. The trees are currently in bloom, so when the wind blows the lavender-pink flowers fly around and get stuck in the web. It's truly a work of art. I tried to take a picture, but my phone camera just wouldn't do it any justice.

Here's a close up of one of the blossoms. The flowers are so pretty, suspended in the intricate web. You'll just have to imagine.

I woke up this morning to an eerie looking sunrise. It cast a pinkish-orange glow in rooms with windows facing east, and when I stepped outside everything was awash in color and strange shadows. Once again, my camera doesn't do it justice.

Today would have been my dad's birthday. He would have been 72.

I don't remember this date bothering me too much last year (the first one after he died) but today was different. I'm okay, just kind of sad. No matter how busy I kept myself at work (and there was plenty to keep me busy) I just couldn't shake it. There was just this...heaviness. 

Delayed grief, maybe?

I'm beginning to realize I didn't get a chance to really mourn my dad when he first died. Things quickly got so bad with my mom and me that it kind of took over  And now that my mom and I have severed ties, it's like she's died. Recently I started to realize that all of a sudden (it feels all of a sudden) I went from having two parents to none. 

At first when my mom and I agreed we were "done" with each other, all I felt was relief. Things had gotten that bad. Now that I've had some time and some room to breathe, to process...some of the delayed/buried emotions are coming up. At least, I think that's what's happening. 

It's okay. I'm okay.

It's just been one of those tough days, you know? 

Heat Dome (or, some random circle of Hell)

This summer has been the worst I can ever remember for terrible heat. It's been truly awful, and there's no end in sight.

Okay, I know I complain about the heat every summer. It's just part of living in the Deep South this time of year. But. This is ridiculous, even for us. They say we're under a "Heat Dome".

From The Weather Channel's website:

What Is A Heat Dome? Explaining The Deadly Weather Pattern Behind America's Most Dangerous Summer Days

These expansive areas of sinking air can push temperatures up to 30 degrees above average during the summer while increasing the threat of heat illnesses.

They're known by many names: Heat dome. Ridge of high pressure. Death ridge. Blocking high.

But do you really know what these are and why they can produce deadly weather?

These expansive bulges of warm air can stretch for 1,000 miles during the spring and summer months and provide sinking air over much of the country.

It's that sinking air that is often problematic.

Descending air compresses and warms as it drops closer to the surface. Temperatures can often reach the century mark in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. In the West, these death ridges can push temperatures into the 110s and 120s in the desert.

Days-long heat waves are often the result.

This sinking, warm air also dries out the ground and the air above it. Thunderstorms have a tough time sprouting due to the suppressive motion of the air. Drought can begin or worsen under ridges of high pressure that last for longer than a week. The air directly under such a system can become still with little to no wind.

During the middle of the summer, this can become a vicious cycle of warming and drying.

These domes can strengthen and expand during this cycle until something comes along to push the high-pressure system elsewhere.

Heat is the No. 1 weather killer in the U.S., with hundreds of fatalities each year. Many of these fatalities occur under heat domes.

We've had weeks on end of daily temperatures reaching up to around 100 degrees (37C) with the heat index "real feel" of up to 112 (44C). With the humidity factored in, it's hellish. There's just no other word for it. And there's been little to no rain. Even the nights are unbearably hot. We've been under extreme heat warnings every day since the beginning of the month, and we have a least another full week to go. 

I can't tell you how much I've grown to despise summer!

Now I understand

Just a minute ago I clicked on a headline: US Supreme Court lets Trump Remove Consumer Product Safety for Now. Before I knew what I was doing, I yelled "WHAT THE FUCK?!" at the computer screen. 

I realized as soon as it flew out of my mouth that I do that on a regular basis these days when I read upsetting news stories. It's my go-to expression of outrage. Marco, of course, was right there beside me, listening. 

You know what this means, right? 

It's Donald J. Trump's fault that Marco has learned to drop that particular F-bomb! lol

Neighborhood Watch

 

Yesterday afternoon Poppy caught a glimpse of our neighbor dog, Alvin, getting a walk past our house. She went nuts, leaping around and barking and racing from window to window to try to get another glimpse of him.

George woke up from a nap and joined in the hubbub even though I don't think he even knew what he was barking at. It was chaos for a minute! 

And in the midst of all this noise, Marco watched calmly from the top of his perch, and then finally said:

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

!!

Never a dull moment.

Summer visitor

Taken in the zinnia bed early this morning. 

Wrapping up the (summer) garden

My summer 2025 garden is officially done. With the exception of the pepper plants (that are still cranking out a few peppers here and there) we've harvested everything. Yesterday we pulled up and discarded the worn-out plants and gave everything an initial tidy up. I know those of you from even slightly more northerly climes are probably scratching your heads right now, so let me explain. By this point in the summer, the intense heat and humidity have started doing a number on pretty much all vegetable plants. Our last frost date is early April, so we plant out very early. The plants have been growing and producing for three months already, and now with day after day of sweltering heat, they're just giving up the ghost.  I don't blame them. I'd be ready to die out in this heat day and night, too! Plus, the f*cking stinkbugs have shown up and tried their best to attack and ruin the last of the tomatoes. (I seriously hate them, much more than the hornworms which are much easier to control). 

So anyway, the garden is mostly kaput. I've kept careful notes, and this morning I sat down to "compile my data" :) Here are my results and takeaways from this year's garden.

Tomatoes:

This is always the most important part of the garden to me. I love good tomatoes eaten fresh, and when there's extra there are lots of things you can do with them. Since I really hoped to have some extra this year to can, I tried something different. Instead of growing all heirlooms (which taste great but often struggle with production in this climate) I divided my tomato-growing space in half: room for 8 heirloom indeterminate plants that I started from seed, and 5 bushy young determinate plants I bought at Lowe's. Determinates, of course, set a lot of fruit all at once, early in the season, and then they're done. Perfect for having big batches of canning tomatoes that are ready by the time our hellish South Carolina heat scorches the garden! Check out my results:

Determinates

Bush Goliath: 

2 plants, 

28 individual fruits

Total: 10.55 pounds

Better Bush:

1 plant

10 individual fruits

Total: 2.61 pounds

Heatmaster:

1 plant

11 individual fruits 

2.86 pounds

Roma:

1 plant

24 individual fruits

5.05 pounds

Determinates

Eva Purple Ball

3 plants

43 individual fruits

10.05 pounds

Hillbilly Potato Leaf

3 plants 

8 individual fruits

2.95 pounds

Berkeley Tie Dye

2 plants

14 individual fruits

2.45 pounds

All told, I ended up with 36.5 pounds of tomatoes! And that's not counting the one cherry tomato plant that's given us probably around 2 pounds of fruit (I didn't keep track of those)

Yesterday I also finished up some canning and preserving!  I'd already made 6 12-oz jars of salsa and 6 half pint jars of pickled mixed peppers, and I added 2 12-oz jars of pickled jalapenos and 2 12-oz jars of pickled cowhorn peppers. I also whipped out the dehydrator and made a big jar of dried tomato slices and dried cherry tomatoes. I also dried some tiny, fiery tabasco peppers and crushed them into a jar for pepper flakes.

Picked early to save from stinkbugs, put to ripen on the windowsill. 

In the dehydrator...

Hooray! Ready to squirrel away for winter!

Sadly, these are the last of my (homegrown) slicing tomatoes for this year, along with some zinnias I cut for a centerpiece. 

One of these tomatoes will be sliced within the hour to top cheeseburgers we're cooking on the grill.

Family ties

There's a small herd of deer that live in our neighborhood. Since we're close to a creek and a city-maintained system of hiking/nature trails, there's no shortage of wildlife to see, but the deer are the most familiar. They come out most nights as the sun is setting, and since we usually walk the dogs around that time, we see them pretty regularly. Usually they'll freeze if we walk past them and as long as we're not too close, they won't run. Even the dogs have learned to be very quiet so as not to scare them. 

Last year a female deer kept showing up in our front yard with two little fawns. It was the cutest thing, but I never managed to get a photo. This year, another female (or maybe the same one) has been coming around, but this time she has just one baby, and a young male is often with them.

The other night, I happened to look out the spare bedroom window at dusk and the little family was back! I grabbed my phone and took a picture, and although it's not very clear (taken on a zoomed-in phone camera, through a window and screen, at dusk...) I really, really like the shot:

Doesn't it look like mom and dad are kissing, with the baby between them? 

I sent that photo to my niece, Melissa. I knew she would love it. In return she texted me photos of an "owl family" who live near her home on Whidbey Island. 

We miss Melissa. She flew to the East Coast for a visit last fall and drove down from Raleigh to spend a day with us. We love her and it's so rare to actually get to see her in person these days, that I nearly cried when she had to leave after a few short hours. I'm grateful, though, that she makes time to see me and her "cool uncle Gregg" (her words) whenever she's on this side of the continent. We have so few family members left these days, and the ones we love best are spread out all over the country.

Getting the job done

I don't feel much like celebrating my country today, but I wanted to share this song with you from the brilliant Lin Manuel Miranda. 

THIS is a big part of what truly "makes America great".

In my summer kitchen

It's my summer vacation! I've been off since Thursday afternoon and I don't go back until next Monday. It's nice to have some time away from work, even when you like your job as much as I do.

I've been busy. I blogged about my new stainless-steel cookware the other day, and several of you asked me to let you know what I think of it. Well, I love it! I'm really glad I took the time to research how to properly use and care for stainless steel, because I've had zero problems! It cooks like a dream, and I've had zero issues with food sticking. The first thing I made was braised short ribs, and they turned out great but it's way too hot for such heavy food. Speaking of hot in the kitchen, and the new pans..

I've taken this from my garden:

 

And this:

And turned it all into this:

I'm ridiculously proud of these jars of salsa and pickled peppers!

Sweltering

It's disgustingly hot here this week. High temps around 100F with heat index (real feel) values of around 110F. When I got in my car yesterday afternoon at 3pm, this is what my dashboard thermometer registered:

The actual temperature wasn't quite this high. This is the result of my car sitting and baking in a mostly empty parking lot with no trees and no shade while I'm at work. I think it was really more like 101...still awful. The humidity makes it 1000x worse. Then there was today...

It's like getting into a furnace to drive home. 

Tonight is supposed to be the last night of this heatwave, and as I'm typing this at 6:30pm a nasty looking storm is brewing outside. There have been warnings all afternoon that there's lots of "storm fuel" in the atmosphere after three days of such heat. There's a threat of hail, high winds (that's already happening), dangerous lightning (I hope not), and torrential rain.

I'll be glad for the rain, at least, and a return to normal summer temperatures tomorrow will be most welcome.

Crossing my fingers!

Anniversary gift

My new cookware arrived yesterday! It's so shiny and pretty that I took a picture after I finished unpacking everything. It's not a great photo but I'll share it anyway.

Now it's time to actually use them and I'm a bit nervous. Cooking on stainless steel is going to be a learning curve, but I've watched enough YouTube tutorials on the subject that I feel like I can probably do okay. I'm hoping the quality of my cooking goes up with better tools to work with!

I debated about the first meal I wanted to make with them, and this morning I decided: braised beef short ribs in red wine sauce. I went to the butcher shop down the road and bought two pounds of beautiful short ribs. I sure hope I don't screw them up, because the price was eye-watering. :)  I plan to pair them with basmati rice, green beans from the garden, and slices of fresh tomatoes, also from the garden.

I'll report back tomorrow on how everything turns out! Wish me luck!

From the garden this week

The garden is in full swing, and it's turning out to be a good year for tomatoes. I'm glad I planted some sturdy hybrid determinate types, because they're early and produce a lot of fruit all at once. With the exception of one tiny rain-split Berkeley Tie Dye (middle top on the first photo) all of the tomatoes I've gotten so far have been determinates. But! My eight heirloom plants are also loaded with fruit but taking forever to start ripening. Soon!

Here's what I've picked over the last four or five days:

We've also picked a LOT of green beans; this is just a small handful I got the other day. 

Still going strong.

There are about a dozen cucumbers in the fridge at the moment, but now the vines are almost worn out. It's turning out to be a disappointing year for cucumber production, but I'd rather have a bounty of tomatoes anyway. Last year there were a ton of cucumbers, but the tomatoes did diddly-squat. Now that's disappointing.

So, on to peppers! I haven't picked any yet, because I like to wait until they're mostly orange and red, but there are tons and tons of Jalapenos, Serranoes, Cowhorns, Cayennes, Poblanos, Tabascos, and Giant Marconi peppers...

 

\

These pretty Tabasco peppers are our favorite, just for the beauty of the plant. It's hard to get a good photo of them because it's such a low, compact plant. 

And when someone named these peppers "Giant Marconi", they weren't lying! Look at the size of those monsters!

Cowhorns.