Early morning

Another one of those mornings where I wake up (just to pee!) and can't go back to sleep.  I wish I could turn off the brain but there are days when I have to accept the fact that this little habit is going to take place from time to time.  I'm sure it's contributing to my fatigue level during the day but I haven't  a clue on what to do about it.  Quit worrying and just go with it, I suppose.  I am retired, after all,  and can usually plan my day any particular way I want to.

I staggered back to bed after my 4:30 little jaunt into the bathroom and was pretty sure sleep wasn't going to be an issue.  But I was mistaken.  At 5:20 I accepted that my day was beginning.  Took a hot shower and went through the house doing the usual wake-up duties of opening the curtains, booting up the computer, brewing coffee, making breakfast, etc.   I looked over my usual websites and settled in to read the Leader and see if they had any pictures I could save and send to classmates in an email. I settled on these two....

Then I returned 3 audio books to the library, 2 movies to RedBox, and mailed a package to my daughter, Mary.  Picked up a Match 4 ticket while I was there too.  I've quit buying them on a daily basis as my budget couldn't handle it anymore but every once in a while (usually if the store isn't packed) I'll lay down my dough and pick up a ticket.  Also had to buy ten stamps so that shot a ten dollar bill to hell!

I decided to rent another movie as they're only $1.59 with tax and I wanted to see Tom Hanks' Bridge of Spies. The two I returned were The Martian and Mad Max.  Matt Damon's movie was pretty good but nothing to get excited about.  Same with MM.  It was okay but I can't see why it got all the Oscars it did.  I guess my expectations are changing as I age.

Last night I watched a Netflix movie with Annette Bening and Ed Harris called 'The Face of Love.' I liked it.  I also watched a few 5-minute interviews with stars of 'Orange is the new Black.'  I had quit watching it but Jenni told me to try it again so I did. I guess I was in a different mood because I definitely enjoyed it the second time, and the interviews helped give a whole new perspective on the sometimes offensive language and scenes.  Still not completely comfortable with that level of entertainment but the story lines were good.

Even though I know I'll be having to take a nap within a couple of hours, I decided to force myself to get a few things done around here. I vacuumed the house (a chore I'm not especially fond of) and finished a quilt.

It was one where I used up various pieces of this and that that I had laying around. No particular pattern but warm and usable as a blanket.  Smaller than twin size but bigger than a lap or crib size blanket.

I've got a banana that has turned black so maybe I'll whip up a banana bread this afternoon.  Think I'll sit down with this cookbook I bought a few weeks ago and see if I can't find some new recipes to try. Fixing things for supper has become so boring these past years.  This one cookbook, though, is definitely worth giving a try as the recipes all seem to be simple and easy without a person having to go buy all the ingredients first.  With that said, however, I know I'll have to go shopping anyhow no matter which recipes I choose --- because I seldom have a variety of things on hand in the pantry.

Been thinking I might drive into Port Townsend on Saturday for Teresa's funeral.  I usually get pretty tired out but I imagine Mary would like to have some photos of the event since she can't make it. Yeah, I need to do that.  Just made up my mind.

The political arena continues to puzzle me.  I will never understand how people think Trump would be a good president.  And while I was half liking Chris Christie now and then, he's on my list as a complete chump forever now!  How come I didn't see through his phony baloney persona?  Same reason people aren't seeing Trump for what he is, I guess. Wearing blinders.   I don't think Trump has a chance in hell of winning but if he does.....well....we're going to be in really bad trouble.

I read this piece of Facebook yesterday about how he's a narcissist. It's true too! See below....

Liberals and conservatives alike wonder what exactly is wrong with Donald Trump in the wake of his near endless stream of anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, un-American hate mongering.

Vanity Fair may offer an answer with a recent article entitled: “Is Donald Trump Actually a Narcissist?

For mental-health professionals, Donald Trump is at once easily diagnosed but slightly confounding. “Remarkably narcissistic,” said developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education. “Textbook narcissistic personality disorder,” echoed clinical psychologist Ben Michaelis. “He’s so classic that I’m archiving video clips of him to use in workshops because there’s no better example of his characteristics,” said clinical psychologist George Simon, who conducts lectures and seminars on manipulative behavior. “Otherwise, I would have had to hire actors and write vignettes. He’s like a dream come true.”

Calling Trump “very easy to diagnose,” psychotherapist Charlotte Prozan told Vanity Fair that “In the first debate, he talked over people and was domineering. He’ll do anything to demean others, like tell Carly Fiorina he doesn’t like her looks. ‘You’re fired!’ would certainly come under lack of empathy. And he wants to deport immigrants, but [two of] his wives have been immigrants.”

Clinical psychologist Ben Michaelis elaborated, pointing to Trump’s bullying nature as being consistent with the narcissistic profile. Speaking of Trump’s public taunting of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for being captured in Vietnam, Michaelis told Vanity Fair that:

In the field we use clusters of personality disorders. Narcissism is in cluster B, which means it has similarities with histrionic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. There are similarities between them. Regardless of how you feel about John McCain, the man served—and suffered. Narcissism is an extreme defense against one’s own feelings of worthlessness. To degrade people is really part of a cluster-B personality disorder: it’s antisocial and shows a lack of remorse for other people. The way to make it O.K. to attack someone verbally, psychologically, or physically is to lower them. That’s what he’s doing.

Then there is the fact that Trump presents himself as a savior to the economy despite the bankruptcies of four of his companies. Referring to the fact that Trump was not a wholly self-made man, Michaelis notes that: “This man has been given more than anyone could ever hope for, yet he’s failed miserably time and time again.”

Narcissists are not necessarily liars, but they are notoriously uncomfortable with the truth. The truth means the potential to feel ashamed. If all they have to show the world as a source of feeling acceptable is their success and performance, be it in business or sports or celebrity, then the risk of people seeing them fail or squander their success is so difficult to their self-esteem that they feel ashamed. We call it the narcissistic injury. They’re uncomfortable with their own limitations. It’s not that they’re cut out to lie, it’s just that they can’t handle what’s real. Asked what they would “work on” were Trump their patient, several of the therapists laughed.

“I’d be shocked if he walked in my door,” said Behary. “Most narcissists don’t seek treatment unless there’s someone threatening to take something away from them. There’d have to be some kind of meaningful consequence for him to come in.” Simon concurred but added, “There is help available, but it doesn’t look like the help people are used to. It’s not insight-oriented psychotherapy, because narcissists already have insight. They’re aware; the problem is, they don’t care. They know how you’d like them to act; the problem is, they’ve got a different set of rules. The kind of approach that can have some impact is confrontational. It confronts distorted thinking and behavior patterns in the here-and-now moment when the narcissists are doing their thing in the session. It’s confronted on the spot; you invite them to do something different, then you reinforce them for doing so.”

However, as Vanity Fair concludes in their article, there may be an even greater concern. As Mr. Gardner told the publication: For me, the compelling question is the psychological state of his supporters. They are unable or unwilling to make a connection between the challenges faced by any president and the knowledge and behavior of Donald Trump. In a democracy, that is disastrous.

Comments people made about this post:

---And all this time I thought he was just an asshole, who knew?

---Here in Australia, he is an absolute laughing stock. But a potentially dangerous one. Narcissistic, ego-maniacal arsewipe.

---Trump is a racist asshole with lots of money who has had smoke blown up his ass his entire life. He is very popular with many people in America not only because of his racist, xenophobic views that appeal to American knuckleheads who don't know any better, but also because he's wealthy ,and great wealth is viewed as the greatest success one can have by many Americans (the "American dream").

---Do you really need a team of psychologists to figure this one out?