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Reading The Body Language in Photos, the Power of Torture Photos

John Cusack wrote a blog recently concerning Obama changing his mind on the issue of releasing torture photos of suspected terrorists (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-cusack). My discussion group, The meeting of the minds, has been equally outraged and we have some very conservative members. What is interesting to me is that while we have heard the words describing the torture, the actual visual images that have been carefully guarded from the media. The power of nonverbal communication. I am not sure I would bar the photos for fear terrorists would copy the torture methods as the government has discussed. I can say I don't think we want to see the images and link them with our country's treatment of other human beings. I have been doing body language photo analysis for many years. It is amazing what a frozen photographed moment can communicate. It is astounding the pathos and significance communicated in a photographed person's body language. It seems odd to me that I became known as a body language expert by reading celebrity couples when it was really the disturbing photographs from the Vietnam war that first made me realize that I could "read" people's body language in photos and see things other people couldn't see or explain. Seeing people's pain is a horrible part of reading body language. Being extraordinarily empathetic to people's pain is a gift I would never trade.

Poetry and nonverbal communication in Iran protest


Some of you know that I started out originally as a poetry major in college. When I took a body language and nonverbal communication course at the age of 19 I realized that I had been using poetry to express my insights gained through reading body language in a way that didn't offend or make people apprehensive. I would like you to watch how poetry and nonverbal communication worked together to tell a compelling story of human suffering and resilience following election protests in Tehran, Iran. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-lundberg/poetry-of-the-revolution_b_221590.html

Bernard Madoff showed no visible body language at sentencing

Bernard Madoff appeared in court for sentencing today wearing a dark suit and tie. Reporters say he gave no visible reaction to his sentence. That is not surprising. This is a man who was a master manipulator. One would think that he controlled his body language quite well. I would be interested to see whether he had the top charismatic factors that I mention in my article on red white and blue body language and have blogged about so frequently. I have been discussing the case with my summer intern. We have talked about how people recommended him to their friends and how persuasive a recommendation from a friend can be. Here is a link to the story on his sentencing. I would love to see footage of any apology he made.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_madoff_scandal;_ylt=AhjJEZcTz50lS8u.wDqCSrCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJpbnRxMmpwBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNjI5L3VzX21hZG9mZl9zY2FuZGFsBGNwb3MDMgRwb3MDNwRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNiZXJuYXJkbWFkb2Y--
Bernie Mandoff


Billy May's voice will be missed on TV

The TV pitchman Billy Mays died today ABC News Story. He had an iconic voice, loud abrasive and fast paced and even some say horribly irritating. He created a first impression of power and confidence. I used his voice as an example in my speeches and workshops on body language as an example of persuasive paralanguage. His body language, the big smile and energy and his enthusiastic voice certainly made us buy a lot of Orange Glo and Oxiclean. And there was no mistaking his voice for anyone else's. "As Seen on TV" ads will never be the same.