The Unfettered Curmudgeon

PROFILING FOR THE POLITICAL OBSERVER      During my career, I had the opportunity to learn some techniques to interpret (read) the meaning of various forms of body language displayed by persons being interviewed - profiling if you will - but certainly not to the same extent as one might see on such television programs as "Criminal Minds." There are subtleties in ones facial expressions, eye movements, stance, that can be used to understand a suspect's or witness's state of mind and whether they are being open, honest, or closed, dishonest, obstructing.      One of the prime gestures one might look for is the classic crossed arms. Simply put, the arms crossed at the chest is considered by psychologists as universal and interpreted with the same defensive or negative meaning - displayed by persons who feel uncertain, insecure, and yes...who are lying. Both arms, folded together across the chest is an attempt to place a barrier between that per...

AND THE MARIE ANTOINETTE AWARD FOR 2018 GOES TO...      In his 1980 book entitled You Are What You Wear, author William Thourlby redefined both casual and  business wear; for example, how to maintain respect and authority when one "dresses down." In her 2012 book, similarly titled You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You, author Jennifer Baumgartner focuses on the link between one's internal and one's external self as expressed on the clothes one wears. What one wears tells people a lot about themself before they even open their mouth to speak. Research shows that more than 80% of what someone remembers about an encounter is related to non-verbal communication, a large part of that being one's overall appearance (their clothes) and their demeanor.     Behold First Lady Melania Trump on her "surprise" trip to Texas to see for herself the plight of undocumented immigrant children. The jacket she chose to wear was a $38...