Eyes for Lies Blog

Blowing Air Out Your Cheeks

2009-11-06T08:49:00.010-06:00

In regards to this guy, and this video, I asked people what they thought about this man's behavior of blowing air out of his cheeks. Specifically, what did it mean?

People can do this for a variety of reasons and I don't think there is one correct universal answer, but in this video, I would suspect this guy was very nervous and stressed, and when people are under stress, they "blow off steam" so-to-speak, but in reality, it is blowing off "stress".

For me, in this snapshot, he is locking in the air, if even for a second. Notice the bulge in his upper lip area? He tightens the ends of his lips. It's almost like we forget to breath, for an instant. When people are relieved and do this, they often don't lock in the air. They just blow it all out. It's a slight variation, if you can picture it.

It's a classic sign of stress.

Expanded (Puffed) Cheeks

2009-11-05T09:47:00.005-06:00

Thief hides $1,000 bottle of wine in shorts

I was looking at the news this morning, and I saw a wine thief who obviously didn't know he was being recorded. I am sure this morning, he is on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Someone will surely recognize him. His free time is definitely limited. If only we had a camera on him now to watch his behavior. I am sure he pacing up a storm, wearing out his carpet, cursing himself for his stupidity.

Read moreWhat was fun, in this video, however, was watching his body language. I absolutely love when he expanded his cheeks here. What information does this give us? If you are stuck, blow air out of your cheeks like he is here. How do you feel?

This is a classic response to ...

Anne Pressly Trial Begins

2009-11-04T14:30:00.001-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I wrote about Curtis Vance here.

Emotional Recollection

2009-11-04T09:36:00.000-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

This mom's facial responses are fascinating as she recollections what happened and feels all the emotions then and now. We know she is telling the truth so she is a fascinating study of honesty!

Facial Expression Tools

2009-11-02T09:04:00.007-06:00

It seems like there are a whole host of facial expression tools out there these days. Recently, Dr. David Matsumoto released a new tool, which I had the honor to see. You can see his tools here. It was an interesting tool, offering side profiles of expressions, which is a new concept.

A reader also informed me of a tool for iPhones, which I don't have, but for those of you who do, it seem like it is worth checking out because it is an amazing $4.99! It's called Face Reader by Paul Dabrowski (Thank Dougal for this information!). I haven't seen this, but you can check out here. It opens up iTunes.

There is also Ekman's, METT and SETT programs, which most of you know about.

And then there are other tools which are free:

Face Turn
Do2Learn's Face Tool

Just thought I'd give you the latest scoop!

Have you used any of these tools? Do you find them helpful?

60 Minutes

2009-11-02T08:52:00.002-06:00

I thought this was an interesting segment of 60 Minutes. Did you see it? Did it surprise you?

Watch CBS News Videos Online

48 Hours: Doug Grant

2009-10-31T22:17:00.004-05:00

48 Hours profiled the case of Doug Grant tonight. For those of you who have interest, this case was also featured on 20/20 and Dateline earlier this year. I wrote about it then.

Here is a link to my three posts/polls on the case.

My Thoughts: Diena Thompson

2009-10-30T08:56:00.011-05:00

When I watch this video of Diena Thompson, Diena's behavior is instantly sending off alarms in my head. The entire video makes me cringe, personally. Diena is trying to act all sad and distressed, but none of it feels genuine to me.

Read moreDiena says, "I did her hair in the morning, uh, I put it up in a ponytail (gasp)."

Notice how Diena shrugs her shoulder? It's indicative of doubt. Also, her sobbing is unnatural to me. When people truly cry, they only gasp for air because they are crying so hard they can't breath, but Diena makes these little "cry gasps" all the time, yet she isn't crying hard enough to be winded. She isn't even crying tears, so why is she making these noises? Her cheeks are dry. That's three red flags in ten to twenty seconds of Diena speaking.

Next, Diena continues in her abnormally high-pitched tone, "I can't even remember if I told her I loved her." Her voice tone and inflection here, and in the first half of this video, are indicative of a whine rather than a genuine cry. I also would expected to see fear or stress in Diena's eyebrows and forehead as well. I do not.

Notice that Diena continually gasps as she talks--like children do when they cry so hard they can't breath. Why is Diena doing this? We don't make noises without reasoning. This make her lack of tears all the more curious. People can absolutely cry out all their tears, but she shows no indications of a serious hard cry, which would be redness and notably puffiness.

Diena continues, "I went to work and told them to have a good day. She wasn't feeling well and I just told her to try to go to school, and if you need me, call me." Diena's behavior is very similar to that of William Walsh when he was interviewed about his missing wife. Take a look. It's eerie.

Did you see Diena wiping away non-existent tears with her handkerchief? Why on earth would anyone do this? It makes no sense whatsoever. It's a huge red flag for me. If you don't have tears, you don't wipe your eyes. I've actually never seen this one before!

When someone from off camera says to Diena, "Describe what she was wearing again" Diena's voice pitch changes dramatically and so does her demeanor. All of the sudden all of her crying and "sadness" dissipate. When people truly cry, their demeanor doesn't change this quickly. Their emotions and feeling remain, even though they may dissipate slightly upon focus, but Diena does a notable 180 here. I cringe when I see it.

Diena says, "It was a cranberry colored jumpsuit with a matching top to the bottom, up the sides of the legs and up the sides of the arm is a pink silky strip and then she had a black shirt on underneath, she had rainbow-colored tennis shoes, and she had gray and blue-striped ankle socks on, and her hair bow was red."

I would think for Diena or any mother to recall the details of what her precious daughter was last wearing, detail-by-detail, would be extremely painful, yet Diena oddly shows no emotions. She is completely disconnected where I would expect a connection the most! Then once Diena finishes, she tones down her voice again. Did she remember she needed to be "sad" again?

Notice Diena never gasped for air either during her daughter's clothing description? If she was truly winded, I wouldn't think it would dissipate that quickly. Would you?

While I don't know what Diena is hiding, I do not believe she is being honest with us about how she is feeling here, which is very notable for me. I have also seen Diena smirk several times in other videos, which is notable cause for concern for me as well.

And with Diena's thank you to the community, I do find it odd that Diena is so thankful before the killer is found. It's almost as if she feels closure now that the funeral is behind her. Usually, until a killer is found, most victims don't feel peace. I was also taken by how much this thank you revolved around Diena and not Somer. There is nothing about how Somer would have liked or loved any part of it. It was all about Diena.

There are way too many red flags for my comfort in a video clip less than a minute long.

Diena Thompson Poll

2009-10-30T08:18:00.008-05:00

Here are the results of the Diena Thompson poll as of 8:15 AM today. I don't think we've had another one so clearly divided. As the poll progressed yesterday, each category stood on top for a moment at some point and then the pendulum swung back the other direction as votes came in.

40 undecided
39 who don't believe Diena
33 who do

Diena Thompson Thanks Community

2009-10-29T13:17:00.008-05:00

Read Diena's letter. She ends the letter with, "I have never felt the embrace of a community, until now."

On an unrelated side note:

Rifqa Bary Sent Back to Ohio

2009-10-29T09:57:00.003-05:00

October 13, 2009

Rifqa Bary has been returned to Ohio Tuesday at the request of her parents, and is now in the custody of Franklin County Children Services. She will stay with a foster family under the care of the state for the time being, and she will have her phone and internet supervised. You can read more here and here.

Thanks M.S. for the update.

5 Year Anniversary Today

2009-10-28T09:59:00.002-05:00

This week marks two major milestones for me. It's my 5 year blog anniversary, and my 15th wedding anniversary. Where have the years gone?!

It's been an incredibly journey and an amazing experience writing this blog. I met the coolest people, and I have received some incredible invitations because of it. Thank you for all of you who have reached out to me.

Thanks to all of my readers who make this blog everything that it is. I so appreciate all the story suggestions, thoughts and ideas, and I love the free flow of information and sharing that goes on in our exchanges.

Warmest regard to you all. ~ Yours truly, Eyes

Emotions be Damned

2009-10-27T09:40:00.015-05:00

That pesky integral part of us that can scare us to safety, our emotions, can also scare us into silence and inaction. Like all humans, I am no exception to this rule and even though I am well aware of it, I, too still fall victim to it now and then myself. This is one such story.

Read more I went to a dentist a month ago who came highly, highly recommended by at least six people in our community. This wonderfully spoken-about dentist put a crown on my dad, and he has no problems with it. My dad was and still is pleased, and so were many other people I spoke to about him, so I decided I'd finally go for a checkup. In ten years, my family and I have been through three dentists with dismal results. I was finally hopeful. I knew I needed to see a dentist, as it had been three years and my wisdom teeth were giving me some indications things weren't right.

First my husband went to him for his checkup, and he came home with a $1,700 estimate. That immediately put me on alert. He didn't have cavities, either. He supposedly had cracks in his teeth from large amalgam fillings and the doctor told him to switch them to composite (which I know is less durable), but he told my husband composite is better, because it actually sticks to teeth and will prevent further cracking. I told my husband that he needed to get a second opinion, that I didn't feel right about it, but neither of us knew who to go to that we could trust, so we dropped the ball. I did read online that composite fillings do stick to teeth better, but they only last on average 7 years versus 20 or more for the traditional metal.

When I went, the dentist told me I needed $1,400 worth of work. I had nearly flawless teeth! I was suspicious of him, until he showed me a photo of one of my cavities. It shocking, to say the least, staring at me ten times its normal size. A black little devil moved into one of my wisdom teeth, and the appearance of it was horrifying. I felt dirty! It was gross. I got emotional. I turned away in disgust. I didn't want to see anymore. I convinced myself I was aging and that I needed to accept it.

This guy was really high-tech. Not only did he take x-rays, but he used a new tool that checks the density of your tooth to identify cavities. The tool, which looks like a pen and glides over your teeth, gives a number. The higher the number, the higher likelihood of decay. The dentist was all excited by this tool. As he went across my teeth, my numbers were not good. Most of molars scored in the 40s, 50s and 60s. I forget the ideal number, but it was supposed to be under 20 I think. My heart sank. I wanted to run away!

I kept watching the dentist, trying to make a determination of honesty, but I knew it doesn't take much for a dentist to say, "You have 8 cavities" when in reality you may only have 1 or 2 -- especially if he has a machine that whirled up a high score for him. He isn't likely to leak any clues. It isn't what I would consider high stakes. He could also say that is what his equipment said and he trusted it. Who could dispute that?

The only real way to get to the truth in dentistry, or any technical situation, is to do your homework. But after years of searching for a dentist, ending up in a crackpot's chair on a recommendation and ending up in a dirty office in another, and one that was an outright liar, I was at my wits end!

Upon my husband's request, however, I did asked the dentist to see my husband's photos of his cracked teeth. There was no denying there were cracks. With that, I told myself to stop worrying all the time, and I went in for my first appointment to fix three of my eight cavities. Out of fear of not knowing what else to do, I took a blind leap of faith.

I had this nagging feeling that I needed to investigate, but I didn't want the inconvenience of what I would find. I didn't want to have to meet more creepy dentists or ignore things another three years. That scared the hell out of me and gave me a pit in my stomach.

Don't do this!!!

After the work was complete, I went home and I noticed the dentist said I had a cavity in my front tooth for the next visit. That finally alarmed me into action. I suspected my wisdom teeth did have issues, but a front tooth? What the hell?!

Oh when I left, he said he hit the nerve in each wisdom tooth, and I might need a root canal on two of my three teeth. That bothered me! I had no pain, but the decay went to my nerve? That's sounded like crap!

Low and behold, my teeth started aching when I bit down, and when it didn't subside the next day, I called and the assistant said they were just closing the office because the doctor was going on vacation. I'd have to wait 10 days!! I once worked in a dental office before, and I knew this was unacceptable for someone who was in pain! Good dentists have a backup doctor to call in an event like this. This guy was too greedy! It was another alarm. A really good dentist would stay open an extra hour if he was going out of town to help a patient in need. Not this guy! I was mad.

I went in to get my x-rays yesterday as the dentist is out of town. I asked the secretary if she could spot decay on the x-rays and she piped up that she could. She said she had been working in the dental field for decades. She then looked at mine and couldn't find one! When I asked her for the x-rays for the wisdom teeth and the one molar he had just filled, she said he didn't have any! I was floored.

She quickly recovered by saying that the dentist didn't need them, they were visually obvious. Right. Not. His assistant took the x-rays of my teeth before he ever saw me, so that was likely a lie. I then asked the receptionist, who talked like a dutch uncle, to give me the name of that machine that checked the density of my teeth. She did. I finally learned its name and what I have read since turns my stomach.

I immediately found that this new tool, the DIAGNOdent, should only be used after a hygienist cleaning, because small food particles can cause false-positives. My dentist used this tool BEFORE my teeth were cleaned. Obviously, he likes false positives. He is no dumby and this was no accident. I am confident of that!

The machine also has a higher false positive reading than it should according to researchers/experts, and most expert studies that I read said that this tool should not be used alone to diagnose decay (that doing so is "unethical"). They say that it should only be used in conjunction with x-rays and visual inspection. According to the receptionist, he was relying on this tool to fill my other remaining cavities.

I came home and looked online what cavities look like on x-rays and for the most part, I should be able to see some of them. I can't find ONE.

And upon close inspection last night, my husband and I found that horrible cavity I saw in the chair a month ago was still there. I need to see today if I have an x-ray of that tooth. I probably don't! The dentist filled my other teeth first. Needless to say, the fear that stopped me from listening to the red flags I did see, to go see another dentist, wasn't avoided by my emotions. I still have to do it, I just may have paid a price for it instead! I will never do this again.

Here are some of the red flags I ignored because of fear of finding another dentist overwhelmed me:

When I asked my husband if they used the density tool on his teeth he said no. Instead of doing my homework, I thought that perhaps they can't use it on teeth with silver (amalgam) fillings. That is an incorrect assumption. They can still test the margins. The fact that this guy didn't, shows his inconsistency. It wasn't worth his time with my husband, but it was a huge money-maker for me with all of my perfect white teeth!
When I got my fillings, the assistant offered me a free paraffin wax treatment for my hands during the fillings. Why would they be doing this? Was it another sales tool to get people to "want to come to him"? To think he was a "nice guy"? At the time, I didn't like the idea. It bothered me.
When I left, the assistant said to me, "Tell all your friends about the paraffin wax treatment." I was thinking at that moment, "How does that equate to good dentistry?" It's a sale pitch thought. I said to her, "Is business that slow?" She denied it and looked away from me. I didn't buy it.
I had only two small fillings in my upper wisdom teeth prior to coming to this guy. When this guy told me I had 8 cavities, which were all perfectly lined up together -- all in the back of mouth, one next to another (top and bottom), outside of one on the front tooth, I should have responded immediately and asked for evidence. Instead I was overwhelmed by the one photo of my worst tooth and that blackness.
When I asked around to my friends and family if anyone ever had a cavity on their front teeth. They all answered no. That's a red flag for me because I never even had a cavity until I was 34. I am going to be real curious if I have a cavity there. The x-ray and visual inspect look good to me and my husband.
This dentist used a new tool I knew nothing about and was relying on it heavily. I should have immediately done my homework to see how reliable it was. I didn't!

I am oh-so human, and I am vulnerable at times, too. Those damn emotions of fear and stress!!!!

__________
Wholly crap. I just saw this video on YouTube about Diagnodent and I was never offered a "non-invasive" procedure that sandblasts off the decay. I'm even more outraged! Pardon me while I scream.

Honest Dentistry?

2009-10-26T09:35:00.005-05:00

Going through my own tooth dilemma and getting some red flags from my new dentist that I need to work out, I did some reading online hoping to get some answers before I get my x-rays and head out the door for a second opinion. What I found was, well, very unsettling.

I found an article in Reader's Digest (Canada) about a woman who decided to randomly visit 45 dentists with x-rays and ask for an opinion. You'd think she'd get the same recommendations, overall, wouldn't you? She didn't. This is a must read.

In today's times, with a difficult economy, I think we need to be even more cautious. I've done some studying online and plan to read my own x-rays as best I can, and where I have questions, I will ask them!

AP: Mom Admitted Balloon Hoax

2009-10-23T17:26:00.006-05:00

Here is an updated article: Affidavit: Mom told deputies balloon saga was hoax

Things are certainly clear at this point. There are no doubts about it: My original observations were off. I missed the clues, even if I wasn't conclusive. This was a good learning experience for me. Thanks to everyone who has been so understanding.

Researchers say that one person cannot read everyone and there is definitely truth in that statement (not that I ever disagreed).

Somer Thompson's Mother

2009-10-23T09:03:00.003-05:00

Somer Thompson's body was found this week, sadly. News reports are saying that Somer was walking home with her twin brother and sister, when she got in an argument with them and ran ahead. They say Somer never made it home.

Here is her mother, Diena Thompson, talking about the last time she saw Somer. What do you think?

Thanks, JB, for the story lead.

Indecent Exposure?

2009-10-22T11:18:00.005-05:00

Here is the story: The naked truth?

Do you believe Williamson?

This is a case posted on my Topic Suggestion Page. Please note that I am taking some time off, away from cases for the next week or so, to regroup, so I won't be sharing my thoughts or opinions. But in the meantime, I will post cases and you guys can feel free to banter your thoughts amongst each other!

Odds and Ends

2009-10-21T10:13:00.011-05:00

Lie to Me

I was watching "Lie to Me" last night (Monday's episode) and I couldn't help but notice that the actors were missing something. Did anyone else notice? It was driving me crazy.

Read moreIt was tension. When the gunman was on the scene, they managed to acted stressed within reason, but as soon as any of the actors did a scene that didn't involve the gun, they were acting like it was a casual average day. Their tension notably dissipated! When the scenes would switch from Cal and the gunman to any other scene, I noticed it immediately. It kept taking me out of the moment. Repeatedly. Argh. I wanted to say something LOL.

Did you notice?

If any of us had a colleague who was being held at gunpoint, I can be confident we would be so incredibly nervous/fearful/afraid/tense until the hostage situation was over safely that we wouldn't be able to contain it, but the actors seemed to keep forgetting that aspect when they were acting. There was absolutely no tension when there should have been.

Silly stuff, I know. I can't help it!

The Dentist

I went to the dentist this week. I got bad news about my once show-stopping pearlies. I wasn't happy. Cavities. Too many to mention after never having any until my mid-30s. Well anyway, I went to get them fixed and it was the first time I had Novocaine since my last visit. The last time I saw a different dentist and it was really scary! He really freaked me out. He didn't have an assistant. He and I were alone in the office (outside of his secretary in another area) which was a bad sign, he was socially very awkward and "off". My intuition was screaming at me to get up and run in the middle of filling. Yet, I ignored it. I was extremely afraid and I could not rationalize it so I sat there ignoring my intuition.

I felt trapped because I didn't know how extricate myself out of there without upsetting him and I didn't know where else I was going to go to get my teeth fixed. The stress caused me to stay. Later, after thinking about it all, I had an ah-ha moment. Never let fear or stress stop you from reacting to your intuition. It was stupid of me.

There was one point when he was working behind me where the flight response was strong and my heart was racing at an incredible rate that I almost bolted. I still wonder if he was thinking of doing something to me! I was a dead duck at that point--a perfect victim.

I wrote about it on my blog several years ago, and at that time people told me it might have been the result of the Novocaine, as it can cause a flight or fight reaction. I never had it before with Novocaine and on Monday, when I got three fillings, I didn't get that response at all.

It just cemented for me that my intuition on this other dentist was right on the money. I will never let my fear stop me from reacting to that feeling again. I can still feel my skin crawl when I think back to that guy! You would know his name involved a variation of the world "cruel"! Freak me out! Thank god, I have a new, safe dentist.

Just random bits from my crazy brain :)

Subtle Expressions versus Micro Expressions

2009-10-20T20:08:00.004-05:00

Here is an interesting article from the blog of Dr. David Matsumoto, an expert on microexpressions, that I thought you might find interesting.

Subtle Expressions the Key to Detecting Deception

Music and Emotions

2009-10-19T13:22:00.002-05:00

Are you a musician? If so, this is you:

"Musicians Read Emotions Better"

Do you find music is connected to your emotional memory? I sure do. Songs often mark a spot of time in life and every time I hear a specific song, I am taken back to a specific memory.

This article is courtesy of Russ. Thanks, Russ.

Where to Put Heene

2009-10-19T12:52:00.002-05:00

See on the column on the right for the changes to "Cases I got Wrong" (on the blog for those on Facebook). I think that's fair for now. How about you? I'm ready to move on :) New topics coming soon...maybe after I take a few days break to clear my head LOL. What a story!

Total Relief?

2009-10-19T09:41:00.009-05:00

Mayumi does a horrible acting job here, if you want my opinion. After seeing her here, I don't trust her. Remember emotional memories that I speak about? Well, Mayumi doesn't have any, and if you thought your child was missing and could possible be killed because of a mistake you or your husband made, let me tell you (well, you all know!), you'd be as emotional as heck. Mayumi? Not at all. Notice she has no recollection memories of what the "terror" was like? She says lots of people helped her, but she can't say who outside of the police? Her lack of emotional memory here is a gigantic red flag. Add that to what the little boy said, and to the fact he was throwing up, and I really think this was a hoax. The question is when did they decide to go with this hoax? After they accidentally released the balloon? Or before?

Two people have pointed out that I spoke prematurely for myself (Ruth on Facebook and Sarah). I originally wrote in my first post, "So at this point, I tend towards the fact that this was an accident, and not a hoax, but I sure would like to see the boy speak more and ask questions to probe why he said it. That needs to be looked at further so we can understand it, and then and only then can a final determination be made." At least I was never conclusive.

What a mess this has been!

Some people have been writing me with theories. Is it possible that Richard accidentally released the balloon without a plan, and really did think for an instant that his son might have been in it, but then realized that he wasn't. I saw Richard make expressions that showed he was distraught over Falcon, but Mayumi doesn't. Would that explain that aspect? Then they decided to take their "media stunt" and run with it, so they hide Falcon in the attic? I could really believe this is the truth. Everything for me would then make sense.

Update 10-20-2009:
I must say after this whole debacle, my brain is mush and I need to walk away for a while to get clarity. I don't trust myself at this point to read this case at all right now.

Poll: You Decide on Balloon Boy

2009-10-18T18:58:00.003-05:00

Now I am torn about what to do. Do we put this case in the "Got Wrong" category (or whatever I name it) now, or do we wait until things unfold?

The decision is all yours...

Sheriff Report: I Missed it

2009-10-18T12:42:00.021-05:00

http://www.9news.com/livechat/ -- it has now ended 11:59 AM.

There is this now instead.

I missed it. No doubt. I sure picked a notorious case, though, to miss, didn't I? That makes me laugh. What a case to be remembered for!

In five years (my anniversary is less than 10 days), my score is 25/1. I never expected to be perfect and have said that all along. Many of you wrote me over the years, if would be good if I miss a case, as it would give me more credibility. It's not something I controlled (LOL). I couldn't change that, but now it has happened and it is what it is. I have nothing to hide.

I am still quite proud of my track record. I think it speaks for itself. I just wish this wasn't the case I missed! Now I need to learn from it. I do have to also say I am glad I believed a guilty man rather than distrusting an honest man. Whew! That would weigh heavily on my conscience. Now I don't feel bad at all for being hesitant to disbelieve a total goofball.

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive!! It really means the world to me. I feared people's responses much more than I did getting something wrong. I knew I got things wrong now and then offline. That was never a secret.

I hope I get another five year run (well, if I chose to blog that long. I don't think I will, but who knows).

-----
Now this is interesting, the sheriff said he isn't going to do any more interviews until or "IF" the suspects are charges. What? Do they have evidence or not? I'm perplexed. He also said they had 18 months to lay the charges. This is fascinating. What a case. It will be interesting to watch it develop.

Missed It?

2009-10-17T20:38:00.007-05:00

It looks like I may have missed something or misread the Heene family. I really believed the anger in the video tape was real. I'll be curious to see what evolves, but I never claimed to be infallible. I am human.

I saw this just a few minutes ago: Criminal Charges will be filed:
http://www.kktv.com/news/headlines/64677497.html