Coincidence is a funny thing… so strange I really don’t believe in it anymore.
So it just happened to be that my travels landed me in St. Louis this week, on the very day that former Cardinal Mark McGwire finally admitted his steroid use… after years of dodging the subject.
Unlike most public figures under accusation, he never outright lied about his guilt. But along with breaking Roger Maris’s season home run record, McGwire is also remembered for inartfully dodging questions about steroid use in his 2005 Congressional testimony. You can see the video here.
Hey, it didn’t take Columbo to know that he was avoiding the truth. It was easy to deduce by his “answers” that he had taken steroids. Still, he accomplished his goal: He didn’t admit the truth, and he didn’t lie… that’s the delicate art of (more…)
It’s always been strange to me that Christmas and movies seem to go hand-in-hand. But a lot of others things that have nothing to do with Christmas have been paired up with it too, right?
Anyway, I’m sort of particular about the movies I watch around Christmas. It’s sort of like pairing wine with food; sometimes to get the combination with the best mojo, you have to be willing to go against common theories.
Whether you’re snowed in, have the week off and can’t find anything to do, or are just trying to get away from family, I wanted to give you (in no particular order) my pick of the 5 best movies to watch Christmas week.
(Be warned: You’ll need Netflix for some of these, Blockbuster can’t handle this order…)
If you’ve ever been to Venice Beach (California) you know it’s a freak show.
Anything goes… and it usually does.
Nearly every time I’ve been down there, I’ve seen The World’s Greatest Wino. He’s always standing in the same spot, chanting the same line, “Jingle bells, jingle bells, help me (more…)
Just a quick thanks to those of you who tuned in this morning to my ”appearance” on the The Mike McConnell Show on WLW 700 in Cincinnati and via the internet. Mike’s got a great handle on the deception game, and he asked some very insightful questions, ones you might be interested in hearing answered yourself.
Oh, and I told listeners I’d have a video up soon that will demonstrate (inarguably) that nose gestures are real, meaningful… and easy to spot, of course. That video is coming soon, and it’s short: Just 30 seconds!
Have you ever said something to another person, and they didn’t take it the right way? They got the wrong message, one you never intended… in fact, they “heard” something you didn’t even say?
It’s pretty common that people hear the words of others and put their own spin on them. Sometimes they hear what they want to hear. Sometimes they even hear what they don’t want to hear… and still give you the credit for saying it.
If you’ve read my book (shameless plug: If you haven’t, click on the cover above to get yours) you probably know more about me than I realized I was giving up when I wrote it. But (more…)
So here’s the proposition I’m asking you to consider today: A person would rather admit to lying, than admit they fell for a lie.
You want proof? I don’t blame you. Stay with me, I’ll give it to you.
Deception is a game, of sorts: One side plays, and the other gets played. Nobody enjoys that, of course, feeling like a sucker; or worse yet, appearing to be one. And one-on-one’s bad enough, but in front of the whole planet? Yikes, man, now that’s hard on a (more…)
I haven’t seen The Invention of Lying yet, but the internet hype has been hard to miss: The admissions of co-star Jennifer Garner regarding her own use of deception.
Why the rough label? Well, she confessed… that she lies.
So 2 points come to mind:
1-Well, she’s actually not a compulsive liar, just an ordinary one, and the use of this label underscores that when it comes to lying and deception, misconceptions abound.
Compulsive liars tell lies when there’s no (more…)
Tav and I have been finding cicada shells in the yard for several weeks. He’s been fascinated by ‘em, so I set a goal: To find one coming out of the shellso he could see what emerges, what they become. Hard to do? It might be easier to run and pee at the same time.
But after weeks of searching, finally it happened one evening. I found a cicada working its way out and showed it to Tav, and I got the picture you see here. It took this guy an hour and a half to get to this point, so you could say he was persistent alright. I’ll tell you at the end of this post what eventually happened to him, but in the meantime let’s consider persistence, its necessity—and its pitfalls.
Tell me I’m wrong: The business success gurus would have you believe that quitting is (more…)
Have you ever you ever trusted another person… and later wished you hadn’t?
Welcome to the club. Subterfuge is a sport, and you’re in the game—whether you know it or not.
Trusting others is necessary… and it’s also risky. Trust another person, and you’re taking a chance, you become vulnerable. Cynical, you think? Put to words, reality sometimes sounds that way.
Why do people violate our trust? Well, the specific situations are infinite, of course, but (more…)
Coincidence is a funny thing… so strange I really don’t believe in it anymore. 
It’s always been strange to me that Christmas and movies seem to go hand-in-hand. But a lot of others things that have nothing to do with Christmas have been paired up with it too, right? 
Have you ever said something to another person, and they didn’t take it the right way? They got the wrong message, one you never intended… in fact, they “heard” something you didn’t even say? 
I haven’t seen 
Tav and I have been finding 
Have you ever you ever trusted another person… and later wished you hadn’t?