Scanner : body language

Master Debating: Don't Look 'Em In The Eye

Brian Fairbanks — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:22:00 GMT

A semi-celebrity once chastised us for not looking them in the eye when shaking their hand for the first time. Ever since, we've been really self-conscious about it-- and perhaps pick up on it when others don't look us in the eyes when shaking hands.

This could explain why were so weirded out by McCain's debate performance. Had he been instructed not to ever once look Obama in the eye? Or was it something more, like a sudden deep-seeded hatred?

Republicans explain it by saying-- gotta love this twisted logic-- McCain was actually being respectful... by locking eyes with the public instead. Or maybe Jim Lehrer, who was, after all, asking the questions. Hmm... so, how does that explain the fact that McCain didn't look Obama in the eye during the handshake, when Obama was addressing him, and so on?

Others responded on the blogs by using the Rovian tactic of trying to turn the question back on their opponents. "Actually, it was disrespectful of Senator Obama to call Senator McCain 'John,'" goes the commenters' logic. Interesting observation, but looking back on the debate, we don't remember the first-name-basis sounding condescending or disrespectful or anything negative like that. In fact, it made them both more likable and made John McCain seem more like a regular schmoe, as Bush voters surely want.

So, with all those Republican explanations ruled out, what do you think or the debate and what did you think of the eyeball thing?

(By the way, the early post-debate polling said that Obama won with between 51 to 68 percent, depending on the network, while later numbers indicate a slight uptick for him but, on further reflection, the public thinks that it was pretty much a draw for Round One.)

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Scotsman Can Tell What Your Orgasms Are Like Just By Staring At You

Brian Fairbanks — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:46:00 GMT

In what history will probably reveal is the most perverted study ever conducted by a major European university, researchers from the University of the West of Scotland (eh, probably not that major) went to Belgium to see if they could tell what a woman's orgasms were like just by looking at them...

And by "looking at them," we mean "a lot more than just sat around and used their eyes..."

1) The women they used were all Belgian university students. Pervs.

2) The women were asked about their sex lives and then videotaped (from the bushes, perhaps?) walking down the street. Pervs.

3) They had female sexologists (presumably hot professors with glasses and lab coats) watch the tapes and take a guess whether the women could have vaginal orgasms. Pervs. (You know, girls talking about other girls getting off...)

Seriously, though, it turns out women can have orgasms. Wait, sorry, we meant: it turns out that the sexologists guessed correctly guessed 80% of the time as to whether the woman could have orgasms vaginally. Um, no offense guys, but we're pretty sure if we said yes a bunch of times and no a bunch of times, we'd be correct about that much of the time. Or maybe not... after all, not as many women can have vaginal orgasms as you may think...

The study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that trained sexologists were able to correctly infer vaginal orgasm more than 80 percent of the time by watching the way the women walked. Further analysis revealed that the sum of stride length and vertebral rotation was greater for the vaginally orgasmic women.

"This could reflect the free, unblocked energetic flow from the legs through the pelvis to the spine," the authors note.

A woman's anatomical features may predispose her to greater or lesser tendency to experience vaginal orgasm, the authors speculate.

We're sure you'll have jokes about how those Olympian speedwalkers must be great in bed... share them if you must.

Via UPI.

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Obama and McCain: A Contest Decided By Body Language

Brian Fairbanks — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:09:00 GMT

The feature story on the front page of Live Science right now is about how the body language Obama and McCain use in public tell more about their candidacies (and Presidencies) than any poll or speech ever could...

Among the highlights:

1) McCain represents stability in how he stands firmly and holds onto the sides of a podium. By contrast, Obama has a forward-looking gaze and strolls about in a relaxed fashion during public appearances. Yet both men share an introspective quality that could make them strong leaders, each in his way.

2) McCain uses directional gestures that suggest bridging a gap, while Obama’s shaping gestures that suggest accommodation, the analysts say.

3) McCain also sometimes adopts a right-left style of walking where he shifts his weight — not unlike a cowboy swagger if taken to extremes, [Professor Karen] Studd noted. That contrasts with Obama’s more centered movement where he swings the opposite arm with the opposite leg. Obama's free flow approach may have its advantages, especially when it comes to public appearances where the candidates face hard questions.

4) "John McCain is ill at ease a lot, and Obama is rarely ill at ease although he's put on the spot," [Professor Karen] Bradley said. "John McCain sometimes looks like he's looking for the door, so he needs to work on that."

5) Both Bradley and Studd had pointed out McCain as a strong Republican candidate based on his body language, back in the early days when John McCain was (first) expected to do very well. Huckabee, who was an early favorite after winning Iowa, came off as charming and relaxed, they thought. Romney, they said, came off as less convincing and convinced.

See the full Live Science for an analysis of the candidates' relationships to their wives, plus much more...

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Scanner : body language

Master Debating: Don't Look 'Em In The Eye

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McCain Sabotages His Own Attempt To Save The Nation

BREAKING: John McCain Suspends His Campaign

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It's Friday, And There's Just Too Much Good Stuff To Squeeze It All In

Scotsman Can Tell What Your Orgasms Are Like Just By Staring At You

While You Were Sleeping: The New American Idol Judge

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Obama and McCain: A Contest Decided By Body Language

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