Sunday, February 8, 2015

Media on Brian Williams

There is an important principle here in the sarcasm...that is, the one who scored the winning touchdown doesn't remember it as if he was the one sitting on the bench.  The commonality in the liar is grandiose thinking, which comes out in speech.  Each of Williams' lies were to his own benefit.  He did not lie about an actual accomplishment of his, 'mis-remembering' himself 'outside' of the event.

Senility:  When a person with dementia, or a similar disorder, or even an elderly person who's memory is impacted gives a false statement, the language will not show deception unless the person knows he is being deceitful.

Deceit in language is seen in intent.  It is when one wishes to deceive, either through the deliberate suppression of information, or in the actual fabrication of information, there are often signals in the language.

Lie Detection is no "magic bullet", as portrayed on television, or by those who claim to simply look at someone's face expression and "know."

The detecting of deception is not only principled work, but it takes diligent practice, and constant repetition as the brain learns to "listen" to the speech of others, after a lifetime of 'dulled listening' or "interpretive" listening.

The subject matter (content) is not a technique in lie detection as sometimes the seemingly impossible takes place.  Where Brian Williams said he reached in and felt a cuddly unknown, which turned out to be "two eyes" of a "three week old puppy", I do not believe to be true.  His firehouse may have had three doors, three engines and thirty men, but the three week old puppy story is something I choose not to believe, but it is based upon experience, and not Statement Analysis. The statement is too short, but I also believe that asking Williams about it, focusing in questions to the areas of either question, or sensitivity, will reveal deception. He is the "less than 10%" type of liar.  This does not mean that he will always deceive in this manner.  In fact, we should expect to hear of many more "heroic" fabrications from him, and in his language, we should expect that the high majority of his method of deception will be editing out information and not direct lies.

I write often of the 90% effect, and this is the rare exception where, perhaps, only one in ten deceptive individuals will go as far as Williams.  We saw the same thing, in topic, with the politician, Richard Blumenthal, who claimed to have actually been in Viet Nam, or in Hillary Clinton's statements of "claim", that is, having done something, or been somewhere, falsely.  This is not suppressed information, though I expect to find much in this manner, but outright falsehood.

It is a very strong signal that the subject is a habitual or "pathological" liar, who will always trump himself or herself up, even when not challenged.  Personality wise, they appear to be "unable to turn it off."

These types can be conservative, liberal, or independent, but are almost always narcissistic, self-interested, and can be ruthless, without true empathy towards what impact others face from their lies.

When one is incorrect, he is not deceptive and his language will not show it.  It is that in 90% + of deceivers, the language will reveal it.  "Playing the odds" is always helpful, but never without an open mind to consider, "Is this person lying to me?"

A smirk of the face may convince one that he is being lied to, only to learn that the liar has a sinus condition.

Statement Analysis is a science that is applied, evenly across the board, yielding a very high percentage of accuracy.

Please remember always;  Where there is "70% likely", the other "30%" exists, just as here, in Williams' case, the "less than 10%" does, from time to time, come up.  When it does, know the manner of person you are looking at.

This person, statistically, will bring harm, sometimes irreparable harm, to any and everyone, in his path, and although may appear to be remorseful, the actual words his brain chooses in his "mea culpa", will be consistent with his lies:

To protect himself.

This is why famous people do better in their apology making, when they have someone else prepare the statement for them.  Fortunately for truth seekers, the narcissist sometimes will "over rule" the counsel of others, and insist on certain wording and...

it gives them away.

Interesting article from the NY Post.  Media is competition.  The competition smells weakness of its prey.

We shouldn’t believe Williams’ lie was an innocent mistake

nYpost.com 

Brian Williams did it all for the soldiers, you see. His chopper whoppers were patriotic acts. “This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran,” he explained.
In a similar vein, ­Anthony Weiner’s sext­ing was really just a misunderstood celebration of the technological sophistication of smartphones, and Bill Clinton’s dalliance with Monica Lewinsky was a selfless way to promote that great American company the Gap.
What Williams’ lie was about was what lies are always about: No one who actually scored the winning touchdown on the high-school football team misremembers it as sitting on the bench. The term “fish tale” does not mean you mistakenly tell people you caught a sickly ­8-ounce catfish when actually you snagged a 95-pound monster marlin.
Williams or­iginally told the truth about what happened in 2003 Iraq: He was on a Chinook helicopter. Another helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). His helo was nowhere near the one that was struck and landed some 30 or more minutes later. That isn’t a near-miss; that’s just rubbernecking at something you didn’t even know happened until you came along later.
Joseph Miller, who says he was the flight engineer on Williams’ helo, said Williams was excited from the beginning, immediately spinning a what-if story: “He had the audacity to tell me the whole thing was like ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and that the whole Army would be out looking for him,” Miller said, adding, “I called him an idiot in front of his camera crew.”
Hey, NBC, do your job for a change: Let’s see that footage. It’ll be the newsiest stuff you run all week.
In 2013, Williams marveled at his own bravery, telling Alec Baldwin on WNYC radio that he thought he was going to die when the imaginary grenade hit his helo. “I guess I do say to myself and to others — ‘I’ve got this’ — and I don’t know where that unbrid­led confidence comes from.”
Gee, that doesn’t really sound like the “Saving Private Ryan” freakout Miller described.
Part of Williams’ self-delusion is that he’s some sort of ordinary Joe in touch with the real America. He nudges profiles to describe him as a “blue-collar Jersey guy.” His dad was an executive, not a coal miner. He fancies himself as in tune with the working men as he collects $10 million a year for successfully looking “troubled” or “sincere” or “amused” while reading 20 minutes of script off a prompter.
NBC, which had several other employees on the Chinook who apparently narked on Williams because nobody can stand this classic self-promoting ass (“He’s a real pompous piece of s–t,” a longtime colleague told Page Six), warned him from the beginning not to embellish the truth, and a source told Variety with pride that Williams’ tall tale was never featured on an NBC News program.
So he peddled his yarn elsewhere, gradually making himself sound more devil-may-care, to the point where, in a 2013 appearance on “Late Show” that Williams apparently timed for the 10th anniversary of his Iraq stint so he’d have an excuse to talk about it, he didn’t contradict David Letterman’s description of him as a “war hero.”
We should have known he was lying then; actual heroes hate being called heroes.
By his own account, Williams is a little confused in the head. He said, “I don’t know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another,” and “I spent most of the weekend thinking I’d gone crazy,” and “I would not have chosen to make this mistake,” implying that some entity other than he was responsible. Was it mind control? Schizophrenia? Someone get Brian a tinfoil hat to block those gamma rays!
If Williams remains on NBC, it will be impossible for him to report on the military. Every time NBC News calls him (as its president did in December) “one of the most trusted journalists of our time,” Twitter and Facebook will detonate with reminders to the contrary. Williams sits on the board of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. Probably he’ll be forced to resign from that.
Does NBC News need that embarrassment?
In the military, bragging about the courageous stuff you didn’t do is known as theft of valor. “Nobody is trying to steal anyone’s valor,” Williams insisted. Oh. OK, then. Tell that to all the military heroes whose stories haven’t been told.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great article!

Thanks for explaining the personality type as -not being able to turn it off. That makes sense.

It seems like most people lie when being questioned about something specific, and the lie(s) is usually to cover something up, to protect themselves, to prevent consequences, etc. Then we have the people who just lie for apparently no reason. For no reason, to the average person, because we (the average person) wonder, why lie? Why make stories up? I guess that's where Brian Williams fits in.

GetThem said...

After reading his statements and concluding deception on more than one occasion, it would be interesting to speak to close friends and family members of Brian Williams. Did they consider him a liar? Or did they brush off his behavior as "oh, that's just one of Brian's tall tales." If he's married, his wife must have known he was capable of these kinds of lies. It's fascinating he has been able to be deceptive for all these years and get away with it.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious about that too, GetThem. I was wondering which story he told his family (about the helicopter). If he originally lied to them, or if they knew the truth and then when they heard him on tv if they were like, what the heck that's not what he told us!

I imagine they must know he's a liar by now though.

John Mc Gowan said...

OT:

Report: Police Investigating Possible Foul Play Bobbi Kristina Case

TMZ is reporting some shocking allegations about the heartbreaking situation with Bobbi Kristina that, if true, make this whole thing even more unbearable.

From TMZ:

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Bobbi Kristina had certain injuries that have piqued their interest. We do not know the nature of the injuries. Multiple sources tell TMZ there is a history of violence between Bobbi Kristina and boyfriend Nick Gordon.
We're told police are looking into a possible altercation more than an hour before Bobbi Kristina was found submerged in a bathtub.
We're told Max Lomas -- the friend who discovered Bobbi Kristina in the tub -- arrived at around 9 AM last Saturday. He says he hung out with Nick but did not see Bobbi Kristina. He was told she was in the bedroom. Nick wandered away and Max says he didn't pay attention to his whereabouts.
The cable guy showed sometime after 10 AM and Max says he let him in -- Nick was nowhere to be seen. The cable guy said he needed access to the bedroom so Max let him in and discovered Bobbi Kristina in the tub. He screamed for Nick, who ran in and administered CPR.
We're told Max claims Nick allegedly cleaned up the home and removed blood stains.
I'll update as we learn more.

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/news/a36215/report-bobbi-kristina/

Buckley said...

OT
I got these excerpts from a 2007 police interview with Terry Hobbs, stepfather of one of the victims in the West Memphis three case:

Mitchell: Now on this particular day the 5th uh do you remember what time you took Pam to work?

Hobbs: When I came when I got home and seen Steve what'n there she told me he had he pose to be home at 4:30 so by the time I got home she was cooking supper and I would walk out to the driveway and to see if I could see em coming down the road on his bicycle cause he riding his new bike and didn't see so we waited around she had to be at work by five and I would go in and out of the house to see if I could see him coming cause I had to take her to work.

He didn't say he looked for Stevie, but that he "would go" or "would walk out" "to see if"

Later in the interview:

Mitchell: ok, what happens then?

Hobbs: I believe I drive around a little bit more looking for em and then just go back to David and Bobbi's house and I drop Amanda off there and I ask David I said will you go help me go try to find these boys. He said come on lets go. Cause he knew Steve up in Blytheville, he knew Pam's first husband and he knew Pam most of her life or all of her life and so working with him seem like a pretty good guy looks like ZZ Top, He had long hair, long beard and so uh he went with me, we drove around he was with me probably 2, 3 o'clock in the morning, May the 6th.

He already established David as a friend, why so much need to explain why David would help him, what David was like...Stalling before sensitivity?

Notice he does not say that he and David "looked" for the boys.

Mitchell: When did you see Pam again?

Hobbs: 'When I picked her up from Work

Mitchell: and you know about what time that was?

Hobbs: It's right at 9 o'clock


He just said he was with David from before he picked up Pam until "2 or 3". But David clearly wasn't with him when he picked up Pam.

Sus said...

Buckley,
I think you are correct. Hobbs stalls with his long explanation of why David goes with him. So what is directly following that is sensitive? "so uh, he went with me." More sensitivity by beginning that phrase with "so uh". He and me are separated by "with." Hobbs then commits to "We drove around...", but as you say, not looking for the boys. Last he ends with, "he was with me, probably 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning." Again Hobbs separates himself from David. I'm venturing to say Hobbs and David did ride around some, but Hobbs knows there were critical other times in the evening he's claiming David as his alibi when David wasn't with him. Hobbs is seeing those times as he speaks.

Sus said...

I am also bothered by the bicycles in this case. Really, really bothered by them. Why do Hobbs and James Kenny Martin mention those bicycles?

Martin named bicycles as an item the perp would take. Stevie Branch was riding a new bicycle that his grandfather bought him the day before...because his was stolen.

In this interview, Hobbs brings up the bicycles as extra info. "...if I could see em comin down the road ON HIS BICYCLE." Why add "on his bicycle"? It's on his mind that he is not so much looking for Stevie as that bicycle. I'm wondering if Stevie wasn't supposed to ride the new bicycle. Or if Hobbs was angry that Pam's dad replaced the stolen one. I would sure like to know the circumstances behind the stolen bike.

Hobbs emphasizes that his focus is on the bicycle by them saying, "...cause he riding his new bike." It begins with CAUSE. It's in present tense. He changes bicycle to bike. Hobbs is saying the reason he's looking for Stevie is because he's on his new bike, not that Pam needs to leave for work. Right?

What does having a new bike have to do with anything? Why did Martin say the perp would take a bike? And why did Martin think a bike was misding?

Sus said...

I'm sorry, but I meant to point out something that may or may not be about the bicycle. Hobbs said "...seen Steve wadnt there." He couldn't see soneone who wasn't there. Impossible. It's my guess he didn't see the new bike when he pulled up.

Buckley said...

Yeah, I think "with" here is more alibi building than bad relationship, though maybe both. He really wants us to know he had someone accompany him. This is more important than "looked" which he doesn't mention at this time. I think the time between picking David up and getting Pam is critical.

Buckley said...

Here's something else I noticed about Hobbs' speech. There are times that he creates a sort of dialogue- it can be seen above when he asked David to go with him, in another part when he meets Mark Byers (who openly accused him) the first time, and when he picks up Pam and she says she thinks Stevie is dead. I'm going to go back and see if I can find more examples- it may be a "tell" of his or a sign of story building.

Anonymous said...

Brian Williams sat on the same bus as Rosa Parks that day.

Kellie said...

OT On Terry Hobbs

David Jacoby tells an entirely different story than Terry Hobbs tells about that evening. I watched a really good clip about it. I'll dig it up!

Nearly all of Terry Hobbs language troubles me, but at this point I don't have any confidence in my ability to apply SA in a structured way. It's just instincts at this point for me. The biggest thing that jumps out at me is the way he rambles on and doesn't give a straight answer to a simple question. Also his inappropriate laughter at things that I wouldn't expect anyone to find humorous.

Sus said...

David Jakoby has changed his story several times. I believe in the latest he wasn't with Terry Hobbs for much of the night. I need to find Jacoby's quotes, but I remamber two things that stood out to me.

When Hobbs left David Jakoby's house the first time (after playing guitars), he said Stevie was to be home before dark and he was going to check IF he was home.

1. When did he tell him to be home before dark? In all other accounts Stevie was to be home by 4:30. If this is correct, Hobbs had to have spoken to Stevie sometime before he went to Jakoby's.

2. I know David Jakoby used the word IF. That's unexepected. I would expect him to say Hobbs went home because Stevie WAS to be home before dark. IF leaves open the possibility he wasn't coming home long before they supposedly knew Stevie was not.

Last, nothing to do with their statements. I have never seen an interview of Bobbi Jakoby, David's wife. She babysat Amanda Hobbs that night. She was a witness to both her husband's and Terry Hobb's comings and goings. Both men could use her as an alibi, OR NOT. I want to hear from Bobbi Jakoby.

Kellie said...

Great idea Sus!

I wonder if any statements from her exist. I will see what I can dig up!

The most interesting clip I've seen with Jacoby and Hobbs was the bugged conversation. I haven't found it yet, but I'm sure I will.

Buckley said...

Sus- Jacoby's statement is a mess of language. He "doesn't remember" some things, but the bike is noted repeatedly and he remembers and notes, after almost 15 years, that Stevie's grandad bought that bike.

Buckley said...

Mitchell: I got you I know the area. Back in May of l993 well actually May the 5th what I'm looking to do is kinda pick your brain and tell me what you remember from that day and any contact that you might have had with Terry and Pam Hobbs during that day, that night into the next day.

Jacoby: Ok uh I wanna say on that day Terry had came by my house maybe like 5:30/6 o'clock, and uh we been over several time we play the guitar together and uh he'd come over and I believe he had his little daughter with him. Uh and we played the guitar for a while and he got up and said that uh he had to go see if Steve was home or somehow the conversation came up I believe I ask where Steve was ask. And he said he was out riding his bike that his grand paw had bought him. Its been so long ago you know it may not be in the right order but I know he did come over around 5:30/6 o'clock and we played the guitar for a while and then he said he had to go. And uh Steve was suppose to come by (not audible) before dark I thank it was bout yeah it was bout this time a year it git dark around 8 o'clock or so, and he said he told em to be back before dark.

Mitchell: How long did y'all play guitar together? How long you thank he was over there before look for him.

Jacoby: Man I'd say at least an hour.

Mitchell: Ok and y'all both play?

Jacoby: Yeah

Mitchell: now when he came over to your house did he have his little girl?

(Page 4)


Jacoby: Uh yeah I'm pretty sure he did uh you know normally when they come over it was all of em. You know unless his wife was working and he'd have the kids with him.

Mitchell: Do you know where his wife Pam was that day?

Jacoby: I believe working yeah I believed she worked that night because later that night or that evening she came by and told us that they still hadn't found Steve.

Mitchell: now uh when Terry left said he had to go check see if Steve was home, did he take his little girl with him or did she stay there or...

Jacoby: I honestly can't remember. My wife watch that kid so many times while they you know went places and I really, I'm thanking she went with him I you know I just couldn't swear to it man it's just been so long.

Buckley said...



Mitchell: Certainly we're talking fourteen years ago. Did you and when Terry left did you see him anymore that night?

Jacoby: yeah a couple more times uh at one point that night when he came back uh I thank I went with him to look for the kid uh we rode down the road towards I thank that's Barton street? Going out towards those apartment where what's that place there's Robin Hood apartment what ever they call it.

Mitchell: Yeah Robin hood hills.

Jacoby: them apartments name Robin Hill or something like that over there.

Mitchell: Uh well their some apartments that are called Mayfair.

Jacoby: all right that may have been it, but it's right off Barton st. thought right?

Mitchell: Yes sir.

Jacoby: and it will be Barton St. though right?

Mitchell: Yeah yes sir.

Jacoby: it'll be off Barton uh the sequence I just I can't I'm just not really sure I mean if was uh I know at one time me and him did go look and then his wife had come by and she was hysterical and uh I'm thanking he pulled off ahead of her so I got in her car with her and we drove to ah school were the cub scouts meet up or something thought maybe he was over there. And uh I don't remember before or after if this was before or after but we wound up walking threw those woods with her dad and some people was from out that neighborhood. Uh I was out I mean I was out until like 3 o'clock that morning with em. Uh not all together everybody was kinda of branched off.

Mitchell: when you first started looking help them look for Steve was it day light or was it dark.

Jacoby: no sir I thank it was getting it was sanking it was real you know really close to dark.

Mitchell: Ok uh

Jacoby: well yeah it was because when I first went out there uh we what'n there long and I told em I had some flash lights and we went I was thanking Terry brought me back
home to git some flash lights and we went back looking. Man it's just so hard to remember how it went down.

Buckley said...

Mitchell: Did you actually go into that wooded area that Robin Hood area?

Jacoby: Yes sir.

Mitchell: What'll you remember seeing?

Jacoby: at one point we got to ah ditch I remember seeing some foot prints going down I know it was bicycle tire prints going down in the ditch and then we got up to [self corrects] ah there was a pipe that crossed the ditch got up to walk across that pipe and there was some muddy footprints on the pipe. And uh that I can remember that I just don't remember I thank we went on across the pipe and walked on threw you know down along the ditch bank and threw more woods.

Mitchell: You remember who, who can you remember that went into that wooded area that night?

Jacoby: uh myself, Terry, Mark Byers, shoot Mr. Hicks, Jackie Hicks, that's bout all I can remember name wise I thank there was some other people behind us or maybe a little further ahead of us or something there, cause you know I could here em calling for the kids calling em by name.

Mitchell: Are those the only one you knew thought.

Jacoby: Yeah that's the only I really knew you know that I could say for sure was there.

Mitchell: who is Jackie Hicks?

Jacoby: pardon.

Mitchell: Who is Jackie Hicks?


Jacoby: That was Pams dad he passed away last year I believe. That was Steve grand paw he's the one that bought him the new bike that where I was told he was at you know riding that new bike.

Mitchell: now uh do you uh let me thank here what I'm asking. Uh was there anything unusual at all that night about anybody the way anybody was acting anybody demeanor or anything? Uh you know Pam, Terry I mean there're looking for their child.

Jacoby: Yeah I really not that I can just thank of Terry is normal low keyed you know every time I seen him. And best I can remember that night you know uh that he came over he was fine you know I mean I didn't notice anything unusual he just like normal he come in sit down you know and we pick up a guitar play a little bit before he picked his wife up uh like I said he got up and left said he had to go check see if Steve had made it in or man I really can't remember. Sometimes you know he came over and Steve came by the house before dark you know. And he throw his bicycle in the back of the truck they only lived you know a couple blocks away from me where I lived on north l7th. But I really I couldn't you know I didn't as far as I can remember man there was no difference in his demeanor or anything.

Buckley said...

Just to add- I find that last part of the statement really unexpected. He was normal, he was normal, he was normal I can't remember, I can't remember, I can't remember. Am I wrong that there are BIG flags he is leaving something out?

Kellie said...

Buckley, I think there are huge flags all over Hobbs and Jacoby. Maybe Peter will weigh in on some of these statements. I hope so! :)

Kellie said...

Oh wait! I just remembered Peter mentioning that cases involving step-fathers are difficult for him. If that is still the case I apologize Peter. :(

I too have problems with those situations. Hits too close to home!

Sus said...

I am biased in this case. I'm trying not to be. I keep looking for honesty in Jacobys statements because I can't fathom a motive. He kills three boys to help a friend? But, I agree, I'm seeing red flags.

One is that he's also talking about the new bike. Why were they all so concerned about that new bike from Grandpa?

A second being that he can't remember so much. Three boys murdered, one of them the son of his close friends that came to his house at least twice per week. He spent the night of the murder with the step father. He searched for them. I don't buy that he can't remember.

Kellie said...

I am definitely biased Sus, due to personal experience. I don't understand yet how to move beyond that or reach a point of knowing that I am actually acting free of bias. Still pretty confused on that one.

I'm working on pulling a clip from the doc West Memphis Three. Jacoby and Hobbs. Ya gotta see it!

Sus said...

Wow Kellie,
I just tonight found that Jacoby and his wife were in West of Memphis. I guess that interview tells what he was deceiving about in the 2007 and Pasdar statements...Hobbs was alone much more than Jacoby originally said. Also notice that Jacoby no longer says Hobbs was easy going. He said he had to stop Hobbs from beating Steve's ass! It's interesting that Jacoby can remember so little at 14 years, but at 19 years he suddenly even recalls the song they played on the guitar.

Sus said...

A comment I found by the daughter of David and Bobbi Jacoby, 2013:
"I have heard this ab Swindle representing my mom, my mom and dad split ab 6 months ago she pretty much is addicted to pills and my dad just couldn't take it anymore. for the last week or so people have told me that pam and swindle have been over at my moms, then my moms calls my dad leaves multiple voicemails saying he will get whats coming to him and she will ruin his whole life, then this happened. i do not have a very good relationship with my mom but i am aware that she is very mad that my dad has left her, when i confronted her ab pam and swindle being there all she would say was that you think ur dads made of gold, how he left her there with no money etc..."

This post shows where David Jacoby's wife stands, or where she was in 2013 right after the accusations of Hobbs and he as the murderers.

Kellie said...

Double wow Sus!

If I'm understanding you, you've seen West of Memphis? The thing that really got me is the phone call between Jacoby and Hobbs. There is definitely something out of line between those two! I'm trying to make a clip of that, but my editing software isn't cooperating with me today lol

Still trying to dig up info on Bobbyie (strange spelling but seems to be what she uses) Jacoby