“Certain behavioral traits, like averting eye contact, could be cultural and not indicative of a liar,” says Joseph Buckley, president of John E. Reid & Associates, which has provided interview and interrogation training to more than 500,000 law enforcement agents to date.
Liars are often reluctant to admit ordinary storytelling mistakes. When honest people tell stories, they may realize partway through that they left out some details and would unselfconsciously backtrack to fill in holes. They also may realize a previous statement wasn’t quite right, and go back and explain further. Liars, on the other hand, “are worried that someone might catch them in a lie and are reluctant to admit to such ordinary imperfections,” says DePaulo.
Yet another clue: imprecise pronouns. To psychologically distance themselves from a lie, people often pepper their tales with second- and third-person pronouns like “you,” “we” and “they,” says Hancock. Liars are also more likely to ask that questions be repeated and begin responses with phrases like, “to tell you the truth,” and “to be perfectly honest,” says Reid.
When telling the truth, people often make hand gestures to the rhythm of their speech. Hands emphasize points or phrases–a natural and compelling technique when they actually believe the points they’re making. The less certain will keep gesticulations in check, says Hancock.
THE street price of cocaine varies enormously. The drug costs less in South and Central America, where most cocaine is produced, but it is also low in Morocco, a trafficking destination. Worldwide, prices range from $2 a gram in Panama to over $300 in New Zealand, according to the UN’s World Drug Report. Generally, the farther away a country from the main producers and the more isolated it is, the higher the price charged. The priciest places for a cocaine habit are New Zealand and Australia, where a gram typically costs $312 and $285 respectively. Prices in Canada and America, after years of cheaper drugs for Canadians, are now on a par at around $97 a gram.
A brazen gangland murder has shed rare light on Australia’s seamy underworld and captivated the public with surreal details of a mob scene that has already inspired a smash-hit television series.
Desmond “Tuppence” Moran became the latest victim of Melbourne’s notorious crime wars last Monday, when balaclava-clad gunmen surprised him in the Ascot Pasta and Deli Cafe and shot him several times.
Within hours, police were unravelling an incestuous and amateurish plot allegedly implicating close relatives of the victim and associates with colourful pasts and nicknames to match.
Accused killer Geoffrey “Nuts” Amour appeared in court sporting a black eye, while Moran’s sister-in-law Judy, who arrived at the crime scene within minutes crying “Dessie, Dessie,” has been arrested as an accomplice to murder.
Police searches reportedly turned up the getaway car, a self-loading rifle, pistols and a wig. Amour’s girlfriend Suzanne Kane, a member of another crime family closely linked to the Morans, was also arrested.
On Tuesday, a mysterious blaze broke out at Judy Moran’s home as she languished in a police cell, prompting suspicions of either a reprisal attack or an attempt to torch evidence. Arson investigators are probing the blaze.
“Fact is almost stranger than fiction with what we’ve seen,” said Victoria police commissioner Simon Overland.
“Whoever hatched this plan, it was their first attempt at it. It was a dog’s dinner — a pig’s breakfast of a plan,” he scoffed.
Media have also spoken of the Moran family’s “missing millions” and attempted to untangle the web of murders and grudges that wrapped Melbourne in a nine-year turf war and inspired the popular “Underbelly” TV show.
The multi-award winning series was one of Australia’s top-rating shows last year, even though it could not be shown in Melbourne because some of the characters depicted were still facing trial in real life.
Among the underworld identities it dramatised was Judy Moran, a flashy 64-year-old blonde known as the family’s matriarch, who lost her husband Lewis and sons Mark and Jason to battles with the rival Williams clan.
Mark was shot outside his home in 2000, while hitmen murdered Jason in 2003 as he picked up his children from a football match, prompting a theatrical graveside threat from his mother.
“All will be dealt with, my darling,” Judy Moran famously vowed as she leant over her son’s coffin.
Husband Lewis, leader of the clan, survived until 2004 when he was chased through the Brunswick Club pub by a shotgun-toting assassin and dispatched as he cowered in a corner.
Kane, the alleged accomplice in Monday’s killing, also has a bloody past, starting from 1978 when she, her mother and her sister were locked in a bedroom by gunmen who executed her father, Les, with machine guns fitted with silencers.
Four years later, Suzanne’s uncle Brian Kane was killed by masked gunmen as he drank in a Melbourne bar, while her sister Trisha is Jason Moran’s widow.
With about 30 dead and gang boss Carl Williams in prison, Melbourne may have thought it had seen the last of its gang wars — until last week.
However, police and experts believe the murder is unlikely to spark another round of killing, speculating that the hit was prompted by simmering bad blood and a row over money.
“It’s just another insane chapter in an insane story. If you told a donkey this, he’d kick you in the head for telling lies,” Chopper Read told the Daily Telegraph.
Over the last six months or so, people have been constantly asking me things like: “Michael, what’s your thoughts on Facebook and Game?” and “Yo, G what is your take on the iPhone?” and drivel like, “Does an International Playboy Twitter?”
Here is my take:
Facebook
Admittedly, I am a very low-tech person. Call me Miguel Analog instead of Michael Digital. But I do keep up with tech trends because I am friends with some Tech Crim Crews and they tell me I should open accounts on these things. (Here is my Facebook and Twitter)
In fact, I was happy with the days of pay phones.
Facebook, however has completely taken over nightlife with the rise of the Beta Male, Hipster and Wimpsters.
Every time you enter the club, cameras are going off like crazy. I have mentioned before how I always avoid “Party Pics”. For no other reason, that I cannot be placed in a certain place and a certain time. I may need to “snuff” someone after all. Or pull a Heist.
It is getting so ridiculous that the other night, I went to a wine bar opening and some “legendary” (I am using that term loosely here) Nightlife Photographer was trying to take a snap of me while I was trying to “Vicky Christina” these two fly girls. I quickly covered his lens and “accidentally” pushed the digi cam into his eye socket possibly a little too hard. (An accident, I swear).
Young girls these days are snapping non-stop pictures in the club destined for Facebook. It seems like today’s youth is more concerned with documenting the night than actually enjoying it.
I have said it before, and I will say it again, the most popular drug this decade: Celebrity.
I wish we would go back to beeks and beans.
Young girls also can’t seem to shut up about Facebook. I swooped this ideal girl on paper (parents with long dough, half-latina, close to beautiful, feminine, crib on a cliff overlooking the beach in one of Southern California’s most exclusive beach towns etc), but I had to 86 her after hearing her and her friends yap about “de-friending” and “friending” and crap for an hour. It was painful. If I had some heron I would have snorted it.
Facebook has also given rise to a “Facebook Player” of sorts. Typically, some young Hipster/Wimpster that pitches girls all day long on Facebook while wearing a fedora.
Every time you have some kind of sitdown or meal with a bunch of cats, trying to conduct some biz, there is always at least one f$ckhead going on and on about how much he loves his iPhone.
And it is always an unsolicited conversation. “I love how functional the iPhone is!”, and “Check out this new app!” or “This touch screen is so responsive!”
Look you nonce, first of all, I didn’t ask you about your iPhone. Second, I change cell phones every month, so I typically buy some weesh one I can toss. And third, I don’t even really know what an “app” is.
Girls are always flicking around on their iPhone screen trying to show you some “Party Pics”, that I have no interest in.
I still don’t really understand Twitter. The way I look at it is if you were having a great time, you have no time to “tweat” or whatever it is called.
I am always busy and pulling dope moves, hence my minimal “tweatering”.