Liam McAtasney on 20/20

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If you caught 20/20 this past weekend, they featured the story of Sarah Stern’s murder. The story was surreal to watch. You get to witness the accused and convicted killer talk in open-frankness about his deeds. It’s something you rarely get to see. I warn you, it’s stunning and horrific at the same time.

Liam McAtasney, the man who killed Sarah, comes across as emotionally void as you can get. He is haunting to the core. But I also get the sense he was highly intelligent.

Intelligent you say? Then how come he got caught? If he was that smart, he wouldn’t have been caught!

Well, actually, that isn’t necessarily true.

Intelligence is no match for arrogance. Arrogance will always trip even the most intelligent people. People like McAtasney lie and successfully manipulate people so much and so often that they start to feel invincible. They can do and get away with so many things–they start to feel supremely intelligent and smarter than everyone around them. They do bolder and bolder things until they commit these heinous crimes convinced no one will be the wiser. I see McAtasney as this type of person.

The other part of the story I found fascinating was why McAtasney went to his filmmaker friend. Do you have a sense of why he did that?

Was it guilt plaguing him? Was he itching to get this crime off of his chest?

I would argue, no, that is not why he went to his friend. He didn’t have an ounce of regret or remorse–not in the slightest.

Watching McAtasney confess, it was clear to me that it wasn’t enough that he killed sweet Sarah and got her money–that didn’t fulfill his needs. No, he needed to be given attention for his supreme intellect. He wanted to be seen as the outrageously smart, intelligent man he saw himself as, and be admired for it. He wanted to impress his friend with how clever he was–how he managed to do this most incredible feat and get away with it! He smiles multiple times talking to his friend as he confesses to his disgusting murder.

Pretty twisted, of course, but thank god he had that need to do this. His arrogance tripped him! Without the cooperation of his friend who worked with the police to capture his twisted thoughts, McAtasney may have gotten away with his crime.

For me, McAtasney and his roommate were full of hot spots in every interview.


Computer-generated Fake Faces

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Last week I wrote about how rapidly advancing computer technology is making it possible to manipulate people in videos to look like they are doing and saying things they are not. If you didn’t read it, click here.  It’s quite scary! Now, Nvidia has used artificial intelligence to create “fake people” who look very realistic! You have to check this out!

With all the claims of “fakes” these days, I think it is good we are aware of the potential fakes that can exist and how to spot them.

There are some good sources out there for you to learn how to spot these computer generated fakes as well.

Check out these two good sources:
AI can generate fake faces now. Here’s how to spot them
and
How to recognize fake AI-generated images

Are you good at spotting fakes

Deepfake Videos

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We all know that videos and photos can be manipulated. Hollywood and the art world have done it for a long time. But the technology to do this has been rapidly advancing, and it’s becoming easier and easier for more people to do.

With computer learning advancing at lightening-speed, it is now possible to have one person morph their voice, facial expressions or body movements on to another person in a video with software. You give the computer videos of the person you want to make talk and interact, and it studies the details to make it happen! Hence, the intense data crunching makes identifying these videos as a fake very challenging.

Experts are now worry about the dark consequences of deepfakes. If you haven’t heard of them before, it’s worth your time to learn about them. The dark uses of these videos can be very scary on many levels! Experts tell us it’s just a matter of time before it gets used in ways that could have huge consequences, such as warfare.

Sure, people have done it before the advances in computer intelligence, but it required massive skills, time and effort, and it didn’t look as convincing. However, that day has changed.

CNN put together information on deepfakes that is absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend reading what they present.

They also have a QUIZ–give it a look! How good are you good at spotting deep fakes?

Gable Tostee and Warriena Wright

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Hello! Hello! I’m still here after much silence! I’m feeling better, have made some great progress and I’m feeling hopeful again! I will be sharing that story in the coming weeks. Now for this post!

A reader of the blog sent me the story of Warriena Wright and Gable Tostee out of Australia, and I must tell you the story presented on Australia’s 60 Minutes is JAW-DROPPING!

Gable Tostee’s behavior is utterly stunning, and I am posting this because I think ALL PEOPLE with compassion need to see this with their own eyes to believe it.

We can’t imagine people like Tostee exist, but they do. They take advantage of people, disregard them like a used piece of trash, and some of them kill. Yes, you know it, but you don’t believe what they actually think until you see it so boldly as shown in these videos with your own eyes. I’ve posted two segments–watch both!

We all know murderers exist, of course.

We are well aware of it in our conscious mind, but what our conscious mind doesn’t allow is that WE, ourselves, could KNOW a person that is capable of murder.

We want to think that monster lives far away from us and can’t touch us. They are too rare. We can’t handle the thought that this type of person could be in our group of friends or acquaintances. Or even a member of our own family. It just can’t be!

But I am here to tell you that people with these personality traits are EVERYWHERE and you probably do know people who are like what you see here. They are brothers, sisters, cousins–family members–or family members of people we know–just like everyone else.

They are in highly visible places and esteemed positions mingling among us–eating right along side you. Not all of them kill, but they are capable of it.

It’s just rare to find these cold and callous people speak so openly and so arrogantly. They usually try to hide it with charm, false pretenses and lies.

And our problem? Because we can’t believe it, and we go into denial at the hint of these behaviors when we see “off” behavior, and we excuse it!!!

I’ve heard people defend these types: “It was just a bad day,” or “He really didn’t mean that.” People will get defensive at their isolated selfish displays because we all have moments!

Never excuse cold behavior. Ever. Let the person who transgressed do it for themselves and judge it accordingly.

This story is nauseating to the core. I truly felt sick after watching it but I feel it is that imperative that people see the type of people who live among us.

Never accept people in your life are selfish and arrogant, who put themselves first over others because you will ever ever have a positive outcome in that type of relationship. I promise you. Run and run fast!

My heart goes out to Warriena Wright’s family.

Christine Blasey Ford’s Opening Testimony: Vote

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Here is the opening testimony of Dr. Ford, the woman who is accusing Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, of sexually assaulting her.

Do you find her credible?  Please vote below.

Reading the responses online and on twitter, I’m sensing there will be a split in the opinions on this, so let’s see!

I also posted my analysis of Brett Kavanaugh on Fox in the post below if you haven’t seen it. I will also be watching him testify today as well.

Feel free to insert links and time markers if you have questions and you are interested in my thoughts. I will pick a couple and respond.

VOTE
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