Please Send Positive Thoughts…

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Update 4:30 PM: Thanks for all the thoughts. My cousin has come out of surgery, and the news looks encouraging 🙂

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My cousin was just diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago, and she has just gone into surgery in the past half hour. It would really be comforting for me and my family to know that there are people out there sending her positive thoughts and wishes to her for a good outcome and a speedy recovery. She won’t know the extent of her illness until after surgery and after the pathology is returned next week. I’m on pins and needles.

She will be in surgery for four hours. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. If you want to leave a message for Carol, you can do so here, and when she feels up to it, I will share it with her.

Eyes

Thomas Morphey

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ABC’s Chris Cuomo interviewed Thomas Morphey a few weeks back, and many of you have asked for my opinion. Thomas Morphey is Drew Peterson’s stepbrother.

Is Morphey being honest with us? You can watch him speak here.

When I watch Morphey speak, I see a man who is casual and relaxed. He is not uptight, stressed or worried, which matches his demeanor when I look at his face. I suspect, by looking at Morphey, that he is an easy-going guy in real life and isn’t demanding, nor is he highly driven. He is likely very accepting of people, and it would not surprise me that Peterson knew this, picked up on it and knew that Morphey was the perfect candidate to assist him, because he was easily malleable.

Read moreIn the interview, we learn that Morphey was diagnosed with bi-polar several years ago, and that he suffered from abuse and addiction issues. Furthermore, we find out that Morphey was drinking the night he talks about meeting up with Drew Peterson, but according to Cuomo, he still remembers that night. And we all know that Morphey ended up trying to commit suicide after he helped Peterson move a blue barrel.

With that, it is not surprising that Cuomo talks about how Morphey has not been called to testify in front of a grand jury. There is no doubt that Morphey has credibility issues which Morphey, himself admits to. However, when I watch Morphey speak, I believe he is being honest with us about what transpired between himself and Peterson.

Morphey says a few odd things, but they don’t alert me that he is lying. He says that when Peterson asked him how much he (Morphey) loved Peterson, Morphy didn’t say how much, he just said “I do.” He doesn’t answer the question. That could be because he doesn’t want to admit exactly what he said on TV for fear he’ll be ridiculed, or maybe it was just a slip of the tongue, since he is on camera. Either way, while it is odd, it doesn’t mean terribly much to me.

Cuomo also tells us that Morphey said he was afraid of Peterson, yet in another sentence, Morphey said that he trusted Peterson. We typically don’t trust people we are afraid of, yet when I look closely at the second statement Morphy said about trusting Peterson, he says it off the top of his tongue, without giving it much thought. Often times when we are put on the spot, like Morphey was here, we say things, that if we had given it thought, we wouldn’t have said, so I don’t put too much into this, either.

What would be Morphey’s motivation to lie at this point? I think that is key.

Morphey doesn’t hit me as a vengeful person, first and foremost, so I feel confident discounting that. Second, I don’t think it would gain Morphey anything to come out publicly, and accuse Peterson, when at the same time, he is admitting to all of his own issues. Going public with all of Morphey’s issues won’t help him any, that’s for sure.

Morphey, in my opinion, is actually being quite brave to go on television, to admit to all of his credibility issues and furthermore to admit that he thinks he helped Peterson move a dead body. You have to admire the guy at this point for being so frank. Just sadly, I don’t think Morphey will be called as witness in Peterson’s trial, should it ever make it that far.

NOTE: Regarding the other story suggestions, the video link that was supplied for the Crystal Sheffield request is not the right video. Also the other link is unavailable now for days. For me to do that story, I need updated video links. Just post them in the comment section. Thanks!


Rodriguez, Suleman and Captain Sully

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I don’t think it is any surprise, I’m a people watcher. I love to watch people, and with that, I’ve learned a few things over the years that I thought I would share with you!

Read moreHave you ever considered that arrogant people tend to be deceptive more than the average person? That is not to say that all arrogant people lie, or all liars are arrogant. It is just one trait that instantly puts me on notice. Another trait that makes me cautious is a lack of compassion. People who are unable to feel for other people are more prone to lying. Without compassion, one has more potential to do harm. Paying close attention to this could save you from becoming another victim of deceit, or worse.

Arrogant people are pretentious and seem to have a superiority complex about them. I believe arrogance actually comes from feelings of insecurity. Arrogant people, deep down inside, don’t feel worthy, so they feign confidence, resulting in arrogance. Therefore, lying in these circumstances is not a far-fetched concept.

Look at Alex Rodriguez. When he confessed to using steroids a few weeks back, the arrogant and staunch man we saw in 2007 was suddenly gone. Now before us was a much more humbled man. The change is notable (though I would not call Rodriguez humble by any means).

Look at Nadya Suleman with her 14 children. She shows a total disregard for her entire family. Not only did she show no compassion for her children and their needs, she has put all her responsibilities on her aging mother. Worse, without any way to care for or support her children, she decided to have more. This shows a complete disregard and lack of compassion for anyone. With that, we know Suleman has a much higher propensity to be deceptive, or worse. As a general rule, Suleman is not someone I would trust.

On the flip side, however, confident people are self-assured. They know their strengths are solid and they have no need to over-inflate anything. Their confidence comes deep from within. Add to confidence, a sense of humility, and you have the opposite of arrogance. You have the traits of someone who is most likely going to be very trustworthy and moreover, compassionate. Think about Captain “Sully”, from U.S. Airways flight 1549. He is confident, self-assured, and exceptionally humble. He also demonstrated amazing compassion. Captain Sully, even before his heroic landing, is someone who I would have implicitly trusted.

Matt Baker Indicted on Murder Charge

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There is breaking news in the case of Kari and Matt Baker. Matt has been indicated on murder charges by a grand jury involving the death of his wife, Kari, who was found in the couple’s home back in April 2006. Matt Baker, at the time, claimed it was a suicide, but Kari Baker’s family didn’t buy it.

You can read all of my posts on this case by clicking here. Posts are published from newest to oldest.

The Powers of Observation

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The other night, my husband and I went out to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant. We walked in the front door, and we were the only two guests in the entrance. There was a man behind the desk who looked up at us as we walked in. He was tall, slightly stocky, had sandy blond hair, and boyish features. I suspect he was in his mid-twenties.

Read moreWhen this man’s eyes met mine, I noticed he was startled. I thought it was odd. It’s rare to see someone startled when you walk into a restaurant. Then he grabbed some paperwork on the counter and shuffled it, but he didn’t look at it. He just took the papers and moved them from one hand to the other as he watched us approach.

Without a conscious thought, my brain kicked in and said to me, “He must be new!” before I could even rationalize all that just occurred in the seconds it took me to walk the 10 feet to the counter.

“Good evening,” he said. “How are you tonight?” He grabbed two menus and brought us to our seats. Once we were comfortable, he came back and introduced himself.

“Hi. I’m John. I’ll be your server today. Would you like the à la carte menu today?”

“Yes, actually we would. Thanks!” I replied back as he handed them to us.

He laughed. “You’re going to put me to the test today, aren’t you?” He cracked a slight smile.

For those of you who don’t eat sushi, eating à la carte is more complex and involved. You have to know the different fish, rolls and wraps, etc. Many people even order them by their Japanese name.

I couldn’t help but jump in. I said, “We are going to put you to the test, but don’t worry, we don’t bite. I promise. Are you new here?”

To no surprise of mine, he said, “Yes, this is my second day.”

We placed the order for our appetizers.

When the waiter left, I was dying to say to my husband, “I knew it!! I knew it!!! I knew he was new! It was written all over his face. Did you see it?? Did you see it??”

My husband, who thankfully allows me all the space to share everything I see, laughed and said, “No. I missed it. Sorry.” You could tell I was blind-siding him with this information out of nowhere!

It was a fascinating experience for me to pick up on such small nuances. I am becoming more consciously aware of how I process things subconsciously and instantaneously.

This man showed two emotions. His face expressed fear as we walked in. He was startled. I have no idea, if he showed it as a macro or micro expression, but he clearly expressed surprise. However, I am not sure how I registered the fear.

Did he express it on his face alone, or did I pick up on his body language (paper shuffling), or was it a combination of both? I have no idea because it all happened so fast that it became a blur once I started to put the pieces together. But it just amazes me how my brain connected those two emotions and knew instantly it meant that he had to be new. If I was asked to do that consciously, I think it would have taken me several minutes to come to that conclusion.

My subconscious brain comes to conclusions long before my conscious brain has even had time to analyze things. I’ve learned, however, if I can slow down what just happened, seconds after it happens, and go through it step-by-step, I can often learn from it. I can connect some of the dots consciously that I subconsciously put together without being aware of it. Does that make sense?

On a happy ending, the man was an excellent waiter. He has a bright future, if he keeps this as a career choice. He was top-notch, his timing was excellent and his service superb. I hope I calmed his nerves, because when we left, I told the owner right in front of him that his new employee was outstanding!