I don't see a lot of happy camaraderie here. Too bad.

Those people don't realize just how lucky they are.

There's two guys with folded arms there.

Without the photos of their greeting, and parting, you can't tell anything.

As a nurse, I was trained to read body language.

It does not lie.

However, the one picture did not convey the complete scene.

Body language is often unconsciously done.

Spare me your contempt.

Spare me your amateur reading of body language. Sorry, but being a nurse doesn't make you an expert. The guys are smiling, and in the other pic their arms are down.

So, there were no smiles for me to see. Of course I recognize smiles. Only the second picture had been posted, and nobody is smiling in that one.

that one pic wasn't a very good portrait of the meeting, was it? Sorry for the confusion and acrimony.

A little acrimony is good for me!

I get tired of being sweet all the time...

for real CalPeg, I'm rolling on the floor with that zinger! Dana ; )

just soOOO cute!

to turn down Limpballs so he wouldn't have to shout.

but then in the second picture they looked relaxed and smiling. Maybe they were just nervous...I mean, who wouldn't be with a surprise visit of the President to your workplace...maybe the firehouse wasn't spiffed up very well and they were caught off guard. They crossed arms might have just been surprise and a bit bewilderment...

so maybe that is later on in the meeting (lol - after the free beer?) ... !! At any rate I give him credit for reaching out to folks like that. I can just picture Romney in the same situation "Wow, you folks must need a really big elevator".

and the authors say that this posture could construed as defensive if it is combined with other indicators, but alone it cannot be a definitive indication. People do this for many reasons.

and I suspect he is a full grain mash brewer that doesn't mess around with that silly malt extract the White House uses. A reasonable analogy might be: Full grain brewing is an art akin to fly fishing on a wild river while malt extract brewing is essentially bait fishing in a stocked pond.

the body language

votes.

much happiness in seeing him...Folded arms are a sign of being "closed off".

I guess the way he's got his hand on his hips means he doesn't like beer.



utaustinliberal ?@utaustinliberal

Pres. Obama presents his white house home-brewed beer to firefighters in Norfolk, Virginia. #FourMoreBeers pic.twitter.com/F1QkYD3V

Unless you're completely unfamiliar with psychological concepts.

Maybe you should try giving it a rest.

"No sleep until November. We're going to be working every minute."—@SandraFluke at... http://dlvr.it/25yln1

Seriously... they are SMILING.

What I saw in the first picture looked like classic rejection.

I was trained to read body language in nursing school, BTW.

It does not lie.

However, the one picture did not convey the whole scene.

. . . I seriously doubt there was one firefighter there who 'rejected' that offer.

headline on Fox News!

I based my interpretation on the one picture that you'd posted.

I call 'em as I see 'em!

. . . but that's just me.

Like, I see a guy there with his hand fishing around in his pocket . . . obviously means he's happy to see the President.

and that's "just me" too.

I found a tweet and a pic and I found some more later. That's just how it is when you look for and find stuff on the web. I can't make posts worrying about what every tangential reaction might be; I simply can't take responsibility for your responses.

I do think that it's a bogus way of discerning how these folks actually felt about the POTUS and his visit. Anyone could just as easily (and credibly) claim just the opposite of your reaction.

crap on your post, in fact I think everyone here is HAPPY to see other pics that

show just the opposite.

People familiar with psychology, though, tend to trust the concept of "body language".

It's been around for a long time, and lots of people are familiar with some of the more basic "messages",

like the arm folding.

Remember former Sr. Bill Frist? You made a snap judgement based on a single photo. If that were an xray, you'd be guilty of malpractice.

. . .cheers fellows!

"Is Obama Encouraging Alcoholism?"
"Socialism: Obama Handing Out Free Beer"

The President is trying to buy votes with beer! Chicago style politics!!!

Mormons don't allow alcohol or even caffiene.

How long will be it until some right-wing source jumps out and accuses him of trying to buy votes with beer. If I don't see something like that in the next 24 hours, I will be very surprised.

Thanks for posting this great picture. What a great idea President Obama had.

Sam

To me, it appears as if they are barely being polite.

. . . and he couldn't have done any better than this.

I think the psychoanalysis on this thread from these photos is pretty bogus, tho.

I see people engaged in a conversation at work, on duty. They stand like most police/troops/firefighters stand. It's funny, they usually stand like that at work. Feet apart, hands behind the back or folded. I see smiles in the pics, I see people having a good discussion.

The armchair body language experts fail to notice that the President's facial expression and body language MATCH the other people there. Do these armchair experts know what he's talking about? Is he talking about being first responders? Is he talking about Romney's comments that we have too many firefighters and teachers???

Some people see a photo of a pony, and point out the pile of poop in the corner of the corral.