Well, did Obama bow to the Saudi King?

As some folks know, I work as a supply teacher, mostly on long-term contracts. I have been doing this work for a few years now and it suits me; it puts food on the table.

Now, during the time I've been doing this work, I have developed one or two scientific theories, which I am about to release to the world. The first, which is verifiable without the use of sophisticated equipment is this: if someone's lips are moving and a sound is coming out, that person is almost certainly the one who is talking. There are attempts every day in my working life to discredit this theory, when the person identified as having moved their lips, turns to their neighbours, arms out, hands palm upwards, in that gesture of, "I ain't dun nuffin'. It weren't me. Woz it me?" However, I persist with my conclusion: the lips move; a sound comes out; one of us is a few sandwiches short of a picnic and it's not me!

I have also studied the science of trajectory, parabolas and follow-through arm movements. If I see someone's arm move in a wide arc, back to front, and a paper projectile follows a parabolic route from the person's hand, as the arm follows through and returns to a position lateral to the body, I can be almost 100% sure that I can believe the evidence of my senses; that person was the one who just threw the paper airoplane!

So, just cal me Little Lucy Sharp Eyes. Hey! I can even tell if someone is doing a text message under the table! The head is down, the arms are symmetrical and even under a shirt, I can see the brachioradialis muscles twitching!

So, Little Lucy Sharp Eyes examines Obama greeting the Saudi King. Exhibit number one: does he bow from the waist, like a half-shut knife? Looks rather like it to me. Look closely at 50-55 seconds on this video.



But lookee here! In the Chicago Sun-Times, an Obama aide, figuratively, does that hands out innocent gesture.

Chicago Sun-Times April 8th 2009

"An Obama aide speaking anonymously denied that the president was bowing.

“It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,” the aide was quoted as saying by Politco.com Wednesday."

Yea right! Have another look at the video. Obama was a good three feet away from the Saudi King when his body folded at the waist. He then moved forward and possibly then shook the kings hand.

So, the Obama aide wants us to accept that the Prez had to bend because he's taller than the Saudi King? Well, Obama is significantly taller than Good Queen Bess, but he didn't appear to have to bend over to shake her hand. He remained upright and did a very slight nod of the head, as is fitting when one Head of State greets another.

Again, from the Chicago Sun-Times:

"Such an act is a traditional obeisance befitting a king's subjects, not his peer. There is no precedent for U.S. presidents bowing to Saudi or any other royals,” said the conservative Washington Times."

Here is Obama greeting Queen Elizabeth. See any bending? Obama manages to shake the Queen's hand sans bending over.