Trivia Time Again

Hey everyone it's that time again - Supersonic Safety Research Trivia, so head on over to my business page on Facebook and enter your answer.  While you're there LIKE my page if you haven't done so already. 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Supersonic-Safety-Research/265636796897221

Also, jump over to my Facebook page and FRIEND me.

http://www.facebook.com/pi.sam.79

The Doe Network

Yesterday I talked a little about Web Sleuths, and today I am going to talk a little about  The Doe Network.  This appears to be the main site for Web Sleuths and it is a good site and I encourage everyone to at least visit it once.  After reading their Mission Statement you may feel inclined to get involved, some of you Private Investigators might even consider donating a little of your time and expertise to help out.  Here is the essence of their mission as stated in their Mission Statement: "It is our mission to give the nameless back their names and return the missing to their families. We hope to accomplish this mission in three ways; by giving the cases exposure on our website, by having our volunteers search for clues on these cases as well as making possible matches between missing and unidentified persons and lastly through attempting to get media exposure for these cases that need and deserve it."  I would like to commend the people who volunteer their time and talents for this, it is a hobby with a purpose.

 I also recommend checking their web directory as there are a ton of great links there (too many to mention).  

Spoiler Alert - More Web Sleuths tomorrow. 

Web Sleuths

I recently read an article a friend had posted on Facebook about Web Sleuths solving cold cases (see link) directly below).  What really caught my eye in this article was this:  "Over the past decade, the Internet helped create a growing army of volunteers who, with nothing more than a computer and the uniquely human ability to spot similarities buried in mountains of data, are helping bring closure to families and spurring law enforcement to reopen the most frigid of cold cases."  Volunteers helping to bring closure to families; and with all due respect to law enforcement, there just aren't the resources, manpower and time for them to pursue all these cases.  Please read the article and give us your thoughts on Web Sleuths.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/specials/2013/02/23/web-sleuths-help-solve-cold-cases/M5CaanJBKXKq7CB0RbAfnO/story.html

Spoiler Alert - Tomorrow I will delve into Web Sleuths in more detail.

Background Checks

A person's background may appear boring, scary or just plain funny - depends on your perception.

Who is John Kremer?

Yesterday I posted a quote by John Kremer, not someone most of us would know.  He is however; considered an expert on book publishing and marketing.  He is the author of "1001 Ways to Market Your Books", and is credited with providing the strategy that took Depak Chopra from vanity author to NY Times bestseller.  He also owns Open Horizons publishing.  Checkout these sites for lots more useful info:

http://www.bookmarket.com/ 

http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/ 

Networking IS Marketing

"Marketing is essentially a matter of making friends. Lots of friends." -  John Kremer

In other words you should be networking and a great way to do that today is to use social media.  Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and maybe a blog.   

Connect - Connect - Connect

So, please go to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Supersonic-Safety-Research/265636796897221 and 'Like' us and also send us a 'Friend' request https://www.facebook.com/pi.sam.79. Thanks. 

Spoiler Alert - Tomorrow I'll tell you a little about who John Kremer is.  

Putting Together an Investigation

                             An investigation is like a puzzle.  Start with the obvious - corners and border; then find the rest of the pieces and fit them together to create the picture.

Private Investigator Business

Supersonic Safety Research is a licensed Private Investigation business located in Michigan.  We also are licensed in Wyoming and Mississippi.
If you are looking to start your own Private Investigation business you will need to check for licensing requirements in your state.  The following link (courtesy of crimetime,com)  provides the state-by-state web site, a link for license check, state law and state PI associations.

http://www.crimetime.com/licensing.htm

BONUS LINKS - 

State-by-State SBAs and licensing links:

http://sbinformation.about.com/od/startingabusiness/a/small-business-licenses-permits-regulations.htm

Kiplinger's Retirement Calculator (yes, you'll want to start thinking about that sooner than later).

http://sbinformation.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=sbinformation&cdn=money&tm=20&f=20&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&st=12&zu=http%3A//www.kiplinger.com/tools/retirement-savings-calculator.html 

VERIFIED EXPERT WITNESSES LLC

Did you see our post the other day announcing the creation of Supersonic Safety Research's sister company, Verified Expert Witnesses LLC?  Do you think you have the the expertise to be an expert witness?  If you do we would love to hear from you, please contact us at:

Sam Gurwin, President
Verified Expert Witnesses LLC
248-558-9323 Phone
samgurwin@yahoo.com Email samgurwin.com Website

Free Online Storage

Supersonic Safety Research would like to share this article with all my fellow business owners.  Box.com is offering 50GB online storage for FREE.  Read about it here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505124_162-57569138/box.com-offering-50gb-online-storage-for-free/?tag=nl.e713&s_cid=e713&ttag=e713

Modern Day Treasure Hunt

OK, so this is not exactly a mystery, but it is kind of interesting:  
 It is estimated that the world's oceans contain 10 BILLION tons of gold.  Exactly where and how to get to it IS the mystery.

Verified Expert Witnesses LLC

PRESS RELEASE:

SUPERSONIC SAFETY RESEARCH DBA ANNOUNCES THE CREATION OF ITS SISTER COMPANY, VERIFIED EXPERT WITNESSES LLC; IT IS ALSO LOOKING FOR QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS IN ALL CRIMINAL-JUSTICE DISCIPLINES AS INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS.

2-16-13 (Michigan)

Sunday, February 17th, 2013: Sam Gurwin, President of Verified Expert Witnesses LLC and Operations Manager of Supersonic Safety Research dba announces the creation of a dynamic Consultation Firm for the modern age- special help for Law Firms, Businesses and Individuals in need of expert guidance in our litigious times.

Verified Expert Witnesses LLC (VEW) was created to help all people, of all social and economic backgrounds get the help they need when an issue is at hand. Our knowledgeable Contractors are experts in their chosen field; they can guide you down a safe path.

Our chosen Venders are proven by word and deed to have mastered a particular skill. From Police misconduct to Housing issues, Private Investigation Ethics to The History of a certain Gang, let these Experts help you. VEW is committed to helping all people in need. Our prices will reflect this; however quality will not be compromised.

VEW is also currently looking to augment its professional Vender List. If you feel you are a top-rated Professional in your field, please call or email us. We feel our compensation package will be adequate for your services. We offer Pre-litigation consulting, Post litigation consulting and other guidance services to Law Firms, Businesses, Individuals and other entities.

Contact:

Sam Gurwin, President
Verified Expert Witnesses LLC
248-558-9323 Phone
samgurwin@yahoo.com Email
samgurwin.com Website

Who's on First

Sooner or later you will be questioning someone and feel like this is happening to you.  In this very funny clip, you will see (through word play) that the answers appear to be ambiguous and non-responsive to the questions.  Accept the fact that someday you will just find yourself in this position, questioning someone whose answers just do not make any sense to you no matter what you do, so just take a deep breath, laugh and think - "third base."   
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQXwt83hYkE

FYI - this is Abbott and Costello and their famous routine: "Who's on First".

Amber Alerts

People often post  'pass it on' posts for missing kids on Facebook and these are many times just hoaxes.  If you really want to help missing kids, and are concerned about posts being legitimate; then go to this page, click on "Amber Pages", find your locale and like it..
https://www.facebook.com/AMBERalert

The AMBER Alert Program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement, media, transportation and others to send bulletins about child-abduction cases. Visit your state AMBER Alert page for alerts in your area. Info at www.amberalert.gov

Asking Questions

When asking questions always choose your words carefully.  If your question is NOT worded correctly you will not get the correct answer.  Watch this clip - it is a great illustration of what happens when your question is worded poorly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXn2QVipK2o 

FYI - this is a clip from "The Pink Panther Strikes Again", starring Peter Sellers as  Inspector Clouseau.

Freedom of Information Act

Supersonic Safety Research hosted their PI School tonight and the topic was the Freedom of Information Act, AKA FOIA.
 FOIA is a 'tool' that Private Investigators use as a regular course of business to access information.  Hopefully, we will have the lecture up on You Tube soon, so those who were unable to attend can see it.  Additionally, we are hoping to have PDF downloads to supplement our training.  Here is a helpful link from FOIA.gov.  You can find where to make FOIA requests to federal agencies here.   
FYI -  this is a great resource.

http://www.foia.gov/report-makerequest.html

Licensing, Certifications and Associations

Supersonic Safety Research is a Private Investigation firm, and if you visit our web site - www.missingnomore.com - you will see the services we currently offer.  However; we are always interested in expanding and growing our business while our employees look to pursue their interests and build their resumes.  Supersonic Safety Research is always mindful of checking to see if licensing is required - this is a must!   Certifications and Associations are great to have and nice to belong to, they can also give you credibility, but do the research and make sure they are reputable.

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

 As a Private Investigator you will want to be licensed in the state/s you are operating in; however you may also want to add some certifications to your resume along with accessing valuable resources.  You may have one niche or many.  Supersonic Safety Research is always looking for what is available and what may be beneficial to our business.  Here is an interesting certification and association:  Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.  This association offers membership, certification and training for those interested in preventing, detecting and investigating fraud.  Here is their web site:

 http://www.acfe.com/   

Supersonic Safety Research's PI School

Supersonic Safety Research's "PI School" is back for a Wednesday, Feb. 13 session @ 29260 Franklin Road, Southfield, Michigan 48034,The Claymoor Building. The Lecture will be from 6:30p to 7:45 p in the Community Room. 
The topics:

*FEDERAL & MICHIGAN FOIA
*INTERNET RESEARCH

The Lecture is FREE. A certificate of Attendance will be issued to those who stay for the whole session. It is free but registration is required at 248-274-6077. One lucky attendee will WIN a $10.00 gift card!

Would anyone be interested in seeing these lectures posted on YouTube?????

Chris Dorner

 By now we have all heard of Chris Dorner, but who is he and as always we ask - WHY?


Read the 20 page manifesto here, and as good private investigators develop your own theories:

http://www.myfoxla.com/story/21019027/murder-suspect-chris-dorners-online-manifesto-about-slayings

The Pinkertons National Detective Agency

  

Allen Pinkerton was born in Scotland  in 1819, he emigrated to the United States in 1842.  By trade he was a cooper (barrel maker).  The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was founded by Allen Pinkerton in 1850, and is currently a subsidiary of Securitas.

Social Networking Info

 FYI from Supersonic Safety Research:  

Remember social networking and 'friending' is guided by your supervising Attorney's Code of Ethic Conduct in Michigan.  Facebook and such are yet to be mentioned by the Michigan Bar Association's ethics decisions.  Be careful and get a Private Investigator or legal investigator familiar with your State's rules. ' Friending' someone for investigative reasons might not be admissible in your regional or local Court.

Dashiell Hammett

Yesterday  I talked about Supersonic Safety Research's Monthly Trivia Contest and today I'm going to give you a little trivia.

DYK -  Did You Know  Dashiell Hammett, whose full name was Samuel Dashiell Hammett, not only created Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), but also Nick  and Nora Charles (The Thin Man).  Mr. Hammett drew on his experiences as a former Pinkerton to develop his detective novels.  I have always heard of the Pinkertons and was vaguely familiar with them, but after stumbling upon this bit of trivia I started to read more about the Pinkertons and now I am curious to research their history in a little more depth. Future blog posts will feature interesting facts as I learn more about the Pinkertons.

Monthly Trivia Time

Congratulations to the winner of Supersonic Safety Research's first Monthly Trivia Time.
  Come on all you aspiring Private Investigators, wannabe Detectives and Amateur Super Sleuths get over to Facebook and like Supersonic Safety Research's business page and while you're there friend me - PI Sam.
Here are the links to make it easy for you: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Supersonic-Safety-Research/265636796897221

http://www.facebook.com/pi.sam.79

The Maltese Falcon

Get out the popcorn there is a great double feature on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) tonight. Two classic films both starring Humphrey Bogart; first up is "Casablanca", followed by "The Maltese Falcon".  "The Maltese Falcon" is one of the best Private Investigator movies and is based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett.  Humphrey Bogart plays the lead - Private Detective Sam Spade.   A must see.

 It is AWESOME that Supersonic Safety Research is owned by another 'Sleuthing Sam' and yes, our Facebook name PI Sam is a tip of the hat to that fact.     

Never Assume

So, we've talked about the KISS METHOD,  MNEMONICS and not making ASSUMPTIONS.  Today we roll them all into one to KISS MNEMONICS and NEVER ASSUME.  Supersonic Safety Research proudly brings you the TV show; "The Odd Couple", starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall reminding us to NEVER ASSUME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfvTwv5o1Qs