Try to Remember Using Mnemonics

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It is time again for 'Say It Again PI Sam.'  today's repeat post is "Mnemonics", one of my favorite learning tools.  When I took piano lessons my piano teacher used Mnemonics to help me learn to read music.  The notes corresponding to the lines of the treble clef : Every Good Boy Does Fine and for the spaces FACE.  Mnemonics are a great way to remember and consequently learn.  Here is the original post:

Mnemonics

A few days ago I talked about the KISS METHOD for instructing and learning.  Today I'm going to talk about remembering what we learn using MNEMONICS.  Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines MNEMONIC as: assisting or intended to assist memory.  An example would be HOMES to remember the names of the Great Lakes - Huron - Ontario - Michigan - Erie - Superior. 

 What mnemonics do you use?  
I use Mnemonics when I'm writing reports I always go through my 5 W's -WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and sometimes WHY.     

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I'm No Mechanic But...I Like this

I know it is 'Black Friday', but for us here at Supersonic Safety Research it 'Friday Favorites'.  My favorite for today is my K & N air filter.  Why I like it:

1)- it is washable and reusable

2)- I think it has increased my fuel economy

3)- environmentally friendly

4)- lasts 50,000 miles before cleaning is required

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I've Never Seen This - a Double Barrel Pistol

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Saw an article about a double barreled pistol on Facebook, and I was thinking, 'what the heck?'  I Googled the firearm name and found a YouTube video for it (see below).  This is the firearm - AF2011-A1 Second Century double barrel pistol, it is made in Italy by Arsenal Firearms http://www.arsenalfirearms.com/   I'm curious, I'd like to shoot it, but I have to say I honestly don't understand it.  It looks bulky and the recoil has to be incredible.  Anyway, here is the video and as always I welcome your thoughts and comments.

What is the Future for Private Investigation Businesses?

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Now I have said this before - I'm NOT a Private Investigation expert,  my expertise lies in Security and Criminal Justice.  I am just a 'grunt' at my friend's Private Investigation business, but I am curious as to the future of Private Investigation.  What I have noticed is that people are doing a good deal of their own search (preliminary) on the computer and also with no-fault-divorce there is less need for surveillance.  I have heard rumblings of less information being made available to Private Investigators via databases and there is always the possibility of stringent regulations being put in place that would limit a Private Investigator's powers.  I'm curious to what the experts in the field see for the future and their recommendations to those looking to enter the field.  I do think that bigger firms and those with a niche business have an advantage.  Would love to hear others thoughts and comments on this subject.  Thanks.

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Who Cares What You Know, You Gotta Have Proof

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It is Sunday, so I'm keeping it 'Short and Sweet'.
"It is not what we know, but what we can prove.  If we make one false move the villain may escape us yet." - Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles"

That is important to remember - it is what you can prove.

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FREE FBI Child ID App

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It is time again for 'Say It Again PI Sam' and tonight's repeat post is definitely worth repeating.  For all you parents out there if you don't have this you should.  It is a free app from the FBI that, hopefully you will never need.  But as my Academy Instructor would say, "Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it."  
Without further ado here it is:

FBI - Child ID App

Supersonic Safety Research recommends this App for all parents.  It is from the FBI and is a FREE download on iTunes.  Here is the link:   https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fbi-child-id/id446158585?mt=8  There is also a free Android download; here is that link:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fbi&hl=en     Hopefully you'll never need this, but if your child should ever go missing you'll be glad you have it.


  

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What Do You Want Santa to Bring?

It is time for 'Friday Favorites' and this is one I don't have, but would like.  My brother has this Samsung TV and it is awesome to watch movies and sports on it.  I've been pretty good this year maybe Santa will bring it.  Would love to have it to watch the Olympics on next year.  Please Santa?

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And or Or and Yes It Matters

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Yesterday I talked about reading comprehension and how words matter.  I told you how Law Enforcement Officers need to understand and differentiate words such as 'and' and or.  Why are these two words so important?  When you make an arrest you need to know what the charge/s are.  If you look at the penal Law/Code for your state you will often see that certain charges are listed as say X and Y meaning that both X and Y are necessary to charge that offense.  If it says X or Y then you only need one of those elements to be present to charge that offense.  Not that complicated; actually pretty simple, you just need to pay attention to the words that are used.  

Which is Better? Can or May?

When I was in grade school I had a teacher who would always correct us whenever we would ask, "Can I go to the bathroom?"  She would continually remind us, "May I go to the Bathroom?"  What's the difference?  Can means am I capable, while may requests permission.  As kids we would laugh about it, but the lesson stuck.  This lesson was just a small part of the reading comprehension I would learn, and also that words matter.  My reading comprehension skills would serve me well, first when I took civil service tests and then when I became a law enforcement officer.  Any Law Enforcement Officer knows that it is of utmost importance to understand and differentiate words like: may, must, should, shall, and even 'and' and or.

The new Ford commercials humorously drive home the point.  Watch, learn and enjoy.

Just the Facts Dr. Watson, Just the Facts

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 Time again for "Short and Sweet Sunday".  As you've seen I was able to find numerous good quotes from Sherlock Holmes while reading "The Hound of the Baskervilles".

"I will not bias your mind by suggesting theories or suspicions Watson.  I wish you simply to report facts, facts in the fullest possible manner to me, and you can leave me to do the theorizing." - Sherlock Holmes in "The Hound of the Baskervilles"  

Sgt. Joe Friday would approve of this one :^)

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Hypothesis+Theories-Assumptions+Proof = SOLVED

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"Play It Again PI Sam" revisits 'Assumptions, Hypothesis and Theories.'   Some advice on how to conduct your investigation.

Assumptions, Hypothesis and Theories

As a Private Investigator you will gather facts and then you will need to analyze them.  When analyzing facts DO NOT ASSUME.  It is tempting to make assumptions, but that will not yield accurate results.  What you need to do is form a HYPOTHESIS - this is the basis for further investigation.  Develop a THEORY and then PROVE IT.

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Light Up Your Life With a MagLite

Friday's Favorite this week is the MagLite. I have several of these because they are a great flashlight. I really like the 2-D cell model, it is just the right size.  The flashlight beam can be changed from flood to spotlight and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty.  What I like best about these flashlights is the power, get one and see how far it shines. Great light for first responders, security and private investigators to carry.

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Elementary My Dear Watson - Not

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As I said I have found several great quotes in "The Hound of the Baskervilles", but nowhere in the book did Sherlock Holmes say the quote most famously associated with him - "Elementary my Dear Watson."  Granted this is the first Sherlock Holmes book I've read, so I will have to see if he says in one of the other books.  I do know that the line was said in the Sherlock Holmes movies  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lag22Hl2RQw,  so perhaps the quote should be credited to a screenwriter.  As I read on through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works I will keep you apprised.
One quote I am sure did NOT come from these books, but does reference the iconic detective is "No s--- Sherlock".  AKA - NSS.
Just saying :^)

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Sherlock Holmes Hound of the Baskervilles

I finished reading "Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle in 2 days.  Yes, I couldn't stop reading I wanted to see how it all played out.  I enjoyed the book, and hard to believe, but I had never read any of the Sherlock Holmes books before.  I enjoyed seeing how Sherlock operated and found several great quotes in the book of which I have already been sharing with you on 'Short and Sweet Sundays'.  According to the dust jacket Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 19 works about the iconic Sherlock Holmes and was knighted for his book about the Boer War, called..."The Great Boer War".  My plan is to read through all of these and if they are as good as "Hound of the Baskervilles" I should have no problem getting through them.  If you enjoy detective stories I highly recommend this book.      

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US Coast Guard, Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan

US Coast Guard Station Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan

Since it is Veterans Day I thought this would be a good day to to a little write up about when PI Sam and I toured the US Coast Guard Station on Belle Isle.  The young man who took us on the tour was terrific; very informative, so nice and patient with all our questions.  The first thing I noticed when we walked in were the words above the entry:

US Coast Guard Station Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan

What I love about the Coast Guard is that they are military and law enforcement.  The Coast Guard is the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security.  So while they operate as military, and law enforcement; they also do search and rescue and have ice breaker cutters.  Their varied and unique role is simply awesome and I have the utmost respect for the job they do. 

US Coast Station Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan

Supersonic Safety Research salutes the United States Coast Guard, Navy, Marines, Army and Air force, and thanks all those who serve and have served.

You can read more about our tour on The Gadfly Investigations Newspaper blog:   http://gadflyinvestigates.blogspot.com/  and see more pictures on our Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/pisamindad

It's Sunday and More Sherlock Short and Sweet Tonight

I know last Sunday I went Short and Sweet with Sherlock Holmes and I am going to go with the iconic Sherlock again.  What can I say?  The guy is brilliant, articulate and extremely quotable.

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."  - Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles

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Jimmy Hoffa, Where Are You?

I had to Play It Again PI Sam with this post as I love this picture from Down With Detroit.and their Detroit answer to Where's Waldo -  (Where's Hoffa?).  Anxiously waiting to see where the next Hoffa dig will be.  Where do you think it will be?

Finding Jimmy Hoffa

I love this pic from Down With Detroit   (they have awesome stuff).  Anyway, someone posted this pic on our Facebook page and said we should solve this case.  My reply was that we don't have a backhoe in our toolkit.  What do you think it will take to solve this case and do you think it ever will be?

Here is Down With Detroit's website where you can see this design and many others:

 www.downwithdetroit.com

Photo from Down With Detroit Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151635312371702&set=a.68651281701.71239.6048971701&type=1&theater

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It's a Key Chain, It's a Tool, It's the Squirt

It's Friday and time for My Favorite Things.  Today's favorite - it's a key chain, it's a tool, it is the Squirt by Leatherman.  I love it. I have with me all the time as it often comes in handy with its pliers, screwdriver, knife...  I use it often and with Christmas coming makes a great gift.  Get the Leatherman Squirt in black, blue or red, it will soon become one of your favorites too.    

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Searching for Dollars to Pay for School

There is no question college is expensive.  If you are in high school and thinking of going to college or thinking of going back to finish or get a degree - money is a concern.  Likewise, if you are like me or PI Sam and looking  for an advanced degree then the cost will double at best.  What is a person to do?  Yea, I know, take out loans.  I'm not big on borrowing money and have been looking at some other ways to lessen the cost and pay my way.  Scholarships are out there, they may be national local or specialized.  There are also what are known as promotional scholarships and don't forget to look at grants.  Finding and applying for all these different scholarships is time consuming, and work  We here at Supersonic Safety Research are happy to to make things just a little bit easier for you, and point you in the right direction to search.  Here then are a list of the best scholarship search engines:

http://www.scholarships.com/

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ 

http://www.cappex.com/ 

http://www.zinch.com/scholarships 

http://www.fastweb.com/ 

Don't forget to checkout these sites on social media to get even more info.  All are on Facebook and Twitter, and some are on YouTube.  Good Luck.

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Love the Smell of Coffee and the Taste

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Since I posted about bathroom issues, I now think I will post about coffee.  Whether we are cops or PIs  or security guards we are probably drinking quite a bit of coffee when we work. drink too much and you will start thinking about that 'Cowboy Logic.'  My question is what is your favorite coffee?  Personally, my favorite has always been 7 Eleven followed by Dunkin Donuts. How do you drink your coffee?  I like my coffee with milk - that's it.  No flavors, no lattes for me, just coffee with milk.  And yes I do enjoy a doughnut with my coffee from time to time.   

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Tuesday is Election Day - VOTE!

Supersonic Safety Research reminds all US citizens to exercise their Right to Vote on Tuesday Election Day.

As my grandfather said, "If you don't vote, you have no right to complain." 

That's right grandpa, at least when you vote you have tried to make a difference.

Sherlock Holmes Short and Sweet

I recently started reading The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.  I've never read any of the Sherlock Holmes books, so this is my first.  In Chapter One there is a great quote by Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Watson:

"Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it." - Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles 

 

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Can't repeat It Enough - KISS

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Time again for Say It Again PI Sam.  Today we revisit the KISS Method, one of my favorites.  A search of Wikipedia tells us that the acronym can be traced back to the US Navy in the 1960's.  An engineer named Kelly Johnson is credited with coining the phrase.    In accordance with the the KISS Method and Keeping It Simple I bring you today's Say It Again Sam:

The KISS Method

As you can see from my posts this Private Investigator likes brevity.  I believe in the KISS Method - KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID.  That is why my posts are longer than Tweets, but shorter than a dissertation. No information overload here, just short bursts of brilliance   Occasionally I may have a topic that will require a lengthy post or that I'm SO passionate about that I ramble on, but mostly I'll KISS.

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Everyone Say C-H-E-E-S-E

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Time for PI Sam's Friday Favorites.  I dropped my camera a couple of months ago and debated long and hard over what to replace it with.  I decided on a Nikon Coolpix.  The camera takes nice photos, videos and fits nicely in my pocket.  I do think in the future I will add another camera with a bigger zoom lens just so I can take pictures at a greater distance.  For now I am loving my Nikon Coolpix.

 

More Bathroom Dos and Don'ts

About a week ago I posted on 'Bathroom Etiquette' http://supersonicpi.blogspot.com/2013/10/when-you-gotta-gobathroom-etiquette-on.html and linked to an article "Bathroom Issues for Law Enforcement".  Today I would like to make some additional thoughts and comments on the subject as it is an important one. 
   A little more input on stalls, be careful if you hang your gun belt on a hook,  you want to make sure it is on there securely.  If you are like me and try to keep your gun belt on (it can be done with proper keeper placement) and you are in a bathroom with stalls then I don't recommend using this method in those instances.  Why?  Because you are presenting an opportunity for someone to reach under and try to grab your gun and the perception is just bad.  Think of someone walking in and seeing a gun belt around your ankles in a stall.  Also, if there is no hook in the stall you will have to find a way to hook the gun belt safely around your  neck and shoulder.  Sometimes the handicapped stall is the best option, they usually always have a hook and often have a solid wall on one side (great for my keeper method if the wall is on your gun's side).  Off-duty I always carry my gun in a pancake holster on a belt.  When I go I do NOT place my holstered gun on the toilet tank as many of us do.  Why?  Too many people forget and leave their there.  I like to take my holstered gun off my belt and place in in my dropped pants - you can not forget it is there :)
   For those of you guys who say, 'well I can discreetly go wherever I am if it is #1'...I personally do NOT recommend that.  Here is why, my friend's husband was at a large mall in the parking lot.  He wanted to ask the security guard a question and when he went over to him the guard was standing behind is patrol car door urinating.  My friend's husband would not go back to that mall or allow his family to go there either.  Think of the perception this generates to the public about you, and your department...would you want your wife, daughter, mother to come upon this situation?  Let us also not forget there are surveillance cameras all over the place. Besides if you issue summonses for public urination then why is it OK for you do it? 
" Follow cowboy logic: don’t wait until you have to go, go when you have the chance!"