Texting and Driving - Some Things Just Don't Go Together

Last week I took a bus trip down to Greektown Casino in Detroit.  We came back in rush hour traffic which proved to be somewhat interesting.  Traveling on I-75 in heavy traffic and looking down into the vehicles traveling alongside I saw NOT 1, but 3 drivers Texting While Driving.  Texting in heavy traffic?   What are these people thinking.  Sorry to say they were all women.  I can NOT believe that people do NOT realize how dangerous this behavior can be. DWI is still a huge problem even with all the enforcement and information out there, so how to stop Texting While Driving?  I am sure many more people engage in this behavior then do Drinking While Driving and it is much harder to enforce.  No easy answers here, except to keep up the campaigns against it and try to shame people from engaging in  this behavior - everyone who travels on the roads has a stake in this problem.    

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Russian Dash Cams are Everywhere, Do You Need to Have One Too?

If you use Facebook then you have probably seen several videos from Dash Cams in Russia.  I started to wonder, 'Does everyone in Russia have a Dash Cam?'  The answer is, well almost everyone.  Last year Wired posted an article, "Why Almost Everyone in Russia has a Dash Cam."  http://www.wired.com/2013/02/russian-dash-cams/   Here is what I learned:

• Motorists have the Dash Cams to use in case they are involved in a traffic crash
• Russia averages 25.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 compared to 13.9 per 100,000 in the USA
• Conduct a search in YouTube or Yandex.ru (Russia's equivalent of YouTube) for 'Russia Dash Cam crash and find thousands of videos
• Dash Cams capture more than just crashes, some funny, some interesting

 After reading the article I thought it would not be a bad idea to have a Dash Cam in my vehicle for practical (car crashes, road rage) and impractical (you never know what you are going to see) reasons

Our own PI Sam has done a video to demonstrate how you can install your own inexpensive Dash Cam.

 Thank You PI Sam.

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To All First Responders - Thank You

Photo from Wear Blue Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/BlueSaturday4FallenOfficers

From Tiny Tim and Supersonic Safety Research

Well, with Christmas 3 days away and 'Friday Favorites' was Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol"...''Short and Sweet' has to be:

"God Bless us, everyone." - Tiny Tim  

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FOIA a Researcher's and Private Investigator's Best friend

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It is Saturday night and we are going to 'Say It Again PI Sam'.  Tonight we revisit Freedom of Information Act - AKA FOIA.  FOIA is an important tool for researchers and Private Investigators.  We never did put the whole class on YouTube and are working on actually make a series of training videos made specifically for posting on YouTube.  2014 promises to be a busy and productive year for Supersonic Safety Research.

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

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A Christmas Carol Marathon and You'd Never See the Same Version Twice

Time again for 'Friday's Favorites'.  Last night I watched Turner Classic Movie Channel and they had several version of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol", a classic story that never gets old.  Which version is your favorite???????

Chinese Soldiers Beat Fire Recriuts - Why?

This story and video out of China are disturbing.  If you've been through a training academy (I've been through 2), you know how tough it can be.  The physical demands and mind games they play can seem brutal to you at times, but nothing compared to this. There is no logic or reason to treat recruits this way, this is an abuse of power and is inexcusable.  When videos like this go viral, it is a step towards change.  Watch the video (it is almost 16 minutes long) and then give us your thoughts and comments.

http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-department-management/articles/1635138-Viral-video-shows-soldiers-beating-new-firefighter-recruits/

 

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Have You Visited Our Zazzle Store - GadflyInvestigations?

'Short and Sweet' because it is Sunday.  I know if you read my posts you have seen various products from our Zazzle Store GadflyInvestigations posted.  We hope you like our products that we have posted so far and invite you to visit our online Zazzle Store GadflyInvestigations and see all of our designs.  We think we have some good stuff that would make some nice Christmas presents.  Please take a look and as always we welcome your thoughts and comments.

http://www.zazzle.com/gadflyinvestigations

Need a Niche? Fraud is Big Business

It's Saturday, soooooo - 'Say It Again PI Sam'.  Today we'll revisit a post about certifications,and in particular the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.  This is a good field and niche for Private Investigators to look into.  Check out their web site, there is a lot of good info on there in addition to the certification info.  I am always on the lookout for valuable resources and you will find some here.

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/   

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These Games Make Great Gifts for Aspiring PIs and Detectives

It is 'Favorite Friday'.  When I was a kid I loved thee games, guess it was foreshadowing of my future career.  Fun games for all of us to play, makes great Christmas gifts.

Car Thieves Go High Tech

One of our Facebook Friends shared this video with us and it is interesting to see that car thieves have gone high tech and are now hacking into vehicles.  Supersonic Safety Research will keep on top of further developments, but for now we recommend you NOT leave any valuables in your vehicle.  I think I have said this before, but to all of you young people starting out and trying to decide what to do...you might want to consider computer forensics.  You can find jobs in this field in the public and private sector and there is certainly opportunities for Private Investigators with these credentials.  Also, 'Ethical Hackers' are in high demand.       

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Accusations and Excuses Sometimes Convict

It is Sunday and that can only mean - 'Short and Sweet'.

"He who accuses all of mankind convicts only one." - Edmund Burke

Worst excuse ever = "Everyone does it."

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Supersonic Safety Research Reminds Us All to Never Assume

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It is Saturday night and we're ready to 'Say It Again PI Sam'. Tonight we want to remind you to, "NEVER ASSUME".  This is NOT just a good rule for Law Enforcement Officers and Private Investigators to follow, but everyone should follow it in their everyday life.  I couldn't explain it better than Tony Randall does as Felix Unger in "The Odd Couple".  So, without further ado here it is:

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

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This Nothing is Something

My "Friday Favorite' is  something that always makes me laugh - "Seinfeld". For a show that was about 'nothing', it sure ended up being quite 'something'.  As for a favorite episode...wow, hard to choose just one.  However; as someone who used to commute to NYC and rode the subways, I'd have to say 'The Subway' episode.

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NYPD's New/Old Police Commissioner

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New York City is getting a new mayor and the new mayor has announced a new Police Commissioner.  Congratulations William Bratton.  This will be Mr. Bratton's second time as NYPD Police Commissioner, he previously served from 1994-1996.  During this time he helped institute CompStat a data-driven system for tracking crime that enables police to use their resources wisely.  Mr. Bratton replaces Raymond Kelly the longest serving Police Commissioner in NYPD history.  Would love to do some research and write some in-depth blogs about both men.  Fascinating men to all of us interested in Criminal Justice.  Stay tuned.

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Are You Crazy or is it Just the Moon?

Full Moon

On Sunday I posted a quote from a Billy Currington song, "People are Crazy" - "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy."  The question now is are people crazier when there is a full moon?  Some cops, nurses, and others may say yes, but is it substantiated?  I did a little digging on the Internet  and it seems that the scientific evidence says...NO!  The belief that the moon affects human behavior goes back centuries.  In fact the word lunacy is derived from Luna the Roman Goddess of the moon.  A good explanation of how this 'rumor' spread would take us back to a time before artificial lighting.  Go out on a night when the moon is full and you can see how much brighter it is out than when there isn't a full moon.  As you will see this is a good time to stay up and go out for people who had no lighting; and also a good time  to get into some mischief.
So, YES people are crazy. But NO there aren't any werewolves and the full moon doesn't make people any crazier than they already are.  Now go out and have a beer and enjoy the next full moon.  :^)     

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Different Courthouse, Different Procedures, Different Policies

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When talking with a colleague the other day, he was lamenting that procedures vary from courthouse to courthouse.  He saw the inconsistencies as incompetence, but having worked in courthouses over the years I knew that wasn't the case.  Procedures vary because each court sets it own rules within the law.  In fact procedures often vary from judge to judge, again within the law.  This can be frustrating for those who have to do business in the courts, and even for those who work in the court who must be mindful of each judge's policies.  When I worked in NY, these variances were often joked about because the court system in NY is titled "The New York State Unified Courts".  The fact is those who make these policy decisions do it, not to annoy or confuse, but because they believe those policies work best.       

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Yup, People Are Crazy - Can't Argue With That

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It's Sunday so, 'Short and Sweet'. 

"God is great, beer is good and people are crazy."  from song "People are Crazy"

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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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