The Secret Life of a Private Investigator

Dennis A. Smith is a New Zealand based author, blogger, NZ based private investigator and entrepreneur. … [Read more...] about TSLPI 53. About the Author

Researching the Holocaust is one of the most dangerous tasks that can be undertaken in the West. The Shoah hoax is widely perceived in the Muslim countries as a Jewish “thing”, and is largely ignored in Asia. The fear of becoming labelled an anti-Semite has a massive dampening effect on all but the bravest. It is though an effective lesson in truth-divining where the absence … [Read more...] about TSLPI 52. Holocaustianity

I share here three big 'shames' relating to Tuila'epa , the Prime Minister of Samoa, a man whom I call a coward and a crook – a corrupt politician overseeing a small proud nation. 1. TUILAEPA.COM - In 2010 I secured the domain name www.tuilaepa.com for the 'big man'. Sadly, or humorously if you despise the man, it is now an Asian porn site. He will never get the domain … [Read more...] about TSLPI 51. Tuila’epa.com Porn

Edward Joseph Schmidt from Alafua in Apia, called himself “Force”. He is a Samoan national who got way out of his depth engaging with a foreign culture – one that dealt with life by principle rather than expediency. As a result, he found himself in a lot of trouble before the Samoan courts – perjury, theft, wilful damage sort of thing. Force applied his Samoan ways … [Read more...] about TSLPI 50. Force, A Cultural Conflict

“Escape” is the theme of two books I wrote while in Samoa. Both “Escape the Church' and 'Escape the Police State' provided commercial opportunity from a rural location that had no obvious income streams. The point of this example is that anybody, anywhere in the world, with any level of experience can create value for others - if they put their mind to it. I'll put this out … [Read more...] about TSLPI 49. Creating Commercial Value

Cameron Slater is an astute New Zealand political commentator, son of a long-term National Party big-wig. Over the years he has struggled with defining his own identity; he has fought depression; tackling many a personal ghost and he has done it in the public gaze. In recent years he has lost some high profile defamation cases, suffered a stroke and has been marginalised by … [Read more...] about TSLPI 48. Whale Oil

I've mentioned previously that a writer needs to know a subject in order to be able to share it believably, but developing our own story can be one of the hardest things to do because we know it so well. This knowledge can bring a blindness. The objectivity that brings us credibility is hard to balance with the passion that engages a reader. Writing my own personal story … [Read more...] about TSLPI 47. Backing Yourself

Taking on power and authority is not for the faint-hearted and it does not always result in a win, nor justice. I'm a proud man and I hate losing, but while I didn't lose in a scrap with the Domain Name Commission, I certainly didn't win an argument against authority. I didn't lose in court. In fact I even didn't withdraw a court case – I simply blogged my thoughts, … [Read more...] about TSLPI 46. DNC

Sharing challenging concepts is in itself a challenge. A simple matter of theft, or a deception or a matter of fraud, while perhaps appearing complex from the outside usually comes down to something very simple. The challenge for people wanting to get their story out is to simplify it sufficiently that the reader can grasp what it's all about. Continuing on in the … [Read more...] about TSLPI 45. The Power of Story

You do not need to be 100% original with everything you do. It is perfectly possible to create value for others from others' work or ideas, after all that is what a builder or a baker does – taking materials and ingredients then using tools intelligently to build a house or bake a cake. In fact some of the most successful ideas in business have come from the combination of … [Read more...] about TSLPI 44. Creating Value From Others

John Ingley I have never met the late Te Kuiti author and investigator John Ingley but I feel that I know him, and very well. This image has been taken from the one recorded interview that I have on file. John's story is that of an uneducated man of the bush – you can see his unkempt appearance in the photo – who spent his life asking questions and in the end made his … [Read more...] about TSLPI 43. Unforgettable People

Most people, including me, want a peaceful life – one preferably devoid of fighting. 'Bad guys' however, are wired differently and usually have no compunction about throwing their weight around. Aggression is a tool that works very well for crooks and bullies. I found myself toughening up over the years as I realised more and more that the little guys were getting trashed … [Read more...] about TSLPI 42. Buying A Fight

In 2009 I visited third world, island nation, Samoa. Following a unique set of circumstances in 2010 I emigrated to Samoa and commenced a private study into the nature of money. My book 'Mistakes of the Monetary Reformers' summarised the blogging of my findings by collating these blog posts. The title takes a negative approach, featuring the word and concept 'mistakes' but … [Read more...] about TSLPI 41. Conceptually Challenging

Detective Chief Inspector Hutton was found to have planted evidence that convicted an innocent man, Arthur Allan Thomas in the murder of Jeannette & Harvey Crewe. In the 1970s as interest in the Crewe murders came to fever pitch, many weighed in on the corruption revealed within the NZ Police force. The impact upon the NZ society of these revelations has lasted to … [Read more...] about TSLPI 40. Det. Inspector Bruce Hutton

This book is a concept developed for a New Plymouth man arrested and charged with a crime he never committed. The photo is of a Corrupt Cop, a Samoan policeman who sold the database of gun owners to gangs. Depending on the way the case unfolds the book may or may not be produced. Replacing the photo on the front cover however with a photo of the policewoman who encouraged … [Read more...] about TSLPI 39. Taking it to Them

In Samoa I found myself standing up for people around me, those whom we call over there, “the little people”. I conceptualised the idea of a legal support service for those without a voice facing injustice. Along with a friend, I scouted out a location on the road to the courthouse and developed a business plan which involved a service to take on the high and mighty by … [Read more...] about TSLPI 38. Writing the Wrong

I received a call from Australia. “My name is John. I'm coming to New Zealand and would like to meet you. I've been reading your blog and love your work! I've funded the Te Aliki family in their fight for justice for the last few years and I wish to get your advice!” “Sure!” I said So we met. I met with this millionaire businessman from Sydney in an Auckland hotel with … [Read more...] about TSLPI 37. He’s Good For It – Not!

I started website development in 1997 as an interest and established Go Kiwi Internet as my commercial web development company in 1999. Over the next decade I built it into New Zealand's most prolific web development company, personally developing a stunning more than 550 commercial and charity websites. In 2006 I 'retired' & established the Web Developers Association … [Read more...] about TSLPI 36. NZ Initiatives

Everybody has a story to tell – everybody. Some stories are easy to share; easy to listen to and can be widely interesting. Others can be sad as people talk about losses, grief and so on. Some though are Simply Outrageous. Righteous anger is an incredibly powerful force in the world because it is intensely motivating. When we see or hear about injustice many of us will … [Read more...] about TSLPI 35. Showing Sensitivity

As a web designer, one of the hardest things to get from a client is information – be it statistics, contact information of people to speak to, text for a website, or good photos. The headshot shown to the right here was taken in 2009 at Lake Pupuke, Milford. I know this detail years later because how I present myself to the world is important to me. Let's go through the … [Read more...] about TSLPI 34. Dennis A. Smith Headshot

A lovely pleasure that any thinker, parent or mature person has is gaining the opportunity to share their knowledge, or wisdom with others. Assuming that we care, we all want to teach our children what we have learned in life, so that we can give them the best start we can. As we mature, age and retire (or make moves in this direction) we can also seek to share our … [Read more...] about TSLPI 33. Sharing by Teaching

One of the first investigations I undertook dived into the concept of evolution. My findings that I had been hoodwinked from childhood shocked me to the core. Undertaken long before the Intelligent Design movement developed this was 'fringe theory' at the time – contempt poured on those written off by the mainstream as “just foolish, religious nutters”. Evolutionary thought … [Read more...] about TSLPI 32. Evolution vs Godly Logic

Negativity abounds in the world as the human spirit seeks to pull others down and most of us naturally see the world negatively. This is especially so the longer we live and the more realistic we become. The Pumpkin People is an example of a conscious effort to show the power of positive. The setting of this book is an island environment with an outsider who was a target … [Read more...] about TSLPI 31. Possible Positivity

One of my most 'influential' investigations commenced when I engaged with an online Christian truth ministry, Path of Truth. Billed by detractors as a cult, it most certainly exhibited cult-like tendencies but things were not quite so binary as both sides claimed. Although it had a physical farm and presence, Path of Truth was a primarily digital force and in its hey-day … [Read more...] about TSLPI 30. The Truth of The Path of Truth

The Prince & the Pauper is a book that developed as a story in a realtime teaching experience with the Korean mother of a homestay student whom I had recently met. She had returned home and we used phone & email. It is an example of opportunism and the natural progression from one simple understanding to a greater life experience, and eventually into a full blown … [Read more...] about TSLPI 29. Engaging Emotions

My experiences in Samoa were challenging, a Palagi being a target from the outset due to the widespread perception that the colour of my skin made me a millionaire. That would be fine except for the hugely draining sense of entitlement that permeated Samoa. I fulfill the role of the prophet, speaking forth the wisdom entrusted me, more than the predictive. Connecting the … [Read more...] about TSLPI 28. Samoa Ventures

Writing fiction can be harder than non-fiction which is essentially just recounting facts, for one needs to know the subject intimately before one can speak definitively & authoritatively in our story. Let Go The Peanut is a fictional story of a couple going through their lessons of learning about money. It teaches important concepts about money – what it actually is and … [Read more...] about TSLPI 27. Getting Factual With Fiction

Olinda Woodroffe is a Samoan lawyer who lives in Remuera with her husband who comes from a similar industry. She exudes passion and her mind multitasks well. In many senses she is a formidable opponent with a never-say-die fighting attitude. For years she has shared legal wisdom on a weekly radio presentation in Australia. Olinda sought out help from us to use the Internet … [Read more...] about TSLPI 26. Olinda Woodroffe

The book Corruption in Samoa has had a serious impact on many people, not least the author. I was 'close' to the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuila'epa from my arrival in Samoa in 2009 for the first two years. Tui, as he asked to be called, wined & dined the new-boy on the block and loved the positivity and ideas that “the Palagi” brought to Samoa. Equally enjoyable was … [Read more...] about TSLPI 25. Paying the Price

The Taumarunui Museum Trust was conceptualised and founded by King Country historian Ron Cooke. A trusted photographer in Taumarunui for many years, he had collected the archived newspapers, photograph collections and so on for decades, many having entrusted their family heirlooms to him for safe keeping. He was tireless in his desire to secure, protect and share his and … [Read more...] about TSLPI 24. Taumarunui Museum Trust

Any act of publishing material related to a matter while it is before the courts has the potential to be seen as an effort to influence the hearing or the judge. This is a big 'no-no' and can be seen as an act called “contempt of court”. Not so information already published, which canalso be used as evidence in court. 'And They Said: Powerful quotes used in evidence' is a … [Read more...] about TSLPI 23. Publishing Evidence Prior

In the 1960's & 1970's people feeling oppressed from tight societal rules desired to remove themselves from the social expectation that sex best occurred within the confines of marriage. In this environment, New Age 'guru' Bert Potter established a community in Albany on Auckland's North Shore to provide an alternative lifestyle for those with a liberal take. Centrepoint … [Read more...] about TSLPI 22. Bert Potter, Centrepoint

'BUSTED - The failed Cannabis Ban' is a large book written (but never published) by Brodie Andrews, a long-term Marijuana proponent, and dope user, now an addict in denial. The author sought feedback and assistance from Writing the Wrong but failed to take the advice given. It is a testimony to multiple failures, some due to the author's substance abuse; some due to his … [Read more...] about TSLPI 21. Failing to Bust

Author, blogger & principal of Writing the Wrong, Dennis A. Smith has created a logo that intertwines three concepts. Consider this logo now (to the right) and attempt to divine the three concepts . . . A light-bulb represents wisdom, knowledge or wisdom such as when we have an “Ah ha! Moment”, e.g “when the light comes on”. It is also an example of revealing the … [Read more...] about TSLPI 20. Dennis A. Smith

In 1970 Jeannette & Harvey Crewe were shot at point blank range with a .22 pistol. The late Te Kuiti author John Ingley revealed in his book, 'I Fed the Baby – Confession & Motives in the Crewe Murders Cold Case' how he had solved the case. Hunting Pam is a short book that gives the public the reasons why I believe that Leslee Sinton (retired teacher of Orakei, … [Read more...] about TSLPI 19. ‘Defamatory’ Naming & Shaming

Several lessons can be taken from the [mis]conduct of an employee of New Zealand's most powerful government agency, the GST people – The “Grab, Snatch & Take” Department – Inland Revenue. Personalisation People with power often use their power to mask, hide or endorse their misconduct. It is legislatively difficult to prosecute the authorities – be this the tax man or … [Read more...] about TSLPI 18. Linda Dzaferic, IRD

Establishing the name of a story requires an understanding of both the story and the marketplace. In the case of the book, I Fed the Baby – Confession & Motives in the Crewe Murders Cold Case, author John Ingley noticed that there was what he saw as a code of silence from many in the Pukekawa region. Meeting and hearing of the local farmers who knew more than they let on … [Read more...] about TSLPI 17. It’s All in a Name

Capturing information online is an automated process with information published remaining available forever. This can be a two-edged sword as Samoan news organisation Talamua found out to their (and the Prime Minster's) embarrassment. Corruption within the Samoan ruling elite was brought into the public eye in the late twenty-teens with the creation of an online blogger O Le … [Read more...] about TSLPI 16. Talamua Cover-up

The back cover of this book tells it all . . . “OFF THE RAILS is a mixture of history and human intrigue . . . A truly humbling and motivational story!” “Taumarunui's Memory Bank sold in 2018, thus ending three decades of drama. “What actually happened during those 30 years and where has the money gone? “More importantly where are those tens of thousands of precious … [Read more...] about TSLPI 15. Uncharitable Charities

The concept of a “Conspiracy Theory” and/or the label of a “Conspiracy Theorist” was unspoken of prior to the JFK assasination. This condescending phrase is not only a failure of logic (is there no such thing as ANY conspiracy?) it was consciously introduced into society by the very perpetrators of the Presidential murder in order to bring doubt into the validity of any daring … [Read more...] about TSLPI 14. Flat Earth, Moon Landing & more