MY WEEKLY WORDS #3

Sorry I'm late!

Here are the words I will concentrate on this week:


answer the question - AEGS
anything further - NIRT
anywhere - NIR
arrow - RAOR
arrows - RAORZ
at some point - SPOIN
at some point in time - SPOINT
attorney - TOERN
attorneys - TOERNZ
calls for - KAUFLZ
canvas - KWAS
canvassing - KWAFG
canvassed - KWAFD
canvasses - KWAZ
cell phone - SFOEN
cell phones - SFOENZ
cross-examination - KRAUX
cross-examine - KRAUM
deed of trust - DOFT
defense attorney - DOERN
defense attorneys - DOERNZ
entrance - SBRANS
entry - SBRI
execute - SKAOUT
executed - SKAOUD
executes - SKAOUTS
executing - SKAOUGT
explain - KPLAIN
explained - KPLAIND
explaining - KPLAING
explains - KPLAINZ
explanation - KPLAIGS
frequent - FREK
frequented - FREKD
frequenting - FREG
frequently - FREL
frequents - FREKZ
in order - NORD
is it your opinion - STOURP
is it your testimony - ST-RM
is it your understanding - STOURNG
Kleenex - KLAOEX
may I approach - MOEFP
next in order  - NOERD
no idea - N-D
nowhere - N-R
OI - " "(quotes)
origin - AURJ
original - ORJ
originally - OERJ
originals - ORJZ
phone call - FOENK
phone calls - FOENKZ
plaintiff attorney - PLOERN
plaintiff attorneys - PLOERNZ
point of origin - POIJ
rear-view mirror - RFM
rear-view mirrors - RFMZ
recess - RAOES
side-view mirror - SFM
side-view mirrors - SFMZ
somewhere - SM-R
speculate - SPLAIT
speculated - SPLAID
speculates - SPLAITS
speculating - SPLAIGT
speculation - SPLAIGS
speculative - SPLAIF
telephone call - TOENK
telephone calls - TOENKZ
therapy - THAOERP
they were - THERP
transaction - TR-X
transactions - TR-X/Z
yes and no - Y-N
yes or no - YOERN
you may answer - YAOUMS

MY WEEKLY WORDS #1

I'm going to start posting words/phrases that I want to review each week.  There won't be any set rules on how many words each week I will go through.  Most of these words I do know in the back of my steno brain, but I don't have the strokes 100% memorized.  That's what my goal is by the end of each week: to memorize these words and be able to recall them immediately.  Again, don't fear -- MOST of these words I already do know.  I just need to practice them a little bit more to truly cement them into my cerebral. :)

I'll print my weekly words and highlight the ones that I'm having difficulty recalling throughout the week.  Thus, I will have a focal point when I go through my words and will spend more time on the highlighted words/phrases.

Please feel free to join me! :)

Here is Week #1...

MY WEEKLY WORDS #1

1. about what time - BAOIM
2. acquaintance - KWAINS
3. acquaintances - KWAINZ
4. actual - TUL
5. actually - TWAUL
6. addiction - DIX
7. admitted into evidence - NOEFD
8. after the accident - AEX
9. all the - AULT
10. argue - GAOU
11. argued - GAOUD
12. argues - GAOUZ
13. arguing - GAOUG
14. argumentative - GUF
15. arraign - AIRNG
16. arraigned - AIRNGD
17. arraigning - AIRNG/G
18. arraignment - AIRNMT
19. arraigns - AIRNGZ
20. arrange - AURNG
21. arranged - AURNGD
22. arrangement - AURMT
23. arranges - AURNGZ
24. arranging - AURNG/G
25. at all - TAL
26. author - AUR
27. authored - AURD
28. authoring - AURG
29. authorities - THORTS
30. authority - THORT
31. authorization - THORGS
32. authorize - THORZ
33. authorized - THORDZ
34. authorizes - THORZ/Z
35. authorizing - THORGZ
36. authors - AURZ
37. autopsies - AUPZ
38. autopsy - AUPS
39. awed - AUD
40. babble - BABL
41. back on the record - BR-RD
42. bandana - B-ND
43. baseball - BAIBL
44. basketball - B-BL
45. bathroom - BARM
46. bedroom - B-RM
47. before the accident - BAEX
48. birthday - B-RD
49. carrier - KR-ER
50. cash register - KAJ
51. cash registers - KAJZ
52. communicate - KMAOUK
53. communicated - KMAOUKD
54. communicates - KMAOUKZ
55. communicating - KMAOUG
56. communication - KMAOUX
57. compare - KPAR
58. compared - KPARD
59. compares - KPARZ
60. comparing - KPARG
61. comparison - KPARS
62. conference - KOFRNS
63. conferences - KOFRNZ
64. deteriorate - DRAIT
65. deteriorated - DRAID
66. deteriorates - DRAITS
67. deterioration - DRAIGS
68. do you know - DOUN*
69. do you mean - DAOUM
70. do you recall - DOURL
71. do you recognize - DOURG
72. do you remember - DOURM
73. do you think - DOUNG
74. document - DOUMT
75. documentation - DOUMGS
76. documented - DOUMD
77. documenting - DOUMG
78. documents - DOUMTS
79. down - DOUN
80. driver seat - DRAET
81. driver side - DRAOID
82. driver's license - D-L
83. driver's seat - DRAET*
84. driver's side - DRAOID*
85. during the accident - DAEX
86. during the course of - DROURS
87. effective - AEF
88. effectively - AEFL
89. event - AOENT
90. events - AOENTS
91. household - H-LD
92. households - H-LDZ
93. I am - Y-M
94. I did - ID
95. I do - YO*
96. I do not know - YOEN
97. I do not recall - YOERL
98. I do not remember - YOERM
99. I do not think - YOENG
100. I don't - YO
101. I don't know - YON
102. I don't recall - YORL
103. I don't remember - YORM
104. I don't think - YONG
105. I.D. - ID*
106. immaterial - IRM
107. in any event - NAOENT
108. in evidence - NEFD
109. innefective - NAEF
110. innefectively - NAEFL
111. insurance carrier - SHAOURK
112. is it true - STRAOU
113. isn't it true - SN-R
114. laundry - LAURND
115. may have been - MAIFB
116. meantime - MAOIM
117. mechanism - MEFP
118. medical insurance - MAOURNS
119. no objection - NOEX
120. obtain - AUB
121. obtained - AUBD
122. obtaining - AUB/G 
123. obtains - AUBZ
124. occupant - AUPT
125. odd - OD
126. off the record - AUFD
127. offhand - AUFND
128. opposition - PIGS
129. parking lot - PROT
130. parking lots - PROTS
131. passenger seat - PAET
132. passenger side - PAOID
133. passenger's seat - PAET*
134. passenger's side - PAOID*
135. paycheck - PAIFP
136. permissible - PERBL
137. permission - PERGS
138. permission to - PAOERGS
139. Persian - PERGS*
140. prior to - PRAOIRT
141. priorities - PRORTS
142. priority - PRORT
143. properties - PROPTS
144. property - PROPT
145. purport - PURT
146. purported - PURT/D
147. purporting - PURGT
148. purports - PURTS
149. quarrel - KWOERL
150. quarreled - KWOERLD
151. quarreling - KWOERLG
152. quarrels - KWOERLZ
153. quarter - KWAUR
154. quarterly - KWAURL
155. savings and loan - SLOEN
156. scene of the accident - SNAEX
157. so granted - SGRAND
158. so marked - SMARKD
159. so stipulated - STOIPD
160. tall - TAUL
161. taller - TAURL
162. to my knowledge - TIRJ
163. to the best of my knowledge - TIBS
164. to the best of your knowledge - TOUBS
165. to your knowledge - TURJ
166. what do you mean - WHAUM
167. what time - WHAOIM
168. where was - W-RFS
169. whom - WHAOUM
170. Yes, I am - YAM
171. Yes, I did - YID
172. Yes, I do - YOD
173. you did - UD
174. you do - UD*
175. you mean - YAOUM
176. you're welcome - YURM

DISCLAIMER RE: BRIEFS

I just got an email from a CR instructor regarding my last blog post -- "Accomplish List: My Steno Briefs." This CR instructor does agree that a CR student at 140 WPM has the ability to reach 225 WPM.

However, he differs with me regarding steno briefs.  He does not believe incorporating thousands and thousands of briefs as a CR student helps one progress.  Rather, he believes doing so hurts CR students.  He brought to my attention what most people forget about the speed champ, Mark Kislingbury -- he's a REMARKABLE person who (most likely) has a photographic memory.  If anyone is a "natural" at court reporting, then Mr. K is FOR SURE!  (Click HERE to read why Mark K. believes in "writing short" -- meaning, incorporating as many briefs as possible.)

The CR instructor said that he has seen numerous CR students get stuck in speeds because they try to memorize all these brief forms.  I really appreciate this CR instructor's time and effort to reach out to me (and subsequently you too!) with his warnings about steno briefs.  However, the briefs that I'm incorporating in my list are mostly ones that I already know of, but I want to know them "in an instant" when I'm writing at those high speeds.  Also, I have steno going through my brain at all hours of the day.  I'm CONSTANTLY in my own steno world recalling to memory a brief here and there (so much so that I sometimes talk "steno" to my husband!).  Most of my briefs don't come from "nowhere."  They are usually "families" of each other.  For example:

green light - GR-LT
red light - R-LT
stop light - ST-LT
traffic light - TR-LT
yellow light - Y-LT

and

bank account - B-KT
checking account - KH-KT
savings account - S-KT

These "family briefs" are so much easier to remember since they have the same right hand coordination.  You only need to change your left hand to make out the word you hear, and it's natural to think of "B" for bank, "KH" for checking, and "S" for savings.

However, if the brief does NOT come naturally to my fingers and/or my mind, then I WILL drop that brief and just "write it out."  No biggie. :) With that said, I still DO want to incorporate AS MANY BRIEFS AS POSSIBLE, so that I can have as much speed advantage as possible.

I guess there's a delicate balance regarding briefs.  To brief, or not to brief -- that is THE question for us in the CR world!  And you know who can answer that?!?!  ONLY YOU!!!  If it comes naturally to YOU, then DO it!  If not, drop the brief and move on... and learn other briefs (at least that's what I'll be doing!).

Again, THANK YOU to this CR instructor who cared enough to email me!  Much appreciated, sir! :)

ACCOMPLISH LIST: MY STENO BRIEFS

A handful of my classmates from Downey Adult School attended NCRA's Annual Convention and Exposition over the past weekend, which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada.  They said that Mark Kislingbury, steno speed champion and creator of MagnumSteno and The Steno Master Theory, was there to speak to students.  He said a very interesting thing, which I fully believe.  He said that if you're a CR student writing at 140 WPM, you can FOR SURE become a working reporter.  Why?  Because:

1) You have the necessary skills at 140 WPM to reach up to 225 WPM
and
2) In order to get to 225 WPM, you need to incorporate as many briefs as possible

Thus, I am compiling ALL my briefs here on my blog.  I want to learn ALL these briefs and make them second nature.  I don't want to "write it out" but get my fingers thoroughly trained to AUTOMATICALLY stroke out the brief forms instead, which will save me time and help me stay on top of the speakers.  Click HERE to see my ever-growing brief list.  It's at the top of Steno Nerd entitled "My Steno Briefs."  I will go through my list every day, focusing on 30 to 50 briefs at a time.

Again, the goal is to make these briefs AUTOMATIC instead of "writing it out."  It's sort of like driving an automatic car instead of a stick shift car.  I know both work perfectly and will get you to your destination, but I figure why do the extra "work" if you don't have to?  For others though, I know "writing it out" may be their preference.  For me though, I know I'm the exact opposite of that.

Whenever I'm practicing, I always have Briefpedia open.  I LOVE this site!  Briefpedia is a FREE website full of steno briefs and phrases that are compiled by working CR's and student CR's alike.  You not only get numerous choices for a brief, but you get possible conflicts as well, which will help you choose the best brief for YOU and YOUR fingers.

Other sources for steno briefs can be found at these links:

Flashcard Exchange
Flashcard Machine
CSR Nation's Brief Group
Downey Court Reporting Students
Forum Theory in DepoMan
NCRA's Steno Briefs
The Brief Exchange

If you have any other links to steno briefs, please let me know!  I'd love to add it/them to this list!  Thanks.

WHERE TO GET STENO BRIEFS

Just wanted to share a website that I've been frequenting lately for steno briefs. It's Briefpedia.com. Simply type in the word or phrase you need a steno brief on, and not only does this website give you a steno stroke for your query, but SEVERAL alternative strokes, PLUS possible conflicts, so you can adjust as needed. Also, you don't need to log in to the website at all, which is a great time saver! I think Briefpedia.com is an awesome, very useful website! However, if you need briefs on the go (BUT only if you have an iTouch or iPhone), Marc from Simply Steno has released Version 2.0 of his iSteno Brief Machine. The application costs $6.99, and I'm sure it's totally worth it! Click here for more details. ...and may you enjoy the thrill of finding new, necessary briefs! :D

MISC. BRIEFS I'M LEARNING

A actively - TIFL activity - TIFT admonition - DMIGS adopt - DOPT agriculture - AG allegation - ALGS allege - ALG alleging - ALG* anger - ANG angry - AENG as a matter of fact - SMAFT as a matter of law - SMAFL as a result - SARLT as follows - SFOLS ASL - AS* assault - SAULT assault and battery - SAUB assault with a deadly weapon - DWEP B behavior - BAIFR beyond a reasonable doubt - YARD beyond all reasonable doubt - YAURD beyond every reasonable doubt - YERD bottom - BOT bought - BAUT C clue - KLAOU comfortable - KFRBL compromise - KPROM computer - KP-R conclusion - KLAOUGS confide - KWAOI confided - KWAOID confidence - K-FD confident - K-FT confidential - K-FL confidentiality - K-FLT consequence - KWENS consistent - SKINT contact - KAK conversation - KFRGS corner - KRORN credit card - KRARD criminal - KR-L cross-examination - KR-X D data - DAT database - D-B demeanor - DMOR denial - DAOENL deny - DAOEN depend - DEND dependence - DAENS dependent - DAENT detail - DAOET direct examination - DR-X disregard - DRAR disregard the - DRART E efficiency - FIRBS efficient - FIRBT emergency - M-RJ enable - NAIBL energy - N-RJ entitle - SBAOIL except - KPEP exception - KPEPGS exist - KPIF existence - KPINS expect - KP-P expert - SPERT expert testimony - SBIT expert witness - SBIN F finish - F-RB for example - FR-X G gradual - GRAUL gradually - GRAOEL H his or her - HOER honest - HONS honestly - HOENL honesty - HONST honor - HON honorable - HONL human - HAOUM human being - HAOUB humane - HAOUM* I identify - OIF identity - OIT if any - FAOEN if anything - FAOENG include - KLU independence - NAENS independent - NAENT injure - N-J injury - NAOEJ interpret - TERP interrupt - TRUP J judge - J- (initial) M malice - MALS malicious - LIRB N neglect - GLEK negligence - NEJS negligent - NEJ O object - OBT objected - OBD objection - OX observation - OVGS observe - OBS observed - OBZD on the one hand - TWAND on the other hand - TWRAND opposition - OIPGS opposition to - OIPT P peculiar - PEK pedestrian - PED pedestrians - PEDZ petition - PIRB petitioner - PRIRB possess - PES possessed - PES/D; PEDZ* possesses - PEZ profession - PROFGS profile - PRAOIL province - PROFNS punitive - PAOUF punitive damage - PAOUFD punitively - PAOUFL purport - PURPT R regard - RAR S senior - S-R senior citizen - S-RZ strength - STRENG strengthen - STREN surrender - SURND surround - SROUND T terror - TROER terrorist - TROERT transact - TR-T transaction - TRX transport - TR-P transportation - TR-PGS trespass - TREP V valid - VALD valued - VAL/D voir dire - V-RD W with regard - WRAR with regard to - WRART within - W-N Y your Honor - YURN

BRIEFS FROM ARIZONA

Here are some briefs taken from the Arizona Court Reporters Association: Briefs Most Used Briefs For Court By the way, I'm in favor for Arizona enforcing the law regarding illegal immigration. This isn't a racial issue. It's a safety issue, first - Arizona is the 2nd in the world for kidnappings; second - Arizona isn't writing a new immigration law, they're just actually enforcing it already... which is a MUST since the recent horrendous violence along its borders. GO, ARIZONA! YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT!

WORD/PHRASE - STENO (1)

These are the words and phrases I'm learning in steno right now. I'm trying to practice these every day, so I can write them without hesitation on my machine. I've heard that we court reporting students should keep a briefs notebook and constantly update it, revise it, and learn from it! I've been keeping my homemade briefs notebook all year, and I'd like to share them with you here on this blog. Look out for them! I'll call the posts "WORD/PHRASE - STENO" and then put the number we're in. Today is the first installment, if you will, so today's post has a (1) next to the title. :) Please let me know if you write any of these below words differently in steno. Maybe my steno strokes suck and yours would be much better to adopt! Hehehe. So, please, do share! :) Thanks, Everyone! OK, gotta go to night classes now...

WORD/PHRASE	STENO
absolute	SLU
absolutely	SLUL
damage	DAJ
dangerous	DRUS
destination	SNAIGS
efficient	FIRBT
efficiently	FIRBTL
effort	EFRT
entity	SPW-T
helicopter	KOPT
indicate	KAIT
indicating	KAIGT
indication	KAIGS
interrupt	TRUP
interruption	TRUPGS
Kate	KAIT*
manufacture	M-FR
merchandise	M-DZ
misdemeanor	MOIDS
missed	MIDZ
no, your Honor	NURN
objection, your Honor	ORN
ordinarily	OERNL
ordinary	OERN
president	P-T
presidential	PLT
priority	PRORT
slew	SLAOU
thank you, your Honor	THAURN
urn	URN*
venue	SRAOUN
yes, your Honor	YEN
your Honor	URN

I PASSED MY 160 JURY CHARGE TEST

It's true! Thank GOD! I also passed my 160 WPM Jury Charge Test! The limit is 12, and I got 9 wrong. This means I need to only pass my Testimony (Q&A) Test at 160 WPM to officially be writing at 180 WPM on my handy-dandy-grandy steno machine! Hehehe! So giddy! So happy! :) It really, really pays to be on CSR Nation! (If you haven't joined yet, you really, really oughta!) Through this awesome networking site for court reporters, I asked some of my online friends if they would share their best Testimony briefs with me. Keith Rowan, II, who is the author of the fabulous "How to Brief -- Philosophy & Practice," kindly shared his 47 pages of 4-voice Testimony brief words and brief phrases with me!

Here are just a few of the first new briefs I'm going to commit to memory to help me write shorter and therefore become faster on my steno machine: to my knowledge TOIJ to my memory TOIRM to the best of my knowledge TBIRJ to the best of your ability TURBLT to the best of your memory TBURM to the best of your recollection TBURX to your attention TURNGS to your knowledge TURJ do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? DAOUFRT call to the stand KAUND call your first witness KAUFS call your next witness KAUNS any further questions NIFRGS any more questions NIMGS or NIRGS no further NOFR or NOFRT no more questions NOMS off the record OFRK or OFRKD on the record OERKD strike that STRAT please raise your right hand PLAURND or PLAIRND raise your right hand RAURND are you employed RUMD* are you married RUMD did you live DUL do you live DAOUL what is your age WAURJ what is your job WAUB what is your occupation WAURPGS what is your address WAURS what is your WAUR what is your date of birth WAIRT*

where did you live WRUL*

where do you reside WRAOURD

where do you work WRAOURK

BIG THANK YOU TO KEITH!!!

STUDYING BRIEFS W/ FLASH CARDS

Everything has become digital now, including flash cards -- the good old fashioned way of studying and prepping for tests! I've long given up on "hard copy" or 3x5 flash cards when I came across Flash Card Machine, a site where you can create your own digital flash cards for free! Verdict: LOVE IT! Not only can you store your flash cards here for free, but you can also share your studying tips -- in our case, steno briefs -- with other students and vice-versa, which is always a good thing! For instance, maybe you're trying to brief the word "conversation," and your brief source (usually a handy dandy HUGE brief dictionary!) is giving you a stroke that you just can't memorize or your fingers just won't contort to. Now, instead of writing the word in just one stroke as a brief, because you can't think of a brief that works for you, you're forced to write "congratulations" in its usual four strokes (four syllables). Not good! That's one of the reasons I like this site so much. You put your briefs out there for the world to see, and then you're ALSO able to glean from fellow users there, too! See, everything IS so much better when we share! :) Click here for pages of steno briefs that other court reporting students have already shared. Click here to sign up for your free account at Flash Card Machine. And happy studying!

THE BRIEF ZONE

Another great resource for court reporting students is The Brief Zone. They have great word lists of briefs, phrases, even hesitation worksheets that you can easily either view on the Internet or download onto your computer and print at your leisure. I've saved every single piece of info found here in their Hardcopies section, all of which are free. Such a great resource! THANK YOU to The Brief Zone! And enjoy! :)