LABOR DAY SALE -- BUY ROLLING LUGGAGES!

Happy Labor Day Weekend, All! :)

Just wanted to remind you that there are great Labor Day sales out there!  So maybe now would be the perfect time to buy a rolling luggage, if you don't have one already, for all your steno/laptop equipment!

I just got a new comment on my blog post, MY LAPTOP/STENO MACHINE ROLLER.  Anonymous gave great tips to Jill on how to pack all your equipment inside one luggage roller.  Here's what Jill and Anonymous said in their comments under this blog post:

JILL said...

would you be willing to post pics of exactly HOW you load your steno "luggage"? I am in the same boat. Interning is a pain with even just a Jet Bag and laptop rolling briefcase. I want it all in one bag!
  
Anonymous said...
You are already playing it SMART! You can get some really great deals on luggage that works just fine for a working (or student) court reporter. I have used off-the-shelf luggage for a long time, and if you watch the sales, you'll get wonderful savings. As far as packing the steno machine and all your component parts you'll need; power charger, power strip, tripod(s, tray table, your wireless realtime kit; manuals, laptop, and on and on. As far as Jill's question about packing the steno machine, I just make sure I have the foam from my other cases and move it from one to the next. Egg foam is cheap and you can get it easily enough. Just make sure the top of your writer is protected so nothing will smash the keys on the machine.

Thank you to Anonymous for your luggage roller tips, especially about the egg foam to cushion all our equipments inside.  Thank you to Jill for asking a great question!

And Happy Shopping, All! :D Last weekend before school starts up again!

ON VACATION... & THANK YOU!

 Hi, All!

How are you? :) Just wanted to say that I'm still here... just on vacation mode!  Hehe!  I've been busy enjoying my Summer Vacation and catching up with friends whom I haven't seen in months.  It's been very good! 

I go back to school on September 9, Thursday.  I'll be taking one academic course, Case CATalyst Advance.  I'm excited for this class because I definitely need to learn how to maneuver my way across that program!

Before I go, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all who have emailed me directly (StenoNerd@gmail.com).  Your emails and comments mean so much!  I'm grateful that you were able to find comfort, camaraderie, and inspiration through this blog.  I'm also very grateful that you give me glimpses of your own steno journey and are seeking advice from a fellow CR student.  That's exactly why I created this blog in the first place -- to build a bridge to my fellow steno heads out there, so that we can help each other on this journey! 

So THANK YOU again, for not only reading this blog and contacting me, but more importantly, for pursuing this great career of stenography!  99.9% of all the working reporters I meet say they LOVE this profession, and that we CR students are on the right path to an AWESOME CAREER! :D KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB!!!

And have a HAPPY SUMMER!!! 

See you soon...

Christine (Steno Nerd)

MENTORS FOR CALIFORNIA CR STUDENTS

CCRA (California Court Reporters Association) has a mentoring program for court reporting students.  IT'S COMPLETELY FREE! You just have to be a court reporting student currently attending a court reporting program in California, or a California resident going through an online court reporting program.

Click here to see all the details -- student and mentor guidelines, applications, and lists.

WHEN YOU THINK OF COACH, DO YOU  THINK OF...

OR...

I was paired recently with Rose who is a working reporting near my area, and we've been exchanging emails. It's so nice to know that I have a professional court reporter just a drive, click, call, or text away.  Thank GOD for the mentors who willingly give of their time and wisdom to us students.  I will definitely put myself on the mentor list once I become a working reporter... and I encourage all my fellow court reporting students to do the same!

                    

A big THANK YOU to CCRA for putting together this Each One Reach One mentoring program. You are helping so many students that really need some one-on-one guidance, support, and a sounding board.  THANK YOU, CCRA!!! :)

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DON'T FIND TIME -- THEY MAKE TIME

The following are excerpts from Chapter 15, "Successful People Don't Find Time -- They Make Time," of one of my most frequented books, Life's Greatest Lessons by Hal Urban.  Enjoy! :)

"Time if life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it."

- Alan Lakein

The most important step is to develop a new way of looking at time. We need to view it as a resource. It's always there, but like any other resource, it can be put to good use or it can be wasted. But there's one big difference between this resource and others: we can't save it, store it up, stockpile it, or hoard it. We can't turn it on or off, and we can't replace it. We're forced to spend it, minute by minute.  And once we spend it, we can't retrieve it.  That's why the way we spend our time is the way we measure the quality of our lives. Time is life.

There are some distince differences between the way winners and losers view time, talk about time, and use time. Here are some examples:

Losers:
They kill time.
They waste time.
They lose time.
They let time slip away.
They take time for granted.
They squander time.
They can't find time.

Winners:
They use time.
They spend time wisely.
They value time.
They organize their time.
They treasure time.
They schedule time.
They make time.

Four Keys to Mastering Your Time and Your Life:
1. Plan your day
2. Make appointments with yourself
3. Use the little-bit-at-a-time approach
4. Know your most productive time

Success is the result of hard work

done little by little, day by day.

HULU FOR YOU!

Have you heard of Hulu.com?! It's a website that lets you watch tons of the latest TV episodes, some classics, and even a handful of movies... FOR FREE! All you have to do is register with an email! You can watch anything from SNL, 20/20, Supernanny, The Bachelorette, The Simpsons, Biography, HouseHunters, Hell's Kitchen, Lost... and the list goes on and on! You can even watch I Dream of Jeannie and The Dick Van Dyke Show if you're into the classics (I miss Nick at Nite!).

I usually watch one or two episodes on Hulu while practicing on my machine writing realtime. That way, I'm getting my practice in, I'm working on my dictionary, and I'm being entertained or informed (whether I'm watching a show purely for leisure or to keep up to date with what's going on in the world).

If you don't have time to sit through an average of 30-40 minutes per episode (there are commercials, too, but way less than TV!), you can just watch and practice to the clips instead, which lasts 2-5 minutes each.

Also, you can subscribe to the shows you like, and Hulu will automatically add new shows to your queue. Your favorite shows will be waiting for you just a click away the next time you log in. Beware, though, because most of the newest TV shows have an expiration date of usually 2 weeks after its original on-air date. So make sure to watch your shows before they expire!

I love this site! How could anyone NOT love free, right?! Haha! But seriously, TRY IT! Great practice for us steno-heads, and it's way easy for the student's wallet as well! ;)

P.S. But if you really, really love Hulu.com, you can upgrade to Hulu Plus at $9.99 monthly and get to watch more of your favorite shows on HDTV and/or your iPhone, iPad, etc.

5K FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Hello, Family and Friends!

I hope this email finds you blessed and being a blessing!

You won’t believe what I and hundreds of others are attempting to do — walk/run a 5k race!!! I’ve never done a race before, so I’m excited and scared… but I’ll push through the anxiety because this race is for a very good cause!

This race is for My Refuge House, a charitable organization that rescues and houses victims of human trafficking in the Philippines. My Refuge House, along with several La Mirada churches, are joining together to host this 5k race on July 24, 2010, Saturday, at Redeemer Church, corner of Imperial Highway and Cordova; 15151 Cordova Rd., La Mirada, CA 90637; 8:00 a.m. – Registration; 9:00 a.m. – Race Begins.

All the money raised by sponsors of the runners will go directly to constructing the new building for My Refuge House in Cebu, Philippines (where my mom’s family is from). My Refuge House needs this building to house and care for the victims of human trafficking — women and children — after they are rescued from this deplorable slavery. If the victims don’t have a safe place to go to — or a My Refuge House — many of these same rescued women and children have little choice but to go back to their exploited lifestyles. And we want to stop the cycle of injustice! That’s where My Refuge House, several La Mirada churches, and the runners/walkers come in! I believe God literally dropped this opportunity on my lap last Sunday morning when I was praying that He show me where I could give more to others, especially to those who have been the victims of injustice. And I remembered My Refuge House! I went to their website to make a donation, and what is the first thing I see?! The 5k race! (Just the prior night, I was searching online for local races to join. This race is such a Divine Appointment, no doubt about it!)

If you would like to join me in this walk/run 5k (3.1 miles) race, please do! And get your friends to join as well! The more, the better. We will show the world that we are united in fighting against modern slavery, and we are here to support and care for its victims. It’s only $25 to register. If you cannot join this 5k race, please take the time to consider donating some funds — $10, $20, $50, or whatever amount you’d like — that will go directly to the construction of the new building. Not only will I appreciate your kindness, but most importantly, these exploited women and children will benefit tremendously by your generosity! You will be taking an active part in building a shelter where these women and children will be safe from harm… in their very own Refuge House!

• If you’d like to donate online to My Refuge House, please click here.
• If you’d like to register for the 5k race on July 24, 2010 for $25, please click here.

Thank you for all your support for these precious individuals!

May GOD bless you, Christine

P.S. Here are some links regarding My Refuge House and human trafficking in the Philippines. Please check them out – DR. MANUELITA BUENAFLOR OF MY REFUGE HOUSE

THANK YOU FROM MY REFUGE HOUSE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE PHILIPPINES

“ You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.” - Psalm 10:17-18

I AM THE KARATE KID

Have you seen the 2010 version of The Karate Kid yet? My boyfriend and I saw it the first week it came out (we're big movie buffs; 1-2 movies a week! :P), and it is AWESOME! Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan do an excellent job, and this movie is going to be a classic for this generation and beyond easily! Yesterday my boyfriend called me The Karate Kid... but The Karate Kid BEFORE he became the awesome, underdog-turned-kung-fu-champion at the end of the movie. He was saying that I was acting more like the Karate Kid BEFORE he went through the heartache, turmoil, and basically self-discipline to become the winner he eventually became. The reason for this cute, sarcastic comment, you ask? I was super-duper tired, and instead of filling my gas tank, which was already angrily blinking "Empty" at me, I wanted to go straight home and just "take care of it tomorrow." After the name-calling, though (haha, just kidding; my boyfriend is my BIGGEST FAN, and he knows how to motivate me; he'll lovingly give me a kick in the butt when I need it), I sucked it up and did the hard thing: I took care of business right then and there, even though I SOOOOOOOOO wanted to just go home and flop on my bed! That brings me to this point: SELF-DISCIPLINE. I need more of it. I need to push myself through the discomfort and difficulty of staying on my steno machine for more than I currently do because I'm trying to get the steno machine to be an extra limb. I can't do that with half-hearted practice sessions. I have to put all of me into it... WHETHER I FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT! Practice is not always fun (don't we know it?!), but it IS essential. I don't want to be The Karate Kid BEFORE. I want to be The Karate Kid AFTER! And to get there, I have to endure the training of Mr. Han (not Mr. Miagi for this version). For a court reporting student, that means:

• practicing 20 wpm over my speed limit to gain speed
• practicing 20 wpm below my speed limit to maintain accuracy
• learning new briefs
• finger drills
• reviewing my theory
• learning common words
• staying on my steno machine longer and longer for endurance
• reading my notes
• analyzing my notes
• editing my dictionary
• eliminating hesitation strokes by writing a different way
• ...and sometimes the hardest part, KEEPING A POSITIVE, DETERMINED, I-KNOW-I-CAN-DO-THIS ATTITUDE THROUGHOUT IT ALL! :)

So this excerpt is for me and whoever else out there needs a little dose of self-discipline pep talk. I got this from one of my favorite books, Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter by Hal Urban. Here are some other excerpts from the same book that I've posted previously on my blog: THE BENEFITS OF SETTING GOALS REAL MOTIVATION COMES FROM WITHIN ANOTHER KEY TO ACHIEVEMENT

DELAYED GRATIFICATION: THE HEART OF SELF-DISCIPLINE

Play now, pay later! This is the way life works. Actually, this is the way life works for too many people. They look for the quick way, the easy way, and they play now. So they pay later. And, believe me, they do pay! That approach to life, no matter how many people get sucked into it, is backward. Real success comes when we pay now and play later. It's called self-discipline, and at the heart of it is the principle of delayed gratification: the willingness and the ability to postpone pleasure. It makes the work, the pain, and the sacrifice come now, and the good things come afterward. There's no such thing as instant gratification. There's no prize without a price. In an earlier chapter I referred to Scott Peck's wonderful book, The Road Less Traveled. The road he refers to is the one that he has a sign in the entrance saying, "Life is difficult." Those just happen to be the first three words in the book. That's why this is the road less traveled. Too many people are looking for the one without difficulties. They're looking for Easy Street. There isn't one. Peck says if we learn to schedule the pain and sacrifice first, and get them over with, we'll enhance our pleasure that comes later. Notice that he doesn't say avoid the pain; he says schedule it. Whatever the price is for getting something done, pay it first. You have to give up something to get something.

EMPLOY THE FOUR P'S

And what are those four P's? (Hint: For this CR student blog, they're not pirates and parrots... not this time! LOL!) They are: 1) Practice, 2) Practice, 3) Practice, 4) Persevere! The below article is by Stuart M. Auslander of the New York School of Court Reporting in North White Plains, New York. His "Four P's" is #36 from the book 61+ Ways to Write Faster: Speedbuilding Tips for Court Reporters and Students. To read another article from this book, click here. ENJOY, MATEY (emphasis mine)! :)

EMPLOY THE FOUR P'S

1. Good nutrition and proper amounts of sleep are essential to active brain function, thus enhancing the capability to process and record the spoken word accurately and expeditiously. 2. Repeat the same material at varying speed levels; that is, 40, 50, 60 wpm, with readback and analysis of notes at each speed. 3. Analyze notes during readback by identifying strokes that came just prior to drops or misstrokes. It might be that these preceding strokes caused you to hesitate and drop. 4. Practice takes at 20 wpm below your actual speed ability, striving for "perfect" notes. Accuracy is a must in order to enhance speed. 5. Set aside a certain time period to practice and at the conclusion do one more take for an additional five minutes each writing period. 6. Do whatever is necessary to eliminate mental distractions prior to practicing. Maintain a though mental outlook and always stay focused. Do not let the speaker get the better of you. 7. Always seek to expand your vocabulary. Familiarity with words makes them easier to record. 8. Delete from your system short forms that cause you to hesitate or misstroke. 9. If you have a problem with vowels, realize that the keys (left to right) do not go in in the same order as the alphabet (a, o, e, u). This causes some writers to misstroke because subconsciously they believe the keys would be in alphabetical order from left to right (a, e, o, u). 10. Maintain an even emotional level throughout speedbuilding. Don't get too high upon success; don't get too low upon failure. Stay levelheaded! 11. Practice, practice, practice and persevere.

EVERYONE'S GETTING A BLOG!

It seems more and more court reporting students are getting blogs to document their wonderful/frustrating journey through school. I think that's just awesome! It's great to know that you're not the only court reporting student who gets a little disappointed from time to time. Getting through court reporting school is not easy! Knowing there are other court reporting students out there going through the same highs of passing a test and lows of being so close to passing a test (like half a percent!), is, again, quite awesome! We need this community of CR student bloggers! :) I was inspired to create this blog when, several years ago, I was reading Fancy Pants Loves Binita. Binita went to New York Career Institute and graduated in 2006. She has been freelancing ever since. I was also inspired by Lady Steno. It seemed she flew by school, and I loved the drills and schedules she posted in her blog. She also now has a YouTube channel, which is here. Another great inspiration to me is Cheap & Sleazy. It seems Glen knows everything there is to know about stenography! He's always so helpful in all the different CR forums out there, too. My favorite CR agency blog is Todd Olivas' of course. I love all his informative articles, especially this one: Court Reporter Pay. How's that for inspiration?! Don't forget to check out Todd Olivas' Readback.org site, too! I recently found some new CR student blogs that I'd like to share with you and which I'm following. They are... Court Reporter Bound - A Steno Student's Quest -- Jenni is at the impressive speed of 190 wpm! She is in the last stretch of CR school. Court Reporting 101 -- An office manager by day, a court reporting student by night. Michelle is currently going through her Theory and acing all her tests! Life Before 225 -- Steno Diva is going through her internship hours and has already taken the RPR exam. She has a determined spirit, and I know she's going to be certified much sooner than she thinks! Lastly, Steno Wizard is a working reporter who is working her way to becoming real-time ready. She posts a lot of great conflict-free strokes on her blog. It's going to be great to be able to go along the journey of these fellow CR students from school to the working field, even if only through the blogosphere.

WE WILL GET TO 225 WPM TOGETHER! :)

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

THE STENO ALPHABET

I thought this was such a cool pic! Imagine having to learn THIS as your alphabet! Oh yeah, we steno students have! YAY! Hehe.

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

LEO BUSCAGLIA QUOTE I ADORE!

DISCIPLINE

THE PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS

The Paradoxical Commandments
 by Dr. Kent M. Keith

 People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
 If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
 If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
 The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
 Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
 The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
 People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
 What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
 People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
 Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001 


To download a PDF version of the Paradoxical Commandments, click here.

CONTENTMENT

YOUR EFFORT LEVEL

FACING YOUR DOUBTS

MAKING COURT REPORTING FRIENDS

A friendly convo with a stranger can go a long way. I recently remembered this truth a few weekends ago. My boyfriend and I went to our local Borders Bookstore to study for the night. (Woo hoo! This is how we spend our weeknights, by the way. We're either watching a movie or studying all night - sometimes both. The last movie we saw was "Iron Man 2" at the midnight showing! Spontaneous fun, but we both had to pay for the lack of sleep in the coming 2-3 days! :P It was a great movie, though!) I was writing intensely on my steno machine at the Seattle's Best Cafe when a woman walked up to me. At first I thought that the onlooker (as most onlookers do!) would ask me 1) what are you doing and 2) how does that thing work? But she didn't. Instead she asked me, "Are you a student or are you a working reporter?" Oh! This woman knew what I was doing! I put aside my ear buds and asked that we talk at her little table, away from my studying man. I found out that she too was a court reporting student, and she was currently going to Bryan College in Los Angeles. She had come to Borders that night to study for her Medical Terminology exam. (I gave her the recommendation of using digital flashcards at FreezingBlue.com. Here you can create your flashcards online, print them if you want, and transfer the digital flashcards onto your smart phone. I use this application on my i-Touch to study up on the RPR WKT - Registered Professional Reporter Written Knowledge Test). We talked for about 20 minutes. We gave each other our court reporting backgrounds, asked and answered lots of questions (that included tips, encouraging words, and venting moments), and walked away with each others' email addresses. And now I have a new court reporting friend. HI, SARA, IF YOU ARE READING THIS! :) Another example of making a court reporting friend is the kind Julienne. We went to Tri-Community in Covina, but I never saw her because I sat at the front of our Medical Terminology Class while she sat at the back; also, we weren't in the same speed class. She saw me at the neighboring Barnes & Noble during a break in our class schedules, and she came up to me... and started the friendly convo! :) I'm so glad she did. Just as with the friendly convo with Sara, Julienne and I did the rundown of giving our backgrounds, tips, mini pep talks and mini venting sessions, and walked away with each others' email addresses... and meet up about once a month to see how the other is doing in life as well as in our speed-building process. JULIENNE, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, THANKS FOR BEING A TRUE FRIEND - NOT JUST STENO-WISE, BUT IN LIFE AS WELL. :) So yeah... striking up friendly convos with seeming strangers, especially for us court reporting students who benefit GREATLY if we have a true camaraderie with other court reporting students, is a win-win situation all around! Thanks again, Sara and Julienne, for being the first to come up to me! You've inspired me to take the first move at the next opportunity to discover a new court reporting friend... somewhere, out there! :) P.S. Going back to "Iron Man 2" - yes, good movie, watch it... and as it relates to this post, there's a theme of friendship in the movie. To be a good friend, always have your friend's best interest at heart, even if it means disagreements might erupt. Don't be afraid of conflict, but stand true to your love for your friend. <3

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!

VOCAB LISTS & MISS SPELL'S CLASS

I found two great sites that will help us court reporting students increase our vocabulary, and thereby dictionary-build, and test our knowledge of misspelled words. The first link is from Bill O'Reilly's website. I went to his site recently and found out that he posts his own Words of the Week. This is an awesome resource for us students to dictionary-build and learn new words in the process. Here's this week's words:

animadversion /an·uh·mud·VUR·zhun/ n. harsh criticism or disapproval

argot /AHR·go/ n. a specialized vocabulary particular to a specific group of people

circumlocution /sir·kum·low·KYOO·shun/ n. using many words to express an idea that could be expressed using a few

confabulist /cun·FAB·yoo·list/ n. a person who likes to chat

contumacious /kon·tuh·MAY·shus/ adj. obstinate; willfully disobedient

discommodious /dis·cum·MODE·eeus/ adj. Causing trouble or inconvenience; troublesome, annoying

excursus /ik·SKUR·sus/ n. a digression, a tangent

flagitious /fluh·JISH·us/ adj. shamefully wicked, criminal or scandalous; corrupt

gallimaufry /gal·uh·MAW·free/ n. a medley, a hodgepodge, a potpourri

hebetude /HEB·uh·tyood/ n. lethargy; mental dullness; lack of alertness

jejune /zhuh·ZHOON/ adj. lacking interest or significance, dull, uninteresting

legerdemain /lej·ur·duh·MAIN/ n. sleight of hand, or skillful deception

louche /LOOSH/ adj. dubious; of questionable intent or morality

maunder /MON·dur/ v. to talk incoherently; to ramble

meretricious /mer·uh·TRISH·us/ adj. falsely attractive

myrmidon /MUR·muh·don/ n. a faithful follower who follows commands without questioning them

obstreperous /ub·STREP·ur·us/ adj. noisily and stubbornly defiant, unruly; noisy, clamorous or boisterous

opprobrium /uh·PRO·bree·um/ n. disgrace, infamy, or reproach; the cause of shame or infamy

panjandrum /pan·JAN·drum/ n. a self-important, overbearing or pompous person

pellucid /puh·LOO·sid/ adj. transparent, clear; easily understandable

pestiferous /pes·TIF·ur·us/ adj. evil or damaging; bothersome, annoying, irritating

ragmatical /rag·MAT·ih·kull/ adj. ill-behaved, wild, raucous, riotous

raillery /RAY·luh·ree/ n. good-humored banter or teasing

recreant /REEK·ree·unt/ adj. cowardly, craven or spineless

rodomontade /rod·uh·mun·TODD/ n. vain, pretentious bluster; pompous self-indulgent ranting

salmagundi /sal·muh·GUN·dee/ n. a mixture, an assortment, a potpourri

tergiversation /tur·jiv·ur·SAY·shun/ n. the act of being deliberately ambiguous or evasive

turbid /TUR·bid/ adj. disturbed, disordered, confused

The other site is from Dictionary.com. Did you know they have a games portion on their website? My favorite game on Dictionary.com is Miss Spell's Class, a game where you have to choose whether the presented word is spelled correctly or not. At the end, you get a score. The first time I tried it, I was hooked for a few hours, trying to always beat my last score. There are some tricky words out there! Miss Spell's Class makes it fun and addicting to learn the correct spelling of words - with the famous "stars" next to each word you get correctly, too! Reminiscent of grade school!Definitely check out these two sites... and enjoy the words, words, words! :)

MY BLOG POST ON COURT REPORTERS SITE: HOW DO YOU STUDY FOR THE RPR WKT?

Posted by Christine (Steno Nerd) on April 9, 2010 at 10:31 a.m. Hi, All. I'm going to take the RPR WKT in July. I was wondering... how did you study for the RPR WKT? What exactly did you study? How long on a daily/weekly basis did you study? Right now I'm going through the glossaries of my legal and medical books and brushing up on grammar, punctuation, etc. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance! :) ------------------------------ Comment by Janiece on April 9, 2010 at 1:50 p.m. Okay, This is going to sound totally corny but one of the things I did was I made flashcards. I bought recipe cards and wrote questions on one side and answers on the other. They are portable. You can throwt hem in your purse. Cramming doesn't work for me. I worked on it a little bit every day. Janiece ------------------------------ Comment by Glen Warner on April 9, 2010 at 2:35 p.m. Piggy-backing on Janiece's idea, go here: http://www.cheapandsleazy.net/digi_flash.html You might also want to watch this video on Morson's. Good luck on the RPR! I'm nowhere near ready for that ....! --gdw "For a Good (steno) Time ...." http://www.cheapandsleazy.net ------------------------------ Comment by Janet McHugh on April 10, 2010 at 5:49 a.m. Hi Christine, They have flash cards on eBay for $4.99. I don't know -- worth a try? http://cgi.ebay.com/2010-Court-Reporter-Exam-Flashcards-500-Cards-on-CD_W0QQitemZ120513080265QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash= ------------------------------ Comment by Christine (Steno Nerd) on April 12, 2010 at 11:45 a.m. Janiece - I think you're right. I'll study a little at a time every day. Flash cards are a great idea! Instead of hard copy though, I want to be able to view them on my iTouch. Glen - Thanks for both links. Unfortunately, this particular video of Lady Steno regarding Morson's has an error. :( All her other videos are working, however, and I've since subscribed to her feed. Katiana is a great resource! :) Also, thanks for reminding me about the option of online flash cards! I checked out Flash Card Machine again but noticed that you have to pay for their software in order to have those same flash cards transferred to your iTouch. Even if I did pay for this software, they currently do not support iTouches (only iPods/Nanos). What I've done instead is created a free account on Freezing Blue where it's absolutely free to create your flash cards. You can then transfer those same flash cards to your iTouches/iPods/Nanos for free as well! No software necessary. There's no better price than free, right? :) Here's my first batch of flash cards (look for ID #13881, Author stenonerd): Legal Terms for Court Reporting 1 (Cerritos). I got these terms from Cecy of Cerritos College who so graciously sent us the Excel file - Legal_Terms.pdf. Thanks, Cecy! :) I'll be adding to my flash card stack on Freezing Blue in the coming days and studying on my iTouch and laptop like crazy! :) Janet - Thanks for the great find on eBay! Sounds like an unbeatable deal! :) But I'll pass this offer for now since I don't want to spend money (yes, I know it's only $4.99!). More importantly, I'm a very tactile person -- I tend to retain more information when I have to type out everything myself... so that's what I'll do! :) THANKS AGAIN, EVERYONE!!! MUCH APPRECIATED!!! :) ------------------------------ Comment by Christine (Steno Nerd) on April 12, 2010 at 11:50 a.m. Just checked out the video on YouTube again -- http://www.youtube.com/user/LadySteno#p/u/3/xXrFQkLMtzg It's working! Thanks, Glen! :)

21 SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery. 2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent. 3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. 5. Be forgiving of yourself and others. 6. Be generous. 7. Have a grateful heart. 8. Persistence, persistence, persistence. 9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary. 10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated. 11. Commit yourself to constant improvement. 12. Commit yourself to quality. 13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationship with people you love and respect. 14. Be loyal. 15. Be honest. 16. Be a self-starter. 17. Be decisive even it it means you'll sometimes be wrong. 18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life. 19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did. 20. Take good care of those you love. 21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud. - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

HOW I PACK MY LAPTOP/STENO MACHINE ROLLER

This blog post is a long time coming. This is for Jill who commented on my blog post "MY LAPTOP/STENO MACHINE ROLLER." Here's what she said: "Would you be willing to post pics of exactly HOW you load your steno "luggage"? I am in the same boat. Interning is a pain with even just a Jet Bag and laptop rolling briefcase. I want it all in one bag!" Well, I've finally got around to taking pics for you, Jill! Sorry for the delay. Here is exactly how I pack my laptop, steno machine, and all my cords and other gadgets in my handy-dandy luggage roller my boyfriend bought for me on SALE at Macy's. Hope this helps! :) Oh! And ALWAYS get warranty! I've used mine once so far! The handle broke! :P Guess I was packing way too much stuff in there (added lots of notebooks and other supplies). So last word: Pack with care. When you pack too much things besides the necessities, the roller tips over! And that's embarrassing! :P

STENO NOTES IN YOUR PURSE

I've started a new habit of carrying a bunch of steno notes in my purse. When I find a spare minute during my day, I'll pull out my notes, which are bound in a clip, and start reading silently to myself (sometimes mouthing them, though; people must think I'm crazy!). This quick reading practice works best when I'm waiting in line for something such as at a bank, at a store, at a restaurant, etc. If I'm able, I'll also circle my errors (something that I've learned from Simply Steno, a great online steno program to help get you prepared to take the RPR Exam), and in that way, try to analyze my notes and consequently fix my trouble spots. This is the first time I've ever packed steno notes in my purse for the occasional 5-10 minutes of read-back... and I like it! It's kind of addicting! After I'm done, I get this wonderful sense of feeling productive, of being "on top of things" regarding my speed-building progress, and it keeps my mind in steno mode. Lastly, I don't get all anxious or cranky when I have to wait in line for something. I actually look forward to the lulls in my days... because that's when I can sneak in some steno read-back. Wouldn't my teachers be so proud! Haha! :)

10 WORDS YOU NEED TO STOP MISSPELLING

Here's an awesome site that gives 10 great tips, with awesome comics and unforgettable humor, on how to stop misspelling! Click here to go to The Oatmeal where the below came from.