Sent a few of my favorite briefs to a friend upon request, and thought they'd be useful here:

hree years of court probation = THROGS
Home supervision = H*FRGS
Ankle monitor = AOPLT
Previously ordered = PRORD
Court-ordered phone call = KRA*UL
Placement review = PHR*F
Terms and conditions = TERBGS
Central Collections = SKLEGS
Fines and fees = FAOEUFS
Stipulated lesser included offense STAOUDZ
Place of birth = PLOB
Stipulate = ST-P
Post-court clerk = PHRERBG
Financial hearing officer = TPHRAUFR
Stipulation = ST-GS
Stipulation of counsel = STOUNL
I sentence you to = SNEUNT
Blood alcohol = PWHRAOL
Blood alcohol level = PWHRAO*FL
Plea deal = PHRAOEL

Hi everybody. I was just wondering if anyone has a good brief for ingredient?

ingredient - GRAOENT or GRENT

Nice set of briefs, Cathryn!

Thank you, Brenda.

Thanks, Mark! Here are a couple more:

seems to me that = SMAOEMT

driving while having a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher = DRAEUT

Long ago I had a conversation with one of my friends who was a court reporting student.

We speculated on how God would brief, if He were a steno-machine court reporter.

We decided that, when the deposition started, he would just sit and listen (not write), and when it was over 2 hours later (or whatever), He would just hit the one brief for THAT deposition. lol

(This story inspired by Cathryn's last brief suggestion)

he would just sit and listen (not write)

Mark! That's the nightmare I had for years and years . . . showing up without a steno machine and "I'll just remember it." EEEK!

I don't have that nightmare anymore, but the cure is worse than the disease: I actually DID show up at a job without my machine!

Mark, I love the warning. Very funny, but true.

Wow, today's video was a workout. I can't wait to try it again later on.

In light of Monica's running-over-the-instrument story, anyone ever (dare I say it ...) run over their writer?!

Sure hope not!

Just want you to know that I came dangerously close to doing that just last week. Sat my case with my machine and computer at the back of my car to open the trunk, then remembered I had to run inside quick for something. Well, I was in such a hurry that I came back out and jumped in the car, threw it in reverse and heard a horrible noise. Like Monica, someone was watching out for me because I had set the case right in the middle of both of the wheels and it just kind of went under the car and the case got ripped up a bit. But nothing was hurt! Thank goodness, seems how I just bought a brand new computer due to a hard drive crash just around three months ago. WHEW!! Needless to say I'll pay much more attention!!

Moncia,
Wow, kudos for you -- that's tenacity!!

Glen,
Have never run over my writer but have had my dog Gromit come running through my office and knock it over. StenoDoctor had to re-attach the wire to the display that went out.

I have left the cable that connects the writer to the computer before and learned at that depo that it is the same cable that connects a printer to a computer so was able to borrow one from the law firm -- so embarrassing. Now I bring two cables, just in case.

Mark,

Thanks SO much for the speedy dictation!! It is really helping on these speedy jobs I have been writing lately.

"Moncia" should be "Monica" although that has a nice ring too :)

I've never r over mine, either. When I am driving around with it, it sits in the front passenger seat, with the shoulder strap acting as a seat belt ... and I loop my laptop's case over the seat as well, and lean it against the writer's case.

I have a rather small car (a 1994 Ford Aspire) and getting rear-ended would not be a good thing for the car, or my writer, were it back in the hatchback area! :o)

Also, I can't effectively drape the straps of my two cases over the back seat ... so, front seat it is!

As you might guess, this method keeps me from even thinking about driving over it ....

Kathryn --

I bought mine used in 2003. Drove it from Seattle to Indiana and back (even got a speeding ticket in Wisconsin!).

Eight gallon tank, ~$22 to fill up, and roughly 320 miles to the tank ... not bad at all!

Glad you guys are enjoying the fast dictation!

Kathryn and Monica, you two are too funny! I love the Lord of the Briefs quote. Did you know the Evil Sauron wants us to write everything out and come back with a separate stroke for endings??

When you put the Ring on, it makes you LOVE to write everything out!

Monica, I've had it come up almost as often as "persecute.";) None for the first and twice for the second (in 3 yrs). PERS/KAOUT Not enough for me to brief.

Hello everyone. Well, tomorrow is the big day for my son, Trevor. CSR here he comes!!!

Any last minute words of advice to calm the nerves? I know he'll be just fine, but "mom" is a mess! ;-) Breathe...

Mark ~ Trevor spoke at his reception yesterday and he gave thanks to you and said what an inspiration you are to him. Just wanted you to know that. Your videos have helped him, especially watching the archived ones on psychological warfare, repeating in your head, et cetera.

I'll keep you posted.

PS Good luck to Mike, too!! See you there.

Remember to breathe, Trevor :) Good luck!

Alexis,
How exciting!! "Last minute words of advice:" "They're only words." Just do what you've been trained to do these past months. The CSR test should be a piece of cake compared to the MS Club. Our prayers precede you and will be with you. Please keep us posted. Good luck, Trevor!! Alexis, just be the great supportive mom you have been all along :)

WOW!! It's here!!!

I'll keep ahopin' and awishin' and aprayin' like always!!!

GOOD LUCK, TREVOR!!!!!!!!

And keep breathing, Mom!!

Good luck, Trevor! You WILL do it!!!

I wanted to say hello to everyone. I'm new around here and still trying to figure things out.

I've started thinking about starting to think about the RMR. LOL My mom has hers and I think it would be nice to have a matching set. I'm just not there in my mind yet, KWIM?

Trevor, I hope it went well! Thanks for the kind words. Let us know how you felt.

Lauren, nice to have you!!! You CAN do the RMR!!! I highly recommend the Magnum Steno Club as a place to help you prepare.

Welcome, Lauren!

You need to get your mom to join us here too, where proud dorkie moms also unite. :)

Tami: Would if I could, but her idea of using the internet is calling me up and asking me to Google her questions! LOL She's still on a DOS system for crying out loud!

But she is a proud court reporter/court reporting mom! She always says I went to court reporting school twice, once with her and once on my own. She still remembers being seven months pregnant when she took her first job. I can't even imagine it! Woman has nerves of steel!

Wow, Monti, thanks for the congrats!!

Can't believe we are up to 200 members!!!

YIPPEEE FOR US!!

And thanks, Mark. We couldn't have done it without you!

Anybody know how Trevor thought he did?

Folks, check out my "Magnum Steno Game" instructional video that shows up today (Friday 10-23-09). This is a game you play while working.

Who else just heard War Games, "Do you want to play a game"? LOL

Sorry it's taken some time to give an update on Trevor. Still recuperating from celebrating and I've had some REALLY good qualifiers this week.

Well, Mark...I am such a proud mom!!! And I don't think I embarrassed him too much, buuut -- he said the test was "AWESOME!!!" The speakers were so smooth and he even said at one point his mind wandered a little. It felt slow to him. We had 11 students from our school, 5 were first-time test takers. They all came out of the dictation room with HUGE smiles on their faces. Trevor rescheduled his English test for next week so that would give him time to focus only on his machine. He will get the results of English within two weeks. Also, he found out within one week of taking his professional practice test that he PASSED! He will know by November 25 the results of his dictation test.

Thanks everyone for all the support, prayers, and good wishes sent our way.

Way to go Trevor!

AWESOME, TREVOR!! Thanks for the update, Alexis.

That's awesome news, Alexis!

Good job, TREVOR!!!!! We knew you could do it!!

And . . . good news on the "REALLY good qualifers," Alexis. I'll keep up the ahopin' and awishin' and aprayin'. :)

Way to go Trevor!!

Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments! I feel very good about the machine portion and am eagerly waiting for the results on November 25th. I can't wait to be a LICENSED reporter!!

BTW, thanks, Mark for your advice on practicing high speeds and memorizing briefs and phrases. Following your method really helped make the test seem like I was writing a 180 test! :-)

Very welcome, Trevor! I'm very proud of you!

Been quiet around here! Figured I'd post some thoughts.

Remember when writing at high speeds, especially when it seems "way too fast," that you need to FIGHT for it and do your 100% best, and you WILL get benefit from it. Especially if you do this daily.

In the Magnum Steno Club I'm going to make (today, hopefully) a new instructional video called "Seabiscuit." Stay tuned.

Mark,
Look forward to Seabiscuit.

Also, could you tell me in which instructional video you talk about striking the keys as soon as you hear the word, not waiting to phrase? And then you challenge us to strike the keys before you do?

Christine: Recently of course I made the one called "Magnum Steno Game." I'll try to find what other one....

So far, Christine, I think it's "Magnum Steno Game." Can't find another one yet.

Mark,
It's not "Magnum Steno Game." It's not "Mark Writing." It's not "Speed Method Part 3."
I'll just keep looking through them. I just thought you might know right off which one it was. I think it may even have been in 2008, but I'm not sure. Sorry to bother you about it.

I LOVED Seabiscuit. What a moving story and moving, God-inspired correlation. Thanks so much for putting that together for all of us. You are such a blessing!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEEN! REMEMBER NOT TO TALK TO MAGNMSTENOERS!

Is this the Super Reporter on Halloween??

Whoa!!! Was the attorney talking too fast?

You guys are cracking me up!!

Clay says you're exactly right, Monica!

I need to get Clay to post that on the main page with Monica's definition attached. Let's liven things up around here! :)