Tami, this group should easily reach 100 by the end of this month... easily.
if we only had some short demo videos to add here, it would be cool.

Monti, Most of our videos are 10 minutes long, and in Flash format. What would be a good length?

Mark, the length is up to you... the flash format is supported, simply click on the "videos" tab (under the community tab) then simply follow the instructions.
I will be happy to do it for you if you like, i just need the videos.

once you have uploaded it I will surgically embed it in this group.

I would like to turn this group into a place where your fans can find lots of great content about your talents.
of course with Tamis approval :P

A sampling of Mark's videos??

Now how am I going to object to that!! :)

You would if I add clips of me dancing in the middle!
well, I will be happy to work on this group to add lots of relevant links, videos ..etc
see Marlas (SoCal) group.

Thanks!

Wow! We've got Mark Kislingbury, big guns, and Monti dancing. All on this wonderful club you started, Tami. I'm learning so much AND being entertained at the same time. I LOVE THIS CLUB!

So, Mark and Monti dance with big guns? That's how rumors start! LOL!

LOL!
see, now we cant stop those rumors even if we try!

I bought the Magnum Steno book last week and talked with Samuel over the phone. He was so very helpful and had so much positive energy. I'm excited to get the book in the mail sometime this week and get started on this new way of writing -- short and fast, right? It's GREAT that not only newbie CR students like me are benefiting from the Magnum Steno ways, but that seasoned professionals are too! Gives me great hope and expectations (that I'm sure will be met and exceeded!) with Magnum Steno! One of the great things I love about stenography is that you are ALWAYS trying to improve your writing. It's always a challenge, and I know I can never get bored with this profession!

I'm also very glad to have found this great site for us to network more easily and readily! I found Magnum Steno because of this site... and I'm spreading the word to my fellow CR students at Tri Community in Covina, California!

I just have to get on here and rave about the informational video on the elan mira. I have never written so well. Although it could have something to do with the three hours extended practice yesterday, but I absolutely love that I can change all the settings to make my keys really shallow and really sensitive. I love it, and I am even more sure that I will love the lightspeed now when I get there! (Which I HOPE will be soon!):)

All schools should be teaching that in theory on the very first day. Set your machines to the lightest, shallowest stroke.

You might like it if you raised your vowel keys, too, Erica.

And, Chrstine, I think most reporters who get bored just keep writing the same way every day, day in and day out. I can make the most boring trial, hearing, etc., into a pretty fun event because I'm always trying to perfect my writing and be more efficient.

Congratulations on the book purchase. I think you're going to love it!

Never stop.

Tami, I was wondering if you used the lightspeed? If not, have you tried it and found a reason you don't like it? Just curious.

I have also inquired about getting the Magnum Steno book very soon. Hopefully within the next 2 or 3 months I will have the pink LS and Mark's book:)

I sent Christine and Megan a list of small-word phrases culled from just the first few minutes of my job the other day. Small-word phrases are a GOLD MINE that 99% of court reporters do not prospect:

I have a A*EUF
for you TPOU
if you TPU
on the OT
and if SKPEUF
to come TOPBLG (-J is "come" in phrases)
that the THAT
to the TOT
is this STH-
is a SA
is the S-T
as the S*T
we are WER
do they TKAOTD (-TD is "they" in phrases)
so much SOFP
to have TO*F
I want to TOEUPT
at the TE
last night HRA*PBSZ
and it's SKPEUTS
pretty much PREFP
that I THAEU
with them W-FPL (-FPL is "them" in phrases)
we have to be TWO*EFB (simply a purposeful stack)
in order TPHORD
in order to TPHORTD
they had THED
to do TOD
and they SKP-TD
they had to THOED
sort of SOFRT
who had WHOD
off the OFT
but the PWUTD
was to TO*FS
as far STPAR
they have TH*EF
they think TH*EPBG
and yet SKPWRET
with us WUS
we shouldn't W*ERBD

Wow, Mark. That list is great! Many of them I know and use every day; others I never even thought of. I'm going to pick a few at a time and work on them.

Thanks again.

Thanks for the list, Mark. And thanks for taking the time to put the list together. We appreciate it very much :)

If tot is to the, then how is the word tot written?

If on the is ot, is on it o*t?

Mark,

Thanks for the list, and for taking the time to put it together. I second Christine's thoughts.

And I wholeheartedly agree with you on the use of small-word phrases.

A few quick questions:

Is ont used for anything? If not, could it be used for on the (and of course, o*nt would be on it)?

and if SKPEUF
If I made SKPEUF to be and of
and SKP*EUF to be and if
and SKP*EUFB to be and have
and SKPEUFB to and have been
would it work?

Mark,

Does Magnum Theory use -FBT for anything?

Would -FBT be considered to difficult a stroke for use in words or phrases, especially at high speeds?

Gary,
I know you were addressing Mark regarding these outlines, but I thought I'd post these in the meantime. I know Mark writes the the following for these outlines:

SKPEUF = and if
SKP*EUF = and I have
SKP*EUFB = and I have been
OPBT = onto
O*PBT = on it
T*OT = tot
FBT = was not

Hope this helps :)

I know you asked Mark -- hopefully he has time to answer -- but my feeling is there is no stroke too difficult -- if you have the right amount of fingers, that is.

My hands have slowed down so much by writing short that I have more time to get them into tricky strokes, and I've found the more I write things that I once thought were tricky, they become just like a regular 'ol stroke for me.

"If I made SKPEUF to be and of
and SKP*EUF to be and if
and SKP*EUFB to be and have
and SKPEUFB to and have been
would it work? "
Gary,
Why are you putting EUs in these? you are going to ruin adding "I" to it.
and have SKP*F or it looks like SKP*FB in your case, but then you're going to ruin "and have been" unless you think of another way to do that..
anyways back on topic.
and have SKP*F
and I have SKPEU*F
maybe you just meant to say that. Otherwise, there's no reason to put the EUs in "and have," etc.

on the OT
on it OIT
onto ONT
on to O*NT
was not FNT

again, why make "and of" "SKPEUF?"
SKP-F

Gary,

I like your idea for -FBT. No, I do not use it for anything, but I'm going to think of SOMETHING to use it for!!! I need a ~when on the right side, so maybe that. Not sure.

About your other questions, I write:

OPBT onto
O*PBT on it

I see now that Clay and Christine and Tami have answered for me - CORRECTLY (KREL) I might add - so I need not go further.

the -FBT is actually a MISSTROKE of was not; "was not" correctly stroked, for me is -FPBT. So I think -FBT can be used as the right stroke for something else.

Let me know if I missed something! :)

Also, let me say that Clay has taken my theory and run with it - he's invented new, very clever things, and changed some things that he preferred to write other ways. This is a good thing - so I really respect Clay's opinions on briefs.

One if his cool ideas is *RBG for ~your. I'm working on learning that. The idea is, the -RBG is a "mirror" of the Y- in the left hand. Hence, Y for "your." The asterisk avoids conflicts.

Also, as I read Tami's posts, I see she's a faithful disciple of mine!! LOL She's learned very well! She's absolutely right about "no stroke too hard" - the key is, since a hard stroke is often a stroke for what USED TO BE 3 words, you now have more TIME to write the difficult stroke.

Oops, I see that -FB is "what" on the right side (mirroring the WH- on the left). So SKP-FBT is "and what the", so not sure I should use -FBT. Have to think about that.

A Proud Faithful Disciple, I might add!! :)

I only wash my own feet, though!

To Tami from Tami B
Maybe you should wash his hands! LOL
Just starting out on this blog thing and I have a
very busy courtroom so probably won't be able to contribute much. I love reading all of your discussions tho.

I'm still washing my baby's hands -- he's seven -- so I'm not willing to do that either. :)

Some day I'll never have to find somebody else's shoes, wash somebody else's face, feet, laundry, clean somebody else's mess . . .

I actually think I'll be really lonely when that day comes. :)

I just got back into a trial dept last Monday, Tami B., so we'll see if I can swing it. Sometimes I think I'm getting too old for one . . .

BUT when you write really clean and efficient -- another hard sale for writing short and accurate -- it takes a fraction of the time it used to getting out a transcript -- especially back in the old Stenorette days ("Interrog!").

Oh, the babies on here have no idea what I just said. HA!

AND, Tami B.,

Are you two stroking your speaker I.D.s?? (Q BY MR. SMITH:)

Tami,

I was just about to write you on what you do for speaker I.D.s. I have NEVER been clean when it comes to that. I'm all over the board, especially in popcorn colloquy. My last qualifier was a mess! And I am two stroking my speaker I.D.s. HELP!

Also, how do you identify when there are five or more attorneys? I interned at a depo with eight attorneys and the reporter had business cards laid out on the table. It would be my luck that someone would bump the table, sneeze, or the attorneys would play musical chairs (probably just to piss me off) and then I would be up a creek without a paddle.

Hi, Alexis!

You keep hanging in there!! I know you're going to get one soon!!

<>Q. BY MR. PLF: STPHAO-BG

<>Q. BY MR. DEF: K-EUFPLT or KW-EUFPLT

Of course I have their names job defined for trial, but I think that probably would work nicely for you in four-voice dictation.

I actually write attorneys' names at work on busy calendars with 10, 20-plus attorneys. When you work in the same place every day, that's pretty feasible -- especially because it's nearly 100% criminal. We don't get the 20-attorney civil cases for one case. The most I ever do in trial is about five or six tops.

SO . . . if I have more than one defense attorney in trial, I could change my letters with the EUFPLT, perhaps to the first letter of their first or last name.

So . . . Q. BY MR. RODRIGUEZ could be R-EUFPLT

I also get everyone's name down in a stroke for each trial. I'm not going to write out "Mr. Rodriguez" for an entire trial.

It would be MR-R.

My defendant for the trial is always MR-D
The People (D.A.) is always MR-P

The case I'm doing that just went to the jury 30 minutes ago, the victim's name was Mr. Baldwin, MR-B.

Back to busy calendars . . .

There's no way I'm writing . . .

MR. RODRIGUEZ: Ricardo Rodriguez for the People.

. . . all day long.

For his speaker I.D. (busy calendar), he's ROG/ROG. That's for <>>MR. RODRIGUEZ:

(my ROD is "restraining order." :)

I hit it a third time for

<>>MR. RODRIGUEZ: Ricardo Rodriguez for the People.

I've found that 99% of the time attorneys state their appearances exactly the same. When Rodriguez says "on behalf of" instead of "for the," I'll write a fix-it stroke after his appearance, like FIX: BAOF (my brief for "on behalf of.")

For my defense attorneys, the third stroke just sets up their name and states their name:

<>>MS. SAMANIEGO: Veronica Samaniego

and I continue from there.

I added most of that in case Tami B. peeks in. :)

Hey, I see we're up to 60 members.

Just wanted to welcome the newcomers!!

60?? no way!!
I demand a recount!!

62 now, Monti!

Just ordered my book today. lol YAY

Thanks Tami! These are great. Looking forward to my next depo/trial with multiple attorneys.

PS Trevor is very close...67 errors. Would've been 56 if not for one word that was a plural (car lengths NOT car length), 11 times in transcript. The clock's ticking...

Okay. I just have to say I think I could have about cried at Mark's speed mothod #4 video. It was so inspirational and really hit some of my sore spots. GO MARK:)

Wow, thank you, Erica!!!

Tami, that's a very good method you have for speakers in your court!

Thanks, Mark. I'm glad you like it.

Alexis,

Whatever is meant to be is meant to be, BUT I'm awishin' and ahopin' and aprayin' he nails one SOON!

Oh, and, Mark, if you see this . . .

Did you have to change anything up with your -FZ for "saw"?

I noticed I'd have some problems with it today and was wondering if you did too and just made the -- I'm hoping -- minor adjustments.

I wish Mark would post a video of himself writing on youtube. If I ever question the usefulness of putting in the effort with flash cards and whatnot to shorten writing, I just think of watching the guys hands as he's barely moving them and writing a clean, real-timed 280 at the seminar...the jerk! (Kidding!) I've seen my hands slow a little bit, but it would be good inspiration if he had a video up. Also, there's not just a whole too many stenography-related videos on youtube.

I've just ordered wide keys for my stenograph. Double-wide asterisk and extended DZ. Did I make a mistake? I thought the double-wide * would give me more options since I'm just starting out using it. How could it hurt using both index fingers on it? Also, is extended DZ better to use than the extended TS? I've just been watching Mark's instructional videos and I realize I could save a lot of strokes just by adding the D for ed and S for es and the * for y and ly -- and I'm certain that's just the begining!

Kim, I added the double-wide * and the DZ to my machine several years ago after 12 years reporting for the same reasons you have. The * wasn't really a problem after I got used to it, but the DZ was just horrible. I dragged it into every stroke I wrote. I decided to change it to the wide TS and that did the trick. No more dragging it in accidentally and still able to easily bridge the gap when I want to.

I think that for students just learning, the wide DZ is a better choice, but for us vets, maybe not.

Good luck and let us know what you decide or how it turns out.

Tim

The choice between wide DZ or TS keys is strictly personal. I prefer wide -TS; Tami prefers wide -DZ. My reasoning is because I need to really mean to hit it, and the wide -D I hit too easily. Tami must have dainty little fingers. ;)

I have always wished I were ambidextrous on the * key. I think it would be far easier to use my left finger for the * while hitting the -F or -R key rather than *F or *R. Not sure that a wide key is necessary to do that though. Can't imagine you have made a mistake in getting the double-wide. You'll find interesting ways to use it, I'm sure! :)

I am doing well with my new Gemini Grand's double wide asterisks and wide DZ keys. I have always hit the asterisk with whichever index finger is easiest. I can't imagine only using my right one. I'm really liking the wide DZ. I should have done this years ago!

Oh, Jenny! My left index finger is as useful on the asterisk key as my left thumb is on the space bar!

I use whichever finger is easiest also for the *. On my keyboard I also type the number 6 with my right or left finger. Never thought of hitting the space bar with the left thumb though! And I always have to get a keyboard with right and left Alt and Ctrl keys. I don't like being limited to one side.

Tami,

I don't remember seeing any problems with -FZ for "saw".

About the asterisk question, my asterisk key goes only wide to the right. Only my right index finger hits the asterisk - that way, I never have to wonder or hesitate to think about which finger to use. Which finger should we use to hit -D or -Z? The right pinkie, you say; "we have no choice." So wide -TS or -DZ keys do the trick for that. So why do we "need" a choice for the asterisk? Of course, we're all different and should do what works best for us.

What's the fastest way to get to the Magnum Steno Fan Club when I first got to csrnation? I have been searching the page to try to spot the link for the club. Is there an easy, quick way?