I'm posting this for a friend.  Does anyone know about the Phoenix Theory?  Is it good, full of briefs, etc?  Her daughter wants to be a court reporter, and I guess she's going to use Stenograph's schooling, and the Phoenix Theory is one of the ones they use.

Thanks!

Several months ago I was forwarded information about a scam where telephone calls from "Microsoft Technical Support" informed you there was a problem with your operating system.  MTS offered to fix your problem.  You had to give the caller access to your computer, naturally.  It gets more interesting (see link below).

I tucked the info into the far recesses of my brain.  This was going on in Europe.

Well...got a phone call the other day from these folks.  Very personalized,…

Here:  https://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/50abbott/op/2012/htm/ga0928.htm

His decision does not mention whether such deposition testimony can be made a part of a trial record. 

Texas reporters and scopists, make your voices heard.  If Judge Abbott neglected the ramifications of his decision when it comes to trial transcripts, perhaps he would like to take a second…

My website has been updated. Come on by and check out my Case CATalyst scoping and proofreading services. If you are a client, you can now leave a comment on my webpage. For those of you who have not yet tried my services, you can contact me through my site for additional information. I'd love to hear from you!

 …

- When you realize you never knew you are dyslexic.



- When the letters start dancing on screen and page.



- When you realize that pulsing sound is coming from inside your head.



- Your spelling skills degenerate to a first grade level.



- When your curved fingers start balling into fists.



- When you start yelling at your writer.



- When you realize just how light your writer is any how easily it could be thrown through a…

Recently, I was asked to swear in a witness from a remote location, the witness was not in the room with me.  I was told that the attorneys agreed to the remote swearing in.  It is very important for a reporter to know what their state rules are regarding our authority to do this.  In my state, it is not permitted and because the attorneys agree to it, it does not make it legal.  All it would take is for one attorney to question the legality of that procedure and your license would be on the…

Wage and hour lawsuits - taking a depo from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no breaks, and all they keep talking about is did you get your 15-minute rest break after five hours, did you get your 30-minute lunch break.  The thought wanders through my mind, when do I get my rest break.  Am I getting paid time and half here?

ADA discrimination lawsuits - having to lug all your equipment up two flights of stairs bec. there is no elevators.

My instructor told this story in class today.  Had to pass it along.

A teacher (who happens to be a man) is dictating a list of low-frequency words to students when he comes across the word:

Teacher: Penis.

Student: How do you stroke that?

Teacher:  It doesn't come up very often.

http://www.shoedazzle.com/styleprofile/3zmhh74ff5

This looks interesting....all items $39.95 with free shipping and returns.

I think I want to be a personal shopper and live vicariously through someone else's wallet. : )

Uh oh…

I am so thankful I am learning stenography at this point in time.  From where I'm sittin, now is the ideal time to learn the new realtime theory, Phoenix theory.  Up until the very last few years, stenography writers always had a printer for the steno notes.  Not anymore.  Now laptops and a new theory have replaced the old writers and way of transcribing.  Those reporters who knew the old theory had to either learn the new technology or retire, thus opening up the profession to a new…

I attended my first awards assembly for the winter quarter last week.  It reminded me of a pep rally a little bit.  One lady I went to class with last quarter received an award for completing TEN tests in one quarter!  Impressive and inspiring.



Our director also unveiled the new, redesigned school program.  If I wasn't at the beginning of my theory and was more along in the program, I'd probably be more than a little irritated about switchin things up midway.  We do get two weeks…

Dear Brain

You can shut up now, and let the fingers do the work for you.  The fingers are in charge now, dear brain.  Follow them, trust them.  Let the memory of their muscles guide you.  Yes brain, the fingers are not always right, but that's okay, because neither are you.  The fingers know what to do, and they can even fix their own mistakes, if you just practice.  Congratulations brain, you can take a few months off…

How do we handle the appearance of an attorney who is only covering for another attorney? The attorney whose case it is was unable to appear and the firm sent someone else in their place. I see the original attorney's name on the service list. Do both their names go on the appearance list?

Just for kicks, I decided to search my ASCII's for the word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."  Believe it or not (I couldn't believe it myself), it actually came up . . . in a deposition I took on September 23, 2009, said by the noticing attorney.

Opposing Counsel:  "The court reporter loves that.  She didn't know she's going to need a special dictionary for today's deposition."

Noticing Atty:  "I like challenges for everybody, so there's yours for the…

I had a busy but interesting day today.  I spent 5 hours doing some medical transcription work, another 3+ hours on a rush rough on a ptsd lawsuit, and then a little over an hour on a scoping job -- although most of the scoping had already been done and all that was left was a bit of research on some medical terms.  Interesting stuff!  I love my job!  No getting bored with day-to-day, same-old, same-old!

These may all be fatal bec. the reporter may stand up and shoot the person who is so afflicted.

Carpenteritis – cannot form a coherent sentence,  false starts at least three times per thought before finally laying down something completely incomprehensible on the record.  Never takes breaks, badgers the witness, and is very argumentative.  You’ll know you’re in the presence of attorney who has Carpenteritis bec. it will feel a little like you’re taking a deposition where…

So I'm editing my transcript from last week where I had to cite the witness. Many things I didn't expect to hear came up, but I guess we have to be ready for anything in depoland! I'm just getting to the part where one attorney puts on the record the fact that opposing counsel is "mad dogging" his client! Never thought I'd hear an attorney say that! LOL!!! I actually wanted to laugh out loud when he said that. Of course I didn't, but I'm laughing now!!!