Last Full Day of Theory

Here it is, the day that everyon- I'VE been waiting for! This is my last full day of theory. We're doing a quiz on the last two chapters and probably going to go over review and everything. I'm leaving theory at 80 WPM takes (I have 2 more 80's to go), which is higher than the 50 WPM that we're supposed to graduate at. So basically I'm ahead of the game when it comes to what the class expects from you.

I'll also announce what writer I ended up getting. Theres a lot of hints, especially after the Diamate Tripod topic. I ended up getting the Wave afterall and I absolutely love it. The touch is just perfect, I love the tilting feature, and it was in my price range. I also have, in the next three years, a trade in ammount for if I want to go to the Diamante. No, this is not a welcoming for you to question this decision though. I already have a paper writer, I didn't need another. I did my research and I'm completely content.

I get a week off before I start going into 60-80, which I'm already ahead of the game on. I'll probably be in there for perhaps a week before I go to the next speed class. It'll give me enough time to get used to the new system we'll be going into.

I'm hecka exited. I'll finally be doing official speeds and be able to practice more, since I'm going to be dedicating all my time strictly to my court reporting classes.

Flooded in paper!

Posted On: Depoman.com -> Student Bootcamp -> Flooded in paper!

So I have this habit of throwing none of the takes I've taken home, and so today I decided I was going to go through my room and toss takes from last quarter. I basically filled my recycle basket up with paper. Its ridiculous! I had it all over. My computer desk was covered, my book shelf had old takes hidden, I found some under my bed, found some inside an old book, its ridiculous. Basically, I must have had old paper coming out of my ears.

What do some of you do with the old paper? I throw it into the recycling bin personally, but I've heard of people reusing old paper, using them to read back later on, etc. etc.

I probably should have taken a picture, but nobody wants to see my rats' nest. Being an overtime student (I'm taking 16 units vs. the typical 12), I don't have time for anything except takes, homework, sleep, eat, and more takes. My little visits online are usually my only break.

Sometimes being too safe is a mistake...

WAUGH!!

Boy do I have something to rant about: myself. I wanted to get my check and investment sheet tracked to Stenograph so I knew when they got it. I did the stupid of asking for 'Registered Mail' instead of 'Tracked Mail,' so not only did I waste $13 dollars for something I didn't want, but its also delayed the process of getting my machine ordered. Isn't that just peachy?

I checked my USPS tracking confirmation, which I was reportedly not supposed to get according to the lady I called, and it says that they tried to deliver it on a Saturday...um...Stenograph is in a business center. USPS should be smart enough to realize its not open! So I gave USPS a call, and guess what, I can't ask them to redeliver it. Stenograph has to call for it it, so the check I wrote is reportedly under lock and key until they pick it up. Stenograph has no idea how to fix the situation, and nobody is authorized to make that call.

I'm so happy that Stenograph is so on it and so polite. Not only did they put up with my screaming, irritating bird but they are also putting up with this huge mistake I made. I'm falling in love with Stenograph customer service as we speak. They are fantastic and so understanding.

So! Sometimes being too safe is a mistake. I just wanted to tracked so if anything comes up saying 'Oh we never received the check' I could find out who was responsible, but being as I never send mail any other way except the usual stamp and pop it in the mailbox I didn't know the registered mail details, and being as USPS is broke the guy who was at the counter didn't care to explain. So now my check is being safe guarded like it was from Fort Nox...

This sad panda needs a hug...Sob.

Computer Revived!

So I guess my computer didn't die. I didn't know it was possible, but apparently we had a virus in our router. The router! I almost didn't believe it, but somehow a virus had gotten into our router and its settings and changed it so it had to go through a proxy server that redirected sites like e-mail and online bank statements to a sites that required you to download a 'Sexy Calculator' or required you to do a survey on 'How to know if you're an Idiot' to get to the page you wanted to go. Even though we always pressed back on our browser and never did download or do any of these things, I still somehow got a virus!

We had to not only install a new OS onto my hard drive (of which we recovered all of my old files) but we had to reset the router to factory settings to get rid of the virus in the first place! We had to also give it a new passcode to access our internet. Its scary!

So yes, somehow we got a virus in our router. I didn't believe it either until I saw it! However, my desktop is recovered and all my files, including my music, is intact. Thank God! Computer Revived!

Computer Died!

Just wanted to let everyone know yesterday while checking my e-mail my primary hard drive decided to die. I've lost everything including my music, my documents, and my favorite audio clips. I'm looking for my StenED CD's so I can recover my primary audio.

It won't be until the end of the week that my computer will be fixed with a new hard drive. So if you don't see me my computer decided to kapoot.

And yes, it was a blue screen and crash. Then it started turning itself on and on by itself. It was crazy. I had to unplug my computer to get it to stop going koo koo for coco puffs.

See you when my baby is fixed. . . Sob.

Student Rant on Repetitive, Monotone Audio!

 From: Depoman.com ---> Student Boot Camp --->Student Rant on Repetitive, Monotone Audio!

I'm literally going bonkers here. I have to do this 4:37 audio, at the same speed, nine times. Its really starting to drive me insane, because not only do some things not make sense like the speaker is intending some poetic crusade on peace but he speaks in a monotone way. Usually all the audio is like this, but this one's really starting to irk me.

Since all of you were students at one point how do you tolerate typing up the same thing over and over again? I know consistency is good for word-placement and memorization, but the same speed, nine times means I'm most likely to go crazy by the time I'm out of the last quarter of theory.

Any hints or words of advice? I'm also fighting really hard to keep it completely verbatim and not correct all their way-too-obvious grammatical mistakes.

Examples in some of the audio are:
 

Quote:

...The friend told the man to wait for him. The man did not want to be late so he did not stop. He just went to his car and got in. I could see that this made the other man mad. I said to my pal that I thought we should go because there may be a fight. We did not want to get near a fight. Just as we left, we saw the friend run over the hill and start to hit the first man in the back. The first man hit back.

What the? The man got in the car. Is it roofless? Is the car a convertible with the top down? How can the second guy run down the hill and hit the guy who's in the car!? It defies logic to me and has no explanation. This is what some of the audio has us students typing. I could write better stuff than this and keep it down only to the principles we have learned just far, and a brain dead monkey probably could too.

Or our latest one with the word "inflation." Everyone in the class admitted to then hating the word "inflation." They gave it to us over two days and its a 2:28 sound file. Two days, nine times over and over again.

Quote:

The income of most of us has been increasing. But there is the danger of inflation. Inflation reduces the worth of our cash. Prices increase and inexpensive things cost more and more. When inflation comes, a dollar doesn't buy as much. In most cases the consumer's purchasing power falls in exact proportion to the inflation. Inflation can lead to incapacitation of the dollar. It can inflict great harm on all the citizens of a nation. It can inhibit investing. To stop inflation, a drive to keep wages and prices down is needed. The program to stop inflation must be in firm hands. These programs must insure that inflation stays under control. Inflation is like an infection. It must be stopped or it will spread. It must be cured or it will kill the inner life of the nation.

I get it! The paragraph is about inflation. Does anyone else, who has done StenED theory, understand my plight? These paragraphs are read so slowly, so monotone, so repetitive and by the time you've done it the third time you've memorized the damn thing and could probably do it 2x faster by the sixth time. There's only 3 speeds (30/45/60) and I'm in my 60's with this type of dictation.

Anyone know a program that can speed it up?

Then there is Oatmeal

I have found a new expression for when things are going bad, and you don't think it could get must worse. Since I have already posted the explanation on my favorite forum here I must share it with my blogging audience.

Today, I got up this morning bright and early at 5:40 AM for my morning Theory Two class. I'm feeling rather good, just groggy, and I don't think anything could get much worse than waking up so early after a long, exhausting night class. Well, lately I have been enjoying warm oatmeal for breakfast but I like the texture to be warm and thick (and not in a dirty way you perverted buffoons). So I've been adding milk to the mixture instead of water.

The only problem is that to get it just right it takes three, one minute heatings followed by stirring it inbetween. So needless to say its near boiling by the time its just right. As I headed to the couch to enjoy my morning meal I tripped and flipped this boiling hot bowl of oatmeal onto my left hand. So not only did I have to forget about going to the morning class I so joyously woke up for, but I'm struggling not to scream explicits for the world to hear. I had to forget about working on my machine as well, because my fingertips were threatening to blister. Thank goodness for ointment and ibuprofen.

So when you think it couldn't get much worse, then there is oatmeal.