I keep hearing witnesses say the phrase “a whole nother” thing, instead of saying “a whole other” thing or “another” thing.  Would you write “nother” with or without an apostrophe?

Signed:  A Brother from a Whole Nother Mother

Dear Brother from a Whole Nother Mother:

I Googled whole nother and found entire blogs devoted to this phrase.  I couldn’t believe it.  They MUST be court reporters!  We’re the only ones who care about such things.  But I learned this phrase had teachers, editors, writers, and just plain folks blogging.  I must confess, I was overcome, teary-eyed with relief.  They care, they really really care!  For years I’ve imagined the grammarians of the world had been force-marched to Transcrivania, the work camp where Those Who Care would be terminated.  But, oh joyous news, they have survived!  And they’re blogging.  Which brings me to those fascinating blogs, rich with factoids crucial to the working reporter.  Here’s what I learned:   “Whole nother” requires no apostrophe.  The phrase was born between 1955 and 1960.  (So were most of us, if you gaze around you at an NCRA convention!)  I learned that seven (imagine, seven!) people want to eradicate its usage.  I learned whole nother is a metanalysis of an other or another.  Then I learned that metanalysis is not a word.  Meta-analysis is, of course, but that’s a whole nother blog.

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Dear Nancy:

I’m a CART provider in business for myself, but I also subcontract for another firm on a semester-long basis.  I’m always careful to mention my affiliation with the agency when introducing myself to CART consumers, and I make sure all significant communication with them gets cc’d to the office.              I often wind up developing a good rapport with the CART consumers.  If they offer me positive feedback about my work, would it be inappropriate of me to ask the firm owners whether I can use those testimonials on my website?

I don’t want the firm to feel as if I’m threatening their client base.  I would never poach a client, and I want to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.  What should I do?

Signed, Tentative Self-Promoter

Dear Tentative Self-Promoter:

You seem to have a firm handle on your personal and business ethics.  Congratulations!  Professionals often worry about the appearance of impropriety.  And they should!  But this is an opportunity for you to take the worry and turn it into a fruitful dialog.

It appears you and this agency have an excellent working arrangement.  Talk to them.  Ask the owners if they would permit you to use these testimonials on your website.  As long as you’re okay with the answer, be it yes or no, your discussion can produce valuable ideas about how each of you can benefit the other.  I’m all in favor of pursuing brainstorming sessions like this because they promote a positive give-and-take.  They improve relationships.

Testimonial pages tend to be a website’s most frequently visited pages.  A prospective customer wants to know who makes use of your services, are they satisfied, and what do they choose to say about you.  It’s important to keep testimonials up to date.  In fact, the trend among court reporting firms is to skip the standard reporter bios and, instead, highlight testimonials from their own reporters describing what a great place it is to work.

Don’t be tentative; be confident.  Dear Nancy knows you can work this out!

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Dear Nancy:

I am a 180 student ready to start my court reporting internship.  I’ve been reading about the replacement of court reporters by digital recorders and other methods.  I know this subject has been debated and discussed for many years.  What are the skills and work habits that today’s court reporting students need to strive for to keep pace with these trends, and to become and stay gainfully employed?

Signed, Living on Uneasy Street

Dear Living on Uneasy Street

If you’re ready to start your internship, my guess is you’ve got some pretty good work habits and skills already.  Keep your focus, review theory principles regularly, and keep up with your speed and accuracy practice, especially once you start interning.       Take full advantage of your internship opportunity.  Try out all kinds of court reporting assignments.  Sit out in court and depositions.  Ask a captioner and a CART provider if you can shadow them.  (Contact me if you need help connecting with any of these professionals.)  Importantly, take some time to introduce yourself to agency owners, especially those who arrange for you to sit with their clients.  Dress well; be punctual; conduct yourself like a professional; say thank you.  A good first impression leads to a job interview.  A poor first impression leads nowhere.

Here’s advice you’ve heard before, but I want to underline it and put it in bold, all caps:   Stay in school until you attain graduation speeds and get your diploma!  Don’t succumb to the temptation to go to work for an agency before you’re done with school.  You won’t be adequately prepared to meet the challenges you’ll face; they will overwhelm you.

Only by completing your speed tests will you be prepared to pass the RPR.  Choosing to work for that credential is the smart career decision.  The RPR will open doors for you, whether or not your state has a licensure or CSR requirement.  Down the road when you may be job-hunting, your RPR certification will keep your career options open.  But don’t stop with the RPR.  In today’s marketplace, realtime skill and RMR certification are the hallmarks of a true professional.

There’s competition out there, from digital recording, voicewriters, tape recording systems.  Don’t fret unnecessarily about it.  There are many positions that require the skills of a realtime-capable, steno reporter.  I can’t say it too often:   The better writer you are, the more options you will have.  Your realtime skills are your calling card.  Make sure yours are good.

Good luck with your internship.  And, please, finish school!  We need you in this profession.

Our goal now is to make sure everyone involved in our field is aware of the movie. If there is a way to relay this message to the members of your association, that would be wonderful.

And we’re looking for stories to feature! As an example, a reporter was telling me about having to caption 9/11 as it was happening – having to write while crying. That’s obviously a very moving moment that those OUTSIDE of court reporting can relate to. But it doesn’t have to be that kind of experience. It can be funny, dangerous, odd – whatever. And if you know of anyone who was captioning as 9/11 was happening, I’d love to hear from them as well for a special segment we’re putting together.

My email is Marc@CourtReportingMovie.com. We start filming at the 2012 NCRA convention, so if you see me, make sure to say hi!

For updates, you can also Like our Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/pages/On-The-Record-Court-Reporting-Documentary/215663378536748

Movie website – www.CourtReportingMovie.com

And please….SHARE!!! More sharing means more exposure for court reporting. And that’s the goal.

Thanks!
Marc

PS – And if you’d like to sponsor the movie in any way – http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steno/for-the-record-inside-the-world-of-stenography

Click here to view the embedded video.

I also want to highly recommend TechCon and Boot Camp.  Both of these programs will be jam packed with useful information.  Please check the links below and join me in Washington, DC later this month.

Steve Crandall, CLVS

President

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I would like to call your attention to an exciting and important program that is underway at NCRA. In February, an NCRA-board commissioned task force will deliver the inaugural presentation of a realtime training program that we then will hand over to state leaders for delivery to court reporters in your area. The goal is to help court reporters to overcome the trepidations we know that many have related to writing realtime — the fear, the technology, and the cost. On the morning of Sunday, February 26th, members of the task force will guide state leaders through the presentation during a session that will precede NCRA’s Legislative Boot Camp for state leaders and likewise coincide with TechCon. It will be a two-hour session during which we will “hand over the keys” to the presentation — providing you with an electronic copy that you can take back to your state for immediate use.

The program is known as TRAIN, an acronym that stands for “Taking Realtime Awareness and Innovation Nationwide.” I should mention that it was inspired by similar successful programs that have been implemented at the state level.

The presentation will be turn-key — it will include instructions for the user, slides, and an accompanying script. It will be as simple as possible for a volunteer to deliver as is, but of course can be customized to suit individual style and tastes. In any case, the idea is for the presentation to be as simple as possible and it will focus on the major benefits of writing realtime, along with the simple steps that reporters can make to get there.

Our entire conversation leading to the development of the program is that realtime is not nearly as scary as it seems, that no one is perfect, and that any reporter can begin right now. It will touch ever so slightly on writing itself, but be much more about the basics.

If someone from your state association is going to be attending either Boot Camp from February 26-28 or NCRA’s TechCon from February 24-26, both of which will be held in the Washington, DC Area at the Reston Hyatt, please urge them to attend the TRAIN session.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about TRAIN, please let me know. While we will be introducing TRAIN during Boot Camp, this is just the start of a sustained campaign to engage state leaders in taking our message about realtime to reporters on the local level. In the Writing Our Future initiative, members pointed to realtime as the major point of differentiation between stenographic reporters and other methods and urged NCRA to do everything it can to encourage more reporters to write realtime. This program is one part of the answer to your request.

To register for Boot Camp, visit the Boot Camp homepage at  Boot Camp

To register for TechCon, visit TechCon

On the one hand, this will be a simple program. On the other, it will be a major step forward for reporters who attend and are inspired to begin writing realtime. Thanks for your time and we look forward to working with you on getting everyone on board with the TRAIN program.

Best regards,

Ron Cook

CCR, RMR, CRR

The court reporting community has lost a friend, mentor, and a tireless champion for our profession.  Karen Louise Larsen, CSR, RPR, passed away Saturday, November 19, 2011, at the age of 74.  A warm and gentle soul, Karen will be sorely missed not only for her contributions to the profession, but for her kind and giving nature.

 Karen was born January 27, 1937 in Palmer, Alaska.  After graduating from Anchorage High School in 1955, Karen attended the University of Washington “on and off”, as she put it, from 1955 through 1962.  Karen then went on to the fabled Auerswald’s Business School from 1971-73, where she began her journey toward becoming a court reporter.  She finished up at the Northwest Institute of Stenographic Arts in October of 1973.

Karen began her career in October of 1973 with Donna Davis & Associates.  She went on to form her own freelance agency, Larsen & Smith, Inc., with her dear friend, Sharon Smith.  The firm grew to approximately 10 reporters; in June of 1996, Seattle Deposition Reporters and Larsen & Smith joined forces and enjoyed a remarkable merger of talent that continues to this very day.

Not one to sit around and let someone else steer the boat, Karen joined and volunteered for NCRA in 1974, the WCRA in 1976, the Freelance Shorthand Reporters of Washington in 1977, and STAR in 1983.  She spent countless hours in service to these various organizations up to her very last days.  Just last September, Karen presented an ethics class to WCRA members at the Spokane convention.  As part of WCRA, Karen was Secretary from 1980-84; Vice-President from 1984-86; President Elect from 1986-88; President from 1988-90; Past President from 1990-91; Editor from 1985-87; and CSR Board Liaison from 1990-94.  In 1993, WCRA presented Karen with its Distinguished Service Award.  Still full of vim and vigor, Karen was the 1998 Spring Seminar Chair, and the Chair for the Court Reporters Task Force regarding contracting.

If you thought Karen only spent her time on WCRA matters, you would be amazed at the amount of work Karen did for NCRA.  She was the Local Convention Chairman from 1986-87; NCSA delegate from Washington from 1986-90; served on the Nominations Committee from 1990-91; was NCSA Vice Chairman from 1992-93; was NCSA Chairman from 1993-95; served on the Ethics Committee from 1991-94, and as Chair of that committee from 1993-94.  She was Director from 1995-98, and worked on CASE from 1997-2000, and as chair from 1999-2000.  She also was a part of the convention planning task force, and the student seminar chair from 2000-01.

Along the way, Karen wrote several publications for our profession’s magazine, the Journal of Court Reporting.  She also wrote numerous articles for WSR.  Karen participated in many presentations to court reporting classes, to the UW Law School, and a WSBA CLE class on how lawyers can best work with court reporters.  She also presented a CLE class on the use of realtime.

Karen held many certificates attesting to her proficiency as a court reporter:  Oregon Certificate of Competency (1974); Washington Statutory Exam (1975); Registered Professional Reporter (1979) Washington CSR (1989), and three of the four parts of the RMR (1985).

Believe it or not, while undertaking all of the above, she actually spent a lot of time on many hobbies.  Karen was an accomplished pianist, and loved the symphony and ballet.  She was a voracious recipe hoarder and also loved to knit.  Her greatest joy, of course, was her family, son Hans and his wife, Sara, and their daughters Jordan (7) and Megan (4), and son Mark and his wife, Karen, and their daughters, Caitlin (23), and Sarah (21).  Karen’s sons built a stream and pond in her beloved garden, and just two weeks ago, her new deck was completed.  Karen’s family feels comforted by the fact that she passed away surrounded by all of the beauty of her Brier home and garden.

Karen’s passing will also leave a great void with her Seattle Deposition Reporters family.  Her warmth, humor and passion for her profession will be greatly missed.

 If you have the contact information for other friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, garden club members or others that you know Karen would want to say goodbye to, please help her friends and family by forwarding this email to them with our invitation to attend. Please have them RSVP to me by email at mlarsen@anchorqea.com.

Please Join Us to Remember Karen

When:      1:30-4PM, Sunday December 18^th

Where:     Thornewood Castle, 8601 North Thorne Lane SW, Lakewood  Washington (10 minutes south of Tacoma; on American Lake.

What to Expect:  Please arrive about 1:30. After a little mingling, we’ll be sharing stories, pictures and memories of Karen’s life, beginning promptly at 2PM. So don’t be late or you’ll miss out. Between about 3 and 4 we’ll have some hors d’oeuvres and a few drinks. We’ll have some fiddlers providing some music that Karen always enjoyed. Depending on the weather, you may also wish to take a walk in the garden. Even in the cold of winter, there are a few blooms on the rose bushes.

Bring Stories and Pictures:  Karen’s sons would very much like to hear your stories about their mom.  Please bring stories to share, or bring your favorite pictures of Karen. If you’d like to email them to us, that’s great

Directions to the Castle:

1.       Take I-5 to the Thorne Lane exit (Exit #123 ) about 10 minutes south of Tacoma.

2.       Turn right (west) on Thorn Lane. Go three-tenths of a mile.

3.       Turn right again on the first street to the right (Thorne Lane).

4.        Immediately after turning right off Thorne Lane you will see this gate into Thornewood Estates. Drive up to the entry phone on the left.

5.       If the gate is not open, Enter 016 on the key pad. We will answer and buzz the gate to open. (If you forget the code number to enter, just scroll the A-Z keys down until you see “Thornewood Castle”.

6.       Enter into Thornewood Estates, follow the private road around to the 5th driveway on your right until you come to this small sign on your right (about 1 block).  Turn right down this driveway.

Iverson was facing off against attorney Gregory Lattimer who had previously won a $260,000 judgment against him and had reached a confidential settlement in another case.  Iverson made it clear he thought the lawyer was specifically targeting him.

The Detroit News published this exchange:

Iverson: “I know you lurking. I know you lurking, man. I know you lurking. … How the hell you live with [it]? You’ve been involved with three suits against me. You know what to do. You got a plan.”

Lattimer: “I just go to work every day.”

Iverson: “I know, and I’m the one that pay you, and you know it. But not this time jack. … I die before I let you get me this time.”

In a subsequent interview Lattimer said, “It was quite something.  I don’t know why he was so outraged.  It’s not like I sue him every day.”

And the Davenport Hotel, what can you say? For those of us experiencing it for the first time, we now know why it is “world famous.” Hopefully many of you got the chance to also enjoy Spokane’s shopping and entertainment district and sample the variety of award-winning restaurants and pubs. Of course, the meeting rooms and the banquet rooms were stunning and have retained the original magnificence of the hotel built in 1914.

Now that the convention is behind us it is time to look ahead to the coming year. We face many challenges and continued attacks that will require us to remain vigilant and be proactive in promoting and protecting our profession. We must build strong relationships and coalitions with the entire legal community. And, we must educate the public, attorneys, judges, and administrators on the value and importance of an accurate and timely record. This is not just a business issue, it’s a matter of justice.

One of our strongest weapons in this fight is realtime. No other form of record making provides the level of accuracy, immediacy, and value to the end user. No other form of record making promotes the same level of justice. “inaudible” doesn’t just make for a bad record, it makes for bad case law. We are not just the guardians of the record. The truth of the matter is that we are the guardians of justice and realtime is our golden arrow.

Over the course of the next year you will see a number of new initiatives. In addition to our traditional committees such as Membership, Communications, Events, Education, CART, Officials, and Legislative–this year we have created committees for Realtime, Pro Bono, Mentoring, Bylaws, and Direct Member Voting. Each of these committees are critical in advancing our profession and keeping WCRA healthy, relevant, and productive.

But none of that matters without the support and involvement of our members. If you have an interest in advancing our profession by joining one or more of these committees, please visit the “Leadership” link under the “About” menu and contact the committee chairs.

With your help and involvement we can win the victories we must to advance and protect the guardians of justice.

Click here to view the embedded video.