I can't EVEN stand it!

I know I haven't posted in a really, really long time, but I have good excuses. I've been busy researching CAT software (computer-aided transcription) for the last few weeks, and it's taken up a lot of time, but mostly it's taken up a lot of my brain. So this so-called CAT software is something that was originally created for steno machine users (y'know, the little court reporting machine you see on TV), but now they have updated a lot of the software so that it supports voice recognition as an input rather than steno type.

There's not a lot of info about these companies and the software they have, only because out of the billions of Americans out there, only a select few are court reporters, and out of those select few, only a more select few are voice writers (ones, like me, who use voice as the method of court reporting). So these are pretty small, specialized companies, and finding an objective viewpoint about the various programs out there is very tough, because each person that uses a certain program is only using that program, and there's no comparing and contrasting with other programs because they've never used them.

Anyway, I'm getting off the subject. The reason I titled this post "I can't EVEN stand it!" is because in order to be able to purchase and use a CAT software program, I needed to upgrade, if you will, my work computer. And, oh shit, I did! I purchased (well, Jay and I purchased - I mean, it's all from the joint checking account) a Toshiba Satellite with I-don't-even-know-what specs (something like 2 GB of something and 2 GB of something else and 4, count them, 4 USB ports), and HELL, it's orange! I'm not kidding! I somehow picked a computer that was customizable, and when I was online and picking out the specs I want, they let me have an orange computer for free (it's usually an extra $35)!

I guess the reason I'm so excited about it is because I'm writing this post as I sit on the couch in our living room. Hell! I have wireless Internet! I don't know how computers work, but sheesh, I'm sitting here watching some basketball with Jay and typing a blog entry! I can't even stand it!!

Can you tell that I've never really had technology comforts such as a good laptop or wireless Internet? I feel guilty! Is life this good? Weeee!

Also, we somehow acquired a huge effing TV today. Bucka wha?? I guess Jay's old boss was back in town, and he had a huge effing TV that he was trying to sell/give away because he couldn't move it halfway across the country. He was going to give it a buddy of his, but that buddy was moving to LA and couldn't take it. So Jay's old boss called up Jay and asked if he wanted a huge effing TV, Jay said, "Well... I guess...?" And now we have a TV that weighs 150 pounds and is HUGE. Okay, it's not as huge as the TV my parents have (they have a fancy, fancy flat-screen thing), but it's one of those fancy HD TVs that came out before the flat-screens came out. It's a monster. Rrrroar.

Again, anyway, I've been typing this blog entry piecemeal over the past 45 minutes, because we were watching the Celtics game, and during that, Jay would check his fantasy basketball scores... on my new computer!... and now he's watching some other games whilst checking his fantasty basketball scores... on my new computer! I can't even stand it!!

So tomorrow I should be receiving a 30-day trial version of one CAT software program, which I shall put ... on my new computer! For those who care or are interested, there is a difference between simple voice-recognition software and a full-fledged CAT software package. I had a tough time understanding that concept...

So a primer on what my job is: I talk into a mask. I sit in the courtroom during court proceedings and repeat what everyone says into my mask and identify speakers and note when nonverbal things happen, such as "Court confers with clerk" or "Witness points" or something. My mask has a microphone in it. I have a Marantz tape recorder that uses cassette tapes, and I plug a mixer with room mikes (placed at counsel table, at the judge's bench, at the witness stand, at sidebar, etc.) into it along with my mask. So I end up having a cassette tape (that I have to flip every 45 minutes - a big distraction during murder trials, I tell you) with two tracks: my voice from a mask and the room tracks. In the meantime, I take notes in a notebook about what time the proceedings start and stops, if the defendant is present, who counsel is, and any weird names/words I don't know that I have to ask someone about. (I hate that part of my job!)

When a transcript is ordered, I then find my notes, figure out what tape has that proceeding on it, pop the tape into my transcriber (which is a tape player with a foot pedal that I can play, rewind, or fast forward with), and listen to the tape and type what I hear. I can type about 15 pages an hour. Then when I'm finished typing, I proofread the transcript to the tape. Then I print it. Then I proofread the printout and make corrections as needed.

If I buy the CAT software, what will happen is that I will have my computer in the courtroom. I'll have my mask and my room mikes hooked up to the computer (somehow). I will open the CAT software, and the software will utilize a speech-recognition engine (like Dragon NaturallySpeaking or ViaVoice) and bring it into a 'realtime' screen where I can see the text, it gets formatted as it goes (through voice commands and 'macros'), and there's an audio recording attached to the file.

That will hopefully take out the typing component of my job, which takes the most time (I mean, 15 pages an hour? Come on!! I takes me months to type a 5-day trial!) If I can just go in and correct the text and proof it and pring and proof again, it'll save so much time. And I AM SO EXCITED about it! I am so excited about the challenge of learning a whole new aspect of my job!

All right. My post is already too long. I'm just super excited that I'm typing it from my couch, and I'm getting excited that I'm talking (or typing, I should say) about the CAT software. Am I a geek or what?

<-----------------------------GEEK