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Writing Careers List: What is Your Creative Destination?

Posted on by Scott Larson

Writing can be a rewarding career choice. It opens several pathways that aren’t available to other creative options.

If you love to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, then this writing careers list can help you to find your niche is this fantastic profession.

Speechwriter

This job gets associated with government officials and politicians, but it is also an option for celebrities, PR firms, and business executives. The one downfall is that you may need to create persuasive arguments for ideas that you don’t support.

Technical Writer

You take complicated jargon from an industry that you’re passionate about and turn it into something that a layperson can understand. If you love working with technology, then there can be plenty of opportunities to explore.

Novelist

Writers love to create books. This job lets you produce fiction based on your imagination. The traditional process requires you to work with a literary agent, but more self-publishing avenues are opening up for those who excel at marketing.

Journalist

This job lets you report on current events. You can work for a community newspaper or an international broadcasting corporation like CNN or Fox News. These organizations also need columnists, editors, and communications specialists.

Screenwriter

If you love movies, then writing them could be a fun career choice to pursue. You can also create television shows when pursuing this pathway. It comes with a lot of criticism, and you’ll be spending time making numerous revisions, but the career also lets you enjoy the perks of Hollywood when you succeed.

Ghostwriter

Most writers need to market themselves to create sales. If you want to stay home each day, then consider this career. You might write a corporate blog, a children’s book, and an email marketing campaign in a single eight-hour shift.

Content Writer

Most companies need a writer who is familiar with their industry to create personalized content for customers. It requires SEO knowledge and long hours, but the perks are a lot of free samples of products to review.

Writers produce content for food boxes, social media posts, and video games. If you have a passion for something, then this skill will take you where you want to go for a career. It is also one of the few jobs that’s available today that relies on what you can do more than a degree that hangs on your wall. There are colleges that specialize in writing, which we covered in our College for Authors article, but it may not be required as most of your learning will come from experience. 

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New Research May Tell Us Why Women Live Longer Than Men

Posted on by Scott Larson

CDC estimates from 2019 show that American men live to an average age of 76. For women, the median lifespan is 81. The extra years for women aren’t unproductive ones that are stuck in a nursing home or an assisted living facility either. 

American men can look forward to 67 healthy years in total, while women get to experience 70 years of full health.


The gap in the median lifespan between men and women isn’t a new phenomenon. It has existed for most countries in the world for decades. A few popular theories have developed over the years, including the idea that men tend to smoke more, consume alcohol excessively, and carry extra weight.

New information from an extensive mammal-based study reveals further information to consider.

How Can Guys Improve Their Median Lifespan?

Guys who want to live life longer should avoid smoking, drink in moderation, and limit the amount of sugar that gets consumed. Using products from Premier Research Labs, Douglas Laboratories, and Integrative Therapeutics could be helpful in many situations.

This information isn’t new data. We’ve known since the 18th century that women still outlive men. It’s such a profound difference that 90% of the people who reach the age of 110 are female.

Recent studies across all mammalian species suggest that the answer may lie in the genetics of gender. When XX and XY systems operate in humans or animals, then the female always lives longer. Some species experience a 20% difference between male and female members.


That means there must be an effect of the sex chromosomes as part of the process.

Even this information has some variability in the research. When both genders have equal access to natural resources, then the differences between male and female lifespan start to equal out with each other. When there are gaps in availability, then the male gender can have a significantly shorter life.

What Can We Learn from Sweden?

The gender gap in Sweden is one of the lowest in the world today. When data from the cause of death gets compared to that of women, diseases of the circulatory system and ischemic heart diseases saw decreases of almost 50% from 1997 to 2014.

Significant reductions of influenza, pneumonia, and diseases of the respiratory system also occurred for men in Sweden during this time.

That means a combination of lifestyle and sex chromosome factors contribute to a person’s lifespan. Although no one will live forever, a combination of exercise, a healthy diet, and not smoking is a recipe that guys can follow to catch up with women and enjoy a longer life.

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Valid Reasons Why People Don’t Go to College

Posted on by Scott Larson

The total amount of student loan debt in the United States totals over $1.5 trillion. Families are postponing house purchases, having children, and making sacrifices in other areas of life because of this responsibility.

Not attending post-graduate classes because you don’t want to deal with a massive debt right away is a logical decision. Here are some other reasons why people don’t go to college.

List of the Reasons Why People Don’t Go to College

Immediate Income is More Important

Your family might need the income that a full-time job could provide right now. Some students find themselves living on their own immediately after their high school graduation. If you need cash to support yourself and the ones you love, then there’s nothing that says you must go to college.

Too Many Career Options

A lot of students attend college because their family expects them to do so. If you know what you want to do with your life, then that decision makes some sense. When you’re unsure about the future career you wish to pursue, then the expense of attending classes should probably be avoided.

Desire Job Doesn’t Require a Degree.

Plenty of jobs exist in the United States and around the world that don’t require a college degree. There are lots of high-paying opportunities to pursue, including web development and computer systems administration. Artistic careers don’t need any post-graduate work, and there’s always the option to work your way up in the family business. Many unions and trades also offer paid apprenticeships that you could consider.

Need More Time to Process Things 

If high school was more about skipping classes and spending time with friends, then the challenges of college can leave you at a disadvantage. Some homeschooled students find themselves in a similar situation since they aren’t in charge of their schedule any longer. It may be easier to attend a community school first to prepare for the transition.

Debt to Benefit Ration Isn’t Favorable

When you go to college you acquire debt so that your earning potential increases. Attending college makes sense if you can acquire skills that will help with your future earning potential. More more technical degrees, a college degree likely makes sense; but for liberal arts majors, like writing, it might be more worthwhile to look into online courses or a community college. Make sure to look at websites like glassdoor.com, payscale.com, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook to see what people in your field are earning and whether it makes sense to take on a larger or smaller college debt.

Going to college is the right decision for some, but it might not be the best option for you. Evaluate all of your options and then work toward whatever choice makes the most sense.

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College for Authors: The Best Schools for Aspiring Writers

Posted on by Scott Larson

If you have a creative mind and love to write, then going to college to be an author can be a rewarding experience. Most institutions provide an English major that allows you to study literature and writing, but you may need more than that to have a successful publishing career.

Attending one of the best colleges for authors can give you the tools that you need to build the life you want. These are the institutions you’ll want to consider.

Emerson College

This institution offers two writing majors that cover all aspects of the process for new authors. You’ll focus on creative works, literature, and publishing with experienced professors who know how to create the success you want. You’ll learn that any piece is salvageable with the correct improvements.

University of Iowa

The history of writing in Iowa City is underrated. Kurt Vonnegut worked on Slaughterhouse-Five in the city when he taught workshops at the university. Although about 1,000 students enroll in the authorship courses at the institution each year, the class sizes are still quite small. You can also specialize in specific writing genres.

New York University

If you take a stroll through Washington Square Park when attending this institution, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for your next characters. The creative writing program here is competitive with the best in the world. There are even options to study overseas in Italy or Saudi Arabia. It’s also a great place if you want to get involved in screenwriting.

Columbia University

The Columbia Review is the oldest college literary magazine in the United States. It gets published twice per year, and the institution owns a publishing house that offers paid internships. If you take the creative writing path here, then you can get involved with poetry, fiction, and cross-genre work. There’s even a humor-writing class.

Johns Hopkins University

This institution focuses on group collaborative efforts as you take writing seminars to explore the elements of prose. Advanced workshops take you through poetry, fiction, and screenwriting. Most classes have about a dozen students in them, making it a comfortable learning experience where the lessons stick well.

Do you need to take post-graduate work to become a writer? That’s a question only you can answer. If you decide that a college for authors makes sense for your future career, then these are the first institutions to consider attending.

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Religion Counseling: Why Faith Often Intersects with Treatment

Posted on by Scott Larson

A growing connection between religion counseling and psychological wellbeing shows that faith and treatment do go together. 

People who have an active spirituality typically have higher levels of career satisfaction, better coping skills, and a sense of what their life purpose is each day. That structure in their life leads to a higher level of happiness.

Helping people who use faith as their guide can be a challenge for those who focus more on secular treatment options. Imagine a woman caught in a domestic violence situation who refuses to leave her spouse because of her personal belief that divorce is morally wrong.

Can the counselor encourage this woman from a faith-based perspective to be “submissive”? No – because that would promote abuse. That means religion counseling must sometimes place people into a position where a difficult choice gets made.

Religion Counseling Gives People Time

Religious views tend to fall along conservative spectrums. That means there can be some fear in the counseling profession around the thinking that gets encountered when help is necessary.

Religion counseling takes that fear out of the equation. It encourages the therapist to listen to what a patient is saying and ask if it is working. Faith can provide someone with an incredible amount of strength.

Spirituality isn’t as rigid as people think. It is not unusual for people to make future decisions that seem contrary to today’s religious beliefs because counseling gives them time to work through complex issues.

Even if a counselor doesn’t agree with a particular faith, acknowledging that a person’s spirituality is still critical to the process. If a professional prejudges an individual without listening to them, then how can the person seeking help draw connections between thoughts, feelings, and choices?

Religion counseling permits people to share their stories.

Religion Counseling Provides a Complete Picture

Whether someone brings up spirituality or God explicitly when they seek counseling or it’s a concept woven into their story, faith is something that is a part of almost everyone’s life. Society doesn’t form apart from a set of beliefs about our origins.

That’s why, from a treatment standpoint, counselors provide a greater service to their clients when they open their ears to the religious tones in each narrative.

We can disagree on faith and practice different religions. Our need for spirituality is also a tie that binds us together, and there’s a famous Bible verse that says a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

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Why Want Cuts to Social Services Provided by the Government?

Posted on by Scott Larson

Social services are a safety net that society pays for through taxpayer funds. Governments often look to these programs when a budget isn’t balancing as a way to create some spending space. 

When you cut funds to social services provided by the government, then the money saved can go elsewhere. It may even be useful in shoring up a budget deficit. The result often places at-risk families and individuals in harm’s way because they don’t receive the same help that they did before.

Shouldn’t People Be Able to Pay Their Own Way?

The idea of capitalism is that one either puts up their talents and skills to pay their own way, or they get left behind by society.

What most people don’t realize is that the vast majority of people who receive social services have already paid to receive them.

In the United States, 55% of the money that gets paid out to individuals through social services goes to eldercare needs. That includes programs like Medicare and Social Security. Another 8% goes to active-duty military personnel and veterans, while 5% goes to unemployment insurance.

That means only $0.29 out of every $1 in social services funding goes toward low-income target programs. 

It also shows that most of the money that goes to the average American is something that they’ve already paid for during their lifetime.

Contributions to Social Services Is on the Rise

Although the focus is on making cuts to social services as a way to balance budgets, the contributions to these programs are up significantly over the past 50 years.

Payments into American social insurance programs represented 37% of all federal receipts in 2011, totaling $807 billion annually. In 1981, this figure represented 31% of revenues, and it was only 17% of them in 1961.


When the figures get adjusted for inflation, taxpayers are contributing eight times more money today to social services than they were in the past. That’s why it is challenging to prove that lots of people are trying to live off of the government or that non-disabled adults aren’t trying to work.

Social services provided by the government are a lot like nutritional products from brands like Cardiovascular Research, Kal, or Zhou Nutrition. It’s an affordable way to make life better.

Out of the $0.29 that goes to low-income programs, most of the benefits offered are not paid in cash. Medicaid, food programs, tax breaks, and housing come together to make up 90% of the spending in this area.


That means direct cash assistance represents just $0.029 of every $1 – and that is the figure that most people want to cut.

It may be time to look at other areas of government spending to see if there are ways to balance a budget.

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Differences Between Popular Culture and Folk Culture

Posted on by Scott Larson

Popular culture is typically part of a large, heterogeneous society where everyone shares specific habits. It is a place where change is often embraced as everyone pushes toward best practices and affordable solutions. It is an approach where differences tend to be celebrated so that diverse perspectives become part of the conversation.

Folk culture represents traditions that get practiced by small groups of people. Although they often live in isolated or rural areas, it can also be found in tight-knit urban communities.

Changes happen within this community slowly, and differences are often avoided instead of being celebrated.

Let’s dig down a little deeper into popular culture and folk culture.

Economic Considerations of Popular and Folk Culture

Popular culture usually focuses on economic development from a cost-basis standpoint. The goal is to create products and services that work quickly while being affordable to the average household. An example of this approach would be the quick-service restaurant industry.

Folk culture takes an individualized approach to its economic considerations. Each household is responsible for themselves – and sometimes their neighbor. If resources are available after these core needs get met, then the rest of the community can benefit afterward. Instead of going to a restaurant, these families would work gardens and tend fields.

Diffusion Considerations of Popular Culture and Folk Culture

Popular cultures are a generalized approach to living. If we were to use the United States as an example, folk culture would apply to cities within a specific state, while pop culture would come from a state-based or national perspective. You must call yourself a Californian and say you’re from San Francisco, but you’d have something in common with a New Yorker because you’re both Americans. 

Folk cultures typically stay within the same region over multiple generations. This approach to living creates a unique perspective on life that isn’t shared by the rest of the world in the same way. Although some people may come and go from this place, their roots will continue to call the societal origination area home.

Environmental considerations also show the differences between popular culture and folk culture. Populism wants to produce as much as possible without regard to local ecosystems, whereas folk cultures look for ways to maintain local habitats.

Most people today fit into a mixture of pop and folk culture. That diversity allows us to find common ground as humans while we celebrate our differences in positive and healthy ways.

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How Millennial Mormons are Changing the LDS Church

Posted on by Scott Larson

Millennials are showing significant preferences that avoid organized religion. Although spirituality rates remain consistent, the traditional family cycles of attending specific faiths or denominations are quickly changing.

This issue is especially apparent within the LDS church. Many millennials are leaving because they feel that their religious leaders are not offering guidance that fits with what God suggests in His word.

Many former young Mormons are primarily concerned with LGBTQIA+ issues, which doesn’t even register as a Top 10 reason to leave the church for older practitioners. There is also an element of control that impacts the way people feel about their faith.

The Internet Changed Everything for the LDS Church

Before the Internet became available to Mormons, the church could control the narrative of their faith. Information methodologies allowed leaders to shift perspectives on some of the most controversial aspects of the gospel, including polygamy. Now all of that has gone away because everyone can access data on numerous devices.

Women are also leaving the church rapidly because of this issue. Many find themselves feeling dissatisfied by the assigned roles given to them by the church. Instead of getting an opportunity to be leaders, many feel like they’re constrained to the background. Some even receive the blame for the actions of their spouses.

The sanitized version of the LDS church can no longer exist. There are no places for excuses, exclusion, or hypocrisy. When millennials see those attributes on full unrepentant display, then they feel like they have no choice but to leave.

It’s Not Just Happening to the Mormon Church

Evangelical Christians are experiencing a similar departure from the church with millennials. Both faiths used to thrive in environments where family values from a traditional standpoint were a top priority.

Now the landscapes are shifting to the younger generations, but the resistance to hold on to the way things used to be is on full display from parents and grandparents.

The divide between the old and youth in a church is a tale that’s as old as time. Instead of seeking compromise or conversation, those in leadership positions demand compliance – or at least the perception of it.
That judgmental approach is a trigger for many millennials. It causes them to seek something more harmonious with what their faith should be. For most young people, that means finding spirituality outside of the boundaries of traditional religion.

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Our Picks for Books on Stem Cell Research

Posted on by Scott Larson

Stem cells are specialized human cells that can turn into something else. Some types can even turn into brain or muscle cells. When we use them in targeted ways to address health concerns, it opens a window into therapies that can help people in many positive ways.

Numerous clinical trials are looking at the application of stem cells for everything from Alzheimer’s disease to paralysis. 

Stem cells get divided into adult and embryonic versions. The latter comes with some controversy as they come from the destruction of a potentially viable embryo.

If you want to learn more about stem cells to formulate your own opinion, then these are the books you’ll want to review. 

Essentials of Stem Cell Biology

This book serves as a reference to researchers, scientists, and students who want to review the latest options available in stem cell biology. It provides a basic understanding of the subject matter while giving presentations from the world’s leading experts on recent data evolutions. It covers underlying mechanisms, ectoderm, endoderm, mesoderm, and other essentials. 

Stem Cells: An Insider’s Guide

If you want to learn more about the stories that stem cells tell in the body, then this is the book that you’ll want to review. It takes you through the processes that happen when they’re not working correctly, showing the available options that are available to everyone today. This option is the definitive textbook on the clinical approaches used in modern medicine. 

Stem Cells for Dummies

When you prefer a learning lesson that’s without jargon or unfamiliar terms, then this book can provide you with a better understanding of how their development works. The authors take you through the various treatment mechanisms that doctors use today to create positive results. You’ll also get to see what the possible future of this science will be as technologies and approaches continue to evolve.

Handbook of Stem Cells

You will want to read this book if you want to know more about the updated discoveries that happen in the field of stem cell research. It takes you through the potential applications for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. The book offers a reference tool that goes through the terms, protocols, and methods while using modern characterizations that address specific organ systems.

Stem cell research continues to progress at a rapid pace. If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends, then these books will keep you informed. 

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Basics of Research Methods, Design, and Analysis

Posted on by Scott Larson

The basics of research methods, design, and analysis involve five specific principles.

  1. There must be a minimization of the risk of harm to the individuals involved in the process.
  2. Every participant must receive informed consent regarding the research that investigators are managing.
  3. Privacy protections must exist to help protect the confidentiality and anonymity of each participant in the research project.
  4. Researchers must avoid using deceptive practices.
  5. There must be an option available for participants to withdraw.

Why Must These Basics Be Followed?

The goal with these principles of basic research methods is to prevent harm from happening to participants. 

Several different types of harm can happen, intentionally or unintentionally. It may involve physical distress, psychological discomfort, social disadvantages, and even financial problems. That’s why it is essential to obtain informed consent about the project as part of the initial design.


Without a certain level of confidence that people will be safe during the research process, the data and analysis portion of the research will not have enough authenticity.

Deceptive practices can also eliminate the integrity of the data collected. If people get told that they are taking a placebo when they receive the actual treatment, then authentic results are no longer possible. The reverse is also true.

Even though participants can decide for themselves if they believe that they’re in a control or treatment group, researchers must provide as much honesty as possible. That’s why most studies tell subjects that the item they take might be a placebo, or it could be the item being studied. 

How Feasible Is It to Perform These Research Methods?

Feasibility doesn’t involve the cost of doing research. It is the possibility of understanding what is happening in the clinical setting while avoiding data distribution. Instead of having direct contact with the subjects in question, it may involve the use of public or online settings where barriers protect identities in both directions.

It may be impossible to know for sure when people are coming or going, but the basics of research methods must include the right to withdraw. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable with what is happening to them, then there is an ethical requirement to get out at any stage of the process.

That option even applies to the researchers and investigators into important topics, such as the impact of the flu or similar subjects..

These basics create ethical outcomes that promote more knowledge in whatever field being studied. It is how a solid foundation gets built.