Shoutout

Unofficial Vocal Challenges: May 2026
Introduction This list of unofficial Vocal challenges will grow as I find them, so it will be short when this is first published.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Writers
The Getting To Know Each Other Game: Installment Number Two
The first installment of The Getting to Know Each Other Better Game was a huge success. Thank you to everyone that participated! 🙂 There were so many comments I couldn’t keep up. I tried to respond to everyone that commented, but fell short. That being said, Installment Number One was a whole lotta fun!
By Rick Henry Christopher 5 months ago in Writers
Eight is Enough
Who remembers the television dramedy from the late 70's and early 80's 'Eight is Enough'? The story of a man by the name of Tom Bradford and his wife Joan along with their eight kids from David to Nicholas. Here is the whole chain of children's names David, Mary, Joannie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy and Nicholas. The show is based on Tom Braden's book of the same name.
By Mark Graham5 months ago in Writers
Limitless
Have you ever wanted to learn in a different way from how you learned what you needed to learn. How do you like that tongue twister. Jim Kwik has written an academic book that shows you how to do this and it's titled 'LIMITLESS' with the subtitle 'Upgrade your brain, learn anything faster, and Unlock your exceptional life'. This is a book that should be read chapter by chapter as the author suggests right from the beginning of the book.
By Mark Graham5 months ago in Writers
Tips And Prompts On Vocal
Introduction This has been prompted by the fact that I have received ninety-seven tips from other Vocal Creators. Tips are a wonderful way to show your appreciation for someone, and to feel appreciated when you get one. I wrote this piece on the benefits of tipping:
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Writers
To Build A Poem
Introduction This was kicked off by some friends' opinions on poetic forms. Some detest rhyme and regular rhythm, while I am the opposite, although I do appreciate free-form poetry. Anything can be poetry, you just have to say that it is a poem. This article could be defined as a poem. It has no rhyme, rhythm, or, some might say, reason.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Writers
Milestones
Introduction This is just something that makes me happy to see on Vocal and I love seeing people hit milestones. I have sometimes been criticized in the past for sharing mine but that doesn't bother me as I have a major one coming up that I may or may not share, but I am so glad to see others hitting and surpassing those milestones, often unexpectedly.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Writers
Dollar Challenge - Quote Me Baby (Spring Edition)
It's been a hot minute since I've done one of these, hasn't it? The last one was in November. How the months ZIP by! Here it is:
By L.C. Schäfer5 months ago in Writers
Works Cited (April, 2026)
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.gov/cps/Bureau of Labor Statistics. Men Who Do Not Work During Their Prime Years: What Do the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth Data Reveal? U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-8/men-who-do-not-work-during-their-prime-years.htmBureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment 4.5 Percent for High School Graduates with No College in January 2025. U.S. Department of Labor, 2025, https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/unemployment-4-5-percent-for-high-school-grads-with-no-college-in-january-2025.htmBureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment. U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.govBloomberg. Corporate America Promised to Hire a Lot More People of Color. It Actually Did. 2023, https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-black-lives-matter-equal-opportunity-corporate-diversity/Bloomberg. Corporate America Hired More Black Workers. Then It Stopped. 2024, https://www.bloomberg.comCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Births: Provisional Data for 2025. National Center for Health Statistics, 2026, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr043.pdfCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Fathers’ Involvement With Their Children. https://www.cdc.govCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. National Survey of Family Growth. https://www.cdc.govFederal Reserve Bank of New York. The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates. https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-marketFederal Reserve Bank of New York. Survey of Consumer Expectations. https://www.newyorkfed.orgForbes. Survey: 78% of Gen Z Report Dating App Burnout. 2025, https://www.forbes.comForbes. Top Gender Pay Gap Statistics. 2023, https://www.forbes.comInstitute for Family Studies. New IFS Survey: How Young American Men View Marriage and Family. 2026, https://ifstudies.orgInstitute for Family Studies. State of Our Unions 2026: The Dating Recession. https://ifstudies.orgMerlin Strategy. Polling on Gender Attitudes Among Young Adults.National Assessment of Educational Progress. NAEP Reading Results. The Nation’s Report Card, 2024, https://www.nationsreportcard.govNational Bureau of Economic Research. Is Making Divorce Easier Bad for Children? https://www.nber.orgStevenson, Betsey, and Justin Wolfers. Marriage and Divorce: Changes and Their Driving Forces. National Bureau of Economic Research, https://www.nber.orgNational Center for Education Statistics. Degrees Conferred by Postsecondary Institutions. U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.govNational Center for Education Statistics. Fast Facts: Graduation Rates. U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.govNational Center for Education Statistics. Undergraduate Enrollment. U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha/undergrad-enrollmentNational Institutes of Health. McLanahan, Sara, et al. The Causal Effects of Father Absence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govNational Institutes of Health. Sarkadi, Anna, et al. Fathers’ Involvement and Children’s Developmental Outcomes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPew Research Center. Americans See Men as the Financial Providers Even as Women’s Contributions Grow. 2017, https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. Childcare Costs and Family Economic Burden Data. https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. How Americans See Men and Masculinity. 2024, https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. In a Growing Share of U.S. Marriages, Husbands and Wives Earn About the Same. 2023, https://www.pewresearch.orgPew Research Center. Men, Women and Social Connections. 2025, https://www.pewresearch.orgResumeBuilder.com. 1 in 6 Hiring Managers Have Been Told to Stop Hiring White Men. 2022, https://www.resumebuilder.com/1-in-6-hiring-managers-have-been-told-to-stop-hiring-white-men/ResumeBuilder.com. Hiring Bias and DEI Survey Findings. 2025, https://www.resumebuilder.comRosenfeld, Michael J. Who Wants the Breakup? Gender and Breakup in Heterosexual Couples. Stanford University, https://web.stanford.edu/~mrosenfe/Rosenfeld_gender_of_breakup.pdfScarlett Maguire. “Survey Data on Young Men and Women’s Views of Each Other.” X (formerly Twitter), https://x.com/Scarlett__Mag/status/2044312088793723351Survey Center on American Life. Why Young People Feel Misunderstood by the Opposite Sex. 2024, https://www.americansurveycenter.orgSurvey Center on American Life. Young Men and Social Trends. https://www.americansurveycenter.orgThe New Statesman. Angry Young Women. 2026U.S. Department of Education. The Nation’s Report Card. https://www.ed.govWorld Bank. Fertility Rate, Total (Births per Woman). https://data.worldbank.org
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast5 months ago in Writers
How AVMs Are Replacing Traditional Appraisals in HELOC Lending
The home equity lending ecosystem is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by technology and borrower demand for faster access to funds. With over $11.5 trillion in tappable home equity in the U.S. and more than $200 billion withdrawn annually, lenders are under increasing pressure to streamline processes without compromising risk assessment.
By sammmy5 months ago in Writers
The New Vocal Editor
Introduction Over a month ago, [email protected] informed us of a brand new editor in this post: People do complain about spacing, fonts, colours and stuff, but the main focus has to be the words and writing. We read these articles, poems and stories to take us to places we didn't even know existed.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Writers
Is Your Child's Smartphone Stealing Their Childhood? The Truth Every Parent Needs to Hear
Picture a family dinner table. Plates are full. Food is warm. But nobody is talking. The parents are scrolling. The children are watching videos. Everyone is physically present but mentally somewhere else entirely — absorbed in a glowing rectangle that demands their full attention and gives very little back.
By sammmy5 months ago in Writers