Melanie Allen, Author at Partners in Fire

Examples of the Marilyn Monroe Screenprint created by Andy Warhol to represent the original, the Marilyn Diptych (not pictured - though the image is the same, it's in a different color scheme)

10 Famous Artists We Don’t Actually Like

Artists have a reputation for being eccentric. However, some of them go far beyond the stereotype to downright unlikeable. Others are famous for reasons we … Read more

Giant boss sitting in a chair towering over a tiny employee who stands defeated below him.

Companies Ignore Wage Compression and Don’t Understand Why Good Employees Jump Ship

Employees harbor no regard for company loyalty. They’ll stay in a position for a few years, build their skills, then jump ship the second they … Read more

poor man looking at the small pile of change that came out of his piggy bank to represent the American Dream is dead.

Young People Think the American Dream is Dead. Are they Right?

America promised us that if we work hard, we’ll have good lives. Hard work will take us to the promised land, including a house in … Read more

A greedy businessman happily looking at his money.

23 Shady Business Practices that Should Be Illegal

Companies are created with one purpose: profit. They don’t care who they hurt along the way, so governments step in to regulate them and ensure … Read more

A sad, pious women sitting by the window to represent how Pascal's Wager is bad for women.

Pascal’s Wager a Massive Gamble for Women. Embrace the Truth Instead

Pascal’s Wager provides a philosophical reason to believe in God. Blaise Pascal, a Renaissance era philosopher, developed the thought experiment in the 17th century, and … Read more

A woman getting ready to serve a tennis ball.

8 Essential Differences Between Pickleball & Tennis

To the uninitiated, tennis and pickleball seem very similar, but key differences make each appeal to different types of people. Here’s how the two sports … Read more

He Works 70 Hours a Week and Can’t Afford To Live

The ever-rising cost of living coupled with stagnant wages wreaks havoc on American lives. People spend all their time working and can barely keep up … Read more

An exhausted service worker wearing a hat and apron has her eyes closed and her hand on her head.

How Low Wage Workers Get the Short End of Every Stick

The federal minimum wage isn’t a living wage by any stretch of the imagination. Workers earning close to minimum wage struggle financially, often relying on … Read more

Three senior women happily embrace each other in friendship.

Aging, Reimagined: 7 Strategies for Navigating the Less Pleasant Realities of Getting Older

When we’re young, we feel invincible! However, youth’s folly makes way for age’s wisdom, and we can’t avoid the harsh truths about aging. Age eventually … Read more

A group of excited friends looking at someone's phone.

Worth the Hype and Then Some: These Exceeded Everyone’s Expectations

Most things the media hypes up end in disappointment. We get so excited about movies, scientific theories, or new tech, only to be let down … Read more