I thought you of all organizations would allow the process of employment to be a fair and equal one. We now find out that not only the selection for the technician position was made under the radar, but he happens to be a buddy of the previous technician! Once again you show unfair practice and that the "it's who you know" system is still largely in place. Shame! —Slapping Some Fishy Lips

The farts and feminism method.

Step 1:  Drink an entire bottle of cheap wine. The kind with high sulfur content.  Do not decant.
Step 2:  Invite your lover over for “Netflix and chill” approximately eight hours later.
Step 3:  By the time he arrives, the uncontrollable flatulence will have filled your apartment with a hotbox of unbearable rotten egg stank that no amount of air freshener or open windows could possibly clear.
Step 4:  Proceed to discuss an article you read about feminism.  Be sure to bring up the wage gap at least a couple of times!
Step 5:  Watch him struggle to come up with a reason he has to leave as he scrambles to the door, boner killed, never to be heard from again. —Oopsy

...who don't seem to have been taught this stuff by their parents, teachers, etc.  f it's an all-gender public washroom, a CLOSED DOOR means that someone is on the other side of it.  Ipso fatso, you DO NOT rip said door off its hinges, breaking the lock mechanism, trying to get the door to open, nor do you batter the door in with your shoulder, catching that someone with their pants down and scaring the hell out of them. YOU KNOCK and wait long seconds for an answer.  Finally, when it's YOUR turn and you're finished doin' your business, DO NOT CLOSE THE DOOR when you exit this public washroom; leave the door ajar so that other patrons know it's available. —Am I Going Too Fast For You

I'm a 34 year old female carpenter. I have over 10 years experience. As a carpenter, most jobs are seasonal and you get laid off during the winter. Instead of struggling through the winter on EI, I've decided to try and find some interior carpentry work. As well as applying for job postings online, I also made a Kijiji add.

"34 year old carpenter with 10 years experience. Looking to get on with a finish carpentry crew or trim crew..." It went on from there. Several days later I received a reply from a company in Lower Sackville that specializes in Trim work. The reply to my ad was,"Hi...I am in need of a Finish Carpenter for trim work...call and we can chat 902-xxx-xxxx.” Right on! I proceed to call so we can chat.

The instant the guy realizes I'm female he tries to tell me that he doesn't know why someone would have replied to my ad on his behalf because he doesn't require any help. Also, he refers to me as "dear" at least 20 times during our brief conversation, which is completely insulting after you've just answered the phone like you're talking to one of your boys, then immediately change to a degrading and condescending tone once you realize I'm female.

Fuck outta here with that shit! Regardless, I just take it as another one of the zillion times I've been treated like a delicate little fucking flower by some meat head, mouth breathing fuck boy in the construction industry. His loss, I'm an amazing carpenter.

So I continue my job search on Kijiji to look at the newly posted ads and come across one that says: "I have a position in my company for a Finish Carpenter. Looking for a reliable worker with 5+ years exp. in trimwork…" Sounds perfect! I click on the ad and SHOCKER! It's from the same jack ass that just minutes ago told me he “wasn't looking for anyone, dear.” I wish I could say your company name on here because females that will hire you might not if they knew you were the type of person that doesn't at least give women in trades a chance to prove themselves before turning into stereotypical stereotype. Jerk. Sorry I'm not sorry, but go to hell. I've worked with guys who admit they turned down females applying for jobs before, but after working with me they feel stupid for potentially throwing away great employees. I've worked my way from the shittiest jobs with horrible companies all the way to great jobs with someone the best companies in Nova Scotia. I've worked on everything from sewer back-ups in a trailer, to several million dollar homes designed by the best designers in Nova Scotia. I've proven myself time and time again through my amazing craftsmanship and amazing work ethic. I can carpenter circles around you or anyone on your crew! It's your loss asshole!

TO ALL OF HALIFAX: Hire women contractors. We're more honest. We're more reliable. We don't try to gouge you for no damn reason. We're less threatening than some douchy dude trudging through your property. We clean up after ourselves. etc. etc. etc. We've had to do better work just to be treated as equal on any job site since the beginning of time. That translates to us being better at our trades.

I wish I could leave you with a list of all the female carpenters and trades women I know. Because they've been working their asses off double as hard just to be treated the same as knuckle dragging, mouth breathing, less experience having idiots that are leading the industries.

I don't speak on behalf of all females in trades. Just my personal experiences. I don't hate men, either. Just the ones that act like the things they're so proud of: DICKS! —I Can Carpenter Circles Around You

This year I have noticed at least half the vehicles do not use their turning indicators and about one in 10 who use their turn indicators do not turn. Also I live on a street off of Transom where there is a lot of construction going on and the contractors use the street as if it is theirs alone including parking on the wrong side of the street and sometimes even blocking the street altogether. I have been out of the province for a while and I'm wondering have the rules of the road changed? —Wayne

In North America, on what side of the road does a car drive? The right, of course. If you are driving and passing a car on a two lane road and a car is coming towards you, who has the right-of-way? The car who is approaching you, of course.

Apply these simple principles when walking and I will not abruptly stop in front of you, scowling; nor will I bulldoze my way through your clutch, to hell with you all. —Muck

You've had a long, rough day. Why not reward your self with a seat? Why spend that extra energy on a squat, when you can so easily sit? I do it! But let me tell you if I sit on one more piss covered toilet seat I will scream. The squatters are only trying to avoid the mess THEY'RE making SO STOP. SIT. DOWN. BUTT CHEEKS AREN'T DIRTY. —It Gives Me a Rash

To the NS Government: I'm sorry that I have a disability that require's opioids and I'm sorry I need a family doctor to fill my prescription, my doctor retired and I have been looking for well over a year now. With  massage therapy and medication that I cut myself down on before the new opioid laws even took effect and with the help of my therapy I would be able to work again and finally get off of assistance! Oh by the way  my massage therapy is free thanks to a good friend so assistance and the good tax payers of Nova Scotia do not and still do not have to pay for it. I am now back to where I started: in pain, not being able to function, still on assistance, and  a drain on the system. If only there were more family doctors to help people out so they can get off of assistance.

Disgusted! Why even try when you'll end up back where you started?! —Sick in Nova Scotia

When you're a plus-sized woman whose casual encounters numbers are a hell of a lot higher than the serious relationships score (and not by your choice), you begin to accept whatever you are able get out of the people that you're into, but claim they're only looking for something casual. Then a few weeks/months pass by and they’re in a serious relationship with some chick half your size. Sounds quite pathetic of me, I know. How’s that saying go? “You only accept the love you think you deserve”?

Well, girl, when the only form of love you’re getting is behind closed doors, you either need to deal with the emotional hurt and enjoy what you do get or sit alone in your bed for hours watching the same damn Netflix shows over and over again.

And when I say plus-sized, I'm not talking in the “big tits, big ass” way or even in the chubby in the right places, got a bit of a belly type. I'm talking chubby in all the "wrong" places, small tits, small ass, big belly type. Don’t get me wrong, I love the current body I have and I’m comfortable in my own skin and work towards being the best damn me I can be. But, there are still quite a few people who haven't been able to accept me for who I am. People that don't even play a part in my life, but feel the need they have to. Anyway, that's a whole other jar of pickles that doesn't need to opened right now.

I’m not saying that everyone has to be attracted to the plus-sized body type. We all have our own preferences, traits, interests that we look for in people. I would never think less of anyone that didn’t want to date me due to my body type, I’m sure there’s something about them that could be a deal breaker for me as well. What I'm talking about are the ones that are sexually attracted to you and have expressed and shown this, but are scared to admit it either themselves or others.So, they want to keep you as their dirty little secret. Whatever the reasoning behind it, it doesn’t feel too damn good.

The only explanation I've been able to come up with is that, of course, they’re not going to want to show off someone like me to their friends and family. Most people consider their partner as a type of ‘prize’ for all to see. Especially in heterosexual relationships, women are famous for being the ‘pretty thing' on the man's arm. Well, when the only 'pretty thing' the mass majority of people will see on your girl is her personality and maybe some of her facial features. You don’t get very far.

I know some of you could be thinking “Wow, that sucks. People shouldn’t care what others think if they’re into someone,” cliché saying, etc, etc. But let's get real, people. Talk is cheap. I have been in the dating world too long to try to hide behind it any longer. Sure, it’s gotten a lot better over the years. People are definitely more accepting and open than they used to be, but it’s still a mess out there.

So, for all of you who have fell victim to this: You’re not alone. For all of you who have just realized how you might be making people feel, go suck an egg. You knew what you were doing, no one can be that oblivious. —Fatty With No Daddy

I can see political bullshit rhetoric from a mile away, and my friends, that was some bullshit political rhetoric. —Thanks But No Thanks