I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm not a teacher nor do I work in the education system. I'm writing this because I've read far too many news articles, and status updates, and comments about the work-to-rule situation and am bored to death of the parents that blame their child's bad grades or inability to get extra help so that they excel in their studies on teachers.

Why are teachers expected to give extra help to classes of 30+ students? Shouldn't that be reserved for students with serious academic struggles (ie: at risk of failure)? Since when did parents get to wash their hands of their child's education? Parents are ultimately responsible for their child's development and that includes their education. Teachers are there to help, not take on the entirety of this burden for them. Education extends beyond the classroom and it requires parental involvement. It's time to step up and do your part. —Sick of Lazy Parents

I like to go at the Emera Oval to skate. I'm a good and fast skater—I think, anyway. How many times do I have to go around the slow skaters on the inside line who are reserved for fast skater and not for beginners and red gliders? How many times have I seen safety people skate by and don't mention anything to them? A lot of time they just chatted along and don't bother. Accidents will happen soon. Kids with red gliders fall in front of you. Parents should be more responsible and keep their kids on the outside lane if they are slow or with gliders. Teenagers skate slowly and flirt. Stay away from the fast lane too. Please and thank you! —BG

Two things—when I'm on my neighbourhood walk, I don't want to have to deal with your fucking pooch jumping on me and you, dumbass owner, giggling how dog must love me. Well, the feeling is far from mutual. And, in my area, the dog shit is EVERYWHERE, every goddamn 30 feet I walk. Don't you fucking tell me what a big honking dog lover you are but won't pick up your mutt's crap. —Cat lover forever

Bestie, I don't want to hear it anymore. You went on about being tired of dating douchebags and being single. Everyone in our group is coupled and you're solo at 38, and that bugs you. Ever wonder why you're single?

You are too picky! You just stopped seeing this really sweet 35-year-old man because he didn't make enough money and had no goals! You have a business degree and work in a management position at a certain large financial institution while he works as a janitor. When you found out that he's always broke at the end of the month, you asked him if he had plans to go back to school and find something better. When he told you no, you told him it wouldn't work out. Yes, you make more money than him. But what's wrong with you, the woman, being the breadwinner?! It's 2017, for fuck's sakes, time to evolve!

My sister and I have known him for many years and I can tell you, he is the most sweetest, caring, sensitive guy you would ever want to meet. And so what if he's not, and likely never will be, making as much? He's a nice guy! Better than being with some asshole! Also, it's not like he doesn't have a job at all!

So he might not be able to afford what you can, he might not be as financially/economically successful as you are, but he can offer this: love, emotional support, his kind nature, his company and his arms wrapped around you on the couch after you've had a tough day at work.

That's really what you should look for in a partner, not a high income! Some of those career-guys you've dated were the biggest jerks and made your life Hell! Money isn't everything and I reckon you're going to be single well into your 40s if you don't eventually learn that life lesson. –Personality > Money any day in my books!

I'm a 31-year-old single man who went out with this nice girl for almost three months. I was into her until I found out she was nearly 50K in the hole from student loans to pay for her university business degree. She graduated in 2014 and now only makes about 35K and making the minimum monthly payments. To me, a woman with that much debt needs to be avoided like the plague. I have a buddy who has a girlfriend with a bunch of student loan debt and she convinced him to help her pay them off! I'm not doing that; I expect a woman to pay her own way in every aspect in life. This girl I recently ended it with might not have done that, but how is she ever going to afford what I can afford when she's debilitated with these payments for the next 8-10 years? I make nearly 40K and I don't have any student loan debt because after high school, I just continued to work at a restaurant chain and now I'm a general manager! I'm frankly sick of these entitled college/uni chicks who were dumb enough to get into all of this debt (instead of just doing high school and trying to move up in the place they were working at during HS, like I did) and working jobs that don't even pay that much expecting any man withOUT that debt to be a puddle at their feet, just because THEY got a degree! –No debt for me

...I've never lived in any city with its sidewalks awash, year round, in spit gunk of all colours and pools of puke. IT IS DISGUSTING and totally unnecessary, and with treatment-resistant tuberculosis making a comeback, I think it should be tackled as a public health issue. How's about bringing back anti-spitting by-laws? –Use a public toilet already, not the sidewalks we share

Constantly, I'm told to lower my voice, usually while I'm on my cell phone talking to my mother. I explain my mother's half deaf and still get told to lower my voice. I will not lower my fucking voice!. I'm no different than a caregiver. Understand my situation or you can shut the fuck up. –Hear Me Roar

I am wondering how many other woman have been destroyed by the Family Courts of NS? How many dead beats have gotten away with having their passports returned while they travelled to Costa Rica leaving the wives with no support to feed their children while their family business cooks the books by reducing the husbands pay? —Bankrupt!

to the stupit alcholic who was drinking a tall ship beer in the womans mall washroom today heres a message to ya you alcholic take your alchol problem to the fucken bars and keep your drunken ass there and stay there oh by the way i think i have an idea on who you are ....... so from now on go to the fucken bars and drink your stupit alcholic life away there or do you even know what a bar is?!?!?!.......... hahahaha so let me say this to you one more time and get this message through that thick stupit drunken head of yours GO TO THE FUCKEN BARS AND TAKE YOUR STUPIT ALCHOL PROBLEM TO THE BARS AND STAY THERE AND DRINK YOUR STUPIT ALCHOLIC LIFE AWAY THERE!!! GOT IT!!! —Take your alcohol problem to the bars

How is the attitude of driving 20 over the speed limit going for you HRM? First snow storm we had 100 collisions. Pathetic. And named most dangerous city in Canada to drive in two years in a row. NO speeding or infraction enforcement out there preventing collisions, they show up afterward. And to those who are making a mockery of our inspection system, by taking your mufflers off of your car. and driving around residential roads shaking houses with them. You are insecure douche bags. People have families and are trying to rest at night. Real classy douche bags, again. —De Andre