Hello, my name is Doris and I'd like to make a complaint.

Well, that didn't go too well with Michael.  The date lasted from 7pm-8pm precisely. So, let me go over the finer details.  It very important that I jot this down before it starts to fade from my memory. I walked into the bar about 5 mins before the designated meeting time.  There he was. The bar was nearly empty but he had chosen to sit in a booth situated smack bang in front of the bar, with the bar tenders looking straight at us, able to hear our conversation word for word. Public how-do-you-do (yes, hello everyone, look over here, we are meeting for the first time via internet dating) takes place in front of the four 25 yo bar tenders, and we sit down to get to know one another. So conversation is immediately a bit difficult. Michael already has his red wine in front of him, so I break the ice by saying, "Well, I might just grab myself a drink." Grab it, come back, he asks me what I am drinking and then he launches into a discussion about how few wines they hav...

So Michael... That's his name. I mentioned I thought he may be: Thoughtless  ...and I had gleaned this information from the few short text messages that we had sent each other before meeting for the first time on a single-person date  (take a moment to read my previous entry about this) . Well, after I cancelled our date for 7pm a week ago, Michael sent me a message yesterday wondering if I was free on Saturday night. He sent this text at 12:11pm yesterday, and as I happened to be relaxing in a public library trying to complete a university assignment, I answered him straight back.  The conversation and approximate time of each text message went like this: Michael: I'm free tomorrow night if that suits - 12:11pm Friday Me: Sure. How about we grab a drink in (insert suburb name) somewhere if that is close to you? - 12:13pm Fri Michael: (suburb name) is great.  How about Y bar or Z bar? - 12:14pm Fri Me: Y bar is good.  What time would you lik...

Sexism is rife in the Australian Catholic School education system.  Boys and girls are educated separately in what appears to me to be a desperate attempt to educate each sex specifically on their place in society as defined by their sex, the Catholic religion and the misogynistic teachings of the Christian bible. I'm an atheist feminist so it doesn't sit well with me.  I generally send 4 or 5 complaints per year about sexism in the school system.  I could send a lot more but my children often plead with me not to.  My recent communication with my boy's Catholic school went as follows. To whom it may concern My son X has informed me that the year 6 classes are practicing for the Mother's Day Liturgy.  He tells me that as part of that liturgy some of the class members will walk in single file into the service carrying objects that are symbolic of what their mother means to them. I must make clear my objection to the boys carrying objects such as lunch boxes,...

I attempted to set up a date with a single man last week.  His dating profile told me he was single, no children.  These men usually suit me to a certain degree - no children to deal with on top of my own. So we text and I mention I'd like to meet for a drink after work one day. At this point he only knows I have children living with me some of the time.  We agree to organise it later in the week and decide to meet on a Friday after work.  I sent him a text on the Thursday night saying that I am free after 5pm and does he have any preference where he'd like to meet. He takes a long time to respond and his reply was "Im not able to make it until about 7. Is that ok? As to the venue let me think about it assuming 7 is ok." Well, I cancelled once I got that message.  I'm so very tired of forking out for my share of dinner, or more often than not, the entire dinner - to avoid the embarrassing: who's going to pay for it moment.  I need one glass of wine to ...