Nataly

About your current situation, would you? What would it be? "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Genius! You have just found the solution with 2 great options - HOORAY, now I can stop crying!! OPTION 1 - accept that there is a problem and do nothing. Yep. Most of the world's problems get fixed this way. OPTION 2 - move... Since I don't know of a single place that ISN'T sexist, I guess this means I have to win the lottery and buy myself a desert island... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Already took care of it. Ahhhhhhhh!!! WELL DONE!!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I saw that thread, but I have faith that it will degenerate at some point!!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Just curious... Would any thread exist/survive if all sexual content were removed from this site?? (Bonus points if you can find a thread in Bonfire that has NO sexual reference / inuendo / content!) "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Well put - my favourite answer so far

defense mechanism Automatic psychological process that protects the individual against anxiety and from awareness of internal or external stressors or dangers. Defense mechanisms mediate the individual's reaction to emotional conflicts and to external stressors. Some defense mechanisms (e.g., projection, splitting, and acting out) are almost invariably maladaptive. Others, such as suppression and denial, may be either maladaptive or adaptive, depending on their severity, their inflexibility, and the context in which they occur. denial A defense mechanism where certain information is not accessed by the conscious mind. Denial is related to repression, a similar defense mechanism, but denial is more pronounced or intense. Denial involves some impairment of reality. Denial would be operating (as an example) if a cardiac patient who has been warned about the potential fatal outcome of engaging in heavy work, decides to start building a wall of heavy stones. reaction formation A defense mechanism, operating unconsciously, in which a person adopts affects, ideas, and behaviors that are the opposites of impulses harbored either consciously or unconsciously. For example, excessive moral zeal may be a reaction to strong but repressed asocial impulses. apperception Perception as modified and enhanced by one's own emotions, memories, and biases. intellectualization A mental mechanism in which the person engages in excessive abstract thinking to avoid confrontation with conflicts or disturbing feelings. The common thread seems to be avoidance of something unpleasant. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

You have a lower BMI than 76% of females aged 30-44 in the world If everyone in the world had the same BMI as you, it would remove 45,390,318 tonnes from the total weight of the world's population You're most like someone from Ethiopia. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

As far as I know, discrimination based on gender is illegal in France as well... The problem will not be solved once they start putting "assistant(e)" on all the job adverts... As you pointed out, that's just salad dressing unless it's backed up by a genuine desire to evolve... I simply find it shocking that it's so openly sexist. People discriminate based on race as well, and I would be just as shocked (and offended) if the adverts called for a black janitor... We have a looooooooong way to go before any semblance of balance is achieved... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

As a picky eater, I'd be happy to prove to you that you're wrong Best pick up line of the week, sir.

Soooo true!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

What boundaries are you specifically talking about? Meh... Interpret as you will and explain your reasoning

I'm guessing that a disproportionate number of skydivers are the type of people who (like to) push boundaries... But... Do you consider yourself the type of person who goes too far? Exactly what does "too far" mean for you? "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Two things are a shame when it comes to flirting/harassment in the workplace... The first is people who cannot take a joke that is purely intended as a joke. The second is socially retarded people who can't tell when their creepy behaviour turns people off... ETA: unfortunately, I tend to naturally veer more toward the second category!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

That's about the dumbest argument I've ever heard... Every place on earth has it's flaws... And you associate highlighting a problem with "crying" and being a "little girl"... Like either of those things is negative (it's not)... Grow up. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I'm into watersports, though... Does that count? "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

FYI - all the "masculin-only" roles are directors and head of projects or CEO's... No lower-level positions. The gender-neutral ones are everything in the middle... So men get excluded from the lower-level positions and women are excluded from positions of responsibility. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I'm glad to see the sheriff has a sense of humor.

I know, I know... This topic irks a lot of people... But so be it - you of course have the option to just stop reading here... ... I work part-time and the salary is simply not enough - I am therefore looking for either a second part-time job or a new full-time one... Browsing through the job adverts, I keep seeing something that really, really angers me... In French, each word is either feminin or masculin. Some words take on the gender of the person being described. So an "assistant" can be "une assistante" or "un assistant"... An "accountant" can be "un comptable" or "une comptable"... A "director" can be "un directeur" or "une directrice"... Essentially, any role can be "un" or "une"... And EVERY SINGLE freakin' advert for PA's / Assistants / Secretaries is feminine... ARRRRRGH. The neutral way to publish an ad is simply to write un(e) assistant(e). Just FYI, it is a gramatically acceptable practice to default to the masculin, especially when the word changes dramatically from say "verrat" to "truie" - you may use simply "cochon" (masculin, but technically considered pretty-much neutral). I'm sorry, but to specifically use the feminin only form for these roles only signals that only women should be doing these jobs. And it drives me nuts. As a woman, recruiters regularly propose PA/Secretary/Office-work to me, despite me being a Chartered Accountant. They would NEVER offer such roles to male Accountants - Chartered or not. I discussed this with a male colleague of mine, and he couldn't agree more - he went further and said "well, no man in their right mind would accept such a role in the first place - it would be insulting." It IS insulting. Not the role itself, but the fact that my skills/qualifications are not recognised in the same way as if I had a penis. It's wrong. And truthfully, it hurts both genders to have these stereotypical roles they have to live up to. I really believe that men die younger because they have more pressure to be strong and to attain leadership, power and influence. To be responsible for all the finances and to look after 3, 4, 5 other people on one salary, and to keep paying after a divorce, et cetera, et cetera. It's bad for both sides to be forced into these roles - surely we can evolve into something healthier and more balanced for everyone?? I don't think being a woman means I can't handle just as much responsibility as a man. I don't think it makes me any less capable or deserving. WHEN are we going to start looking more at competencies and less at gender??? "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I just came back from a 3-week project in Louisiana... No issues with the place or the people, but the job was thoroughly unpleasant/hard/back-breaking work... When I arrived, my boyfriend greeted me with flowers at the airport and told me he had a surprise for me on my next day off... On said day off (Thursday), he told me to get my running gear, a change of clothes, and my bikini ready and that we would set off at 09:30 sharp... I was apprehensive... His last "surprise" ended in me crying histerically, freaking out and facing my phobia of water, so I was not happy that this "surprise" entailed a bathing-suit... By the time he dropped me off, I was physically shaking, and so scared I thought I would faint, die or puke (sorry, just watched "Private Benjamin" again!)... He brought me into this luxurious building in Monaco and I must have looked like a deer in headlights when he told the lady at the desk that I was here for my day of pampering... That's right... He took me to a well-known spa for a full day of treatments... I was so shocked I couldn't even speak and tears just kept running down my cheeks... This guy has missed me sooo much over almost a month and he takes leave of me for an entire day so that I can just relax and de-stress and get back-rubs... What touched me most was not the surprise itself... It's the generosity and thoughtfulness and the kindness behind the gesture. I can't believe that on his own initiative he would think of something so selfless, especially since we have no more days off in common again until August. I would never, never, never treat myself to a spa-day... It seems so utterly scandalously selfish and expensive... I was so moved by the fact that he would think of my wellbeing and do something just for me, and all this for no other reason than he simply cares for me. What a wonderful man.

I like to think that people who are adventurous with food are likely to also try just about anything in the bedroom... And that ain't a bad thing in my book!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Happy 4th to all you 'merkuns!! It's the first time I'm in your country on Independence Day

I'm not moving there - just going on a 3-4 week assignment. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Eeek... Google says 4.5 hours between the two... And that's not even counting my legendary navigational skillz!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Does anyone know anything about Gravity Sports Skydiving Center in Crowley, Louisiana? My work has me heading for Lake Charles soon... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss