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I can imagine the gossiping and chatter in this town that will drive me crazy...

I would love to start a similar business leh.............but for female customer only............. [laugh] https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/meet-woman-cuddles-strangers-60-192750139.html Professional cuddler Samantha Hess relaxes with Portland musician KaiKani Seven Vanity. "Let's hold hands and cuddle up on the couch, or listen to some soft music while we curl up in your bed — I am happy to be the big spoon or the little spoon." This is one of the first things you'll read when you visit Samantha Hess' website, Cuddle Up To Me . At the age of 30, Hess is a professional cuddler. For $60 an hour, she'll intimately snuggle with strangers of all types, and bring them one-on-one cuddle time without the complications of a relationship. The idea came to her in 2012, when she read an article about a guy with a "Free Hugs" sign at a local Saturday market. Another man stood next to him with a "Deluxe hugs, $2" sign, and ended up getting more hugs than the first guy. "That was my lightbulb moment," Hess says. "I was at a place in my life, out of a 13-year relationship, where I needed a service that didn't exist. I was struggling and not ready for another relationship, but still had an inherent need to be accepted and loved." Hess didn't know where to turn. She wanted physical comfort that was safe and socially acceptable to reach out to. So in May 2013, she started Cuddle Up To Me. A month later, a local newspaper featured her business in its annual "Best of Portland" issue, which helped the company gain traction. From there, the story spread to over 40 TV stations across the country, accumulating over 17 million views — and her business took off. Currently, professional cuddling is her only job, and Hess says she is making far more money from this business than she did in her previous jobs as a customer service representative or personal trainer. "It's definitely enough to make a living just doing this job, and I never need to take more than five sessions a day," she explains. By working six days a week, Hess can make up to $7,200 in a month. About 90% of her clientele are men between the ages of 20 and 75, and she says many suffer from severe traumatic diseases or disabilities that prevent them from having frequent human contact. "I call my service a 'massage for the mind,'" says Hess. "It's meant to rejuvenate you and make you feel that openness and happiness in your brain by resetting your system from top to bottom." Within 24 hours of her first session with a client, Hess usually gets a phone call or email about how much it meant to them. "I can't tell you how many times I've had to turn down tips, because people are so excited about it," Hess says. What makes her service so great? Hess loves each and every one of her clients with a "human grace." "It's about being able to genuinely look anyone in the eye and make them feel loved and accepted exactly as they are," she says. "My clients know that I don't judge them at all, I just accept people." She treats everyone like her family, no matter who they are. Plus, Hess will go almost anywhere for a cuddle session, whether it's a love seat in a movie theatre, local park, or their bedroom. What's most important to her is keeping her client comfortable. She has pre-arranged cuddle mixes and meditation music to set the mood. Hess will even wear make-up, a certain color of clothing, or specific hairstyle if her clients request i Carla Axtman Samantha Hess, 30, is a professional cuddler. For her clients who are less comfortable with physical contact, she also created her own cuddling positions. "The Tarantino," for example, is for those who want to keep their personal space. "We sit facing each other with a good three feet between us, but our knees go over each other's, and we're cuddling with our legs and arms," says Hess. Although rewarding, Hess' work doesn't come without challenges. "It can be a little tough, because my clients get extremely attached to me," she says. One gave her a physical key to their heart. "It was the sweetest thing, but I had to remind him what the service is, and that we weren't going to be anything romantic," she recalls. She is quick to prevent any inappropriate actions, through her in-person vetting process, a full-page waiver with preset rules and boundaries, and transparency with her clients. "In our culture, the only experience someone has with this kind of touching has been in a romantic sense," says Hess. "It's not always easy for people to switch their brains to simply being platonic about it." Hess emphasizes that it is only appropriate to touch her where it would be okay to touch a child. If she's uncomfortable with anything, she gives her client two taps to signal for them to stop. "If they're looking for a replacement for sex, they're not going to be happy with my service," she says. This work also comes with its share of emotional burdens. "It can be very draining," she says. " Some people have difficult emotional issues they want to talk to me about during our sessions." To cope with this, she meditates before every session. She also showers and changes into different clothes afterwards, because she wants to make sure she's completely fresh in both her mind and her body before taking on her next client. Hess has a boyfriend who is very accepting of her service. "He knows what I do is a form of therapy and that it really makes a difference to people," she says. Next month, Hess will open her first retail store and create a national cuddling certification through a 40-hour-long training program. "This is my life's work. I want to change the view of Western culture on platonic touch," she says. "Everybody should have a way to reach out and feel comfortable with that."

should singapore have this too in some of the shopping malls?

Beside the proposal of PR men serving army, I would suggest PR women to serve the healthcare sector as well. We have shortage of healthcare labours in all hospitals. This will help to brigde the labour problems in this sector and at the sometime, this provide better bonding between locals and PR foreigners. What is your thought???

Six women charged with rioting at Cineleisure Orchard By Michelle Kwara | Yahoo Newsroom – 1 hour 49 minutes ago Six women, aged between 18 and 30, were charged in court on Friday with rioting at K Box Cineleisure Orchard early last month. Two of the women also each face an additional charge of “voluntarily causing hurt” to another person. The accused are Wang Xi, 23; Liu Jiabao, 30; Wu Huamin, 18; Wu Huachun, 19; and Qiu Zhulin, 28; and Ding Jiao, 28. The first five are all People's Republic of China (PRC) nationals with the first two also Singapore permanent residents. The last is a Singapore citizen. All six were accused of rioting on 3 May, at about 2:15am at KBox Cineleisure Orchard at 8 Grange Road by taking part in “an unlawful assembly” with a common object to cause hurt to Zheng Lu, a 19-year-old female PRC national, and by using violence. If found guilty, they each face a jail term of up to 7 years and are liable to caning. Wang and Wu Huachun face an additional charge of voluntarily causing hurt to Zheng Lu “by kicking and punching her” at about 11:15pm on 2 May at the karaoke venue. They may be jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$5,000 or both. The case will be heard again in court on 21 July.

Boring Monday... great perk-me up video... the lady is hot man...

Ban from driving base on stupid excuse is nothing compare to this! deciding on which phone to buy next year can only be in their dream or next life [:(]

One of Saudi Arabia's top conservative clerics has said women who drive risk damaging their ovaries and bearing children with clinical problems, countering activists who are trying to end the Islamic kingdom's male-only driving rules. A campaign calling for women to defy the ban in a protest drive on October 26 has spread rapidly online over the past week and gained support from some prominent women activists. On Sunday the campaign's website was blocked inside the kingdom. As one of the 21 members of the Senior Council of Scholars, Sheikh Saleh al-Lohaidan can write fatwas, or religious edicts, advise the government and has a large following among other influential conservatives. His comments have in the past played into debates in Saudi society and he has been a vocal opponent of tentative reforms to increase freedoms for women by King Abdullah, who sacked him as head of a top judiciary council in 2009. In an interview published on Friday on the website sabq.org, he said women aiming to overturn the ban on driving should put "reason ahead of their hearts, emotions and passions." Although the council does not set Saudi policy, which is ultimately decided by King Abdullah, it can slow government action in a country where the ruling al-Saud family derives much of its legitimacy from the clerical elite. It is unclear whether Lohaidan's strong endorsement of the ban is shared by other members of the council, but his comments demonstrate how entrenched the opposition is to women driving among some conservative Saudis. "If a woman drives a car, not out of pure necessity, that could have negative physiological impacts as functional and physiological medical studies show that it automatically affects the ovaries and pushes the pelvis upwards," he told Sabq. "That is why we find those who regularly drive have children with clinical problems of varying degrees," he said. A biography on his website does not list any background in medicine and he did not cite any studies to back up his claims. U.S. diplomats in a 2009 Riyadh embassy cable released by WikiLeaks, described Lohaidan as "broadly viewed as an obstacle to reform" and said that his "ill-considered remarks embarrassed the kingdom on more than one occasion." The ban on women driving is not backed by a specific law, but only men are granted driving licenses. Women can be fined for driving without a license but have also been detained and put on trial in the past on charges of political protest. Sheikh Abdulatif Al al-Sheikh, the head of the morality police, told Reuters a week ago that there was no text in the documents making up sharia law which bars women from driving. Abdullah has never addressed the issue of driving. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...varies-20130929

Very Sad stories of today's society. How are these people going toface their respective family?? Sad Sad News

Not enough man to go around? only 200 was survey, probably will get 9 out of 10 women if they have 20,000 in their survey [laugh]

The garage or workshop as we know it, is usually run by men. It's a different case if you pay a visit to the garage 'Caroline's Car'. Situated in Norwich, England, this is an all-women garage (probably the first in the world, too!) that is owned and run by women. It was established a decade ago and has now received hundreds of loyal female customers. Yet, what attracts me more is how this garage started in the first place. Well, after performing some research, I figured out that the owner, Caroline Lake, 42, used to work as an intern at a common garage. She worked at the garage for four sad years during which she didn't get paid. Can you imagine it, four straight years without being paid? That sucks! However, her hard work eventually paid off as she became the first British woman to receive a legitimate tester certificate from the U.K.'s Ministry of Transport. It was the increasing number of women who complained about their experiences at the garage she was working at that inspired Lake to start her own garage. According to her, most of the time, women were deceived by men who were supposedly more knowledgeable when it comes to cars. She said that it was common for women to be told that their cars needed huge fees in order to get it repaired. Heck, even worse, male mechanics at some automotive garage even tend to try and buy longer, yet unnecessary, time in repairing a woman's car just so that they can discuss about - not the car but the woman instead - sorry, my apology in advance if what I said may have offended you. While it's discouraging, it's the truth that Lake found out. With that being said, Lake was determined to start her own garage where women will no longer be deceived and that they can have real and convenient car service experiences. Thanks to her determination and guarantee that there'll be no female customers deceived, plenty of women in her area preferred to have their car serviced at Lake's. Quite amusingly, Lake's garage, Caroline's Car, has one typical characteristic. It is mandatory that every single employee wears a pink uniform. I'll tell you what, Lake has also recruited a male mechanic who is meant to help with heavy-duty tasks that women are unlikely to carry out themselves and this male mechanic has to wear a pink uniform too. Having seen quite a huge success with her garage, Caroline Lake is now considering the possibility of offering her business as a franchise. She claims to be interested in expanding her business, at least in her home country. In fact, she has even started offering special courses and opening mechanical test centres to attract more women into the odds and ends of the automotive world.

Guys, stop hurting your wife with your stick [laugh]

Today is a special day for all women. 三八妇女节 http://www.internationalwomensday.com/esea...90#.UTlbCvJaeSo

As women takes on more roles in current society, let us learn and support one another. Singapore Women's Congress 2013 Network, Learn & Be Inspired as distinguished women leaders share their thoughts on Embracing Diversity and Change. Today, women enjoy more prosperity and freedom than ever before. We've learnt to face new challenges and take on previously unchartered roles. To better understand this fast-changing terrain, we've invited notable women leaders -- pioneers within their respective industries -- to share insights regarding the future of Diversity, as well as their best practices to allow Change to play a more strategic role in cultivating our social, business and personal growth. The Singapore Women's Congress 2013 features keynote speaker Marina Mahathir, a well-known newspaper columnist, gifted writer, committed social activist and award-winning TV producer. The other esteemed speakers are Durreen Shahnaz, founder of Asia's first social enterprise stock exchange; Natalie Turner, leadership and innovation specialist; Ivy Singh-Lim, environmentalist & farmpreneur; Fanny Lai, author & wildlife enthusiast; and Jacelyn Tay, celebrity health buff & businesswoman. Come join us in this unique opportunity for inspiration, networking, education, and more importantly, to celebrate & forge new friendships. Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2013 Time: 8:30am

Will this happen here? Well if our falling birth rate persists, no one can be certain about this. But to serve in Spec Ops units will be a long shot no matter how you look at it. Women in combat: Good to go if they meet standards By LOLITA C. BALDOR | Associated Press

Changing alimony laws will get women back to work: Source Straits Times Date 14 Dec 2012 IT IS perhaps timely to relook the long-standing alimony laws to encourage more women to return to work ("Keep kids in school till 7pm so mums can go to work?"; last Friday). In Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, alimony laws, along with other measures like extensive childcare facilities, serve to keep women in the workforce. Alimony is seldom granted except in certain circumstances where a spouse becomes financially needy upon a divorce. This sends a strong signal to women that they are responsible for their own finances after divorce. As such, most women continue working while having a family. In Singapore, however, the option of alimony is open to every married woman no matter how well off or highly educated she is. This safety net makes it less risky for her to quit her job to meet the needs of her family. Should her marriage fail, she can depend on alimony payment from her former husband to tide her over. Laws enacted to enforce alimony payment further strengthens the idea that staying home poses little financial risk. Alimony laws in Singapore were forged in the 60s when most women were homemakers. The economic situation of women has improved tremendously over the years. Many are now highly educated and pursuing successful careers. The laws need to move with the times. Access to alimony should be restricted to women from the low educational and income levels and when they could be in a dire financial situation upon divorce. This will send a strong message, especially to highly-educated women, that staying home would no longer be a viable option for them. Sulthan Niaz Source: Straits Times

Just bringing up a talk c--k topic with a group of friends over drinks last night. One of our buddy was having some marital problems(don't want to go into details). Someone in the group starting to say how unbalance the Women's Charter is in Singapore. He was telling us about his colleague who divorced his wife with photo evidence of her and her 'bf' being intimate in public. Yet end of the day his colleague still had to split the matrimonial home, loose the custody of his 2 kids and pay for child alimony. Sounds incredible so we were not sure if there was another side to that story. Any bros have any stories about such incredible rulings against Singapore men?

for crying outloud, a farking search yeildd me at least 5 topics on this...unless you want exclusivity, wtf u open a thread for? explain, else this thread is going to the dumps... you dun understand english issit to SEARCH FIRST....

"Just a handshake", how is that possible??? --------------------- http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/...105-381616.html By Rennie Whang The New Paper Wednesday, Nov 07, 2012 SINGAPORE - It was just a handshake with a female colleague, but it shook his world to the core when she accused him of molesting her. RELATED STORIES Australian national jailed 18 weeks for molesting woman Brit acquitted of molest but fined for swearing at cop Mr Paul Joseph Smith, 55, lost his job as an IT project manager and went through the ordeal of a trial in which he was convicted and ordered to be jailed for 18 weeks. He had to depend on family members in Australia for financial support. Even then, he could afford only a meal a day, he said. When he lodged an appeal against the conviction, he didn't think he stood a chance. But the seemingly impossible happened and he walked out of court a free man. During a four-day trial in April and May, the woman, 38, told the court that she felt her breast being squeezed twice, although she did not see him do it.

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I am way below average Singapore women have been ranked the fifth most unfaithful in the world, according to a survey by condom maker Durex. The objective of the study was to find out who the most unfaithful lovers in the world are. The survey polled 29,000 women in 36 countries, and the women of Ghana came out tops. Sixty-two per cent of them admitted that they often cheated on their boyfriends and husbands. In second place were Thai women (59 per cent), while Malaysian women were third (39 per cent). In fourth and fifth place were Russian (33 per cent) and Singapore (19 per cent) women respectively. Results from the same survey showed that men from Singapore and Hong Kong are the most promiscuous in Asia, with an average of 16 bed partners in their lifetime. Malaysian men apparently have sexual relations with an average of three women on a casual basis in their lifetime.

Those were the days, when men were men when women were ladies....... How I wish these are the days Something light for the pressure cooker society. Enjoy the video embed sala. MO

This is actually a fairly common complain. GF or wife not happy her man is not ambitious enough because he is happy with his 3/4/5/6k monthly pay. Is this a legit complaint? Do discuss to some extent, I can emphatize with the women's point of view. They are looking for "security" so having a motivated, high earning partner can be seen as a tangible evidence of "security". But is there a point where "not ambitious enough" becomes "good enough"?

I keep getting this from my friends and some others who are not friend status. Is it a genes thing or is it a societal thing?