Free Headspace
A few months ago, you would be hard pressed to find someone who could define the word ‘furlough’ or identify Wuhan as a city, let alone correctly point it out on a map. Now, we’re a nation of stir-crazy, amateur virologists – things have undeniably changed.
With a global pandemic and imminent – if not already in effect – economic recession, you could be forgiven for feeling anxious. Due to a gradual but significant shift in attitudes over the past decade or so mental health and wellbeing are becoming increasingly prominent features of the national conversation.
So, it is a welcome move that Headspace – the meditation and mindfulness app – has offered unemployed or furloughed workers a free annual subscription to help balance the additional stresses compounding an already stressful world. You can sign up here.
Michelle from North Carolina
This week, an American TikTok user posted a video butchering the UK’s national drink. It’s one of the most significant tea-related, Anglo-American spats since 1773’s Boston Tea Party (Massachusetts rather than Lincolnshire, I believe).
Michelle from North Carolina did just about everything to upset UK viewers. There was a microwave, milk first, lots of sugar and it all ended up sounding, looking (and presumably tasting) disgusting. But top trolling.
To defend the nation’s pride, UK Ambassador to Washington Dame Karen Pierce enlisted the Army, Navy and Air Force to show how to make an adequate cuppa. In a fitting metaphor for the current US administration’s approach to international dialogue, US Ambassador to London Woody Johnson replied with a guide to making an American cup of coffee.
A tale of two Robbies
New research from Santander has shown that 45% of people would move their money into another account if they were contacted by phone by someone claiming to be a police officer or bank worker.
As part of an educational campaign around telephone scams, Robbie Savage jumped in a bath with a glass of champagne in reference to Margot Robbie’s memorable turn in The Big Short in which she explained the origins of the US subprime mortgage crisis which fired the starting gun on the 2008-09 global financial crash.
I wonder whether the former Leicester, Blackburn and – apparently – current Stockport Town player thought it was a telephone scam when he received a call with this job offer?