Latest news with #lunchbreak
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What Does Your Afternoon Coffee Say About You?
You know the feeling: It's the middle of a busy weekday and you're absolutely drowning in a sea of meetings, emails, and spreadsheets. Plus, whenever you check your phone, a new calamity surfaces in your newsfeed. During your hard-earned lunch break, you manage to slip out of the office and book it to the closest cafe. You hurriedly order an iced coffee; it'll get you through the rest of the afternoon, and after all, you deserve a little treat. Lately, our so-called 'little treat culture' is much-discussed online — think those small, frivolous, relatively inexpensive and yet somehow soothing purchases you make when you're overwhelmed. According to new DoorDash data, these dopamine-boosting moments may actually reveal more about our daily lives than you'd think. The company has even crafted an Iced Coffee Index (ICI) that measures consumer stress levels based on how often (and why) we're ordering our iced mochas. What is the Iced Coffee Index? DoorDash compares their new system to the famed Lipstick Index — an economic theory that lipstick sales actually increase during economic downturns. 'People turn to small indulgences during economic shifts,' the DoorDash report notes. 'The ICI uncovers how people seek a little treat during periods of emotional stress and uncertainty.' DoorDash's ICI is scored out of 100; for the results, the company mined DoorDash order data alongside responses from an iced coffee survey. The higher the ICI number, the more often people are relying on iced coffee as a mood-boosting, stress-relieving tool. What are the results of 2025's Iced Coffee Index? It's not just businesses that have gotten a ICI score — it's periods of time. This quarter of 2025 has an ICI score of 85, which is fairly high compared to previously measured quarters. DoorDash data pinpoints that iced coffee purchases have spiked on some of the most tense days of 2025 so far, 'such as Blue Monday (dubbed the most depressing day of the year), Tax Day, and even during the recent tariff announcement on April 2.' And that's not all — a whopping 87 percent of survey respondents slurp on iced coffee even when they're not actually craving caffeine. Eighty-six percent say the drink makes them happier, while 79 percent admit that they 'see it as a treat when life feels overwhelming.' DoorDash has also found that more than half of iced coffee orders now include some kind of flavor add-on. An extra pump of syrup certainly makes the drink feel more indulgent, and that boost of luxury is the hallmark of a satisfying little treat. And one specific taste has risen in popularity: Orders incorporating lavender flavoring rose 170 percent this quarter. The company posits that this newfound obsession with the floral syrup reflects a 'demand for calming flavors and emotional self-regulation.' And plenty of people are seeking that calm smack dab in the middle of the afternoon: DoorDash found a 7 percent uptick in orders between 2 and 5 p.m. And hey, if that little treat is the balm you need to get through the day, more power to you. 'I was going through a lot in my life and couldn't make it through the day without it,' one survey respondent told DoorDash. Which means that for some of us, an iced coffee isn't necessarily frivolous. It's a lifeline — a small but essential ritual that provides comfort, energy, and a sense of normalcy in the midst of chaos. That said, if your afternoon pick-me-up is stretching your budget, we've also got advice for creating an at-home coffee bar, so you can get that sweet, sweet caffeine hit without a daily expense. The post What Does Your Afternoon Coffee Say About You? appeared first on Katie Couric Media. Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I work in brothel where husbands stop by for lunch quickies and the women make £40k fulfilling bizarre sexual fetishes
TUCKING into her cheese sandwich, Catherine de Noire keeps an eye on the clock. It's just gone midday and she's expecting the lunch time rush at any moment - with hoards of hungry men due to rush through the door. 6 6 6 But Catherine doesn't work in a deli or a local boozer - her office is a brothel and lunchtime is one of the busiest times of day. 'Surprisingly, the earliest 'rush hour' at the brothel is 12pm to 1pm, when men pop in on their lunch-breaks from work,' she tells Sun Club. 'The next is between 3pm and 5pm, giving them time to get home without raising suspicion.' Catherine, 31, had been studying for an undergrad in psychology in 2016 when she first became interested in a career in the sex industry. 'While I loved it, I was getting frustrated with its attitude to sexuality,' she says. 'Reading psychology books, so much of sex was described as 'deviant'. 'As a fan of swingers' parties, 'deviant' or 'abnormal' seemed like very judgemental words to me.' One day while researching an essay Catherine came across an article that grabbed her attention called Psychologist in a Whorehouse: They Call Me Pimp, but I Protect Women. 'I lived in a country in Europe outside the UK where sex work was legal,' Catherine says. 'The article was written by a manager at a brothel who had a background in psychology. Watch the moment Strictly champ Stacey Dooley sleeps at a BROTHEL in explicit new TV series - and admits she 'loves it' 'He emphasised the importance of respecting and protecting sex-workers. 'The girls were independent contractors, who rented space from the brothel in exchange for a flat rate. 'It sounded like my dream job.' Catherine found an email address for the same brothel and got in touch to ask if they had any vacancies. To her delight she was called for an interview. 'Beforehand, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous,' she admits. 'Not only did I not have any experience in the adult industry, I also had no managerial experience. 'I had no idea what to expect of the office, I was half expecting it to all be leather, velvet and fake fur.' 6 'But while the outside of the building was all done up with red lights, the interior was surprisingly normal.' The manager, who was the author of the article she'd read, gave Catherine a tour of the HR and IT department 'We had a fascinating chat,' she explains. 'He told me that women are often at an advantage in brothel management because they don't try to control the workers.' The following week Catherine started working at the brothel as a manager. 'I'd be working nighttime shifts, from 7pm to 6am, but I quickly learned that the brothel wasn't just busy in the evenings,' she says. Catherine's main responsibilities involved answering emails, overseeing bartenders, IT and marketing as well as recruiting and onboarding the girls themselves and she quickly discovered that stereotypes did not apply. 'In the media, sex workers were often represented as desperate or addicted, but this wasn't my experience,' she says. 'Some of the girls were earning up to £40,000 a month, and many planned on working for just a few years to set themselves up for the rest of their lives. 'Yet, plenty of them were from overseas, and needed local advice or help reading over rental contracts.' It was a few months into her job that Catherine decided to come clean about her work to her family. 'Dad's a nuclear physicist, and his response was typically calm, understanding and matter of fact,' she says. 'But Mum was horrified, she thought that I was a pimp! 'But I explained I wasn't exploiting the girls but rather looking after them and the more I explained, the more she came to accept it. 'Dad even came into the office with me one day to see the set-up. 'From then on, I never lied when someone asked me what I did.' Protecting the workers was of the utmost importance to the brothel and was a large part of Catherine's job. 'We had panic buttons in all the rooms and made sure they knew the workers had the right to say no to any request,' she explains. 'While some of the girls did just BDSM work, others exclusively worked with lesbians – it was entirely up to them to decide.' While clients were well behaved on the whole, Catherine says that they did have to remove them occasionally. On another occasion I recognised a familiar face in the corridor – my dentist Catherine de Noire 'Sometimes we'd have to call security to turf them out at 5am when they didn't want to make the journey home,' she says. Intriguingly, one of the most surprising things that Catherine discovered was that plenty of men weren't even looking for sex. 'Sometimes they were only after companionship,' she explains. 'One guy paid one of the girls £4,500 just to drive to a graveyard with him and share a cigarette.' But it wasn't all quite so straight-laced. 'One man turned up in a head-to-toe polar bear suit for a role play session,' Catherine says. 'I had to explain to him that he would have to remove the head while he was in reception for security reasons. 'Another man turned up dressed as a plumber and spent the whole booking fixing one of the blocked loos.' Working in the brothel required the utmost discretion from Catherine who came across some pretty awkward scenarios. 'One of our girls came in to work every Monday, while her husband visited as a client every Friday,,' she says. 'Neither of them knew about the other and it wasn't my place to tell them. 'On another occasion I recognised a familiar face in the corridor – my dentist. 'I realised where he'd been while I had been trying to get an appointment, fortunately, he didn't recognise me. 'His office was filled with family portraits of him with his wife and kids, and I thought he might have been a bit embarrassed.' While the workers of the brothel were discreet, occasionally angry wives and girlfriends would get wind of their partners' hobbies. 'Plenty would buy a ticket and storm through looking for their boyfriend or husband,' Catherine explains. Are brothels legal in the UK? There has been a growing debate in the UK about whether brothels should be legalised, following the emergence of pop-up brothels across the country. These temporary establishments, often set up in residential areas, have sparked concerns among local communities and law enforcement agencies. The current legal framework in the UK criminalises the operation of brothels, but individual sex work is permitted. This has led to a complex and often problematic situation for those involved in the industry. Advocates for legalising brothels argue that regulation could improve safety and working conditions for sex workers. By bringing the industry out of the shadows, they believe that sex workers would have better access to health services and legal protection, reducing the risks of exploitation and violence. Furthermore, regulated brothels could be subject to health and safety standards, ensuring a safer environment for both workers and clients. On the other hand, opponents of legalisation worry that it could lead to an increase in human trafficking and exploitation. They argue that normalising the sex industry might encourage more people to become involved in it, both as workers and clients. Additionally, there are concerns about the impact on local communities, with fears that legalised brothels could lead to an increase in crime and antisocial behaviour in residential areas. As the debate continues, it is clear that there are no easy answers. Balancing the rights and safety of sex workers with the concerns of local communities and broader societal impacts remains a complex challenge. Policymakers will need to carefully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of legalising brothels in the UK, taking into account the experiences of other countries that have taken similar steps. 'When arguments did break out, we'd gently encourage them to take it outside or to a private room.' While most expressed a healthy interest in her job, Catherine explains that her job could pose a problem when it came to dating. 'I noticed quite a few men seemed to be bothered by my job,' she says. 'One guy told me my job was fascinating but he'd never let his girlfriend do it. 'It wasn't a problem, I was happy to give him the boot.' Catherine says that working in the brothel definitely changed her view of marriage and monogamy. 'I met plenty of men who'd tell me they loved their wives, they just weren't having sex anymore,' she adds. 'I've had men tell me that the brothel has saved their marriage.' Fascinated by everything she was learning, Catherine started posting about her experiences online. 'There was such stigma around the topic and I wanted to encourage a conversation and debunk stereotypes of the industry,' she says. 'People loved my videos and I soon amassed 400,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. 'I even started an Only Fans account where I could tell my wildest stories.' But while she received plenty of positive attention, she also endured some backlash. 'My inbox and comment sections were filled with death and rape threats against me, my family, and my potential future children,' she says. 'It was shocking and I had to be careful with my mental health.' Eight years into her job, Catherine realised it was time to take a step back. 'When I first started the job at 22, the night shifts didn't really bother me,' she says. 'But by the time I hit 30, the 3am to 6am stretch started getting much harder. 'Especially as I was simultaneously studying for a PHD in organisational psychology. 'Now, I've been working in this role for nine years, and I'm starting to think about my next steps. 'I definitely want to stay in the industry, but perhaps move across to a luxury swingers club or something similar. 'Ultimately, my work in a brothel has taught me one important lesson. 'Sex work is only dangerous when it's illegal, legalising it keeps women safe.' 6
Fox News
24-06-2025
- General
- Fox News
Worker's unusual lunch spot backfires after uncomfortable confrontation: 'Was I being disrespectful?'
The internet erupted recently when a Reddit user revealed an unusual lunch location, sparking strong reactions. The user began by noting that he or she was an introvert working in a "highly social customer service job," the person said in a thread on the popular "Am I the A--hole" subreddit. "I often need to take my lunch hour alone to recharge," the commenter added. "Next door to my workplace is a big, well-kept cemetery." "On nice days, I take my lunch to one of those benches, eat my sandwich and read a book," the Redditor wrote. "Sometimes I walk along the paths and read the gravestones." But recently, the lunch spot led to an uncomfortable social situation that left the person shaken up, as relayed in the post. "Last week, I had just finished my lunch and was packing things away when another visitor approached me and we began chatting," the user said. "They said they were here to visit their parents and asked whom I had lost." The person went on, "I had to admit that none of my loved ones were buried here, but that I was coming here because it was peaceful and I needed a place to take a break from my work." The grieving person responded with disgust — and accused the lunch eater of "treating the cemetery like a personal park," which took the Reddit poster aback. "I apologized and left immediately and haven't been back since," the user admitted. "But I was surprised to hear this, as I had not thought I was being disrespectful." Addressing a query to the community's 24 million users, the person asked, "Was I being disrespectful?" In response, hundreds of Redditors overwhelmingly supported the person's decision. "Graveyards are places of peace and reflection not only for those who have lost someone, but for everyone," the top comment read. "Originally, cemeteries were used like this," another user claimed. "It's why when you go to older ones, [there are] lots of open spaces and benches." Another chimed in, "In the Victorian period, it was quite common to have picnics in cemeteries … It's only after regular parks became more common that the practice died down." A different user quipped, "Why do they think there are benches in these places? Certainly not for the 'residents.'" "Why do they think there are benches in these places? Certainly not for the 'residents.'" The thread also attracted an apparent admirer of the occult — who claimed it was "a very witchy thing to do." "I myself am drawn to witchy symbolism and I respect it a lot," this user wrote. "A certain type of witch finds peace with the ancestors and [is] drawn to cemeteries. They have a connection. This isn't my path, but it is very respected." A few users found the choice of lunch spot to be in poor taste and accused the original poster of being disrespectful. "I can't imagine going to visit my nine-year-old nephew's grave and [finding] someone popping open a f---ing soda," said one person bluntly. "Truly macabre. Have people lost all sense of propriety and respect?" another wrote. Another commenter said, "You're using people's loved ones' final resting place for lunch as a private park … Go out and find a park that's actually a park." Florida-based etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore weighed in on the drama, telling Fox News Digital there's "nothing wrong with taking a break and having lunch on a bench in a cemetery." "A lot of people find cemeteries quiet and peaceful and a wonderful place to decompress and reflect." "A lot of people find cemeteries quiet and peaceful and a wonderful place to decompress and reflect," she said. One commenter wrote that, while the person did not do anything wrong, it's important to value the feelings of the mourner also visiting the cemetery. "I don't think you're being disrespectful … I do think, though, that commenters here aren't thinking about the mindset of someone who is visiting [a] loved one's grave," the response read. "Grief is top of mind for them."
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Cheeky seagull follows terrified teen across a carpark and all the way to a shop door
Leah Marie Melby, 19, was heading out during her lunch break when she noticed the bird flyingbehind her. Click above to watch the full video.
