Welcome to Now Trending: Six must-read stories from the worlds of celebrity, oddities and digital miscellany
CATCHING STRESS
You might want to steer clear of stressed-out co-workers. It could be contagious. The new phenomenon of secondhand stress occurs in workplaces when an individual exhibits glaring signs of being stressed, which in turns spreads the anxiety to his or her colleagues. The obvious panic apparently causes people to think, "Maybe I should be doing that, too, or maybe my stuff isn't as important as his, or maybe he'll be irritable if I interrupt," cautions stress consultant Jordan Friedman.
Source: Time
MODEL MOTHER
Earlier this week, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, 33, posted an Instagram picture of her breastfeeding year-old daughter Vivian right in the middle of a fashion shoot. The photo shows Bundchen getting her hair, makeup and nails tended to while nursing, along with her comment: "What would I do without this beauty squad after the 15 hours flying and only 3 hours sleep." Brazilian-born Bundchen is married to NFL quarterback Tom Brady and the couple have two children together.
Source: Salon
COOKIE MONSTER
Randy Liedtke has come up with an innovative method of annoying police this holiday season. The standup comedian and part-time cook baked cookies that resemble iPhones and then drove around with them while pretending to talk. The bad news: When Liedtke was finally pulled over by a cruiser, the cops nailed him for unpaid parking tickets. "I'm an idiot," he tweeted. "No more iPhone cookies."
Source: Gawker
BUG ALERT
Beware the cockroaches! A new species of cockroach known as Periplaneta japonica has been discovered in New York. As the name suggests, the bug is native to Japan and has never been seen before in the United States. What has New Yorkers concerned is the news that the cockroach is seemingly built to withstand harsh Big Apple winters. "It can survive outdoors, and thrives on ice," said insect expert Jessica Ware.
Source: National Geographic
EASY TARGET
The animated series South Park has taken a shot at reality-TV celebrity Kim Kardashian in its 17th-season finale. Titled "The Hobbit," the episode finds the character known only as Butters refusing to date a classmate because he thinks she doesn't look like Kim K. The character Wendy bridles and responds by saying: "Kim Kardashian is a short overweight woman who manipulates her image and makes average girls feel horrible about themselves." The episode also features several appearances by an animated Kanye West, who tries to convince everyone that Kim is not a Hobbit.
Source: TMZ