Only In Germany (Or Maybe Florida)

There was a recurring bit on the old radio program Love Line called "Germany or Florida?" where co-host Adam Carolla would read a fantastically weird-but-true news story, and callers had to guess if the story came out of... duh, Germany or Florida. Generally-- but not always-- the trashy stuff was from the Sunshine State, and the pervy stuff was Deutschland. So when reading these real news stories, my mind flitted back to that old radio program. You'll have to read them yourselves (the links go straight to the stories in The Local, a cheeky but still-reliable news source here).

Porn Star Suffers Heart Attack When Getting Breast Enlargement Surgery

Court Orders Female Workers To Wear Bras

Woman Publicly Pleasures Herself On Train; Wonders What The Fuss Is About

The picture is a photo of Ampelmännchen ("little traffic light men"), a staple in the old East Germany. The Ampelmann walk/don't walk traffic light symbol was one of the few East German items to pass through reunification intact, and they are seen with great fondness and nostalgia. If lost, it's actually easy to tell which part of Berlin you are in by the traffic signals-- "modern" west Berlin has the standard walk signs; former communist East Berlin has Ampelmännchen-- chunky figures wearing a large hat. In these enlightened unified times, some artist and communities have had some fun with the symbols and have come up with some interesting variations.