What's next, Joseph Stalin aftershave?
Longtime dictator of former communist East Germany Erich Honecker has a new shower gel named after him, to the outrage of former victims of the regime, according to Germany's Bild newspaper.
Marked with the communist hammer and sickle insignia, supermarket chain Reichelt's "East German Erich's shower gel" sells for between $3.90 and $9.40 and hit the stores just a few days ago.
The new shower gel is the latest in a string of gag products mocking or trying to make a buck on memories of the communist German Democratic Republic.
GDR victims' groups, however, aren't laughing over the lather.
"These items are simply tasteless. They offend the victims of the SED [East Germany's former communist party]," Hubertus Knabe, director of Berlin's memorial at the former East German secret police headquarters, told Bild newspaper.
A man arrested for spying by the East German regime, Wolfgang Kockrow, told the paper the gel's makers are taking "ostalgie," the word in German for nostalgia for the East German era, too far.
"It is unbearable to see how such 'ostalgie' glorifies a criminal regime," Kockrow told Bild newspaper.
But the joke gel is a hit: A Reichelt spokesman told Spiegel Online most bottles of "East German Erich's" have already sold out, adding that the company only meant to sell the product as a gag.
— Thanks to Out There reader Greg M.
The World Is Unjust; Let's Get Naked!
Nothing draws attention to social injustice like a bunch of frat guys running in their birthday suits.
To expose the "naked truth" about what they call their government's political repression and failures on the education budget, male students in the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity at the University of the Philippines made a naked run on Thursday.
The students at the country's premier university were taking part in the traditional "Oblation Run" in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines.
The frat brothers tried to use the traditional "ritual dance of the brave" to draw attention to flaws in their country's government, and they at least captured the attention of the female students who giggled nearby as they watched the nude-o-rama.
— Click in the photo box above to see a picture of the birthday-suit protest.
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — One of the defendants has more than a leg to stand on in a lawsuit filed by a convicted drug dealer. Andi has four legs. He's a dog used by the Athens County Sheriff's Department.
County Prosecutor C. David Warren said that to his knowledge, it's the first time the county's dog has ever been singled out as a defendant. Warren has volunteered to handle Andi's defense personally.
"That dog could've done something to me or one of my attendants," said Wayne Francis Green, 46, of Albany, who filed the suit Nov. 18 in Athens County Common Pleas Court.
Green, who is representing himself, alleges that a search of his furniture business in 2003 was illegal. He claims officers also went into an adjoining building that he owned without a warrant, but police deny it.
Green said Wednesday evening that he felt endangered by Andi's presence.
"They've got a mean ol' dog, you know what I'm saying? I take that pretty serious," Green said, adding, "I'm a dog lover, but that's the limit."
The search turned up 50 pounds of marijuana, and last month Green was convicted of possession and trafficking in the drug. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6.
Green's lawsuit, which seeks $450,000 in damages, also was filed against police investigators, Athens County Sheriff Vern Castle and the trial judge who ruled that the marijuana was admissible as evidence because it came from the furniture business, not the other building.
Last Thursday, Andi the German shepherd was informed that he's being sued, sort of. With a paw print, the dog "signed" the paper indicating he had been formally served with the complaint.
Green said he wants prosecutors to look into the dog's actions. "I want him charged with several different felony counts," he said.
— Thanks to Out There readers Kevin G., Jeremy M. and Bill B.
BIRITIBA MIRIM, Brazil (AP) — In one Brazilian farm town, it could soon be against the law to die.
The town doesn't have any more room to bury the dead, and a federal law prevents the town from expanding its cemetery. And to protest that law, the mayor is suggesting that the town council outlaw death.
Residents would be told to "take good care of your health in order not to die." And they'd be warned that "infractors will be held responsible for their acts."
An aide to the mayor admits that the idea is "laughable" — not to mention unconstitutional. But he says there's no better way to get the government to change the environmental-protection law and allow a new cemetery to be built.
— Thanks to Out There readers Kristi B., Shannon O. and Beth M.
The Only Good Reason to Leave Your Car Unlocked
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — An anonymous gift-giver, apparently depressed over a lost love, left a $15,000 diamond engagement ring in somebody's else's unlocked car in a commuter parking lot.
The ring came in a box topped with a white bow and accompanied by a note, which read: "Merry Christmas. Thank you for leaving your car door unlocked. Instead of stealing your car I gave you a present. Hopefully this will land in the hands of someone you love, for my love is gone now. Merry Christmas to you."
A 37-year-old Northborough man found the three-diamond, white gold ring on the seat of his car, which he had parked at the MBTA train station in Westborough on Dec. 7, The MetroWest Daily News of Framingham reported Thursday.
He called police to report the find four days later, after he had the ring appraised.
"This appears to be random, but we don't really know," said police Lt. Paul Donnelly.
Police declined to identify the man. A police report said he had decided to keep the ring.
World's Biggest Loser, Eat Your Heart Out
WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) — Cathi Lee is less than half the woman she used to be. In three years, the Maine woman has lost 330 pounds.
She wore a size 38 when she weighed 500 pounds. At that point, she couldn't vacuum a room without sitting down and couldn't do the dishes standing up. There was no flying on planes or going to movies because the seats were too small.
Now, Lee is down to a 12 petite. She said she lost all that weight without pills, crash-dieting or surgery. She gave up junk food and started exercising.
Lee said she used to eat a couple of dozen doughnuts a day, and bags of cookies and potato chips. Now, she eats yogurt, salads and stir-fry veggies.
Despite her tremendous weight loss, Lee said she's not done yet. She added that she'll always have to watch what she eats.
— Thanks to Out There reader Shannon O.
TOKYO (AP) — Penguins at a zoo in northern Japan are on a winter weight-loss program.
They're taking 500-yard walks twice a day, said Asahiyama Zoo spokesman Tetsuo Yamazaki. The first walk of the season was Thursday.
"Just like in humans ... the fat accumulates during the winter months, and the blood-sugar level rises," Yamazaki explained from the zoo, 570 miles northwest of Tokyo.
The zoo's 15 king penguins aren't exactly obese. But to fend off obesity, the zoo instituted the winter exercise program in 2003.
"In order to withstand the cold, the penguins have a habit of standing very still during winter months," Yamazaki said.
The penguins have tender webbed feet and can only walk significant distances on snow, so the program can only take place during the colder months.
The zoo takes the penguins on strolls from December until April.
— Click in the photo box above to see a picture of the march of fat penguins.
Compiled by FOXNews.com's Andrew Hard.
Got a good "Out There" story in your hometown? We'd like to know about it. Send an e-mail with a Web link (we need to authenticate these things) to outthere@foxnews.com.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox