Tante Belle Cose - October in Italy

picture from Shakespeare's Den

This past month in Italy events revealed the depths of the daring dichotomy of all things Italian:  
Where we stand, Italians are worried about the fact that Italy might go the way of Greece but then again, Berlusconi might be the collateral damage (not that the Left would do any better).  
We had a march on the government but our moment of populist activism was over-shadowed by the hoodlums in hoodies smashing windows and lighting cars on fire.
We heard that Carla Bruni had a baby girl which might put a dent in her singing career, while Berlusconi put off his own record release given the seriousness of the financial crisis he's clearly been too busy penning tunes in order to resolve.
They've added a countdown clock for the opening of Rome's third subway line, but it looks like it won't be ready for when and if Rome wins the hosting of the Olympics. 
I have discovered that the next-to-impossible website selling tickets to Rome's magnificent Auditorium offers a 10% discount if you use your American Express Card.  This is an absolute first, seeing that most establishments don't accept the Amex let alone one with a discount.  Now, if they would just post signs telling us how to get there and go home again, it'd be perfect.
And, some of the best news yet:  
- Italy is now the no. 1 wine producing country on earth (and, Dutch scientists have discovered that red wine has even more benefits including reducing diabetes risk and increasing metabolisms).
- And Rome's Senior Citizen housing and hospitals are now allowing dogs in for Pet Therapy.  I have seen the benefits that my little Trevor used to bring and can attest that dogs are not only a senior's best friend, they're often their only friend.