Teenagers are notoriously reckless drivers, perhaps even more so in Italy where, from the age of 14, they can zip around on small scooters without a license or any training. Florentine youngsters will, no doubt, get some very special training when British historian Paul Ginsborg, 55, steps to the podium in November. Ginsborg, author of “A History of Contemporary Italy," will teach teens how to avoid accidents, emergency procedures and basic driving rules. The city government, which sponsors courses for some 400 youngsters between the ages of 14-19, proudly announced Ginsborg’s involvement–he was the first professor to volunteer. Now, if they’ll only listen.

Related resources:
www.espressoedit.kataweb.it/formula1/test/tipo_intro.msn.shtml
Would you be considered a safe driver in Italy? Take the test

62% gambled in some form, last 3 months (July 2001)
67.7% those who gambled from South
51% those who gambled have university degree
25% of gamblers played average 25 times in period
90% gamblers “believe in themselves”
84% non-gamblers “believe in themselves”

This extensive study (10,000 Italians, age 14 and up) gives an idea how many are willing to gamble a bit in hopes of hitting pay dirt. Any sort of betting (from scratch & win state lottery to the horses) was considered. Italy’s crowded betting arena includes three soccer-betting schemes, wagers on horses and numerous state lotteries, with Bingo to come in fall 2001.

Related resources:
http://erewhon.ticonuno.it/riv/societa/pubblicita/fujifilm.htm
Common parlance for “luck” is “culo” (butt), here’s one of many tasteless recent ads based on the idea.

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In three days 19,736 signatures were gathered on a virtual petition to stop the execution of Italian American Derek Rocco Barnabei.
Despite fervent protests, Italian public sentiment once again failed to sway the governor of Virginia, James Gilmore. Derek Rocco Barnabei, the Italian American accused of murdering his girlfriend, was killed by lethal injection Sept. 14 2000. In the aftermath of general hysteria– safety warnings by the government for Americans abroad and accusations of barbarity– the obituaries for Barnabei passed unnoticed. Some by everyday citizens, some by officials but perhaps the most significant was from the city of Palermo. The notice published by the Corriere della Sera, which named Barnabei an honorary citizen of the city, brings to mind another execution. James O’Dell, executed in 1998 in the same prison as Barnabei, sparked the first wave of public outcry against the death penalty and is, in fact, buried in Palermo’s cemetery.
The Corriere’s round-up special on Barnabei & the protests www.corriere.it/speciali/barnabei.shtml
Italians, already passionate against the death penalty, have taken this case to heart. Derek’s mother, Jane, visited Italy several times (as far back as 1998) to raise funds for his defense. Premier Giulio Amato, the Italian parliament and Pope John Paul II have all made an effort to intervene. But the grass roots protest, especially in Tuscany –where the Barnabei family comes from– has been especially strong.
www.regione.toscana.it/campagne/barnabei.htm

Related resources:
The death penalty, even in fiction, is enough to mobilize Italians into action. Writers of popular radio drama "Alcatraz" were forced to change the ending because the public refused to accept the demise of Jack Folla, an Italian American DJ on death row. Folla escaped from prison and met, however, an untimely end as a TV program. The radio show archives live on: www.radio.rai.it/radio2/archivi/forziere/Alcatraz/alcatraz.htm

Citing security reasons, officials at the famous Milanese opera house have cut 200 standing-room posts, traditionally occupied by the”loggionisti” or rather the working-class folks who occupy the gallery. These spots, which cost only L.10.000 ($5USD), will be no more as of Sept. 12 2000– city administration seems to have just realized standing roomers constitute a fire hazard. The loggionisti, however are a cultural institution and refuse to accept the decision. The top spots, in fact, have the best acoustics in the house and the “peanut gallery” is often the most important judge of an opera. Gallery occupants are certainly the most vocal of critics– boos from them were said to have reduced Arturo Toscanini to tears and tripped up Luciano Pavarotti when he hit an off note in 1992. No word on whether the official association will withdraw support of the opera house–it holds a prestigious singing contest and runs a chorus. We’ll let you know how it plays out.

Related resources:
View the Scala from the gallery vantagepoint:
http://lascala.milano.it/theatre/visit/qtvr_map.html
At the site for Association of Loggionisti, unite your email protest to defend cheap spots for starving students & opera lovers
www.ingressi.freeweb.org English & Italian.

$10 million, circa (19,536 billion lire) income, state lottery (1999)
50% increase from 1998
$15 million, circa (34,029 billion lire) total income betting
$400 million, c. (830 billion lire) income est., State bingo halls Italy’s first bingo halls, hailed as a sure thing by the government, are scheduled to debut in Fall 2001.
While bingo certainly isn’t new to Italy, it’s just now getting out of the living room at Christmas time and into the already-crowded betting arena–which includes three soccer-betting schemes, wagers on horses and numerous state lotteries. To make sure folks don’t consider it the same old game, it won’t be known as “tombola” (the Italian name) but will go by the more “exotic” bingo. The 800 halls, expected to bring in $25,000 a day, are being hailed as a boon to state coffers and entrepreneurs alike.

Related resources:
www.lasmorfia.it
Looking for your lucky numbers? The Neapolitan tradition of interpreting dreams into numbers (“La Smorfia”) is now online.
www.giocodellotto.com
Official lottery site, online games

13 million = (1/3 of the population) is unable to formulate or understand a simple message.
13 million = have difficulty understanding elementary texts, simple dialogues and comprehending graphs.
15 million = possess modest vocabulary/reading skills. Considered “at risk” – since they do not read and write regularly.

This joint study shows that millions of Italians between 16 and 65 have trouble with the language in everyday situations. The most alarming flunk- the 13 million Italians baffled by the technical language that accompanies all medicines, from aspirin to prescription drugs.
Researchers remain perplexed, not expecting lack of literacy in a generally well-off society. How are these well-heeled Italians communicating, then? Perhaps local dialects aren’t going the way of the dinosaur.

Italians, not a particularly patriotic bunch, have been ordered by European law to fly both the Italian flag and the flag of the European union in front of public offices and schools.
Actually, the decree was issued in 1998, but these things take time. In fact, the flags will be displayed in front of schools for the first time this month, during exams the 14th and the 21st of June 2000.
Perhaps the complicated rules didn’t help this civic cause: the Flag Person, who must be officially appointed by each school or office, has quite a job. In general, for schools the Italian flag flies on the right, the European flag on the left.
During special occasions (holidays or state visits) the far right slot is for the “visiting” country.
For public offices, however, the order is reversed– the European flag is on the right, followed by the Italian flag and the regional flag takes the place of honor.

Related resources:
For more on the Tricolore
www.fotw.stm.it/flags/it.html

Daydreams:
75% erotic

Dream erotic adventure:
27% sex with complete stranger, on the beach
15% fling with sexy coworker

Daydreams:
75% erotic

Dream erotic adventure:
27% sex with complete stranger, on the beach
15% fling with sexy coworker

Dream Object:
54.4% villa in the Tropics
9.5% a Ferrari

Dream Vacation
41.5% Polynesian islands
17.5% The moon

Italians would forgo a trip to the moon and a Ferrari in exchange for a ticket to a far-flung isle, preferably with an attractive colleague. The poll, conducted by a leading news weekly, asked 1,000 Italian men and women between the ages of 25-50 what they dream about.One small surprise: making a micro-comeback as the top “dream woman” was long-forgotten 36-year -old TV movie queen Francesca Dellera, an actress more noted for sending her plastic surgeon into early retirement than for her on-screen abilities.

http://ssmax.supereva.it/Dellera/francesca01.htm
One Francesca Fan page

Transport minister Pietro Lunardi made his mark on the new administration by proposing to raise freeway speed limits to 99 mph (160 kph) as Italians get ready to hit the road for summer vacation. Critics point to 1999 ISAT statistics that attributed 26,770 accidents and 1,430 deaths from excessive speeding. Current Italian speed limit on the autostrada is 80 mph.

Related resources
www.radio24.it/newsletter/out/newsletter_editoriale.htm
The ongoing debate…

White storks, once common in the swampy areas of Lombardy and Piedmont, became a rarity around 300 years ago. Italy’s League for Bird Protection (LIPU) is trying to help them make a comeback by “seducing” the birds, symbol of fertility and love, into artificial nests. The initiative started after attentive birdwatchers noticed storks trying to nest, but were often discouraged by farmers. Today, over 60 pairs have successfully nested thanks to the Stork Center in Racconigi (Cuneo). What convinces a stork to stay? A bit of healthy voyeurisim: the artificial nests are topped with two decoys of birds in courtship. The League announced more love nests will be planted areas surrounding Milan and Lodi.

Related resources:
The association also organizes vacations in Italy’s wildlife reserves for adults and children.
Here’s the 2001 calendar.
www.lipu.it/Fp_ea.htm