Given the torrid temperatures this summer both in Western Europe and in North America, even adults might find themselves in search of scherzi d'acqua for relief from the heat. Literally "water jokes," these fountains or jets of water, typically found in villas and formal gardens such as Villa d'Este and Villa Litta, are turned on by hidden means or at unexpected times.

"The Italian language is untouchable." That was the reaction of Alessandro Masi, director of the Società Dante Alighieri, to the recent European Commission proposal to eliminate Italian and Spanish from EU-issued drivers licenses. The proposal calls for using only English, French, and German for the EU licensing system, and would also do away with licenses issued by individual countries.

In an interview with Il Tempo headlined "Giù le mani dalla nostra lingua" Masi said:

"È una situazione inaccettabile. Siamo alle solite e vogliono ridurre la comunicazione a un trilinguismo strisciante anglo-franco-tedesco. In questo modo creerebbero l'Europa di serie A e noi con gli spagnoli e il resto dei Paesi andremmo nelle fasce si serie B."

In a statement titled "L'UE Accantona l'Italiano" (The EU Shelves Italian) the organization declared: "The Dante Alighieri Society is not prepared to compromise. The Italian language is a basic and indispensable foundation of European culture and consciousness; we cannot passively take note of the institutionalization of its downsizing in favor of English, French and German."

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The New York Times notes in "Fiat Pushes Work Ethic at Italian Plant" that "Italians have long clung to a revealing proverb: as Fiat goes, so goes Italy."

Let's hope that Fiat improves its competitiveness in the automotive sector for the sake of the country.