Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" days have ended

 Silvio Berlusconi has died.  Alas.  He went from being an uneducated vacuum cleaner salesman to a billionaire, largely due to questionable relationships that led to big real estate and construction deals.  Far right, unapologetically Fascist, sexist and bigoted, he held high office in Italy several times and no one could really understand how it all happened.  He had wretched, fake hair.  He was known to have had many trysts with prostitutes and big parties on his yacht which he called "bunga bunga" time.  

It all sounds so familiar.

I mean, really.

The news from Russia is that Putin is crying over the death of Silvio.  That in itself is provocative.  Nicolas Maduro, the ruthless Venezuelan dictator also seems to be mourning.  And, as the New York Times declared yesterday: Before Trump, There Was Berlusconi.  

Fascism and Italy have had a close relationship really since the Roman Empire.  It's all mind-boggling when you think that Italy is a place where gays, blacks and Jews have to remain wary at all times.... but stray cats don't have to.  

Stray cats are held in high esteem for some reason.  Most cities have a large population of feral cats.  Perhaps they are seen as exterminators of rats and mice, and that is why they are tended to and actually protected by law.  My classmate, Shannon, discovered some interesting laws pertaining to feral cats.  One is, that you may leave food out for the cats, in fact, please do.  But the food can only be left out during a portion of the day, say from 8-1.  You are not allowed to leave food out overnight, because it can attract wild pigs and rats and mice.  Two, you are not allowed to take a cat with you if you move.  You cannot displace the homeless.  Ironic.  You must leave cats in their territory.  Three, you are not allowed to have cats neutered or spayed.  In fact, if the number of dogs with balls that I see on an everyday occurrence is an indication, Italians insist that male animals have balls.  Is it part of the Italian masculinity thing?

Dogs have balls here and that’s the way it goes. It’s incomprehensible to an Italian male, the idea to have his dog neutered.  Even if you explain it as a humane act, an act of mercy, really.  Unless the dog is working in a stud farm, his balls have to go.  How unnerving to always be horny.  You might wake up in the morning to find your dog humping your head.  Get rid of them.  But, no.  Balls have rights.

Here are some feral kitty cats for your enjoyment: