Pet products not inspired by Pets.com!

Did you know that your dog or cat's skin could suffer from overexposure to sunlight? That is apparently what Bayer Pet Care wants you to think. In a country where the tan makes the man in the suit look even sharper, you can buy sunscreen for your cane or gatto. Luckily, mi gatti tan indoors. This picture was taken from a storefront in the "gheto novo" section of Venice in June, 2009 - the same piazza where you can buy this chess set.

Ferie Agosto

Most Italians take the entire month of August as holiday and leisure time. The Feriae Augusti dates back to at least 18 BC as a series of festivals and celebrations declared by the Roman emperor Augustus. Many businesses are closed during feire. Here in the Veneto dozens of manufacturers are able to accommodate this downtime through cooperation and by somehow avoiding bad agency behaviors. It's an interesting thought experiment to imagine how US firms would behave under similar cultural expectations...