Palazzo

For many of us, it's time to hit the fast-forward button to move beyond 2010, with its depressing economy and nasty political campaigns. As the clock ticks toward midnight on Dec. 31, here's what to look for from revelers in Las Vegas, who may well chant "Roll on 2011!" America's Party, as it's dubbed, climaxes with fireworks at midnight, shot from the rooftops of seven Strip hotels. While the pyrotechnics will be visible from anywhere in the Strip's sea of humanity, certain locations — with a price tag attached, of course — will provide excellent vantage points not only for what's happening in the sky, but also for people-watching.

The anonymous stone building on the outskirts of Civitella, my Umbrian hilltop village, was a mystery to me. Every time I drove past, it was shut up and seemingly deserted. But on one moonless night in November, lights blazed through the dirt-encrusted windows, and tractors, trailers, little Fiat 500s and the three-wheeled trucks called Apé were strewn across the road outside. I stopped my car, pushed open the building's iron door and stepped into a room filled with the rush of warm air and the clanking of heavy machinery.

In this land where beauty is an obligation and a time-consuming chore, it's difficult to be ugly. "Italians are overwhelmed by narcissism," complains an exasperated Telesforo Iacobelli, who organized the Ugly Club -- Club dei Brutti -- to give, as he puts it, a voice to the unattractive. They are a distinct minority.

A 53-year-old Oxnard man was electrocuted Sunday as he tried to repair a water leak under his home. Savatore Palazzo, who lived in the 2300 block of Vina Del Mar, was pronounced dead on arrival at St. John's Regional Medical Center at 7:23 p.m., Ventura County Deputy Coroner Jim Wingate said. Palazzo, a self-employed real estate broker, was trying to fix a leaky pipe connecting an ice maker with the home's main water system, Wingate said.

If you've got Vegas and Valli under your skin, this Palazzo package might be just the ticket. The deal: The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino is offering a package for $299 a night during midweek and $339 a night on weekends that gives you a suite, tickets to the 2006 Tony-winning "Jersey Boys" (the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and their rise to fame) and $25 in gambling credit.

Florence has become the latest Italian city to crack down on tourists who lounge, picnic or nap at artistic sites. Since last week, visitors are forbidden to sprawl out or eat on the steps of Palazzo Vecchio, the 13th-century palace in the heart of Florence that dominates the Piazza della Signoria. Three years ago, Rome barred people from sleeping or eating on the Spanish Steps. And Venice has banned picnics in St. Mark's Square.

People acquainted with private detective Anthony Pellicano who must make the unpleasant journey to the witness stand in the federal courtroom where he sits accused of wiretapping and racketeering fall mostly into two categories: those who profess they knew nothing and those who confess they knew something. Those with immunity against prosecution are dry-eyed and those with plea agreements but awaiting sentencing are the teariest.