Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: "Bullshit" on "Second hand smoke" -> it happened in NYC

I've got me episodes of Penn & Teller "Bullshit" TV show (8 season so 
far, starting in 2003).
It talks about common highly _untrue_ beliefs such as alternative 
medicine, penis enlargment pills, creationism, esp, etc., in an 
unconventional way, filled with sarcasm expressed in everyday language.
I've been watching some first season episodes so far, and I find it 
highly educative both in language skill and in culture insight and 
that's what I wanted to talk about:
Episode 1x05 aired on february 21st 2003, and it's titled "Second hand 
smoke / Baby bullshit".
Let's talk about the first part. It simply tries to push the idea that 
second hand smoke DOES NOT HARM health, citing  flawed data issued by 
WHO (World Health Organization), FDA, etc. etc. It actually pushes the 
idea that freedom of choice is more important than health (well, they 
actually believed that the matter was controversial), especially if the 
State decides what should be your behaviour.
Yes, it was considered a matter of behaviour.
That sounded CRAZY! I did some research
A law banishing smoke in closed areas was about to be voted in NYC, but 
actually the TV show showed that was unlikely.
Indeed 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans_in_the_United_States#.C2.A0New_York
The law passed.
Is there any newyorker here that can tell me the moods, the spirit, what 
it has been like in those days, and how's the situation now and how it's 
felt?
-ps Italy's been the 4th European country to enforce such prohibitions.
[source: Wikipedia->
http://www.thesmokingban.org/italy.php
]
-pps the US have NO such law. it's considered a matter of the single 
state: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans_in_the_United_States

 felt?
I was not in New York during that period, but I can tell you that 
Jillette Penn is a Libertarian, and espouses an ultra-right wing 
political ideology. By profession he is an entertainer, a partner in a 
gimmicky magic show, and I would definitely not trust him as a source of 
information on anything, including American culture.

 information on anything, including American culture.
On the contrary. _Any_ culture is multifaceted. Denying American culture 
  it conservative side would be unfair. Actually I tend to think that 
the majority of American population is conservative, in an European 
point of view.
Well then again Italy too might be considered conservative from an 
external point of view, given the fact for instance that cannot get rid 
of its cord that binds it to the Vatican. Maybe "conservative" its just 
another way to describe how certain peoples are opposed to what other 
people is not, when that difference denotes an advantage (disvantage).

 people is not, when that difference denotes an advantage (disvantage).
I didn't say that there wasn't a strong conservative element in the US. 
I was giving you information on Jillette Penn and on the probable 
inaccuracy of his comments. New York, by the way, does not have as 
strong a conservative element as many other areas of the US. The fact 
that Penn said the law would not pass, and that it did pass, should give 
you an idea of the quality of his insight into that subculture. So, your 
"on the contrary" comment seems out of context to me.
It never ceases to surprise me when someone asks for opinions based on 
personal experience from inside a culture, and then argues about the 
validity of the stated observations. But then, 18% of Americans think 
that Obama is a Muslim, and more than half think that he's to blame for 
current job prospects in the US being disappointing, so perhaps I 
shouldn't hold my expectations too high in any venue.
PS: For those who noticed, yes, I stopped correcting the English errors 
after the first couple of sentences.

 shouldn't hold my expectations too high in any venue.
well, he surely is disappointing, in my point of view.
but I cannot criticize other countrys' inner political choices.

 but I cannot criticize other countrys' inner political choices.
Di solito direi che chiunque può criticare la politica di un paese, ma 
forse gli italiani hanno perso quel diritto dopo votare di nuovo per 
Berlusconi!

 Berlusconi!
:-)
You see, I actually don't know anybody who wouldn't criticize Berlusconi.
You shouldn't focus on Berlusconi's politician's ability, but on his 
ability to gather trust and unite different positions.
His detractors would say on his "marketing" capabilities.
He actually is very good on focusing all the critics upon himself, being 
he able to stand them and go through them unaffected. So his Government 
too is mostly unaffected by critics.
He too is able to /distract/ the public opinion, as any good politician 
is. This summer was spent talking about /nothing/ not real problems.
Who cares about Futuro e libertà? Who cares about Fini? We care about 
this damn GNP to start again performing some +2% or more. The rest will 
come naturally (taxes, pensions, infrastructes, schools, army, public 
health...)
And don't forget the most important thing: the lack of credible 
alternative. Who am I supposed to vote? PD is /nothing/, and I don't 
even care to mention are nothingnesses.

 (i commenti _possono_ essere _incaccuratI_)
Maronna! Dov`era la mia mente durante la prima parte della frase?

> Pensavo che l'articolo sia neccessario! Accidenti!
Oops! fosse.

 Maronna! Dov`era la mia mente durante la prima parte della frase?
senti, ma vivi a Napoli?

 senti, ma vivi a Napoli?
No, ma i miei nonni si sono trasferirti agli Stati Uniti dalla Campania 
e dalla Sicilia, e sentivo i dialetti da bambino, anche se non capitivo 
un tubo.

 un tubo.
Il "napoletano" ha una rotacitazzazione delle dentali esattamente come 
l'inglese americano (la maggiorparte).
Ossia la t e la d diventano r.
"I didn't do it": la seconda "d" di "didn't" diventa una r.
"T'agg' ditt'" (Te l'ho detto): la "d" in "ditt" diventa una r.
Probabilmente è normale che la cosa ti sia in qualche modo rimasta.

 "I didn't do it": la seconda "d" di "didn't" diventa una r.
Di quale regione parli? Ho cercato la memoria e non riesco a trovare un 
esempio in cui gli americani dicono 'r' nel posto di 'd'. Forse qualche 
cino-americano dice 'r' invece di 'l', ma č un stereotipo profondo.
Sentire 'didn't, a volte la seconda 'd' č omessa altro che il tuo motivo 
mi scappa.

 mi scappa.
hai ragione, capita anche questo, ho fatto un esempio sbagliato.
(non ho capito cosa significa "altro che il tuo motivo mi scappa").

 (non ho capito cosa significa "altro che il tuo motivo mi scappa").
A volte provo a scrivere un espressione americana in italiano. Sembra 
che in questo caso non vada bene. Intendevo dire "but your point/intent 
escapes me" che vuole dire 'non capisco perché hai detto (qualcosa).'

 
"Ma le tue intenzioni/motivazioni mi sfuggono"

 escapes me" che vuole dire 'non capisco perché hai detto (qualcosa).'
mi sfugge. si dice mi sfugge.