Dinner Table Conversations in England and America

The New York Times today weighs in on the controversy surrounding Gwyneth Paltrow's remarks about dinner table conversation being more interesting in England than in America. The article even mentions Mrs. Trollope.

On P.M., the BBC4 equivalent of All Things Considered, I just heard Conservative leader David Cameron express his unqualified approval of civil unions between same-sex partners. He approves of any couple, gay or straight, that chooses to commit itself to a stable and loving relationship. Here's my new idea for a reality show: how about if we in America swap our Republicans for Britain's Conservatives?