That's pretty much my impression of the nation - bad teeth and surly drunks. And you're still holding the Parthenon Marbles.

Dull is the eye that will not weep to see
Thy walls defaced, thy mouldering shrines removed
By British hands, which it had best behoved
To guard those relics ne’er to be restored.
Curst be the hour when from their isle they roved,
And once again thy hapless bosom gored,
And snatch'd thy shrinking gods to northern climes abhorred!
- Byron

because i'm sincere like that: many congrats to your brother and his husband. they look so happy.

i hope the u.s. magically turns sane some day soon.

Britain can't take credit for non-discrimination yet: gays still aren't allowed to marry. They are allowed "civil partnerships" instead. Canada, Spain, South Africa, Netherlands and Belgium are the only countries that offer marriage without discrimination based on sexual orientation.

You're right Matt, the U.K. is far superior to the U.S. in every way. I think you would be much happier there than trying to enlighten us foolish Americans.

Uh, Yank, Matt's in London. The "here" and "this country" where things are dirtier, drunker, and unflossed is not your country.

C:Byron was right. We were walking along the Thames today and happened to pass by an Egyptian Obelisk, plundered in Victorian times. Why did the British choose to set sail in the first place? Probably because they couldn't hack it here for another second—plus, you can drink more on a boat.

Yank: I like Britain. It's great. But I don't think it IS superior to America in every way. Class, for instance. Hearing the different accents and remembering how one is instantly judged for how one speaks was weird. The society is a lot less fluid. People are embarrassed to speak loudly in public. There's a crippling politeness to social interaction.

JamesX:you're right, theirs was a "civil partnership," I just called it a gay wedding/gay marriage. Although so did everyone else. To all intents and purposes, that's what it is. But it is a different name. Nobody seemed to be too bothered by the technicalities. Of course, the "bride's" father didn't give anyone away, but I did make a speech.

(Which was, of course, Churchillian in its impressiveness.)

Does it always have to be "us versus them" like sports? There's plenty of things that different countries do right and wrong concurrently. Why does it always have to be "love it or leave it?"

Christ, everyone here started as an immigrant of some sort. The 20th century is dead and buried--let's leave nationalism with it.

You're absolutely right, Tom. Being competitive is extremely negative when it comes to internationalism. However, for those wishing to move out of the Chicago sandwich shop market and into a newsroom, I hear it's a bonus! How's that going, by the way?

Slowly, I'd say. I supposedly was accepted into a internship program that goes through George Mason University... but that doesn't start until June. I'm looking into jobs with law firms downtown either doing clerical work or research.

I just gotta keep hustling, I guess. It's the Chi-town way.

You'll get there mate. Keep pushing.