Rule #3: Try to chew and swallow before you talk
(But, if the conversation is good, or there are a lot of people and a small amount of time at the table, I have found this nearly impossible.) I think this would work better in a culture like the Japanese who take turns in conversation, but the free-for-all that we are used to at our house would make contributing to conversation impossible. You'd either have to opt out of eating, or opt out of contributing. So... let's move on to Rule #4.