The Art of Small Talk

Ok, apparently I thought I was good at this, but I guess not. So my question is: what the hell do people talk about at bars if you're talking to people you don't know very well? This is separate from hitting on chicks when you're just being a smooth dude, complimenting them, making jokes, dancing, telling fish stories, etc.

But otherwise, bar talk is weird. Its generally loud, so its hard to hear. In that case, keep taking shots, jaeger bombs, and beer, and then the night will get crazy in a heartbeat. When its not loud, I guess there are a couple of general topics to discuss, but when dealing with people who are hard to talk to (i.e. just don't have much to say), this becomes difficult and frustrating.

I also find it hard to have general conversations with women I'm attracted to. Sometimes this is necessary. For example last night I was out with a couple prospective students and I definitely was into one of them, but, for the sake of keeping things solid (after all, they were here for a school visit), I elected to keep things passive.

So anyway, I write all of this to ask the question as to how you extend general conversation in social settings. What topics seem to interest people the most? What do you do when you meet someone who can't hold a conversation?

On a final note, Explore McCombs weekend was extremely successful. I met a lot of fantastic people, and I really hope that they all apply and are accepted to Texas. I'll be keeping in touch with many of them as this school year progresses in the hope that they become my classmates in the fall.

Ok, thats it.