Loved your article, very well articulated. I totally agree that having some sort of interesting or unique topic to discuss is worthwhile. That said if you aren’t passionate about it or can’t speak excitedly about whatever it is, don’t bother bringing it up. Or just get good at making harmless but pithy remarks so you can stay engaged somehow.

This also wanders close to Most Interesting Man in the World territory:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bc0WjTT0Ps

And your advice is almost exactly inverse of Least Interesting Man in the World territory:

http://www.xkcd.com/621/

Now this – advice for a person (a friend, really) to get there when talking with girls or guys in casual settings with strangers or vague acquaintances… I often see that the toughest part is just breaking the ice or getting over the initial awkwardness. What do you find are the most effective ways to open up the conversation into these areas where you might be able to talk about your interests and hold an engaging discussion?