Useful information from YAHOO.

I clicked on and enjoyed this nifty piece of journalism on Yahoo's home page about "conversation killers." The meat of it:

Unless you get a truly enthusiastic response from your interlocutor—which is possible—be very wary of recounting…

1. A dream.
2. The recent changes in your child’s nap schedule.
3. The route you took to get here.
4. An excellent meal you once had at a restaurant.
5. The latest additions to your wine cellar.
6. An account of your last tennis game.
7. The plot of a movie, play or book—in particular, the funny parts.

Now, I couldn't agree more, especially about point 7, because I get this a lot, particularly from men. Hearing a book report or a lengthy re-cap of an NPR story sends me into the deepest, most painful zone of boredom imaginable. I know it's fun to read books, but I think it's a solo experience and tricky to share (fuck you, book clubs).

But I think point 3 is very funny. I hope I don't do that. I know I talk a lot about parking.

I appreciate Yahoo's no nonsense numbered lists of things not to do on dates, how to tell if he likes you, and how not to fuck up a job interview. And I'll take all the help I can get.