To begin with, allow me to do my part in dissipating an axiom that’s time has come and gone. Discussing politics, religion, and sex is no longer the faux pas it once was. This is not to say that you should zero in on these subjects for your discussion fodder, but you don’t have to be afraid to delve into any one of them.
Discussing politics, in case you haven’t noticed, is pretty depressing. Perhaps reason enough to approach this conversation topic gingerly. Religion? While there are many great conversations to be had in this vein, there are not many people who are willing to discuss the material objectively and with an open mind. And finally, unless you have a specific issue within the sex realm, such as the prurient content of the Internet or television, it’s not a good ‘casual’ topic.
We live in the age of global human communications. You can have a pen pal in London, and converse (in writing) almost in real-time over the Internet. Just a few years ago, it took days for a letter to get to London. Phone calls to Brazil cost a fraction of what they did a few years ago and you can make such a call from anywhere using your cell...