What I’ve Learned, 2005 edition

Anyone with trouble changing facial expressions that informs you that “You look so serious” is not to be bothered with, no matter how well they kiss.
Shoot first and explain later all you want; just don't expect anyone to take you seriously.
If someone has been behaving a certain way for a decade, chances are they’re going to keep doing it, however surprising and/or disappointing it may be, especially when it comes to large gatherings.
Not all babies scream; some of them are exceptionally quiet and well-behaved.
If you let someone who’s underqualified into a project, the project will not only be weighted down accordingly, your level of eagerness will drag too.
I don’t miss New York anywhere near as much as I used to; I have no great desire to visit there anytime soon. A year ago, this would have shocked me; now it just feels normal.
No matter how smart or talented or powerful someone might be, if they hem and haw enough, cut ’em off and go to someone who wants to do it. And do it sooner rather than later.
Drugs are isolating.
Good cab drivers listen to your directions instead of half-paying attention and taking bad wrong turns. This happened a lot in Seattle, where I live and where most of my cab-taking occurs between two places--but not in Portland, Minneapolis, Austin, or New York, even when all I had was an address and a time I’d promised to arrived.
Out-of-town visitors always wonder why I don’t carry an umbrella. “It makes me look like a tourist” isn’t a very good answer, though it’s sort of true; “It usually only drizzles rather than raining hard, so it isn’t especially necessary, plus you never know when the shit is going to begin or end” is truer still, but gets me weird looks. “Because I keep losing them and I finally said fuck it” just gets me the Pity Look, which is probably fair. Either way, it's a lot simpler to just buy a fucking umbrella.
When you have the money, nothing is better than a hotel, however cheap, though expensive ones are even better.
Cave-aged gruyere is the Esperanto of cheeses--it goes with everything and can convert anyone who isn’t a vegan or lactose intolerant.
The more wine you drink, the more and better wine you know. That said, I should start keeping notes so I don’t just blank out and panic when I go shopping for it.
Even when John Peel played lousy records, it was still him playing them, and yes, it did/does make a difference. I would never have believed it if I hadn’t stumbled upon Peel Out in the States Episodes 7, 8, 11 & 12 at Everyday Music on Broadway, though, and I’m eternally thankful I did.
1992 may not have been the best year for pop ever, but you wouldn’t know it from the mix I recently made of stuff from that year: Madonna, “Deeper and Deeper”; the Age of Love, “The Age of Love (Watch Out for Stella Club Mix)”; Meng Syndicate, “Sonar System”; Eden Transmission, “I’m So High”; System 01, “Drugs Work”; Human Resource, “Dominator (The Beltram Mix)”; Altern 8, “E-Vapor-8 (Inciner-8 Mix)”; Blame, “Music Takes You (2 Bad Mice Remix)”; the Prodigy, “Everybody in the Place (Fairground Remix)”; Project One, “Roughneck”; Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”; Gang Starr ft. Nice & Smooth, “DWYCK”; K-Solo, “Your Mom’s in My Business”; Jonathan Richman, “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar”; Sonic Youth, “Theresa’s Sound World.” I’ll gladly put it up against any mix-CD I or anyone else has ever made.
It always helps to off your ass and do it already.