It’s never too early to start planning. OK, maybe it’s a little early. But still, you won’t regret beginning a little bit early to craft a musical experience for your ride to and from Cornell for Thanksgiving Break. Car rides are perfect for breaking out your favorite songs, the ones you’ve listened to a million times and to which you know every word.

I don’t like Halloween. Not one ounce of it. Maybe I don’t like it because the skeevy feeling I always used to get when the last Milky Way in my pillow case was already partially opened never really left me. Or maybe it’s because if I’m going to eat candy, I’d rather have Lindor truffles than Snickers. If you’re going to go crazy, why waste it on inferior chocolate?

The only book that I have ever cried while reading is Jodi Piccoult’s My Sister’s Keeper. During the film adaptation of this novel, however, I could only glare at Cameron Diaz and wonder that they didn’t attempt to be a little more discreet in trying to gross as much money as possible — why would anyone cast Cameron in the role of an overprotective mother? I read about how she was super excited for the movie and loved how her part was so down to earth. She mentioned how she even wore her own jeans and Uggs in the movie. That’s great, really. But I liked her better in Charlie’s Angels.

Apparently, people over 70 years old can sing. I don’t mean sing a little tune — I mean opera singer status. There’s this one particular woman who solos every once in a while, and when she opens her mouth, she really belts it out, singing with every bone in her body, every muscle, every organ.

In May, the guy at Radio Shack told me that those little iPod-hooker-uper things don’t work and that I shouldn’t even bother getting one. As a result, I was stuck listening to the radio all summer long — in other words, I lived and breathed the top hits of summer 2009. Now, MTV’s Video Music Awards have come, inspired the status of virtually everyone on Facebook, and gone, and many of these songs are still appearing regularly on the radio. Personally, I can’t think of a better time to assess a few of the key hits.

I was not thrilled last semester when I heard that The Pussycat Dolls would be performing on Slope Day. I have no desire, however, to resurrect the long and painful battle that ensued prior to the performance between the Doll lovers and haters. I simply want to use this scuffle as a basis to lay out my intentions. Or, more precisely, to explain what my intentions are not.