The First Echo

A little over a week ago we witnessed a death in the pop culture universe.

TRL had aired its final show on MTV, counting down its last top 10 list of videos. Every VJ from the past decade returned to the Times Square studios, even Granddaddy himself Carson Daly, reminiscing over memorable performances and iconic videos from days gone by (1999, how we miss thee).

Having not regularly watched the show since...oh...let's say sometime in 2001, I still felt a slight pang from the loss. Although my memories of TRL may not have been as intense as your average 13-year-old girl, I will still cherish my personal experiences with the show (having lived just north of Manhattan)...Being on-camera to request Blink-182's "Adam's Song" during spring break...Taking my 12-year-old cousin to see Backstreet Boys promote Black and Blue...Coming in 2nd Place in a Halloween costume contest for my zombie version of Carson Daly (with a Total Request Dead microphone in hand)...maneuvering …

Last night's AMA's at the Nokia Theater in downtown L.A. turned out to be more like a Divas Live concert...and yours truly was front and center for every one of the 19 (!) performances (is it me, or do they continue to outnumber the actual awards given out?). Anyway, check out my highlights of the night HERE.

I grew up on Centre Avenue in a city called New Rochelle...but I came of age on Fear Street in a town called Shadyside.

Created and written by the incomparable R.L. Stine, Fear Street was the first (and most successful) teen horror series that could be found on bookshelves all across America in the early-to-mid 90s. It took place in the fictitious hamlet of Shadyside. Much like Springfield in The Simpsons and Fairview in Desperate Housewives, it existed in Anywhere America. Most of the action centered on a long and winding dead-end street named after a powerful dynasty infamous for its "shady" dealings and black magic practices in the 1800s, eventually leading to a curse that was placed on the entire neighborhood.

Before Twilight, there were vamps sucking it up in Goodnight Kiss and Goodnight Kiss 2. Before The Craft, there were witches brewing up trouble in The Burning. And way before those Gossip gals could perfect the art of deception and greed, there was The Rich Girl …

Courtesy of Mr. Keith Olbermann:

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the six-plus years I've been in L.A. never have I lived through such an exciting and emotional week. I, along with countless friends, coworkers and acquaintances, cheered and celebrated Barack Obama's victory on Tuesday night. There was a feeling that this country was finally entering a new era, one filled with hope and much-needed unity. However, the joy was short-lived when it was announced on the following morning that Proposition 8 had been passed, allowing the state Constitution to be amended and discriminate against same-sex couples, banning marriage as their civil (read: human) right (*Note: this is after the State Supreme Court had made it legal; never in the history of America has a constitutional amendment been written to discriminate against a group of citizens).

I wanted to show you, my readers - especially those of you on the East Coast - what it'…

No matter where you stand, the truth is undeniable: our country is going through an enormous transition (and it doesn't involve foliage). Frankly, it's exciting as hell.

And what better way to celebrate this new chapter in our history than with a soundtrack to guide you through it all? We'll need all the good tunage we can get while we clean up the mess we're in...iPods ready?

1. "Womanizer" by Britney Spears

2. "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolph feat. Lil Wayne

3. "Up" by The Saturdays

4. "Insomnia" by Craig David - Take Ne-Yo's "Closer" and a dash of Chris Brown's "Forever," and voila...

5. "Return the Favor" by Keri Hilson feat. Timbaland - Or, The Way I Are, Part 2:



6. "Last Goodbye" by Avenue

7. "Party in Your Bedroom" by Cash Cash

8. "Human" by The Killers - It's nice to see the boys getting back to their "Mr. Brightside" roots.

9. "Breathing Your Love…