By Daniel "Monty" Montalto

Shortly after DJ's AM's death, celebrity friends and fans took to Twitter to express their sorrow, and MTV News' own Sway Calloway shared his thoughts on the passing of the 36-year-old DJ, whom he called "revolutionary," "unselfish" and "a true music lover."

Sway was not Adam Goldstein's only fan at MTV News. Tim Kash recalled meeting DJ AM for the first time, live and on-air during the 2008 Video Music Awards post-show in Los Angeles. That night, DJ AM and Travis Barker had served as the show's house band, and Kash recalled grabbing DJ AM for an unplanned appearance.

"We were live on-air and I had to fill for time, so I just rolled up on him — I didn't know him", Kash recalled. "And I remember thinking how unfazed he was that we'd just shoved a camera in his face, because he was kind, he was charismatic, he was funny. He was a good guy and I remember that meeting very well."

"We spoke after that, and we would see each other out a lot and I would go and see him play," Kash remembered. "He was always cool, like effortlessly cool."

Upon hearing of DJ AM's death, Kash said the news was "very surreal initially, because it was only last year that we went through that whole tragedy of the plane crash. And to hear that he had died, I didn't believe it at first." Several phone calls and messages from mutual friends soon confirmed the tragic news.

As for DJ AM's legacy, Kash said that whenever he was behind the turntables, clubgoers always knew exactly what to expect, which was the unexpected: "You're gonna get a set that's very unique and very different, because he's going to play you things that you would never hear in a club," Kash said.

It sounds like Adam Lambert will be making his big screen debut this November. But don't worry, "Idol" fans. It won't be another "From Justin to Kelly" catastrophe (although I imagine there's a small contingent of "Idol" freaks who would kill to see a musical romance between Kris Allen and Adam Lambert). Nope, instead this disaster will be of the Roland Emmerich-fueled sci-fi kind, meaning lots of stuff will get blown up.

After weeks of speculation and coy remarks to the press, it has been confirmed by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May that Adam Lambert has recorded a song for the upcoming Emmerich opus "2012." In a blog post dated Friday, August 14th, Mr. May gushed like a total fan-girl over the track, which he heard while hanging with producer Rob Cavallo. Read his comments (in a British accent, for full effect) below:

"I have to say I was completely blown away ... it's truly sensational. In fact it's so obviously a number one smash, any bookie would be mad to take bets on it. I am not kidding. I'm not easily moved to jelly by male vocalists ... but Adam's voice reaches out with sensitivity, depth, maturity, and awesome range and power which will make jaws drop all around the world. Its an awesome performance. No doubt about it. The world of Rock has a bright new star."

You think he liked it? Seriously, I haven't seen someone freak over an "Idol" like that since ... well, since I interviewed Kris Allen last week.

So here's what we know: The song was produced by Cavallo, whose name you know from working with David Cook, Green Day, My Chemical Romance and — randomly — Paris Hilton. Meat Loaf's drummer John Miceli was involved in some capacity. We assume the tune will be rolling over the end credits after (potential spoiler alert!) John Cusack and his band of misfits probably save the world, and ... that's about all we know.

But rest easy, Glamberts! We are working overtime to get as many details as possible over the highly-anticipated tune. What's it called? Will it also be on his major-label debut album this fall? Will it be "Rock Gawd" Lambert or "Gentle Jeff Buckley Balladeer" Lambert? And how badly does Brian May want Lambert to be in Queen? We're making as many phone calls as humanly possible to get to the bottom of this. So stay tuned...

Twitter may have opened up the hour-to-hour lives of sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Lance Armstrong for public consumption, but ESPN, the NFL and the U.S. Marines all see the social-networking site as a potential liability. Within the last week, those organizations all enacted measures to control and prohibit their employees' and soldiers' tweets, and consequences now range from watchful censorship to immediate dismissal.

"The hammer just came down, tweeps: ESPN memo prohibiting tweeting info unless it serves ESPN," the network's NBA analyst Ric Bucher wrote in a post from his personal Twitter account.

ESPN gave its employees 12 guidelines on Wednesday. As media outlet, it issued a statement affirming its belief in Twitter and other social media as useful tools, but the network officially does not want its anchors and correspondents speaking out of turn in unsanctioned places, and those who step out of line could find themselves in search of new employment. Read more...

By Lisa Chudnofsky

Late Monday evening, when news that former President Bill Clinton had embarked on a trip to North Korea to appeal for the release of U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, Facebook and Twitter feeds from people from across the globe lit up like Christmas trees, with inspirational messages of "Godspeed" and "Go Bubba!" For the first time in almost five months, the families, friends, co-workers and other supporters of the fight to free Laura and Euna were feeling a real spark of hope that the girls would be returning home soon.

Less than 30 hours later, those same Web sites, as well as the rest of the virtual universe, reflected a collective sigh of relief from those of us who've followed this story since the beginning (I worked with Ling, a former MTV documentary producer, in the past). Links to video of Laura and Euna's homecoming in Los Angeles, (with notes attached like "There are no words ... only tears of joy,") swept the Internet. Their nightmare was over.

Another testament to the power and hold of Facebook and other social networking outlets: Just hours after Laura stepped foot into safe territory, she posted this on her own FB page: "Thank you, thank you, thank you to EVERYONE! I am so overwhelmed by the support we've received. I'm incredibly exhausted, but feel so fortunate to be free again. Love, Laura."

In time we will no doubt be hearing more details of these journalists' unfathomable ordeal in North Korea, but for now we can all take comfort in knowing that the events of this week have reaffirmed that faith and perseverance count for everything. (And that Bubba's still got it!)

For updates on Laura and Euna back in the U.S., you can check in at lauraandeuna.com.

Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTV News. Every week, they'll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!

There's been a lot of talk about Taylor Momsen and her band the Pretty Reckless in the Newsroom this week. Who does the band most remind us of? Are they any good? And will Momsen have to fight off Courtney Love? But mostly it made us think about other actors who have tried their hand at music. So this week's question is: What is the best — or worst — actor-turned-musician transition? Read the Newsroom's answers below, then leave your own thoughts in the comments.

Kyle Anderson
This is one of those debates that gets me into trouble and forces people to question my rock critic membership card, because I tend to think that these projects are never as bad as people think. I thought Scarlett Johansson's collection of Tom Waits tunes was actually pretty good, and I've always had a little weak spot for Bruce Willis' blues album. But the one person who stands out for me is Zooey Deschanel, who teamed up with M. Ward for one of my favorite albums of last year as She & Him. I don't care for Deschanel as an actress (she sort of reminds me of Katie Holmes on "Dawson's Creek," where her entire acting range consists of looking vaguely spacey and adjusting her hair), but the things that bother me about her in movies totally hit home on record. Sure, the album blatantly borrows from Dusty Springfield and any number of country balladeers, but her voice is simple and the songs are unfussy and sweet. (I don't even mind her in that cotton ad that plays before videos on this site). The thought of seeing "500 Days of Summer" makes me want to stab my cuticles repeatedly with knitting needles, but "This Is Not a Test" and "Sentimental Heart" are in constant rotation on my iPod.
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Okay, not really. Don't worry, I'm not a delusional "Idol" fanatic. I just play one on TV. But we did share a brief moment at the finale red carpet when he told me he was a fan of my "Idol" recaps. (I still find it pretty insane that a contestant on the top-rated show on television was actually watching me make fun of him on the Internet for several months.)

So when I got a chance to interview the Top 10 at a recent "American Idols Live!" tour stop in Los Angeles, I was determined to get exclusive scoop on his secretive debut album. "Kris is my buddy — he'll totally give me the dirt," I thought.

I was wrong.

I didn't have a fighting chance, honestly. The dude is really good at dodging questions he doesn't want to answer. (Also possessing black belts in that particular martial art: Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta — I think "Idol" trains them to do that.) Not to mention that the publicist told us we only had time to ask Kris two (only two!) questions because he was running late. (You can hear me mumble/whine to Kris "Two questions!" during the interview, because apparently I'm an unprofessional jackass.)

At the very least, Kris talked to me about ditching "No Boundaries," the victory song written by judge Kara DioGuardi that both he and Adam Lambert had to perform on the show's finale. And he followed through on his "I'll follow you on Twitter" promise. So it wasn't a complete wash, right?

P.S. — Nice jab at MTV, Kris! We'll keep that in mind when your first music video comes out! Just kidding! Maybe!

There has been no shortage of tributes to Michael Jackson in the past two weeks, from mixtape tracks to concert nods. But perhaps the strangest (and at the same time most endearing) tributes came from the world of sports.

Yesterday, basketball forward (and rapper/music mogul) Ron Artest signed a new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers (perhaps he can be the new Method Man). He'll join the defending champions for five years at $33 million, but the biggest headline-grabber was that Artest said he would wear jersey number 37 as a tribute to Michael Jackson. Why 37? That's the number of weeks Thriller spent on the top of the charts. It's not the first time that Artest has made a music reference in his number: While on the Sacremento Kings, Artest wore the number 93 as a nod to the Queensbridge projects (a place that also gave the world Nas and Mobb Deep), as well as the Souls of Mischief album '93 to Infinity.

Meanwhile, Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. paid tribute to Jackson during a Tuesday night game against the Baltimore Orioles. He walked to his first at-bat to the sound of "Billie Jean" and also wore a single batting glove. Did Jackson magic help him out? Griffey drew a walk, but the Mariners were routed by the Orioles 12-4.

Plenty of athletes took to their personal Twitters to mourn the passing of Jackson, including tennis player Andy Roddick, football player Chad Johnson, former NBA star Dennis Rodman and basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal.

But the best tribute yet came professional MLS soccer player Kei Kamara, who celebrated scoring a goal by donning one sparkly glove and doing a Jackson dance. The Jackson mojo seemed to work best for Kamara — his Houston Dynamo defeated the Kansas City Wizards 1-0.

Twelve days after his death, memorial services for Michael Jackson are taking place today in Los Angeles. The family met at 11 a.m. Eastern in a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Cemetery and then will move on to the public event, which is scheduled to begin at the Staples Center at 1. Jackson's body will reportedly taken to the Staples Center ceremony, which will feature Mariah Carey, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake and a host of other friends, family members and collaborators. Notable Jackson associates who will be absent include friend Elizabeth Taylor and surrogate for Jackson's two oldest children Debbie Rowe.

While you watch the live stream here, you can also follow all of the action on the Newsroom's live blog and track the whole event on Twitter here.

Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTVNews.com. Every week, they'll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!

The death of Michael Jackson has hit the MTV News staff pretty hard, and will continue to as we sort through the aftermath of last week's shocking news. It's been a crazy week for celebrity death, as Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, pitchman Billy Mays and actor Karl Malden have all passed away in the past week.

Dealing with death is always difficult, but the passing of a public person is surreal. How do you deal with the loss of somebody you only knew through a body of work? So we passed around this week's poll question: What's the one celebrity death that has hit you the hardest, and why? Check out the staff's answers below, and be sure to leave your own stories in the comments.

Sabrina Rojas Weiss
I was in high school when I heard that River Phoenix had died of a drug overdose the night before. It was on Channel One News, the news program for young people they used to air in school. I had never cried before about anyone dying, celebrity or not — I don't even think I knew anyone who had died at that point. But I did right there, in the middle of class. Totally embarrassing! He was just 23, and so beautiful and perfect to me. At that age, I was just starting to think I was too mature to idolize celebrities, but his death felt like a personal blow.
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Attention 2009 graduates and "Twilight" aficionados: You only have 36 more hours to submit your entry in the "Class of 09 Shout-Out Search." Just submit your video to Your.MTV.com to lay down your argument for why your graduating class is the best yet. The grand prize winner will be flown (with a friend) to Dallas for Twi-Con, the premiere "Twilight" convention, where you'll get to see the stars of the movie and interact with other Twi-hards from around the world.

How do you enter? It's simple: We want graduating seniors to shout out to the Class of '09 with a video message on Your.MTV.com. Tell us about your own hopes and dreams, what you think the makes the class of '09 rock, just say "best of luck!" ... any or all of above. Play it straight, spit some rhymes, act it out as a "Twilight" character — do it your way. The video we decide is the most fun, interesting and original is the winner!

Check out one of the entries below. Think you've got what it takes to top that? Then break out your camera, head over to Your.MTV.com and step up! But hurry — the deadline for submissions is tomorrow night (June 26) at midnight!