MTV -- the ultimate source of music videos and pop culture -- has been around for 25 years now. And that amount of time makes for a lot of memories.

So in recognition of the entertainment MTV has offered over the years, Indystar.com, Indiana's #1 local media site, takes a walk down memory lane and counts down 25 best MTV memories. It's fitting that many of the memories include actual music -- although some may say MTV is not really about music anymore, with music videos hard to come by -- so Michael Jackson's 1983 14-minute video Thriller makes the list and so does the 1985 performances of Live Aid, a conglomeration of musicians who sang to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

But many memories are not recollections of music videos -- or even musical performances. They are nostalgic remembrances of other media events -- like a kiss between Madonna and Britney Spears during an award show, the running of the popular Beavis and Butthead show and Remote Control game show, peeks into spring break extravaganzas, and roof-raising reality shows like The Real World and The Osbourne's.

And even one socially-conscious piece that aired to raise awareness of testicular cancer. On May 23, 2000, wacky, stunt-pulling comedian Tom Green let viewers into his private world, in an operating room while he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous testicle and several lymph nodes. Green survived the surgery well -- and he is surviving cancer still today -- and his public handling of a serious disease goes down in MTV history as something truly memorable.

South Beach, FL Producer/Recording Artist Sandra Grace is donating part of the proceeds of her new CD "Do You Have A Lover?" to breast cancer research and awareness in honor of her mother, aunt, and some dear friends who have survived breast cancer and inspired the music on the album. She will personally autograph and mail out each CD ordered from her website in July 2006. The CD sells for $9.99.

As for the music, "Do You Have A Lover?" can best be described as Madonna meets Fran Drescher! It's a good work-out album: electronica with dance and progressive house influence, and a pop ballad snuck in for cool-down. I know I for one can use a new work out CD to exercise to. To get an advance copy of "Do You Have A Lover?", please visit her website here. 

Sandra Grace was just recently featured on the cover of  Express, a South Florida newspaper, with Lily Tomlin and George Bush!

On Saturday, June 10, Earl Spencer will host the Russian Midsummer Fantasy at Althorp, a charity event to raise funds in the official launch of a new foundation to help save the lives of Russian children diagnosed with cancer. The Raisa Gorbachev Foundation is named to honor the memory of the former First Lady of Russia's efforts to better life for children in Russia diagnosed with cancer. According to the newspaper reporting, Raisa Gorbachev had been a passionate fundraiser for better cancer treatment for children, using her husband's Nobel Peace Prize money and the royalties she received from the publication of her book to help buy supplies and equipment for the resource-starved hospitals throughout Russia.

It is said that the Russian Midsummer Fantasy will bring together politicians, celebrities and royalty including the former Soviet President Gorbachev, Earl Spencer, Tatler editor Geordie Greig, film mogul Harvey Weinstein, Madonna and the Lebedev family, who are part-owners of the Russian national airline Aeroflot. It's a start.

Raisa Gorbachev gave her time and money to the Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund, patronized the International Association Hematologists of the World for Children -- which helped introduce modern techniques of treating childhood leukemia in Russia -- and acted as a patron to Moscow Central Children's Hospital. After her efforts to improve access to cancer treatments needed for the children of Russia, Raisa lost her own life to leukemia. I was not able to locate a website for the new foundation, but when one becomes available, I will post information for anyone who might be interested in becoming involved or making a contribution.