Twitter is Now Like My Auntie…
If you have the kind of auntie like I do – you know, the one who’s always into gossip and keeps the entire family (and the extended community as well) in the loop with every death announcement, divorce announcement, and wedding announcement – then I must say: Twitter has become that auntie for me.
For example, I go on Twitter this morning and look at the Twitter trends, and I swear every time a name I recognize appears in the “trend,” my heart starts sinking. Because I now imagine that person has died. That’s the first thought before I consider other possibilities, like that person must have embarrassed him/herself in public or got into an accident or was rushed to the hospital (like Demi Moore) or announced she’s pregnant or gave birth to a baby (like Beyonce).
So, when Don Cornelius was trending, I immediately jumped to the death announcement, and it was! 
A whole generation of folks I grew up with are passing on.
Don Cornelius (for those of you non-soul-music-listening folk) was the host of the TV dance show, Soul Train, during the ’70s and ’80s. A staple among black households. It’s sad to learn that he committed suicide at the age of 75.
May he R.I.P. And, of course, to invoke the Soul Train sign-off, I wish him “Love, Peace, and Souuuuuuuuuuuul!!”
So you all know if I ever see David’s name “trending” on Twitter, I’ll be this close to a heart attack (until I see he trends for something completely positive!)
February 1, 2012 at 11:47 am
Although I was a nerdy white kid when Soul Train was popular, I LOVED that show. My big sister and I would learn all the new dances and jam to whoever was performing.
Man, you really never know what people are going through. I hope Mr. Cornelius can find his peace now.
February 1, 2012 at 12:48 pm
RIP Don Cornelius. Also saw that the sister of Nick and Aaron Carter died.
February 1, 2012 at 4:54 pm
So sad that their sister Leslie died. She was only 25 years old.
February 1, 2012 at 5:13 pm
RIP Don Cornelius. I was a big Soul Train fan.
February 1, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Always sad when someone is hurting so much that he feels the only way to stop the hurt is to end his life….RIP Don Cornelius.
February 1, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Very sad!! The hardest type of death to accept!!
February 1, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Very sad!
Re: last thread: I will be happy to come to another one-off concert as long as it’s not co-sponsored by the local Tea Party (AZ). Note to self: always do research on the venue/event’s background before spending any money.
February 1, 2012 at 8:55 pm
thefreo: i am not a “Tea Partier”, but i admire the desire to limit government spending and growth due to the fact that we borrow so much money to finance our government. (mostly from China) Please tell me why there are negative connotations to the tea party.
February 1, 2012 at 9:04 pm
As a kid I so enjoyed Soul Train. It was part of my childhood growth and socialization.
It is sad he felt a need to end his life. You can never imagine what would make someone take their own life unless you have ever felt like life is not worth living and you cant see any happy future. It happens to many people during their lifetime. Most overcome it.
And most of those just persevere.
February 2, 2012 at 12:35 am
‘Please tell me why there are negative connotations to the tea party.’
We can go there from here…
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Are Tea Partiers Racist?
Apr 25, 2010 8:00 PM EDT
A new study shows that the movement’s supporters are more likely to be racially resentful.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/04/25/are-tea-partiers-racist.html