Don Lemon was the CNN anchor on duty, the day Whitney Houston died. I don’t know if he was being fed lines or was forced to go impromptu, but he sure knew a lot about Whitney Houston. He was also confident about us , and how we, as a nation , would respond to the news that she had died.

“Our nation will be in mourning,”  He proclaimed.

Then to confirm that he wasn't just some hysteric, talking smack, he pulled up some Twitter feed from an unseen desk.

Kid Rock was “shocked.” “RIP Whitney,” Kid Rock had apparently punched  into some tiny  keyboard  at some gala or ball or sportsbar, or wherever it was that Kid Rock spent yesterday afternoon.

Kelly Osbourne tweeted too. As did the obscure,Mike S., Though they say we all grieve differently both didn’t write stuff like “ Ha. LOL.” Lots of RIP’s all around. Ashton Kutcher, mercifully, kept mum.

Larry King then was exhumed given a call by a CNN producer.  His all too familiar voice filled the  CNN studio. He spoke of  how pretty and talented she was. She  not only had pipes but was so pretty and had inspired Maria Carey and Christina Aguillera amongst other girls who can reach high notes. Larry had to run cause he had pre- grammy parties to attend, but his presence was felt, and he promised, Don Lemon, he’d return.

Dr. Phil might have waited for the call but it never came. Dr.Drew Pinsky is now the go to guy to add some I don’t know… perspective to….celebrity mortality issues. When Dr. Drew Pinsky says he’s busy-- he’s serious .

My mind flashed to the picture I first saw of Whitney Houston . It was a cover of Seventeen Magazine. So wholesome. A little older than me but so successful already. Then, throughout the years her songs were everywhere. I never once willingly chose to listen to any of the songs she would sing, more than once.  I didn’t run screaming from the room, if they came on, but if the radio played a song of hers, I switched the channel. Same with those she'd influenced.

She had looks, talent, fame, fortune, recognition. If she can’t reach the shore with those supposed blessings... What does that say to so many of us? Are all those things really curses in disguise?

American Idol became a show I watched with interest and no pride.  Many contestants aspired to her vocal heights. I didn’t turn off the TV when they sang, say, “ I want to dance with somebody” but I sure would be more impressed if they picked a singer I thought had true soul,  and who sang  lyrics that aspired to some truth.

Then, I began to mourn Ms. Houstons’ death for reasons that had nothing to with her or her illustrious career.

I pictured Syrians being slaughtered  I saw whatever media that might capture this, scattering to Beverly Hills . I thought of how much more Norman Mailer and JD Salinger had added to the mix, and how much less interest was inspired by their demise.

I thought of Neda. Neda was killed when many Iranians tried to revolt against their corrupt and oppressive regime sometime in the last decade. Do you remember her?  I was transfixed by Neda, and all the brave souls who were really laying their lives on lines for a real cause. Little could I or Neda know that Farrah Fawcett would die and put a crimp in such a revolution. But Farrah had cancer for a long time -- it didn’t create a story that would so entrance the masses whereby an uprising could be stanched.

 It almost  could a appear that what happened next was some ingenious plot rather than an accidental profonol overdose. What happened next was that Michael Jackson was found dead.  I remember watching journalists running from Farrahs mansion to Michael Jackson’ castle. One tripped in the furor.  It  struck me as  both grotesque and macabre. Again, I thought, “ The media really stinks.” Soon thereafter, the Iranian uprising  dissapeared from sight.

Now on OS,  I see Whitney Houston being compared to Billie Holiday and an angel.  Some describe her as a tortured genius.

What to do but scoff, simmer,  or blog?