Strange Days, These Days

Sorry for the gap between updates, been busy lately.

I really don't have much interesting to say, I just wanted to comment on the strangeness of the past year or so. I realized yesterday that the year has been rather (depressingly) weird, when I heard David Carradine had died. As of right now his death is still under investigation, but I personally can't imagine him having taken his own life.
A childhood friend of mine fell from his skateboard on Sunday and died in hospital on Monday, surrounded by his loved ones. My clearest memory of Lance is when he taught me the F-word, and I think I'm still in shock from his sudden passing. Is it wrong of me to think his family was lucky to be there when he went?
Dom DeLuise died on May 4th, one day after my brother commented "You don't hear about Dom DeLuise much these days." (Or something like that). Similarly, I was reading the Wikipedia article about Bea Arthur the day before she died on April 25th.
My uncle Robert died of a heart attack on March 9th at the age of 51, with no real previous indications that he may have been ill. We were all struck by the suddenness of it, I myself being quite shaken. I'm not sure if it was because I lived with him for a few months after graduating or if its because I realize my own father, his brother, is 48 this year. Time does go by.
Going back into 2008, Michael Crichton died of throat cancer in November. You might remember a little story he wrote about a park full of freaking awesome dinosaurs. Or ER, whatever.
Even further back, over a year ago, the tragic death of Heath Ledger, my feelings about which I have already expressed.
So has this year (and more) really been that depressing and tragic? Have other years been the same? Am I just noticing more because I'm getting older, and thinking about my own mortality?
Hmm. Strange days indeed.

Anyways, I promise the next post wont be such a downer, and hopefully I'll have some news about my next project for you. Stay tuned.