Just a couple days ago, Doris Roberts (a.k.a. Ray's mom in Everybody Loves Raymond) passed away at the age of 90. Prince died today at the age of 57 and nobody seems to know what caused his sudden death yet. I'm not a raging Prince fan, but I have been known to drive through town blasting Little Red Corvette and Raspberry Beret out my window now and then. Chyna also died on the 19th.

And then, of course, David Bowie and Alan Rickman both died earlier in the year too. Fuck, 2016 is not turning out to be a very good year for famous people. Way too many fallen stars and the year is only 1/3 over.

I read about Chyna and Prince dying on a makeup forum that I frequent, and was so saddened. Such a terrible time to be famous. It seems that they're dropping like flies this year.

From what I understand from Prince's health problems from the past couple of weeks, he died of the flu. My sister and I have been blaring Prince all day while driving to and from the hospital where my mother had surgery.

And while I was never a wrestling fan, I grew up with friends who were, so I knew who Chyna was and that she was a cool chick with too many demons. Poor woman.

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"Why children take so long to grow? They eat and drink like pig and give nothing back. Must find way to accelerate process..."
- Dr. Yi Suchong, Bioshock

"Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born."
- Garrett Hardin

"I feel like there's a message involved here somehow, but then I couldn't stop laughing at all the plotholes, like the part when North Korea has food."
- Youtube commentor referring to a North Korean cartoon.

"Reality is a bitch when it slowly crawls out of your vagina and shits in your lap."
- Reddit comment

"Bitch wants a baby, so we're gonna fuck now. #bareback"
- Cambion

Oh whatever. Abortion doctors are crimestoppers."
- Miss Hannigan

And I just heard, sadly, Kanye West was found alive in his hotel room.

I've never been crazy about Prince, but......damn, another superstar of the 80s is gone. Were the 80s really that long ago?

This has been a very bad year for musicians so far. I'm hoping the Grim Reaper doesn't get any of my favorites.

The great author Umberto Eco also died this year.

Damn. Enough with the talented artists dying already!

And yet Justin Bieber keeps missing his appointment with the Grim Reaper.

ETA lol it censors his last name. But you know who I mean.

I heard last night on the radio that Billy Paul, who recorded "Me and Mrs. Jones" in 1972 passed away of cancer. The only reason I remember that song is because my dad, a devout Catholic, would get upset and say "Oh Cripes" when he heard the song on the car radio because it was about having an affair. Anything about having an affair really got to him for some reason. He also didn't like some Chicago songs because they were about breaking off relationships. The music world seems to be especially hard hit this year.

Papa Wemba died.

Papa Wemba, one of Africa's most flamboyant and popular musicians, has died, according to a statement from a music festival in Ivory Coast.
The artist, born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, was performing Saturday night at the Urban Music Festival in the capital of Abidjan. He collapsed on stage and later died, said the statement.

Papa Wemba, 66, was considered a Congolese icon and world music star after merging his Central African heritage with Western pop, rock and rap. His style earned him the nickname "King of Rhumba Rock."

People we lost in 2016:
http://edition.cnn.com/specials/world/obit-2016

...and it's only April....