Um, are you aware that the Dead are touring again?!?!? Are you irrationally excited by this?!?!?

Last week, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead — Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann — announced that they were re-embarking on their long, strange trip with a 19-date tour, set to kick off April 12 in Greensboro, North Carolina. And we here in the Newsroom are beyond pumped.

See, even though the four have played together sporadically since the 1995 death of Dead mastermind Jerry Garcia, they always struggled with personal and artistic differences (just what part of the stage encompasses “The Phil Zone,” how long “Terrapin Station” should be). But now — thanks to an October fundraiser they played for Barack Obama — they claim they’ve worked those problems out and are ready to bring the Dead back to life. Which is awesome.

Because we couldn’t think of a better time for the Dead to hit the road than right now. After all, change is in the air! We are breaking down social barriers (unless, you know, you’re gay), discussing environmental issues, and looking at perhaps the most dominant Celtics team since noted Deadhead Bill Walton wore short shorts for the ‘86 squad. America is at its most hippie-fied since, well, the Age of Hippies.

And, as if that weren’t convincing enough, we’ve compiled 10 other really compelling reasons why 2009 really is the Year of the Dead, which you can read after the jump:

1. Due to the recession, LSD prices have fallen to pre-1965 levels!

2. More Dead dates means Bob Weir has less time to dedicate to RatDog, which is certainly a good thing.

3. It’s your chance to finally hear Uncle John’s Band, only made up of guys who are more than likely great-grandfathers at this point.

4. If they play “Blues for Allah,” there is a 50 percent chance the Department of Homeland Security will storm the stage.

5. Hemp clothing is finally socially acceptable. Actually, wait, no it’s not.

6. The prospect of the Dead and Phish co-headlining Bonnaroo might cause the world to explode due to “vibe-age.”

7. You can actually hear “Shakedown Street” while standing on Shakedown Street. Or maybe that’s just the drugs talking.

8. Wake of the Flood now eerily prescient.

9. Given the plunge in gas prices, truckin’ up to Buffalo now surprisingly affordable.

10. My Morning Jacket’s last album kinda sucked.

Why else is 2009 the Year of the Dead? Sound off below!