More Odds and Ends ...

1. So, Heath Ledger died of an apparent drug overdose today. My first thought was – well, I guess he couldn’t get over the fact that most people thought he was “alternative,” after seeing Brokeback Mountain. However, I think we need to look further into these celebrity drug stories and celebrate the celebrities that area apparently immune to drug overdoses, like Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Shouldn’t they be doing celebrity seminars, teaching other celebrities how to avoid overdosing whilst taking massive quantities of drugs?

2. The big story right before Super Bowl week in the U.S. is about Tom Brady walking around with a bouquet of flowers, with some sort of protective boot on his leg. Most people think the guy has some sort of foot injury. I want to offer my own theory – I think Bill Belichik came up with this plan to have Brady walk around in this boot, making the Giants believe he is injured and “vulnerable.” I want put it by Bill – he’s one of the greatest in the game at mind games. He would make a terrific wrestling manager … possibly along the lines of Captain Lou Albano or Bobby “the Brain” Heenan. What would his nickname be, though?

3. The Rev gave me a wonderful Christmas present the other day (hey, we haven’t had a chance to see each other much recently). It is the Rolling Stones Guitar Anthology – a book with the notes to some popular Stones songs. As some of you know, I’ve been practicing acoustic guitar a little over the past few years – basically trying to teach myself, with the help of some online guides (I’m still not very good, but hey – I’m having fun). In looking at this, it’s gonna take me quite a while to get a song down, but that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?

4. Ed Snyder, who basically is the “ruler” of the Philadelphia Flyers and Sixers, announced plans to demolish the old Philadelphia Spectrum in order to put some kind of new entertainment area together in South Philly – I think he is calling it “Philly Live.” Believe me, I LOVE the old Spectrum – heck, it’s the last building that hosted a championship team from Philadelphia, now that the big toilet – a.k.a. Veteran’s Stadium, is no more. But, I think it’s high time somebody did something about putting entertainment – bars, restaurants and shopping – around the stadium complex. Seriously, there really isn’t anything to do when you go to a sports game in Philly. You drive to the stadium, go to the game, get back in the car (or train), and go home. It would be great to have something like Inner Harbor in Baltimore, or the entertainment around the stadiums in Cleveland. Philly just never planned anything like that, unfortunately (part of many things Philly has done wrong).