Live from KC, I am breaking out one of my favorite blog tactics.   Random fire stream of consciousness….here we go.

• Being out in the country has it’s ups and downs but every once in a while is just what you need.   Out here in DeSoto, Kansas, there are times where I need to post a Film-Addict piece and I feel like screaming at meaningless air, but I remind myself that this is a time to relax and forget about internet service and cell phone bars.
• Every day I look at my kid and think, “what the hell did I do to deserve such a prodigy?”  He is like me in more ways than one but also shows plenty of personality spice from his mother.   For instance, the pouty face comes from the wife.   His ability to beg.   Her too.  And the greatest thing of all.  Stopping at nothing in order to get what you want.  Vinny is a true breed of crazy and that is from the wife and I.   He is the kind of kid who gets second looks from strangers, legit smiles, friendly waves and a big chuckle when they hear his ITALIAN name.  Vincent Buffa!
• The righteousness officers have came out in full force on the Jhonny Peralta trade with the Cardinals.   All of a sudden, any player who makes a mistake and uses PED’s doesn’t deserve a second chance or a good contract once he proves he can hit without the roids.   Peralta made a mistake in the spring of 2012 and was penalized for it.  He served his 50 games in the 2013 season and came back stronger than ever at the end of the season to help drive his team to the playoffs.   Peralta deserves as much of a chance as anybody to make a comeback.   Any Brewers fan who forgives Ryan Braun or Yankees fan who feels the need to call Andy Pettite a hall of famer can attest to the fact of second chances.   Any Braun fan will try to throw a connection between their player and Peralta, but let me clarify something.  Ryan lied when confronted about his usage and in the process ruined a man’s life(the tester who made the error with the urine sample).   Braun is a liar and a cheater.  Peralta admitted his mistake and did his time.  What’s wrong with a man coming back and earning a second chance with his ability?  Cards GM John Mozelaik wouldn’t have brought this guy into the fold for four years if he didn’t sit down with the man and look dead into his eye and make certain his misgivings were finished.  Mo and his team did their homework.  And by the way, when Peralta was on the PED’s, his production went down.   Off the enhancers, his numbers spiked this past fall.  So give up the fight moral chest beaters.  Peralta earned the right to get a big contract and his partnership with the Cards is based in logic and need and not cheat or greed.   Find a different tree to climb.
• The Blues are more impressive this season than they have been in previous seasons.    This team is winning on the road and taking command on home ice.   David Backes is scoring goals regularly.  Jay Bouwmeester has turned into the latest genius signing of GM Doug Armstrong.   The goaltending tandem was thrown a wrench when Jaro Halak endured a beatdown in Washington, but the Slovak has bounced back and turned in three fine performances since then, including an absolute war in Boston Garden that saw our Note outlast the Stanley Cup Champion Bruins in a shootout.  Monday night was most impressive.   On home ice in their last game before the Thanksgiving break, The Blues shut out the Minnesota Wild 3-0.   They dominated the game and never let it get close to shaky.  After a Wild goal was taken back early, utility specialist Vlady Sobotka sank his 5th goal of the season and the Blues were off.   This Hitchcock built team thrives on taking away teams energy in the neutral zone and using an aggressive forecheck to control the puck in the offensive zone.   A strong defense of Bou, Jackman, Polak, Pietro and Shatty grounds the team while goal scorers like Alex Steen and playmakers like T.J. Oshie set the tables.   Veterans in Brendan Morrow and Derek Roy are doing their part but the best thing about the Blues is there isn’t a lone star on this squad.  Everybody contributes.  Every game.  Ken Hitchcock wants no passengers on this Stanley Cup train and in a conference with so many strong teams, The Blues will have to maintain this course.  For some reason I like their chances more this time around than previous seasons.   Call it game to game observation or homer syndrome.   I know what I am seeing.  Hold onto your pants as I say this.  This is a Blues team I can see contending for a Stanley Cup title.  Digest that with your turkey and gravy this week.
• Frank Grillo is an actor you should investigate instead of basically recognize his face.   A genuinely gifted character actor known for roles in The Grey, Warrior, End of Watch, Disconnect and this week, Homefront, Grillo is true grit personified.  I will be writing about him this week along with spotlights on Woody Harrelson and the Cinemax returning series Banshee.  Look for those here and on Film-Addict.
• The Cards aren’t done yet but they could be.   This is rare for any team but this year John Mozelaik didn’t mess around or wait on teams to dictate the pace.  Again, I praise Mozelaik for acting swiftly and getting the parts he needed for this well oiled baseball machine.   The last thing I would look for is Mo finding a bat who can play third base and second base.  Someone like Michael Young.  He can sit back now and pick from the best crops now that desperation is out of the picture.   Smart GM’s work at their own speeds.  This was the case with the Cardinals top suit here.
• I have seen a lot of fine films the past few weeks.   Dallas Buyers Club, with two powerhouse performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.  Homefront promises a fine slice of Jason Statham action ass kicking pie.   Delivery Man is decent Vince Vaughn comedy with just enough nuance.  My personal pick for the crowd is Philomena, a heartfelt comedy starring two British pros in Judi Dench and Steve Coogan.   A true story about a former journalist helping an older woman get in touch with her long lost son touches the heart but never forgets to include a wicked sense of humor.   Dench is marvelous as usual but the actor  to watch and appreciate here is Coogan, who co-wrote and produced as well.  Playing an atheist who is helping a woman who believes in GOD even though nuns took away her child, Coogan isn’t just spilling one liners here.  He is playing an angry mad man and someone who encounters a dose of fresh grace when he helps this woman.   The film is perfect for the holidays.
• Need a comedian to watch that will make you laugh your ass off and keep it clean so you can bring the DVD to your family holiday get together?   Rent or buy Jim Breuer’s latest standup show, And Laughter for All.    Dealing with the middle age metal head loving father/husband miseries known to many people, Breuer sprinkles in impersonations and stories about faking a bomb threat and taking his kids to a crazy safari.   It’s all money in the bag if you ask me.  Check it out.
• When it comes to music lately, I am looking up bands with a great song and seeing what else they have to offer.   Here is a list of bands with a song you undoubtedly have heard and one I have discovered that isn’t played and deserves the airwaves.

The Lumineers-

Song You Know-“Ho Hey”

Song You Need to know-“Charlie Boy”

Mumford and Sons-Off their latest album, Babel

Song You Know-“I Will Wait”

Song You Need To Know-“Not With Haste”

The Heavy-

Song You Know-“How Do You Like Me Now”

Song You Need To Know-“Stuck”

Kings of Leon-off their latest album, Mechanical Bull

Song You Know-“Wait For Me”

Song You Need to Know-“Comeback Story”

The Black Keys-

Song You Know-“Howlin For You”

Song You Need To Know-“Sinister Kid”

I have no need to provide descriptions.  You will find out why when you find them on Youtube.   I will do future editions of this in Bullet Rounds and Music Spotlights.

• Every time I happen to leave town, I end up firing weapons.  This time, I got to fire with my father in law, Ed.   He is basically a cool version of Lee Marvin.  We went to an outdoor range, which is my preferred setting to fire a weapon.   Indoor ranges are foggy and too shoved together to feel safe firing deadly weapons. Today I shot a 9mm Beretta and a Ruger along with a six shoot pistol.   There are few instant reliefs than firing a gun at a safe range.   Power, authority, coolness, needed skill and greatness all in one dose.
• Suddenly, a live police chase right here in KC is breaking out.  As I write this, police are chasing a man through a rural neighborhood in Kansas City.  As we speak, he is trapped in a house and the police are closing in.   True story.
• The Rams have made a turnaround and it started with a loss.   Yes, that’s right.  When the Rams welcomed the powerhouse NFC rival Seattle Seahawks into the Edward Jones Dome on October 28th.   They battled the current NFC best team to a 15-9 finish but had the ball near the goal line with seconds to go and with a chance to win the game.   This was Kellen Clemons first game as a starter.   This was the game where Robert Quinn and Chris Long helped the defense break out.  Now, at the time the Rams were 3-4 and not looking horrible and just lost Sam Bradford.  The Rams nearly beat the Seahawks and while they lost another close game to the Titans a week later, they have followed with their two best showings of the season against Indianapolis and Chicago.   They wrecked havoc on Andrew Luck and the playoff bound Colts 38-8 and after a bye week beat up the Jay Cutler-less Bears 42-21.  What triggered this turnaround?  An established reliance on the running game, which found footing where Zac Stacy was inserted into the starting role on October 6th against Jacksonville.  That is where the seed was planted.  Jeff Fisher and Brian Schottenheimer deciding to use this turnaround in the season to reset the emphasis on smashmouth football.  Clemens doesn’t feel the pressure to win games by himself and Tavon Austin has gotten unleashed lately.  Jared Cook is catching passes again.  Robert Quinn is turning into a young Reggie White on defense and suddenly the Rams are getting ahead in games and dictating the pace.   What lies ahead?  Matchups with The 49ers, Cards and Seahawks on the road with home matches against Tampa Bay and New Orleans.   Sure, there may be 1 win in there in foresight but this team has proved anything is possible.   Winning without their starting QB is a huge step forward for a franchise that couldn’t win with 5 different QB’s and 3 different head coaches and 6 different offensive coordinators.  The Rams could finish with 6 wins but take into account their losses and it’s a miraculous feat.  Rams football is truly exciting again and it doesn’t revolve or Bradford or Steven Jackson alone.

I end with this.   Remember Grillo, the actor I told you to follow but probably have already forgot.   Well, get his name in your head.   Today, I made contact with him on Twitter and will write an in depth Q & A session that I will post on my site here and Film-Addict.  This is why I soldier on with Film-Addict even though a profit hasn’t been made and isn’t in sight.  Getting the chance to interact with actors and filmmakers who make the magic happen.   That drives me every day.

That’s all I got.  Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for reading this.

-Dan L. Buffa

@buffa82 on Twitter

Reach me at buffa82@gmail.com