Buffa's Buffet: 5 things on my mind

Here it is. Take it or leave it.

Welcome to the inside of my mind, folks. It’s a crazy yet HAPPY one!

Why? Amendment 3 passed this morning. By the hair on its chinny-chin-chin, the bill for marijuana usage and possession was amended to allow people the right to ride the Mary Jane Express Train for as long as they want. Felons who merely used or had it will be released, rightfully so. Regular folks can leave their mind-numbing, soul-crushing day jobs and partake in the reefer.

This is good news. Save me your details of the amendment mantra. A 6% tax is nothing compared to what I was spending in Illinois dispensaries before I acquired my medical card. You have to give in at the beginning of any enterprise if you’re trying to establish something. The Polk County people don’t like getting high, but enough counties voted YES to push it through. KC and STL had it green. It all worked out.

How does this affect me? Little outside of arbitrary concerns and warnings. I smoke while I drive (better than drinking) and have smoked regularly for four years. It’s a great, safe drug. A step down or two from shrooms and way better than pills, cannabis just takes all the ugliness in your world and filters it through a “get fucked” system. Everybody around you becomes better. All is well.

Try it. Send me an email of your thoughts, and you might make it into a future Ramble.

The Blues sure can use a little herb. They lost their eighth in a row to Philly last night, an alarming trend that marks their worst losing streak in 14 years. That’s stretching back ALMOST to the Mike Kitchen/lockout era. A sad one that doesn’t need to be revisited. I figured there would be trouble this season, but a 3-8 start is definitely another direction.

Again, they need goals and better puck possession. Their defense is weak and their physicality is always uploading. Brayden Schenn shouldn’t have to fight the other team on multiple occasions, and spend five minutes off the ice. But the worst thing about losing streaks is their toll on the mentality of players. They’re human beings just like us; their bank accounts are just more stuffed.

But they feel the brunt of eight losses in a row and crumbling belief from the fanbase. As the seconds ticked off the clock last night against the Flyers, the listless movements and expressions were hard to miss. This team needs an ugly win, a blowout victory, or something positive.

In other news, my positive message today is simple: No matter what the vote results revealed, if you voted and had your voice heard, the personal job was fulfilled. You can’t rewire certain counties and cities, making them think progressively or see the overall picture. It’s an ingrained idea or message that even Leonardo DiCaprio can’t extract from their mind. An unfortunate side bar of voting is finding out how little your voice can be at times. As long as it’s heard and you vote, a few more months or years of complaining is all good.

If you didn’t vote, shut up.

I give my early vote to “George and Tammy,” a December limited series on Showtime about the famous music couple, George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Directed by the stellar John Hillcoat and coming in at six episodes (a perfect TV show amount), this is my kind of series. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain portray the title couple, so you have a couple powerhouse performers.

This one looks like “Walk The Line” with more tragedy, which can be a great series with the right players involved. Dec. 4, we get to find out. It’s Mike Shannon the actor, not the retired Cardinals announcer. One can only imagine good old Moon Man playing Jones, who tells Tammy in one scene: “Fast is all I know,” with a big HEHE at the end. A man can dream. “George and Tammy” doesn’t require dreaming, at least not just yet.

One of the best things about growing up with music is recalling all the great tunes you heard as a kid… as you age. Led Zeppelin is a wonderful marriage of my father and late(yet great) father-in-law. My dad played the Robert Plant and Jimmy Page-infused rock band when I was little and throughout my teenage years, but it was Sam Imperiale who lit the wick after I married his daughter. We were listening to Led Zeppelin II, and then I went out and bought the Mothership album.

As Bob Marley said, “the thing about music is when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Stress goes down too.

What Else? Let’s get into final things.

~Crispy bacon is like upgraded beef jerky deep fried. In other words, it’s fucking bliss.

~Sports talk radio bores me, except for Carey Davis, Randy Karraker, and Matt Rocchio in the morning. I only get about 15-20 minutes before work, but it’s solid sports talk radio.

~”Molly’s Game” is on Netflix, and you should watch it. One of Aaron Sorkin’s best scripts.

Goodnight. Stay safe.