One of my very favorite movie scenes of all time is one you may have forgotten. Have you seen The Italian Job with Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland and Edward Norton? I love this movie, and not just because it is (partly) set in Venice, my favorite place on Earth. And not even because it also stars my beloved late (sniff) blue Mini-Cooper.
Remember the scene where Hansome Rob (Jason Statham) is stuck in traffic waiting to make a left turn behind an actor (played by Scott Adsit) rehearsing for an audition?
“Give me your badge. And your weapon.” Over and over until the light is just about to change. Then Rob honks the horn, the actor realizes he needs to go, and does, leaving Handsome Rob stuck at the light.
I love the scene because it’s such a true-life event. In fact, this sort of thing used to happen to me all the time. The result – I sit in
G-R-I-D-L-O-C-K
Damn, I hate that. It’s funny in a movie. In real life, when there are things that must be done — important, occasionally life changing things — well, it isn’t quite as funny, is it? Usually, I just need to get along to work, to home, to the bathroom, to wherever. So does everybody else.
You know, it seems that now, in real life, the absent-minded driver has been replaced by the intentionally jerky driver who doesn’t stop when he/she know there isn’t a snowball’s chance that he will make it across the intersection. So he/she gets stuck in the middle along with other, like-minded jerks, and folks like me who try to get along. Nobody gets anywhere. No work gets done. The only thing they raise is blood pressure.
I know these folks. I’ve seen them outside of their cars. They are the same jerks who used to throw temper tantrums on the playground if there wasn’t a swing available (whether they really wanted to swing or not). Who used to bully. Who have been jerks since before the egg and sperm that formed them ever hooked up.
We here in the Washington, DC area are way too familiar with these guys. And we don’t want any more. In fact, we are pretty damn tired of folks who stamp their feet, pound their fists, and spit in the face of one of the cornerstones of civilization: working together for the common good.
Now someday soon, I’ll tell you all about the truly wonderful work that was done as a direct result of bipartisanship in the United States Congress. Yes, it’s true. And it happened in my lifetime and yours. But that’s for another day.
But believing as I truly do in lawmakers working together, imagine my disgust when I saw this clip of the jerk, Richard Mourdock, who beat Senator Lugar to be the Republican Party’s candidate for Senate in Indiana.
Boys and girls, listen up. Nobody gets anywhere when everybody stands and stamps their feet. And if someone running for office says:
“To me, the highlight of politics, frankly, is to inflict my opinion on someone else”
Well, then, it’s time to work to keep him out of office. We have enough jerks pushing their way into the middle of the intersection and going nowhere.
Let’s see if we can find folks who might want to work together to solve problems. Because we have a whole mess of them. And to fix them, all of us need to get along.
FiftyFourandAHalf 
Couldn’t agree with you more. I saw one clip of this guy on the Daily Show. That’s all I needed to see.
Good post!
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Isn’t it amazing that the most helpful news programs are on Comedy Central?
Thanks for visiting, Les. Someone said you are going to stop blogging. Any truth to the rumor (I am looking to get a gig on Comedy Central delivering real, penetrating questions).
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I just threw up a tiny bit and it tasted like partisan bullsh*t.
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And we’ll get that taste frequently — they’re talking Budget issues now!
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one of these days i’m going to buy a mini if for no other reason than to have a car with my name on it….
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That might be problematic. You should read about what happened to me: https://fiftyfourandahalf.com/2011/08/03/mini-me/
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i did follow the link in the post…a dog and a car???
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AND my son’s junior high. Yes, we had a Cooper-fest for many years around here. They are wonderful cars — after all, they’re Coopers!
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Why can’t those little doggies git along better to get something done in Washington?
Perhaps we should note, however, that after the quote you show above, Mr. Mourdock went on to explain he wanted to inflict people with his opinion… in front of the camera, so he can win them over to his point of view. I think both sides want to win people over to their point of view.
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He also expressed a total unwillingness to compromise. And THAT is the problem. A problem that is deeply embedded in the GOP. Democrats can’t agree on anything and must compromise with each other.
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I would say that both the unwillingness to and the necessity of compromise is a problem that every party has within itself.
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One of the main differences, which until lately I lamented, was that the Democrats are so inclusive of so many ideas that you can’t get them to agree to anything. The GOP, conversely, is the opposite. They vote with the majority no matter what. With very very very rare exceptions. So the GOP stand in a line stomping their feet. Want examples? How about the debt ceiling?
Peg, we are just going to have to agree to disagree.
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The USA is not alone in this. Here in Canada, we have more than our share of jerks, in and out of politics!
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And people are just becoming jerkier and jerkier.
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You, as one of my followers, are cordially invited to my darker and a little more personal blog: http://nothobblingnow.wordpress.com/
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I went over there. I will have to remember not to click on your post from my office, though.
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Lol, the titles sound bad, but it really is just talking about the writers I like.
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It was the liberal use of the word “porn” — I will just open at home. Well except for today! There are a couple of other sites that I just hold for later!
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I know. That is one of the main reasons I made this new blog. My husband and kids would not be quite as understanding as I would like them to be. It is weird, but I just have to do it this way for now.
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Love what you have to say about the political scene. Civility is passe, it seems.
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Seems to be. Personally, I place a lot of the blame on Newt Gingrich. It has been a long time in the making.
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Hi,
It seems these type of jerks are everywhere. 🙂
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We need to find a location to put them all in one place so the rest of us can coexist and cooperate!
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Well, as stupid as that statement was, at least give him some credit for speaking the truth. I bet every politician, if they were being honest, would admit the same thing. They all have their own ideas on how things should be (as do we all) and anything that gets in the way of their vision be damned.
HOWEVER, this guy knows (or should) that a democracy can only work with successful bipartisanship. What a tool…
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Ah that Teaparty. Apparently the TeaParty hats with the teabags hanging down interferes with their brain waves.
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Does the Tea Party still exist?
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Yes, and they pumped loads of money int Mourdock’s campaign.
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When did compromise become such a bad thing? And why is being a giant obstructionist a-hole such a good thing? Help.
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Compromise went out when Newt Gingrich delivered the US House Of Representatives to the Republicans in 1992. By having everybody vote in lock step.
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And it seems to be contagious.
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The 40-year period of the shrinking center is almost over. What we don’t know is how many of his votes were pro-Mourdock vs. anti-Lugar. Good news is that some polls indicate an advantage for his next opponent.
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I used to believe in the two party system, that it kept outcomes to the middle. But the reasonable Republicans are dinosaurs, all being herded towards the tar pits.
And people either help herd them there or they are simply not paying attention. It bothers me deeply.
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The obstinate nature of those like Mourdock is disgusting and scary.
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I will completely agree with whatever you said. yes, each one of us need to get along to get solutions to those problems we come across everyday.
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Absolutely, Arindam!
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Newt’s moon colony is starting to sound appealing and that’s a very bad sign.
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Newt is a one-man traffic jam — he shares a huge heap of the blame for the attitudes in Congress. So things would probably not improve on the moon. We may need to go to Mars and tell Newt we’re going somewhere else.
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You pick the destination, I’ll get the spaceship ready.
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OK. I’ll have to watch some Star Trek and Star Wars and brush up on the good planets. I’ll get back to you!
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Sorry, I had to go to work and couldn’t do my blog-search. Here is the Paradise Planet — Tos. I’m ready. Except the mutiny, thingy.
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Well said!
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So, we should save you a spot on the spaceship?
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Please do! I’ll bring the donuts and coffee. We should be good to go.
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Perfect! Can we please leave sometime before November?
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Absolutely! I’d leave tomorrow if I could…
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My comments are looking rather random, but I assure you I have had only one sip of wine and not one bottle.
And I’m ready to go any old time. They do have Wi-Fi on Tos, I’m sure.
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And lobstah, please Darla. Lobstah!
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but of course! I’ll bring the lobstahs. By the way, I watched The Italian Job this afternoon (had only seen bits and pieces of it before) and I was very disappointed it’s only in Venice a short time. Still loved dreaming of going there one day…
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Sorry, Darla, this comment got lost. Or I did. Something like that.
You’re right — they are only in Venice for a short while. But they hit many of the most memorable places — St. Marco’s Square (where I danced with Jacob), the place where Katharine Hepburn fell into the canal, the Grand Canal.
But there is never enough of Venice. Never enough of its magic.
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Yes. Simply. I agree. Lugar was a MAN. Someone I would vote for without hesitation. His opponent? Nope. I am so tired of people who shove the common good aside and blaze through the intersection without regard for the traffic jam he or she has created. And that is what occurs in our elected bodies when the two parties stop trying to meet in the middle. Good piece–I enjoyed this very much.
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Thanks El. I am just so tired of the spoiled brats, particularly those wearing tea bags!
Thanks for stopping by!
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Oh, dear. Are you suggesting I get up on my sandbox?
Me, I work for sane candidates. I make phone calls (yes, that’s me calling. Please be nice). There are a whole lot of posts to come about that.
But the real thing is that people have a responsibility to PAY ATTENTION to the candidates. To who supports them. To what they think. And that goes for ANY candidate, from the school board on up.
Sigh.
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LIKE. Couldn’t possibly agree more!!!!
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Thanks, Moms, glad you agree. I am so tired of folks who think it is a principled stance to be a jerk. So very tired of them.
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So what do we do about them?
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