Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Tag-Monsoon Showers

IHM had tagged me to this fun tag. I love doing tags, as long as I can handle them. This one asks me to take up a book closest at hand, open page 123 and write the lines six, seven and eight. The one closest at hand is Dan Brown's "Deception Point." Yes, it is the writer who gave us "The Da Vinci Code." However, he wrote "Deception Point" two years earlier to that bestseller. Anyways that is not what the tag is about. Let me not digress. Here are the lines:

Sexton felt an anger simmering. Now Tench was putting words in his mouth. He tried to counter, but Tench was already talking.
'So you're saying, Senator, for the record, that you would do away with the agency that put men on the moon?'

(Sedgwick Sexton is running in US Presidential elections, Marjorie Tench is a Senior Advisor to the President. They are in the middle of an important debate on CNN.)

The story is about a face saving device adopted by NASA during a presidential election, and the subsequent ruckus created by the higher ups resulting in multiple life-loss. Senator Sexton's USP (as he thinks) is the criticism of the overtly fund-guzzling NASA. He tries to prove that all that NASA has done is to take tax-payer's money and give nothing in return in terms of research and results. NASA is forced to vindicate its side, and it majorly misleads the sitting President who is painted very honest and upright. Incidentally he is running for a second term. This reminds me that thankfully Bush Chachu cannot have a third term. It never fails to amaze me that America, with its super omni-wisdom about the rest of the world, could be fooled into having a person of his IQ as its own President; allowing him a second term was absolutely outrageous.
The main character is Rachel Sexton, White House Intelligence Analyst and estranged daughter of the senator Sexton. She is sent by the President on a fact-finding mission. Suitably, she meets a handsome scientist at the Arctic base where she has gone to verify the authenticity of NASA's supposed discovery of an out-of-space-rock with proof of Extra-Terrestrial life. As reality dawns on her that it is a case of extreme scientific forgery involving a greater stake, she tries to make the findings known to the President. Then starts a struggle against a master plotter.
It has, in the typical style of the author, a lot of information that does tend to hang heavy at times, but which is necessary for the reader. Dan Brown is excellent at designing the plots and creating consistent characters. The leading characters are not just good looking bimbos. They are highly intelligent individuals with that edge over lesser mortals like us. It surely makes an interesting read.
Thank you IHM for tagging me on this for it has given me a chance to share one of my summer readings. As becometh a tagged, I must not let this torture stop. Hence, I tag Maverick, Gazal, MIP, Oceanic Mirages, Thought Safari, and Ramanujam. And of course, I would expect you all to tag at least 5 more unsuspecting beings.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Though am a great believer in democracy, i dont have much confidence in the people who vote leaders to power. I mean these are the same people who can be swayed on the basis of caste, religion, region etc.

Just look at the kind of people we elect Mayawati, Advani, Mulayam singh, the Thackeray clan, the Gandhi boot lickers. People are one and the same everywhere. Morons.

Pinku said...

hmmm...

first of all thanks for making me taste blood. had read most of Dan Brown barring this one...now will have to get to it too.

also just a rejoinder to philips remark...we are also part of those 'people' and frequently forget to exercise our voting rights...in which case its only the choice of the 'morons' who religiously vote that gets counted.
Won't u agree?

Sidhusaaheb said...

Bush Jr. defeated Al Gore purely on account of a technicality, which may or may not have been the best way to arrive upon the results of a presidential election.

Anonymous said...

Here is a 'Book Infection' tagged today.
Nice topic for regular blog-visitors /readers like me.

Infact I was waiting for NIMAKH-2 episode of tranliteration.

Any how today's posting too, is an interesting one.

Keep it up.

Dhindsa

Gazal said...

hmmm
you have me interested now...

thanks will take up both the tag and the book !!!

Mampi said...

Liju-Agreed. Does it mean that the ordinary, uneducated, so-called backward rustic in India and an American can actually commit the same mistakes?

Pinku-You are right too. Obviously morons will elects morons like Bush Chachu.

SS-I had heard of that technicality. But isnt it such a glaring example of how dishonesty can actually overpower honesty and then sustain too?

Mama-Nimakh transliteration 2 comes before this weekend.

Gazal-I would be eagerly waiting for the tag.

Indian Home Maker said...

LOL at not letting this torture stop:) Now you have aroused my curiosity, I too better get this book fast!

Anonymous said...

Isn't that CNN debate interesting where Tench tactfully makes Sexton answer that he'll stop the NASA funding once he becomes a president and then the president's office release the NASA meteorite news. Oh I loved the book and esp the ending was wonderful and unexpected. And as expected Brown wraps it around with many facts which are way interesting to know.

Abt Presidential elections, there are way too many people who support Republicans than we think there are. This election I however hope Obama wins over McCain.

And thx for tagging me, I just have a book review on my blog, so will give some gap(may be 1 or 2 posts) before doing this Tag, hope u wont mind. :)

Ramanujam said...

The plot sounds interesting. You followed up on the quoted lines quite well. Thanks for the tag!

Mampi said...

IHM-glad you liked the music. This one is a good read sachi.

Mav-Yes, I love the way the inflated ego of Sexton falls down on the ground. ANd the role of the girl(s).
About the tag, you take your time, no problems. Just remember to do it.

Ramanujam-Waiting when you will do the tag. I ve given that to you with a purpose.

Sidhusaaheb said...

Congratulations for having found Rabbi's album at PZ! I wasn't sure if it would be available there yet.

:P

Mana said...

Interesting tag! I've read Dan's other 2 juicy books-Angels n Demons and Da Vinci Code.

You can never keep his books down until you finish reading :)

Anonymous said...

well1stly m glad u liked the book :D.........dan brown i love da guy iev read all of his 4 book n well its nt america its us as well you give a pind full of people daru n u get der votes comeon people in indian democracy arent deservin either i mean if n ias officer need to apss n xam n had to be educated.........wht fo to take order from a paanchvi fail....similarly der shud be sme grounds o rules to test a politician being worth it i mean n entrace for "NETAZ" people of shiv sena r like out der banning everything in da name of religion n uneducated people running states

in the times magazine mayawati once quoted " chammari hoon........... kuwaari hoon...tumhaari hoon" i mean hello mite as well just pik a biggest looser n make him head of state relegion plays n imp part n people who manipulate dem run da state u cnt chnge it coz india will never impower youth coz der least intreasted in pilitics all dey cre bout is cars phones dating n dis other crap dat makes dem"COOL" huh das y i say me nt voting wnt make a diff coz ill either have to pik da devil o da deep blue see or..the bad outta the worst

love ya

Mampi said...

SS-Thanks to you for introducing me to THIS album. It had to come to be embedded here. Challa is simply breathtaking.

Manasa-you are so right. I need to find 'angels and demons' now. :)

Avna-I would like you to do this tag too. Bas apni angrezi thori jehi samjhan yog likh dewin.