CHAPTER 11
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement. When the conspiracy was discovered and investigated by the US Congress, the Nixon administration's resistance to its probes led to a constitutional crisis. The term Watergate has come to encompass an array of clandestine and often illegal activities undertaken by members of the Nixon administration. Those activities included "dirty tricks" such as bugging the offices of political opponents and people of whom Nixon or his officials were suspicious. Nixon and his close aides ordered harassment of activist groups and political figures, using the FBI, CIA, and the Internal Revenue Service. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, articles of impeachment, and the resignation of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, on August 9, 1974"the only resignation of a U.S. president to date. The scandal also resulted in the indictment, trial, conviction, and incarceration of 43 people, dozens of whom were Nixon's top administration officials.
The big moment for me was making 'All the President's Men'. It was not about Watergate or President Nixon. I wanted to focus on something I thought not many people knew about: How do journalists get the story?---------------------Robert Redford
Today,everything is news and everything is about ad revenues.You go to the web-site of yahoo,to check your mail and you are bombarded with news about a dog who was abandoned in chicago,a woman who found a snake in her tub,a man who returned someone's purse,a cop who beat a colored person.Numb,yes the word numb is how we describe ourselves for all this info assaulting your senses every second leaves you drained of empathy and sympathy.Money,stocks and shares in the black and bullish is what seems to largely govern every aspect of our life.News channels have their reporters scream at their top of their lungs in a bid to be heard and in a bid to drown out the other voices.why,simply because the more popular the channel becomes the more ad revenue it generates.
ALL SENSES ALERT
Chandru sat patiently and quietly observing the comings and going of people and wondered how different everyone were and yet how alike.Though he presented the soft spoken and easy going exterior,chandru was all iron and steel and behind those easy and loving eyes lay a powerful and a constantly thinking, brooding brain.A smile played on his lips and he sighed loudly for his thoughts had strayed to the face of priya and chandru knew that he would have to tell her how much he was in love with her and in is heart he knew she too nursed feeling for him.The thought of priya alerted him to the assignment she was working on and he knew that although capable she was still a bit of amateur when it came to tackling stories of this nature.chandru speed dailled her number "Hi priya,how are you doing?.Priya "i am okay.are you at the airport?". chandru said "yes, but listen, there is something important i need to discuss with you and it is about the story you are following." priya said"okay.i am listening".chandru said"dont.dont follow the story on your own and not until i come back and we work out a strategy."priya felt let down and irritated and yet this was her boss talking and she had to listen and follow his orders.chandru could imagine what was going on in her mind said "i know,i am sorry but i feel this is a bit too heavy and unknown territory for you.But most importantly i am worried and i dont want anything to happen to you or i dont want you to get into any trouble for that would really break my heart."
The words had come out of chandru before he even realised it and there was an ominous silence on the other side.Chandru slowly whispered "priya".priya said"well,finally,at last."chandru"i wanted to tell you and i have been meaning to for quite some time,but just was not sure if you felt the same way.I thought of a quiet dinner and a walk on the beach where i would propose to you,but here i am in delhi and you in chennai and this could be one of the most important time in my life,our lives.Priya " well,i am free for dinner and am definitely free for a walk on the beach and maybe we can even forget dinner." chandru chuckled and said "done,see you at the office by 8.00 p.m."
Her thoughts about chandru and the telephone conversation she had just had put priya in a mood that she had never felt before.But her highs were gently but loudly disturbed by the lyrics
"mazhai varuthu mazhai varuthu,kudai kondu vaa,
maane un maarapulay
veyil varudhu,veyil varudhu,nizhal kondu vaa
maane un peranbiley" and looking up she saw dhandapani,her editor leaning against her cabin door.Priya raised her eyebrows and her hands and said "ithu eppo".dhandapani shrugged and said" well,my hitler wife deleted my favourite song so i thought i will kill her with my next favourite song and if she deletes this than i have hundreds more.you know priya,raga devan has used the raga bhageshri for composing this song.aha,aha,bale.If only he had been born in europe a fe hundred years back,the world would have been talking about him rather than bach,mozart or beethoven.But you know what,he might have been mozart in his previous life."priya shook her head and placed it in her hands in total defeat.dhandapani sat down facing her and looking at her said"there is something different about you.a glow or as if a pair of wings that have magically sprouted om your shoulders.wait,wait you are in love and the man knows it,come on,come on dont lie and give me all the juicy news."priya looked around as if searching to find something to throw at dhandapani who put his hands in surrender and said ok,ok i will leave you in peace and in your dreams.But then he bowed in a comical fashion as if he was on stage and faced priya with one hand on his hip and one on his chest and launched with his baritone voice
'How does Love speak?
In the faint flush upon the telltale cheek,
And in the pallor that succeeds it; by
The quivering lid of an averted eye
The smile that proves the parent to a sigh
Thus doth Love speak.'
Totally embarrassed priya in desperation threw the pen she had at him and laughingly he ducked ,turned and dashed against the office staff lady rukku who was in charge of cleaning and maintanence of their floor.Dhandapani said sorry,sorry.but rukku looked at him and said "what sorry?.please behave.whenever i come to pick up garbage in your cabin,you keep playing superstars "kadhalindeepam ondru".i hope you know i am married and my husband is the security chief for our office" and left giving him a stern look.dhandapani looked at priya sadly and desperately and both broke into loud laughter.they laughed and laughed but little did they know that soon,very soon,they would all be crying and the bad and evil times would descend upon their offices.
"Good times are a reminder and a reward for dealing with the difficult and challenging times we all go through. The trick is to celebrate the good times in advance of the difficult times. Always remember, good times await you after the difficult times pass..." James A. Murphy
Edited by s.satishkumar - 11 years ago
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