Continuing the meme...

Simon tags me with the current meme. Here's the instructions:

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Like Simon, most of my books were equidistant from me, in a series of bookshelves built into one wall of my living room, so I had the luxury of picking one I thought would be interesting. I grabbed The Last Hayride, by John Maginnis. It's about the early career, and corruption, of the former governor of Louisiana (and current inhabitant of, er, government housing), Edwin Edwards. The author is an acquaintance of mine, and my copy is autographed: "To [Pat], Good luck on the next hayride. Politically yours, John Maginnis."

Page 123 lands us in the midst of a discourse about political campaigns in New Orleans, discussing the importance of a local political bar called Bud Rip's, owned by a character named Bud Rippol, a staunch conservative Republican. Here's sentences 6 through 8, quoting Bud discussing his own campaign for state representative.

And we have a letter goin' out to all da ladies in da district. Da women likes to see da wife campaignin'. Dookie goes out and knocks on doors wit' me.

The rest of the dialogue is rather amusing; wish the rules let me post more! I will say that Mr. Rippol's campaign slogan was: "This Bud's for you!"

Fortunately, I've been blessed with many blog-friends, so I can find 5 people to tag even though many of the bloggers I know have already been tagged by Sideways Mencken and Annie. I'll tag Theobromophile at Helvidius, a Pachyderm, friend Sippican, just because I'm curious what sort of books the man has in his house, Rich Horton at Iconoic Midwest, Sean Aqui at Midtopia, and Justin Gardner at Donklephant, though I don't know if he does these memes or not.