like a ruse , a tactic to cover up the fact that the picture is constructed around a core of flimsy -- or , worse yet , nonexistent -- ideas 
(ROOT (PP (IN like) (NP (NP (DT a) (NN ruse)) (, ,) (NP (NP (DT a) (NN tactic)) (SBAR (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB cover) (PRT (RP up)) (NP (DT the) (NN fact) (SBAR (IN that) (S (NP (DT the) (NN picture)) (VP (VBZ is) (VP (VBN constructed) (PP (IN around) (NP (NP (DT a) (NN core)) (PP (IN of) (NP (ADJP (ADJP (JJ flimsy)) (, --) (CC or) (, ,) (ADVP (JJR worse) (RB yet)) (, ,) (ADJP (JJ nonexistent)) (, --)) (NNS ideas))))))))))))))))))
(ROOT (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (DT ) (NN )) (, ) (NP (NP (DT ) (NN )) (SBAR (S (VP (TO ) (VP (VB ) (PRT (RP )) (NP (DT ) (NN ) (SBAR (IN ) (S (NP (DT ) (NN )) (VP (VBZ ) (VP (VBN ) (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (DT ) (NN )) (PP (IN ) (NP (ADJP (ADJP (JJ )) (, ) (CC ) (, ) (ADVP (JJR ) (RB )) (, ) (ADJP (JJ )) (, )) (NNS ))))))))))))))))))