A Fitting Tribute

Speaking of 2012, I am sure you all recall it as the year McNeil remembered a middle-school book report he did. All he remembered of the book was, quote, "in the first 2 pages or so, the protagonist is waiting in a reception area and lifts the corner of a rug to see what company made it," unquote. So, just the other day, McNeil, not remembering that he had told me about it eleven years ago, repeated this memory in a brand new email... with fascinating additions, as you will see! (He also placed the memory in "7th or 8th grade," which was a slight change from the previous iteration.) Here's McNeil: "I don't know why it popped into my head. It was called 'The Crash of _____.' And the blank is the year, only I can't remember what the year is. I remember the cover. And I remember the opening. A man is waiting in an office for an appointment. As he waits, he notices how nice the carpet is (!). Hahaha....that sticks with me for 45 years! Always the carpet. Anyway, he flips over the corner of the rug to see who makes it so he can invest in the company." A couple of days later, McNeil comes up with the title! THE CRASH OF 2086. He also remembers the name of the class bully who mocked him for picking that book. A bully with intellectual leanings, I guess! Though I don't remember him that way. Anyway, it is so fitting that all this comes together just in time for the 17th anniversary of the "blog." That's right, it all began on September 27, 2006, what an embarrassing nightmare, let's all forget it ever happened.