Someone always leaves the New York Times on the big shared table in the coffeeshop. We get the Times here at the house, so I never bother to take it home. Usually, I fold it and put it on the window ledge and go back to the espresso machine. Usually, on the front page of the business section, I find a strange legend. First, to the left of the header, four capital letters. Today's: "MGYR." Then, to the right, inevitably circled, "sell," followed by four more letters. Today's: "MNAT."
A little bit of digging reveals that MNAT is the stock symbol for Marquette National Corporation, a Chicago area bank, and that MGYR is Magyar Bankcorp, a New Jersey bank. So some sort of financial investor, that makes sense, especially in a well-to-do neighborhood like East Hyde Park. But why is the left hand symbol always unaccompanied by "sell," and why is the right hand symbol always "sell" and never "buy?"
Maybe something else is going on here. Maybe the problem is too small of a sample size. More newspapers might reveal the answers, especially if I tack them onto a corkboard and connect overlapping symbols with red twine. Maybe I'll just notice who leaves the paper, and then ask her/him what the deal is. Maybe s/he is a secret agent, so I'll keep a mug of hot coffee on hand, just in case I need a defense/distraction. I'll pump my tires tonight, so that my bike will be ready for a fast getaway. I'll leave this record here. If you don't hear from me, remember MGYR / sell MNAT.
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This departure from reality was inspired in part by the heist comedy Sneakers (Robinson, 1992). Check it out. I'll try to have a review posted soon. The newspapers are totally real, by the way.
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