Why the basement?

There are a number of reasons, all of which are possibly true:

1. I don’t have a 17th-floor corner office.
2. It’s quiet down here.
3. I’m not really in the basement—basement is a state of mind.
4. It’s easier to keep an eye on the furnace.
5. “Basement” sounds better than “bathroom” (although “a basement” sounds shameful [say it out loud]).
6. It has something to do with Dostoevsky.

As a reward for reading this tripe, I’ll tell you the password of the secret page (the one called “Don’t look!”). It’s myshkin.