At 11:39 AM in the East Annex Parking Lot on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I interviewed Butch Harris, the very friendly proprietor of All-Right Catering/Jimmy Mac’s Southern Pit BBQ, in his bright yellow truck with Massachusetts commercial plate G62-907.

GENRICH: I noticed you have two company names on the side of the truck.

HARRIS: Well, All-Right Catering is the master company. Jimmy Mac’s is a trademark that goes back several years.

G: I thought it looked familiar.

H: We bought the trademark of Jimmy Mac’s, so we’re preserving the menu.

G: What do you have that’s good today?

H: Oh, everything’s good! Everything on the menu.

[Butch’s menu lists items such as pulled pork platters, rice and bean plates, short rib samplers and sides of cornbread.]

G: What would you say is your most popular item?

H: People like the pork, but Jamaican jerk chicken would be the most popular.

G: Oh good, I was planning on getting the jerk chicken. Do you think the Patriots should fire Pete Carroll?

H: Beg your pardon?

G: Do you think the Patriots should fire Pete Carroll?

H: No, no, no. I really don’t care.

G: What do you think of the fall foliage this year?

H: I’ve seen a little bit of it, but not enough to make a conclusion. I usually get further up, but I’ve been very busy. I haven’t had time to go out and really look around.

G: Could I get the one-quarter jerk chicken plate?

H: Sure thing.

[ Visit Butch at 278 Pearl Street in Malden, Massachusetts. Phone Butch at (781) 388-9398. Surf with Butch at http://www.bb-q.com]

On my way back to my office, I walked past a Boc Gases delivery truck. The driver was in the back of the truck, organizing large canisters. This presented the perfect opportunity for an

INTERVIEW WITH THE DRIVER OF
A CHEMICAL SUPPLY DELIVERY TRUCK

GENRICH: Hey! What do you have that’s good today?

DRIVER: What?

G: What are you delivering today?

D: Nitrogen.

G: That’s all liquid nitrogen, right?

D: Right.

G: Anything else in there?

D: Look, I’m really busy.

On the elevator ride up to my office, I noticed that I was sharing the car with Pattie Maes, professor at the MIT Media Lab and founder of Firefly. I would have been foolish if I had not jumped at the chance for an

INTERVIEW WITH MIT PROFESSOR PATTIE MAES

GENRICH: I’ll never finish all this. Do you want my cornbread?

MAES: No, thanks.