say goodbye to Mississippi's

Tucked away on a relatively desserted street a few blocks from my crib is was one of the best-kept secrets in town. Mississippi's was a quasi-cafeteria and deli-style restaurant with an open floor-plan and some of the tastiest food in town. The employees were diverse, the food was good, and the environment was quite and serene despite the bustle of the Orange Line mere feet away. A few months back, we got an email saying that a fire had destroyed the building and that rebuilding plans were in the works. Unfortunately, we got an email today saying it's a wrap. They threw up the deuces. Peace out to a hidden gem in the heart of the city. See for yourself:

Dear Friends,

With a great deal of sadness but no regrets I have made the decision not to re-open. After 30 years, it is time to hang up the pots and pans and kiss the cash register goodbye. I'd be lying if I said that I enjoyed every minute of it. The bad things people say about the restaurant business are entirely true. But I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that I have enjoyed serving you a fine meal at a fair price for as long as I possibly could. It is wonderful to be able to take raw ingredients and turn them into a finished product. Not just any product, but a product that people trust so completely that they will put it in their mouths and savor it, and then come back day after day, week after week, year after year. You did that and I am grateful that you have trusted me so completely. I couldn't have done it without you.

And I couldn't have done it without a loyal and hard working staff. No group works as hard as a restaurant staff. The pressure can be brutal, the work is constant, physically demanding, emotionally challenging and requires nothing short of complete diligence. The reward is not only money because if it were, we wouldn't have anyone to do the job; the pay isn't great. The rewards are primarily an internal sense of accomplishment and the look on the face of a satisfied diner. And yet those workers are frequently overlooked, or worse yet, mistreated by the public. Don't misunderstand me, the thank yous come, but never when the kitchen is overwhelmed, the servers are shorthanded or management is caught off-guard, in other words when the thanks are needed most. The readers of this letter are a notable exception. You are the people who supported Mississippi's even when we let
you down.

I began restaurant work in 1976. I bought Mississippi's in 1981. We moved from Kenmore Square where we were a late hippie hangout to Brigham Circle where we became a Longwood Medical Area catering phenom and finally to Roxbury Crossing where we fit in like a member of the family. It was a sweet progression and our last stop, the facility on Terrace Street is without a doubt the finest place I have ever worked, the most comfortable environment and I like to think that it was one of the many places that make Boston a fine place to live. I have never been in a restaurant whose clientele was so well integrated, racially, ethnically, culturally, economically and professionally. Everyone felt at home at Mississippi's and that was very gratifying. Being the owner of such a place was not my initial intent, it was accidental, but it was a great privilege to be able to treat everyone who came in here with respect. It is true that you get what you give. At 103 Terrace St. I got that respect back in bundles. I am going to miss you and all of my customers dearly.

Mississippi's Restaurant has given me much hope for the future and the opportunity to see how well a multicultural society can work. In its aftermath, I am moving on to a new career. So far, I'm not sure where. My lifelong passions have been reading, writing and editing and many moons ago I graduated from UMass with very high honors and an English degree. I hope that I can use that passion and expertise to contribute to a worthwhile cause among a group of like minded people. If you know of an organization where my skill might be useful, please don't hesitate to call.

I look forward to seeing many of you again, but some of you I might never see again. If you know people who aren't on my mailing list but ought to be, please forward this letter to him or her. To all, thank you, thank you and may God bless you.

Love,
Jim

P.S. I have been referring former clients to other caterers who can meet their needs. If you are looking for a caterer, let me know and I'll put you in contact.

Now wasn't that some of most pure and rawest emotion put to words? Make your vocation your vacation and voila!

Microsoft's Incubation Week for start-ups

Straight from Don Dodge's site:

Microsoft is organizing several “Incubation Week” programs to help start-ups incubate and develop outstanding ideas. The event will feature technical gurus from Microsoft, technology veterans who have built their own applications, and influential venture capitalists and industry experts. Microsoft developers will lead interactive discussions, provide helpful advice, and facilitate actual application development on site. At the end of the week, they’ll select a winner who will be eligible for prizes and special PR opportunities.

The event is free and each team can bring up to three participants (one business and 1-2 technical). All start-ups are eligible, whether or not you have an application built today.

CRM Incubation Week will be held at Microsoft Technology Center in Waltham, MA from Monday, April 20th to Friday, April 24th. This event consists of ½ day of training, 3 ½ days of active prototype/development time, and a final day for packaging/finishing and reporting out to a panel of judges for various prizes.

To nominate your team, please submit your development proposal to Sanjay Jain. Nominations will be judged according to the strength of the founding team, originality and creativity of the idea, and ability to leverage CRM as a Platform.

all chiefs, no indians

I am beginning to wonder if that idiom wasn't meant for the upcoming at-large city council race. Although it isn't quite time yet for candidates who plan to run for district seats to formally announce yet, there just seems to be an excessive number of folks running for an at-large bid. Presumably, the two incumbent at-large city councilors (John Connolly and Stephen Murphy) are going to run for re-election. Nevertheless, we're talking about 4 seats. It's going to be a free-for-all among those two and Felix Arroyo, Jr, Jean-Claude Sanon, Andrew Kenneally, Doug Bennett, Marty Hogan, Ayanna Pressley, Scotland Willis, Tomas Gonzalez, Peter Lin-Marcus, and Ego Ezedi. 

For one thing, it will mark an unprecedented slew of candidates of color embarking on the journey of public service. And I highly doubt that the interest has subsided. As a matter of fact, I know for a fact of at least two others who will be jumping headfirst into the foray in the weeks to come. Plus, I would not be surprised if Ed Flynn and Patricia White threw their hats into the race yet again. Back in 2007, there were 8 candidates vying for the four slots. This time, there may be a good dozen of 'em in the primary. And this isn't even bringing the district races into consideration. Commonwealth Magazine lamented the lack of contested races in Massachusetts. Maybe this could be a sign of the future. Who knows? But I know not to hedge my bets. So let's just suffice it to say that the spring and summer of 209 will definitely be an interesting milestone in Boston's history.

Millions of Children Left Behind

I'll be the first to readily admit that I have quickly become a fan - groupie even- of Sir Ken Robinson. The man is ill.

In a very intriguing article for the Huffington Post, he continues to spell out some very formidable suggestion for what we must do to drastically change the face of education as we know it in order to achieve sustainability and greater gains.

The ideas he offers aren't really that far-fetched actually. They are more matter-of-factly than anything, yet the beauty is in their simplicity and the mammoth complexity with which everything would have to change in order to see such change come to fruition.

"The present system was designed for 19th century industrialism and it's overheating in a dangerous way. Reforming education isn't enough. The real task is transformation."

Just yesterday, I went to the Young, Gifted, & Black show and enjoyed it just like I have the previous ones I've attended. Some of the artists I have seen grow up over the last 3-4 years into very well-rounded performers (and adults as well). Their words continually challenge me to perfect my diction, be on top of my wordplay game, and confront the skeletal stories that beg to be told. These poets are my spiritual mentors who speak to me through stanzas and prose unlike what any normal slang is supposed to sound, taste, smell, and feel like. And in that same vein, it is their creative will and genius that has to rise to the surface in order for the status quo to continually get challenged.

"...the current systems of public education were never designed to develop everyone's talents. They were intended to promote certain types of ability in the interests of the industrial economies they served."

One sister quipped: "but these standardized tests are not made to consider students who do not have multiple choices." Moving beyond acronyms, standards, and pedagogy are merely first steps. If not for the children (seeds), who will purify the water we pollute to water them? How do you think innovation can rise to the surface?