Old Blog Posts

c.r.e.a.m.

Posted on by krisirisi

published today, but written last night

i said this wouldn’t be a daily account of my life. good thing i’m editor and chief because this post is based on something that happened to me today.

sooooo… this morning i went into work late. i had to wait on the super to turn the gas on and light the pilot in the stove. this was an extreme inconvenience for a sleepy grouchy krisirisi, but it did give me a chance to check a few things online (well, check the stats of the blog really), blend a dime size amount of foundation and apply some mascara before leaving. i planned to get drinks after work with a friend. a little makeup would complement my freshly washed, but not quite styled, hair.

my office is in a rather highly trafficked area. to get to the elevator you have to wade through lots of people. i do this swiftly and with great precision as many of these people are slow poke tourists or au pairs stuck with snotty nosed toddlers that can barely walk, and i am an impatient “new yorker”.

i passed a man wearing blue construction worker clothes. he had a hospital mask around his neck, but not covering his mouth. as he passed me he said “good morning beautiful”, or something to that effect. i was caught off guard, resulting in a smile. i looked back and he said something else. then i heard him say “you got 15?”. at this point i probably should have done what i usually do – ignore. but i looked back again with hesitation and that was all the invitation he needed.

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observed

Posted on by krisirisi
New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) 3/2/65
dr. king would have been 81 this past friday, but we celebrate his life today.

the holiday in his name is one that is celebrated differently by different people. some do service, some go skiing, some go hunting…

i like to listen to his “i have a dream” speech and stevie’s rendition of “happy birthday” at least once as i reflect on how far we’ve come, how far we’ve left go and  my role in continuing the dream.

now or later?

Posted on by krisirisi

nestle waters reported over $500 million (USD) in earnings (before interest and taxes) in 2008. they made over $9 billion (USD) in sales. sales from the u.s. and canada made up almost half (48%) of that. parent company, nestle, made well over $15 billion (USD) in net earning and $107 billion (USD) in sales. nestle is a swiss company, hence the clarification that dollar amounts have been converted to US dollars. currency amounts mentioned hereafter refer to our regular ol’ washingtons and benjanins.

nestle waters north america has donated $1 million in bottled water to relief efforts in haiti. now, is that a million $1 bottles at a cart stand in new york? because that would be 1 million bottles. or, would it be a million dollars worth of $5 yankee stadium water bottles? because that would be 200,000 bottles. or, are they donating the number of bottles equal to $1 million in production costs, which i’m assuming is cents on the dollar. they are expected to have a 13.2% profit margin in 2010.

Continue reading now or later?

damn near 30

Posted on by krisirisi

the following note was originally posted on facebook in february 09. i figured it was time to revisit as i announce 30 weekends before 30! shout out to the 80’s babies hitting the mark this year and ’81 babies that snuck into school with us.


my mother likes to say to me “you’re damn near 30”. well, maybe she’s only said it a few times, but just hearing her say it is funny. and the fact that she used the word “damn” in a conversation with me is evidence that… dammit i am damn near 30.

but that’s ok. here are somethings that make me happy about almost reaching the milestone birthday.

1. after a late night i can come home and eat. fast food isn’t my only option. as long as i’ve made a recent trip to the store i’ll have leftovers… or i can whip something up rather quickly.

2. i can come home to solitude (fortunately or unfortunately) and sleep in my own comfy bed. thanks but no thanks for the offer to crash on somebody else’s couch or futon after a late night. i’ll catch a cab to the crib.

Continue reading damn near 30

haiti

Posted on by krisirisi

it amazes me when people don’t see the blessing in education. through education we have science and engineering. we understand why things happen and how to make them better. we understand that infrastructure is key.

if the united states had an interest in a stable nation in haiti, it would be stable. just as if the united states had had an interest in a sustainable lower 9th ward, it would have been.

so, tonight we sit and watch the news. sad and frustrated just as we were in 2005. reminded that when tragedy strikes it seems to bring out the best and then the worst in people. and after a tumultuous 2009, 2010 starts with a devastating natural disaster that will undoubtedly have political repercussions in the u.s. and across the globe.

Continue reading haiti