matthewgruman.com

As I was walking into the elevator today, I motioned for this older man (late 70s, early 80s) and his grandson to go ahead of me. As I got on and went to push my floor’s button, the old man started talking to me – I took out my earphones:

Old Man: “Pretty soon technology will let me just think about it and I’ll know exactly what race you are and be able to talk in your language.”

I’m white to the point that it looks like I’ve drawn on my chest when I wear my white with blue stripes polo.

Me: “Oh yeah, no doubt.”

Ding! His floor; excellent.

Him: “You know, even back in 1934 we were talking about this kind of thing. We’ll even be able to just talk to the elevators.”

Me: “I give it about five years before we’ll got all that sorted out. Have a nice day!”

The best thing about the situation is that his grandson was asian, and he was white, so I can’t imagine that the comment was racially motivated. No, it was just incredibly weird and he wanted to talk to me. I’m a beacon for people like that.

Davey Dance Blog – 28 – NYC MTA – The Sunshine Underground – from Pheasant Plucker and Vimeo.

uncover from blackinkjar and Vimeo.

The logic behind making needles easy to obtain is that the more people share syringes, the more likely they are to contract HIV and other blood-borne diseases.

The problem is getting back the needles from users once they take off to cloud nine.
[...]
“We need to come up with a better system,” Mirkarimi said.

Via – sfgate.com.

Safe injection sites? Needle exchanges?

It seems pretty obvious that people using intravenous drugs might not have the ability to consider safe disposal of their needles – especially right after they’ve used them.

- Via Aww, robot.

A celebration of the black history of a former town in Halifax was marred by the discovery of racist graffiti throughout the park hosting the event.

As former residents of Africville and their descendants set up tents and trailers in Seaview Park for the annual event, they discovered at least five picnic benches with disturbing messages scrawled across them.

“Seaview park belongs to Whites,” one read, while another said, “Kill all black children.”

- Via cbc.ca.

Comments from People I Don’t Know

• “Dear Matthew, Good-luck next year wherever you go, and with Erin. Have a great summer.” – Jem
• “Hey, I don’t know much about you but you are a friend because you guitar. Later,” – Justin
• “Good luck in all future endeavours.” – Elise
• “Matthew, Good luck in the future & may you have a good life.” – J Raymond
• “Matthew, It was fun hitting you off the head! Come visit next year! Chow!” – Amanda
• “Dear Matthew, Hey what’s up? I hope you have a great summer. Love,” – Tiffany
• “Hello, you might not remember me but Have a good year!” – Kristina
• “Dear Matthew, Hey wuz up? I know you don’t know me a lot but I wish you all the best in the future. Congratulations for graduating from” – Tessa
• “To Matthew, Hope you have fun on your GRAD night. See you in the future somewhere,” – Anne
• “Matthew, Best of luck for the future.” – Dave
• “Dear Matthew, I hope you had a good year, and many more to come. Have a good summer and good luck in the future.” – Julia (then she drew a flower -mg)

Comment from Teachers

• “Matthew, It’s been a pleasure teaching you” – Illegible (I assume it’s a teacher -mg)
• “Get a bladder check. Sub, ” – Kent (I used to “go to the bathroom” at the beginning of his class and return about 45 minutes later -mg)
• “J’ai beaucoup aim? nos ‘tr?s longues conversations???’ Bonnes Vacances,” – J Brabant (I can’t remember her class – I assume it was French -mg)
• “Dear Matthew, I’m sure we’ll be hearing about you in the future. Best wishes. Follow your dreams.” – Judy (Vice-Principal -mg)
• “I’ve appreciated your quietness among the cacophony of those around you.” – J Brown
• “Matthew, we must somehow have a jam session at some point in the future. Best of luck! John Gotti” – R Pomalio (I never had him as a teacher, but my friend and I thought he looked like John Gotti so we started talking to him one day. -mg)

Comments that made me Laugh

• “Dear Matthew, We’re out of here…finally! Aren’t you so happy? I guess we’ll never have French class again together, what a shame. I don’t want this to sound like clich? bullshit, because I’ve tried so hard to street away from it, but I guess it’s no good. Do great in anything you do and be something, or I’ll kick your ass. Have a great life and a great summer. Hope to see you in the future. P.S. Would you please play Beautiful People already!!!! Love,” – Dina (She wasn’t going to stop writing until I played Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People” which I, obviously, didn’t want to. -mg)
• “Hello Simon, is goodey, goodey! I don’t know what to write so I will just write whatever comes to mind. Here are one of my songs. Inspirations, constipation, electrification, identification. You like it? So anyway, I will have ice cream this summer, chocolate cone… Ugh, yes! Oh, yes! Yeeessss! Is this letter long enough? Do you remember the spit corner! That was funny…hehehehe… Ok so anyway I will stop writing now, so I will end this letter like most other people. Have a great summer and good luck in your future endeavours (I used a big word, I’m not sure the spelling…hehehe!) Bye! I am a stickman.” – Eric
• “Good luck to you & be good. All the best,” – Carole (cafeteria) (the hot cafeteria lady my friend had a crush on -mg)
• “Hello Matthi, Enjoy your summer,” – George (AKA GOD)
• “Yo Matthew, You’re cool. Come to y-group again. Don’t eat road kill. Good-luck 4 next year. Love,” – Diana
• “Matthew, even though we won’t ever really get along, it’s the end of the year and things tend to become (illegible) so I will try my best to piss you off. See you Gurumuman (what? – mg) in the future, Good luck!” – Giovanni
• “Hey Matthew, We’ve for the same name. Heh! Heh! Heh! Oh well. God luck in the future.” – Matthew (Different last name)
• Well hey Veggie-head! I’m going home in a LEATHER jacet and eating a big STEAK! Well, schools over. Hoping you have a real blast whatever it is you plan on doing with yourself. Hold onto Erin man. You two’ll be good together. You’ve been a great friend man. Be seein’ ya. P.S. I re-signed all my drawings. Who knows, they may be worth something someday!” – Mike
• “Dear Matthew, I’ve know you for a while but never really ‘got to know you’! You were always a great guy! Keep playing guitar! Love ya! P.S. – Have lots of sex. K.I.T. (phone number)” – Psycho (AKA Jenny Nitsos)
• “Dear Veggie boy. EAT MEAT FOR CHRISTS SAKE! You are the only vegetarian I ever knew. See you soon,” – Jonathan (even funnier because this is the ONLY one on my last page which WAS being kept open for my high school girlfriend who never ended up signing it. -mg)
• “Hey Matthew, Sorry I’m illiterate. O.K. enough with the corny jokes. I would like to say that it was fun knowing you and I hope to see you in the future. PS: I want my Neil Young CD” – David

Comments that Confused Me

• “Dear Matthew, It’s finally over, sorry about that yearbook thing. Well what can I say, its been a blast just wait till grad, see ya in Vanier” – Illegible

Update

• My year book was missing for a few hours – people I didn’t know signed it.
• My grad class only had 40 people. How were there people I didn’t know?
• I never gave back David’s Neil Young CD. It was actually his mother’s.
• I had less faith in my high school relationship than my friends.
• The people who liked me the most end up on drugs and/or stripping.
• Grad was terrible. My date’s father insisted on chauffeuring us around, the dinner hall kicked us out BEFORE the dancing started, and the night ended in my date’s basement watching “Good Will Hunting” with her Dad. I fell asleep during the climax and still don’t know what happened.
• I think I was the only vegetarian.

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

- Unknown

- Via boardofwisdom.com.

- Via my good friend Dany Gehshan.