Brandon Dusch

September192012

My Unnatural Love For Coffee Shops

Recently I’ve been in the middle of training at my new job at this coffee shop called It’s A Grind. Once I’m done with my training, I will become the most badass barista this world has ever seen!… Yeah, no, I’ll probably just put my pants on the same as everybody else.

BUT BESIDES THAT… I could not be more excited to be working in a coffee shop. I’m one of those people who just can’t help but read way too much into everything.

To me, coffee shops are a place to relax, lay back, and enjoy everything about everything and everyone. No matter how shitty my day has been or is going to be, stopping by at a coffee shop is just soothing for me. I mean, I guess that’s what they’re there for… they’re a lounge-y type of establishment.

Now hanging at a coffee shop is one things; working at a coffee shop is another. Although I’ve only worked at my job a handful of times, it seems intimidating. You have to memorize how to make dozens of different drinks, be able to think and act fast in the morning, and still be able to look like you haven’t broken a sweat. But I think this new job is intimidating at the surface. Lots of jobs are.

Eventually, if I keep working hard, it’s going to become second nature to me. I’m going to be able to whip up ANY drink, adjust to ANY environment, and still look like nothing happened.

I also feel so, so, SO lucky I was even able to get an INTERVIEW to a coffee shop. Every other coffee shop I’ve applied to, I’ve had to bug a few times. Even THAT wouldn’t work. To be completely honest, I got the interview mostly because some of the barista recognize me as a regular customer, so they put in a good word for me. Now I still think it’s kinda unfair that in today’s world, getting ahead in life mostly depends on WHO you know rather than what you know. But if you have that ability and are able to use those resources, DON’T hesitate.

Working at a coffee will be so liberating compared to my last job, which was at a fast food restaurant. I’d like to call that period of my life “Doing time”.

November162011

“They pulled me out by the stethoscope, white coat and all as I was telling them I have a patient in there. One girl has a heart condition and wasn’t feeling well. They manhandled her and threw her on the ground.”

Occupy Wall Street medic PAUL KOSTORA, on being forced to leave Zuccotti Park by the NYPD.

The police don’t care about you and your God-damned healthcare.

(via the NY Daily News)

OK I’m going to reblog this again when there’s more people on, but I want to make this very clear:

AN ATTACK ON A CLEARLY MARKED MEDICAL FACILITY/SPACE IS A VIOLATION OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION.

NYPD HAS COMMITTED CLEARLY DEFINED WAR CRIMES AGAINST US CITIZENS.

(via accordingtosami)

(Source: inothernews, via american-slamball)

November152011

Vroom (Taken with instagram)

5PM

programmedcelldeath:

murphysbride:

fuckyeahsexeducation:

-TW: suicide-

sleepyteacup:

psychojello:

dittydiego:

thedailyfeed:

Ashlynn Conner, a pretty ‘All-American’ girl, was driven to suicide by bullies at just 10 years old.

The day before she died, Ashlynn came home in tears.

Kids had bullied Ashlynn for years, calling her a “slut,” “fat,” and “ugly,” so that day’s incident seemed relatively minor to Stacy: The girls had poked fun at Ashlynn’s initials, “A.C.,” saying it sounded like “air conditioner.”

Three different teachers at the school had told Ashlynn to “stop tattling” after she reached out for help, the girl told her mother. It was the Thursday before Veterans Day, and Stacy told Ashlynn she should go straight to the principal the following Monday if the bullying continued.

“But she didn’t want to wait until Monday,” Stacy told The Daily.

Ashlynn’s older sister found her hanging by her neck from a scarf in a bedroom closet on Friday night. She was pronounced dead before 9 p.m. at a local hospital, another inconceivably young victim of elementary school bullying.

This world…

I want to cry. According to the article, “suicide rates among 10- to 14-year-olds have skyrocketed more than 50 percent over the last three decades.”

So sad.

Ten. Fucking ten years old.

Meanwhile, a “license to bully” bill has been passed by the Michgan Senate as long as the bullying is based on “moral conviction.”

This is the culture we live in.

And it’s not going to get better unless we fight it.

I have been where this little girl was. I stepped back, I survived, I made it through. A lot of kids don’t; a lot of them can’t. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Actually if you’ll excuse me I’m just going to go and cry for a bit now because I can’t stand that this keeps happening and no one does shit but talk about how tragic it is and how oh goodness how could they not see it coming they thought it was just harmless teasing from other kids they do it all of the time who knew who knew?

fuck.

There were many times in elementary school when I was nearly at this point. It’s absolutely dreadful to hear about this happening. I absolutely hate the “no tattling” attitude that teachers always take when kids try to tell them something is wrong- just because they don’t want to deal with it. I was constantly pushed to the verge of tears by bullying in my school and was ALWAYS told not to “tattle”… BY THE ADULTS. The excuse was always “You can’t always have someone deal with your problems for you.” It’s a lesson that makes sense, but ignoring a child’s pleas for help is the WRONG way to teach it. It’s absolutely despicable.

I think it’s a lot of the reason why people react so harshly to bullying when they reach their teen years - after having it ingrained in their heads that if they tell someone, they will not receive help because they should deal with their own problems, they think that when they can’t handle it themselves, there’s nobody they can turn to.

Wow. This just scares me to death. I was also bullied a lot at this age ALONG with having to deal with problems at home. I wish I could have had the chance to talk to this girl and tell her that surviving the bullying is the sweetest revenge. I’m also enraged at the adults who turned their backs on her because they don’t like tattle tales. Fuck that. She was fucking ten years old. She didn’t deserve the torture she got from the bullies and she DEFINITELY didn’t deserve for the adults to turn the other cheek in her time of need. We need to realize that while there are kids who can take care of the bullies themselves, there are others who just can’t. We need to start helping these kids by making schools a safe environment. I believe we need more action taken against bullies because this shit is just getting way too out of hand.

(via american-slamball)

5PM

Movin’ To Cali

I haven’t made a post in a while now. But I’m not worried so much. My next Seasonal Album Review will sometime in the middle of December and I have a pretty good idea of what I’m gonna review next.

Also, I’m moving to Sacramento, California! I’m moving for family reasons and this will be, by far, the most critical change in my life so far. I’ve never gone farther west than Illinois. It’s gonna be weird to not see much snow this winter but I’m NOT complaining. Anyways, so that’s really what’s going on in my life. I’m hoping to find work very soon, and of course I’m still gunning to go to college next year. I is needs to get edumakated! Okay, bye.

November52011

Sounds Like Chbosky!

Recently I’ve been looking for the perfect music to go with the perfect book and I have my first find! Stephen Chbosky’s famous novel about “Charlie” and his adventures as a high school freshman just seem perfect with Hideaway by The Weepies.

I am ALMOST done with the book but I’m confident enough to say that these two go together like bread and butter. “Can’t Go Back Now”, “Wish I Could Forget”, and “Just Blue” are the top songs of the album. Whether or not the lyrics actually gel with the plot of Perks of Being a Wallflower, I don’t really pay attention to that.

I instead pay attention to whether or not it SOUNDS like the book; whether or not songs like these are being listened to by the characters (yes, I know that the Weepies appeared WAY after the events of Perks of Being a Wallflower).

Perhaps I will do an actually book/music review sometime soon. Stay tuned!