Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in nhs_boy's LiveJournal:

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Monday, May 28th, 2007
5:02 pm	Wow. My account still exists. Funky. Notification: I am still alive! I am doing quite well at the moment, although 'twould perhaps have been better if I'd managed to do so five years ago. I am currently in exams, but I am crushing them, seeing their questions driven before me, and hearing the lamentations of their marks. So that is good. I am a colossal sonofabitch for becoming a Social Myth lately. However; Summer is coming, and hopefully some spare time is coming with it! Hell, I might even get around to updating this thing with meaningful information more often. Stranger things have happened. Albeit rarely. Oh yeah, I've decided that my ThemeTune is now 'Ring the Bells' by James. Current Mood: ready Current Music: Darude - 'Sandstorm' (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 6th, 2006
4:07 pm	Like the monkey... My travelpass has arrived today! Woo! It is a good three weeks early, which is awesome - I now have the Freedom Of The Rails once again! Now, as soon as I get out of my hideous five-and-a-half-day-a-week job, A Traveller Is Me! That is all. Current Mood: happy Current Music: PetShop Boys - 'Being Boring' (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, August 26th, 2006
2:14 pm	On the buses... (or not) There are those who travel on buses, and they make up a great majority of this country's population. There are those who, on becoming acquainted with the bus-drivers, pay less than full fare at times, and these are a minority, but not extremely so. There are those who are granted travel free of charge, due to their general friendly demeanour and awesomeness, and these are few. I put it to you, ladies and gentlemen, that I am a stage beyond all of these categories. Imagine, if you will, someone whose silver tongue motivates a bus driver to *stop his car* on his way back from a shift, simply in order to provide me with a lift home. *Damn* I'm good. In other news, university in under a month! Woo! Current Mood: amused Current Music: Pink Floyd - 'The Wall' (Album) (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 25th, 2006
1:09 pm	University Decision For the upcoming academic year, I will be attending Nottingham University. This is all the detail I am going to provide on a public post. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 6th, 2006
2:14 pm	Complications! No-one likes complications! I have many things to post, but I need to rush off to work, so I'll treat you to them later. For now, the most important one is: My upcoming University venue for the next three years is uncertain once again! My decision on universities was made really easy by Nottingham saying no to me, leaving me with an unconditional offer from Kings. Now Nottingham have said 'Well, actually... Maybe'. Tricky. I should be finding out soon, and then I'll have that decision to actually *make* this time, but: Declarations of my return to London may - or may not - have been premature... Interesting Times. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 14th, 2006
3:35 pm	Well, I _think_ it was meant as a compliment... A couple of ex-army types were guzzling a few post-golf drinks in the bar at my current place of work. Since there were few customers, we got to chatting, and by the end of it they appeared to be both in agreement and very definite that I seemed to be an officer by my manner. Hmm. Well, like I said, I guess I can take it as a compliment, but I'd personally rather not be regarded as an upmarket professional killer-for-his-country... :-S Current Mood: Puzzled Current Music: Oasis - 'Stand By Me' (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 12th, 2006
9:30 pm	Argh! Suspense! Life likes keeping me on edge, it seems... As of today, UCL have turned me down (and called me to say that they'd "be very happy to have me next year, should I care to apply before they give all their places away, and had I considered a gap year?" I assured them that I'd had half of a gap-decade :-). Kings have replied, saying that they'd love to have me - but the course at Kings isn't _strictly_ biology - they don't do that any more, clearly too difficult. I now await Nottingham's reply, although I'd give it a 60% chance of being positive, and then I will have an interesting choice... Nottingham: Cheap, correct degree, good reputation, grim Midlands city. Kings: Expensive, not-quite-right degree, acceptable reputation, LONDON. It's a tricky one :-/. Well, there's a slim chance that an unexpected decision from Nottingham could make my mind up for me, so I shall avoid agonising too much before I hear from them... Current Mood: Uncertain Current Music: Divine Comedy - 'Too Young To Die' (5 Comments |Comment on this)
1:47 pm	Stay off the streets tonight... The amazing Jake has passed his driving test! (yeah, I know, hardly unique :-) ) As it turned out, third time was indeed lucky! As long as I'm confined to the provinces, I might as well learn their ways, in an attempt to blend in. Just one of those ways is to voluntarily climb into an explosive-filled metal cage and then proceed to destroy the environment one mile at a time. Still, looking at the environment around here (grey), I can't say as I blame them too much... Current Mood: accomplished Current Music: Greenday - 'Jesus of Suburbia' (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 29th, 2006
3:06 pm	Less badness than one might imagine. Well, this has been a week of unpleasantness that never quite came to pass, which is always nice. The Nightmare Shift-Arrangement From Hell never happened, as someone with a little more sense than either of the rota organisers chanced upon the assignment sheet and had a bit of a worry. 11-hour workday? Fine. 19-hour workday? Not so fine. The Case of the Missing Reference has been solved, with Dr. Archer providing a brief but pleasant academic reference in support of my UCAS application. Perhaps it was me giving his contact details to the universities that I'd applied to that did it? Well, we'll never know. The reference was fine and has hopefully been submitted in time, so that's not a worry. I should know in a day or two about that, anyway. Certainly, Nottingham University seems rather eager to have me, at least, so it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe. Perhaps. We'll see. As I've said before, even if I end up in a university outside London, I'll be a Filthy Student(tm) again with all the Filthy Free Rail Travel that such an occupation entails for someone of my ancestry. So I might come and see you good good people in London a bit more often. Stranger things have happened... :-) Current Mood: pleased Current Music: Gary Newman - 'Cars' (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 24th, 2006
3:24 pm	Clang! (19 hours) The title to this entry is my answer to the question: "What is the sound of two immovable idiots' contradictory world-views colliding?" My workplace, she crazy! Due to the fact that my place of employment has taken the amazingly wise step of having _two_ active staff rotas, and _two_ people in charge of the same rotas, this weekend looks set to be 'interesting' for me. And, by interesting, I mean... Saturday: Work from 1500 until 2330, get home for 2415, asleep by 2445. Sunday: Get up at 0600 to be in work for 0700. Work until 1500, finish one shift, then immediately start on another. Work until 0145. Sleep (whether home or not, I suspect), almost immediately. One would have thought that, if high standards of service were required, it wouldn't be a good idea to ensure that your staff have five hours of sleep followed by nineteen hours of work... But then, I'm no businessman. Time to look for another employer, methinks. One that isn't FUCKED IN THE HEAD! Current Mood: amused Current Music: 'Down In The Park' - Foo Fighters (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 19th, 2006
11:55 am	Matters Educational Hmm. Interesting times. It seems that, despite his protestations of helpfulness, Dr Simon Archer (my tutor at Imperial) has not been forthcoming with an academic reference. I can only assume forgetfulness or the like on his part, since I can't imagine him directing any particular malice my way... However, it places me firmly in 'interesting times' regarding my possible return to university at the end of this year. Essentially, a place at UCL is out of the question, but a place at Nottingham university remains possible... depending upon whether they are willing to take me sans-reference. Let's hope that they are dazzled by my A-level results, hey? It's a curious thing: Should I succeed in returning to university this year I will fail in my aim of returning to London, and vice versa. Interesting. Of course, should I become a student once more then my free rail travel will kick in again and London will just be an hour and a half away, which wouldn't be so bad. Eh, interesting times. Current Mood: irritated Current Music: Cornershop - 'Brimful of Asha' (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 15th, 2006
1:14 am	Stolen from Shuri... Memeage! "Pick ten people on your friends list, and write down what you think of them / what you want to say to them. No discussion will be entered into, although the comments will be read." ( Read more... ) Current Mood: amused Current Music: Carla Bruni - 'Those Little Things' (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006
8:11 am	Positivity, etc. A LiveJournal entry without content? Shocking! ...aaaanway, yes. Nothing particularly new has happened in my life. The bar job is quite pleasant, and even odd-timed shifts cannot damp the general positive mood that I have at the moment. My body has (*finally*) settled down after last Summer's surgery, and is back within Normal Operational Parameters. My mind has done the same (although, 'normal' is a relative term where that is concerned...) I still have the vague ache/desire to be in a pleasant relationship, but that's not too serious - the standard 'singleton's lament', I guess! I am employed, which is good. Being totally non-productive really gets to me. So, overall, things are quite pleasant. Certainly, my workplace is helping - a constant 360-view of exquisitely landscaped countryside is a good backdrop to paint with thoughts, and the sky is pleasantly empty by night. Even with the staff, one finds that a facade of welcome and civility becomes the real thing if held up for long enough... For the moment, content. I will wait a few months before contemplating what little use I am making of these passing years :-). Current Mood: content (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 19th, 2006
11:46 pm	Events. Just finished my first shift at my new employment today. CoolStuff! Friendly cow-orkers, pleasant surroundings. I'm sure I'll find plenty of things to complain about in due course, but right now I'm in the 'honeymoon period'... Ah, I've been without purpose for so long, I'd almost forgotten what it felt like! In any case, the sudden upswing in mood has triggered a 'Jake-feeling-hyperconfident' mood, which should be classified as a localised potential natural disaster :-). I feel such that, were I to punch out fast enough, I could shatter this thin, painted-on-glass world around me and be sucked through the splintering, widening gap into... *somewhere*, shrieking defiance. Somewhere _else_, anyway! :-D It strikes me that this feeling is similar to the one I have when SuperDepressed, except for my impression about the nature of the other side... Well, right now I'm confident, and so right now it contains adventure. And quite possibly things to kill and stuff to take! Time to practice punching motions... :-D Current Mood: energetic Current Music: Floggin Molly - 'May the Living be Dead in our Wake' (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, April 16th, 2006
1:12 pm	Another poem that sounds best with a hostile / bitter delivery. Lots of paired sibilants and stacked hard consonants, which are always nice if the reader has the right tempo. *** Cream-wood spartan rooms belying strapped crap cheap old student youth. Snobbery at burberry, whining 'That's not what we used to do!' Two-cars three-beds one back-yard nicely done, though you'll say 'Not in mine!' An avalanche of litter thrown-in payback from long-past old times. Useless youth the towns all-filling. Suburban old in strident whine. As was and is and will be yet, from now until the end of time. Current Mood: Neutral Current Music: Some Techno version of 'Canon in D minor' (Comment on this)
Friday, April 14th, 2006
3:34 pm	Entertainment. You must read these now: http://cheston.com/pbf/archive.html That will be all. Current Mood: amused (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, April 10th, 2006
1:53 pm	Double-Plus Good! After what feels like an eternity of doing nothing, letting the days fall through me, I have found employment! Not amazingly classy employment, mark you, but employment nonetheless - bar / conferencing work at a local hotel / bar / banqueting centre / golf course. I will most likely carry on looking for more lucrative employment, but at least this means I'm no longer just sitting there and letting the days fall through me... Amusement: Most places hear of my thug-4-life credentials and refuse to even offer me an interview. The gentleman who administers this (fairly classy) countryside retreat said: "A knife? Nah, they're no good. What you want is to take a pair of graduated golf tees with you in your pocket: They look all innocent, but slot into your fist like knuckledusters!" ...so no problems there, then :-). Current Mood: relieved Current Music: Robbie Williams - 'King of Bloke and Bird' (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006
3:44 am	Nowhere near new, and not my own work, but I like it... (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, March 4th, 2006
11:10 pm	So, I find this file on my desktop titled "Truly Random 080106"... ...It was hidden in a cluster of semi-useful text files. It's clearly my style, but I really can't remember writing the damn thing! Ah, alcohol. You truly hide a multitude of sins. Clearly my less-frequent drinking up here in Derby means that my weirdness must try to press through all the more in those periods which I do spend ratarsed! Anyway, it looked quite entertaining, so I thought I'd C/P it to livejournal. Aren't I liberal with your friend-page-space, eh? :-D *** Man's home is his castle, and prison and place of reflection internal/external truth. cars (freudian) slumber in drives pleasure at smoothly penetrating (waiting) traffic stream (eager) not all honest Archetypist required, pays standard wage. Hollow sky Lightning down Rolling, lazy spears of water Looking down a concrete canyon (The feel of warmer-than-expected spray in the humid air as a storm begins) (Near-palpable shapes of air patterns in gusty weather - pattern recognition or hallucination?) (A person is a column of fluid) Basin of night Stretched-tarpaulin sky ..Question-oriented poetry - koan-stylee?.. ..When cut, the sky bleeds&scabs - Jet-engine trails disperse!.. Windows blank and empty eyes. ..Cities are perpetually in flux, but suburbs do not change. Does this, then, make them hardened defensive shells? Ideas and styles from other cities may easily enter, but they must defeat the conservative suburbian attitudes before being adopted in the heart. Inertia and armour. .. ..Suburbs as revenge by trees? Almost all trees in an area are destroyed to make lebensraum. Solitary survivors left here and there. They can watch a man arrive, stay, age and die. With some satisfaction? Maybe the draining apathy of the suburbs is their curse on those who would live upon the graves of their brethren. .. Rented World London snow Plastic tang Marching orders, round the borders of the edge of have / have-not Cruel intentions, did I mention? Last one through gets stopped and shot. Strange inventions, thought prevention Traitors twitch in spiders' webs... Leading, guiding, searching, finding Best get out, or you'll be dead. A life less ordinary. Life less than that. Life less. Ends and means, it means the end! I know I'm justified, but it's just if I do this... You shouldn' tread this in tome I read your speech especially; the or yin yang les Mortgage love for better sex Insurburbination Past held within tense / Words of anger I've sat here for the longest time, each second laying on a line I Draw from past to future tense, the future's lies are seconds hence! Mortgage love for better sex! Insurance job on marriage wreck? Smallest claim's a broken heart Cash simpler than replacement parts. Current Mood: curious Current Music: James "Ring the Bells" (3 Comments |Comment on this)
9:52 pm	Despite my silence, Not Yet Dead, I assure you! I intended to update when something interesting happened to me here in Derby. I think everyone can see where I went wrong there :-). Anyway, brief update for those concerned: My life is boring but perfectly acceptable in every aspect except for my persistent unemployment. Curse those finicky 'No ex-cons for us!' HR departments! :-) I spend my days job-hunting and going to the gym. The latter is becoming something of an obsession, since I appear to have mentally classified that activity as 'leveling'. OMG grind, etc :-). Since I am still uncertain about the whole Australia / Uni question that I brought up a few updates back, I am keeping my options open on that one, making the appropriate preparations for both possibilites. Had fun on my birthday visit to London - was very good seeing people again, and Picocon's excellence made up for my sad lack of planned clubbing. (curse you, Popstarz queues!) An unexpected end to the evening, but hey... :-) I hope to be able to attend the upcoming Brixton party, but as ever I find it difficult to 100% confirm such things. Other than that, life is quiet. Current Mood: Acceptable Current Music: Rolling Stones - 'Sympathy for the Devil' (Comment on this)