tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:50:37 +0000http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Mike)Blogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3329364971841103295Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:45:00 +00002008-01-26T23:51:09.898ZYou might be a manger or a journalist. If you are writing something I will read, please read this first.With economy of prose and use of the active verb in mind, I am able to reduce my latest news to the following:Mike's car is destroyed. Mike is angry.Seven words which might have been seven paragraphs. We all owe George Orwell.Cheers, Georgehttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2008/01/writing-something-i-must-read.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-1891992924115796704Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:01:00 +00002007-12-07T09:02:47.838ZBut sometimes I miss it so much my brain goes all weird. Seeing this photo caused one such episode. I have to get back up there soon...http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/12/i-miss-manchester-all-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-8055669144074526673Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:52:00 +00002007-12-06T18:15:07.822ZmehDreams:Reality:http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/12/dreams-versus-reality.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-6939721371514202325Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:55:00 +00002007-11-19T10:02:49.527ZON the BBC this morning there's a story I'd like you all to read.Put simply, methadone is worse for you than Heroin and has long term health implications where clean smack (diamorphine) does not. It is also more economical to give people diamorphine and the issue of brown-related crime disappears immediately in many cases. I've worked with over a hundred heroin addicts in the last eleven months http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/11/let-em-have-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3167835865828838770Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:11:00 +00002007-11-17T14:20:53.439ZtorchwoodwalescardiffAccording to this article, there's an England bias in the news and that, nevermind that there's a bunch more people in England than the other countries in the UK and that the monarch lives there and Parliament is there and so on. Anyhow, icWales, the Welsh news website thingy, quotes in their article:"The council acknowledged that Torchwood had provided a starting point for the improvement of thehttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/11/more-wales-please-were-british.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-2551757174156355739Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:04:00 +00002007-11-05T19:42:20.977ZThis woman is why.So - a maths mistake, or being crap at it, I can handle. I've made a few numerical gaffes of my own in my time. Running to the bloody paper when the lottery board have explained it to you over the phone already is too much for me to bear. For the love of god, the mouth breather behind the till even made the same error. I'm quitting my job and going to work in that shop - I'll http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/11/reasons-britain-should-tremble-12543.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-818378372988210670Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:02:00 +00002007-11-04T11:03:44.188ZinternetsworkfacebookYes, they are crap. People invite me to join facebook now every day. Often the same people who complain we live in a surveillance society, and now they are voluntarily adding all their movements, thoughts and desires to one big, American, members only database of everything everyone ever does. I will confess, FB does make for easier organisation of evenings out in some cases, but you CAN'T EVER http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/11/social-networking-sites.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-8957677338858045283Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:08:00 +00002007-10-28T09:12:11.883ZlolinternetgoogleI'll grant you, if that were the case I'd never receive an email, none of the sites I visit would ever get updated and there'd be no-one reading this, but seeing as I'm busy doing the special thing and don't want to blog about it, here's the blog of a cartoonist, whose site is called OK/CANCEL. He mentions Google and suddenly all his comments are from luddites wanting google toolbar off their http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/10/t3h-1nt3rn3tz-keep-stupid-off.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3129782645260538287Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:54:00 +00002007-10-11T21:13:39.090+01:00workstuffubuntuAccording to this dude, I shouldn't blog that often anyway. I feel better now.Today was our Frontline Workers Forum. We had workshops and buffet, all the usual stuff, with Supporting People kingpins in attendance, who managed to put across their healthy disregard for certain inaccurate stats, though they repeated their commitment to ending street homelessness in Cardiff, which is about as http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/10/less-is-more.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-283361296428799594Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:40:00 +00002007-10-10T11:13:14.349+01:00wiiMarsworkwalesstuffcardiffIt's a shame - I've been in Caerdydd a year this week, and relative to Hull, or a Manchester where I'm spending my free time with Mars and not really living the Manc life, the Cymru Crew are responsible for making the last year successful beyond any hopes I may have had.All ambitions are exceeded; I've got a real ale pub, friends across the city, plenty of kiting spots near I can reach under my http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-cant-blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3741532382683138249Mon, 10 Sep 2007 20:46:00 +00002007-09-10T21:55:04.666+01:00yeahummstuffSorry, I was in work.There were some people, and we did stuff, and before that I had boiled eggs. Other than that I can't remember offhand.In a couple of days, though, I'll have more of a motivation to post.http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/09/summer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3594047810018478681Sat, 07 Jul 2007 12:55:00 +00002007-07-07T14:33:51.776+01:00wiifloodworktrainingHullmusicNMAdunecardiffbandswritingStuff got busy.Work has featured prominently. I am now on a full time shift pattern at the project I like best, giving me money and experience and no sleep at all. I've got three clients for whom I am responsible as their Personal Plan Co-ordinator, which is basically keywork without the implied mentality that my colleagues can't help the client in my absence. Things are going well. /When I'm nothttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/07/blog-update-me-never-occasionally.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3286242124235411250Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:20:00 +00002007-06-06T01:58:00.532+01:00bastardsliespiracymp3Websites today point to an article about file sharing, citing 'ten inconvenient truths' and saying that although the agency involved in writing this, the IFPI, have a vested interest (£$£$£) in stopping file sharing, they explode some myths about the practice. Bollocks. Here's what they said: Pirate Bay, one of the flagships of the anti-copyright movement, makes thousands of euros from http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/06/lies-everywhere.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3435056755037470631Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:40:00 +00002007-06-04T16:40:22.140+01:00iarda di governo I'm blogging my blog. Whatever you do, don't try clicking until the end. This is a dumb way for me to continue to test the features of flock. In other news, everything is normal, apart from stuff that isn't. More later. Blogged with Flockhttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/06/infinity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-1266489282686107550Sun, 27 May 2007 11:12:00 +00002007-05-27T12:12:14.871+01:00 Firefox done gone and made hisself a fatty. We's none too wealthy round these parts, so ma sez ta me 'son, leave that damn goat alone and go get yer Daddy a new web browser'. Folks in these parts be reckonin' Flock cud be tha wuuun. Here's me thinkin' Opera was wut city folk used instead of Firefox but hey, I ain't never been much of a thinker. Flock Tour Apparently, it integrates http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/05/testing-testing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-1753183344919615253Wed, 16 May 2007 20:44:00 +00002007-05-16T21:55:48.770+01:00belly dancingrob. katieMarscottageworkforestcardiffkiteslevellersWell for a start, it has been raining. I couldn't fly my kites, nor collect my new bike from Rob and Katie's, nor lurk in the garden nor anything else that involves not being wet.I kept busy though. My Ubuntu box is now online and works like a dream, the PSP collection swells exponentially still, and a couple of shifts have even made it into my life, with some training thrown in for good measure.http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/05/fzztztfftpehgnhhhhh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-1868996181771133749Tue, 08 May 2007 07:01:00 +00002007-05-08T08:15:01.574+01:00bastardsstupidmicrosoftbbcNot content with fuming over the phone book sized wad of dual-language tish Capita recently sent us asking for the Licence fee so that they can take a bit and pass it on to the BBC, who then pass it back to them in consultancy fees, I'm posting a link to this, because now the stupid bastards are criminalising my ownership of something I've been obliged by law to pay for for the last 12 years, andhttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/05/more-tv-licence-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-1435748241081976522Mon, 07 May 2007 11:29:00 +00002007-05-07T12:41:09.274+01:00katieianlinuxMarscurryrobcardifffoodThere's not much I haven't done this last fortnight or so. A week of shifts at the shelter and lots of computer fiddling inbetween has been rounded off nicely with a visit from both Ian (brother) and Elaine, on Friday Mars went out with Karl, Ilana, Chris and Lee to the New Statesman and I received Ian at the flat, heading immediately to the pub where everyone convened for last orders and then nohttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/05/all-work-and-all-play-makes-mike-tired.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-1124805921579401303Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:56:00 +00002007-04-30T13:29:01.663+01:00abergavennykatiewedinggigsMarsfriendsillnessgoytregamesrobvalleyswildheartscardiffkitesfoodWe were up the hill in bluebell wood anyway though, and it was a sea of purple, just as it should be. Apparently they are grazing goats up there from June to October to get rid of brambles and such, so I might fancy going back soonish :) This all came as the centrepoint to a week(end) of some serious socialising and doing of stuff. Monday and Tuesday we had new windows put in at the back so it http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/04/no-camping-or-druids-this-year.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-5564143403474155942Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:47:00 +00002007-04-27T17:14:45.149+01:00gigsnewcstleMarsworkHulldadpublincolncardiffBusy? I should say so. Where to begin? Went to Newcastle for a wedding, drove up from Hull with Neal and we found a mithraic temple while out looking for kiting spots by Hadrian's wall. Then an evening of Nintendo Wii (yes, VERY good indeed, thanks) and much Witchwood Ale and Kath/Simon became a legal entity and Neal and I fussed over Izzy while Mars fussed over Elaine. The food was very rich as http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/04/ye-gods.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-3693264448768488912Sat, 07 Apr 2007 15:58:00 +00002007-04-07T16:59:08.366+01:00bastardshttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/04/bastard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-7996654206206270265Fri, 09 Mar 2007 23:17:00 +00002007-03-09T23:28:11.680ZjunkiesworkcardiffWell, it had to happen sooner or later in this job. Dude fresh out of chokey blags his way into one of our projects with a friendly tennant, makes use of our bogs then pulls a whitey and leaves his works in the khazi, stumbles into his new friend's room and takes a dive, bursting his skull open, gushing globs of claret everywhere and turning purple, then white, then a kind of blue-black colour. http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/03/overdose-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-8593276583936351310Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:57:00 +00002007-03-09T01:06:44.172ZAnd here's me thinking that this time next year they might seem like the least worst option. Ho hum.This guy simply said something true and factual and out he goes, because Smiling Dave is scared of the Guardian or someone. If this callow muppet puts a tie on like a bloody politician and starts ripping into the press instead, he might get me to consider voting for him again, but at present he's http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/03/right-im-not-voting-for-any-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-8258888282187318219Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:09:00 +00002007-03-06T13:53:30.218ZbirminghamgamesbeerMarseclipseninpubWe've just done another one. At least we're playing hard to go with all the hard work we've been doing this year so far - Friday last saw us down the battle cruiser with Rob and Katie who have promised to come kiting with us at some point, the bloody fools. That was a fairly early night though, home and into bed at last orders, as we were both set to be busy the next day- Mars having a bit of an http://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-and-queen-of-big-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22427105.post-335989421599243696Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:55:00 +00002007-02-22T15:55:37.036ZcomputersworkcardiffGot no time for curry. I do need to figure out tea though as I'm on again tonight and Mars needs me to cook. Yesterday I did the Breakfast run and afterwards we had a meeting where THE SHIFT PATTERN FROM BEYOND SPACE was announced. My justufucationometer is now at 100% when I point it at my not wanting the job full time. My hours are set until April, which is what I need, and the new ones come inhttp://governmentyard.blogspot.com/2007/02/laaaaaaaaaaaaaazy-thursday-afternoon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mike)0