Between a "rock" and a "hard place"

I haven't posted a new Blog for a wee while, this was for two principal reasons...

a] I've been writing my dissertation throughout the month of August...and

b] My log-in messed up back in August, and, subsequently forgot about my poor old Blogger, until tonight.

Q: So, what's new in Ben Manzi's World?!
A: Not a lot...

As just said, the month of August went with frantic writing of 15k, and finishing my masters...followed by a week of laziness and a trip down to London town for a job interview. Although, it wasn't so much of an interview, as 6 administrator tests...and, well, nae joy. Had to get a certain percentage in every test. One I think, nae, know I fecked up in. 7 minutes to answer 30 question...was ridiculous. I wasn't the only 1 who struggled in it either. Coupled with the fact that, with whole "credit crunch", "recession", "yadda yadda yadda"...I think the average would've been increased somewhat (I got 100% on practice qu's on the day, and 85% on practice tests they sent through the post). Ah well...

But, then September, is really where the Between a Rock and a Hard Place comes in...


Alas, that's not me physically in the middle...but me psychologically in the middle. The boulder on the left, my rock, or student-ville...the boulder on the right, my hard place, or employment. Joining me in the middle, air, or "recession", "credit crunch", "yadda yadda yadda"...

As the song goes..."clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you"...and that's exactly where Ben Manzi's blog, and world, is at at the moment. Proper limbo. Applying to the few jobs out there that a] sound somewhat interesting, b] somewhat meet my credentials and c] pay money instead of requiring money to do (aka volunteer/post-Grad GAP years) and d] don't have the words "experience" followed by a stupidly high number of years...

Alas, at the moment, this limbo is boring. It's watching Challenge TV for hours on end, staying up watching the NFL (ok, not boring per se), going on Total Wipeout Auditions, and playing (alas unsuccesfully) the Euromillions...DAMN you Derren Brown, thought we had a deal...!!

So, here I sit, waiting for jobs to crop up, still applying to stuff, so fingers crossed something does come up. Either a job or a Lottery win, am not fussy either way. But, back to Stealers Wheel's song. I've had enough being stuck in the middle with "you"...but, note to self, if I get an interview don't call prospective employers "clowns" or "jokers"...

Ben Manzi out!

Jerseys...

I wanted to put a definitive list of all my myriad jerseys in one place...so thought, Blogger is better than nothing. Especially as I can edit, re-edit, re-re-edit (ad Infinitum) when new ones are bought through ebay etc. So, here is the definitve list on the 1st August 2009, and, if I wore a different jersey from today (currently wearing # 55) till I ran out it would be 29th of September! If I add on three extras I have, a Sheffield Uni club lacrosse shirt, ISSA (GAP year school) Rugby 7s shirt, and a commemorative "Miracle on Ice" jersey, we'd be well into October. So here's the list:

American Football
1. Starr - Packers
2. McNabb ProBowl 2007
3. Young ProBowl 2008
4. London Monarchs
5. Elway - Granada Hills Charter High School
6. Young - Texas Longhorns
7. Moon - Oilers
8. Desperados AFL
9. Titans - Personalised
10. Bush - Saints Gold
11. Washington Huskies

Ice Hockey
12. Buffalo Sabres - New
13. Buffalo Sabres - Old
14. Buffalo Sabres - Old School
15. Czech Republic - Hasek
16. Michigan
17. Malkin - Penguins Winter Classic
18. Latvia
19. Parry Sound Shamrocks

Baseball:
20. Kobe something Japanese Baseball team
21. Chicago White Sox
22. Albuquerque Isotopes (yes I did buy it solely cos of Simpsons. Lol)
23. San Francisco Giants - Bonds

NBA:
24. Iverson - USA
25. Carter - Raptors
26. Ožbolt - Slovenia
27. Drexler - Houston Rockets
28. Morrison - Charlotte Bobcats (bought 'cos he shares my birthday! Ha)

Rugby:
29. Gloucester RFC
30. Gloucester RFC
31. Gloucester RFC
32. Gloucester RFC
33. Paramatta Eels (Aussie Rugby League)
34. England x I
35. Kazakhstan (Very niiiiiiice!)
36. ACT Brumbies
37. South Africa
38. Free State Cheetahs Currie Cup
39. Kenya Rugby
40. Notre Dame

Football (Soccer):
41. South Africa
42. Barcelona Away - Personalised with "By" "Water" in Spanish (which turns into "Umbrella" translated back into English! Lol) and "21" for my 21st.
43. Malaga FC
44. Boca Juniors
45. Barnsley FC
46. Al-Ahly Cairo FC
47. Osotspa FC (Thai Premier League)
48. England
49. Serbia

Other:
50. Buffalo Bandits Lacrosse
51. Tour De France - King of the Mountains
52. Tour De France - Maillot Vert
53. Speed Blue Blitz (random Aussie cricket team!)
54. Yorkshire CCC
55. South Africa Cricket
56. Syracuse Lacrosse
57. International Rules
58. Cork GAA

Still looking to expand, and needing some more from Central/Western Africa, South America and South-East Asisa. On my wish-list are:

1. Indian Premier League cricket
2. Deportivo Wanka (tee hee hee)
3. Venezuela Baseball World Baseball Classic
4. Some cool Central/S.American club sides, like ones from Guatemala/Bolivia etc
5. Rugby Club from Santiago, Chile
6. A Dominican Republic domestic baseball team
7. Kenya/Cameroon domestic footy team.
8. Antartica Rugby jersey
9. Ice Blacks - NZ Ice Hockey

Basically anything unique from all corners of the world....

The Boss Live @ Hampden

The date was 14th July, the time 20:01, and a lone rendition of "O Flower of Scotland" was piped out on accordion, with the crowd singing along....although, by the time the second verse came around the singing had stopped. Instead, cheers, applause and loud renditions of "Bruuuuuuuuuuuce!!" echoed around Hampden. The Boss had arrived. A brief pandering to the crowd, and I mean brief(!), get his first guitar of the night, and headed straight into Badlands. The next 3 hours was pretty much non-stop rocking from the Boss and the (self-proclaimed) Mighty (but totally justifiable) E Street Band.

"...epic..." "...phenomenal..." "...immense..." "...amazing..." "...brilliant..."

Just some of the words that I mentioned during the 3 hour set. The Boss kept us waiting, as was due to start at 7:30 according to the tickets, but (apologies for sounding sooo cliché!) it was worth the wait!! And although finishing approximately 3 minutes early, I won't begrudge him that, 'cos the 356 minutes in between were pretty damn impressive for a man a mere 2 months shy of his 60th Birthday and 5 years away from retirement age in the UK!

Away from the music, as a sheer performer, he kept the crowd buzzing throughout as he clambered down from the stage and interspersed with the crowd. Made me want to be in the pit down at the stage, instead of the safety of the stands, but, ah well. But, the best, was during a song, got a wee gal to sing some of it. Fair play to her, she knew all the words and sang it well, although, she looked close to tears! Bless 'er.

The (original) set closed down with Born To Run to the whole place buzzing, everyone jumping, dancing, singing along or all of the three! Well, bar the grumpy husband (who was only there to shaparone his Missus, obviously the Big Boss fan in the family) to my right. Born To Run finished, the Band and Bruce took their bows to resounding "Bruuuuuuce"s and "Moooooore". However, with 45 minutes to curfuw, knew the encore would be ensuing, and, sure enough back on they came.

More classics, and newer songs in a 6-set encore...finally, and, alas, no second encores, they closed with a cover of "Twist and Shout" interspersed with "La Bamba". It was excellently done, if a bit different to the rest of the show. After that, they were off for good, and despite more "Bruuuuuce" and "Moooooore"'s, the house music came on to curtail the end of a great 28 song-set.

I left, ears buzzing, throat croaky, with my initial thought being: "WOW"...and saying:

"Please can I win the EuroMillions on Friday, so, can go over to see him play in Rome on my Birthday"

The Boss, he ain't called that for nothing......

Air McNair gone

I was only going to post once today (try to get back to Dissertation stuff), but, felt a post in honour of Steve "Air" McNair found shot dead means I needed to add another, if somewhat somber, post.

The word "Legend" is often over used, but, for Steve McNair that billing I believe to be justifiable....if, for just the only reason that he was (pretty much) the reason that got me into my Titans, and, stuck with them ever since. So, for that, Mr McNair, you are a legend....

May you rest in peace Steve, and may your Titans go on to hoist Vince Lombardi's trophy after gaining that inch, that you so deserved.

Respect.



Steve LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 - July 4, 2009)

So it begins....

In the beginning God created Friends Reunited and HI5....

Now the Friends Reunited and HI5 were formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the Internet....

And God said, "Let there be Facebook," and there was Facebook. God saw that Facebook was good, and He separated Facebook from Friends Reunited and HI5....

Then God said, "Let us make Twitter in Facebook's image, in it's likeness, and let them both rule over the people of the Internet and the celebrities in LA, and over all the earth....

On the 7th day, God created Blogger, and now starts this epic journey....

As if I needed more procrastination excuses!!!!!