A Hole In My Pocket.....

I've really done it, I've burnt a hole in my pocket shopping within the last 2 days. Total damage was RM 640 or so. And that's not including meals! Ouch!!!!!

I had my semi-regular duty of being a chauffeur yesterday (to send Ryan to and from his tuition center). Decided to stop by Amcorp Mall after picking him up. Thought I'd check out if there were any toys available.

As mentioned in several of my previous posts, most of these figures have sold out. Really difficult to find them and where there is a restock, someone is always a step ahead and manages to grab them. I don't have the luxury of time like these individuals to scout shopping centers everyday.

I ended up getting these from 2 different stores, Ultimate Toys (Optimus Prime = RM 230) and ToyWiz (Jazz and Barricade = RM 80 each), total damage = RM 390.

These were the TAKARA versions and cost more than the HASBRO versions which are impossible to find. For example, the HASBRO Optimus Prime would only cost about RM 180 while Jazz/Barricade would be RM 50.

Transformers Movie figures - Jazz, Optimus Prime and Barricade



Transformers Movie: The Bots - Jazz, Optimus Prime, Barricade and Frenzy



Transformers Movie - The Rides

Also placed a pre-order for the Bumblebee 2008 Camaro Concept.

Then, just for the heck of it, decided to go to 1U to check out Area51 (previously known as Ultimate Toys as well). Also checked out Parkson, Jusco and Toys R Us. No more Transformers toys as well! The ones left behind are not the ones that I want.

Went to Action City to pick up a birthday present for someone.

A Japanese toy manufactured by TakaraTomy. Solar powered, the heads tilt left and right. Think I went shopping for this present about 1 month too early.

Today, I woke up late - and there was nothing to eat as the folks had gone out of town for a seminar. They are usually up early for marketing and would get breakfast. It was past mid-day and Ryan and Daphne hadn't had breakfast either. Out of the blue, I decided to claim that free sizzling Fajita Tower from TGIF's.

We stopped by Shiok Toys at Cineleisure and I found out my Encore Optimus Prime and Megatron might arrive sooner than expected. Damn.

It was a chance to try out their new stuff on their new set meals. RM 39.90 for 1 appetizer, 1 main and 1 dessert. We had 2 of these, with 2 Mac & Cheese starters, 1 Parmesan Chicken Quesadillas and the Sauteed Grilled Chicken.

Mac & Cheese -

Macaroni & Cheese deep fried served with marinara sauce

Sizzling Fajitas (l and top) and Parmesan Chicken Quesadillas (r) -

The fajitas are different now, topped with alot of extra garlic. Don't remember it being served like that.

I liked the Parmesan Chicken Quesadillas the best of 3 mains. The balsamic vinegar dressing gave it a slightly sweet taste. I recommend this.

Grilled Sauteed Chicken -

The chicken is nothing much to shout about, served on a bed of brown rice. And below that, a mix of different melted cheeses.

If you like cheese, this one's for you. But again, nothing special about the chicken.

They had run out of Cookies & Cream and the Mocha Mud Pie for their desserts. We ended choosing the Chocolate Malt Cake and the New York Cheesecake which we had them packed to go.

On a seperate note, the new Lemon Tango that's served with the McDonald's Chicken McNuggets is pretty good. Go get some today. Tried the Sweet Mustard as well but its nothing special really.

Lemon Tango (l) and Sweet Mustard (r)

Decided to take a short walk over to Ikano Power Station after brunch at TGIF's. Wanted to go check out the Crocs Concept Store.

After some serious consideration (and seeing lots of people wearing them and walking in and out of the store), I ended up with these:

Crocs Off Road - Chocolate/Lime Green

My very first pair of Crocs!!!!!

They don't come in boxes, but packed into plastic bags. The Off Roads were cheaper than I expected. Thought they would be in the RM 200 range, like the Islander but this was RM 169.00. I guess the Islander costs more because of the leather bits.

Believe the hype - they are super comfy. Even though I haven't had the opportunity to wear them and walk in them for a whole day, it already feels really good. Can't wait to really test them out.

After several events that I personally experienced, I'm starting to believe "The Secret" more and more.

Finding a parking space at 1U on a Saturday afternoon is normally a tedious affair. After leaving Amcorp Mall with Ryan, I told him to use "The Secret" and to visualize a parking space.

I drove to the usual lane where I normally park and saw another car in front of me. I normally wait - and I wondered how much patience the other guy had. He finally drove off. I saw a guy sitting in the driver's seat of a Mercedes Benz which was still in the parking space. Was he waiting for someone? How selfish! He could've drove out and waited by the side.

I decided to wait for him, he had to leave sooner or later. Just then, a family came by with lots of shopping bags and pointed out where their car was parked. They offered me their spot. How often do people do that?

So, in all, I got my parking spot in about 5 mins or so. Pretty impressive for a late Saturday afternoon. I should try this out more often.

The latest "Dark Knight" teaser trailer is out. Nothing to see, just the Bat-logo and only dialogue between Bruce Wayne and Alfred (Christian Bale and Michael Caine). Then it ends with a message from The Joker (Heath Ledger). Then the trailer ends with the Bat-logo exploding to pieces and on one of them, an image of a Joker playing card flies towards the camera.

I wanna see some scenes dammit! On the other hand, this picture was released.

The Joker (Heath Ledger) and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal)

More marketing in the form of this site.

I'm getting impatient and its another year away. Damn.

Bee-otch.....

It's official. As posted in one of my previous updates, Michael Bay has "transformed" Bumblebee into a bad-ass. In the old Generation-1 cartoon, Bumblebee was a pansy. A scout who was (I read somewhere or it could be some spoof videos I watched on YouTube) Optimus Prime's worst soldier who didn't even bring a gun to battle.

When I was a kid, I didn't think that a VW Beetle was cute. I'd take a sleek sports car anytime. Blame "Knight Rider" for that.

This is a proven fact from my visits to the toy stores. Everyone wants a piece of Bad Ass Bumblebee now. He's completely sold out! Even the Unleased Bumblebee "statue" has sold out while there are still remaining stocks of Unleashed Optimus Prime!

Unleashed Bumblebee - Sold Out!



Unleashed Optimus Prime

I can't find a single Unleashed Bumblebee anywhere but Optimus Prime is still available. In fact, the front of the Unleashed Prime has him in robot-mode, while the back has a sculpt of him in his truck mode.

There are so much more Bumblebee toys coming out - like the TARGET Exclusive Bumblebee 2-pack. What I don't like is the Battle-damaged paint scheme on the Camaro Concept.

And then, set to be released in Sept 07, Ultimate Bumblebee. About 14 inches tall, with electronic lights and sounds. All the pre-orders from my usual toyshops have sold out. This thing's going for about RM 400.

And here's something that I haven't seen - Transformers Zip Zaps. Looks like they're little RC (Remote Control) cars. It says on the box that its a "Radio Shack exclusive". We don't have Radio Shacks here.

Cute - but in a cool kinda way.

Toys are getting more and more sophisticated. Take a look at the latest version of the classic board game, Monopoly. Saw this Toys R Us the other day.

It's called "Monopoly - Here And Now". What's different about this version? Check out the left side of the box. It now comes "With Electronic Banking". If I remember correctly, this new version doesn't come with the paper money. Instead, it comes with bank cards. How cool is that?

Lots of news about upcoming movies, including Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. I'm not a big fan of Iron Man - but when I saw the photo, I couldn't recognize the man on the far right. Who would've thought that it was Jeff Bridges.

Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Bridges



Iron Man Movie Poster

I'm just wondering that the hell is that blue ring of light on his chest is.....

Shia LeBeouf and Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones 4

I've never really been a fan of Indiana Jones and I must admit that I've never watched a single one of them. Maybe just some scenes here and there - especially Raiders Of The Lost Ark and possibly, The Last Crusade. But look - its the Man Of The Moment, Shia in the movie. He seems to be popping up everywhere now.

According to this site, "The Dark Knight" teaser trailer will be screened before "The Simpsons Movie"! Does that mean I have to go watch "The Simpsons" just to watch the trailer even though I don't really like "The Simpsons"? Maybe I'll just wait for YouTube.

Managed to catch a couple of episodes of "Las Vegas" on AXN (Channel 17 on ASTRO) over the past couple of weeks. Wikipedia lists the series as a "dramatic comedy". Interesting, maybe I'll give this series a go.

There was an article in In-Tech the other day about the dangers of social networking sites like Friendster and Facebook. The article was mainly about some beauty contestant who had some photos on her profile that created controversy. Then it went on to state that employers now search online for job applicants profiles on sites like these.

Me? I don't think I have anything to worry about. However, I managed to uncover something that could get someone in a whole lot of shit. One of my staff posted the following pictures of his damaged car with comments like "Mr.X screwed my baby".

Nothing wrong with that so far. Unfortunately, he called up to request for emergency leave that day stating that his aunt's car was involved in an accident driven by Mr.X. Plus, these 2 guys have a history of bad attendance.

So - see the inconsistencies? Is it his baby, or his aunty's? I guess that they say about the Internet is true. You can find anything on the Internet, even the TRUTH!

So all you people out there, watch your backs!

The team decided to have a "teh tarik" session the other day after work to welcome the newbies. As usual, transport is always an issue for me. In the end, managed to sort that out with someone who stays in Kepong, and of course, Kota Damansara is on the way.

A group of them play futsal every Friday night and unfortunately, my chauffeur for the day is one of them. I agreed to tag along.

Of course I didn't play, just sat and watched at Sports Planet in Puchong. I was not going to risk and go through the torture of another ankle injury again.

The last time I actually stepped into a futsal pitch was more than 3 years ago, at Sports Planet in USJ. And I have pictures to prove it.

Another whole week of not replying a single SMS with the reason "busy and hectic" just doesn't make sense. But it'll have to do for now.

I think I might have changed my mind. I'm thinking of these as my first pair of Crocs.

Crocs Off Road - Chocolate/Lime Green

What's more impressive, I found a testimonial online from a owner that said his blood pressure went down wearing Crocs! Wearing Crocs made him want to walk around more. It's like magic!

CROCS ARE THE BEST AND THIS MODEL IS THE BEST CROCS HAS TO OFFER, June 15, 2007

By	Schuyler V. Johnson (Lake Worth, FL USA) -

LOVE these shoes! You can't hurt e'm, can't ruin 'em and they are as tough and durable as advertised, esp the "Off Road" label. I wear them to work and when I walk my dog and we sometimes walk over rocky terrain and these shoes can take it; they really are rugged and are as ideal for the beach as they are for camping trips and outdoor activities.

I have flat feet and these shoes provide the arch support I need. I WALK more with these shoes and the proof, for me, was my blood pressure went from 130/90 to 117/70!

They are also way cool to look at and the combination of the army green and the bright orange strap make them an irresistible fashion statement. I bought a camo denim jacket and when I wear that and these Crocs I feel ready for anything! People at work stop me and ask me where I got my shoes; even the guys. I live in Florida and in the summer it is hot and rainy and these shoes are light and cool and can handle rain easily. Dirty? Just rinse 'em off! LOVE these shoes, and I used to be a confirmed Birki advocate, but these shoes changed my preferences. Now you can have Hummers for your feet!

Terence was right, the Islander does look abit weird now that I compare them to these.

Crocs - Off Road (l) and Islander (r)

And finally, they float too!

Think I should visit that Crocs store at Ikano Power Station one of these days.....

It was mentioned by Sam in "Transformers" that his car was sensitive and Bumblebee's feelings were hurt when Mikaela questioned why he chose to to take the form of the beat-up old Camaro.

I think my car is sensitive as well - its back in the workshop due to gearbox issues again.

A few of us were just talking about "The Secret" and it over dinner the other night. I think "The Secret" is at work again. I think we should not talk about my car, EVER. My baby will be just fine.....

Again.....

After about 5 months, the lunch "date" with Eva finally happened. We made this agreement a long time back but just never got around to making it happen.

As I was positioning my car to maneuver into a parking space, an Iswara suddenly drove and took my spot. I blared my horn and gave them a "cock" stare. Finally, the guy reversed and drove away. Then I started to think about the repercussions. Was my car going to be safe? Will the 2 men in the Iswara come back and do something?

I waited in the car for a few minutes and the coast was clear. I have the bat in the car, just in case. As I walked towards the entrance, I saw the Iswara again, still looking for a parking space. I quickly took down and saved the license plate of the car, along with the colour, just in case.

As I was early and scoped out Toys R Us and Jusco for Transformers movie toys but found the kiddy toys.

Eva was nice enough to pay for lunch at Chilli's. We met up on Saturday for a pretty late lunch. She goes to TGIF's often, but never been to Chilli's. I recommended the 2 items that I normally have - the Country Fried Steak and the Monterey Chicken. She liked her chicken and just like Sylvia, absolutely loves the mashed potatoes.

Once again, didn't take a picture of the food. We talked, got to know her better. I guess there are lots of people in the department that don't really know me that well. Just ate and chat, got some things cleared up. She said we should go for lunch more often. Not that I'd complain about that.

Then we walked around abit, checked out the shops. Of all places, she decided to go to Pets Wonderland, and I obliged. Looked at iguanas, guinea pigs and hamsters, kittens and puppies. Even a kitten/cat that was taunting some puppies in an enclosure.

Its been ages but I finally got myself a copy of the latest issue of Hypertune. The cars in this issue were just the perfect excuse: Mitsubishi Evolution, Honda Integra DC-5 and a Hamann MINI Copper S.

Yes - I'm one of the millions that have fallen in love with the MINI Cooper.

Not the exact one featured in Hypertune but.....

And its all because of the 2003 remake of "The Italian Job".

I can honestly say that I've never watched the original so I can't compare the car stunts etc. However, the BMW MINIs in this movie are gorgeous. This is the movie that made the MINIs cool, at least it did for me.

Finally, had to send her back home as she made other plans with her housemates. I got lost. Thank god for roadsigns that led me back to the highway. It was all smooth sailing from there.

Was invited to go watch Transformers again this weekend. I told them I would think about it. Then, it became apparent that I might not have any plans this weekend other than stay home - I decided to take up that offer.

Decided to leave the house early, knowing that there's always an issue getting a parking space at Midvalley. Got there and decided to check out Jusco and Toys R Us. Once again, I was disappointed. The only Transformers toys left were:

Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet

Optimus Prime Transforming NERF Blaster

There are the only toys left from both the Toys R Us and Jusco that I've been to so far.

Even though it was my 2nd viewing, I still found Transformers very enjoyable. No regrets whatsover watching it again.

Michael Bay just makes every scene ooze style. Even the shots of the cars look super-stylish. Just check it out.

Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and Ironhide

After that, they decided to watch another movie. It's been ages since I watched 2 movies at the theater in a day!

First, the plan was to watch the Thai horror movie, "Alone". However, they've already stopped screening. Funny because I thought the movie just came out. So, we finally decided to watch "Dead Silence".

Personally, it wasn't bad - but it wasn't good either.

I haven't been taking that many photos lately too - so to get my started

New aluminium water bottle - get yours when you test drive a Honda!

We already read about how replacing the battery in the iPhone would be a pain in the ass. Then I read this article the other day:

IN-TECH, 12^th July 2007 (page IT20)

Users will have to submit their iPhone to Apple for battery service. The service will cost users US $79 (RM 276.50), plus US $ 6.95 (RM 24.32) for shipping, and will take three business days.

The procedure is similar to the one it has for the company’s best selling iPod players, but because some users will not want to live without their cellphones, Apple is also offering a loaner iPhone for US $29 (RM 101.50) while the gadget is under repair.

Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the consumer watchdog group, contends the iPhone’s battery and repair costs should have been clearly disclosed earlier.

He said he didn’t detect the battery information, which is located under several layers of links on Apple’s support page on its website, until earlier this week.

Even after reading all those horror stories, I still feel compelled to have one.

And as a closing - a rant. I don't know what is it about me. Is it me? Why do people not reply my messages? I don't think being "busy" is a valid reason. 1440 minutes a day and someone can't spend less than 5 minutes to reply a message?

Assuming that an average persons sleeps 8 hours a day, that still leaves 960 minutes. Set aside time for meals, showers and daily routines, I'm sure one would still be left with plenty of time. It just doesn't make sense.

The worst part is, I comfort myself saying "better late than never" when a reply does come through a few days later, if at all. And I pretend that everything is ok. Then the cycle repeats itself.

I guess its back to playing the waiting game..... again.....