Know your limits, Master Wayne.....

Batman.....has.....no limits

I just had to :p

But, in all seriousness, I found myself being pushed to my limits. 31st August 2008 marks Malaysia's 51st year of Independence and Freedom. 31st August 2008 also marks the date that I lose my freedom. I had to work on both Saturday, 30th Aug AND Sunday 31st August.

It looks like a 6-day working week will be the norm if I want to get my stuff finished. I found extra hours ie. going early, leaving late isn't really as productive. We'll see what happens as I start the 6:00 pm - 3:00 am shift today.

The bus had to stop at Summit to pickup more people, and it arrived a few minutes early. The driver got off for a smoke, and I got off to take some photos - they were having a VW Car Show there.

The focus on the yellow Beetles were intentional, it was Bumblebee from the 80's Transformers cartoon series.

It was mainly the Beetles displayed there but there were also the VW vans. The name eludes me now, but I always have the word "hippie van" stuck in my mind when I think of these.

I don't know why, but I had the urge to get a couple of Rocky snacks while doing my work yesterday.

It's been awhile since I had these, chocolate coated biscuit/pretzel sticks. I'm a sucker for anything chocolate - like the Cornetto Royale Black Forest ice cream cone from WALLS.

Chocolate and vanilla ice cream with a jam center with chocolate bits on the top.

Caught the 5:15 pm bus that leaves the office. And since I didn't have proper lunch, decided to get something to eat. I had this urge to have Lagsane at Dave's Deli.

It's been so long since I've been to Dave's Deli, months, probably even a year or more! The layout and concept at the 1Utama branch has been changed. They used to have pretty dim, lighting giving the place a cozy feel. I don't know if there are other branches remaining but 1Utama is the only place I've seen Dave's Deli as far as I can remember.

They've seemed to have added on a lot more dishes to their menu. A lot more than what they used to offer. I saw this sign on the wall, and it was very striking.

I went for the Lagsane and Strawberry Lassi. They don't have the Orange Lassi that I used to order but they've got a few other flavours which I didn't feel like ordering.

The Lassi now comes in a much taller glass and I think the price is still the same, RM 6.50. They used to serve these in their paper cups which was the size of Medium Sized McD's cup. Now, they blend the ice, when in the past, they just popped about 4 - 5 ice cubes into the cup.

Dave's Deli has a 100% Satisfaction Gurantee policy. If you're unsatisfied with any of the meals, you can return it for a full refund (I think that's what the sign said but I can't remember now). The catch is, it has to be 3/4 left on the plate for the refund.

The verdict, the Lassi tasted very strongly of the puree they used. Kinda like the topping they use for the McD Strawberry Sundae. The Lagsane, tastes different from what it used to. Not saying that its bad, but I think it used to taste better. Or maybe it was my tastebuds that were stressed out from all that extra work over the weekend.

I finished everything, so I didn't make use of the refund. Besides, would "doesn't taste the same as last time" be a valid reason?

I've already put in my pre-order for the Joker v2 @ Bank Robber Joker. Looks bloody good.

It's due to be released in December 2008, but Rey seems to get his stuff a little later than the other stores like XL Shop. I don't mind waiting as long as Rey gives me freebies or a good price which he does most of the time.

I really thought I was looking at stills from the movie when I first saw the scans.

Yulli has done some impressive work. Who's Yulli?

Yulli (seated on far right)

She's a cutie too. I think they said she's Korean. She has a blog, but I can't read a word of it. Lots of nice photos of her sculpts and work though.

Those are real skills!

An excerpt of "The Dark Knight" news:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Batman's rich alter-ego Bruce Wayne has added half a billion dollars to his riches. "The Dark Knight" on Sunday became the second movie in Hollywood history to top $500 million at the domestic box office, raising its total to $502.4 million, according to estimates from distributor Warner Bros.

The film hit that mark in just over six weeks, half the time it took "Titanic," which reached $500 million in a little more than three months. "Titanic," the biggest modern blockbuster, remains No. 1 on the domestic charts with $600.8 million.

Despite its brisk pace, "The Dark Knight" is not expected to approach the total for "Titanic," which put up smaller numbers week after week but lingered at the top of the box office for months.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., said he expects "The Dark Knight" to finish at about $530 million, though it could reach $550 million if business persists as strongly as it has.

Source: Yahoo! News

I want "The Dark Knight" on Blu-Ray!

Whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you ..... stranger!!!!!

After finding the scans of the new "Bank Robber Joker" and the photos taken from the Toy Hunter display window in Hong Kong, I came across these photos in one of the forums.

The official photos:

So, we now get to see the accessories that he comes with:

- the pistol and machine gun
- alternate head
- clown mask
- Joker cards
- bank notes
- duffel bag with grenades

Then last night, I saw these new scans from another magazine.

At the first glance, I thought it was Heath Ledger in costume and make up. Fucking kick ass! And in the picture above, they swapped replaced the version 1 head on the purple/green suit. Nice!

Now that is impressive. Bravo Hot Toys! And someone who managed to translate the magazine says that they're in discussions to issue a Joker Version 3?!

I wanted to see what you'd do, and you didn't disappoint.....

It was SUPPOSED to be a public holiday for me today. And I decided to go into the office to get some work done. I was the only person from my department working today. It was peaceful, quiet. I managed to do what I intended, but not enough. Still, it was a productive day.

On the way home, I experienced something which I haven't in a long time. Rush hour traffic! It took exactly 1 hour to get back to 1Utama from Cyberjaya this evening.

After dinner, I thought I could kick back and relax a little. Surf the web a little, then I checked out on of the forums and found these scans:

Impressive. Looks damn good. A little nosebleed there. I can live with that.

There has been talk about a Hot Toys Joker Version 2. In this case, its the Bank Robber Joker from the opening scene of "The Dark Knight". It looks like he comes with the machine gun and pistol he uses in the movie. Plus, 2 IMPROVED headscuplts! It looks so much better!

A few minutes later, I decided to check out a Hong Kong Toy Forum, and almost had a brain aneurysm when I saw these!

Holy shit! Hot Toys have hit the jackpot! Don't you dare tell me that's not Heath Ledger in 1/6th form there!

Now, let's re-cap:

Version 1 (which I have not received yet by the way):

Good

Version 2 - Bank Robber Joker

BEST!!!!!

The level of detail and Heath Ledger's likeness is insane!

Y'know, Hot Toys are schemers..... releasing v1 with the iconic Joker costume, with a good (but generic) headsculpt. Then releasing a v2 with a superior, spot-on likeness of Heath Ledger.

This v2 Bank Robber version is scheduled for a December 2008 release. I'm screwed.

He's A Silent Guardian, A Watchful Protector, A Dark Knight.....

Yeah, I watched "The Dark Knight" for the 3rd time last weekend. Weng managed to get tickets via Maybank2U or something like that.

The 3rd time was every bit as good as watching it the first time!

I think the last time I watched a movie more than once at the cinema was back in July 2007 and that was "Transformers" and I watched it TWICE at the cinema. Looks like "The Dark Knight" has beaten that record.

Also, after hearing so much about the Chilli's Broccoli and Cheese soup, I decided to give that a go!

Cheese & Broccoli soup - thick and gooey. Yums.....

I don't like vegetables - especially broccoli and celery. But in this case, it was acceptable because there was cheese. And the taste of the broccoli wasn't overpowering. In fact, I could hardly taste any of the vegetables because I think there were bits of tomato and celery in the sup as well. I'm loving it!

After bitching about it so many times, Chilli's finally updated their menu and had 5 new dishes. I tried the Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders and I wasn't impressed. It's not that it wasn't good, I guess it was. But it tasted too much like Chinese cooking and that's not why I would dine at Chilli's!

Honey & Chipotle Chicken Tenders with fries and mashed potatoes


Triple Play - Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese dip, Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard dip and Southwestern Eggrolls with some kinda dip

And I found out they don't have one of my favourite dishes at Chilli's anymore, the Country Fried Steak!

I'm still waiting for my Hot Toys Joker to arrive. Was informed that it was supposed to arrive last weekend but I guess it has been delayed. I went to the shop today and Rey informed me that its scheduled for next week. Can't wait!

Speaking of The Joker, I was checking out YouTube videos and I came across a whole lot of Heath Ledger/Joker impersonations. And this guy's really good. If you close your eyes, you'd think it WAS Heath Ledger speaking.

Check out his videos (only if you've already seen "The Dark Knight". I pasted the links based on the sequence in which they appeared in the movie. I think I got those right, cause I've seen it 3 times! :p

Joker tells Gambol how he got his scars - First Story



Joker tells Rachel how he got his scars - Second Story



Joker and Gordon - Interrogation Scene



Joker and Batman - Interrogation Scene



Joker and Harvey - An awkward first meeting



And just some a pic I found in one of the forums I read, someone's collection. What a view!

The price per figure there is about RM 400 for the cheapest one, and probably RM 600 for the most expensive one. You do the math!

After months (years?), we finally got around to trying out Tony Roma's at The Curve. We were actually deciding between this, TGIF's and Bubba Gump Shrimp. We stopped by Bubba Gump to check out the menu but it was mostly shrimp (what else?!) and seafood which isn't really my thing.

The food was pretty good but since I've never tried their "World Famous Pork Ribs" before, I had to settle for the beef ribs that they serve here in Malaysia.

While waiting for our orders, I found out another "hidden" menu in the drinks/dessert menu with 4 or 5 items not in the regular menu, including Country Fried Steak! Maybe I should head to Tony Roma's the next time I need me some steak, fried country-style.....

The glass, free refills for fizzies


Tony Roma's World Famous Onion Loaf


BBQ sauces - Original, Hot, Honey, Smokey (the best!)


Grilled Salmon with vegetables and rice


Chicken Tenderloin Platter with Honey Mustard Sauce and Fries


NY Strip Steak with Boneless Ribs Combo with coleslaw and baked potato.....


.....with a side order of Blue Cheese Crust topping for the steak, yums!


DESSERT! Tony Roma's Chocolate Avalanche

Thanks to Daphne for the pre-birthday dinner!

It was bound to happen, it served me well for the past 6 - 7 years. Finally, a rip in my pair of Levi's that I got when I was in Melbourne.

The fabric at the pockets feel like its thinning. Now this is what actual "wear and tear" looks like. I've never worn torn jeans before.

I remember getting 2 exact same pairs at a Warehouse Sales for AUS $100. That was the price of a regular pair at the departmental stores. It's all faded and there was some patchwork done on the back pockets previously.

It's a public holiday for us on Monday, 26th August, a bank holiday. But I think I might go to the office to finish up some pending work. What else am I going to do at home anyway?

Nobody around to interrupt - think it might be a good option. We'll see..... after all, who wants to go to work on a public holiday (for us working the UK customers), eh?