Fandom robot-building curiosity?

I know people have built life-sized R2 units. Has anyone built a life-sized Bender?

I can't seem to conjure the exact Google incantation to find such a creation.

(no subject)

Actually, the most common name for the pastry in question is "ningyoyaki". (I get google hits on "ningyouyaki" also.)

The ones I got in Asakusa are apparently quite famous, and there's one train station where you can get ones that look like Pikachu.

No luck finding a place that sells them on the Web just yet, but I did find a place that will custom-build a ningyoyaki machine.

I can't believe that this stuff hasn't become popular in the West, and yet there are zillions of candy bars with that vile "toffee" in them.

Update: At the THEM Halloween Party, I was told they were called "daifuku", but my first googling turned up many corporate webpages. But I googled for "daifuku cake" and found a recipe. It seems simple enough to make (if I can rig any of my existing kitchen gear into a steamer), but it might not be the same thing. I'll try anyway, next chance I get to go to an Asian market.

(no subject)

I remember seeing an aurora in Arizona before, vaguely. We were at HC's house watching movies, and A---- and I forget who else came in and said the sky was glowing red. We walked out, and by then there was just the faintest red glow, and we figured it was a fire somewhere, and we went back in. It wasn't until I got home that I heard there was some solar activity that was causing it.

Now, there are way more solar flares. I'm wondering whether it'll be worth it to go to South Mountain, away from the city lights, late at night, on the offchance I get to see another.

Just like me to bet on longshots, I suppose.