Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

[youtube]g8xdvzYRm94[/youtube]   One of the toughest parts about making Takoyaki (the octopus ball) is flipping the ball around. You need the perfect mixture, the right tool, and the perfect technique. It’s not easy. But this device isn’t quiet at all, but actually flips it, a little at a time. I’m not sure how eager one is to buy a machine just for Takoyaki, but this looks like the cure for the difficulties of making it. Here’s a previous takoyaki posts related to Giant Robot: (Club Mumble and GR)    
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It’s so simple. Carry your own bag and order your own coffee and instantly, you’re a hero. In China, they don’t do this for themselves, even if you’re a low ranking official. This is Gary Locke, the first Chinese American ambassador to China. The first? Why is that? Who were they before? Kissinger? It’s about time that China can work with a recognizable face. (MSNBC – Locke)
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Any excuse to put the twins on Giant Robot has to be taken. You have to love that fact that the most famous Asian Americans of their time, was Chang and Eng Bunker. They were also wealthy, married, etc. But it’s great that even to this day they’re being studied. Cynthia Wu, American Studies at University at Buffalo compared them to the current day stars. There more to it. Including individuality, and more. (U at Buffalo – Chang and Eng Bunker)  
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The Bunny Museum located in Pasadena is home to a story about a couple, who hands each other a bunny gift every day. They don’t shop daily, but as a token of their love, they give each other a bunny a day. Years of this later, they now have over 28,000 bunny items and it’s part of the Guinness Book of World Records. The owner Candace Frazee shows it by appointment only, and although it wouldn’t seem like it from the vast amounts of space it can take, this is her house. I got to see it as a pre birthday surprise.

 

That’s Jenny and Saelee who took me on this surprise. Did you know they called it a Dream Date? Two girls, one guy, good. 10 minutes of hiking uphill – sweaty and tough. Lunch of snacks while up the hill – good. Pop Rocks – not bad. A yard sale of custom jeweled flip flops – super bad. An Estate Sale – aight. Donut Man – excellent. Nap time – as soon as I fell asleep, I was woken up to go – bad. And the finale, The Bunny Museum.

 

It wasn’t that the place was the greatest, although it was truly great, it was the conversation with Mrs Frazee. She writes an advice column through snail mail and has some religiousness involved and she didn’t hesitate to start probing myself, Saelee and Jenny. She revealed a lot about herself, but also began to pin point “issues” in each of us. Flighty, have issues of cleaning, addictions, and these weren’t me! I did find out that I’m not a hoarder! I’ve been called a hoarder, but I do dump garbage, I get rid of boxes, and maybe I have clutter, or am messy, but in Mrs Frazee’s eyes, I’m not a hoarder. It’s great to find out that although I’m the recipient of a Dream Date, I’m pretty clean, and my hosts were the ones with the problems. That’s the gift of the day. I left happy seeing thousands of bunny items, some real bunnies, a cute cat and have met one of the most serious collectors of a topic in the world.

The Bunny Museum site

 

Photos below!

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  Another year comes to an end and a new one begins today. For me, it’s only 24 hours of time, 18 or 19 of it was awake. Aside from the lack of sleep, this happens every day with most everyone. It was my birthday on August 15th. It’s just like any other day, and the value of that day is whatever you make it. For some, it’s a gigantic day of celebration filled with every friend and acquaintance showing up at a bar. For me, it’s almost a regular day. I don’t really talk about it ahead of time. If someone remembers it, then that’s great. If not, that’s okay too. I was told, “I hope you’re not working.” I did. I got some, “hope you’re having a special day.” It’s either that every day is special, or they’re mostly boring with some highlights. I’m thinking the former sounds better to live with even if the reality is the latter. I’m used to my birthdays being quiet and ultimately they still are, except with the aid of Facebook, my birthday is virtually as loud as can be. Hundreds post on my page wishing me a happy birthday, almost all of who don’t know me at all. Friends who do forget, get reminded and then it’s texts, emails, and even some crank calls. A meal or two or three will happen and that’s great. It’s my special day that ends up being just like the many others. Yes, they’re all decent for the most part, except I got a lot more attention. Thanks for that.
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