I ♥ Parrot brand packaging

Via Sun Hing Foods, 21food.com, Alibaba

James Iha's got it going on (to who knows where)

If blogging required a license I'd surely have mine revoked for not including musician James Iha in my "To be blonde, or not to be blonde" post this week.  The 44 year-old (as of tomorrow) singer, producer and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist is releasing a new solo album in Japan this month. Iha's album hits the U.S. later this year. TwentyFourBit has a smidgen of his first video, To Who Knows Where, and I am in love, love, loooove with the song.  I feel like I could crawl into music and fly away. (I am unabashedly attracted to a 90's dreamy, indy sound.) I hope Iha's Japanese fan really enjoy his new music. Photo via aux

To be blonde, or not to be blonde?

Etty Lau Farrell is a dancer, singer, reality TV star, wife to Jane's Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza creator Perry Farrell, and the mother of the cutest kids ever.  She's well known as a blonde, but recently has been sporting natural dark locks. 

Here's a funny little video of Perry talking about Etty's Chinese surname.  Via Zimbio

Gackt is 39 year-old Japanese rock singer, author and actor. He's had a variety of looks since the 90's, though his colored contacts and eye liner are constants.  Some fans prefer Gackt blonde, while others love his dark and edgy look.  Via Men's Hairstyles 

Via Live Journal

Tila Tequila (aka Tila Nguyen) is a model, reality TV star and a general hot mess.  But I hand it to her that she's not afraid of change.  This gal has been every shade on the spectrum from dark brown to platinum blonde, and wears her hair all sorts of lengths.  Lately Tila's surprised people by going back to black and looking pretty damn good! You go, em. Via hairstyleswatch

Via Beautylish

Bubble tea and bento costumes

Crazymadworld constructed wildly creative bubble tea and bento costumes for herself and her sister.  The duo wore the masterpieces to the University of Calgary's Otafest 2011.  The Canadian talks about how she constructed the costumes on Deviant Art.  Who knows what they'll be wearing at Otafest in May 2012!

2427 Loma Vista: One house, many exteriors

2427 Loma Vista is a snazzy ranch home in Pasadena, California.  The house, built in 1955, was renovated by Better Shelter in 2011.  See the home in its original state here. Check out Better Shelter's flip (that sold in November 2011 for $589,000) here.

Eldrick vs. Shaquille

Three thoughts ran through my head while watching this: 1) This is the most Asian I've ever seen Tiger Woods (even if it's a parody of Chinese kung fu films)  2) I can see Tiger's bald spot and 3) Shaq moves pretty fluidly for a big man.

So that's how they say it!

Steven Yeun, 26, from The Walking Dead, pronounces his last name like this. His full Korean name is 연상엽 (Yeon Sang Yeop). 

Sung Kang, 39, from Fast Five (and G.O.D.'s Lie video, circa 2000), like Steven Yeun has one of those Korean names where until you hear it you have no idea what to do with the "U."  It turns out he pronounces it like this.  His full Korean name is 강성호 (Kang Seong Ho).  In Korea, his last name is more like "Kong" than "Kang" but whatever works, right?

Photos via Zimbio and You Offend Me You Offend My Family

Who's that girl?

It's mighty hard to tell, but it's Zooey Deschanel!

Photos courtesy of LeCity Deluxe, Yes Hairstyles, Listal and Wenn

My own private Japanese garden retreat

If you've got $5.7 million extra bucks to your name, I suggest you give to multiple deserving charities. If you've already done that then might I recommend purchasing this fabulous Japanese landscaped garden in Bel Air, California? The property, known as UCLA's Hannah Carter Japanese Garden, is 1.09 acres and includes gentle hillsides, stone steps, a koi pond and Japanese-inspired structures.  UCLA is selling the garden to raise money for endowments and professorships. Redfin's listing states the garden can be a retreat or is perfect for building.  The "building" part is scary since many a person would bulldoze half of this garden to throw up a McMansion.  If I bought the property I'd make sure one of the shacks was water-tight and had electricity and a small bathroom. I'd install a kitchenette and then spend easy, breezy weekends there with my dog and ninja boyfriend listening to music while pretending I was in the Japanese countryside.

Read more about the sale of the UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden here.

When did Seth Meyers become Hugh Grant?

 SNL writer Seth Meyers shot by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue

Hugh Grant via The Fab Life

Mad for GTI plaid

One little treat climbing into a Volkswagen GTI is the plaid seats that greet you when you open the door.  GTI fans can drape themselves in this same plaid with an official VW scarf.

Via ECS Tuning

Kia Soul's hamsters roll out

 Courtesty of automotive.com

Cruising through Santa Barbara in a Kia Soul, I came to a stop where a man pointed to my rental vehicle and shouted to his young son, "Look at the hamster car!"  This got me thinking about the mixed success of the Kia Soul rapping hamster campaign.  Yes, Kia's hamsters are amusing and memorable, but does a company really want consumers associating their car with captive rodents who dwell in tiny cages and eat their young when under stress?  That said, seeing the hamsters at the Twin Cities Auto Show was a treat.  Usually I run through Kia's section, but this year my husband and I took photos and perused at their compact cars.  The 2012 Kia Soul starts at $13,900. Watch Kia's hamsters rock it out here.

Community season III strikes back

Community (NBC) returns on March 15, people!  I play to make like El Tigre and par-tay.

Men in pork pie hats

Bryan Cranston as Heisenberg on AMC's Breaking Bad

Dexter Gordon photographed by Herman Leonard via Jackson Fine Art 

Johnny Depp channeling Charlie Chaplin (and Buster Keaton who also famously wore a pork pie hat) in Benny and Joon (1993) 

Jake Shimabukuro via Second Hand Sounds

Saxophone legend Lester Young

Korean star Yoo Ah In

Your eyes might think it's actor Alan Cummings in a pork pie hat, but it's really Robert Downey Jr..  If you've never seen an actual pork pie, it looks like this.

Sprinkles cupcake ATM

I can just imagine myself pulling up to this machine with an empty laundry basket and a bunch of dollar bills.  Watch the cupcake ATM in action here.

Heath and dogs

Via Tumblr

 Kynan Tait via Flikr

Via Tumblr

Heath Kirchart and his Emerica teammates, Jerry Hsu and Leo Romero, rolled into Minneapolis in the summer of 2011. They did an in-store appearance at a long-running skate shop, signed stuff, and grilled hotdogs. The event was meant for groms, old guys who skated in the 90s, and everybody else except an ajumma, but that didn't stop me from planning to attend. I figured I'd meet Heath in person and bring him some Korean candy (not code for anything other than candy).  The snag was who to take with me--certainly not my husband, maybe a girlfriend.  Giving girlfriends short notice to go to an event they don't completely understand equals a no go.  They were sympathetic, though.  I was so excited telling one of them about it, I called Heath "Keith Hirchart."  With complete sincerity, my girlfriend said, "I'm sorry I can't go with you, but the next time Keith comes to town, we'll be sure to go."