Watch this video. Guaranteed to make you chuckle. The beauty is that the thing is totally serious. The U.S. is quite a dangerous place when compared to Japan, which is why “training” videos likes these are needed.

Here’s a little extra something for you guys. I’m not gonna give you any hints. I want it to be a surprise.

I have recently become a big Christopher Hitchens fan. While I may not agree with many of his political tendencies, I find him a refreshing voice in today’s world of socio-political commentary. Here’s a guy that is willing to take a position, no matter how contrarian, and stand up for what he believes in a very articulate and intelligent way. His latest book, God Is Not Great, is right up my alley and is a very insightful and informed take on the perils of organized religion in society. He also routinely writes for Vanity Fair and Slate, which I recommend highly for anyone interested in testing his style. Better yet, check out his website for links to various articles. He’s kind of a grumpy snob, but something about him is quite endearing. Maybe it’s his rejection of all things church, his “I don’t give a f*@k” attitude, or his penchant for drink. He is what he is and I love it. Below are some YouTube clips of recent interviews that he’s done.

1. On the death of Jerry Falwell

2. Discussing his new book with Anderson Cooper

3. Debating Sean Hannity on religion

4. Discussing his new book with Lou Dobbs

This is one of the funnier things I’ve seen in a while. I implore you to stop what you are doing and take a few minutes out of your day to experience the wonders of Yatta. It’s just fantastic. Watch this video and then read this explainer on Wikipedia. I give you the Eddy Guarantee that you will not be disappointed. In fact, your life will be enrichened in immeasurable ways as a result of this introduction to the wonderful world of Happa-tai, which translates to “Leaf Squad”. These guys are the best.

One of the great lesser-known benefits of living in Japan is the abundance of national holidays. This past week was what the Japanese refer to as Golden Week, which is comprised of three days off from work. This was certainly a welcome break, so I was quite happy to embrace the resting customs of my new homeland. The break started with a three-day weekend last weekend, when we received Monday off in observance of Showa Day (not really sure what this day represents). We then returned to work on Tuesday and Wednesday, but received Thursday and Friday off for Constitution Memorial Day and Greenery Day. Saturday was Children’s Day, but obviously that didn’t matter much to me because I didn’t receive any special time off. Thusly, this holiday is worthless in my eyes, and will remain worthless even when I have little Eddies some day, so long as it continues to fall on a Saturday. Seriously, there should be a universal rule banning the practice of allowing holidays to fall on weekends. What good are they if you don’t get a day off from work?

While many folks take advantage of Golden Week to travel and spend time with family, I had the luxury of getting caught up on some much needed rest. In addition, I was able to pursue so more leisurely interests, including reading a book (Philip Roth’s Everyman, which is quite good), catching up on some sports (watching the Mavs’ dynasty officially come to an end and watching AC Milan completely dismantle Manchester United in the Champs League), watching season four of 24, and reading the last three months’ installments of GQ, Details, Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s and Esquire. Plus, the weather was fantastic, so I did a fair amount of walking around Tokyo. But nothing topped having a chance to relax in my lazy chair with some good literature and being afforded the luxury of falling asleep in the middle of the day. I desperately needed this break, and now feel refreshed and ready to head back to work. The rest of May will certainly be no cakewalk, but at least now I have a nice little vacation to look forward to – Lizzi and I have planned a little R&R in LA in mid-June. In the meantime, it’s back to work. Now that I’m all caught up, I find solace in the fact that I have a few episodes of The Sopranos, Entourage, The Office, etc. waiting for me when I get home. Plus, I’m downloading season five of 24, and I’m dying to know what awaits Jack Bauer in this new season. It’s the little things in life that get me excited now!

You might be wondering what wonderful music is gracing the airwaves in Japan these days. Well, I’m ending the suspense now by including a couple of links to videos that I have no doubt you will enjoy.

This first video is by a little Jawaiian band called Def Tech (pictured). These guys are just awesome. There are two things that I really love about this video. First, the lyrics “when you look in the mirror you see yourself but not the inside” really speaks to me. Deep. Second, I love their little playful antics at the end. Wait, I know, I know. Let’s end the video by trying to trip each other. Yeah!

The next video is of a band called SMAP, which is absolutely huge right now in Japan. The funny thing is they’ve been huge since 1988. Yes, 1-9-8-8. They are a manufactured boy band whose staying power rivals that of Brett Favre. This first video provides you with a nice introduction. I’ve included two more videos for your enjoyment here and here because I find it quite comical that it would appear that a different member of the band is obligated to get all broken up each time they sing this song. Not to mention, how brutal are their voices in this? Just gruesome. By the way, for those of you that couldn’t get enough of Def Tech and SMAP, don’t fret. There happens to be a song that brings the two powerhouses together.

Finally, I wanted to introduce you to Japan’s version of Eminem. You know, the really harmless looking suburbanite that somehow has managed to go all ghetto on us. Kind of like that White Boy character on VH1′s I Love New York (pictured). I realize that I may have been one of just 12 people who actually watched the show, but I found it to be wildly entertaining. White Boy was my favorite character, hands down. He was so gangster while running so far against the stereotype it almost hurt to watch. Here’s this little scrawny white dude talking like a gangbanger, trying to step to guys much bigger and badder than him. Just hilarious. The best part of the show was when New York brought in the guys’ sisters and White Boy’s sister shows up and is totally normal and unaffected. Ha! So much for growing up stuck son! For those of you that would like to follow the continued exploits of Josh Gallander (aka White Boy), feel free to check out his Myspace page. In any event, this video is of a guy that goes by the name of Wise, and he no doubt grew up in the rough and tumble streets of Osaka. Enjoy!

By the way, I take back what I said about Eminem. That dude’s got mad street cred. Mad. Street. Cred.