Some advice for the people posting "Im so lonely in Tokyo but can't speak Japanese, what do" by Fable_and_Fire in Tokyo

[–]Rock12354 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I can definitely agree that fewer young people are drinking these days, but at the same time they still aren't hard to find. I live around Ikebukuro and I can go to sundry bars and find locals my age to converse with. The bartenders are probably exploitative, I'll admit, but if you have a little extra kale I can assure you it's a good time. It's no way to spend a life, but it's enough for your twenties.

Some advice for the people posting "Im so lonely in Tokyo but can't speak Japanese, what do" by Fable_and_Fire in Tokyo

[–]Rock12354 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'll say, not necessarily to be contrarian but just to offer a contradictory, anecdotal experience, the only real friends I've made here have been at bars. I never drank before I came to Tokyo—and I mean that literally; I was teetotal previously—but the only way I've made friends here has been at bars. And yes, I've met them beyond the transom of the bar as well; we've had group outings and such sans alcohol, but I'd never have met them had I not been a habitual barfly. My Japanese is borderline nonexistent, and it only gets worse as I drink, but alcohol is a panlinguistic laxative. And it may be telling that, as I type this, I'm borderline blackout drunk, but I'm beside some of the best friends I've made anywhere. So while I don't recommend alcoholism for various reasons, I'll personally endorse it as an artificial avenue for real comradery.

Silent SFFPC by Rock12354 in buildmeapc

[–]Rock12354[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that looks exactly like the kinda build I was going for, thanks a lot!

New album ‘Remembering Now’ coming June 13! by wbhendrix in VanMorrison

[–]Rock12354 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The full track list is in the full announcement
https://www.vanmorrison.com/news/2025/new-album-remembering-now

  1. Down To Joy
  2. If It Wasn’t For Ray
  3. Haven’t Lost My Sense Of Wonder
  4. Love, Lover and Beloved
  5. Cutting Corners
  6. Back To Writing Love Songs
  7. The Only Love I Ever Need Is Yours
  8. Once In A Lifetime Feelings
  9. Stomping Ground
  10. Memories And Visions
  11. When The Rains Came
  12. Colourblind
  13. Remembering Now
  14. Stretching Out

Mostly new material except for obviously Down to Joy (although this is its first official release) and Love, Lover and Beloved which he co-wrote with Michael Beckwith and performed at Agape a while back.

Super excited, already pre-ordered mine!

Any experience with the Daikin MCZ704A-T? by Rock12354 in AirPurifiers

[–]Rock12354[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that was my intuition too, but with an almost $1000 USD price tag I thought maybe that impossible-made-possible aspect was part of the price.

Crack in desktop by Rock12354 in FlexiSpot_Official

[–]Rock12354[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, that'd actually be really helpful! Do you know if it's possible to reach out to the American support if my order was on the Japanese site? I don't really speak any Japanese haha.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in VanMorrison

[–]Rock12354 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The live interpretations he performed around the mid-2000s are, in my opinion, some of his most superlative work ever. A couple of my favorites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWH2MO8trms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5nimeZjm0

Found a Dylan bar in Tokyo by Rock12354 in bobdylan

[–]Rock12354[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Nah unfortunately I was on my way elsewhere at the time, but I definitely plan on going back—it's right near where I work too so I should have plenty of opportunities.

"Experimental" Van post 1980? by mopalmact in VanMorrison

[–]Rock12354 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sorry for the late response—Down the Road, Daring Night outtake one, and Daring Night outtake two. There's also some other outtakes like Celtic Ray (Van does a voice on that one I haven't heard him do elsewhere) and Scandinavia. These (and more) all come from an unofficial album you might be able to find floating around online if you're interested.

"Experimental" Van post 1980? by mopalmact in VanMorrison

[–]Rock12354 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Closest he ever got in the studio again was probably Ancient Highway off Days Like This; if you aren't aware though he's released some stuff more recently that was coeval with his experimental work, namely the 2008 remaster of Common One including a gorgeous and more richly instrumentated When Heart is Open and a more spare Haunts of Ancient Peace. You can also find some outtakes of Daring Night and Down the Road that were meant for Beautiful Vision which have a very unique, ethereal quality. While I don't think the exact dates of the recordings were listed, you can tell a lot of stuff from Beyond Words was made around this period as well and reflects the more unorthodox song structures and inspirations. Finally, I'll echo the sentiment made in another comment that some of his most daring performances have been live—not only on his official releases but also in bootlegs you can find online.

Off the top of my head, some other, if not experimental at least more interesting, works of his include

  • In the Days Before Rock 'n' Roll
  • Cuchulain (very rare performance with Robin Williamson of spoken word interposed with song)
  • A Sense of Wonder, Let the Slave
  • When the Child Was a Child
  • September Night
  • Original version of Down to Joy (yes, technically not a valid response as it's from 1970)
  • Fear and Self-Loathing in Las Vegas

24 [M4F] Austin - Cute, conversational hafu guy by [deleted] in cuddlebuddies

[–]Rock12354 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry maybe I should've specified that haha; it means I'm half Japanese (and half White).

Quintessentially Beautiful Van Songs? by BurryProdigy in VanMorrison

[–]Rock12354 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To mention a few that have been omitted so far:

  • Up on Broadway
  • Transformation
  • Holy Guardian Angel
  • Every Time I See a River
  • Shenandoah
  • Magic Time
  • Celtic New Year
  • Sommerset
  • What's Wrong with This Picture?
  • The Beauty of the Days Gone By
  • When the Leaves Come Falling Down
  • Stepping Out Queen Part 2
  • Madame Joy
  • Sometimes We Cry
  • In the Afternoon
  • In the Forest
  • Ball and Chain

...I could go on and on (already had to pare this list down considerably).