what's the meaning of life ?

Debate on Leonard Cohen's poetry (and novels), both published and unpublished. Song lyrics may also be discussed here.
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lizzytysh
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Post by lizzytysh »

Dear Helven ~

I've already PM'd you, but I would love to trade our loves, if you have any of his yourself, and have recording capabilities. I'm still working on mine. However, I have some of Jacques Brel, as well as a lot of Leonard.

I love the way you are gloriously remaining here ~ :D 8) !!!

Love,
Elizabeth
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Paula
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Post by Paula »

I'm not sure there is a meaning to life. You are born, you live, you die it just happens.

In the words of Rene Descartes "I think therefore I am" I don't know if it more complex than that. I think the world revolves and people are and there is no rhyme or reason for it.
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Kush
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Post by Kush »

Helven....J. Brel was a Belgian who wrote and performed in French and was known for irony and witty satire of his compositions. I see the connection...I guess I had read an article about Vysotsky somewhere and the name stuck. Thanks very much for the link....your last post was the first time that I actually read a composition by him.

Paula...I saw a T-shirt (or picture of a T-shirt - can't remember) one time that read
"I don't, therefore I'm probably not"

Meaning of life - if you go over and add up all the posts on this thread we may get a little closer to it. :)
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Coco
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Post by Coco »

Hi Helven,

Thanks for posting this wonderful ballad! :) I have never heard of Vysotsky either but what a wonderful poet! Do you know if he has covered any of Leonard's songs. And Lizzytysh is so right again. Be brave!
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Helven
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Post by Helven »

Dear Everyone,

Thank you very much! :D

Elizabeth, Kush, I think I’ll like J. Brel! I’ll try to find a way to hear him.

Paula, in fact, I agree with you. There’s no meaning of life itself. There’s only that intention of human mind which makes it look for the meaning in everything including its own existence. It just seems to me… :roll:

Coco, I’m afraid Vysotsky had never heard of Leonard. :( But I may be wrong. But, at least, there’s one thing I know exactly – he could tell to LC what “they meant” repeating “repent” (there’s one song of him where he repeats “I repent”).
I've finally found myself! But that turned out to be a completely different person.
/contemporary saying/
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Byron
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Post by Byron »

Paula, I prefer "I sigh, therefore I am." Forget the mind, feel the heart. :cry:
"Bipolar is a roller-coaster ride without a seat belt. One day you're flying with the fireworks; for the next month you're being scraped off the trolley" I said that.
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Paula
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Post by Paula »

Helven - I agree with you I think we would all feel pretty unimportant if we really thought there was no meaning to life so we try to think of a reason for our existence. I really don't think there is a "reason" we just evolved into thinking beings and began to question what our purpose was.

Kush I love that t-shirt saying I wish I could have one for work.

Byron I am afraid my head rules my heart and not the other way round. The luck of the draw I suppose.
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Helven
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Post by Helven »

Paula wrote:we would all feel pretty unimportant if we really thought there was no meaning to life so we try to think of a reason for our existence.
Yes! Exactly!
I've finally found myself! But that turned out to be a completely different person.
/contemporary saying/
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lightning
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Helven's interest in Brel

Post by lightning »

Helven, If you go to the American Amazon site look for the Brel list by Kristiina Merilahti of Finland. She will describe each album for you and you can decide what to buy. A new 2CD set was just issued featuring 5 formerly unpublished songs in honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. It is called "Infiniment" a word that Jacques, who liked to take things beyond their limits, liked to use. I can't imagine a better "best of Jacques Brel" although he wrote so many good songs it's hard to choose. If you have any other questions about Jacky I might be able to answer them.
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elazar
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Post by elazar »

i'd like to suggest a phenomenal book.leo tolstoys last work,called "a calendar of wisdom".its a collection from everywhere you can imagine,including his own stuff.theres a great english addition.

A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul Written and Selected from the World's Sacred Texts
by Leo Tolstoy

From the Publisher, Simon & Schuster

This is the first-ever English-language edition of the book Leo Tolstoy considered to be his most important contribution to humanity, the work of his life's last years. Widely read in prerevolutionary Russia, banned and forgotten under Communism; and recently rediscovered to great excitement, A Calendar of Wisdom is a day-by-day guide that illuminates the path of a life worth living with a brightness undimmed by time. Unjustly censored for nearly a century, it deserves to be placed with the few books in our history that will never cease teaching us the essence of what is important in this world.

some other works of tolstoy: "where love is,there G-d is also","devine and human","the kingdom of G-d is within you".
there is more.
Ghandi liked him.

salut,
elazar
breathe deep and live
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lizzytysh
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Post by lizzytysh »

Helven ~ Lightning is definitely the one to go to with any questions about Brel. She knows a lot about him!

Elazar ~ What a find that book sounds to be! Unbelievable, the censorship ordeals throughout the centuries.

~ Lizzy
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Helven
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Post by Helven »

Lightning, thank you very much for the information. I’ll certainly go to that site. And – thanks for your offering to apply for the further information to you. I haven’t any questions for the present - it’s necessary to know something in order to be able to put a question! – but anyway, thanks for the offering.

Elazar, thank you. Actually, I’ve read very few of Tolstoy’s last works – and they were, really, pre-revolutionary editions. Yes, he was very wise man. There is a kind of that “simple wisdom” in his last works I like so much. And my favourite of him – I’m not original, unfortunately! – is Anna Karenina. It’s this thing that is well-known in the West, I suppose. At least, so far as I know there was even one old film (English? American?) with Vivienne Lee (spelling?). But the book is something unbelievable. It shows what a great psychologist was Tolstoy, as well. All the slightest motions of a soul are described there with such a precision! And what is the most amazing - the motions of a woman’s soul! And, so far as I’m concerned, I think it’s a book that can be read and re-read again and again. Growing elder one can always find something new there. At least, it was my own experience. I read Karenina several times and each time it seemed to me I held in my hands the absolutely new book!
I've finally found myself! But that turned out to be a completely different person.
/contemporary saying/
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margaret
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Post by margaret »

I'm looking forward to getting the new Jacques Brel compilation album "Infiniment " as a Christmas present :D It sounds like something I 'll enjoy.
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Makera
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Post by Makera »

Helven~
Wow, with a 'book review' and recommendation like that, Tanya, I must read Anna Karenina now!

Elazar~
Thank you for your recommendation of Tolstoy's 'A Calendar of Wisdom' - sounds great. :D

~Makera
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Helven
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Post by Helven »

Aha! I’ve found that list by Kristiina Merilahti. [Though, I must say I definitely prefer to order CD-s in our local I-net shops :roll: !] I’ve found also several texts of J. Brel’s songs and only one of them was in English. And so far as I can see there are no Russian translations of them. Are there English ones? Lightning? Anybody? I don’t speak French (“Messieurs, je ne manger pas six jours” is the top of my attainments :lol: ), but I’d like to understand what the matter concerns.

Hi Gennelle/Makera,
Oh, I should become a publicity agent! :lol:
[Hmm, I’m lucky - you live so far! Tolstoy is soooooo boring at times – you’d, probably, kill me with that very book! :lol: ]
I've finally found myself! But that turned out to be a completely different person.
/contemporary saying/
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