August 16, 2005

• I have a second bedroom that's going unused -- he can come live with me. He can do the cooking and all that, I'll support us both. He can score lots of pretty blondes, and I'll get to see them walking out of the shower. It could work. Seriously.
• Bet he's sorry for being miserable when he was loaded. Should have just waited.
• He says his savings have been reduced to about $150,000. Poor guy. (Please don't think me harsh. I love me some Leonard as much as the next guy, but...)
• He's a poet? I thought he was a troubadour.
• Let me know when he's selling stuff on ebay to pay his bills like I am and I'll sympathize with him...
• I don't care if I have two dollars in the bank or two billion: I will never give any financial adviser or manager signing authority. They can advise and manage all they want, but if they need to do something so quickly that I can't be contacted for a discussion before I authorize it, it's suspect. Another thing I'd do is hire a lawyer and an auditor who neither know each other nor my financial manager to make sure things are up and up. Not covering one's ass (or assets) is a short route to seeing $150k show up when you expect to see $5M. That said, I have a couch and a small home recording studio, should he call me and ask for the use of either.
• As much as I like old Leonard, I have to echo the sentiment of both jccalhoun and layne, lady layne: since when is $150K considered "broke?" Yes, it's a far cry from what he thought he had but certainly doesn't define "broke" in my book.
• Leonard! That cheating fuck owes me $150K!! Let me know if you see him, I want to talk to him.
• Book him on "The Surreal Life".
• Hey, I bought his last album, so it ain't my fault. (frankly, he owes me money for that one.) Spoken as an ardent fan of the rest of his discography, by the way.
• I don't care if I have two dollars in the bank or two billion: I will never give any financial adviser or manager signing authority. They can advise and manage all they want, but if they need to do something so quickly that I can't be contacted for a discussion before I authorize it, it's suspect. Yeah. I mean, I know it's good for non-mainstream musicians to claim to be magnificently unaware of popular culture, but, after years of True Hollywood Stories, how the hell can anyone thing that this would be a good idea?
• I want to try this 1982 Chateau LaTour. I'd even take the third-label stuff. If anyone has a bottle, please send it to me "stat!", as the actors in the TV medical dramas say.
• My guess is, when it comes to (ex)rich motherfuckers like Cohen, you've got a lot of unavoidable outgoings - mortgages, taxes, etc - that make $150 grand in the bank neither here nor there. Even if he is being a little bit precious, I am prepared to forgive anything from the guy that wrote Famous Blue Raincoat.
• Legal fees alone will probably burn that 150 grand up faster than a crackhead in a...crack...factory. King of Similes, I'll be here all night.
• How much monthly income can you reasonably make on the interest? Just curious.
• rolypolyman: Depends on how much you want to inflation proof your savings. Maybe 5% gross, so say $7,500 p.a., before tax, if you don't compensate for inflation. You can get higher returns with higher risk investments, of course. Or lose the lot. Given the guy effectively gave someone else all his money and hoped they'd do the right thing, he's obviously not very risk averse.
• Time to head to back Mt. Baldy, perhaps.
• Oh, yeah, what Capt. Renault said.
• He still has two houses. I only know his Montreal house, which has a red door (we frequent the same paint shop) and isn't particularly small. Since he could live in one house (really, most people do it) he could sell one of them and then he probably has a bit more than 150 K (is that in US or Canadian dollars, BTW?)
• Even Catherine Tekakwitha couldn't take it with her, 'beautiful losers' are we all.
• Oh, wowee, he still has two houses and 150k. That aint broke.
• Ok, I'll bite. Who is Leonard Cohen?
• I remember an interview with him (in Esquire? GQ?) where he was talking about how he didn't care how his songs were produced, since he was gettin' paid and fuckin' Rebecca DeMornay. Think he cares now?
• Well, js, he may be on the streets tricking for crack, but he will still have those de Memories of de Mornay's de Mammaries. So, in a sense, he still wins.
• mare -- red door? Really? It was grey when I lived there, and still grey when I last visited in the spring. 28 Square Vallieres. Which place are you talking about?
• I just don't get it. He still gets songwriting royalties, his backlog of albums are still selling, and he probably owns more properties than just two houses. AND he qualifies for CPP, which will be completely tapped out by the time I'm 65. Frankly monkeys, I'm broke. And I can play a mean version of 'Tower of Song. Make your cheques out to...
• Still owns the house on Ydra. I wouldn't mind buying that off him.
• Wow, if someone ever steals most of my savings, I hope I'll be middle class enough to elicit some sympathy.
• Hi, my name is Mr. Leonard Cohen. I am a former singer who just recently discovered $150,000 US in a hidden bank account. In order to claim this money, please send $1000 dollars to [email protected]. $150,000 isn't broke. In fact, that's pretty well off by my standards.
• If Willie Nelson can pull through, so can he.
• lol Zanshin and Drivingmnuts. Here is the full down and dirty details . Read 'em and find out that: * the $150K isn't going to cover legal expenses or his huge tax bill! * how his business manager is a serious nut job! * how he f*cked (literally) said manager and now she's doing it to him! * add a tantric sex contest! * discover his interior design secrets! * Tibetan Buddhism means you can still be seriously f*cked! * why I am even wasting my time posting this sh*t! Read any good books lately?
• Thanks for the link, SB -- it makes a lot more sense now.
• Wow, if someone ever steals most of my savings, I hope I'll be middle class enough to elicit some sympathy. I think it depends on how it happens. From reading the story, it looks like Cohen was asleep at the switch after hiring a nut-job to take care of his $.
• Nut job? Just because you ask the guy who's suing you to enter into a Tantric Sex competition? What? (I entered a Tantric Sex competition once -- I came first.)
• One of my brushes with fame is a Leonard Cohen story. I was cutting a music video for him that his daughter shot on her digital canon elf in movie mode. They (she and her dad) were never cheap, but were a bit more concerned about $$$ that I am used to, so we worked out a deal. After a fair bit of work converting the files into something that would work on Final Cut Pro, I synched all the individual clips and put them into a time that she could cut from herself on her iBook. We traded my work for the use of her giant Dodge pickup truck that I used to move a beautiful Gaffer's and Stattler 1940's stove into my apartment. Leo is one of my favorite songwriter/performers and I am sorry to hear about this loss. He and his daughter were quite charming and everytime I use my stove I think of them.
• Wow, squid. That kicks the ass of my Leonard Cohen story. I just met him at Irving Layton's 85th birthday party.
• this confuses me a little bit...as a buddhist shouldnt you comfortably let it go?
• Buddhism is a practice, not a goal. I'm pretty sure Leo has been able to use his buddhist practice to help him in this unexpected loss. What makes you think that he hasn't?
• In StoryBored's link, he mentions he had planned to walk away and start over when he thought he was just broke. When he realized the government claimed he owed them millions in back taxes, I presume he realized this would be the best way to stay out of prison.
• Leonard wins 9 mil default judgement. Doubts as to if he can collect. But at least this will help keep him out of jail.