On A Meaningful Life

I noticed two interesting articles recently. The first was the NY Times magazine piece about the heavy metal band Metallica. They decided to record their passage through therapy. There is a scene midway through the documentary ''Some Kind of Monster'' that defines the film's vision; it's arguably the movie's most emotional moment and certainly its most archetypal. We see the rock group Metallica -- commercially the biggest heavy-metal success in history -- sitting around a table with a therapist, trying to establish how the band will finish recording its next album. The process has already been complicated by the departure of the bassist and by the drinking problem of the lead singer, James Hetfield, who has just returned to the band after a lengthy stint in rehab. Fifteen years ago, Metallica drank so much that it was referred to by fans as Alcoholica, and the band members all thought that was hilarious. But now things are different. Now Hetfield can wo