Cover artwork for Disturbed's "Land of Confusion" single. Image via Reprise. "In the morning when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present: I am rising to the work of a human being." -Marcus Aurelius The fourth single from Disturbed's Ten Thousand Fists was their cover of Genesis' "Land of Confusion." Originally, Genesis wrote the … Continue reading Land of Confusion
Tag: writing
The Open Door
Album artwork for The Open Door. Image via Wind-Up. "Become who you are." -Nietzsche If you're one of the six or seven people reading this blog on the reg, you probably know that I'm a big fan of nu-metal bands. Korn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Disturbed on their good days, and so … Continue reading The Open Door
Discourses and Selected Writings
Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus (trans. Robert Dobbin) Penguin (29 September 2008) Amazon A primer on the principles of happiness, freedom, and living in accordance with nature, the Discourses of Epictetus is seen as a foundational text on Stoicism, cited by people from all walks of life. There is a saying, the right book … Continue reading Discourses and Selected Writings
The Paramour Sessions
Album cover for The Paramour Sessions. Image via Geffen. "Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. … Continue reading The Paramour Sessions
Hole in the Earth
Cover artwork for the "Hole in the Earth" single. Image via Maverick. "Difficulty is what wakes up the genius." -Nassim Taleb "Hole in the Earth" was the lead single from the Deftones' fifth album, Saturday Night Wrist. Released in September of 2006, it charted nicely enough, peaking at numbers eighteen and nineteen on the Billboard … Continue reading Hole in the Earth
Call Me When You’re Sober
Terry Balsamo and Amy Lee of Evanescence, as the band performed at Z100's Jingle Ball 2006. Image via Wind-Up Records. "How much more harmful are the consequences of anger and grief than the circumstances that aroused them in us!" -Marcus Aurelius "Call Me When You're Sober" was the lead single from Evanescence's second album, The … Continue reading Call Me When You’re Sober
Phobia
Cover artwork for Phobia. Image via Hollywood Records. "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." -Michel de Montaigne Breaking Benjamin's third album, Phobia, elevated the band from a promising grunge-revivalist combo to one of hard rock's biggest … Continue reading Phobia
Nature and Selected Essays
Nature and Selected Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson Penguin (5 December 2003) Amazon If you enjoy reading the essays of Seneca and Montaigne, then Ralph Waldo Emerson works nicely as a next step. He complements them while setting his works apart in a uniquely American way. I am referring to an emphasis on drive and … Continue reading Nature and Selected Essays
The Book of Dead Philosophers
The Book of Dead Philosophers by Simon Critchley Knopf Doubleday (10 February 2009) Amazon I wish we had this book when I studied philosophy during my VCE and undergrad years. The ones assigned -- aside from all the photocopied extracts of Plato and Nietzsche -- I'd honestly forgotten until I was drafting this post. Sophie's … Continue reading The Book of Dead Philosophers
King of All Excuses
Front cover for the "King of All Excuses" single. Image via Elektra Records. "Everyone is lying -- about what they make, about how confident they feel, about how hard they work, about how well things are going. Stop comparing yourself to these lies. Stop thinking about them at all." -Ryan Holiday The fourth and final … Continue reading King of All Excuses
