Welcome and thank you for visiting my site. My name is Matthew and I am from Australia, but reside in Bogota, Colombia.
I have no aim or subject matter by which I decided to develop this blog. I thought I could occupy my time by writing about stuff. A journal of comings and goings, splishes and splashes of musings, none which should make the least bit difference except fill the void.
I just want ‘to be‘. I recently quoted ‘Wikipedia’ about existentialism in a book review of the The Stranger by Albert Camus: ‘The most important consideration for the individual is the fact that he or she is an individual—an independently acting and responsible, conscious being (“existence”)—rather than what labels, roles, stereotypes, definitions, or other preconceived categories the individual fits (“essence”)‘.
I believe by writing this blog it is a reminder to myself – that yes I am still an individual in the existential meaning of the word. Everything else is an afterthought.
Related Articles:
1. Camus’s Stranger: Hero or Sociopath – shakemyheadhollow (Gary Gautier)
2. What is natural? Thoughts about The Stranger by Albert Camus
3. Book Report: The Stranger
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Hi Matthew! Like your blog! Thanks for coming over and giving me a follow too, much appreciated, have a great day!
Thanks Steve for sending me your kind message. I’m looking forward to reading more from your blog. Cheers!
Hey Matthew. Glad we found each other’s blog. You might like my entry on “The Stranger,” which of my Camus-based friends find a little contentious 🙂
https://shakemyheadhollow.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/camuss-stranger-hero-or-sociopath/
I’m honored you shared your wonderfully insightful article with me. As you probably gleaned from my short description here, that I am in absolute agreement with your argument about the futility of labeling Meursault this or that. If you don’t mind, I would like to link your post to this page because it encapsulates so comprehensively what I was implying by referencing ‘The Stranger’ to describe my intent of writing this blog.
Sure, Matthew. The honor is mutual. Use it as you like!
Thanks for dropping in MK. After a quick peek at your takes, I see Paris Texas and there’s some common ground right off the bat. Later. CB
Hi CB, I saw your message on Hanspostcards post ‘I love LA’ and I was curious to check out your blog. You have lots of great content there. I like your ‘Take Shelter’ review. Cheers
We don’t take ourselves to seriously around here. It’s just about what we dig music/film wise. Simple as that. Some good conversation on the different takes. Met some very cool people with a variety of personal experiences with music and film. It’s fun.
Have you seen ‘Take shelter’? I’ll pop over in the next while and drop a few comment. ‘Paris Texas’ might be a good place to start.
I can tell from the content in our blogs we’ll have lots of things to talk about. Yeh I saw ‘Take Shelter’ a few years back. Loved it buddy.
One of those under the radar films I love.
Same here. Yeh I have a friday’s-finest feature movie for under the radar films.
Much props, Matthew. You are a fine writer and a gentlemanly scholar. You write about Bobby Fischer, Carmen, Camus…I’ve heard of them; I know a short, predestine paragraph about Fischer and Carmen…For instance I know Carmen is an opera…
Seriously. I enjoy your blog very much. I would comment more often but I don’t want to bullshit my way through things I know so little about. I do know good writing when I see it and you’re good. Very good.
See right there? Case in point I meant pedestrian.
Thank you so much for your encouraging comments. It makes it all worthwhile. I know relatively little about those great works and artists I write about. I act mainly as a portal referring what I find interesting information and that’s that. I was just telling bad finger (Max) the other day how much I admired your writing when he told me how much he loved your description of Lala Land.
Been swamped at school. Just wanted to say I really enjoyed Monos. What an ambiguous Lord of the Flies hybrid that kept you guessing the entire movie! Stunning to look at too! Thanks for the rec!
I appreciate you getting back to me about ‘Monos’ and I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m perplexed why it didn’t make the shortlist (of 10) for the Oscars. I thought it was a film that deserved much wider appraisal…Hmm.
I hope all goes well at school. Cheers.
Totally agree – a unique gem that no one has heard of or kept an open mind for. Thank you and best to you as well!
That about puts the final nail into the Oscars coffin, for me at least. Even the BBC and Guardian were singing this movie’s praises and how it should not to be missed. Even ‘Pain and Glory’ which has a stellar Antonio Banderas performance wasn’t nearly as captivating or brazen as Monos is. I’m at a loss.
[…] up in a “It was a dark and stormy night…and I needed a cigarette–bad,” engaging style, Observation Blogger, whose eclectic topics run from music to philosophy to literature and beyond, Comics Grinder, an […]
Haven’t heard beep from you since a day or six Matthew – so hope things are going okay for you in Bogota. I’m missing your daily feeds!
It would seem you aren’t getting all the replied-to messages Bruce.
That was so nice to receive your very kind message here about my posts. Last year I couldn’t write the posts fast enough, this year I have found myself taking a step back….
Sometimes Mother’s knows best:
‘You have fads Matthew!’ Haha
Otherwise, all is good here Bruce. Just coasting along in quarantine. I fear Colombia like the Philippines will overdo the reaction if it hasn’t done already. But the circumstances here are very different and the lock-down more severe, but unlike what occurred in AUS and NZ unfortunately the curve isn’t flattening.
So I remain neutral on the matter because if they did a free for all who knows if Bogota would become the New York of South America. Even then I’m not sure if that would be worse than a severe influenza season.
How are you getting along in that sweet little Shire of yours? I hope this message finds you and your family in good health.
I understand mother’s observation about fads. Mine said: Stop acting like a bull at a gate. All’s well in the shire!