CollyLogic | Simon Collison's Illogical Waffle

Ágætis Byrjun

9th January 2008

Eight years ago, I spent the Millennium Eve week in a tiny chocolate-box house by the lake in Reykjavik’s old town. I’d just split from my Icelandic girlfriend (Hi Erla) of two years, and I was down. Really down. We were getting on though (still do), working stuff out, and she gave me an album by a band I’d never heard of called Sigur Rós (about whom I’ve written many, many times). This was some time before most folks in the UK had heard of them.

#723 | 09/01/08 | Music Personal Travels | More >

Two years on, here’s another rant about the state of blogging

6th January 2008

Have you noticed how many of us who have been blogging for a long time are gradually doing a whole lot less of it? I have, and I totally understand. Four or so years ago I was banging out bonkers CSS techniques and flagging up obscure deficiencies and vulnerabilities in existing processes relating to the web industry, but also writing film, music and gig reviews, waffling about climbing mountains or places I’d visited, and innumerable other stuff you could take or leave. For at least two years I loved it, but now my enthusiasm for blogging is on the wane.

#722 | 06/01/08 | Personal Web stuff | More >

Goodbye Pixelsurgeon

24th November 2007

A friend of seven years is no more. At times it was the best site on the interwebs. More recently it’s contributors were too stretched to keep on top of it. Yet always it was fun, full-on and fucking brilliant.

Pixelsurgeon is dead

Sadly now, Pixelsurgeon is dead, and I for one will miss it. Huge respect to our friends Jason Arber and Richard May (now doing great things with Wyld Stallyons) and also Sam Gilbey (who I don’t think I ever met) for making the brave decision to let it burn out rather than fade away.

Regrets, I’ve had a few…

#717 | 24/11/07 | Culture Personal Web stuff | More >

I finally own the house that I have lived in since 2003

25th June 2007

I’ve just returned from my first week off since Summer 2006. I turned off the wifi, closed the email and didn’t open Safari once. I’d aimed to completely bury the laptop for the whole week, but then I realised that just about every new album I’ve acquired since 2004 is digital, and modern man cannot live without iTunes. Still, I had a rest, which is just as well as I was about ready to collapse through over-work. All in all I had a good, but mixed week, and close friends will know what I’m referring to there.

Anyway, last Friday I finally received confirmation that I now own the wonderful house that I have lived in for the last four and a half years. Buying a house in the UK is not an easy process, so I’m thrilled, even if it has taken an exhausting six months.

I bought the house from my good friends Si and Cass (that was the easy bit), but not so easy was securing a pretty large mortgage owing to my chequered personal borrowing history. I should therefore mention that it would not have been possible without my incredible mortgage advisor. Quite simply, if you are ever, ever, ever considering getting a mortgage, email me and I will put you in contact with this guy… he is a genius - and cheap! I’m even gonna build him a website for free - he’s that good.

Shame the weather was so dull when I took the photograph below, but then it has rained every day here for weeks. Bah! So, my house is now my home. I’ve a huge amount of work to do on the place, and due to the hectic state of Erskine Design, it’ll probably take a few years, but I’ll get there (maybe I’ll use Basecamp). Hey, at least my garden is in full bloom.

#701 | 25/06/07 | Personal | More >

Goodnight, Grandad

15th April 2007

Stanley Samuel Collison, 3rd October 1913 - 15th April 2007.

Stanley Samuel Collison

Few had such an historically significant and eventful war as you. I’ll miss the stories about The Battle of El Alamain and your role on the Eighth Army campaigns. I’ll miss you telling me about looking after Winston Churchill (who you didn’t like) and later liberating Rome (not single-handedly, of couse, but with the Royal Irish Fusiliers).

You won the African Star, and you won the Egyptian Star. You never collected your medals. A General commandeered the motorbike you’d kept throughout the African campaign, and you never forgave him.

I’ll miss your love of Italy and Sicily, your consistency at picking Grand National winners, your baseball caps, your homemade chips, your garden… your very, very dry wit.

Rest in peace, Grandad…

#694 | 15/04/07 | Personal | More >

Dad, I’m thinking of you

16th January 2007

Lee, my great friend of 28 years has just sent me this scan detailing the origins of my family name. He’s offered to trace the Collison family tree as a gift to my long-suffering Dad who is seriously ill.

Origins of Collison

Something simple, but it has stopped me in my tracks. Here I am working every available hour, sleeping little, stressing lots, and yet I keep thinking about my Dad. Forgive me readers, but I had to punctuate my day with a quick post in his honour. Love you, Dad. Good luck tomorrow…

#678 | 16/01/07 | Personal | More >

Merry Christmas Everyone!

22nd December 2006

Bear-Face (the cat) and I would like to wish all readers, friends and clients the warmest and fuzziest of seasonal greetings. It has been a tough year in many respects, but the hard work has been worth it, and it is finally time for a few days of rest.

Colly and Bear-Face by Jon Burgerman

I’ll sign off from another year with this lovely portrait by my esteemed pen-wielding friend Mr. Burgerman. I was going to post one of those year-in-review thingummies, but my office time has been cut short today, so I’ll do a personal overview - and also a Music Yearly next week. Merry Christmas one and all. Be excellent to each other…

#675 | 22/12/06 | Personal | More >

Great Expectations

28th September 2006

There are a few things I’d love to write about, but can’t - not until Monday. So, for now I’ll share something very personal.

Here are the lyrics to a song about a man who imagines he’s married his girlfriend on a nightbus. This song reflects where my head is at right now, on many levels. This may not be what you assume. I’d tell you who the song is by, but then it wouldn’t be mine any more…

#641 | 28/09/06 | Music Personal | More >

What really matters…

24th July 2006

I found myself again over the weekend. It took 400 driven miles, 15 walked miles, 2000 feet of ascent and my two best friends to track me down, but I’m delighted to announce that I’m back.