Collin Donnell
@collin.social
Freelance software developer from Portland Oregon. Specializing in iOS and Ruby on Rails.
Blogger 🖋️ https://collin.blog
Film photographer 📸 https://collin.photo
Songwriter 🎸 https://collin.band
#ruby #rubyonrails #swift #iosdev #filmphotography
Blogger 🖋️ https://collin.blog
Film photographer 📸 https://collin.photo
Songwriter 🎸 https://collin.band
#ruby #rubyonrails #swift #iosdev #filmphotography
I've sold like 8 pieces of recording equipment, but it still feels like there's a lot I need to get rid of. Amps are going next week. A little sad about the Vox because I had found it in my hometown, paid, and my dad went to get it for me until I could come pick it up.
January 6, 2026 at 1:04 AM
I've sold like 8 pieces of recording equipment, but it still feels like there's a lot I need to get rid of. Amps are going next week. A little sad about the Vox because I had found it in my hometown, paid, and my dad went to get it for me until I could come pick it up.
If you ever delete old contacts? I have so many from people I emailed with briefly years ago and some I don't even remember.
January 6, 2026 at 12:56 AM
If you ever delete old contacts? I have so many from people I emailed with briefly years ago and some I don't even remember.
I'm thinking maybe of posting a video of a song a week on YouTube or something? Could be fun and might encourage me to finish songs. Nothing super produced or anything. Just playing live on my guitar.
January 6, 2026 at 12:54 AM
I'm thinking maybe of posting a video of a song a week on YouTube or something? Could be fun and might encourage me to finish songs. Nothing super produced or anything. Just playing live on my guitar.
It's sort of crazy to me how many people at open mics seem to be good singers, songwriters, and guitarists. I feel like each of those are a big task on their own which require continued investment.
January 5, 2026 at 4:04 AM
It's sort of crazy to me how many people at open mics seem to be good singers, songwriters, and guitarists. I feel like each of those are a big task on their own which require continued investment.
Attempting to get through the book "Writing Better Lyrics" once again. My plan this time is to just get through a few pages a day until I hit one of the exercises, do it, and stop. Slow and steady will still finish in under 2 months. Taking it slow might even be better for retention.
January 5, 2026 at 2:25 AM
Attempting to get through the book "Writing Better Lyrics" once again. My plan this time is to just get through a few pages a day until I hit one of the exercises, do it, and stop. Slow and steady will still finish in under 2 months. Taking it slow might even be better for retention.
Attempting to get through the book "Writing Better Lyrics" once again. My plan this time is to just get through a few pages a day until I hit one of the exercises, do it, and stop. Slow and steady will still finish in under 2 months. Taking it slow might even be better for retention.
January 5, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Attempting to get through the book "Writing Better Lyrics" once again. My plan this time is to just get through a few pages a day until I hit one of the exercises, do it, and stop. Slow and steady will still finish in under 2 months. Taking it slow might even be better for retention.
Attempting to get through the book "Writing Better Lyrics" once again. My plan this time is to just get through a few pages a day until I hit one of the exercises, do it, and stop. Slow and steady will still finish in under 2 months. Taking it slow might even be better for retention.
January 5, 2026 at 2:15 AM
Attempting to get through the book "Writing Better Lyrics" once again. My plan this time is to just get through a few pages a day until I hit one of the exercises, do it, and stop. Slow and steady will still finish in under 2 months. Taking it slow might even be better for retention.
It's still kind of crazy for how long it took me to prepare everything for the Visa paperwork that once it was all finally submitted it took less maybe 48 hours or so to be approved.
January 5, 2026 at 2:12 AM
It's still kind of crazy for how long it took me to prepare everything for the Visa paperwork that once it was all finally submitted it took less maybe 48 hours or so to be approved.
Did I ever share that when my older half-brother tried to derogatorily call me "little boy" (I'm 40) my response was "I'm not a little boy! I'm a big boy!" 😂
January 5, 2026 at 2:06 AM
Did I ever share that when my older half-brother tried to derogatorily call me "little boy" (I'm 40) my response was "I'm not a little boy! I'm a big boy!" 😂
If someone doesn't use AirTags because they never misplace their keys or wallet or anything else important, I have to assume they do not have the kind of ADHD I do.
January 4, 2026 at 3:37 AM
If someone doesn't use AirTags because they never misplace their keys or wallet or anything else important, I have to assume they do not have the kind of ADHD I do.
The Costco hotdog and drink combo has been $1.50 since 1984. Longer than I've been alive.
January 4, 2026 at 3:34 AM
The Costco hotdog and drink combo has been $1.50 since 1984. Longer than I've been alive.
I will say that I am not looking forward to a 23 hour flight 😝
January 4, 2026 at 12:18 AM
I will say that I am not looking forward to a 23 hour flight 😝
Less than six weeks, I am going to be living in Australia of all places, taking on a role I've never done before at one of the coolest companies making software for Apple platforms there is. It's absolutely bonkers to think about.
January 4, 2026 at 12:12 AM
Less than six weeks, I am going to be living in Australia of all places, taking on a role I've never done before at one of the coolest companies making software for Apple platforms there is. It's absolutely bonkers to think about.
Something that is going to help me listen to a lot more music is realizing when you play Apple Music on PS5 it replaces the music in the F1 game 😂
January 3, 2026 at 10:46 PM
Something that is going to help me listen to a lot more music is realizing when you play Apple Music on PS5 it replaces the music in the F1 game 😂
I'm getting kind of sick of feeling sort of bad all the time. I didn't realize how bad I would feel for so long. This is with medication and regular therapy. I still feel anxious and sad most days. I got really depressed I won't be able to tell my dad about Australia.
January 2, 2026 at 10:54 PM
I'm getting kind of sick of feeling sort of bad all the time. I didn't realize how bad I would feel for so long. This is with medication and regular therapy. I still feel anxious and sad most days. I got really depressed I won't be able to tell my dad about Australia.
It's hard for me to listen to a crazy amount of music because I'm a very active listener. I have trouble doing anything if there's music playing. Yes, even if I know the song very well or it's instrumental.
January 2, 2026 at 10:20 PM
It's hard for me to listen to a crazy amount of music because I'm a very active listener. I have trouble doing anything if there's music playing. Yes, even if I know the song very well or it's instrumental.
I wanted to start listening to more music once I saw what my Apple Music Replay minutes for 2025 were going to be on Dec 5. I hit 900 in December. Probably would've been 1000 if my Mac had listening history turned on. Not crazy numbers, but I'll take it as a start.
January 2, 2026 at 10:14 PM
I wanted to start listening to more music once I saw what my Apple Music Replay minutes for 2025 were going to be on Dec 5. I hit 900 in December. Probably would've been 1000 if my Mac had listening history turned on. Not crazy numbers, but I'll take it as a start.
I haven't done the procedure yet, but I just learned there is a flame sensor in your furnace that needs to be cleaned. Every show often. Apparently, if the heat goes out for no obvious reason, it is by far the most common cause and a very easy fix.
January 2, 2026 at 2:32 AM
I haven't done the procedure yet, but I just learned there is a flame sensor in your furnace that needs to be cleaned. Every show often. Apparently, if the heat goes out for no obvious reason, it is by far the most common cause and a very easy fix.
Just found out you can set auto-decline and auto-accept percentages for offers when selling gear on Reverb. That should get rid of a lot of spam.
January 1, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Just found out you can set auto-decline and auto-accept percentages for offers when selling gear on Reverb. That should get rid of a lot of spam.
New years bullet journal is set up! Going with a pocket sized notebook, at least to start. I'm figuring I could do a pocket notebook for personal and a full sized I keep at work when I start.
January 1, 2026 at 2:01 AM
New years bullet journal is set up! Going with a pocket sized notebook, at least to start. I'm figuring I could do a pocket notebook for personal and a full sized I keep at work when I start.
If you were going to recommend one book on engineering management or leadership, what would it be?
December 31, 2025 at 1:21 AM
If you were going to recommend one book on engineering management or leadership, what would it be?
I haven't had time to research it, but was I right when I said these companies who promoted zero-carbon goals and then went hard on AI would just stop talking about them? I guess the alternative is they report their numbers in a way which doesn't account for some or all of those emissions.
December 30, 2025 at 7:14 AM
I haven't had time to research it, but was I right when I said these companies who promoted zero-carbon goals and then went hard on AI would just stop talking about them? I guess the alternative is they report their numbers in a way which doesn't account for some or all of those emissions.
This season of Stranger Things is fairly entertaining, but I am over the pop culture/D&D speak. Whenever they explain something with a pop culture analogy, which would've been easier to understand if said plainly, the purpose of the analogy is defeated.
December 30, 2025 at 7:09 AM
This season of Stranger Things is fairly entertaining, but I am over the pop culture/D&D speak. Whenever they explain something with a pop culture analogy, which would've been easier to understand if said plainly, the purpose of the analogy is defeated.
Any recommendations for Australian banks with good support for sending money to a US bank account without it being too costly?
December 30, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Any recommendations for Australian banks with good support for sending money to a US bank account without it being too costly?
The United States really knocked it out of the park when we came up with the combination of tying healthcare to jobs and letting your employer fire you without cause.
December 29, 2025 at 2:04 AM
The United States really knocked it out of the park when we came up with the combination of tying healthcare to jobs and letting your employer fire you without cause.