Believe it or not, other things went on in the world this week besides the US presidential elections. As it looks right now, I will likely be able to make this same statement next week as well. In looking back at my notes for the week there were other things that went on that had nothing to do with voting.

Ok I Lied – My cousin’s father-in-law voted this week in New York City. Why is that such a big deal? He is 99, and turns 100 soon. He also fended off that nasty virus that is shutting down the world. There’s also more awesome stories about him I swore not to repeat! And likely there will be more for years to come.

Ok I Lied Again – In passing my oldest kiddo said to me, “Dad, did I tell you I am on Student Council?” I was caught off-guard and was equally thrilled and inquisitive, asking her about the election, especially as she has done “virtual learning” all school year. Apparently there was no election, and if anyone was interested they simply clicked a button to join it. Not quite my middle-school Student Council election experience. Now to ask her about her platform.

Projects Come and Go – In his latest email newsletter on one-page Web sites, Rob Hope mentioned about his Project Graveyard where he lists projects he has worked on in the past and are no longer with him, or us for that matter. This triggered me to come up with my own list, which at first pass is at 8 with an additional one on life-support. As it’s good to celebrate our successes and failures, I will keep this list going and will eventually publish it.

An Oasis of Ideas – Speaking of newsletters, veteran tech journalist and co-host of the No Agenda Show John C. Dvorak has launched one called The Oasis. He describes the newsletter as covering politics, technology and world affairs. I subscribed.

Good Coffee, Troubling App – At some point recently Starbucks changed the functionality of their mobile app when it comes to adding additional gift card balances. And changed for the worse. As I haven’t added a card in a while, my guess it was timed around recent functionality to use other payment methods. I was literally lost in adding another gift card’s balance to my main card. I don’t know how I was able to add it, but I did, and I don’t look forward to the next time I try to add a card.

Hearing The Progress Too – I met Randy Streu when I joined my co-working space, World HeadQuarters, as he works from here as well. A voiceover artist and writer, he decided to chronicle his weight-loss journey with the Obese podcast he started earlier this year. Where I have seen his progress, I just started listening to the podcast this week – I know, I suck. It’s a good listen with a mix of comedy and stark reality, which reflects what you go thru when you try to lose weight.

Plan B Video – With another round of Congressional testimony from the digital giants in recent weeks, I have been thinking more of my own digital footprint, especially video. With YouTube’s desire for a brand-safe platform, I have looked into others, like LBRY.TV, where I started setting up a channel. Granted I don’t have many recent videos out there, but it’s good to have options in the ever-growing landscape of changes to how platforms we all know and love, well, not being so loving.

It’s OK to Judge This Album By Its Cover – My friend Steve Lawson is a solo bassist based in the UK and his latest album, Still My Soul, caught my eye because of the “historical marker” depicted on it (click the link to see it). I have been listening to this album and others from his Bandcamp site as I have written what I have learned this week, and for a low annual subscription price you can too. Where I am no music reviewer, it’s good music to end this week.

Jump If You Still Can – One certainly new to me and likely old to everyone else is Paul Anka’s 2005 album Rock Swings, where he did covers of rock songs in his own unique style. One of them is Van Halen’s Jump. This is one I certainly wish I knew about even 10 years ago.

I Think I Canva – Another new to me is Canva, an online service for creating images and designs. There are other services out there, and this one was fairly intuitive to use. Plus they offer a free version for personal use, which I used to create a header for my LinkedIn profile and the image at the top of this post. Before my designer friends start after me, Canva (yes, it’s an affiliate link) is good for people with little to no budget, or who want to experiment/play with design. When you have budget and want to knock it out of the park, talk to a great designer like my friend Emily at Visible Logic.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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