You might not recognize this guy’s face, but you definitely know who he is. His name is Elwood Edwards, but he goes by the nickname El.

No, I didn’t expect that to joggle your memory; I just wanted to properly introduce you before explaining why you really do know him.

This broadcaster-turned-voiceover artist was approached way back in 1989 by a company looking to release a new version of its software for Mac users. Their idea was to work a human voice into the software that could be heard by users when they first launched the program. The voice would also alert them to other important situations, including the completion of file downloading and the receipt of mail.

I’m sure that from that description, you’ve figured out that El is the guy who says, “You’ve Got Mail” when you start AOL. Since that 1989 experiment, it has been El’s voice that has appeared in every version since.

(Of course, “You’ve Got Mail” is gramatically incorrect, because you’ve would translate into you have which would mean, “You have got mail.” What they should have had him say all those years ago was simply, “You have mail.”)

At El’s website, you can actually have the man himself add your name to each alert. I could hear, for example, “You’ve got mail, Patrick.” You could, too, if you wanted him to call you Patrick. You can also order custom alert sets in which he would say exactly what you want him to say — within reason, I should think.”

So would you consider having him record customized alerts?

There’s a wonderful magazine out there that you may never have even heard of. But it’s one that I’d highly recommend. It’s called mental_floss, and it’s quite entertaining because it’s full of odd facts and anecdotes about trivia. Its slogan reads, “Where knowledge junkies get their fix.” Sometimes it’s nice to escape the reality of the world for a little while.

The latest issue, March/April 2007, spotlights the 20 Greatest Mistakes in History. (You might be surprised that the War on Terror did not make the list…but I digress.) There’s also an informative explanation on how biodeisel works, a profile of linguist/activist Noam Chomsky, whom it labels “famously unknown.” And that’s just the beginning.

A taste of some of the critical pieces of information includes a two-page spread on taxes and the IRS. Know how many different tax forms the IRS produces? Or how much money the IRS collected from individuals in 2006? Or that the IRS actually came up with a plan to collect taxes even after the country was decimated by a hypothetical nuclear war? (As if we wouldn’t have enough to worry about!)

There’s a regular column written by Jeopardy alum Ken Jennings, called “6º of Ken Jennings,” in which he connects two abstract things or people through six links. This time around, he was challenged by a reader to connect pie and Pi. There’s no need in my spoiling the ending, since it wouldn’t have been published if he couldn’t have found some way to do it! And I think my favorite column is called “The Dead Guy Interview,” in which there’s a Q&A with a famous person who is no longer living. The answers are usually tongue in cheek and reflect either likely interviews that really did take place or expected answers based on eccentricities on display during the subject’s fifteen minutes of fame.

The next time you’re in a book store, visit the magazine aisle and look for it. I’m actually considering subscribing.