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As I mentioned in earlier posts, I commute to the Chicago Loop now from West Dundee and that gives me almost 3 hours on the Metra Milwaukee District West Line train 5 days a week. That's 15 hours on the train every week, folks - a longer commute than anyone should ever have. To make this lovely ride more bearable, I have started bringing Ahu's laptop with me to work and spend at least 45 minutes of each ride writing articles for my various blogs. It's actually turned out pretty well. I always wanted to find more time to write and the train provides exactly that - time. In a way, it also allows me to use the best part of my day for personal use as my brain is sharpest and most creative first thing in the morning. As I get into the habit of writing every morning, I find that I come up with more article ideas than I can keep up with and generate lots of ideas for improving Narrative as a useful content management tool. In fact, I am now writing some articles days in advance. This gives me a sort of queue to pull articles from, ensuring now that I always have one post per day, even on weekends, hopefully. Perhaps, eventually, I will come to look at this time on the train as a blessing in disguise.

Apparently, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, I also have the same birthday as the following people:

Unbelievably, Stifler and I have the same birthday.

I've read some articles on various blogs about how people are using GMail to maintain certain lists. GMail allows the "+" syntax on email addresses. For example, the two email addresses "potsie+Incubate@gmail.com" and "potsie+Goals@gmail.com" both get the email to "potsie@gmail.com". However, the "+Incubate" and "+Goals" part of the address allows you to set up rules in GMail which automatically apply labels to incoming messages. So, continuing the above example, Potsie could create Incubate and Goals labels in his GMail account. Then he can create the appropriate rules. One rule would automatically apply the "Incubate" label to any incoming emails which have been sent to "potsie+Incubate@gmail.com", for instance. It is easy to have the rule automatically archive the message also so that you do not even have to see it again. This is useful for reference items and other information which needs to be collected but not reviewed until some time in the future.

I started a new blog called The Weekly Edge which can be found at http://www.weeklyedge.com. I will be blogging the best of technology news once a week on Fridays. Consider it a summary of the most important technology news of the week.

If there is one thing every American has known for a long time it is that we should be driving more fuel-efficient cars. Everyone knows it. In science class growing up we get lessons on pollution, history classes on the oil shortages of the 1970s, and regular reminders as America goes off to war to stabilize a region we depend on for oil. Unfortunately, fuel efficiency is like weight loss in the United States - something everyone knows is good for them but something few are successful in achieving.

The unfolding events in New Orleans this week are truly a tragedy. The months following Hurricane Katrina will be a living nightmare for many. It is, quite possibly, the end of New Orleans as we have known it - the birthplace of jazz and home to some of the best food in the world - and this in tandem with other significant destruction and loss of life in Louisiana and Mississippi.

I recently built my own bookcase. Not from a kit, not from a box, but from real lumber, screws, and work. The bookcase took only 3 1/2 hours to complete.

Perhaps one day we will have a chance to swim in such an interesting place:

Just one of the many reasons I love Chipotle: