Here's a quick word about myself and my site. Although I come originally from a very long line of western Pennsylvanians, at the moment I'm in my junior year at McGill University in Montréal, Québec, Canada. I double-major in History, primarily Western European, and Classics.

When not at school, I live in Warren, Pennsylvania, a small, grimy Appalachian factory town in what used to be the boomingest industrial area of the whole country, if not world, but now it is slipping further and further into backwards poverty and obscurity. In spite of my homeland's failure to benefit in any demonstrable way, I'm still a strong advocate of the free market and human freedom more generally. I would not, however, consider myself conservative in any broadly recognized sense (though I am a Republican and can golf; also I have the same birthday as Ronald Reagan, though please don't tell my friends). I am, however, a bit squeamish about practical politics (though I do vote, which is more than can be said for most of my family). I appeared in the July 2001 issue of Reason magazine in a cover story berating the anti-trade protestors in Québec, the thuggish response to them by the Canadian government, and the pathetic defenses of free-trade principles mounted by mainstream commentators and politicians. More recently, most of my verbal barbs, which have been appearing in the more limited format of this website, are against the Islamofascist enemies of the United States and their Western apologists. I like beating up on politicians better than on my peers, but so be it.

Beyond these weighty matters, I have a special interest in commercial aviation, about which I have a large, if outdated section on this site. In the past, I have worked towards my pilot's license, though it has been a few years. In the future I do hope to complete my certification. In the meantime I'm landbound, which isn't so bad since I like cars a lot too. Automotive journalist would be near the top of my dream job list.

Anyway, to really figure out about me, read the semi-daily updates on my web log, or if you're really ambitious, go digging in the archives, which date back nearly three. What I write on here tends to be pretty rough and off the top of my head, and is not really representative of my writing at its most thoughtful and polished, but it should give you a good idea how I think. It's semi-personal in that I talk about some of what is going on in my life, but it's mostly what I think about what's happening in the world at the moment, both immediately and more globally speaking. Please don't think it's anything too systematic. (I'd like to post some of my formal writing on here, but mostly I just have boring academic papers, and I don't really want to end up doing some Florida State freshman's homework for him.)

Intrigued and want to strike up a conversation? My email address is emcelr@po-box.mcgill.ca and I am also accessible on ICQ. My number is 14975235. Note that I'm reasonably conversant in French, if you'd like to write me that way (just don't try speaking to me!). You will also find me on the CUNY Airline list, where I am a regular contributor. For information on subscription, read the FAQ.

Happy reading,

Evan McElravy