Splendid Isolation

Too bad Cnut will never come to Britain’s aid until it’s too late and the village has ceased to exist.

Several Readers have asked for the translated version of Les Misérables that I have praised quite often before.

Please be patient: I don’t have my copy of Les Miz at hand — I believe I lent it to the Son&Heir a little while ago, and he thinks he may have it, but he’s just moved house and as it’s not among the books so far unpacked, it might still be in a packing case in his garage. He’s promised to locate the thing and bring it back to me if this is the case.

However, I believe that this is the book I have: from AbeBooks, it’s the Les Miz / Hunchback double feature (!), in hardback, from Connecticut/Longmeadow Press.

It’s kinda spendy, nearly $40, but considering that it’s essentially two classic works for $20 each, it’s a bargain.

There aren’t a lot of copies extant, so it’s FCFS. Good luck, y’all.

…in the mail from Reader Glen D:

“If for any reason you were unable to carry your beloved 1911 — or any 1911 and derivatives — what pistol (not revolver) would you choose to carry, and why?”

Just the thought makes me shiver with dread, with ghastly options of striker-fired Mattel-looking things chambered in 9mm Europellet (most of the market nowadays it seems [sigh] ), or Glocks [shudder] or things equally foul like Heckler & Koch, who hate me (and everybody else).

And seeing as Foul Glen has removed my immediate alternative — a revolver — I am forced to consider another semi-auto pistol in something like a decent caliber. But which one?

I’m not going to bore you with the details of my search, because I ended up in several rabbit warrens’ worth of searches. Believe it or not, I’d never even considered a carry gun alternative outside the 1911 universe before. I mean, Kimber, Ed Brown, none of that?

But good grief, modern guns are ugly, in all sorts of ways, even if they (mostly) function as specified. And while there are quite a few choices, most have short barrels (less than the 1911’s 5″), like the Kahr P45:

…which I actually really like, by the way, because I think the Kahr mechanics are actually better than Glock’s.

Anyway, I ended up with the SIG 220 in (of course) .45 ACP. Yeah, I know, double action rubbish and square, blocky-looking monstrosity, but these would be the times I’d have to live in [whimper].

Anyway, at least the P220 comes in several flavors. This one’s the “Elite”:

“Elite”, my aching African-American ass, it’s fugly.

Let’s look at some more. This is the [consults notes] “X-Six II PCC”:

…and it’s quite fetching — redeemed by the grips, actually — but of course, SIG doesn’t make it anymore, so I’d have to find a second-hand one.

Okay, then there’s the “Alloy Stainless”:

…which is also quite nice-looking [yikes]; but guess what? it too isn’t available anymore, at least not at the several retail websites I consulted.

Once more, with feeling. This is the “220R-45-XTM” (try saying that after a couple of gins), and it’s sorta-okay:

But still… ugh.

On we go. Here’s the “Super Match”:

…okay, this one is a lot more like it, and it’s at least single-action-only (SAO) like the 1911.

This would be my non-1911 choice.

Ummmmm…

FFS

Even at that price, I might be tempted — but I very much doubt that the SIG’s single-action trigger is on a par with any 1911, let alone mine.

To Reader Glen: I hope you’re satisfied. You bastard.

This is epic:

The responses have been brutal:

Priceless.

And a reminder:

(link in pic)

And on we go:

And finally, some candidates to share that motor home with you:

Now climb aboard, and head out into the week.

What kind of woman would sing songs with titles like these?

“It’s All Been Done Before, but Not the Way I Do It”
“I Want Someone to Go Wild with Me”
“Go as Far as You Like” and
“That’s Why They Call Me Tabasco”

Okay, now let me change the question slightly.

What kind of woman would sing songs with titles like these, in the early 20th century?

There’s only one, and not for nothing was Eva Tanguay known as “The Queen Of Burlesque” — or, as she modestly titled herself, “The Girl Who Made Burlesque Famous”. (Follow the link first, for some shocked laughter.)