Splendid Isolation

Forgive me for chuckling. but this story is just too rich:

A vegan restaurant has decided to put meat on the menu after being hit by the cost of living crisis – angering many customers who are ‘saddened’ by the change. The Mango Tree in Taunton, Somerset, closed its doors on Saturday to undergo renovations including an updated menu which will include meat. They are not the only vegan restaurant to struggle in recent years due to a lack of uptake, but those who loved the plant-based values have hit out saying ‘selling meat is worse than closing’.

Yeah, easy to say when it’s not your livelihood.

‘Veganism isn’t a business venture. It’s an ethical philosophy that does the best for the animals, the planet, and public health.’

The owners, however, have the proper perspective:

The restaurant, however, insisted they were left with ‘no choice’ and said: ‘The only other option was to close permanently. Ethics extend to the jobs and welfare of our wonderful team, to whom we owe a great deal, and another chance.’

Exactly. Good for them, and a pox on the fanatics.

Mr. Free Market sent me this excellent article (and please read it before carrying on), which extols the virtues of a wooden-stocked hunting rifle:

Beyond performance requirements, I want the rifle to look like the rifles of my childhood. That means a nice wood stock. I can remember back to when I was a little kid, my dad first showed me his deer rifle—a beautiful Browning A-Bolt Medallion that my mom had given him as a wedding gift—and instructed me on how to handle the gun safely and avoid touching the metal on the barrel or the lenses on the scope with my grimy hands. Even as a little kid I could tell that the rifle was imminently important, even if I wasn’t sure why. My dad loves that gun, and he still hunts with it today.

Mr friend Mr. FM knows me well. But it goes further than looks.

I always get a twinge of unease when somebody says that a gun is just a tool, like a hammer or drill. A gun is much more than that. A real gun isn’t a tool — it’s an extension of your body and soul. Picking up a gun is not the same as picking up a tool like a hammer, just as picking up a fine sheath knife is very different from picking up a steak knife at a restaurant.

And I’m sorry, but picking up a plastic-stocked rifle just doesn’t do it for me. I know all the pros and cons of plastic stocks vs. wooden stocks, but the biggest con of a plastic stock is that it feels artificial — to put it bluntly, I feel like I’ve picked up a tool.

In my response to Mr. FM, I said that I’m going to replace the (very few) plastic-stocked rifles in my gun case with wooden-stocked ones.

So here we go. I’m having a secret auction for this gun:

It’s a Marlin 882SSV (stainless steel varmint) HB in .22 Win Mag, and anyone who has ever seen me use it will attest that it’s a one-hole shooter. It’s topped with an El Cheapo Shooter’s Edge 4x32mm scope, which is surprisingly good for the price. I’ll throw it in or take it off, if you have something better. Also included: a couple spare mags and (for N. Texas / S. OK bidders only) 200 rounds of .22 Mag.

Marlin discontinued the 882SSV back in the early 2000s, because they’re idiots. Ruger’s not going to reintroduce it anytime soon (if ever), because they too are idiots. Parts and spares, however, as plentiful and inexpensive.

I’ll take the highest bid over $350, because you can’t get a decent .22 WMR rifle for less than $450, and the Marlin is a proven tackdriver.