I must attempt to explain, LG. Put the coupon clipping Royals aside for the moment. Let's get back to Nixon the kegler and his private lane. There is always a hometown, homefield advantage. It doesn't always pay to want to play baseball with the Japanese. So the Brits were the evolutionary cap on the doublegun and they had their way for awhile shooting big cats and whatnot round the old empirial playground with the bore rifle or whatever. And their way of shooting fish in a barrel is socially and sartorially bizarre and intriguing There are other playgrounds. I understand that Sarasqueta could also be considered the gun of Kings--in pre-Civil War Spain. Is it a copy? Certainly. Still their "best" in a domestic product. You want innovation rather than slavish copying. How about Lefever? Bit of evolutionary energy there. Is an Optimus Grade a best? Why not? Might be our national best. Need to get the frogs, wogs, Yanks, etc. to stay in the home pond long enuf to do some accounting in a less global context. In fact, the French don't seem to have a bit of problem with knee-soiling insecurities; they may have gotten their lunch eaten several times over as a result but a certain portion of uncritical, self-centered autonomy is necessary to an identity as a nation or as a person. Can genius coexist with genius or does it always have to be last man standing?

jack