Wow... Jualdeux has just about said it all, I guess.
As a latecomer in the discussion I'll only add a couple of cents worth, J'inn:"
The MkII is as fine a .22 pistol as you'll ever find. A gun don't have to be expensive to be a fine weapon. One of my best (and another good all-arounder, if you feel the need for one) is a Rossi .357 Mag with a 4" barrell.
A .357 Mag is another really great starter gun... for a bigger fellow. It can fire .38 Special ammunition (which is a lot cheaper- nearly on par with 9mm) and has FAR less felt recoil than the .357 Mag rounds; the versitility to fit into both the 'shoot it all day long gun' and the 'one shot, one kill' gun niches make it a good purchase for a grown man looking for a 'do it all' gun.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=37982078This little jewel usually comes in at $350 new, and this one on gunbroker.com has a no reserve auction running on it with no current bids. Keep an eye on it if you're interested to get an idea of where the prices are going.