OK, Ding, calm down. Your reading comprehension skills are either surely lacking or your rage towards me blinded you. Speaking of "hidden" your ignorance of syntax would fit the word neatly.
But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and will kindly assume that it was your rancor and rage which tripped you up. It's been known to happen.
If I must explain, I must explain. "This old coot" was a reference to me, not your hero. You also didn't finish the sentence "How can people advocate reading entire books FROM SUCH A THING". This is a reference to the complaint I made about lengthy reading, or indeed reading entire books ON A COMPUTER SCREEN. What did you think I meant by the following mention of "printed matter"? I'm praising the traditional form of books, articles, essays and the like on PAPER, yes, PRINTED PAPER. To take it further, DOWN WITH KINDLE!
Your hero may have been knowledgeable about muzzleloaders, but he doesn't share the wealth of that knowledge. He merely suggests loads to try and dubious loading and cleaning tips. And, at least in his writing, he gives one absolutely NO impression of being a "courtly old gentleman". He comes off like a big windbag, a know-it-all spouting off who at times seems like the kind of person that "people in the neighborhood I grew up in" would dismiss as a BIG DUPA" (capitalization of letters added for emphasis).
Finally, I can't let this statement of yours pass without comment: "For example, I can't imagine V.M. making cracks like KK made."
Are you insane or just "over the moon" in love with this man? The only "crack" I made about him was the aforementioned name that people I knew my whole life would label him as. You honestly can't imagine him referring to someone similarly, or worse? Especially someone who perhaps differed in opinion from him? Come on!
Look, V.M. Starr obviously did A LOT FOR muzzleloading AND WITH this form of shooting. For this he is to be, and has been, lauded. But I cannot for the life of me discern any direct sharing of his knowledge in his writing regarding A WAY TO GET GOOD PATTERNS FROM A CYLINDER BORED MUZZLELOADER which, by the way, was/is the impetus for this thread in the first place.
If I remember correctly, I believe the guy even extolls the virtues of jug-choking.
For all the accomplishments this man attained in his lifetime, good, concise writing was not one of them.
And I hope I'm wrong, but good reading comprehension seems not to be one of yours.
Calm down.
Best Regards, Krakow Kid, THE RECOGNIZED LORD AND MASTER OF ALL THINGS.
