doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com FUBAR spotted in Winter Issue 2011

Back when I was editing a magazine, we Editors had a term that described those who pounced on an even minor errata or minor misprints to advertise their own superiority.

We called them "assholes."

I laughed out loud!

Best,

Mike

Mike- you got it all wrong, my friend. I didn't say the error was, in your verbiage: Fooked Up Beyond All Recognition- I just said that I found a FUBAR in the fine article about a rare Elsie in DGJ-- Found Under Benches Around Reno-- lotsa similar items found under them old Reno benches, and even under some reno wenches, quizas? RWTF

I've been fortunate enough to work with mostly very good editors, who end up making my articles better. However, I could tell a few stories about copy editing. For example, my "tiling machine" morphed into a tilling machine (which caused my farmer friends more than a few chuckles--"We usually call 'em plows!") A friend used the title of a Hemingway story, which the copy editor proceeded to edit. OK if you edit me, but you're going to edit Hemingway? Enough to cause writers to mutter "[censored]!" Or worse.

Wonder how come mine got censored and Gene's didn't? Must be a copy editor at work!

One would be One Too many- when you run out of BSA merit badges to schlep- INFAMITA!!!

Dave Weber, our webmaster, has always stood at a distance and watched the participants here banter back and forth about this subject and that subject without comment. However some posters have seemed to be more interested in creating dissension, inviting comment. Mr. Morin is the person who fits that description. The FUBAR post was just another excuse to create stress on our forum. Francis Morin is just a child in long pants and proves it every day. Some of our participants have given him a chance, face to face, and it has always been a "Charlie Brown" situation where he pulls the football away just as the good natured "other guy" tries to kick. I have never given him the face to face opportunity, but he has threatened me and stalked me from afar and been caught at it. I am starting to doubt his credentials and resume, but am reluctant to accuse him of faking his military record because other factors may be present that mislead us in that part of his history. I am hoping for the best. Francis, please consider looking at this from a distance and taking care of it.

So that ^%$hole terminology would then apply to both: the late John Houchins, who prepared an errata page after the first printing of his great 700 page tome on the LC Smith- or, more to my taste here, as I, along with about 90 others, starting with Terry Allen and ending with Lydia Zelaya page 3- who helped edit or supply photos, letters and scarce books about EMH-

I am referring to Silvio Calabi and his great book about Hemingway's guns- I have a copy personally inscribed to me- about 9 months after the gift of this great book, he sent out an errata letter- after the fact proof-reading--

As many of you numbnutz here doubt my veracity- here's proof- page 89, and I quote the original text- "Leicester wrote that his brother bought it in Paris, en route to east Africa, on 1933.

The errata letter corrected that to read-- in 1933. A very minor point, a tiny spec of sand in the vast Sahara, yes- as was the gentleman's keystroke error that sunk the Lusitania on May 1 1915 instead of the actual date of May 7 1915-

You wrote- "when I was an editor we called--- etc--" the operative word, to me here, is the PAST TENSE- was an editor- No doubt they fired your sad sorry ass because you were not concerned about GETTING IT RIGHT- AS were both Houchins and Calabi- and Hemingway, my favorite writer of all, in his early years in Paris with Hadley (even before Bumby), would sometimes work all day to get one complete sentence correct.His background as a newspaperman and the strict discipline enforced by Gertie Stein, Ezra Pound, Ford Maddox Ford and others was the key to his best writing years- 1926 to 1940-IMO anyway- after that, he became a sad rummy like his pal F. Scott Fitzgerald, who drank away what little talent he had and burned out in 1941-

I once asked Silvio, in an e-mail, if he ever went on line to any of the sites such as this, and he wrote me back and said NO- too Many A-holes who write postings just to thump their own chests, and way too many BS artists- I think he must have been referring, tacitly of course, to ex-editors like yourself who couldn't cut it in the extremely tough world of today's publishing market- what are you doing now, selling used cars?

Oh, you won't find either RWTF or Francis Morin listed in Silvio's credits on page 3-- at my request, I asked him NOT to name me-- I have never met him, nor most likely will never, but someone told him that I had a vast Hemingway library (true) and he initially asked me to help and edit another gun related article he was writing for another publication, that's how our "friendship" developed.

Was my "assistance" important??- I can't say, nor do I need to know. But I will always appreciate the fact that he took the time to correct the minute errors in dates or details that perhaps the average reader might not see- like a Haupbuchsenmacher at his bench in Suhl- with his files and magnifying glasses and vises- none of the "well, what the Hell, who will ever notice or care" approach, but the approach of a master craftsman who will only settle for it being right- the first time- or else it will be made right before it gets out the door-- The only way!!

No one fired my sorry ass, I quit because my other job took too much time and I was tired of editing. I'm still listed as "Editor Emeritus".

While I thank you for correcting what was possibly a typsetting error (not that typesetting is done anymore)I think you did it for the purpose of expressing your own knowledge rather than correcting a minor error.

Your previous posts speak for themselves, more eloquently than I could ever post. Thanks for expressing the obvious once again.

I have subscribed to the D.G.J.commencing with Vol;1.My special interest is the Birmingham Gun Trade. When I rceived Volume 22, issue 3, I read with interest the article on Samuel Buckley [pages153-161].Unfortunately the background information on Samuel Buckley contained significant errors!The author states:
."Samuel Buckley was a bloody Good gun maker."
"Samuel Buckley was a founding director of B.S.A."
"Samuel Buckley was the first Chairman of the Guardians of the
Birmingham Proof house."
All of the above statements are incorrect!
As a result, an "E" mail letter detailing Samuel Buckley,s profile and his connection with the Birmingham Gun Trade was sent to editor Daniel, who duly forwarded a copy to the author.I haved received a response from the author. I shall be interested to see if the editor sees fit to publish my letter?
For your interest, Samuel Buckley was a merchant trader,trading under the name, Samuel Buckley & Co; Samuel was a resident of Birmingham and was a justice of the peace.[J.P.]
In July 1868 the British Government passed in to law a new act governing proof regulations.In effect the new act broke the gun trades monopoly in terms of administering control over proof testing.The new act required the City of Birmingham to appoint a justice of the peace and three members of city council to sit on the proof house committee.[Still in effect]
It was Samuels residence in Birmingham and his status as a J.P. that lead to the City of Birmingham selecting him to serve
on the proof house committee.It is almost certain that this appointment coupled with his business acumen that lead to his association with B.S.A.and other prominent Birmingham gun makers.These connections almost certainley resulted in his establishing a business branch in Detroit.It Was through this outlet that guns bearing the name,Samuel Buckley, entered the U.S.A.
Published records of the Birmingham gun trade [IE;Boothroyd,Bailey and Nie] make no mention of a Samuel Buckley practicing as a gun maker from 1868-1900.

Genelang,

To say I agree with your post would put it mildly.


DLH