Wiley, regarding your last paragraph - when I was doing my command training (this was 1977-ish), part of my line flying was with a certain CC, actually a really good guy. By about my third sector of flying as PF, every time I asked for something I would get something idiotically different, e.g. asking for the landing checklist produced the limitations being read out, asking for gear up on take off produced more flap etc etc.
Eventually I asked him what the the f*** he was doing - his response was: "I am training you to fly with R** T*****!"
I thought he was joking until I had to fly with that creature.