# Is Shodan more retarded lately, or has he maintained a consistent level of retardation all along? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530 "2012-01-24T20:31:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 30
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/581 "2012-01-31T20:41:02Z")
Northern Ireland. Protestants vs Catholics. Multiply by ten. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/582 "2012-02-01T01:30:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > **Sam** is never shy about posting cites; unfortunately, they are usually right-wing blogs and opinion pieces, which he apparently cannot distinguish from objective facts. I missed this last time I was here. Go search for my last 100 cites. If more than 10% of them are links to right-wing blogs and opinion pieces, I will send you $20 in the mail. Deal? If not, you can retract your comment. Of course, if a ‘righty’ said something factually wrong like that, he’d be accused of being a liar, and the post would go into the ‘evidence of said righty’s lying scummy nature’ file, to be repeatedly thrown back in his face to derail arguments which he otherwise might be winning. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/583 "2012-02-01T01:38:32Z")
The math don’t work on that, **Sam**. For instance, if you post seven or eight times defending the validity of the Austrian School of Economics, blessings and peace be upon them, you are not likely to link to the original cite each and every time. That would be OCD, Obsessive Canadian Debate. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/584 "2012-02-01T02:00:20Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I missed this last time I was here. > > Go search for my last 100 cites. If more than 10% of them are links to right-wing blogs and opinion pieces, I will send you $20 in the mail. Deal? > > If not, you can retract your comment. Of course, if a ‘righty’ said something factually wrong like that, he’d be accused of being a liar, and the post would go into the ‘evidence of said righty’s lying scummy nature’ file, to be repeatedly thrown back in his face to derail arguments which he otherwise might be winning. From: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14184579&postcount=187](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14184579&postcount=187) [Supply-Siders Voice Concern About Bush](http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=ce270d38103a630c3181db372a25a052&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fboards.straightdope.com%2Fsdmb%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D14184579%23post14184579&v=1&libid=1328060685066&out=http%3A%2F%2Ffindarticles.com%2Fp%2Farticles%2Fmi_m1571%2Fis_11_17%2Fai_72274731%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fboards.straightdope.com%2Fsdmb%2Fsearch.php%3Fsearchid%3D7624864&title=For%20Krugman%20followers%3A%20How%20much%20debt%20would%20be%20acceptable%3F%20-%20Page%204%20-%20Straight%20Dope%20Message%20Board&txt=Supply-Siders%20Voice%20Concern%20About%20Bush&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13280607342553) I found the first one. Someone else can find the other 9 out of his last hundred cites. I expect a tooney out of the deal when the payoff cometh. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/585 "2012-02-01T03:15:54Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I missed this last time I was here. > > Go search for my last 100 cites. If more than 10% of them are links to right-wing blogs and opinion pieces, I will send you $20 in the mail. Deal? > > If not, you can retract your comment. Of course, if a ‘righty’ said something factually wrong like that, he’d be accused of being a liar, and the post would go into the ‘evidence of said righty’s lying scummy nature’ file, to be repeatedly thrown back in his face to derail arguments which he otherwise might be winning. Here is my contribution: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14146934&postcount=125](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14146934&postcount=125) In which Sam says > [@](#): > > I’m using the data from here: [US Government Spending](http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/downchart_gs.php?year=1950_2016&view=1&expand=&units=p&log=linear&fy=fy12&chart=F0-fed&bar=1&stack=1&size=l&title=&state=US&color=c&local=s). The numbers are not the same as yours. The numbers he is contradicting are from the OMB, via the White House website. Sam’s cite ([US Government Finances: Spending, Deficit, Debt, Revenue since 1792](http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/index.php)) is the product of [Christopher Chantrill](http://www.christopherchantrill.com/): > [@](#): > > WELCOME. I am Christopher Chantrill, writer and conservative. You can see my work at the following sites: > [ul] > [li][Road to the Middle Class](http://www.roadtothemiddleclass.com/)[/li][li][An American Manifesto](http://www.americanmanifesto.org/)[/li][li][usgovernmentspending.com](http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/)[/li][li][usgovernmentdebt.us](http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/)[/li][li][usgovernmentrevenue.com](http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/)[/li][li][ukpublicspending.co.uk](http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/)[/li][li][American Thinker](http://www.americanthinker.com/christopher_chantrill)[/li][li][US Stuck on Stupid](http://www.usstuckonstupid.com/)[/li][li][US Federal Bailout](http://www.usfederalbailout.com/)[/li][li][US Midterm Elections](http://www.usmidtermelections.com/)[/li][/ul] **Road to the Middle Class** contains the eponymous book and my daily blog. It investigates and celebrates the cultural artefacts that ordinary people appropriate as they struggle to adapt from country ways to the demands of life in the city. Start [here](http://www.roadtothemiddleclass.com/). > > **An American Manifesto** is the site for my book and blog. I am writing this book about “life after liberalism” and blogging about it as I go. All are invited to comment. Start [here](http://www.americanmanifesto.org/). > > **[USgovernmentspending.com](http://USgovernmentspending.com)** is a resource on government spending in the United States. It presents tables and charts on federal, state, and local government expenditure in the United States from 1902 to the present. Spending data are sourced from US budget data and US Census reports. Start [here](http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/). > > **[USgovernmentdebt.us](http://USgovernmentdebt.us)** is a resource on government debt in the United States. It presents tables and charts on federal debt and overall national debt in the United States from 1792 to the present. Data are sourced from US budget data and US Census reports. Start [here](http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/). > > **[USgovernmentrevenue.com](http://USgovernmentrevenue.com)** is a resource on government taxes and receipts in the United States. It presents tables and charts on federal, state, and local government taxes, charges, use fees, and business revenue in the United States from 1902 to the present. Revenue data are sourced from US budget data and US Census reports. Start [here](http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/). > > **[UKpublicspending.co.uk](http://UKpublicspending.co.uk)** is a resource on public spending in the United Kingdom. It presents tables and charts on public expenditure by central government, local authorities, and public corporations in the United Kingdom from 1900 to the present. Spending data is sourced from UK government Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, the UK National Statistics “Blue Book,” and academic studies. Start [here](http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/). > > **American Thinker** publishes my op-eds most weeks. Click [here](http://www.americanthinker.com/christopher_chantrill). > > **US Stuck on Stupid** analyzes the perfect storm of political bungling in the years from 1929 to 1939 that plunged the American people into untold misery during the Great Depression. Start [here](http://www.usstuckonstupid.com/). > > **US Federal Bailout** gets down to the details of the recent federal bailouts. Everyone knows about TARP and the bank bailout. Fortunately, the banks have paid back most of the money they got in the fall of 2008. Now you can check out all the other bailouts and guarantees that the federal government handed out in its efforts to stave off a global financial meltdown. Start [here](http://www.usfederalbailout.com/). **US Midterm Elections** tabulates the history of midterm elections for the US Senate and the US House of Representatives going back to 1790. You can sort the elections by year, by party strength, and by party gains and losses. Start [here](http://www.usmidtermelections.com/). Right wing claptrap, and dubious numbers. I will pay $20 to whomever posts the 10th example of Sam’s shoddy, deceptive research. I will donate Sam’s $20 to the [Scleroderma Research Foundation](https://www.srfcure.org/donate?view=donation). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/586 "2012-02-01T05:45:14Z")
So let’s see… So far, after going back to last August, we have one cite to an old opinion piece, _in a thread discussing what the political opinion was at the time_. In other words, given the discussion topic, the cite was factual, and not opinion masquerading as fact. The other cite you’ve managed to dredge up is neither a right-wing blog nor is it an opinion piece - it’s a web page containing data pulled from official sources. Specifically: > [@](#): > > Spending data is from official government sources. > Federal data since 1962 comes from the president’s budget. > All other spending data comes from the US Census Bureau. All verifiable, all accurate. This proves the point I made earlier - the standard for a cite from someone on the right is very different than the standard on the left. You attack this cite because you did a bunch of spelunking and found that the person who put it up is on the right, and therefore it’s ‘Right-Wing claptrap’, despite the fact that he’s merely compiling data from government sources and presenting it in searchable tables. In the meantime, the people on the left on this board routinely cite Media Matters, Paul Krugman opinion pieces, the Center for American Progress, The Nation, and other left-wing sources as if they are unimpeachable. In any event, keep digging. Maybe you’ll find that 10%, and my perception of my own posts is wrong - I didn’t check it myself. But even if you do (and I don’t think you will, because I rarely use such sources and don’t have to), are you going to retract your claim that my cites are “usually right-wing blogs and opinion pieces”? In matter of fact, the large majority of my cites are to academic papers, journals, and government data sources. The fact that you think that I post mostly right-wing opinion pieces tells me that you either don’t read my messages, or your bias is so strong you can’t even recognize reality when it disagrees with what you so desperately want to believe. Oh, and by the way - it’s pretty cheap of you to try to farm out your own search work. You were the one who smeared my character - man up, and prove it. Or retract the claim. Hey, I’ll even throw a bone to you - I DID use the Heritage Foundation as a cite a few months ago - but I acknowledged the potential bias of the cite, and only cited it as a counterpoint because posters before me had been posting ‘facts’ from partisan left-wing sources. But hey, I’ll be magnanimous and give you that one. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/587 "2012-02-01T07:57:00Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > In any event, keep digging. Maybe you’ll find that 10%, and my perception of my own posts is wrong - I didn’t check it myself. But even if you do (and I don’t think you will, because I rarely use such sources and don’t have to), are you going to retract your claim that my cites are “usually right-wing blogs and opinion pieces”? In matter of fact, the large majority of my cites are to academic papers, journals, and government data sources. … > > Oh, and by the way - it’s pretty cheap of you to try to farm out your own search work. You were the one who smeared my character - man up, and prove it. Or retract the claim. …or at least retract and revise _with a defendable claim_. It would be good form, **Fear Itself**. I don’t have a problem with Sam going on hiatus – I think that’s healthy. I don’t have a problem with putting _valid_ pressure on Sam. For example, bright people should regularly mark their beliefs to market, and I’ve seen little evidence that he’s met that bar, which admittedly is a lofty one by SDMB standards. Now I haven’t interacted much with Sam over the past year or so. But the challenges to his POV don’t sound right to me, which tends to strengthen the characterizations he’s made about his experiences in this thread. [1] One liberal’s prayer: Lord, enlighten thou our enemies. Sharpen their wits, give acuteness to their perceptions, and consecutiveness and clearness to their reasoning powers: we are in danger from their folly, not from their wisdom; their weakness is what fills us with apprehension, not their strength… _-John Stuart Mill_ Solid conservative arguments focus minds and advance the commonwealth; lazy or bogus ones just waste our time. [1] And OBTW, I skimmed page 11 of Sam’s post list (from ?Jul 2011) and it didn’t support **Fear** ’s characterization, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/588 "2012-02-01T09:15:58Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Will it be fun? That is the point. There is no point unless somebody has fun. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/589 "2012-02-01T10:25:25Z")
Wow! 12 pages of complaints about this guy and I’ve hardly noticed him on the board. What am I doing right? ---
**Author:** ![IdahoMauleMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71c47a/32.png) [@IdahoMauleMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IdahoMauleMan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/590 "2012-02-01T15:20:22Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > …or at least retract and revise _with a defendable claim_. It would be good form, **Fear Itself**. > I don’t have a problem with Sam going on hiatus – I think that’s healthy. I don’t have a problem with putting _valid_ pressure on Sam. For example, bright people should regularly mark their beliefs to market, and I’ve seen little evidence that he’s met that bar, which admittedly is a lofty one by SDMB standards. Now I haven’t interacted much with Sam over the past year or so. But the challenges to his POV don’t sound right to me, which tends to strengthen the characterizations he’s made about his experiences in this thread. [1] > One liberal’s prayer: > Lord, enlighten thou our enemies. Sharpen their wits, give acuteness to their perceptions, and consecutiveness and clearness to their reasoning powers: we are in danger from their folly, not from their wisdom; their weakness is what fills us with apprehension, not their strength… > > _-John Stuart Mill_ Solid conservative arguments focus minds and advance the commonwealth; lazy or bogus ones just waste our time. > [1] And OBTW, I skimmed page 11 of Sam’s post list (from ?Jul 2011) and it didn’t support **Fear** ’s characterization, IMHO. M4M, I honestly don’t understand why you and Sam waste your time. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/591 "2012-02-01T15:43:14Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Oh, and by the way - it’s pretty cheap of you to try to farm out your own search work. You were the one who smeared my character - man up, and prove it. Or retract the claim. Oh boo hoo. I never had any intention of poring over hundreds of your posts like some trained monkey, as I wouldn’t think of cutting in on your action as the board jester. As for a retraction, don’t hold your breath. Most of your cites are right wing blogs or opinion pieces; that is my observation, and if it hurts your feelings, well guess what, this is the Pit, grow a thicker skin. Or else take that used condom that passes for your character and go back under the covers and cry yourself to sleep. Maybe next solstice, when, as is your custom, you come out to do a vanity search to see if anyone still remembers who you are, you can get **Shodan** to give you a back rub with a happy ending. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/592 "2012-02-01T18:00:38Z")
Yuck-o-rama! Did you have to do that? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/593 "2012-02-01T18:06:40Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Yuck-o-rama! Did you have to do that? Sam: Oh, I’m sorry Shodan, I shot some on your mullet. Shodan: It’s okay, it makes me feel pretty. Sam: If only the liberals would die so we could cut taxes on the rich, then it could be like this forever! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/594 "2012-02-01T20:13:14Z")
The serious liberals in this thread must hate it when they spend pages making the case that their side is generally open-minded and reasonable, only to have clowns like Lobohan or Fear Factor or Hentor the Barbarian bombard the thread with nonsense that confirms everything the people on the right have been saying. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/595 "2012-02-01T20:19:11Z")
It really is. Not that I’m grouping myself that way, but any crowd of people will have bad examples that fit whatever the stereotype is that you want to put over the whole group, so they ruin it for everyone else by giving just enough reinforcement to solidify the assumptions about their group. Works both ways, of course. Shodan can make it harder for you or Bricker in the eyes of people who like to generalize rather than take posters as individuals. OTOH, I wince at posts like #591 and glady condemn them, rather than rushing to defense of anyone even vaguely on my side as part of a partisan solidarity. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/596 "2012-02-01T20:19:50Z")
The serious conservatives must hate it when you claim to speak for them. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/597 "2012-02-01T21:04:55Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] The serious conservatives must hate it when you claim to speak for them. [/QUOTE] Are you talking about Sam? AFAIK, all the ‘serious conservatives’ wouldn’t have any problem with Sam speaking for them. Quite the contrary really, leaving aside the more flaky ones perhaps. Sam is pretty well respected by most of the board ‘conservatives’ (possibly even a few board ‘liberals’, though that’s even more a guess), again AFAIK. From the perspective of board ‘moderates’ who are considered arch-conservatives and with first names who start with the letter ‘X’, I’d say that we are generally in favor of Sam speaking for ‘serious conservatives’ on this board. 😉 -XT ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/598 "2012-02-01T21:25:33Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Are you talking about Sam? Yes, I am taling about Sam, and if he is your standard bearer, you really need to rethink your standards. He is consistently wrong in his predictions for the economy and foreign policy (How’s that rosey Iraq prediction working out for you Sam?), and he is always mining dubious “facts” from sketchy right-wing bloggers to support the conclusions he has already cast in stone. And no, I am not going to go through hundreds of his posts to prove my observation, because he is impervious to any kind of evidence that contradicts his ideology, and just hand waves everything that is presented to him. I simply won’t waste my time. If that means all the good conservatives won’t question their own sycophancy on the basis of my personal observations, I can live with that. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/599 "2012-02-01T21:30:44Z")
So, IOW, you are going to stick with dubious claims that you don’t feel like backing up, and your opinion on this is set in Stone (heh)? Well, if you can live with that as your standard then I suppose I can as well. I disagree with your unproven assertion of observation, and counter with my own unproven one that indicates that Sam, while not MY standard bearer, is never the less a good poster with a lot of interesting opinions, and one I wish would start posting more often again. Though, on reflection from the posts of some 'dopers in this thread, it’s unsurprising why he doesn’t, given the level of hostility directed towards him. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/600 "2012-02-01T21:32:55Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > So, IOW,… Just stop right there. If you can’t respond to my words, I see no reason to respond to what you wish I had said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530.md?page=31)