You are right that the disappearance of comments was completely mysterious and had nothing to do with sarcasm or hissy fits. (He threw one of the latter in response to suggestions as to how to get the problem corrected and said he didn't want to bother.) You are also right that he is generally  well-informed and I can't think of a false statement he has made. 

Where we disagree is as to whether he is a lively debater. When anyone responds in a way he doesn't like, the sarcasm (which is not as clever as he may think and sometimes nasty) is turned on. That's why I have chosen to ignore him or, more accurately, just not engage him, something he seemed to encourage in telling me twice that he doesn't care whether he influences people since he finds posting to be free self-therapy.

I was mainly trying to give background to ghostof... With lifeofthelay, somebody helped me out recently (telling me life is apparently is OD) and I was grateful for the insight.