tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31759120.post2522690055927224425..comments2024-02-11T15:41:08.332-06:00Comments on Whirled Musings: Mr. Fire and his new "Twin Flame": burning down the house (and everything else) -- Part 1 of 2Cosmic Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09425191794680677900noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31759120.post-91732247274814229712019-07-21T12:52:54.595-05:002019-07-21T12:52:54.595-05:00Some people have approached (or reproached) me pri...Some people have approached (or reproached) me privately, demanding to know if I had tried to contact any of the parties I wrote about to get their comments, as a good investigative journalist is supposed to do. And the answer is no, I have not done so, and in fact I do not normally do that on this blog, which, while it may be journalism, is not hard investigative journalism, and never has been. Rather, the vast majority of my posts -- and this 2-part one is no exception -- are essentially commentary and opinion, based upon the public words and actions of the subjects, as well as other publicly available material.<br /><br />Certainly any and all of the parties mentioned here are welcome to add their input, either publicly or privately. This has always been my policy with all of my posts. People are welcome to send in corrections or clarifications, and I will publish them if requested. I find, however, that my subjects are not inclined to want to communicate with me, though over the years some of their minions have done so, sometimes civilly, more often in a hostile manner, and most often anonymously. <br /><br />One person who called me out for alleged inaccuracy, and did so under his own name, was a former associate of Joe Vitale named Pat O'Bryan. This was years ago; I don't think Pat associates with Joe any more, and he has wiped his web sites and blogs pretty clean of any reference to the days when he was part of the "Wimberley Mafia." Pat is actually a talented musician, photographer, and writer (and politically progressive, so that's a plus), but back in the day, he and I got toe to toe a few times.<br /><br />On more than one occasion he invited me to contact him for clarification about various matters that I wrote about regarding Joe and his activities before I published my posts, and he said he would answer all of my questions honestly (though "honest" is a relative term in Scamworld). Pat claimed that my blog was filled with inaccuracies; in fact, he said I was wrong more often than I was right. (He also claimed I was illogical and inconsistent; he once called me a "first-rate writer with a second-rate mind.") When I asked him specifically to give me just a couple of examples of those so-called inaccuracies, and asked him why he didn't send me corrections so I could amend my posts, he said he wasn't going to do my job for me.<br /><br />But again, the vast majority of my posts are opinion pieces and speculation, based upon public words and actions of my subjects. And I fully acknowledge that sometimes my speculations can miss the mark. That's why I ask those who are more informed than I to send me their input so I can make my opinions even more informed ones.<br /><br />But if you are interested in digging more deeply than I have, you are certainly welcome to go for it. These posts are just a starting point.Cosmic Conniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425191794680677900noreply@blogger.com