The following opinion is just my own personal thoughts and musings and have no basis in fact or reality. They are not as a result of any activities I am involved with and are merely observations of a personal nature. They are also not meant to influence any person or persons nor are they intended to solicit proxy:

Any shareholder who has contacted regulatory agencies with a concern regarding this possible arrangement, have mostly recieved the same canned response that their message is appreciated, however they will recieve no further contact or information from the regulator.

That is what I find so interesting.................the lack of further information! This has angered some of you, in how you view our regulatory agencies!.....fret not! (imo)

If I were to pretend I'm a regulator, and people of substance contact me to inform me of a problem, then I have two choices!.....I can ignore them or I can react to their concerns.

If I ignore them, and it turns out that they are right, then I run the risk of angering the people that hold me and my position to account. People of substance and influence will use their position to make my existence redundant. I will be embarrassed in the press and my tenure would be in question......not good!

If, however, I get involved in the middle of a transaction and my actions appear to subvert the free enterprise system, or worse, scuttle a completly legitimate deal, then I run the risk of making the market I am responsible for monitoring, appear to be less than free!.......also not good.

What do I do???????

Well,.... If I'm a prudent regulator and I have little free time on my hands, then I'll just become the question boy!.....What is a question boy?

It is a person who has influence over a situation and they decide that every "i" will be dotted and every "t" will be crossed to the strictest letter of the law. I will leave no stone unturned and no corner not illuminated! A 4 week deal will magically take 2 years to finally come together. I won't say "no" but you'll probably never get a "yes" out of me either.

Ever try to swallow a string?

you never know when you reach the end......you aren't choking to death......just choking!

Kind of like a big city hotshot trying to buy a farm from a "dumb" farmer and never really figuring out that he got outsmarted.

Sit back.....relax......things will have a way of working themselves out.......I wouldn't be the least surprised if all the bad news doesn't magically become more positive as those pesky "dots" and "crosses" get place over the i's and through the t"s.

Disclaimer: no regulators were embarrassed by the publication of this opinion.

This is only an opinion, and a musing, and has no basis in fact: July is "hug a regulator month" ;-)

carry