Based on Coach's excellent and illuminating discussion of the inefficient manner in which we were excavating the ore due to our shoestring cash situation, if he's accurate in his description, it's just further evidence of why we needed somehing dramatic to turn this baby around.

AUMN obviously has lots of exploration and development which it plans to do, and as Jcat pionts out, they are planning on spending plenty on it. Well, if Jcat's numbers are accurate, one can see that $100 million won't go such a long way. On the other hand, if AUMN management saw a way to get some "cheap" source of production, with further exploratory potential, why not take a shot in order to help fund what they believe in, that is their multiple prospects. I assure you that their fanatical shareholders believe in those prospects every bit as much as ours do in ours.

Who knows, the discussions betweent the companies could have also involved, let's move the joint enterprise forward over the next year or two, dress up and polish all the merged companies' assets and a larger company will come calling.

It's like a hockey trade, I hate to lose Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, but we had to give up something good to get Mike Richards. By the way, when are you Canadians gonna come and get the Cup from us - LOL!!!