My five cents (hyperinflation)... besides a nickel seems more appropriate under the circumstances. As a disclosure, I have held both NOT and FWR for just over14 months, so I am a relative newcomer. I purchased both with the hope of achieving 8-10-bagger potential. I have been fortunate enough to take advantage of the market downturns and former strength in the U.S/CDN dollar ratio, and have cost- averaged my NOT shares to ~ $0.72 and FWR to $.20. I have not sold any of my FWR, but have sold ~5% of my NOT (to place on a promising gold junior).

Up until about two months ago, I held NOT to FWR in an orignal cost investment ratio of 17:10. Like most, I have been following both FWR and NOT hubs (and occasionally Stockhouse (the "Wild-West" board)) on a daily basis. Several seemingly "credible" posters have intimated that several of NOT's BOD may have been involved with companies that have engaged in what some might perceivce to be unsavory business practices, (what others might call the standard modus operandi of the business world machinations), specifically working in concert with hedge-fund current and former associates with an ultimate goal of "flipping" companies at a fraction of their true net value, for their own insider maximal benefit. I am not naieve to the fact that such posters, by recruiting negative market sentiment against the "Banker Elite" , may themselves have been attempting to sway other investors for their own personal gain. Nevertheless, after watching the fluctuations in the SP of NOT over the last year, I have decided to add to my FWR position (but not by selling NOT shares) and my original monetary/cost ratio is now 20:17 in favor of FWR.

Simply stated, I perceive and hope that FWR would be my "insurance policy", should NOT get "Flipped' at a 200% (or lower) multiple of it's current SP. My hope is that if this does in fact transpire, (and FWR is allowed independantly to reach it's true SP valuation), then I will in fact have averaged a 4-6 bagger with my overall FWR/NOT investment. I am sure that many have thought very similar, and have acted accordingly. Who amongst us would build a house overtop the San Andraes fault (not to offend our Californian investors), or swim in shark-infested waters outside of a shark cage? One might argue against the strength and integrity of the cage surrounding our FWR investment, but that's a risk I am willing to take...time will tell. I do feel that by virtue of it's offer, NOT is essentially attempting to snatch that "insurance policy" out of my hands , and effectively saying "Them there papers don't mean nuthin in these here parts" (but in a much more savy way of course).

What is fair? What is fairnes? I love the following commercial. For those that haven't viewd it I'll post the link. In short a "suit" is sitting down with two young girls and he poses the question to the first "Would you like a pony"...her reply "yaah"., and he proceeds to pull out a toy "My Little Pony" from his left suit pocket, and hands it to her. She seems quite pleased upon receipt. He then asks the same to the second girl and she also applies in the affirmative. He subsequently summons a real pony for the second girl. The first girl then responds "you didn't say that you could have a real one" wherupon the suit dismissively retorts "Well you didn't ask". The facial expression of the first girl is absolutely priceless (I cannot believe that she is actually acting) as it's one of absolute disbelief in the unfairness and injustice of what has just transpired. Her expression attests to the innate abilty of children to be able to discern what is fair (a sense that seems to be lost (or perhaps willfully ignore) in many as they age. You have to watch the commercial for yourself, as my description cannot due it justice...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qb0vquRcys

I suggest that many FWR holders feel that "their money can (and has been) working harder and earning more" with FWR compared to NOT, and that they are being offered a toy pony in lieu of the real pony that they believe (rightly or wrongly ) that they deserve. Essentially, FWR shareholders are saying "Pony-up" with a real offer, or go away.

Many posters on both boards have been squabbling as to what is the Fair value of FWR compared to NOT...is it 1:2, 1:3,1:3.5,1:4 , 1:5 even., and both perceive unfairness with the other's valuation. I suggest that they are missing the point. These valuation exercises are merely a distraction from the true injustice of the current situation. FWR shareholders are being asked to make an investment decision, while lacking critical material information (which should in fact be available within the next three or four months (my guess)). In my estimation, this cuurent situation is tantamount to a prosecutor attempting to accelerate the start of a case, knowing full well that the defence will soon have additional material information available which will strongly favor his client, thus de-railing the prosecutors attack. The prosecutor does not want all of the evidence to be presented and weighed.

The wealth of the Ring of Fire has waited hundreds of millions of years to be released from the rock. I am not at all agaist consolidation, but why can it not wait 3 or 4 or 5 months before the process begins. What I believe to be fair and just:

NOT completes, it's 43-101 on the Blackbirds, and releases an updatd 43-101 on the Eagle's nest. Freewest completes a 43-101 on at least 2 of its' chromite properties, and releases the assay results of at least 10 holes drilled on its A12-extension. Then, and only then do the two companies sit in a round table discussion, present all of their data, and hammer out a deal of regarding relative valuation and consolidate. In my humble opinion, anthing else is indeed pre-mature, and highly oppotunistic at this time.

Cheers, Luker

K.T.M.F. (Keep Thirsty My Friends)