From the cliffs news release...

"Cliffs has tabled an all-stock offer valued at 90 cents a share for Montreal-based Freewest, which has found high-grade chromite deposits in the remote "Ring of Fire" base metals exploration camp. The Freewest board recommends the bid. Cliffs has promised an open-pit chromite mine and processing plant based on Freewest's "world class" properties and costing $800 million U.S."

OK, will someone PLEASE tell me why I should get excited that cliffs is going to make an open-pit chromite mine and processing plant??? Someone??? ANYONE???

I don't get it. cliffs is going to offer and supposedly get Freewest for 90 cents/share, period. Now, why should a promise of a mine and processing plant get me all excited? Is it because Canada will be able to sell cliffs some electricity for the concentrator (because we still don't know where the smelter is going yet), or is it because cliffs will probably have to employ 2 - 300 locals to work in the mining/concentrator operations??? Let's see, I am from Manitoba and I really don't want to move to Nemisville, nor do I want a job mining as I am a lineman and I love the open air around me. I get claustrophobic in tight spaces, so mining probably won't be any good for me. So...

Why do I give a rat's behind whether cliffs promises to build a mine or not??? I might get excited if cliffs promises to buy every Canadian household a case of beer every year for the duration of the mine that THEY plan on making $1.5 Billion dollars from... Now THAT would be something that cliffs could put in their news release that just might tickle my funny bone a bit...

All right, I think I have used up my privileges for tonight. I promise not to get too carried away with posting here too much. I will try to keep a lid on it, at least for tonight..... :-}

Herb