Thank you very much, Mark. I do appreciate your reply and recognize it as sage advice. In fact, I read most of the articles I come across all over the net, trying not to screen out the ones that I disagree with or don't strike a responsive chord. It is all to easy to get caught up in points of view that amount to preaching to the choir.

Maybe that's why I haven't up until now received any real feedback on this topic from this forum. After all, for most of us this is serious business and we need to concentrate our attention on the things that count. Whereas, a big crash in the future is a nebulous concept for most, and a well-worn source of inspiration for a certain group of commentators.

I guess I'm quite curious as to what in particular NOT afficianados are thinking as I presume this company has a hold on them, due to its peculiar characteristics and tantalizing prospects, as it does me. As for stocks in geneneral, my rule of thumb is to consider them only as short-term opportunities. with the exception of PM stocks which could be looked at for longer terms holds much more safely than the rest.

Every now and then I get the feeling I'm liable to wake up and find the whole economic system has changed. This, of course, is unpredictable, so maybe I just need a long distracting-type trip away from all this.

Best of success to all NOT investors,

O.F.