"All I want is some actual straight talk about what is going on so that investors can be reassured that their faith in sticking with the company will ultimately be rewarded.  One would think that wouldn't be too much to ask."

paladin, straight talk from this company has not happened to date and will not happen now. One needs to be pragmatic and avoid putting on rose coloured glasses from time to time to feel good.

If behind closed doors, option #1 will not succeed, we won't hear of it. Don will move on to other options. When you have a major shareholder such as Shenzhen Hapalink at the negotiating table, adding that extra pressure on Don to close a deal with a BP partner surely has not been easy, to say the least. 

Just saying ... Koo