``The people involved with a lot of these actions have a different moral compass than I do. I believe in being completely honest, particularly when there is a possibility that someone innocent could be affected``

Jeff, I can certainly appreciate where you are coming from.

Everyone seems to have their own ideas about what constitutes honesty. I know an investor who was offered an opportunity to invest in a private placement. He signed a non-disclosure agreement, but decided against participating. He then bought heavily in the open market, based on the inside information he had obtained from the prospectus. When the deal fell through, he lost a significant amount of money (though he won`t tell me how much). He is quite outspoken and regularly tells me that the people running the company can`t be trusted.

I see it differently, and think he got just what he deserved. But, there`s no convincing HIM of that.

There are an awful lot of us who think nothing of driving 75 mph in a 55 mile zone, or who wouldn`t hesitate to fudge just a little on our 1040, but become indignant when naked shorts and crooked hedge funds fleece the average investor.

I suppose the world would be a much better place if we all lived by the same ``moral compass``. But the problem I keep running into is that I have to keep cutting myself a little slack. Maybe if everybody around me worked a little harder, I wouldn`t have such a hard time keeping the needle pointing due North.

Best regards,

zties