the exploration companies still look dicey to me, so at this point i still prefer juniors that have lots of cash:

1) anatolia minerals - they are fully funded and will go into production next year, and produce 175,000 oz from oxides in 2011. the deposit is 6.3 million oz, and they should increase production later from the sulfides. but they are in turkey, and there is geopolitical risk of the middle east spilling over into their country.

2) eastmain resources - three prospective projects, one a joint venture with goldcorp. they have plenty of cash for exploration, quebec rebates half of expenses back to the company, and no trouble raising money. every time they do an offering the shares are gobbled up by insiders and funds. goldcorp owns almost 10% of er.

3) silvermex resources - this one is only for gamblers. they have proved up 40+ million oz of silver in mexico, but they still have a long way to go. however last week they acquired a mill and the infrastructure needed to become a producer at a bargain price. at the current silver price they would be just another high-cost, unprofitable producer, but that's why the stock trades at 16 cents. if you believe in silver, this stock could be worth a look.

like most resource stocks, all three are a long way down from their highs. but if the wind blows hard enough, even turkeys will fly.