Bravekind,

I appreciate your pragmatic reaction.

Yes, the stock has been diluted, but we also will have gained up to $20 million extra dollars. Why now? What will NOT do with this new found money?

Commercial credit markets are frozen, and major financial institutions and corporations here in the USA are going bankrupt. For those with cash, now is a buyer's market. As you say:

"They want the financing in order to merge with / buy / consolidate other area properties and/or fend off a major."

I agree, this makes sense to me.

Your second point about prospects for 2009 being worse than this last quarter of 2008, also fits in with my view of the near future. The Ring of Fire is huge, it will take years and big bucks just to prove up what NOT has. There is no doubt in my mind that NOT's burn rate will be greater in 2009 than in 2008, and again in 2010 than in 2009.

To modify your comment just a bit:

"... if you're going to raise money [for 2009 and 2010], do it now."

Regards...

Rek