Thanks John for all that you write about the mining scene, and especially with the companies within the ring of fire. There are valuable insights about mining that many like myself do not have a clear understanding about. So you have been very helpful with this. I have been investing for years and understand markets pretty well. You make a good point about why " naked shorting " may be legal. It does explain why our regulators may wink at the practice. It really does infuriate me because I consider it highly immoral. I'm not opposed to shorting a stock. To me that is fair game. Shorting usually takes place when a company is badly managed and gets into financial difficulties. GM is a case in point presently. However, being able to " naked short " can excellerate a companies demise without giving them a fair chance to redeem themselves. I am not concerned about investors too much. We should be " big ' boys, or girls, and learn to take our lumps. But my concern is for the average individuals who work for these companies to support families. We need these laws changed!! The one good thing coming from this financial mortgage mess might be for these laws to get changed. Once Fanny & Freddie are saved, I hope the pressure is kept on to make a fair playing field for every company. I am not sure about this, but I was told that the rules about shorting are tighter here in Canada. I'm not convinced some people use loop holes, so I hope pressure mounts here in Canada to also have much tighter rules governing shorting. I'm not convinced our law makers are up to the task. Hope I'm wrong. Again, thanks for your insights .