Here is my thinking on the altered focus. Put yourself in Stowe's shoes (and the other directors for that matter). You know what you have insitu. You know you have a bundle of low priced shares and options. You know what a battle it has been just to get the Company this far. You know what a battle and risk it will be to take the mine it ourselves option. So, someone comes along and says I will give you $X per share TODAY and take away all your risk and take away the time factor of future value.

Look at the makeup of the board and management. They are not miners. They are scientists and geologists. To them the big score is finding and defining the depoit itself, not the daily grind of building a mine. I think it was Keith Barron from Auerlian who said it so simply - I am a geologist not a miner.

I think we may be reading too much into the Stowe addition. Or at least too much into his mining background and how this changes the fouc of ZEN. I see this as an experienced guy with background in the feasibility study area, the buyout area and the minimg area. AE simply adding more brain poswer to the table.

I don't think there is any doubt that all options are open at this time, but I would consider mining as Plan B, not Plan A. I am sure Stowe is eating up the internal information and no doubt can bring another perpsective to the value oif the project overall.

I don't think we should forget or pass off the risks involved in mining. We see it everyday with enviornmental issues, Native land claims, taxes, property taken away, market prices collapsing, etc. Mining is a tough tough business.

It is prudent of AE to move the project forward with the idea of PEA, PFS etc. in the normal course of business. Keep all options open.