The two sides to any negotiation include the floor and the ceiling.  There are several negotiations here.  There is only one, as I see it, that directly affect the shareholders of IOC is what we should focus on.  The offer we currently being presented with is the floor of the negotiation.  This is the lowest offer were can receive.  No sound negotiator puts out their final offer first.  This is to test the waters but not blow the prospect away.  The ceiling is our response.  This will be the height of what we want.  I do believe as shareholders we can direct this if we vote correctly.  The negotiation will then ensue to bring the final deal.  Stavros, while I could possibly (possibly not) accept what you have been stating, in the context of this negotiated ceiling I WANT MORE!  This rapid approval by the BOD is likely to push other potential offers sitting on the sidelines forward, to expedite the offers and get it done ASAP.  I still think MH is a scum bad, I have for a while and never trusted him.  However, in the context of a negotiating deal I suspect right now we are in our 29th week of the deals pregnancy.  The deal is viable but not good.