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Technology Stocks : MRV Communications (MRVC) opinions? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: signist who wrote (14281)	7/5/1999 7:23:00 PM
From: rascalbythesea	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42804

Hyperchannel looks like they are busy little beavers. How's the new job John? Save some time for MRVC, you may not have to work if Noam comes through for us as promised. Benny

To: signist who wrote (14281)	7/6/1999 2:26:00 PM
From: Robert G. Harrell	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42804

Hi John, I have one heck of a headache, so forgive me if this is a stupid question, but what is the connection between Hyperchannel and MRVC? Is this our multinational internet marketing arm? If so, what is our % ownership? By the way, I don't recall hearing what your new job is. Can you tell us? Whatever it is, it couldn't be as bad as a friend of mine's new job situation. He is an engineer in his mid 50's who was laid off from his job about 3 years ago. He didn't worry about it because a company in which we both held an interest was sold to a large NYSE listed company and we got a very nice settlement in cash and stock. He must have received close to $100K in cash and his stock was worth about $400K when he sold it the week our lock up period ended. Although the stock had nearly doubled from when we received it to when he sold it, it continued to run up until his stock, had he held it, would have been worth about $1.6 million last summer. Had his only mistake been selling too soon, he would be not rich but still comfortable in his retirement. Unfortunately, the next to last time I saw him, he was on his way to a new home in another state and stopped by for a brief visit in which he told me about his "investment" (I use the term loosely) strategies. One was to turn some of his money over to currency traders who "guaranteed" to triple his money. The one that really blew me away, however, was his plan to give his money to a religious organization which "promised" to invest it and increase it greatly before giving it back to him as a "charitable contribution" which they told him would be tax exempt. I know this already sounds like the most insane scam you've ever heard of but there's more. He knew that they had been banned in several states and recently had been banned from operating in Florida but he had tracked them down. This was all dropped on me as he was literally walking out the door. I thought many times about calling or writing him to share some safer investment strategies but didn't. A few months later I got a call that he wanted to sell, at a considerable discount, his interest in a joint venture which had arisen from the sale of the original company. My first thought was, "I sure hope he doesn't need this because he blew all his money on one of those crazy get rich quick schemes." Sure enough, I found out recently that he is learning to drive a truck because he lost it all and has to find work to support his family. This should make any of us who felt stupid after riding MRVC down to 5 1/4 last summer feel a little smarter and a lot richer. I doubt any of us long timers on this board (with perhaps the exception of Seth) lost that much money on MRVC. As I bask in the glow of another 1/2 years salary increase in my portfolio today, I think about my friend and remember where Proverbs 23 says Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Cheers, Bob