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Non-Tech : Ashton Technology (ASTN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Edscharp who wrote (3242)	2/3/2000 3:54:00 PM
From: Sir Auric Goldfinger	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 4443

Give me upticks! Must have upticks.

To: Edscharp who wrote (3242)	2/3/2000 4:25:00 PM
From: jackie	Respond to of 4443

Ed, I wanted to point out all rating companies will sometimes miss the occasional scoundrel. Years ago I worked for a company known as National Investors Life Insurance. It was part of a financial empire being built by a true manipulator with the name of Morley Thompson. He had taken the Baldwin Piano Company and turned it into this holding company known as Baldwin Holding. To make a long story short, he was using a series of financial transactions from one company to another to hide the fact he was insolvent. When interest rates went down, so did the value of the instruments he was holding. Basically, he said he had 3 or 4 billion in assets when in fact he was a billion short. It was the largest bankruptcy in American history up to the time it happened. National Investor Life Insurance company was ranked as safe by all the insurance rating services available. I remember talking to one of the old hands at the company. He was shaking his head in disbelief at the turn in financial fortunes. All had turned to dust, in spite of these glowing ratings on the part of AM Best and some of the other agencies doing the same. It just goes to show, thieves are hard to catch. As to Auric's position on this company, he has really pushed the emotional bead off the edge. Just review his posts on this company and you'll see what I mean. No matter what happens, ASTN is horrible and doomed to failure. Asking Auric to comment on ASTN is like asking a knight from the 13th century what he thinks about Moslems. A rational response is impossible. Too much pride and emotion has been invested in his position and he simply cannot retreat gracefully from even his more moderate postings. Regards, Jack