Nelzoni- Thanks for posting that.
It most certainly is not off topic, especially in the context of explaining some of the driving forces that have kept this company alive, when so many have written it off for dead.
The philosophies espoused by Peter Sprague are certainly not for everyone, but seem to be echoed in the personalities of many long-timers here that I've come to respect. I hate to take this opprotunity to post negatively about someone, but Hamhock Howie comes to mind immediately as someone at odds with Peter's philosophies. He has admitted many times to being risk-averse, and possibly that monetary aversion is reflected personally. It serves to illuminate the different factions in this fascinating, ongoing, story stock of all time.
This stock, even if successful, may never reach the lofty expectations of Snackman and many more of us, but it sure has been a constant source of entertainment. It also gave many of us a chance to flex our minds, while we watched the evolution of a new paradigm emerge. Good luck to all of us; we still need it, and we most certainly deserve it. No fear, the supposed Sprague guiding precept, is something I've always aspired to. It is indeed a main principle in the real Zen, and although I've railed against the 'trough' mentality, it seems the Spragues are kinda zen too. Just a lot richer than me.