The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Bill, which is being voted on today by the House of Representatives, doesn’t require any transparency for the sales transactions when the Treasury dumps the troubled assets it has bought.

Why?

Mortgages and Default Swap Loans Hidden From View

Because when prices begin to rise, rather than hold the assets and make gains for the American people, the Treasury will be selling them as quickly as possible to foreign and domestic banks.

The language in the TARP Bill ought to ensure that NO MORTGAGES ARE USED TO COLLATERALIZE FOREIGN LOANS. I have the sense that the news article out today that foreign countries support the U.S. bailout, but without financial support, is

There won’t be any gain on these assets, as it will simply go to pay interest on the loans taken to finance this bill. Let the Treasury sell the derivatives, but NOT the mortgages upon which the derivatives are founded. The derivatives are crap, worthless junk. The mortgages are the keys to U.S. property and it would be nice to keep it in the hands of Americans rather than hand it over for nothing.

Additionally, there ought to be language that NO MORTGAGE ASSETS SHALL BE RESOLD TO ANY COMPANY THAT HAS ITSELF, OR THROUGH A SUBSIDIARY, SOLD ANY SUCH ASSETS, FOR LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL SALES PRICE PLUS ________. At the very least, the administrative costs for this program, but I think we ought to see a three hundred percent gain!

I included the language from the bill pertaining to the sale of assets and the distribution of the proceeds. This deal really looks poor for Americans. This needs more refining!!! If a contract/bill isn’t vetted and clear, it will be exploited and the people who will be exploited as a result will be those that aren’t adequately represented, namely the average American!

UPDATE - The Senate is voting on the revised version of the bill presently.

Everything that’s going on with the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing is available through the widget I’ve placed below this text. It’s amazing!

At the top you can select from NEWS, VIDEO, or SLIDESHOWS. The thumbnails for the videos might take a while to load, but you don’t have to wait for them to click and watch. I’m impressed with NBC’s commitment to bringing as much of the Olympics as possible to each of us. You want to read about what happens, great. You want to see it happen, you got it. You want it delivered to your news reader, not a problem

If you want to watch the videos, you’ll have to install MS Silverlight. It’s easy to do and you’ll be prompted when it’s needed. I really enjoy being able to quickly find the videos for the events that interest me. I also like taking a look at events I haven’t seen before. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy watching fencing as much as I do. I can’t wait to see the finals!

If you’d like to place the widget on your site, or on your DESKTOP, feel free to surf over to The NBC Olympics Widget Page.

I conclude with charismatic and heartfelt cheers of “USA! USA! USA!” and “GO MICHAEL PHELPS!”

Now go check out the widget!

The classic model of how brain cells communicate was put forth in 1943 by Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts, at the time the first digital computers were being envisaged, and the McCulloch-Pitts model suggested that brain cells communicate in a binary fashion, represented by a “1” for firing and a “0” for not firing, much as a modern computer functions.

While it is common to say that a mammalian brain functions like a computer, this is a somewhat faulty idea, in part because the observation from the Traub lab suggests that gap junctions cause “short circuiting” as part of the brain’s normal functions. A real computer could not function if it short circuited. It is possible that these short circuits in the mammalian brain generally enhance brain function and adaptation to the environment, such as by permitting creative thinking, the combining of isolated facts into new ideas.

Researchers have found strong evidence for a novel type of communication between nerve cells in the brain. The findings may have relevance for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy, and possibly in the exploration of other aspects of brain functions, from creative thought processes to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

A critical step in brain development is governed by endogenous cannabinoids, the brain’s own marijuana. Studies conducted at Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet, with participation of scientists from Europe and the United States, are now published in Science and show that these endogenous molecules regulate how certain nerve cells recognize each other and form connections. The scientists believe that their findings will significantly advance our understanding of how cannabis smoking during pregnancy may damage the fetal brain.