Brooklyn Bridge? I have enough bridges. What do you have in National Monuments?

And as for your last highlighted quotes - keeping the swaps market opaque and customers don't necessarily know where the market is - that scares me too. In fact, I was suspect at both the BOA purchase of Countrywide and the Bear Sterns buyout. I mean, they hardly seemed like great investments - unless one wished to cover something up so nobody unfriendly discovers where all the bodies are buried.

Another thing that raises red flags in the need to raise capital by financial houses. Some have criticized China and other foreign systems for their lack of transparency; I am getting the impression that we're as secretive here.

The CDS represents a lot of money - and risk; much more money than I have. :-)

But, how much is that bridge anyways?