it's like "pay us seventy squillion dollars for 24 and we'll throw in Miracles and a free set of steak knives."

Heh. I want a squillion dollars just so I can lay claim to the grand title of 'squillionaire'. This is now my goal in life. (...and if someone would inform me that, in fact, a squillion dollars is something approximate to, say, fifteen bucks, that'd be a great help.)

Emlah, the criticism seems to focus on two points in particular. Firstly, that as most African states were already exempt from WTO patent obligations for years to come, even India, a major exporter of generics, won't be affected until 2005, so the immediate legal impact of Saturday's decision isn't as dramatic as the headlines might suggest.

And secondly, that the full impact of the agreement will only be felt if countries are able to use it effectively but that the complex accord could require poor countries to make hefty investments in administration and legal procedures if they are to reap the benefits.

The general feeling from the humanitarian organisations is that the WTO action primarily appeases the U.S. and Western pharmaceutical industries who feared that allowing the waiver of patents could be open to abuse for commercial gain by developing country generic drugmakers in countries such as Brazil and India.

But at least it should raise competition between generic producers, some of whom were reluctant to commit to long-term investment, and patent holders, driving down world prices that are still way out of reach for most of Africa's millions of AIDS sufferers, although there is still the very real possibility that the deal will not prevent global patent rules from driving up the price of medicines.

In other words it is not safe to assume that this means cheap generic drugs for everyone, but the accord should allow countries more choice and the opportunity to purchase drugs from both generic and research-based producers.

Leigh, Who wants to be a squillionaire?

Damn, I won nothing. There goes that dream. *sniff*

Thanks for the clarification, moonlit.

Hmmm.

U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan

The United States has asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa. The request came in a telegram last week from a senior Pentagon official to a top Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem.

The Prime Minister's Office, which views the pipeline to Haifa as a "bonus" the U.S. could give to Israel in return for its unequivocal support for the American-led campaign in Iraq, had asked the Americans for the official telegram.

Iraq-to-Haifa oil pipeline could spur economic rebirth

JERUSALEM -- With Baghdad effectively in American hands, Israel and Jordan are testing the political waters to see whether the Haifa-Mosul pipeline could once again pump oil from Iraq to Israel's major port city.

Jewish Bulletin of Northern California

Yikes. I'm sure there are very good reasons for it (haven't checked out the links yet), but am I the only one shivering at how the "U.S. topples Iraq to pump our oil to Israel" line will play with the hardcore Al-Quaeda types?

but am I the only one shivering at how the "U.S. topples Iraq to pump our oil to Israel" line will play with the hardcore Al-Quaeda types?

Raises hand.

Although I could see the Al-Quaeda types wasting a lot of time, resources, and energy (no pun intended) on the pipeline itself, instead of elsewhere. Of course, then, who gets the fun job of guarding the pipeline?

The problem is, it doesn't take a lot of resources to sabotage one point in a pipeline. It's already happened twice. You can't guard something hundreds of miles long.

Okay, this is a bit of an obscure question, but it's bugging the crap out of me.

I'm watching Second Sight: Parasomnia, and the guy that plays an ex of the main suspect -- a slight black guy -- is very familiar. I'm pretty sure I saw him in an upsetting role, one where he was falsely accused of a murder, perhaps of someone he loved, and I think he committed suicide. Also fairly sure it was one of the Prime Suspects.

But his SS character (Mr. Sylvester) isn't listed in IMDB. Does anyone know, maybe, which Prime Suspect, and which character?

edit: Fraser James, played Tony Allen. Whew.