I listened to a compelling edition of Start the Week this morning. Jamie Whyte eviscerated Stephen Bayley on the topic of opinions and clear thinking. Whyte’s new book, Bad Thoughts: A Guide to Clear Thinking, looks like a must read.
So that’s what happened to Alexander 
Via Living Code, it seems researchers in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases have examined the death of Alexander the Great and reached a surprising conclusion.
“Previous considerations omitted an event that was carefully recorded by Plutarch and which, before 1999, might have been considered irrelevant: the erratic behavior and observable deaths of numerous ravens outside the walls of Babylon. This observation might now be construed as an important clue. If this observation is included as part of the description of Alexanders illness, West Nile virus encephalitis complicated by flaccid paralysis becomes an alternative diagnosis. It is possible that, in the 3rd century BC, disease caused by West Nile virus arrived in Mesopotamia for the first time in recorded history, killing indigenous birds and an occasional human and causing only incidental febrile illnesses in many others.”
British Politics has uncovered a memo to the prime minister advocating a novel strategy to restore his public position: dump Bush in ’04.
“Its tempting. I know. Iraqs over. Bush is a millstone round your neck. Dump him and with one bound youll be free. Popular with the party again, embraced across Europe. I can give you glad confident morning again. For just one speech.”