I read a book by Alfred Crosby called European Ecological Imperialism. It sounds awful, but it was great. It was about how everywhere Europeans went in the world, their diseases came along with them and killed the native peoples. "They got TB and typhoid and athlete's foot/ Diphtheria and the flu." They got all of them. Except for athlete's foot - I had to contribute something other than what was in the book.

I'll admit to a certain anti-imperialism. I've got stock and yet I root against the stock market every day. I just can't help myself. I'm constitutionally a Cubs fan. I've always rooted for the underdogs, and usually they lose. You know why? 'Cause they're the underdog.