This is an old photo of my life-long friend, Anne Marie, and my first dog, Luger. Anne Marie just wrote an awesome book, The Idea That Is America. It's one of those books that might give you some hope while looking honestly at the dung heap we've gotten ourselves into.

I don't know how anyone can write books like that. I just say the words, liberty or freedom, and I want to bark or bite someone. Which is what Luger, true to his name, was good at. He liked Anne Marie and me. The rest of the world he wanted to sink his teeth into. He used to look up at me with this mournful look, as if to ask. . . Oh please may I bite that guy? He was good company.