Robert B. Parker died today, in Cambridge, at his writing desk. I turned on my cell after an afternoon class and found that every male member of my family had left a message with the news.

MASSACHUSETTS – In a pre-emptive strike, Fox News, the GOP and the campaign of Scott Brown have come forward to file federal electoral complaints against the Black Panthers and the group ACORN.

“The fact that I haven’t already been declared the winner shows that there is massive voter fraud going on,” said Brown, several hours before the polls closed. “I blame ACORN.”

These are sad times. The world is a confused, chaotic mess. War is now considered diplomacy. Freedom is but a catch phrase with no literal meaning. Life is getting more perilous and frightening for more and more people.

And my beard’s a mess. And that really saddens me.

I'm totally unqualified to predict who'll win tomorrow's Senate election, which puts me right up there with every other pundit or expert. I suspect Obama's last-minute intervention and a desperate get-out-the-vote effort just might eke out a narrow win for Coakley. But I wouldn't bet on it; she's a bad candidate with an aura of entitlement and zero resonance with the national mood Obama tapped into just over a year ago.