Mood:  smelly

After appearing on "American Idol," the eldest daughter of the newly-elected Junior Senator from "the bluest State in the Union," appeared on-stage, with her Dad.  In both instances she appeared to be completely clothed.  Perhaps the adage to "do as I say, not as I do" reflects the management style of the Brown household; offering hope to those among us who might linger outside a window in order to observe "up close and personal."

Frodo has paid little attention to the thoughts of others for the past several days, focusing more on his own problems and recollections.  Again, the iconic personage of Abraham Lincoln is in mind, especially in the first year of the Great War against those who dared oppose the "bluest State in the Union" and subordinates of lesser dominion.  Lincoln's popularity was not daily measured by Pew, Harris, CBS/Wall Street Journal, or any other now-familiar poll, although it can be reasonably assumed that his numbers were pretty well down the charts after First Manassas.  Frodo thought of that especially when he heard one call for the firing of Larry Summers, as if he were the George Meade redux.

Lincoln was plagued by military leaders who lacked his judgment.  The result being that his every waking hour was devoted to someone offering him advice on who to replace, or what Proclamation to sign.  Lincoln was besieged by a public who demanded reparations for the cost of War, and who treated those who had opposed them as if they were terrorists, rather than the sons of Scots-Irish immigrants.  Lincoln knew that winning the War was top priority, but beyond the pale was what would happen to the nation in the days that followed.  

Frodo recalls an unusual instance during the most recent Presidential Campaign.  While campaigning in his "home" State of Hawaii, Obama took off on his own for a long walk, and he was, much to his chagrin, tailed by the ever-present Press Corps.  Clearly irritated, he begged the journalistic paparazzi to leave him alone, and give him time to "think."  Frodo knew exactly how he felt, and surmised that his fondest photograpic portrayal of Lincoln  was a portrait of the man, seated, alone, open palm to chin, in painful consideration of the challenges that never seemed to end.

Obama is surrounded by very wise and talented associates.  This is enough to distinguish him from Lincoln, whose assemblage was challenging, if not rebellious.  Perhaps it is the very competence of his advisors, and the faith that he has in them, that keeps President Obama from the solitude which characterized Lincoln's decision-making, and which guided Obama in the days before he became President.  Frodo has difficulty zeroing in on a single characature of Obama alone, as President, in his thoughts.

Frodo's ramblings aside, it is appropriate to reflect upon the fact that Harry Truman once threatened a journalist who criticized his daughter's piano-playing.  A long way we have come it is to a senatorial father who introduced his daughter's availability on television, even in jest.  Some men, it seems, never understand the value of walking alone. 

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 9:02 PM EST

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Mood:  accident prone

If Martha Coakley were a candidate for political office in the Shire, Frodo is not sure he would vote for her.  Of course, if the option was Saxby Chambliss, Jim DeMint, Jeff Sessions, Ben Nelson, or some other purveyor of personal aggrandizement, the unknown Ms. Coakley would receive Frodo's unquestioned endorsement.  Ms. Coakley is however running against a true unknown, who appears to be the beneficiary of the many gaffes and strategic stumbles of Candidate Coakley.  That, to Frodo, is two steps beyond danger, and at the entrance to the Twilight Zone.

Frodo is an admitted chauvinist when it comes to sports.  Frodo played football, basketball, baseball.  Frodo is still a workout runner, and he prides himself on his knowledge of the nuance of team sports.  Why, therefore, should he give any credence to anyone named Pam, Robin, or Erin when it comes to the Super Bowl?  Frodo will listen to any guy, and that includes the worst sports announcers in America (see Atlanta, network affiliates), over any female sports announcer.  To the best of his knowledge, Frodo is unaware of any guy who wears a "sports bra," and he does not know any woman who has ever even playfully burdened herself with a jockstrap.  These two facts alone are sufficient to justify Frodo's biases.

Given that bias, in a Hobbit as opposed to some turtle pucky from Alabama, would an outstanding public prosecutor from Massachusetts begin to talk about baseball and the biases of a Republican Pitcher about whom she doesn't know squat?

Ms. Coakley, next time ask Frodo before you open your mouth about professional sports.  These guys are all money-grubbing Republicans.  They have made quazillions of dollars, and all they care about is maximizing their deductions.  With the exception of a few black guys who rallied to Candidate and President Obama, they are Republicans and they have no sense of obligation to anything beyond a fully-deductible "foundation," and the cost of an ounce of crystal meth.

Should you ever decide to run again, talk about the sense of accomplishment you feel when you put a murderer or terrorist away forever.  Frodo appreciates the brains and the brawn of a prosecutor.  What he can't stand is a self-serving politician who tries to be his pal.  Apparently, the voters of Massachusetts feel the same way. 

Given all of that, this guy Brown could be a member of the John Birch Society for all we know.  As long as she doesn't come out with a dip of snuff between her cheek and gum, Frodo is willing to accept Ms. Coakley into the United States Senate.  What he won't do is watch her broadcast the Boston Red Sox.     

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 8:25 PM EST

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Mood:  surprised

Mood swings, thought Frodo, were something to be endured amid any personal relationship.  It is rare however, that Frodo finds himself doing an absolute 180 degree mood change, especially when it involves a photograph.  Earlier this day, given the human tragedy in Haiti, Frodo was thinking about the father of the college girl who'd been informed that his daughter was okay, then to find out that the information he'd been given was incorrect.  On top of all that, he was worried about an election in Massachusetts, of all places, and the absolute irony in the fact that Ted Kennedy's replacement could put the coup de grace on healthcare reform.

Frodo was, at best, pretty blue.

Then he saw the picture.

Evidently, this narcissistic moron who has been gaining in "the polls" as the Republican hopeful to replace the late Senator Kennedy posed for a picture in 1982, in the nude.  Frodo immediately tuned in his black-and-white to the local FOX News affiliate.  Certainly, thouight Frodo, the purveyors of "fair and balanced" would be covering this right alongside the daily blather of Rush Limbaugh and the pontification of Rev. Pat Robertson.  Frodo, it seems, was half-right.  The FOX News crew were in deep discussion about everything except Brothers Limbaugh, Robertson, and the only Massachusetts politician who has proven himself to be "dickless."

When Frodo heard that President Obama would be assisting in the campaign of the Democrat, Ms. Oakley, he couldn't help but hope that he takes along that picture which demonstrates his "abs," as a point of comparison. 

Frodo has been trying to remember the significance of other photographs in other elections, and he thought about LBJ holding one of his beagles up by its ears.  In truth, he cannot recall any "policake" photos which left the viewer scouring for actual warts on the epidermal layer of the prospective vote-getter.  Maybe we ought to consider that.

Frodo smiles.   

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 12:18 PM EST

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Mood:  lyrical

Quixotic it is that Frodo spend a few moments stepping back from the death and destruction in Haiti in order to speak of another death.  The mellifluous voice of Teddy Pendergrass was stilled this day, and Frodo immediately recalled some special moments in his life.  For an artist, there is no higher compliment.

Pendergrass began his career with the group known as "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes."  Not long after striking out on his own, the arrogance of youth and talent brought him to the near fatal automobile crash which left him paralyzed for the remainder of his days.  Colon cancer struck the final blow.

His list of love songs, although only a part of his creations, are special to Frodo because of the human artistry lyrically weaved into the product.  In our title song, he touched his audience recognizing that "all the things we've been through" reflect humanity because "we all got our own funny moves."  Every relationship, simply said, reaches a point where partners have to accept each other, or go their own separate ways.

Frodo is a wordsmith, but tonight he feels an absolute inability to capture the magnificence of the harmony which emanates from the YouTube replay of the appearance of Pendergrass and his associates with Don Cornelius.  Before you go to bed this night, seek it out, and sway.   

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 8:56 PM EST

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Mood:  don't ask

Frodo had legitimate business reasons for his frequent trips to Puerto Rico.  He was not so naive however, as to ignore the resentment that so many natives held toward those like him who were from "the mainland."  The absolute ignorance of the issues in Puerto Rico exhibited by mainlanders was, and still is, humiliating, for the all rest of us.  For example, it is not uncommon for verbose mainlanders to loudly proffer that Puerto Rico should be given "her independence."  Since only about a third of the people of Puerto Rico share that opinion (the options being statehood or the status quo, a commonwealth), it is easy to see why mainlanders are resented for the unfortunate habit of talking without having any information to substantiate their opinion.

No, this posting is not about Sarah Palin, but it could be, admittedly.

Frodo is deeply concerned about the events taking place in Puerto Rico's neighbor this evening.  It is possible, though certainly beyond conceivable, that half-a-million people have died within the seismic zone in the nation of Haiti.  By now, everyone knows that this is the poorest of the poor in the Americas, and that there are no local resources available to serve, if not save, human life in Haiti.  Frodo notices immediately that the pictures of the destruction yield no trees, and no birds.  They have been consumed by overpopulation.  Whatever comes out of this disaster, in order to live another day, will be from the largesse of peoples from all around the civilized world.

When Frodo was last in Puerto Rico, it was crowded in the streets below, since office buildings were spilling their human content as if they were all sharing the same schedule for a daily purgative.  Frodo's friend wanted him to join his circle of friends for an apertif in a nearby watering hole, and suggested that the best way to avoid the crowds was to walk through the secured facilities of the downtown Federal Office Building.  Frodo gamely followed the gaggle of natives, practicing his hideous Spanish amid their laughter.  Suddenly, Frodo was confronted by a line of 10 or 12 very slender men, all chained together and guarded by very big men with very big guns.  Frodo was too startled to think of an appropriate question, so his friend responded to his silence with but a single word.  He simply said, "Dominicans."

Just as there are Mexicans and Cubans and Guatemalans all looking to enter into our homeland for many types of opportunity, residents of the Dominican Republic attempt to illegally enter Puerto Rico for exactly the same reasons.  There are too many people, and not enough resources to serve them, or save them, in the Dominican Republic.  Over drinks, Frodo learned that the attempts usually come by boat from the eastern end of the island of Hispaniola, and that hardly a day goes by that there aren't lives lost in the attempt.  Desperation, it seems, is quite a motivator.

Frodo thought about the desperation of the "Dominicans" this evening, when he heard Brian Williams talk about all of the equipment and supplies being delivered to Haitians from their neighbors in the Dominican Republic.  The poorest people that Frodo had ever seen were giving to help their neighbors on the western end of the island of Hispaniola.

Bilbo has often told Frodo about the days of the Great Depression, when there was hardly enough to eat on the farm, but that her "daddy" never turned any wayfarer away without sustenance.  Perhaps, thinks Frodo, it would be a good idea to look back to Lincoln's words about Christianity, and why God made so many poor people. 

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 8:55 PM EST

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Mood:  crushed out

Non-public statements which become public knowledge are part of Frodo's avocational interest in politics.  With the exception of professional sports and the journalists who cover them, nobody does it better than politicians and those who tend to write books two years later.  The Senior Senator from Nevada, and the former Governor of Alaska appear in a new book today as if they had planned to appear naked and let small children discover that neither was wearing clothes.  Sam is an advocate of greater research into the true and untold story of the 2008 Republican Presidential candidates, and their spouses.

Sir Todd, we know, has a multi-year documented membership in a white supremacist organization which the Vice Presidential aspirant tried to ignore.  It can safely be assumed that Senator McCain at some point in time became aware of Todd's buddies, and Frodo would like to go on record as saying that he truly believes McCain was not thrilled.

The real unknown however, is the relationship between Cindy McCain and Sarah.  In silence, Frodo has spent countless hours searching Cindy's face whenever she shared a public appearance with "The Flying None."  As a lifelong student of feminine expressions, Frodo has a self-developed acuity for determining when a woman is in the presence of someone she cannot stomach (Frodo, after all, has admitted to not having won every scoring opportunity).  It is Frodo's professional opinion, and not unsurprisingly confirmed by friend Samwise, that Cindy McCain was sorely tempted to push Sarah's head into a tub of water and to hold it there until the conclusion of the Iowa Primary.  

Frodo is reminded of the look that the housewife of thirty years might have upon her countenance when she learned that her husband once played golf with Tiger Woods.  It is probable, in Frodo's mind, that said housewife might want to get an accounting of cellphone usage, and to see if there were any golf clubs in the SUV.  Cindy has that same look in her eyes, just like that which caused Caesar to take special note of Brutus' presence at the terminus of his political career.

Sam is willing to consider offering a reward to anyone who gets Cindy to talk.  Frodo, again, remarks that inquiring minds, simply, want to know. 

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 9:14 PM EST

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Mood:  hug me

When the Gardens of the Shire were new, it was merely an open deck which extended into a back yard.  After several renovations, and the passage of time, it is now a window-enclosed elevated room which reaches out at tree-top level into the native growth that flowers below.  A kerosene heater burns brightly at this time of year, while the ceiling fan sits idle, awaiting its next call to action.  Frodo can turn his chair inward and watch the news or the athlete who strives for broadcast perfection.  But with a light coating of snow and bone-chilling temperatures outside, it is tempting to stand and peer into the darkness endlessly, looking for signs of movement and shimmers of life in the darkness of winter.

Frodo had noticed a ghostlike apparition whipping in the snares of a hickory tree days ago, and had at first believed it to be the corpse of a kite.  Closer examination revealed it to be a plastic shopping bag, caught halfway up in the nakedness of the arboreal, too far for the Frodo of today to climb and secure.  Frodo knew that, with time, ever-present, the bag would eventually disappear and plague him no more.  He was struck however, by the fact that the bag was already gone, and appeared to be moving, of its own power, atop the horse-fence which encircles the Shire.

An intrepid squirrel, perhaps looking to add substance to the structure which sheltered his small family, had the bag in paw, and was dragging it along the fence, in the direction of shelter.  Unfortunately, the wind was whipping mercilessly, and had penetrated the opening of the bag.  The parachute thus created was pulling the squirrel in the exactly opposing direction intended.  Frodo smiled and called to Sam to come and watch the struggle in the snow-lit darkness.  Fiona and Mick, the Wonder Dog, followed and peered through the windows thinking that something wonderful must be at hand.

Eventually, the struggle below disappeared over the side of the fence and out-of-view.  Before long Frodo was alone again, and his mind wandered to the poetry of Robert Frost, New England's champion in Frodo's assessment of those who can create dreams from mere words.  The woods were indeed dark and deep, and had reminded Frodo that moments like this are left behind all too quickly.

On this morn Frodo noted the plastic bag, once again flapping in the breeze of the hickory tree.  Perhaps Act II, Scene I, will take place when the wind dies down and the harvest of nest insulation can proceed unabated.  That much effort should never be denied.    

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 11:49 AM EST

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Mood:  surprised

United States Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has never really meant too much to Frodo.  After all, North Dakota is one of those states never visited by Frodo, and given the glacial (pun, pardon) speed at which global warming is apparently occurring, it is unlikely that Frodo will ever visit North Dakota.  Dorgan is apparently a man of great integrity, and he has gained a measure of respect among civilized citizenry for his dogged determination in the seemingly endless debates on healthcare reform.  Frodo was surprised that he indicated an unwillingness to offer himself for additional abuse at the hands of an electorate long on passion and short on information.  For a few minutes, Frodo was depressed.

Then he thought about Ed.  Ed Schultz that is, the host of the "Ed Schultz Show" on MSNBC, and a long-time resident and progressive radio show host in North Dakota.  Frodo and Sam, both of whom enjoy tuning in to his "Psycho Talk" segment, during which he typically zeroes in on Michele Bachmann, Liz Cheney, Glenn Beck, or some other fruit who has escaped from an entagling vine were heartedly jointly-composing an e-mail to suggest that he consider running to replace Dorgan.

Schultz is nothing, if not committed to the principles of helping the working man, and standing up for the underdog.  He never, ever, stops, and he is not ashamed to raise havoc with those whom he feels do not fight hard enough.  Although Frodo finds him to be a bit much from time-to-time, he is indeed a fighter.

"Boy," thought Frodo, "it would be refreshing to hear a guy who fights with his heart as well as his mind, again, in American politics."

It was even more refreshing to hear that Schultz has been approached by the Democratic Party in North Dakota, and asked to consider running to replace Senator Dorgan.

When the vetting process is complete, and if Schultz and his family choose to follow this path, then he will have a Hobbit at his back.

Run, Edddie, run far and run fast.  We have 300 days to make it so.

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 8:56 PM EST

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Mood:  bright

Now that the last of the lists has been compiled, and Frodo no longer has to match wits with someone, anyone, who believes that one of anything, something, is more important than everything else that has taken place, it is time for the next step toward insanity.  What are the great issues, in descending order, that now face the citizens of Middle Earth?

1.  What to do when there is nothing on television?

The Internet used to be a hoot, but now it is work.  Either it serves as a replacement for more traditional research and analysis, or it mandates a new set of priorities into every day of one's life.  Even the casual blogger finds himself stressed by the fact that he hasn't "posted," and that his devoted readers may get bored and go away, then he'd have to start all over and what would happen if he wasn't funny/poignant/authoritative (pick one)?  The difference between the offerings of television, and those of the Internet, are that Mary Tyler Moore and Andy Griffith are not replaced by firedoglake or the huffingtons.

2.  What to do when you get voice mail?

Frodo believes that the phrase "your message is very important" ranks right there with "Arbeit Macht Frei."  Everybody knows that it is pure bullshit and that you will surely die if you wait longer than one hour for anyone to return your call.  Nothing communicates your comparative relative standing in another's priorities if you don't get a call back on the same day that you leave your message.  The anxiety created by an unreturned message is merely a replacement for the anxiety which used to exist when there was no answer and the telephone just rang and rang.

3.  What to do when there is no return address?

A Christmas Card, signed by an old friend, containing a generic one-page synopsis of the past year, absent any reference to either a spouse, or something somewhat relevant, without a little sticky return address on the front left-hand side of the envelope, is a better form of communication than is a smoke-signal.  It also requires evasive action less a scalping soon take place.  Unfortunately, either #1 or #2 above represent the next available step in these troubled times.

Finally, says Frodo, there is the issue of the weather.  What do you do if it is so damn cold outside that your dog's tweeter has icicles on it, and he looks to you for relief?

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 11:50 AM EST

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Mood:  special

A. K. Kurosawa penned an immortal tale which was transformed into English when Charles Bronson, Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and a host of others became "The Magnificent Seven."  Frodo is not of a mind this evening to dwell on the score that swells his chest and allows him to imagine what it must really be like to fight to preserve the life of the guy standing next to you, who is fighting to preserve your life.  Perhaps it is the night, and the sound of fireworks, that exacerbate the numbers he absorbs as 2009 slips into ignominy.

Seven, added to three hundred and four doesn't really compute when the costs of war are tabulated in the mind of man or hobbit.  We routinely count the number of soldiers who die for some reason somewhere, but it is very rare when "civilians" are added to the count, as they were this day.  The "Station Chief" in Khost was a married woman.  One of the Central Intelligence Agency employees reporting to her was a thirty-seven year-old father of four.  A "suicide bomber' separated the families from their loved ones who also served, us.

Frodo, obliquely, wonders if Dick Cheney will ever know their names.  What troubles him most of all is the fact that Frodo can't even remember the names of all the actors in "The Magnificent Seven."  It was a very wise friend who once told Frodo that the most difficult job in the world would be that of the Director of Human Resources in the CIA.  When Frodo queried for a response, he was told that the employees may be trained to imbibe and seduce as part of their assigned task overseas, but once they return to the "homeland," they are disciplined for maintaining the behavior for which they had been honored.  How "hypocritical," thought Frodo, and nobody ever gets to know their names, unless Dick Cheney sees political advantage therein.

"Day is done, gone the Sun. . ." warbles Frodo to an empty sky, and the sound of fireworks in the distance.

Posted by loveysdaddyga at 9:49 PM EST

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