Shortly before the end of last year, Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens engineered a hole-in-one by giving $165 million to a charity designed to benefit the golf program at Oklahoma State University. By giving the money before 2005 expired, Pickens was able to take advantage of a provision in Hurricane Katrina relief legislation that allowed him a

I know I'm one of many who thinks our president is not too bright, easily swayed by political self-interest, self-aggrandizing, and morally suspect. Now, on the heels of his deal with a state-owned company in the United Arab Emirates to run US ports, I begin to think he's a) simply evil or b) the single most corrupt president in the history of the country or c) insane. Or all of the above. Is anyone reassured that Michael Chertoff, the man who brought us New Orleans as a third world country, said the deal passed a classified review and that it would include safeguards to protect U.S. national security?

Considering that some of the 9/11 hijackers used the UAE as an operational and financial base, that two of the hijackers were from UAE, and that it was a transfer point for shipments of smuggled nuclear components sent to our good buddies Iran, North Korea and Libya , do you think the UAE is our new best friend?

Thank God for the resistance this deal is meeting--from both sides of the aisle as well as a whole lot of governors who are pretty sure they don't want a country linked to terrorism on their waterfronts.

What's next? Al Qaeda running airport security?

There was an interesting article by Mary Tannen in the NY Times Magazine a few weeks ago about how the fashion and cosmetics industries are starting to put their marketing where the money is: women over 40. M.A.C. Cosmetics, Dior, Miu Miu among others, are now using fantabulous women of a certain age to sell products to the women who actually use them. Look for Kim Bassinger, Sharon Stone, and Catherine Deneuve in new ad campaigns this year--as if I could have looked like them even in my 20's...right.

Since we are not a culture that reveres, exalts, or even tolerates the signs of aging, I suppose we'll continue to throw a portion of our 1 trillion dollars of spending money (that is not an exaggeration, by the way) at anything to keep us looking as young as we feel. While I'm slathering on the anti-aging cream and hydrating serum, I'll be listening to my current anthem by Dar Williams and wishing I could allow myself to simply age well.

This columnist in the Toronto Star has it in for us baby boomers. Would we kindly get out of the way, stop having good jobs, stop wanting to stay vital, healthy, and sexy, and...what the hell..can't we just melt into the pavement, like the Wicked Witch?

I suspect she'll be singing a different, and perhaps less whiny, tune when she's about to hit 60.

A catchy little ditty... get the whole song here>

Banana Republicans
©2003 Richard Martin

First, they won the White House on a five-to-four vote
Ignoring the citizens, precluding the tote
But within two years they'd surely learned their big lesson:
Own vote counting companies, eliminate guessin'

They're Banana Republicans, leading the way
To the National Security US of A
They're bought and they're paid for, the companies say
That they'll keep them in office, and make us all pay.

More great protest songs here>

I was wondering the other day what would happen if our generation started to view retirement differently... as if it was a chance to resume where we left off before the mortgage and 2.5 kids.

Wouldn't it be grand if we could sit on the steps of the administration building just one more time and chant "hell no, we won't go"? Perhaps this tme with all the power and insight of age. Perhaps we'd see the fire of youth continue to burn, as we once again feel the exhileration of a cause.

Wouldn't you know it, there's already a group putting Boomer Power to work.

Civic Ventures states:

"The first of 77 million baby boomers turn 60 in 2006. They are on the front edge of the largest, healthiest, best educated population of Americans ever to move through and beyond their fifties.

They are pioneers in a new stage spanning the decades between middle and late life. Neither young nor old, they represent an extraordinary pool of social and human capital. And, in large numbers, they want to do work that serves a greater good.

Millions are determined to apply their experience to make a difference for others. Some are able to do so as unpaid volunteers. Many are looking to combine aspects of work-income and health benefits-with elements of service through second careers tailored to their interests and circumstances.

But too often, their individual enthusiasm is stymied by perceptions, policies, and practices that discourage the sharing of experience. As a result, this growing number of Americans represents a largely untapped resource in a nation with many unmet needs.

Imagine unleashing their potential."

As far as I'm concerned AARP can go away - suddenly - if this sort of thing gets legs. I'm hoping for positive results on both counts.

Occasionally we receive releases about book of interest to Boomers. And what could be closer to our hearts (and wallets) than social security? You can read an excerpt here from Nancy Altman's book, The Battle for Social Security, and buy the book at Amazon.