We are taking this opportunity to talk to all of you and to have you, our faithful listeners, talk to us. The time change takes effect today, a heralding of a new season. We hope to hear about the issues you would like us to cover and those you are not interested in, so give us a call and share your thoughts.

 Tue. Oct. 29
Topic: The Ambassador Is In - Profile of Iceland
Guest: Amb. Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson

Ambassador Hannibalsson, has also served as Iceland’s foreign minister and finance minister. Before going into politics he was a Fulbright Scholar, a trawler fisherman, college president and newspaper journalist. He will discuss Icelands membership in NATO, the UN, WTO and other international organizations as well as its environmental concerns.

Wed. Oct.30
Topic: Going Home Again
Guests: Vida Zaher-Khadem, associate director of “Fire-Dancer
 Baktash Zaher, actor in the movie “Fire-Dancer
 TBA

Our guests, Afghan-Americans, will discuss the movie “Fire-Dancer” which is about the efforts of Afghans to assimilate into American culture and about how their lives changed after September 11th  even though they are all citizens of the United States.

Thr. Oct.31
Topic: Halloween
Guests: Nicholas Rogers, Prof. of History, York Univ., Toronto, Canada
 TBA

Believed to have pagan roots, by the 1920s Halloween emerged as a genuinely North American holiday. In the United States an estimated 65 percent of adults participate in the holiday which adds roughly $4 billion dollars to the economy divided between costumes, party accessories and candy. We will discuss has this transformation occurred and why people seem to enjoy this holiday so much.

Fri. Nov. 1
Topic: The Age of Sacred Terror
Guest: Daniel Benjamin, senior fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Age of Sacred Terror, a book written by Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon, an assistant director for U.S. Security Studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies discuss the states where terrorists continue to fight for a foothold and the inroads they have already made..