KUCI: Ask A Leader

Human Rights Amidst Wars on Terror AND Planning for Retirement NOW

Wayne Sandholtz, UCI Political Science Professor, talks about human rights and the wars on terror: from the December 31, 2011 deadline for the withdrawal of American troops in Iraq; to contractor soldiers; to extra-judicial killings; to the precedent of the American use of drone weaponry. Catherine Collinson, President of the Transamerica Center for Reirement Studies advises about the need for young and old to prepare for retirement for the best possible protection. She refers several sources for more information: www.transamericacenter.org; irs.gov/; SmartMoney.com; and AARP.org If you don't plan, who will plan for you?

Paula Poundstone Performs AND Agano With Kenya Provides

Comedian Paula Poundstone talks about her comedic origins in kindergarten; her special brand of audience for which other comics yearn; her own lively math texts prepared with her high school math teacher (The Sticky Problem of Parallelogram Pancakes: Venn Can We Be Friends); and the value of pubic libraries in Santa Monica and throughout the country. She returns to perform at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, at 8 pm on October 27th. More details available at: http://www.thecoachhouse.com/ or www.paulapoundstone.com/ Founder and executive director of Agano With Kenya, Newport Beach resident Jene Meece talks about her execptional collaboration with Kenyan Father Henry Samaro to arrange for orphaned or deeply impoverished young women to get college educations. Her project, first launched in September 2010, is built around an agreement/pact known in Swahili as "agano." The guiding principle of the project is that the benefitting students maintain an agreement that as they are enriched, in turn further enrich, their peers, their villages of origin, and their society with the educations that they receive in any of the 30 universities around Kenya. 10 students were enrolled in the Spring of 2011, and will be joined by the next new cohort of 10 students within the year. Details about this organization can be followed on Facebook or on www.aganowithkenya.org/ On the evening of November 5th, the Gala for AGANO, presented at the Shady Canyon Country Club in Irvine, CA, includes cocktails, dinner, and a silent auction, to support the students in Kenya.

More Martyrs AND Less Carbon: Varzi and Shaka respectively

Roxanne Varzi, U.C. Irvine anthropologist, author, and filmmaker examines martyrdom in Iran during and in the aftermath of the eight year Iran-Iraq War. Her 2009 production, "Plastic Flowers Never Die," is the centerpiece of the interview. Varzi speaks in advance of her appearance later this week at UCI forum entitled, "Women, War, and Peace," in a series presented by the Center for Living Peace. Chemistry Professor A.J. Shaka plainly explains the wonder and elegance of liquid fluoride thorium reacters in advance of his Physical Sciences Breakfast talk at the at the UCIrvine Student Center entitled, "Deep Green: Long Term Zer Carbon." The talk is scheduled for 10/18/11.

California Women Suffrage Centennial AND Peace Love Swap

One hundred years ago Californian women put the 6th Star on the Suffrage flag of the Union on the way toward adoption of the 19th Amendment for Women's Suffrage. Kimberly Salter, Co-Chair of California Women Suffrage Centennial; and Robert Cooney, author of Winning the Vote, The Triumph of the Woman Suffrage Movement; talk about the movement and the celebration to be held in Sacremento on the upcoming week-end. Cooney's book is published by American Graphic Press. Later in the program, co-founder of PeaceLoveSwap, Elle Beyer, talks about an imaginative alternative to conventional consumerism. Inant clothing swaps, Halloween swaps, talent swaps, prom swaps and more; in the community nearest you, is a way to pare down clutter, save money, and connect with others of a like mind about the unconventional. More on that enterprise is available at www.peaceloveswap.com offers all

The Conviction of Irvine 11 AND Chef Richie Concocts

Alzheimer’s Assoc. of OC AND Financial Consultation

This program is dedicated to Liz Ayers, in recognition of her phenomenally gifted support group leadership for adult children of Alzheimer disease patients. Jim McAleer, President and CEO of the OC chapter of the Alzheimer's Assoc. talks about the services, fundraising walks, and informative conferences presented by the Assoc. Latest offerings available by consulting: www.alz.org/oc Karen Caporaso, certified financial analyst and certified divorce financial analyst talks about providing financial insigts to clients of all kinds. Her workshops are posted on www.commonwealthoc.net. Other resources are available on www.wise-investors.org

Looking Beyond 9/11

With the solemn week of commemorations, testimonials, and affecting personal narratives - this program considers with UCI political scientist professor Cecilia Lynch and UCI economist Stegios Skaperdas, the trends sending us into the next ten years post 9/11. The socio-economic and spiritual realms are explored, with the hopes that Reverend Mark Whitlock will join the next discussion, in the very near future. www.cgpacs.uci.edu and www.corchurch.org are suggested stops toward moving along the path of exploration. Look out as well for the Oxford Handbook of The Economics of Peace and Conflict, a work in progress.

More on Costa Mesa Labor / Irvine’s ASB Officers Start Their Engines

Jennifer Muir, OC Employees Association and Reick Eiden, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 324/OC Labor Federation post us on the latest developments with the municipal workers' lay-offs in Costa Mesa. Irvine Unified School District High Schools' ASB Officers: Ted Kim, Adrian Molzon, Nadav Hollander, Yume Nishi, and Rini Sampath talk about their varied backgrounds, their special projects and goals for this school year, and their plans for life after high school. A follow-up interview is planned for June 2012.