Stay current with your knowledge of foreign cultures, especially with the ongoing "war on terrorism." Education kills the ignorance that breeds hatred and racism, so if you're free for lunch, head to the Tucson Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave., where UA professor Charles Smith will speak from noon to 2 p.m. about issues involving the Middle East. For more information, call 791-4391.

Liven up your Friday night with a School of Music and Dance Faculty Artist Series performance. Rex Woods mans the piano and Hong-Mei Xiao plays the viola starting at 7:30 p.m. in Crowder Hall in the Fine Arts Complex. The concert costs $10 for the general public, $8 for UA employees and seniors age 55 or older, and $4 for students with valid identification. For more information, contact the Fine Arts box office at 621-1162 or visit its Web site at http://www.arts.arizona.edu/music.

For those interested in education technology, Saturday is the day to check out the newest and latest toys that help teachers pound more information into the heads of America's youth. The 10th annual Teaching and Technology Conference begins at 7:15 a.m. and lasts until 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Tucson High Magnet School on the corner of East Sixth Street and North Euclid Avenue. For just $35, you can check out a few of more than 60 sessions and 70 presenters. The fee does not cover lunch. Technology hardware and software will be on display from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Bill Valmont at 621-1386, by e-mail at wvalmont@mail.ed.arizona.edu or visit the Web site at http://www.ed.arizona.edu/tc2.

The language of love is the feature attraction at tomorrow's French and Italian Film Series installment, when the French flick "La Vie Est une Longue Tranquille" shows for free in the Modern Languages building, Room 304. The show runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about the ongoing series, contact Katy Ferreira at 621-7349, e-mail her at katyf@u.arizona.edu or visit the Web site at http://www.coh.arizona.edu/french/french.html.

Death-defying feats of daredevil bravery, or spectacles of sheer jack-assery, capture the attention of people from youth to old age. Elizabeth Streb, a production artist and choreographer, pays homage to Eval Knievel and his brethren with "Action Heroes," a performance including dancers, still images, music, live action and video projection to convey the high-risk atmosphere of daredevil lore. The show begins at 8 p.m. tomorrow at Centennial Hall. Tickets cost $22, $28 or $34. For more information, visit the UApresents Web site at http://uapresents.arizona.edu/0102performance.html or Streb's site at http://www.streb.org.