War. The annual Beirut Memorial ceremony is today, October 23, 10am at the Portsmouth Historical Society Building (corner of East Main and Union). See last year's coverage here. This moving annual ceremony honors those who gave their lives in our 1983 peacekeeping operation in Beirut. As USMC Colonel William F. Mullen II said last year, "People think that the war on terror started on 9/11, but it was actually much earlier, with the Iranians taking our Embassy in 1979, and the bombing of our Embassy in Beirut [in April, 1983] and [the barracks] that October. They were the first casualties in a very long war with an implacable enemy."

Peace. Tonight, Friday October 23, East Bay Citizens for Peace sponsor a showing of Robert Greenwald's new documentary Rethink Afghanistan at 7pm in St. Michael's Parish Hall, Hope and Church St, Bristol. Free.

(And mark your calendars — on Novemer 7, McClatchy newspapers correspondent Jonathan Landay, fresh from a two-month investigative tour, will speak on "The Stakes in Afghanistan: The Debate We Ought to Have." Presentation with Q&A to follow, 8 pm Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Old State House in Bristol. Suggested contribution is $5 at the door.)

Comedy. The Newport Children's Theater (NCT) has a great all-teen troupe presenting the comedy "Unwrapped" at the Newport Congregational Church at Spring and Pelham streets. $10 adults, $6 kids under 12. Shows are Friday at 7pm, Sat at 2pm and 7pm, and Sun at 4pm.

Terror. Is Fort Adams haunted? Decide for yourself and have a scary good time at the Fortress of Nightmares at Fort Adams. It's cool, it's historical, and it's REALLY SCARY. Kids over 12 scary. October 23-25 and Oct 30-Nov 1. Tix are $15 for a combo pass to the "Ghost Hunt" and "Tunnels of Terror" or $10 for either one.

Correction: Fixed spelling of Bristol. h/t to sharp reader KH for pointing it out.