Fridays in August just became a bike commuter's dream -- bicycles are allowed on BART trains all day long, even during rush hour, as part of a new pilot program. Evaluation of the program from bike riders and passengers alike will determine whether the program continues past August. How was your commute on BART this morning?

A 25-year-old woman was killed on Highway 17 near Los Gatos after being ejected from a party bus last Friday. The buses have drawn criticism recently for allegedly ignoring underage drinking on board and for dropping their rowdy passengers at nightclubs or suburban neighborhoods that don't want them. Should party buses be more strictly regulated?

Following in the footsteps of its older siblings, Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars Curiosity rover is scheduled to land on the red planet Sunday. Sporting six wheels and carrying ten science instruments, the one-ton rover will seek to answer the perennial question about Mars: whether Earth's neighbor is, or ever was, able to support life. We'll discuss what's at stake for Curiosity, the heart of NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission.

For the past several years, heartfelt, sometimes tormented emails have been pouring into the inbox of Dear Sugar, the advice columnist for the online literary magazine "The Rumpus." Sugar -- recently revealed as bestselling memoirist and novelist Cheryl Strayed -- answers the calls for help with deep empathy, honesty and often with toughness. Strayed joins us to talk about giving advice and her golden rule: trust yourself.

More than ever before, political campaigns and interest groups from both parties are using the latest direct marketing and data mining tools to target and mobilize potential supporters. We'll discuss so-called microtargeting. How do you feel about political advertisements personally tailored to your habits and preferences?

In 2007, Oakland's Beth Terry decided to give up plastic after seeing a picture of a dead seabird, its stomach filled with plastic bottle caps. Her decision spawned a blog, a book and a movement to make people aware of how much plastic they consume. We'll talk to Terry about how, and why, people should reduce their plastic use, from changes obvious (carry your own reusable water bottle) to the surprising (kick that chewing gum habit).

UC Berkeley physics professor Richard Muller, a former climate change skeptic, will talk about his latest research and his new book, "Energy for Future Presidents." We'll also hear about new findings on climate change in California including a state assessment which explores vulnerabilities and opportunities to reduce climate change impacts.

A new documentary opening in the Bay Area this week profiles Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Since its creation in 1935, A.A. has helped scores of people around the world achieve sobriety. We'll look at Wilson's legacy and examine the A.A. approach.

The Oakland Veterans Affairs office -- responsible for all claims from Bakersfield to the Oregon border -- is under fire after a recent inspector general report revealed alarming statistics: a nearly 40 percent error rate in claims inspected and a 33 percent higher wait time than average, making it the second slowest VA office in the country. We'll discuss what's causing the backlog and what this means for Bay Area vets.

In the Bay Area, food is religion. And ice cream is no exception. From institutions like Fenton's and Mitchell's to relative newcomers like Ici and Bi-Rite, people are eating it up. What's your favorite flavor? Forum talks ice cream with those in the know.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee last week joined other big-city mayors in telling fast food chain Chick-fil-A that its stores are not welcome in their cities. The controversy started when the company's owner stated his opposition to same-sex marriage and support for "the biblical definition of the family unit." We discuss the risks and benefits for companies that wade into politics and social issues. Does a company's politics play into your buying decisions?