LeVar Burton has been blessed with enough intelligence, curiosity, and talent to be a pop-culture triple threat. When most actors would be happy to have one iconic role, he's been Kunta Kinte in "Roots," Geordi in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and the host of "Reading Rainbow." When we talked in 2012, we covered all that and a lot more ... like his favorite saint, and what it was like having Richard Burton as a father. (Kidding!)

And, since we're dropping this episode just before Juneteenth, we're including LeVar's readings of the Preamble to the US Constitution, plus the 13th and 15th Amendments.

(Note: Burton cites Bill Cosby's work in children's educational TV ... this interview was conducted two years before the allegations that would eventually lead to Cosby's prison sentence.)

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

Nowadays, Steven Cuevas is a classy public radio veteran. But back when Metallica was just starting to find fame, he was one of the sweaty kids who formed the band's first real fanbase. And when he wanted to tell the story on Off-Ramp in 2009, when Metallica was being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he got ahold of never-before-heard tape to take us back to those early days in San Francisco.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

New documentary Young Turks ... rebutting the Disney myths in The Perfect American ... Richard Thompson in conversation with Kevin Ferguson ... Gordon and the Flea Market ... counting the homeless in LA and Venice.

RTNA: "Off-Ramp is best damn local public affairs show" ... the tragic backstory of nylon's inventor ... Ray Greene reports from Sundance 2013 ... Rabe's sister gives Rabe's brother a kidney ... Mexi-Cali Biennial theme: cannibalism

80+ rapper Kwayzar: "I'm a tripod!" ... amateur historian discovers obscure US President Franklin Marshall ... Hearts Apart for vets and their families ... Ian Whitcomb, the happy iconoclast ... Hunter Davis makes Sir Ian McKellen say naughty things.

Turns out the goofball we made fun of was the guy we really loved ... and we hope he knew it.

An in-depth interview with actor Piper Laurie ... AngelIno or AngelEno? ... the best jazz club in LA is a lady's house ... our Crenshaw High grad series continues with Tyris Williams & grandma on making tuition at UC Irvine.

This is the end of Off-Ramp. The final episode. Really, we mean it. You won't have Off-Ramp to kick around anymore ... until 2013.

New and old takes on Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol"

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" is also Jewish ... Leonard Maltin's Christmas movies for when you're tired of the usual suspects ... marching band ... walking safer ...