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.)

Martin Mull's "Split Infinitives" exhibit opens in Santa Monica ... Frank Stoltze and Brian Watt say, "Send us your tired, your huddled donations, yearing to be free." ... Hard Times in SoCal ... The Best of Off-Ramp ... Dinner Party Download makes life better and you more interesting ...

Hal "Raindrops Are Falling on my Head" David, 89, sings at the Grammy Museum ... Homeless in Hard Times ... CyberFrequencies ... the Philippines' national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

Filmmaker and author RH Greene presents "Vampira and Me," a special documentary for Off-Ramp that tells the story of Maila Nurmi, creator of the cultural icon Vampira.

Off-Ramp's John Rabe and Kevin Ferguson talk with a baker's dozen of the 45 artists chosen to be in OCMA's 2010 California Biennial.

Stories from the Recession Front in new series, "Hard Times" ... Dan Savage's "It Gets Better Campaign" to fight gay teen suicide goes viral ... CyberFrequencies ... Songwriters Hall of Fame at Grammy Museum ... Remembering Tom Bradley campaigner & press secy Bob Kholos, witness to history of LA ... Mark Peel explains why your restaurant meal is late ... EatLA's 2011 guide is out ...

RH Greene on the Walking Man of Silverlake ... Dinner Party Download ... Cooking for 5,000 aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier ... Upton Sinclair Reconsidered ... Todd Carpenter - a real painter of light, in the dark.

Home Movie Day arrives in LA ... Mark Peel dispenses food wisdom ... Santa Clarita: cuisine destination? ... Athol Fugard's new play, "The Train Driver" ... Arthur Fiedler throws parsley, Mark Peel is surprised ...

LACMA's huge new Resnick Pavilion ... Lou Adler on The Painted Turtle and his talent ... muralist Siqueiros did landscapes, too ... skeletons in the closet? a German baron has mummies in his crypt ... meet This Old House, finally coming to LA ...