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.)

Bob Kholos; City Hall Tower; It isn't easy being Green; Sana Sana; Santeria Botanica; Rooney Weighs In; Trivia: AnimeExpo

AnimeExpo 2007 This (pictured) is what your kids are up to when you're not looking, and it may be the future of the entertainment industry. But don't worry too much. Anime and manga are mostly about doing the right thing. Come with animation expert Charles Solomon and me to AnimeExpo 2007! - John Rabe

Happy Birthday de Havilland; Skirball's Ark; The NFL, not!; Bug's Eye View; Eden's Edge at the Hammer; Homeless Crackdown; Re-Gifting Sound; iWait; What Are You Doing for Summer Break?; The Art of Haiku; There Are Some Things Alli Doesn't Alleviate...; Futile Fuel?; Plaque Attack

Dixon's West; Landscaping America; The ABC's of BBQ; Matthew Monahan in Eden's Edge; Caruso; The (other) Happiest Place on Earth; Malibooster Malice; Short Attention Span Theatre; Animayhem; Reporter's Roundtable: Five More Years; Adios to Aguilar; Short-Sighted Shirt

Architectural Texture; It's Not a Knack; Fresh from the Can; Sopranos Sleep with the Fishes; Beyond Muscle Beach; Artists At Eden's Edge; Humble Art; Exene's L.A.; The Art of Punk; The Politics of Marriage; The Nancy Drew Philes; Farewell to Rachael Myrow; Have something to tell us?

Artists at Eden's Edge ; Hitting the Links; Holy Gifts; Space Aliens and Sea Fish; Alternate Route; Breaking the Rules of the Road; Driving with the Top Down; The Fast Sandwich; Space Talk; Bozo The Bling-Bling Clown; Dance Legend Remembered; Letters: Civil Disobedience

Summer Fun in Malibu This week, watchdog Jenny Price gives us tips on how to enjoy Malibu despite the efforts of some residents.

A Last Goodbye; Hello Tiki-Ti ; Tiki Tribute; Ghost in the Machine; Dad's in Jail; For want of a fingernail...; Eve's Apple; Urban Survivalist; Web Extra