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Off-Ramp

Exploring Southern California with John Rabe

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Episodes
  • Enjoy a Dodger home opener with no labor issues, no Covid, no parking or traffic headaches ... and a guaranteed Dodger victory!
    We get it if you're a little sour on Major League Baseball right now, but turn that lemon into lemonade by checking out this whole episode of Off-Ramp recorded at the 2015 Dodger home opener. We got Justin Turner, Vic the Brick, Roz Wyman & Richard Montoya debunking the Chavez Ravine myth, the iconic organist Nancy Bea Hefley, pitcher John Rabe being lustily booed, an in-depth interview with then-GM Farhan Zaidi, and a lot more. All you need is a Dodger Dog, a michelada, and a bag of peanuts.

    Originally broadcast April 11, 2015.

    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.

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

    (Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

  • "Moonface" and "Vermont Avenue" podcast star James Kim couldn't talk to his parents - literally - because of First Language Attrition
    Today, James Kim is a successful podcast host, producer, and writer. You know him from "The Competition," "Moonface," and "Vermont Avenue," which won Tribeca's first Best Podcast award. And he's just wrapped up a project with Disney.

    But ten years ago, he was a fresh-faced Off-Ramp intern with a problem: he couldn't talk to his parents because he's first generation Korean-American and had lost his Korean when he learned English. 

    John Rabe pretty much forced him to do a first-person Off-Ramp piece about it, and it seemed to set in motion a major change for the better in James' life. 

    Bonus! James joins us to set up his piece from the Off-Ramp archive, and then hangs around to talk with John about life, love, and work ... including some tips for podcast aspirants.

    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.

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

    (Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

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  • 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.
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  • 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 ...