To remind you why Off-Ramp is unparalleled in bringing you the people, places, and ideas that make Southern California a great place to live, here's a sample of our best pieces from the last year. With your contribution, we can do another year of great radio. Without it, we can't. Please give now!

“No blue skies and no green grass” is animator Genndy Tartakovsky’s rule for "Samurai Jack." He tells us about bringing back the wandering samurai (right) for Adult Swim. ... Meet jazz singer Donna Fuller, a sultry contralto who made two albums that are now eBay gold. ... It would be enough if we went to the shop where they make custom limousines and hearses, but they also make custom hunting trucks Middle East potentates use when they hunt with their falcons.

Take THAT, Ira! RH Greene's Off-Ramp doc "Vampira and Me" is now a movie. Plus, the man who pitched a foetus, Crenshaw kids' summer plans, and Jerry's junk.

A man who built his own bronze foundry, a new documentary about a Tijuana crime reporter, steve mARTin, and something about the Kings and Father's Day.

Merry Lepper, first US woman to run a marathon, did it in Culver City, 1963; Langers' anniversary; how one woman learned to face death and helped others do the same.

We'll take you to The Other Side for one more round & one more song, visit two performances you'll want to catch, & ask why Molly is live Tweeting the War of 1812.

For Memorial Day: Who was Oskar Schindler, really? What happened the night the U.S.S. Indianapolis sunk? What difference can a photo make for a military family?

Typing on Andy Rooney's typewriter, Pasadena's newest wine store, Really Old Jews Tell Jokes, and the logistics of bringing in the space shuttle.

Peter Mac as Judy Garland celebrates the arrival of Mother's Day, Middle School Students act out real life drama, Pogues's expat tells all.

Rob Schmitz on China and Apple, Richard Chamberlain in The Heiress at the Pasadena Playhouse; Bookman David Kipen on Expo Line; Merv Griffin's historic TV archive