Chef Mario Batali talks with us about his shoes, his White House dinner, and his newest cookbook ... Chicano art champion Cheech Marin on his newest traveling exhibit: Papel Chicano Dos ... We'll talk with the last surviving proposed cabinet member of the most unlikely Presidential candidate: Dizzy Gillespie ... And meet the creators of Toothpix, who took the underutilized video feature on Yelp! and have been making 12-second restaurant review masterpieces.

This week, Off-Ramp finds out what’s under the bed when the lights go off. We're bringing back a KPCC In Person event from last year, where we read stories from "In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe," a collection of great old under-appreciated horror stories.

Note from John Rabe

Message From John Rabe: This week Off-Ramp brings you the Monks of St. Catherine's Cathedral in the Sinai. The monks visited the Getty to kick-off the "Holy Image, Hallowed Ground" exhibit. Also, the Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler, Rose Bowl flea market finds and turkey talk. Happy Thanksgiving, -John (and Queena)

Midterm Madness; I Lost My Heart In San Francisco; Voting Block; The Comeback Kid; Rock en Spanglish; The Last Doughboy; The Wine House Rules; The Forgotten Veterans; Phys Ed Fizzles; My Barbarian; Whiteness; Full-bore Borat

New Scents; Free Laptop Bag Giveaway; The Haves, the Have-Nots and the Used-To-Haves; Alternate Route; Breaking the Rules of the Road; Spiritual Marketplace; Some botanas, por favor; The Everyday as Art; Give Me Some Lip; Reporter's Roundtable; The Rules of the Game

Saul Levine; Baptism By Ire; Motorcycle Writer; Sketches of Pain

Kinky in Los Angeles; Godzilla Released; Godzilla v. LAPD; George Takei and the voice of Godzilla; The Thill Ain't Gone; Norman McLaren; OCMA: HANK WILLIS THOMAS; The Vision Thing; Flaming Tri-Tip; Reporter's Roundtable; Call Sheet

Message from John Rabe: With cold and flu season upon us, we focus on germs. Or rather, how not to get them. This week, hand washing, flu shots, and the new sneeze. -John

Bob Kholos; OCMA Biennial; LA Smog; Sashimi and Wine; Tokyo's Ghibli Museum Park; TV on the Radio; Reporter's Roundtable