Karen Ocamb is now a leading LGBTQ journalist in LA, but decades ago she was a cranky teenager on the East Coast, who was very gently reproved by Paul Newman over some freshly caught fish. When Newman died, Ocamb filed a loving commentary on her two encounters with the star.

Then, since Newman won the Academy's Jean Hersholt award at the Oscars in 1994, another distinguished journalist, Hollywood historian Alex Ben Block, goes to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to tell us who Jean Hersholt was and why he's beloved in the Industry.

Both of these pieces originally aired in October of 2008.

Support for this podcast comes from 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.

I start this week's podcast with a piece of audio I was instructed never to play again. Ever. It's Tom Jones adapting his mega-hit "She's a Lady," so it goes "He's a Rabe, whoah whoah whoah he's a Rabe..."

The person who told me not ever to run it again was Rico Gagliano, who was just jealous. I mean, the best he could ever get is Gerardo.

We originally aired this interview on KPCC in December of 2008, when Sir Tom released the album, "24 Hours."

Support for this podcast comes from 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.

LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow, Roots, and Next Gen ... Matt Groening on Huell Howser's retirement ... Gordon and the spider ...

Huell retired after 20 years of California's Gold ... Countercultural Paul Krassner remembers getting stoned with Groucho, John, and Yoko; celebrating the dean of radio DJs, Art LaBoe, 87; another Instagram winner!

1914: 28 men set off to cross Antarctica and wind up with an even greater accomplishment by failing in their original mission.

Time machines: "Classic Dining: Discovering America’s Finest Mid-Century Restaurants;" the 25th anniversary of "Star Trek: The Next Generation;" and the frozen wing of the Alexandria Hotel, locked in space and time since 1938.

Richard Simmons is still sweating to the oldies. Carole Bayer Sager on her second act. Suicide by train. Facing death with dignity.

How LAX killed Surfridge ... Painter Phil Stein, Siqueiros assistant & friend ... Laurie Rubin dreams & sings in color ... commentators Brody & Rosenfeld ... Tattoo U?

Martians invade the US, terrorize, murder, and destroy! The complete 1938 "War of the Worlds" from Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air.

Amateur unearths US President Franklin Marshall ... the Green Book guided black motorists ... Yanow and Beer ... Instagram contest ... the love of K-Pop.