Stories from the Recession Front in new series, "Hard Times" ... Dan Savage's "It Gets Better Campaign" to fight gay teen suicide goes viral ... CyberFrequencies ... Songwriters Hall of Fame at Grammy Museum ... Remembering Tom Bradley campaigner & press secy Bob Kholos, witness to history of LA ... Mark Peel explains why your restaurant meal is late ... EatLA's 2011 guide is out ...
Hard Times: How the unemployed give back
Off-Ramp is starting a new series about the recession, and how--even though it's supposedly finished with--has affected us in Southern California. Work is still tough to find, and LA County's unemployment rate is currently hovering well over 10 percent these days. Off-Ramp's Kevin Ferguson talked with some people who have found ways to make the most out of their time in between jobs.
"It Gets Better" Campaign Against Gay Teen Suicide
Dan Savage, the sex advice columnist and gay rights advocate, says the spate of suicides by bullied gay teens shook him up and made him realize he could reach out to isolated gay kids who are contemplating taking their own lives. The message of the viral video project is simple: "Life gets better after high school. Stick it out." Off-Ramp host John Rabe spoke with Savage, who's been doing non-stop interviews since unveiling the project three weeks ago.
CLICK THROUGH to see Savage's video with his husband, and John's conversation with the LA Gay and Lesbian Center's Michael Ferrera, director of the LifeWorks youth development program, along with a link to the LA Gay and Lesbian Center.
Off-Ramp remembers Tom Bradley intimate Bob Kholos, 67
Bob Kholos, who worked closely with the late Tom Bradley during and after his historic runs for Mayor of LA, was one of Off-Ramp's early important guests. He died October 12, 2010 at the age of 67. Here are the three segments we recorded with him, recounting Bradley's early days, the SLA shootout, and the political and racial landscape of Bradley's early years as Mayor.
It's About Time: Songwriters Get New Space at Grammy Museum
As Paul "Rainbow Connection" Williams put it, "now there's a place for all our stuff!"
The Grammy Museum cut the ribbon Tuesday night on its new Songwriters Hall of Fame Gallery honoring the likes of Hal David, Mac Davis, Lamont Dozier, Ashford and Simpson, and Paul Williams -- all of whom attended the inaugural and sang their most famous tunes at the event. Off-Ramp host John Rabe spoke with Dozier, Davis, and Williams before the concert.
CLICK THROUGH for more information about the unique new exhibit, which includes letting YOU write a song with members of the Hall of Fame.
FROM THE GRAMMY MUSEUM RELEASE:
... The SHOF Gallery will feature video highlights from annual SHOF Awards & Induction Dinners, as well as information on all SHOF inductees and honorees. There will also be interactive songwriting collaboration kiosks which will permit Gallery visitors to try their luck at writing songs.
... Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees performing their hits: Hal David (“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “What the World Needs Now Is Love”), Lamont Dozier (“I Can’t Help Myself,” “Baby Love”), Mac Davis (“In the Ghetto,” “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me”), Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson (“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”), and Paul Williams (“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “The Rainbow Connection”).
... Commenting on the SHOF Gallery at The Grammy Museum, Hal David said: “This is the start of the realization of our longtime dream of a bricks and mortar presence for our Hall of Fame. We are most grateful to our friends at The Recording Academy and The GRAMMY Museum for this opportunity to give physical expression to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in Los Angeles, one of the country’s premier music cities and home to so many SHOF inductees."
... "As an institution that explores all genres of music as well as the creative and recording process, The GRAMMY Museum is a natural home for the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gallery," said Robert Santelli, Executive Director of The GRAMMY Museum. "We are privileged to showcase the many songwriters that the Songwriters Hall of Fame honors and celebrates who have written the soundtrack of our lives and of history, and this is a perfect addition to our existing exhibit that spotlights songwriters and their writing process."
... The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements, and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. Over the course of the past 40 years, some key Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees have included Desmond Child, Loretta Lynn, John Sebastian, John Fogerty, Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Steve Cropper, Dolly Parton, Richard and Robert Sherman, Bill Withers, Carole King, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Sir Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Jim Croce, Phil Collins, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Jimmy Webb, Van Morrison and Cy Coleman among many, many others. The Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond.
CyberFrequencies
CyberFrequencies mourns the end of the MadMen season with blogger Natasha Vargas Cooper, who has a book out about the show’s props.
Eat-LA's 2011 Guide Arrives -- Bigger Than Ever
The Great Recession didn't kill LA's restaurant business, which was great news for Eat-LA, the comprehensive guidebook to food and drink in Los Angeles and Off-Ramp partner. John talks with the editorial staff in the first audio item. In the second, they tell stories about their favorite meals.
Chef Mark Peel: Why Your Meal Is Late
In Chef Mark Peel's continuing Off-Ramp series that explores the restaurant world, Mark explains the myriad reasons your meal isn't on the table. Mark is chef/owner of Campanile, Tar Pit, and The Point.